News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Verlan: French slang that inverses words. Parent comment

Re:Verlan: French slang that inverses words by Bayart on Sunday February 02, 2020 @05:14PM (#22219818)
> je ne marche _pas_ (I not not walk _any step_)

It merely means I do not walk. There's no particular connotation. It has absolutely nothing to do with pas as in a step.

> - je ne me bat _guerre_ (I do not fight _any war_)

Je ne me bat guère means "I hardly fight". No relation to war.

> - je ne coud _point_ (I do not sew _any point_)

Je ne couds point means "I don't sew". Again, no particular connotation. Point means the same as pas in this case and has nothing to do whatsoever with stitches.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Verlan: French slang that inverses words by makapuf on Sunday February 02, 2020 @06:15PM (#22220144)
You're mentioning the current, disconnected meaning, while the original author showed a possible origin of those expressions. I dont know if they're valid but they're certainly interesting and potentially right.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Verlan: French slang that inverses words by frooxie on Sunday February 02, 2020 @05:56PM (#22220052)
> It has absolutely nothing to do with pas as in a step.

"Pas" as in the negation originally came from "pas" as in a step, through expressions like "I will not walk another step".

[ Parent | on HN ]