Paname is slang for the Paris region. A little name heard everywhere, from Léo Ferré to Booba. But where does Paname come from? While we can more or less date the beginnings of the usage to the First World War, in Albert Chantrier’s song “Tu le r’verras, Paname!”, its origin today is unclear and controversial. Some would even say that the expression was originally pejorative! We explain.
“Paname” in books
In his book “Je me souviens de Paris”, Claude Dubois says that Paname could have come from the Panama scandal, or from the hat of the same name: ” Paname could have meant the city of elegance, then, because of the scandal, the city of shimmer, illusions and disillusions …”, writes Claude Dubois.
“Paname” in the dictionary
In his Dictionnaire de l’argot, Jean-Paul Colin explains that the etymology of the word Paname means “enormous, confounding”. Paname, or ville panama, would mean “enormous city”.
“Paname in song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wBCIqH51Pc
The real reason
To understand the origins of the nickname Paname, we need to go back more than a century, to 1892, when the Panama scandal shook France and more particularly its political class.
The scandal revolved around the construction of the Panama Canal, a project led by engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps. However, the Panama project proved to be far more complex, both technically and financially. To obtain financing, a vast network of corruption was set up, involving over a hundred members of parliament. They were bribed to vote in favor of amending the law required to issue the bonds.
The affair exploded in the press, revealing the extent of the corruption that plagued the political class. The personalities involved were soon dubbed “panamists” or “panamitards”, in reference to the Panama affair. However, the term was not confined to corrupt politicians. Little by little, the nickname spread to all Parisians, and Paris became “Paname”, a nickname which, at the time, carried a pejorative connotation. Paris, the city where all these “sharks” resided, was associated with this scandal, leaving its mark on people’s minds.
Today, “Paname” is an integral part of the Parisian vocabulary, evoking the city’s soul, history and popular culture.
Also read: “What are the craziest things you’ve seen in Paris?” hilarious answers from Parisians