What if Lyon’s real specialty was its slang? Just like Marseille and its legendary accent, or Toulouse and its lilting phrasing, Lyon has a rich language! Between the expressions and words we reinvent every day, it’s easy to lose your head when you hear a Lyonnais speak. If you’re a Lyonnais, you won’t be able to argue with us, and if you’ve just moved to Lyon, or are just out and about for the weekend, read these lines and you’ll thank us for it!
A gone
You may have heard Lyon referred to as the capital of the Gones. Well, gones are children. The word comes from the Greco-Roman word “gonos”, which also meant “child”. Lyon having been a Greco-Roman colony, this remains the most plausible expression to explain the use of this term. Today, it is sometimes used to refer to the city’s inhabitants.
The adverb “cher
“Cher” is the equivalent of “gavé”, “trop”, “tarpin”, “grave”, “fin” and “fort” in other French regions. In Lyon, we say “c’est cher bon” or “il fait cher beau”. Don’t hesitate to accentuate the “e” for long seconds. The more you insist, the more Lyonnais you are!
A “pelo
In Lyon, pelo doesn’t mean hair as it does in Spain. Derived from Romani, a language close to Hindi mainly spoken by gypsy communities, the word already meant “man”. Today, it’s part of a popular vernacular. Pelo is more associated with “guy” or “guy” as in the phrase: “Le pelo y m’a mal chabé!”
The verb “chaber
Chaber simply means “to look”. But why? We don’t know. That’s one of the mysteries of the language. But if you do have an idea, please let us know!
Se la racler
Se la racler simply means “to show off” or “to show off too much”. So don’t get too uptight about this article. In context, it might go something like this: “Did you see how the pelo is showing off with his new watch?”.
A trepanzee
In Lyon, you’re not a madman, you’re a trepané. This word probably comes from the term used to describe a surgical operation in which the skull is pierced. Something very cheerful, in fact.
A gâche
Far from the famous brioche often laced with rum, in Lyon, a gache means a place: parking, show or concert. You’ll often hear: “Hey, did you get your gache for tonight?”. So when you come to spend a few days in Lyon, you can say: “Hey, stop raking it in with your vago! Fais y pas banav’ que t’as pas pris ma gache pelo, t’es vraiment un trépané!” A lovely expression, 100% made in Lyon!
The famous “-av'” words
Finally, let’s talk about the famous Lyon toc: adding the syllable “-av” to every word. “Balnav'”, “dicav'”, “rodav'”, “pillav'”… We explain it all! These are also the traces of Romani. “Balnav'” means to lie or “make like”. “Dicav'” means “to love”, “rodav'” means “to notice”, and “piav'” is “to drink” or “to booze”.
But Lyon has no limits. Our love for this syllable transcends the simple use of ready-made words. Here, we’re constantly reinventing language, thanks to Javanese. But what is Javanese? It’s a coded language that consists of adding syllables in the middle of words. For example, to talk about the famous “Part-Dieu” shopping center, some people will say “la pardav'”. A square, like Place Bellecour, becomes “plavace Bellecour”. Have you got it?