What are verlan words?
Words in Verlan are formed by switching the order in which syllables from the original word are pronounced. An example is the word 'verlan' itself which come from ' (à)l'envers' (backwards or upside-down). In other words, learning to speak Verlan is to learn to speak backwards or to put the french language upside-down.
What is the verlan word beur?
The verlan word beur, derived from arabe, has become accepted into popular culture such that it has been re- verlan ised to yield rebeu. Verlan is less a language than a way to set apart certain words. Many verlan words refer either to sex or drugs, related to the original purpose of keeping communication secret from institutions of social control.
What is the difference between Verlan and Versl'?
For example, verlan is preferred to versl'en . The French author Auguste Le Breton uses numerous examples of verlan, for instance in Du rififi chez les hommes . Different rules apply for one-syllable words, and words with multiple syllables may be verlan ised in more than one way. For example, cigarette may yield garetsi or retsiga.
Do you have to add an e in verlan?
A note about spelling: verlan is technically a made-up language so there are no definite rules about whether you have to add an e to the end of a word to make it feminine or an s to the end of a word to make it plural.
Where is verlan spoken?
FranceUnlike pig Latin, however, verlan is actively spoken in France. Many verlan words have become so commonplace that they are used in everyday French. To "verlan" a word, simply separate it into syllables, reverse them, and put the word back together.
Do French people use verlan?
“Verlan is still a French thing, some young people use it but not every young French person does. It's a question of social class, location, age, context, and personal choice,” Chevalier-Karfis adds.
Why do French use verlan?
Verlan à l'envers is a form of French slang that works, as you might have guessed from the name, by breaking up the syllables of words and reversing them. Verlan was created because civilians wanted a way to communicate with each other without authority figures being able to understand them.
Does verlan exist in English?
The word verlan itself is an example of verlan (making it an autological word). It is derived from inverting the sounds of the syllables in l'envers ([lɑ̃vɛʁ], "the inverse", frequently used in the sense of "back-to-front")....Vocabulary.FrenchVerlanEnglishlaisse tomberlaisse bétongive up33 more rows
Is MEUF derogatory?
According to some sources it was invented in the 90s. Sometimes it is considered derogatory but it certainly isn't always intended to be. Nevertheless, it's probably best to play it safe with who you use it around.
What's verlan in English?
Verlan, which is actually the French word à l'envers backwards or “reversed” (that's what it translates to), is a form of Pig Latin that French speakers use in everyday talk; way, way more than an English speaker would ever use Pig Latin in their entire life.
Is verlan a slang?
Verlan is a playful slang popular among youth, where French words are formed by switching the order in which the syllables are pronounced. The word verlan itself is a great example of verlan because it is à l'envers (which means reverse) backward.
Do French people say hyper cool?
(Surprisingly, French people don't talk like textbooks!) One such slang term is "chouette", meaning cool. The French also say “cool” and its not uncommon to modify cool or chouette with a “hyper” or “super” to drive home the meaning.
What does Beur mean in slang?
Beur (or alternatively, Rebeu) is a colloquial term, sometimes considered pejorative, in French to designate European-born people whose parents or grandparents are immigrants from the Maghreb. The equivalent term for a female beur is a beurette.
Do the French speak backwards?
The slang language essentially sees the sounds of a word's syllables pronounced back-to-front. In fact, the word “verlan” itself is an example of Verlan, as it's the French word “L'envers” (reverse) in reverse. The phenomenon, which some suggest took off after World World Two, is incredibly popular with younger people.
When was verlan first used?
Verlan is generally believed to be first attested as a generalisation of a word game into a form of slang in the milieu of prisoners and convicts (Lefkowitz, 1991:53), although the word verlan itself is only attested in 1953 and the phenomenon gains wider usage only in the second half of the twentieth century.
Is MEC a verlan?
You can also use verlan with other slang words, like “mec” (mec <=> keum), when talking about a boy or boyfriend. If you're talking about the same woman: “C'est vrai mais elle a déjà un keum !” Verlan even works with very short words. For example, “fou” becomes “ouf” (fou <=> ouf).
Where is verlan from?
Parisian banlieueVerlan is a French language argot, which originated from the Parisian banlieue as a social protest. Allowing young people to speak amongst one another, and not be understood by authority figures; such as the police or keuf.
How can I learn French verlan?
1:1911:51French Slang - Learn how to speak verlan - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo this word comes from the word fam in French which means woman Murph is a woman but it is also andMoreSo this word comes from the word fam in French which means woman Murph is a woman but it is also and most of the time referring to a girl.
Do they speak backwards in French?
0:239:31French BACKWARDS Slang (VERLAN) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd is commonly used one interesting type of French slang is called villain that named villain comesMoreAnd is commonly used one interesting type of French slang is called villain that named villain comes from the word long their meaning backwards or inverse. The word syllables are reversed.
How are words in Verlan formed?
Words in Verlan are formed by switching the order in which syllables from the original word are pronounced.
Is Verlan a French language?
Verlan is very commonly spoken by French teenagers (especially around Paris) and the impressive number of new words they create each year shows that the French language is very much alive.
How It Works
Let's start with the word l'envers, which means "the reverse." Separate l'envers into its two syllables l'en and vers. Invert them, put them together into a single word, and then adjust the spelling:
Take It a Step Further
The above examples are pretty simple, but verlan gets more complicated when it comes to the e muet, which is a very important sound in verlan.
Creation and Usage of Verlan
Verlan is created by the inversion of syllables within a word. It’s funny because the word verlan is actually an example of this process, being the inversion of the French word for “reverse”, l’envers (pronounced lan-ver).
Significance
So why should you care if verlan exists? Well, if your extent of French language usage is simply a classroom setting or ordering food at a French restaurant, then you shouldn’t care about verlan. Those who should care are the people who get real-world experiences with French people in France, more specifically the young ados of France.
What is the meaning of the word "verlan"?
Verlan is a playful slang popular among youth, where French words are formed by switching the order in which the syllables are pronounced. The word verlan itself is a great example of verlan because it is à l’envers (which means reverse) backward.
What is the meaning of "verlan" in French?
When it was first used, Verlan was reserved for taboo topics like conducting illegal activities. Today, Verlan has crept into much of the slang used in French music, especially hip-hop and other parts of popular French culture.
What are the three types of French slang?
There are three kinds of French slang that are in common usage among native speakers: louchébem, argot, and verlan or as the French say— verlan à l’envers. Verlan is a playful slang popular among youth, where French words are formed by switching the order in which ...
How many keywords are in a sentence for "Verlan"?
Verlan is typically limited to one or two keywords in a sentence and may be mixed with other types of slang or idioms. Here are few established examples of verlan you might hear when you visit France: Verlan is rarely created on the fly by French speakers.
Is Verlan a French word?
Verlan is rarely created on the fly by French speakers. Instead, it’s used as a way to mark yourself as an insider by using slang words that are already part of the established vocabulary.
Is it easier to learn Verlan?
This is why it may be easier to learn verlan as part of your practice speaking French instead of from traditional French lessons. Verlan is a very vibrant part of the French language, and it’s often evolving, adding or suppressing the final vowel, cutting parts of the word, or even deleting syllables out of longer words.
Can you reverse every French word?
You can’t reverse EVERY French word. Not every French word can be used as verlan merely by inverting the syllables or pronunciation. Sometimes verlan is straightforward, switching the order in which syllables in the original word are pronounced.
Is Verlan a part of the music?
Since it’s the language of a part of the population, it’s also very much present in the music. Hip-hop is where you can find most examples of Verlan, although it’s also present in other musical genres. There is even poetry in Verlan and there are many movies or videos where you can hear it spoken. It’s usually associated with the younger generation and especially in certain areas where poverty is also very present.
Is Verlan a subculture?
As part of a subculture, Verlan is very dynamic and in constant evolution. Sometimes, some Verlan expressions spoken by one generation fall out of fashion with the next only to come back again later on. Another interesting aspect is that, as some Verlan expressions become more widespread, they make their way into regular French and they have to be reswitched to disguise them again. It is the case with meuf (from femme, meaning wife or woman) and beur (from arabe, meaning first-generation arab immigrants). These were re-Verlanized, becoming feumeu and rebeu. Confused yet? Well, that’s kind of the purpose of an argotic language like Verlan!
What are some words that are verlanized?
Here are 15 words that are commonly “verlanized” that will help you understand what your French friends are talking about. 1. Céfran — Français. Let’s start with the basics. Céfran, [ say-frahn ] is verlan for Français. To ask if someone is French, you’d say “Il est céfran?”. Advertisement. 2.
Is Verlan a made up language?
A note about spelling: verlan is technically a made-up language so there are no definite rules about whether you have to add an e to the end of a word to make it feminine or an s to the end of a word to make it plural.
What are some examples of Verlan words?
Some examples: “j’étais trop vénère !” (I was so mad), “il m’a trop vénère !” (He made me so angry!)
What is the first word you learn in Verlan?
1. Céfran (français – French) It makes sense that the first word you learn in verlan is how to say ‘French’. Better yet, this word perfectly exemplifies how verlan works. Français – Fran çais – çais Fran – Céfran.
Why was Verlan created?
Verlan was created because civilians wanted a way to communicate with each other without authority figures being able to understand them.
What does "chopper" mean in Verlan?
Choper means to grab. But in verlan, it can mean to date, kiss or hook up with someone.
Is "verlan" a homological word?
The word verlan itself is reversed (verlan – l’envers), making it a homological word (it does what it says on the tin). The sounds tend to stay the same after they’re reversed, like the word verlan. Words often keep the same amount of syllables and have letters that ensure they keep the original sound.
Is French a beautiful language?
The French language is regarded as one of the most beautiful languages in the world. The verlan version of these pronouns calls the aforementioned belief into question a little…. As you can see, the ‘oi’ sound is retained, so rather than an entire reversal of ‘iom’, you get a swap, ‘oim’.
Is "trome" a verlan word?
Like Céfran, Tromé is an easy verlan word to make sense of. Swap the syllables and whadya know? Metro.
