21/04/2011
The Ever-Evolving Language of Youth
In today's fast-paced world, language is a constantly shifting landscape, and nowhere is this more evident than in the way young people communicate. What might sound like gibberish to an older generation is often a rich and nuanced form of expression for teenagers and young adults. This evolving lexicon, often referred to as 'youth slang,' is more than just a collection of trendy words; it's a reflection of identity, social belonging, and a way to navigate the complexities of adolescence.
Understanding this unique dialect can be challenging. Terms that are popular today might be outdated tomorrow, making it a dynamic and sometimes bewildering subject. However, delving into the origins and meanings behind these phrases offers a fascinating glimpse into the social and cultural forces shaping contemporary youth.
Why Do Young People Have a Particular Way of Speaking?
The development of a distinct linguistic style among young people is a well-documented phenomenon. Sociolinguists often point to a period of identity construction during adolescence. This is a time when young individuals are actively trying to define themselves, separate from their childhood selves and the adult world. Adopting a unique way of speaking is one of the many ways they achieve this differentiation.
As sociologist Cyril Trimaille explains, "It's a way to distance themselves from the children they no longer want to be, to differentiate themselves from adults, and to challenge authority. It's also a way to provoke their elders (parents, older siblings)." This linguistic rebellion serves as a powerful tool for asserting individuality and testing boundaries.
Furthermore, youth slang plays a crucial role in fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie among peers. Sharing a common vocabulary creates an in-group feeling, reinforcing social bonds and shared experiences. It can also be a way to identify with cultural icons, particularly in music and online communities, where specific phrases and expressions gain popularity.
Where Do These Words Come From? The Roots of Youth Slang
The origins of youth slang are as diverse as the young people who use it. While some terms are entirely new coinages, many draw inspiration from existing languages, cultural influences, and even historical linguistic trends.
A significant influence on French youth slang, for instance, comes from the Romani and Arabic languages. As Cyril Trimaille notes, "Many Romani and Arabic words have given birth to French slang words." For example, words like 'chourraver' (to steal), 'que dalle' (nothing), and 'pourrave' (rotten/terrible) have Romani roots. Similarly, 'brêle' (idiot), 'fissa' (quickly), and 'zef' (nerve/courage) are derived from Arabic.
Other sources include:
- Verlan: This is a form of French slang where syllables of a word are inverted. For example, 'femme' becomes 'meuf,' and 'arabe' becomes 'beur.' Many common slang terms are derived from verlan, such as 'reuf' (brother) and 'reuss' (sister).
- English Influence: With the global reach of English-language media and the internet, many English words and phrases have been adopted and adapted into youth slang. Terms like 'chill,' 'crush,' 'fake,' and 'spoiler' are common examples.
- Internet Culture: Online platforms, social media, and gaming communities are hotbeds for new linguistic trends. Acronyms, abbreviations, and memes often give rise to new slang terms that quickly spread through digital networks.
- Regional Dialects and Subcultures: Specific communities and regions can develop their own unique slang, influenced by local culture, music scenes, or social groups.
A Lexicon of Modern Youth Speak
The sheer variety of youth slang can be staggering, and it's important to remember that 'youth slang' isn't a monolithic entity. Different groups, regions, and even individual friend circles will have their own specific vocabulary. However, here's a glimpse into some commonly used terms, categorised for clarity:
Referring to People:
Understanding how young people refer to each other is key to deciphering their conversations.
| Slang Term | Meaning | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Babtou | A white person | “Regarde ce babtou qui danse.” |
| Bestah | My best friend (often female) | “Elle, c’est ma bestah.” |
| Biatch | Derived from English 'bitch', often used playfully or insultingly | “Arrête de faire la biatch !” |
| Blaze | First name | “Quel est ton blaze, mec ?” |
| Boloss / Bouffonne | An idiot / A silly girl | “Il est trop boloss, il comprend rien.” / “Elle fait la bouffonne.” |
| Charo | A guy who tries to have many conquests | “Il est connu pour être un vrai charo.” |
| Couz’ | Cousin or mate | “Wesh couz’, ça dit quoi ?” |
| Darone / Daron | Mother / Father | “Ma daronne m’a appelé.” / “Mon daron travaille dur.” |
| DZ | An Algerian person (from the .dz internet domain) | “Il est DZ, il est venu de là-bas.” |
| Frérot / Khey | Friend, brother | “Salut frérot, comment ça va ?” / “C’est mon khey.” |
| Gars sûr | A reliable person, a friend | “Il est vraiment gars sûr, je peux lui faire confiance.” |
| Go | A girl | “J’ai vu une go sympa tout à l’heure.” |
| Gros | A way to address someone, like 'mate' or 'dude' | “Mais gros, je t’avais dit de faire attention !” |
| Michto | Someone who dates others for financial gain | “Elle est un peu michto, elle cherche juste des cadeaux.” |
| Miff | Family or close friends | “Ils sont comme la miff pour moi.” |
| Poto | A friend | “Ça va poto ?” |
| Reuss / Reuf | Sister / Brother (Verlan) | “Ma reuss est venue me voir.” / “Mon reuf est en vacances.” |
| Shlag | A despicable person | “Ne traîne pas avec lui, c’est un shlag.” |
Referring to the Body:
Even parts of the body can have their own slang terms.
| Slang Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Boobs | Breasts |
| Boule | Buttocks |
| Ieps | Feet |
| Teub / Zgeg | Penis |
| Teuche | Vulva |
| Vechs | Hair |
Verbs and Actions:
Everyday actions are often described with unique slang verbs.
| Slang Term | Meaning | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|
| S’arracher / Décoller | To leave a place | “Bon, on s’arrache ? Il se fait tard.” |
| Bédaver | To smoke cannabis | “Il passe son temps à bédaver.” |
| Bicraver | To sell drugs | “Il s’est fait attraper en train de bicraver.” |
| Câbler | To lose one's temper, to explode | “Si tu continues, je vais câbler.” |
| Chiller | To relax, to enjoy a good moment | “On va chiller au parc cet après-midi.” |
| Crari | To believe, to pretend | “Arrête de crari, tu sais très bien que c’est faux.” |
| Fail / Failer | A mistake, to mess up | “J’ai failé mon examen, je dois le repasser.” |
| Ficha | To post or tag someone online (Verlan of 'afficher') | “Pourquoi tu m’as fiché sur ta photo ?” |
| Géchan | To change (Verlan) | “On va géchan de sujet.” |
| Ghoster | To ignore someone, stop responding | “Il m’a ghosté après notre premier rendez-vous.” |
| Goumer | To hit, to fight | “Ils ont commencé à goumer dans la rue.” |
| Grailler | To eat | “J’ai trop faim, il faut qu’on graille.” |
| Haghar | To be hit or humiliated | “Il s’est fait haghar par le groupe.” |
| Ken | To have sex (Verlan of 'niquer') | “Ils sont rentrés ensemble et ont ken.” |
| Pécho | To seduce or successfully approach someone | “Il a réussi à pécho la fille qu’il voulait.” |
| Péta | To hit (Verlan of 'taper') | “Il s’est péta avec son ami.” |
| Poucave / Poucaver | An informant, to snitch | “C’est une vraie poucave, il dit tout au professeur.” |
| Prank / Pranker | A practical joke, to play a prank | “On lui a fait un prank pour son anniversaire.” |
| Spoiler | To reveal the end of a story | “Ne me spoile pas le film, je ne l’ai pas encore vu !” |
| Stalker | To spy on someone, online or offline | “Elle a peur qu’il la stalke sur les réseaux sociaux.” |
| Tej | To throw away, discard, or abandon | “Il a tej son ancien téléphone.” |
| Vesqui | To avoid or evade an awkward situation | “Il a vesqui la conversation gênante.” |
Exclamations and Expressions:
These are the interjections and phrases that add flavour and emotion to conversations.
| Slang Term | Meaning | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|
| À balle | A lot, to the max | “On a rigolé à balle hier soir.” |
| Au calme | Calmly, peacefully, relaxed | “On était posés au calme, tout allait bien.” |
| Albatar | Contraction of “Ah le bâtard !” (expression of surprise or annoyance) | “Albatar, il a encore oublié ses clés.” |
| Askip | Contraction of “À ce qu’il paraît” (Apparently) | “Askip, il va pleuvoir demain.” |
| Balek / Balec | I don’t care, not bothered | “Balek de ce qu’il pense, je fais ce que je veux.” |
| Bruh | An expression of disappointment or disbelief | “Il a encore raté son bus, bruh.” |
| En sah | Seriously, truly | “En sah, c’était vraiment une bonne idée.” |
| Hendecks | Attention! (Often mistakenly used to mean police) | “Hendecks, il y a un contrôle !” |
| Sa mère | Incredible! Amazing! | “C’est bon sa mère, ce concert était génial !” |
| Starf’ / Starfoullah | Expression of astonishment or disbelief | “Starf’, je n’arrive pas à y croire.” |
| Tah | Like, similar to | “Il mange ses chips tah un cochon.” |
| Toz / Cheh | An expression used to mock someone who has failed or been embarrassed | “Il a trébuché devant tout le monde, toz !” |
| Wesh | A versatile greeting, like 'hey' or 'what's up' | “Wesh, ça va ?” |
| Zebi | An exclamation similar to 'damn it' (from Arabic 'zob' meaning penis) | “Zebi, j’ai encore oublié mon portefeuille.” |
Adjectives:
Describing things and situations often involves unique adjectives.
| Slang Term | Meaning | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Auch | Difficult, complicated (Verlan of 'chaud') | “Ce devoir de maths, c’est vraiment auch.” |
| Breusson | Dark, gloomy, obscure (Verlan of 'sombre') | “L’ambiance était un peu breusson hier soir.” |
| Canard | Someone easily fooled or taken advantage of | “Arrête de faire le canard, ils te manipulent.” |
| Carré | Neat, clean, perfect, well done | “Ton dessin est vraiment carré.” |
| Chelou | Suspicious, shady, weird (Verlan of 'louche') | “C’est un peu chelou cette histoire.” |
| Cheum | Ugly (Verlan of 'moche') | “Cette chemise est vraiment cheum.” |
| Etre une chèvre | To be bad at something, incompetent | “Il est une vraie chèvre en cuisine.” |
| Dar | Really good, awesome | “Ce concert était trop dar !” |
| Eclaté / Eclaté au sol | Terrible, awful, very bad | “La fin du film était complètement éclatée au sol.” |
| Fraiche | Pretty, cute | “Elle est vraiment fraiche, cette fille.” |
| Glow up / Glow down | Physical transformation for the better / worse | “Elle a eu un énorme glow up depuis l’année dernière.” |
| On fleek | Perfect, on point (referring to appearance, style) | “Ses sourcils sont on fleek aujourd’hui.” |
| Missile | A very attractive person, usually female | “Elle est missile, cette actrice.” |
| Le S / Le sang / Le sang de la veine | The best friend, someone you trust implicitly | “C’est mon sang, je peux tout lui dire.” |
| Lourd | Powerful, great, impressive | “Ce beat est vraiment lourd !” |
| Sale | Intense, extreme, or very good/bad | “La bataille dans le jeu était sale.” |
| Sous côté / Surcôté | Underrated / Overrated | “Je trouve ce groupe sous-côté.” |
| Miskine | Poor thing, pity | “Miskine, il a perdu son match.” |
| Tainp / Tchoin | Prostitute (derogatory) | “Il a traité la femme de tainp.” |
| Tarba | Bastard (Verlan of 'bâtard') | “Quel tarba, il m’a menti.” |
| Tarpin | Very, a lot | “Ce repas était tarpin bon.” |
SMS and Online Language:
Texting and online communication have their own unique abbreviations and expressions.
| Abbreviation/Term | Meaning | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|
| TKT | Don't worry | “TKT, j’arrive bientôt.” |
| JPP | I can't anymore (from laughing or being overwhelmed) | “JPP de cette situation comique.” |
| LOL / MDR | Laughing out loud / Mort de rire (Laughing hard) | “LOL, t’as vu sa photo ?” / “MDR, c’est trop drôle.” |
| OKLM | "Au calme" - relaxed, chill | “Il est arrivé OKLM, sans stress.” |
| RAF | “Rien à faire” - I don't care | “RAF de ses opinions.” |
| OSEF | “On s’en fiche” - It doesn't matter to me | “OSEF de ce qui se passe.” |
| PLS | Positional Lateral Safety (ironically means someone is down or defeated) | “Après son discours, il était en PLS.” |
Other Common Expressions:
- C’est dar: It’s really good. Example: “J’adore ce jeu, il est dar !”
- J’ai le seum: I’m annoyed, upset. Example: “J’ai raté mon train, j’ai le seum.”
- Chiner: To flirt, to try to pick someone up. Example: “Il passe toute la soirée à chiner.”
- S’enjailler: To get motivated, to get into the mood. Example: “Allez, on s’enjaille pour finir le travail.”
- C’est golri: It’s funny. Example: “Sa réaction était trop golri.”
- Tu t’es fait rotte-ca: You got ripped off, you were fooled (Verlan of 'carotte'). Example: “Il t’a vendu ça cher, tu t’es fait rotte-ca.”
- Je suis déter: I’m determined, ready, up for it. Example: “Ça te dit d’aller à la fête ? Je suis déter !”
- Je suis yomb: I’m annoyed, upset. Example: “J’ai encore eu une mauvaise note, je suis yomb.”
- Les lovés / Du bif: Money. Example: “J’ai pas assez de lovés pour acheter ça.” / “J’ai besoin de bif pour sortir.”
- Les bails: Things, stuff, situations, plans. Example: “C’est quoi les bails pour ce soir ?”
- C’est de la peufra: It’s excellent, top-notch. Example: “Le nouveau téléphone est de la peufra.”
- En soumsoum: Secretly, discreetly. Example: “Il a fait ça en soumsoum, personne n’a rien vu.”
- C’est chanmé: It’s great, awesome (Verlan of 'méchant'). Example: “Ce film est vraiment chanmé.”
- WTF: What The Fuck - Expresses disbelief or confusion. Example: “Elle a oublié son passeport, WTF ?”
- La tise: Alcohol. Example: “Il faut acheter de la tise pour la soirée.”
- Je suis saucé: I’m excited, enthusiastic. Example: “J’ai tellement hâte de partir en vacances, je suis saucé !”
- Charbonner: To work hard, to hustle. Example: “J’ai charbonné toute la semaine pour finir ce projet.”
- Ça passe crème: It goes smoothly, without any problems. Example: “T’inquiète, ça passe crème sans billet.”
- Cassos: Cas social - someone considered a social outcast or problematic. Example: “Laisse tomber, c’est juste un cassos.”
- Bicrave: To sell something, often illicitly. Example: “Il bicrave des places de concert.”
- C’est déclassé: It’s amazing, exceptional. Example: “Ce restaurant est déclassé, il faut y aller.”
- Un gamos: A car. Example: “Regarde le nouveau gamos de mon voisin, il est magnifique.”
Frequently Asked Questions about Youth Slang
Q1: Is youth slang always new words?
A: Not at all. While new terms emerge regularly, much of youth slang is a reinterpretation or adaptation of existing words, often through methods like verlan (syllable inversion), borrowing from other languages, or using existing words in new contexts.
Q2: Does all youth use the same slang?
A: No. Slang usage can vary significantly based on region, social groups, online communities, and individual preferences. What's popular in one city might not be common in another.
Q3: Why is it important to understand youth slang?
A: Understanding youth slang can improve communication between generations, foster empathy, and provide insight into the cultural and social dynamics affecting young people. It's also a key part of understanding contemporary popular culture.
Q4: Will this slang last forever?
A: Language is dynamic. Many slang terms have a short lifespan, becoming popular and then fading away as new trends emerge. However, some terms become so ingrained that they eventually enter the mainstream lexicon.
Q5: How can I learn more youth slang?
A: The best ways are to listen to young people, engage with popular youth culture (music, movies, social media), and consult resources like this article! Staying curious and open-minded is key.
Conclusion: A Living, Breathing Language
Youth slang is a vibrant and essential aspect of adolescent culture. It serves as a tool for identity formation, social bonding, and expressing creativity. While it may seem complex or even confusing at times, understanding its origins and purpose reveals a lot about the evolving nature of language and the experiences of young people today. So, the next time you hear a phrase you don't recognise, remember it's likely more than just words – it's a conversation starter, a badge of belonging, and a testament to the ever-changing power of language.
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