Rotwelsch (German: [ˈʁoːtvɛlʃ], "beggar's foreign (language)") or Gaunersprache (German: [ˈɡaʊnɐʃpʁaːxə], "crook's language", also Kochemer Loshn (from Yiddish "חוכמער לשון", "tongue of the wise") is a secret language, a cant or thieves' argot, spoken by groups (primarily marginalized groups) in southern Germany and Switzerland. The language is based primarily on German. During the 19th and 20th century, Rotwelsch was the object of linguistic repression, with systematic investigation by the German police.