Editing Verlan

{{short description|French language game involving reversing syllables in a word}}
[[file:Ambigramme Copine Pineco - animation.gif|thumb|The verlan word "pineco" comes from "copine".]]
'''{{lang|fr|Verlan}}''' ({{IPA|fr|vɛʁlɑ̃|pron|LL-Q150 (fra)-Lepticed7-verlan.wav}}) is a type of [[argot]] in the [[French language]], featuring inversion of [[syllable]]s in a word, and is common in [[slang]] and youth language.  It rests on a long French tradition of transposing syllables of individual words to create slang words.<ref name=Lefkowitz>{{cite book |last=Lefkowitz |first=Natalie |title=Talking Backwards, Looking Forwards: The French Language Game Verlan |date=1991 |publisher=Gunter Narr Verlag |isbn=3823340735 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xOk9Pldx7i0C}}</ref>{{rp|50}} The word {{lang|fr|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'' ({{IPA|fr|lɑ̃vɛʁ|}}, "the inverse", frequently used in the sense of "back-to-front"). The first documented use of verlan dates back to the 19th century, among robbers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stille |first=Alexander |date=2002-08-17 |title=Backward Runs French. Reels the Mind. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/17/arts/backward-runs-french-reels-the-mind.html |access-date=2024-01-22 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

== Word formation ==
{{Wiktionary category|moredescriptivetext=examples of verlan words|category=Verlan}}
Words in verlan are formed by switching the order in which syllables from the original word are pronounced.  For example, {{lang|fr|français}} {{IPA|fr|fʁɑ̃sɛ|}} becomes {{lang|fr|céfran}} {{IPA|fr|sefʁɑ̃|}}.

Verlan generally retains the pronunciation of the original syllables.  However, French words that end in a {{lang|fr|[[e muet|⟨e⟩ muet]]}} (such as {{Wikt-lang|fr|femme}} {{IPA|fr|fam|}}) and words that end in a pronounced consonant (such as {{Wikt-lang|fr|flic}} {{IPA|fr|flik|}}) gain the sound {{IPA|fr|œ|}} once reversed. In addition, verlan often drops the final vowel sound after the word is inverted, so {{lang|fr|femme}} and {{lang|fr|flic}} become {{lang|fr|meuf}} ({{IPA|fr|mœf|}} – {{lang|fr|meufa}} in full form) and {{lang|fr|keuf}} ({{IPA|fr|kœf|}} – {{lang|fr|keufli}} in full form), respectively.

The study of written verlan is difficult as it is primarily passed down orally, without standardized spelling. While some still argue that the letters should be held over from the original word, in the case of verlan, most experts agree that words should be spelled as to [[pronunciation spelling|best approximate pronunciation]].  For example, {{lang|fr|verlan}} is preferred to {{lang|fr|versl'en}}.
The French author [[Auguste Le Breton]] uses numerous examples of verlan, for instance in {{lang|fr|[[Du rififi chez les hommes]]}}.

Different rules apply for one-syllable words, and words with more than two syllables may be verlan-ised in more than one way.  For example, {{lang|fr|cigarette}} may yield {{lang|fr|garetsi}} or {{lang|fr|retsiga}}.<ref name=Valdman>{{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 |year=2000 |language=fr}}</ref>

== Vocabulary ==
Some verlan words, such as {{lang|fr|meuf}}, have become so commonplace that they have been included in the {{lang|fr|[[Petit Larousse]]}}.<ref>See the [[Petit Larousse]] itself. These words are also given on the Larousse website:  [http://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/keuf keuf] [http://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/meuf meuf] [http://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/ripou ripou]</ref> The purpose of verlan is to create a somewhat secret language that only its speakers can understand. Words becoming mainstream is counterproductive. As a result, such newly common words may be reversed a second time {{crossreference|(see {{format link|#Double verlan}})}}.

Some verlan words, which are now well incorporated in common French language, have taken on their own significance, or at least certain connotations that have changed their meaning.<ref name=LefkowitzReview/> For example, the word {{lang|fr|meuf}}, which can still be used to refer to any woman, also refers to the speaker's girlfriend when used in the possessive form ({{lang|fr|ma meuf}} → my girl); while the original word {{lang|fr|femme}} would refer to the speaker's wife when used in the same way ({{lang|fr|ma femme}} → my wife). Such words retain a cultural significance from the time at which they appeared in common language. Widespread in the second half of the 20th century, {{lang|fr|beur}} and {{lang|fr|beurette}} (from {{lang|fr|arabe}}) refer to people of northern African descent who live in France. The word {{lang|fr|rebeu}} (a double verlan) is much more recent, and evolved to refer more generally to people of Arab descent who live in France.

In theory, any word can be made into a verlan, but only a few expressions are used in everyday speech. Verbs translated into verlan cannot be conjugated easily. There is no such thing as a verlan grammar, so generally verbs are used in the infinitive, past participle or [[Imperfect|progressive]] form.  For example:
*''J'étais en train de pécho une bebon''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dictionnairedelazone.fr/dictionary/definition/bebon |title=Définition de bebon |work=dictionnairedelazone.fr |language=fr}} 
<br>
Here the words ''pécho'' and ''bebon'' are verlan for ''choper'' and ''bombe'', roughly translating to "hit on" and "hot chick" respectively.</ref> ("I was hitting on a hot chick") is said, but not {{lang|fr|je pécho[ais]}}.

Here are some examples of French words that have been made into a verlan and their English meanings:<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Davis|first=J.J.|date=Autumn 2004|title=Autumn, 2004, Vol. 29 Issue 3, p7, 2 p|journal=Verbatim|volume=29|pages=7}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! French
! Verlan
! English
|-
| bande
| deban
| group
|-
| bête
| teubé
| stupid
|-
| bizarre
| zarbi
| weird
|-
| black (Eng.)
| kebla
| dark-skinned, (African/black) person
|-
| bloqué
| kéblo
| blocked
|-
| bonjour
| jourbon
| hello
|-
| câble
| bleca
| fuse (as in "to blow a fuse")
|-
| classe
| secla
| class
|-
| clope
| peuclot
| cigarette
|-
| branché
| chébran
| trendy
|-
| monde
| demon
| crowd
|-
| disque
| skeud
| album
|-
| fais chier
| fais iech
| it makes one angry
|-
| femme
| meuf
| woman
|-
| flic
| keuf
| cop
|-
| fou
| ouf
| crazy
|-
|futur
|turfu
|future
|-
| français
| céfran
| French
|-
| jobard
| barjot
| crazy
|-
| l'envers
| verlan
| reverse
|-
| louche
| chelou
| shady or weird
|-
| lourd
| relou
| irritating or unbearable
|-
| merci
| cimer
| thanks 
|-
| mère
| reum
| mother
|-
| métro
| tromé
| subway
|-
| musique
| zicmu
| music
|-
| père
| reup
| father
|-
| piscine
| cinepi
| pool (swimming)
|-
| poulet
| lepou
| chicken (similar to "pig" in English; for police officer)
|-
| pourri
| ripou
| rotten (cop)
|-
| rap
| pera
| rap (music)
|-
| truc
| keutru
| stuff
|-
| vas-y
| zyva
| go for it
|-
| speed (Eng.)
| deuspi
| quick
|-
| moi
| oim / wam
| me 
|-
| laisse tomber
| laisse béton
| give up
|-
|}

== Double verlan ==
Creating verlans often brings up words that are verlan of a verlan. This is sometimes called {{lang|fr|double verlan}} or {{lang|fr|veul}}. One can find the order of the consonants of the original word, but the vowels have been modified.

For example, {{lang|fr|meuf}} (verlan of {{lang|fr|femme}}) becomes {{lang|fr|feumeu}}. The verlan word {{lang|fr|[[beur]]}}, derived from {{lang|fr|arabe}}, has been made into {{lang|fr|rebeu}}.<ref name=Valdman/><ref name=LefkowitzReview>{{cite journal |title=Verlan: talking backwards in French |first=Natalie J |last= Lefkowitz |journal=[[The French Review]] |volume=63 |issue=2 |year=1989}}</ref>

== Cultural significance ==
Verlan is less a language than a way to set apart certain words.<ref name=Valdman/> Many verlan words refer either to [[Sexual intercourse|sex]] or [[recreational drug use|drug]]s, related to the original purpose of keeping communication secret from institutions of social control. Verlan is generally limited to one or two key words per sentence. Verlan words and expressions are mixed within a more general {{lang|fr|[[argot]]ique}} language.

Verlan is used by people to mark their membership in, or exclusion from, a particular group (generally young people in the cities and {{lang|fr|[[banlieue]]s}}, although some French upper-class youth have also started using it as their slang); it is a tool for marking and delineating group identity.<ref name=Valdman/>  Speakers rarely create a verlan word on the fly; rather, their ability to use and understand words from an accepted set of known verlan terms allows them to be identified as part of a verlan-speaking group. Lefkowitz claims that the best speakers of the language are often the worst students, those most needing to hide from authority.<ref name=Lefkowitz/>{{rp|61}}

Some verlan words have gained mainstream currency. Examples of verlan in cultural mainstream include the 1984 comedy {{lang|fr|Les Ripoux}} (''[[My New Partner]]'') ({{lang|fr|ripou}} is verlan for {{lang|fr|pourri}}, or rotten, and refers to a corrupt policeman); and the 1977 hit "[[Laisse béton]]" by singer [[Renaud]] ({{lang|fr|béton}} is verlan for {{lang|fr|tomber}} and the phrase means "drop it").

Verlan is popular as a form of expression in [[French hip-hop]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Rosen | first=Jody | date=10 November 2005 | title=David Brooks, Playa Hater | work=[[Slate Magazine]] | url=http://www.slate.com/id/2130120 | access-date=21 March 2008}}</ref>  Artists claim that it fits well with the musical medium because "form ranks way over substance".<ref>{{cite web | last=St. Alse | first=Yaka | date=21 January 2005 | title=Notes to 'Wardsback'  | work=Open Brackets: Lost in Translation | url=http://openbrackets.com/article/640/wardsback | access-date=21 March 2008}}</ref>

The stage name of Belgian pop artist and songwriter [[Stromae]] (real name Paul Van Haver) is verlan for {{Wikt-lang|fr|maestro}}.<ref>{{cite web | last=Sayare | first=Scott | date=10 October 2013 | title=Stromae: Disillusion, With a Dance Beat  | work=New York Times | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/15/arts/15iht-stromae15.html?_r=0}}</ref>

One hypothesis holds that ''[[Voltaire]]'', the nom-de-plume of François-Marie Arouet, is a verlan word for [[Airvault]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sloutsky |first1=Larissa |last2=Black |first2=Catherine |title=Le Verlan, phénomène langagier et social: récapitulatif |trans-title=Verlan, a linguistic and social phenomenon: in summary |journal=The French Review |date=2008 |volume=82 |issue=2 |pages=308–324 |jstor=25481548 |lang=fr}}</ref>{{rp|p=314}}

The French language movie poster for the 2023 American film [[Barbie (film)|''Barbie'']] contains a line that has been interpreted as verlan: "Elle peut tout faire. Lui, c'est juste Ken", "She can do everything. He’s just Ken". By referring to the character Ken, which is a verlan phonological inversion of ''nique'', a profane slang term for sex, aloud, it sounds like "Lui sait juste ken," meaning "he only knows how to fuck." [[Warner Bros.]] refused to confirm or deny whether the profane [[double entendre]] was intentional but appreciated the added publicity that the poster generated.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roxborough |first=Scott |date=2023-06-22 |title=Warner Bros. Knew Exactly What It Was Doing With That Racy French ‘Barbie’ Poster — Here’s Why |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/warner-bros-raunchy-french-barbie-poster-meaning-1235519470/ |access-date=2023-07-26 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>

In the 2007 animated film ''[[Ratatouille (film)|Ratatouille]]'', the character chef Auguste Gusteau's first name and last name are verlans of each other.


== See also ==

* [[Back slang]]
* [[Cockney]]
* [[Language game]]
* [[Louchébem]]
* [[Lunfardo]], which has some reverse words
* [[Pig Latin]]
* [[Podaná]]
* [[Rhyming slang]]
* [[Riocontra]] (in [[Italian language|Italian]])
* [[Sananmuunnos]] (in [[Finnish language|Finnish]])
* [[Šatrovački]] (in [[Serbo-Croatian]])
* [[Shelta]]
* [[Totoiana]] (in [[Romanian language|Romanian]])
* [[:ja:倒語|Tougo]] (in [[Japanese language|Japanese]])
* [[Vesre]] (in [[Spanish language|Spanish]])

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{sister project links|d=Q1429662|commons=Category:Verlan|q=no|n=no|v=no|s=no|mw=no|m=no|species=no|voy=no|b=no}}
*{{cite news |last=Menon |first=Anand |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1892853.stm |work=[[BBC Online]] |title=Parlez-vous verlan? |date=26 March 2002 |access-date=2017-04-21}}

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[[Category:French slang]]
[[Category:Language games]]
[[Category:Cant languages]]
[[Category:Hip-hop terminology]]