The Secret Language of Parisian Butchers

Nineteenth-century Parisian butchers created a secret slang called Louchébem to communicate hidden from customers. By shifting letters and adding suffixes, they turned ordinary words into an unrecognizable code.

This linguistic system involved moving the first consonant to the end of a word and attaching a suffix like em, often with an added initial l. It became a way for shop workers to discuss business or prices without clients understanding them. While it fell out of general use by the mid-1900s, it significantly influenced modern French street slang. It is fascinating how a professional trade created such an elaborate private dialect just to maintain trade secrets.