verlan

British  

/ vɛrlɑ̃ /

noun

1. a variety of French slang in which the syllables are inverted, such as meuf for femme , and also incorporating Arabic words and phrases

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Etymology

Origin of verlan

C20: from inverting the syllables of the French word l'envers meaning the other way round

Example Sentences

In France speaking backward is called verlan, a term that is the inversion of the syllables of l’envers, meaning “the inverse.”

From Scientific American • Oct. 12, 2023

They spoke of black people not with the historically loaded French word “noir” — but with the English word “black” or the verlan, “renoi.”

From New York Times • Jun. 16, 2020