How to Understand the 'Nadsat' Argot In "A Clockwork Orange"

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

A Clockwork Orange , written by Anthony Burgess, is a compelling novel about morality and free will. Unfortunately, it can be a difficult read, especially the first few chapters, as much of the book is narrated in the fictional argot known as Nadsat (the "teenage" language). Read on to better comprehend this “subliminal penetration,“ which will consequently allow you to enjoy the book much more.

1

Understand what Nadsat is.

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e7\/Understand-the-%27Nadsat%27-Argot-In-%22A-Clockwork-Orange%22-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Understand-the-%27Nadsat%27-Argot-In-%22A-Clockwork-Orange%22-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e7\/Understand-the-%27Nadsat%27-Argot-In-%22A-Clockwork-Orange%22-Step-1.jpg\/aid1702020-v4-728px-Understand-the-%27Nadsat%27-Argot-In-%22A-Clockwork-Orange%22-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    For example, the Russian word “golova” (which translates into something along the lines of “head”) is written as “gulliver” in the book. While the words are spelled differently than their Russian counterparts, many words (such as "gulliver") still retain the original Russian meaning.
    • There are words of other origins as well, such as French, German, and even some that Burgess invented.
    2. Advertisement
2

Analyze each sentence.

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/1f\/Understand-the-%27Nadsat%27-Argot-In-%22A-Clockwork-Orange%22-Step-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Understand-the-%27Nadsat%27-Argot-In-%22A-Clockwork-Orange%22-Step-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/1f\/Understand-the-%27Nadsat%27-Argot-In-%22A-Clockwork-Orange%22-Step-2.jpg\/aid1702020-v4-728px-Understand-the-%27Nadsat%27-Argot-In-%22A-Clockwork-Orange%22-Step-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":319,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":505,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    Dissect the meaning and emotion behind the Nadsat lingo. Some of the more common words like “viddy,” “droog,” and “tolchock” will be easy to grasp, while some of the less common ones like “yeckat,” “zoobies,” and “vareet” will require a bit more contextual analysis. Use context clues to help you extrapolate your own definition.
3

Translate a sentence from the book.

PDF download Download Article
  1. Here's an excerpt from Part 1, Chapter 1. "There was a doddery starry schoolmaster type veck, glasses on and his rot open to the cold nochy air." From this sentence, we'd be able to immediately deduce a few things: we know that it mentions an old school professor ("schoolmaster" should give that away), he has glasses on, and some part of his body is open to the cold air (not many parts of the body can open or close, so it'd be either the eyes or the mouth (and for the sake of brevity, it's the mouth)).
    • Here's what that same sentence would look like in normal English: "There was a strange old school professor, glasses on and his mouth open to the cold night air."
    2. Advertisement
4

Compile your own glossary of Nadsat-to-English translations.

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/aa\/Understand-the-%27Nadsat%27-Argot-In-%22A-Clockwork-Orange%22-Step-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Understand-the-%27Nadsat%27-Argot-In-%22A-Clockwork-Orange%22-Step-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/aa\/Understand-the-%27Nadsat%27-Argot-In-%22A-Clockwork-Orange%22-Step-3.jpg\/aid1702020-v4-728px-Understand-the-%27Nadsat%27-Argot-In-%22A-Clockwork-Orange%22-Step-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    Go back after you’ve finished the chapter and see if still makes sense.
5

Mentally replace the Nadsat words with English.

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f4\/Understand-the-%27Nadsat%27-Argot-In-%22A-Clockwork-Orange%22-Step-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Understand-the-%27Nadsat%27-Argot-In-%22A-Clockwork-Orange%22-Step-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f4\/Understand-the-%27Nadsat%27-Argot-In-%22A-Clockwork-Orange%22-Step-4.jpg\/aid1702020-v4-728px-Understand-the-%27Nadsat%27-Argot-In-%22A-Clockwork-Orange%22-Step-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    Once you can read the book without thinking what the words mean, you've mastered the language!
    2. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      Show More Tips
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      Things You'll Need

      • A copy of Anthony Burgess's book A Clockwork Orange.
      • A pen/pencil and paper.
      • A lot of free time.
      • Patience.
      • Persistence.


      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Speak Pig Latin
      Talk Like the Minions from Despicable Me: Rules, Examples, & More
      How to
      Create a Language
      How to
      Speak Gibberish
      3 Ways to Speak Tolkien's Elvish Languages: Quenya, Sindarin, & More
      How to
      Write in Gallifreyan
      How to
      Make a Dictionary of Made up Words
      How to
      Create a Fictional Alphabet
      How to
      Speak Double Dutch
      How to
      Create a Made Up Word
      How to
      Speak Oppish
      How to
      Write in Elvish
      Advertisement

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 63,518 times.

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement