The language itself has diverse origins – a combination of Italian and Romantic roots, Romany, backslang (saying things backwards), Yiddish, Cockney, and other street and sailor slang, mostly from London. The point of Polari was, largely, to avoid the law knowing what the hell you were talking about or getting up to.

Polari is a secret language, which has now largely fallen out of use, but was historically spoken by gay men and female impersonators. My research has tracked how it grew out of the world of entertainment, stretching back from West End theatres, through to 19th-century music halls and beyond that to travelling entertainers and market-stall holders.

There is some debate about its origins, but it can be traced back to at least the 19th century and possibly as far as the 16th century. There is a long-standing connection with Punch and Judy street puppet performers, who traditionally used Polari to converse. Alternate spellings include Parlare, Parlary, Palare, Palarie, and Palari .