What does the French word ‘wesh’ mean and why is it being used in UK
Discover the origins of this informal interjection that is now part of London slang
British rapper, Central Cee, said wesh in a recent song
Fred Duval / Shutterstock
The French slang word ‘wesh’ is now being widely used by young people in London after a British rapper used it in a song - we look at its meaning and origins.
Wesh is a very informal word, used by young people as a greeting or interjection - a form of saying hello, or complaining or expressing surprise about something.
It is used in a similar way to ‘yo’ or ‘right’ and can often be heard punctuating casual conversation in French cities:
Wesh mon gars, bien ou bien? - What’up bro? How you doin’?
Mais wesh, arrête-ça - Hey, stop that !
It has been said in France since the 1990s and comes from an Arabic word, mainly used in Algeria, meaning:
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This typically French interjection is migrating to London after British rapper Central Cee used it on a track, Bolide Noir, by Parisian JRK 19.
This song blends French and English lyrics. Central Cee describes his frustration regarding the language barrier and highlights the repetition of wesh in informal French conversation:
I'm in Paris, trying to drop rizz [charisma]
But they don't understand 'cause they're speaking French
Why she keep on saying "wesh"?
Nabeel, a Tiktok user from London, was the first to speak about the rise of wesh since the release of Bolide Noir at the end of August.
His video, captioned “London is in a WSH [sic] pandemic,” has over 800,000 views. He says: “Everybody is saying wesh… even my cat is saying wesh.”
Another of his videos is captioned: Wsh [sic] has really taken over the mandem [crew].
This observation has sparked many online reactions, with comments such as, “Paris influences the world.”
Read also: What is behind the craze for nonsense made-up words in French?
From ‘yesh’ to ‘wesh’
Julien Barret, a French linguist and author, believes that rap artists are often the first to break new linguistic ground, telling Franceinfo: “They are the ones who can pinpoint an expression that flies like a butterfly, and set it in sound and writing.”
Barret acknowledges the Algerian Arabic roots of wesh but also points to French rappers who have influenced its use in France.
In 1996, the group Lunatic released their now cult track, Le crime paie, which begins: “wesh wesh yo.” Barret suggests this was probably borrowed from American rappers, Heltah Skeltah, who used “yesh yesh yo” on their 1995 track, Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka.
Read also: 10 French songs that have sparked debate over the years
Barret says dictionaries like le Petit Larousse are “a long way behind” when it comes to capturing the rapid evolution of modern language.
“Words travel and have no borders,” he says.
