Description of the Linguistic Features of Jaberi Coded Language

Language is the most important device for communication, but one coded form of it is used to restrict communication. The Coded Language of Jaberi is one of the most unknown languages in Iran that was originally developed by the people of Jaber village (of Badre County, Ilam Province). This language is known as žêrzuwanaki in the local dialect. The purpose of this research was to study the linguistic characteristics of the coded language of Jaberi. The data were collected through field research based on the researchers’ linguistic aptitude and interviews with native speakers of this language. The results indicated that the phonemes, syntax and grammar of the coded language of Jaberi is similar to the standard language of the region, but lexically it is completely different. The inventors of this language were also Jaberi’s prayer writers who traveled to different areas in the past to pray for people, and they needed a coded language to keep their secrets hidden from others. Results show that the creators of coded languages including the coded language of Jaberi are usually business owners who have invented such languages to protect their business secrets.