Sometimes the best way to hide something is to hide it in plain sight by disguising it as something else. In this case a simple substitution cipher is disguised to look like a language so that perhaps the enemy would not think to try applying cryptanalysis to it, but would assume it was some foreign language he didn't understand.

The rules of Elboian are simple, and can be modified in many ways to make the resulting cryptograms more secure. In its most basic form, the letters of the alphabet are not assigned to alternate letters as with a normal substitution cipher, but are assigned to complete syllables as follows:

A = ba	J = nu	S = gu
B = de	K = pa	T = ha
C = fi	L = re	U = je
D = go	M = si	V = ki
E = hu	N = to	W = lo
F = ja	O = u	X = mu
G = ke	P = ya	Y = na
H = li	Q = bi	Z = pe
I = mo	R = fo	TH = ri

Sample text

Call me Ishmael. Some years ago- never mind how long precisely- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation.

Fibarere sihu Mogulisibahure. Guvusihu nahubafogu bakevu- tohukihufo simotogo livulo revutoke yafohufimoguhurena- libakimotoke remohaharehu vufo tovu sivutohuna moto sina yajefoguhu, batogo tovuremotoke yabafohamofijerebafo havu motohahufohuguha sihu vuto gulivufohu, mo revujekeliha mo lovujerego gubamore badevujeha ba remohaharehu batogo guhuhu rehu lobahahufona yabafoha vuja rehu lovuforego. Moha mogu ba lobana mo libakihu vuja gofomokimotoke vujaja rehu guyarehuhuto batogo fohukejerebahamotoke rehu fimofofijerebahamovuto.

A More Advanced Approach

One difficulty with the above method is that since every letter is replaced by two letters, the words become very long. One way to cut down on word lengths is to assign syllables to some of the most commonly used letter pairs and triplets, and to assign vowels to single vowels.

A = i	J = nu	S = gu	IN =so	ES =gi	SE =se
B = de	K = pa	T = ha	RE =tu	OR =ho	SH =ti
C = fi	L = re	U = e	AN =va	AR =ju	AL =vo
D = go	M = si	V = ki	ER =we	TE =ka	OF =wu
E = o	N = to	W = lo	ON =yi	TO =le	OU =ya
F = ja	O = a	X = mu	ND =zo	TI =mi	EA =ze
G = ke	P = ya	Y = na	ST =bu	IS =no	ED =bi
H = li	Q = bi	Z = pe	EN =da	IT =pu	NT =do
I = u	R = fo	TH = ri	AT=fe	IC =ra	ING =fu

Call me Ishmael. Some years ago- never mind how long precisely- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation.

Now becomes:

Fivore sio Nolisiiore. Guasio naojugu ikea- tookiwe sisogo lialo reyike yatufinoorena- liikifu repuhareo ho toa siyiona so sina yaefose, vago toarifu yajumifiereju le sokatubu sio yi tiatu, u riyakeliha u loyarego guiure ideyaha i repuhareo vago seo rio loihawena yajuha wu rio lohorego. Pu no i loina u liikio wu gofoukifu wuja rio guyareoda vago tukeerefefu rio fiufofierefeuyi.