Dog Latin, also known as
Cod Latin,
macaronic Latin,
mock Latin, or
Canis Latinicus, refers to the creation of a
phrase or
jargon in imitation of
Latin, often by "translating" English words (or those of other languages) into Latin by
conjugating or
declining them as if they were Latin words. Unlike the similarly named
language game Pig Latin (a form of playful spoken
code), Dog Latin is more of a humorous device for invoking
scholarly seriousness. Sometimes "dog Latin" can mean a poor-quality attempt at writing genuine Latin.