The Curious Case of Albanian “Çëmbra”: Revealing the Hidden Tirana Slang

The French have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verlan" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Verlan</a>, a form of linguistic inversion where syllables or letters of words are flipped. It’s an urban slang that originated from the suburbs of Paris and has since permeated mainstream culture. For instance, the word “l’envers” (meaning reverse) becomes “verlan”. Similarly, “femme” (woman) transforms into “meuf”. In a similar fashion, Albanian Çëmbra inverts syllables to give old words a new life. A similar play is seen in its name, where slang “Mbrapç” (also meaning reverse) turns into Çëmbra. <a href="https://orientalizmat.medium.com/the-curious-case-of-albanian-%C3%A7%C3%ABmbra-revealing-the-hidden-tirana-slang-b2565a10a7de">Visit Now</a>