# What is this language?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-language/920245>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 10, 2020, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-language/920245 "2020-09-10T11:03:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-language/920245/1 "2020-09-10T11:03:27Z")

</div>

Though this question is opera-related, it’s a factual question about language, so I’m putting it in GQ.

Near the end of the Berlioz opera _The Damnation of Faust,_ which is mostly in French, a chorus of demons chants the following:

_Ha! Irimiru Karabrao!_  
_Has! Has! Has!_  
_Has! Has!_  
_Tradioun Marexil firtrudinxé burrudixé._  
_Fory my dinkorlitz._  
_O mérikariu O midara caraibo lakinda,_  
_mérondor dinkorlitz._  
_Tradioun marexil,_  
_Tradioun burrudix?_  
_Trudinxé caraibo._  
_Fir omévixé mérondor._  
_Mit aysko, mérondor, mit aysko! Oh!_  
_Diff! Diff! mérondor, mérondor aysko!_  
_Has! Has! Satan._  
_Has! Has! Belphégor,_  
_Has! Has! Méphisto,_  
_Has! Has! Kroïx!_  
_Diff! Diff! Astaroth,_  
_Diff! Diff! Belzébuth, Belphégor, Astaroth, Méphisto!_  
_Sat, sat rayk irkimour._  
_Has! Has! Méphisto!_  
_Has! Has! Irimiru karabrao!_

What the hell (pun intended) language is this?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-language/920245/2 "2020-09-10T11:44:50Z")

</div>

It’s gibberish, or you could say Langue du Diable.

[http://www.europalingua.eu/ideopedia/index.php5?title=Langue\_du\_Diable](http://www.europalingua.eu/ideopedia/index.php5?title=Langue_du_Diable)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-language/920245/3 "2020-09-10T11:48:39Z")

</div>

Thanks. That’s exactly what I suspected.
