Re: Betreft: Re: The Conlang Instinct

Rob Nierse wrote:
>
> Once I read about a slang (named _vesre_)
> in Buenos Aires that change syllables:
> un troli de novi =
> in litro de vino
>
> Are you influenced by Vesre?
        Hey! It's exactly like French "verlan", the origin of the name too as I
see it: "verlan" is "l'envers" (from "a` l'envers": reversely) with
inverse syllables, and "vesre" looks like the inverse of "reve's" ("al
reve's" means the same as "a` l'envers").

        The most interesting thing in French slang "verlan" is that it reverses
written words, not actual pronunciations. For instance, "litre" (to take
the same example as you did) would be reversed as "treli" /tr2li/
whereas the actual pronunciation is /litr/ in one syllable, so unable to
be reversed. It is true with nearly all words ending with a silent 'e',
with of course exceptions (like "reum" /r9m/: mother from "me`re" /mEr/,
maybe a transition by /r2mE/ and then lost of the final vowel :) ).

        "verlan" is interesting to know about, though it is often considered as
out to speak it now, except for a few words that are known by everybody,
whether they use them or not.

--
        Christophe Grandsire

        Philips Research Laboratories --  Building WB 145
        Prof. Holstlaan 4
        5656 AA Eindhoven
        The Netherlands

        Phone:  +31-40-27-45006
        E-mail: grandsir@natlab.research.philips.com