Born in the early 1980s in the "glôglô" (shantytown) neighborhoods, Ivorian slang has now become ubiquitous in Côte d'Ivoire, embraced by everyone from writers to politicians. For the uninitiated, a little decoding is in order.
It is a crucial element of Abidjanese culture. Nouchi, a slang blending French with various languages spoken in Côte d'Ivoire (Dioula, Baoulé, Bété, Attié...), is now present in all spheres of society. From the streets to the plush lounges of grand hotels, from traditional media to social networks, from business circles to the political arena—everyone speaks Nouchi. To the extent that in July 2013, during the 39th session of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie, the former Secretary-General of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), Abdou Diouf, declared: "The French language must commend all Ivorians for their imagination and flavorful way of expressing themselves in French. Whenever I am asked to provide expressions that did not come from France or Northern countries, the examples that come to mind are Ivorian examples." A tribute to which President Alassane Ouattara responded: "President, we are enjaillés [happy] with you. Some would say, Mr. President, we are fans of you. President Diouf is really a chocó [stylish, classy] president." Never have words from different languages been so well modified, tinkered with, and combined with each other, nor has their meaning been so brazenly diverted. More than just a language, Nouchi represents the spirit of Abidjan, the humor of its inhabitants, and their ability to laugh at everything (especially the worst). A small illustrated selection: "mangement" replaces corruption, "Cambodians" refer to students who did not get university housing and instead occupy their friends' rooms (often several together, sleeping on a mattress on the floor), "microbes" are the young members of violent gangs in northern Abidjan (a nickname inspired by the children gangs in the favelas from the Brazilian film City of God), and "viruses" are older members of the same gangs.
Some words and expressions have become classics, such as "go" (a girl), "woody" (a boy), "s'enjailler" (to be happy), "gaou" (stupid), "ya fohï" (there is nothing), "kpakpatoya" (gossip), "dja" (to kill or to die), "bara" (work), "wêre-wêre" (turbulent, boastful), or "jetons" (money). Others emerge overnight, without knowing where, how, and by whom they were invented. Abidjanese people also draw inspiration from specific episodes and events to launch expressions and jokes of their own, spreading very rapidly. "If you are angry, send me to The Hague!" one might retort during an argument, referring, of course, to the trial of former President Laurent Gbagbo at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and his incarceration in the suburbs of the Dutch metropolis. Another example: in June, during the election of Miss Côte d'Ivoire 2014, the mother of one of the unsuccessful candidates erupted at the announcement of the results, shouting at a jury member: "You have abused me! You will die!" It took no more than that to create a buzz... and for the verb "abuser" to be used by everyone and in all situations: to say that one has been deceived, that one has had a car accident, etc. Finally, among the latest trendy expressions are those derived from social media vocabulary, where "faut cliquer sur quitter" (you have to click on quit) means it's time to cut short a conversation that is starting to annoy you. And if, by chance, you find yourself completely perplexed by an idiom that eludes you, don't hesitate to say so: Abidjanese people love to launch into very funny and vivid explanations of their neologisms.