() is a type of

argot A cant is the jargon or language of a group, often employed to exclude or mislead people outside the group.McArthur, T. (ed.) ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (1992) Oxford University Press It may also be called a cryptolect, argo ...

in the French language, featuring inversion of syllables in a word, and is common in

slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-g ...

and youth language. It rests on a long French tradition of transposing syllables of individual words to create slang words. The word itself is an example of verlan (making it an autological word). It is derived from inverting the sounds of the syllables in ''l'envers'' (, "the inverse", frequently used in the sense of "back-to-front").

Word formation

Words in verlan are formed by switching the order in which syllables from the original word are pronounced. For example, becomes . Verlan generally retains the pronunciation of the original syllables. However, French words that end in a (such as ) and words that end in a pronounced consonant (such as ) gain the sound once reversed. In addition, verlan often drops the final vowel sound after the word is inverted, so and become ( – in full form) and ( – 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 best approximate pronunciation. For example, is preferred to . The French author Auguste Le Breton uses numerous examples of verlan, for instance in . Different rules apply for one-syllable words, and words with multiple syllables may be verlan-ised in more than one way. For example, may yield or .

Vocabulary

Some verlan words, such as , have become so commonplace that they have been included in the . 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 are re-verlan-ised: reversed a second time . 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. For example, the word , which can still be used to refer to any woman, also refers to the speaker's girlfriend, when used in the possessive form ( → my girl); while the original word would refer to the speaker's wife when used in the same way ( → 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, and (from ) refer to people of northern African descent who live in France. The re-verlan-ised word 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 progressive form. For example: *''J'étais en train de pécho une bebon'' ("I was hitting on a hot chick") is said, but not . Here are some examples of French words that have been verlanised and their English meanings:

Double verlan

Verlanising words often brings up words that are verlan of a verlan. This is sometimes called or . One can find the order of the consonants of the original word, but the vowels have been modified. For example, (verlan of ) becomes . The verlan word , derived from , has been re-verlanised into .

Cultural significance

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. Verlan is generally limited to one or two key words per sentence. Verlan words and expressions are mixed within a more general language. Verlan is used by people to mark their membership in, or exclusion from, a particular group (generally young people in the cities and , although some French upper-class youth have also started using it as their slang); it is a tool for marking and delineating group identity. 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. Some verlan words have gained mainstream currency. Examples of verlan in cultural mainstream include the 1984 comedy ('' My New Partner'') ( is verlan for , or rotten, and refers to a corrupt policeman); and the 1977 hit " Laisse béton" by singer Renaud ( is verlan for and the phrase means "drop it"). Verlan is popular as a form of expression in French hip-hop. Artists claim that it fits well with the musical medium because "form ranks way over substance". The stage name of Belgian pop artist and songwriter

Stromae Paul van Haver (; born 12 March 1985), better known by his stage name Stromae (), is a Belgian singer, rapper, songwriter and producer. He is mostly known for his music blending hip hop and electronic music. Stromae came to wide public attenti ...

(real name Paul Van Haver) is verlan for . ''

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—es ...

'', the nom-de-plume of François-Marie Arouet, is possibly a verlan word for

Airvault Airvault () is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It is located on the River Thouet. The inhabitants of Airvault are the and the in French. On 1 January 2019, the former commune of ...

References

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