LINGUIST List 13.2122

Sat Aug 17 2002

Media: Article NYT: Verlan

Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karenlinguistlist.org>

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  • Karen S. Chung, Media NYT: Verlan

    Message 1: Media NYT: Verlan

     Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2002 16:26:48 +0800
    From: Karen S. Chung <karchungccms.ntu.edu.tw>
    Subject: Media NYT: Verlan


    Here's the beginning of a New York Times (August 17, 2002) article on Verlan, or 'backwards' French.

    The URL:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/17/arts/17SLAN.html?pagewanted=1

    Backward Runs French. Reels the Mind By Alexander Stille

    Those who have studied French but haven't been in France for a while may find themselves confused when they overhear conversations that sound familiar but remain largely incomprehensible. Gradually they may realize, or some kind soul may explain, that what they are hearing is a popular slang called Verlan in which standard French spellings or syllables are reversed or recombined, or both.

    Thus the standard greeting "Bonjour, ca va?" or "Good day, how are you?" becomes "Jourbon, ca av?" "Une fete" (a party) has become "une teuf"; the word for woman or wife, femme, has become meuf; a cafe has become feca; and so on.

    Karen Steffen Chung National Taiwan University

    Subscribe to Phonetics at: http://ccms.ntu.edu.tw/~karchung/phon1index.htm