General
keum
What does keum mean?
From the standard French 'mec' (guy, bloke). Verlan inverts it to 'keum' (also spelled keumeu). It simply means a man or guy.
"Y'a un keum qui te cherche. = There's a guy looking for you."
Origin
Standard Paris-banlieue verlan, spread nationally through 1990s rap (NTM, IAM) and the film La Haine. Like 'meuf' it has a re-verlanised form, 'keumeu'.
Frequently asked questions
What does keum mean?
It's French slang for a guy or dude, made by reversing the syllables of 'mec'.
Is keum the male version of meuf?
Yes — 'keum' (from mec) is to men what 'meuf' (from femme) is to women.
Where does keum come from?
From verlan, the back-slang of the French banlieues popularised by 1990s rap and La Haine.
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