While it was mainly used as a lexicon, some of the more adept speakers were so good at it, that it resembled a language, with its own grammatical rules, distinct to English. Polari can be classed as a language variety, a sociolect, or an anti-language. Some of the most common include rhyming slang, backslang (saying a word as if it's spelt backwards), Italian, Occitan, French, Lingua Franca, American airforce slang, drug-user slang, Parlyaree (an older form of slang used by tinkers, beggars and travelling players) and Cant (an even older form of slang used by criminals). It is mainly a lexicon, derived from a variety of sources. In the past, it was also known as Palari, Palare, Parlaree or a variety of similar spellings. Paul Baker, Linguistics and English Language, Lancaster University Polari: The Lost Language of Gay Men What is Polari?
