Carney and "alfalfa"

[Arnold Zwicky]

"alfalfa" is a name for the hidden/concealed/play language in
which the syllable "alf" is inserted within words; the usual scheme
in these play languages is, i believe, to insert a fixed syllable
between adjacent syllables (though there are other variants).
there's a fair amount of literature on such systematic distortions.
i'm away from my library and files right now, but a search for
bruce bagemihl's work should net you lots of information and
references.  (well, bagemihl's work on disguised languages.  his
book on same-sex attractions in animals is fascinating, but
not especially relevant here.)

arnold (zwicky at csli.stanford.edu)