Speak Leet

**Reverend Joe** · 11-06-2005, 20:22

This is not an insta-close thread. It is a serious questionarre, and if luck be on our side, it will snowball into a serious discussion about this bizarre and arcane language.

Having been born a little too late, and having not been active on the internet until very lately, I am thoroughly ill33terate. Is anyone here fluent in leet? If so, can you post some leet words, with translations, and possibly how they appeared to begin with?

Also, does anyone know where leet emerged from? What is its history? I mean, I could understand abbreviations, but leet appears to be a serious commitment.

Beirut, BKS, if you don't like this thread, please don't close it- just move it where it would be appropriate. I don't want to spam the frontroom, but I don't know where else this would go.

**Beirut** · 11-06-2005, 20:25

Originally Posted by Zorba

Beirut, BKS, if you don't like this thread, please don't close it- just move it where it would be appropriate.

I don't think you can get there from here.

**Conqueror** · 11-06-2005, 20:33

In Wikipedia we trust (or not)

**Dutch_guy** · 11-06-2005, 20:41

I am thoroughly ill33terate. Is anyone here fluent in leet?

me too, but I really don't want to know anything of leet..it's just used by people who can't express themselves properly, and I don't want to asociate myself with them ;)

Though a google search or Wiki search as Conqueror suggested would get you all the info you might want

**Adrian II** · 11-06-2005, 20:39

Originally Posted by Zorba

Also, does anyone know where leet emerged from?

1337 15 4 v4r14t10n 0f t3h w0rd 3l1t3 u53d by 14m3r5 wh0 th1nk th3y 4r3 3l1t3... 0ft3n us3d w1th 4r3 v4r1at10n 0f d1g1t5 1n5t34d 0f l3tt3r5...0ft3n u53d by 5cr1pt k1dd135 t0 d35cr18e th31r 5k1ll.

Copied from my virtual urban bible

**Byzantine Prince** · 11-06-2005, 20:48

|)a|\/|n haxx0r and Hi5 damn l337 5peak!

PS: Greeklish especially get's on my nerves!

**Duke Malcolm** · 11-06-2005, 20:52

Good God. I endeavour not to speak any such rubbish...

**Dutch_guy** · 11-06-2005, 21:03

Originally Posted by King Malcolm

Good God. I endeavour not to speak any such rubbish...

**AntiochusIII** · 11-06-2005, 21:14

It has origins from the 80s hackers who tried to distinguish themselves from the public and send their "messages" without much disturbance. A useful tool back then, I suppose.

Then some kids thought it was cool to copy these hackers so he could be cool like them and 1337 becomes mainstream; 1337 soon becomes the main communication root for counter-strike, quake, and all sorts of online gamers.

From then on, anything associated with 1337 equates to the degradation of humanity and basic intelligence.

Unfortunately, the cyber world allows the sub-humans to continue to grow like parasites.

Languages do change, but rarely do they degrade. Convenience (like the Japanese development of the kana from Chinese kanji) is included as the development of language (after all, I'm sure Hieroglyphics were more complex than, say, Latin) but 1337 is far from convenient, and certainly real English is way better. In fact, something similar to 1337, but less on scale and success, was attempted by Webster as it tried to simplify the English language; nonetheless, his (original Mr. Webster's) successes are limited. That includes the removal of "u" in words such as colour; or aluminium's "i." Yet, Webster's attempt could be considered as a movement for convenience, not for "coolness".