Note 16 — THE HISTORY OF CANT, OR, THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF VAGABONDS.

I am reminded by an eminent philologist that the origin of QUEER is seen in the German, QUER, crooked,—hence “odd.” I agree with this etymology, but still have reason to believe that the word was first used in this country in a cant sense. Is it mentioned any where as a respectable term before 1500? If not, it had a vulgar or cant introduction into this country.