Editing Louchébem

{{short description|Secret language game}}
{{expand French|date=January 2016}}
'''{{lang|fr|Louchébem}}''' or '''{{lang|fr|loucherbem}}''' ({{IPA|fr|luʃebɛm}}) is [[Paris]]ian and [[Lyon]]naise [[butcher]]s' ([[French language|French]] {{lang|fr|boucher}}) [[slang]], similar to [[Pig Latin]] and [[Verlan]]. It originated in the mid-19th century and was in common use until the 1950s.

==Process==
The {{lang|fr|louchébem}} word-creation process resembles that of {{lang|fr|largonji}}, {{lang|fr|[[verlan]]}}, and {{lang|fr|[[javanais]]}}, in that existing words are camouflaged according to a set of rules.  Strictly speaking, {{lang|fr|louchébem}} is a more rigid variety of {{lang|fr|largonji}} in which the ending {{lang|fr|-èm}} is obligatory.  {{lang|fr|Largonji}} substitutes {{angle bracket|l}} for the consonant or [[consonant cluster]] at the beginning of the word, or, if the word begins with an {{angle bracket|l}} or a vowel, the second syllable; the initial consonant is then reattached to the end of the word along with a [[suffix]] particular to the [[argot]]: {{lang|fr|-ji}} {{IPA|fr|ʒi|}}, {{lang|fr|-oc}} {{IPA|fr|ɔk|}}, {{lang|fr|-ic}} {{IPA|fr|ik|}}, {{lang|fr|-uche}} {{IPA|fr|yʃ|}}, {{lang|fr|-ès}} {{IPA|fr|ɛs|}}, or in the case of louchébem, {{lang|fr|-em/ème}} {{IPA|fr|ɛm|}}.

Note that {{lang|fr|louchébem}} is first and foremost an [[oral language]], and spelling is usually [[phonetic spelling|phoneticized]].

==History==

Despite the name, {{lang|fr|louchébem}} seems to have been created not by butchers, but by inmates at [[Brest Prison]], with records dating back to 1821.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Larlépem largomuche du louchébem. Parler l'argot du boucher|author=Françoise Robert L'argenton|journal=Langue Française |date=1991 |volume=90 |pages=113–125 |doi=10.3406/lfr.1991.6200 |url=http://www.persee.fr/doc/lfr_0023-8368_1991_num_90_1_6200|access-date=6 Jan 2016}}</ref>

[[Edmund Clerihew Bentley]] used the language as a plot point in his 1937 short story "The Old-Fashioned Apache".

During the [[German military administration in occupied France during World War II|Nazi occupation]] {{lang|fr|louchébem}} was used by [[Paris]]ian members of the [[French Resistance|Resistance]].

Even today, {{lang|fr|louchébem}} is still well-known and used among those working at [[point-of-sale]] in the [[meat]] [[retail]] industry.  Some words have even leaked into common, everyday use by the masses; an example is the word {{wikt-lang|fr|loufoque}}, meaning "eccentric".

== Examples ==
Here are a few example Louchébem words.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! English !! French !! Louchébem
|-
| slang || {{lang|fr|l'argot}} || {{lang|fr|largomuche}}
|-
| butcher || {{lang|fr|boucher}} || {{lang|fr|louchébem}}
|-
| customer || {{lang|fr|client}} || {{lang|fr|lienclès}}
|-
| coffeehouse || {{lang|fr|café}} || {{lang|fr|lafécaisse}}
|-
| (don't) understand || {{lang|fr|comprendre}} ({{lang|fr|pas}}) || {{lang|fr|lomprenquès}} ({{lang|fr|dans le lap}}) 
|-
| woman (lady) || {{lang|fr|femme}} ({{lang|fr|dame}}) || {{lang|fr|lemmefé}} ({{lang|fr|lamdé}})
|-
| blunder || {{lang|fr|gaffe}} || {{lang|fr|lafgué}}
|-
| boy/waiter || {{lang|fr|garçon}} || {{lang|fr|larçonguesse}}
|-
| Roma (ethnicity) || {{lang|fr|gitan}} || {{lang|fr|litjoc}}
|-
| leg (of mutton, etc.) || {{lang|fr|gigot}} || {{lang|fr|ligogem}}
|-
| insane || {{lang|fr|fou}} || {{lang|fr|louf}}; {{lang|fr|loufoque}}; {{lang|fr|louftingue}}
|-
| pork || {{lang|fr|porc}} || {{lang|fr|lorpic}}
|-
| mackerel || {{lang|fr|maquereau}} || {{lang|fr|lacromuche}}
|-
| Sir; Mister; gentleman || {{lang|fr|monsieur}} || {{lang|fr|lesieurmique}}
|-
| piece || {{lang|fr|morceau}} || {{lang|fr|lorsomique}}
|-
| overcoat || {{lang|fr|pardessus}} || {{lang|fr|lardeuss}} ({{lang|fr|lardeussupem}})
|-
| excuse me?; sorry || {{lang|fr|pardon}} || {{lang|fr|lardonpem}}
|-
| to talk || {{lang|fr|parler}} || {{lang|fr|larlépem}}
|-
| manager || {{lang|fr|patron}} || {{lang|fr|latronpuche}}
|-
| tip || {{lang|fr|pourboire}} || {{lang|fr|lourboirpem}}
|-
| bag || {{lang|fr|sac}} || {{lang|fr|lacsé}}
|-
| expensive || {{lang|fr|cher}} || {{lang|fr|lerche}}; {{lang|fr|lerchem}} (often in the negative, as {{lang|fr|pas lerchem}})
|-
| sneakily || {{lang|fr|en douce}} || {{lang|fr|en loucedé}}; {{lang|fr|en loucedoc}}
|-
| wallet || {{lang|fr|portefeuille}} || {{lang|fr|larfeuille}}; {{lang|fr|lortefeuillepem}}
|-
| thief, crook || {{lang|fr|filou}} || {{lang|fr|loufiah}}
|-
| knife || {{lang|fr|couteau}} || {{lang|fr|louteaucé}}
|}

There is another French [[argot]] called {{lang|fr|largonji}}, which differs from {{lang|fr|louchébem}} only in the suffix that is added ({{lang|fr|-i}} instead of {{lang|fr|-em}}); the term is derived from ''jargon''.<ref>{{cite journal
  | last = Valdman
  | first = Albert
  | title = La Langue des faubourgs et des banlieues: de l'argot au français populaire
  | journal = The French Review
  | volume = 73
  | issue = 6
  | pages = 1179–1192
  | publisher = American Association of Teachers of French
  | date = May 2000
  | jstor = 399371}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* [[Marcel Schwob]], ''[[Étude sur l’argot français]]''. Paris: Émile Bouillon, 1889.

==External links==
* {{cite web| url=http://www.mhr-viandes.com/fr/docu/docu/d0000238.htm| title=Le loucherbem| language=fr|date=June 1997| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000610013211/http://www.mhr-viandes.com/fr/docu/docu/d0000238.htm | archive-date=2000-06-10}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Louchebem}}
[[Category:French slang]]
[[Category:Occupational cryptolects]]
[[Category:Language games]]
[[Category:Cant languages]]