In Amanda's Words:
Language is a core part of culture. How a group communicates and what vocabulary
words are common in a certain language demonstrate the values of that society. When a group is
outside the dominant culture of that society, how do they express their life experiences and value
with a language that does not relate? The creation of verlan within African and Maghrebian
French communities represents this need for a different communication tool outside the
dominant culture. Verlan is a form of French argot, or slang, where Standard French words are
rearranged to create a new form. The most common changes made to words include inversing
syllables and switching vowels. Analysis of verlan reveals history of the origin of banlieue
communities, the hardships African and Maghrebian French communities face, and provides a
view into how French universalism applies to non-dominant cultures.