Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, or group. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he continued, "It seems that one ought to begin by composing this language, but people begin by speaking and writing and the language remains to be composed."[1] In other words, the term most often covers the language used by people who work in a particular area or who have a common interest. Much like slang, it can develop as a kind of short-hand, to express ideas that are frequently discussed between members of a group, though it can also be developed deliberately using chosen terms. A standard term may be given a more precise or unique usage among practitioners of a field. In many cases this causes a barrier to communication with those not familiar with the language of the field. As an example, the words RAM, Hard Disk Drive, CPU, and Graphics Card are jargon terms related to computing.
In Jewish communities during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the term "jargon" was occasionally used as a pejorative term for Yiddish. Such usage was current both among assimilationists, who felt that Jews would do better to speak the majority language of the surrounding society, and among Zionists who urged them to speak Hebrew.
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Wikitravellers sometimes use their own brand of jargon which can be confusing for new users. This glossary attempts to explain some of the words and phrases used in discussions, edit summaries, or on IRC.
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Jargon m. (genitive Jargons, plural Jargons)
Jargon is a special way to use words that are shared only by a certain group of people. They do not mean what the dictionary says they mean. They have different meanings to the people using them than their everyday meaning.
For example, the ordinary words boot, net, and web also have special meanings for users of computers, the Internet, and the World Wide Web. These, and to flame, to ping and many acronyms are part of net jargon.
An acronym means that only some of the letters in the word or phrase are used. Often this is the first letter of each word. Other acronyms found online are simply common shorthand. See list of slang words.
Usually, more jargon is created over time.
Jargon is also common in the military. It includes phrases like SNAFU.
Jargon can be used by a clique to prevent others from joining or understanding, but it also is often just used because it is shorter.
  | The Jargon Wiki - Main Page - JargonWiki |
| | USA Today article on sports jargon used in business - Do foreign executives balk at sports jargon? - USATODAY.com |
| | The Online Dictionary of Language Terminology - The ODLT - The Online Dictionary of Language Terminology |
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