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is this word used for rioters as well as emeutiers?  is it used for a  burglar?  Tx

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"casseurs" are not really "émeutiers" and it might be used for a burglar according to his acts.

casseurs = it is a word generally used for people who are near an event when a lot of people are out in the street. They are violent and they just want to break everything, to demolish.

The will for a "émeutier" may be politic or emotional or anything else, he breaks because he is angry about something, but he doesn't break just to break. 

The will for a "burglar" is to steal, he breaks to come in or to open a door. 

The will for a "casseur" is to demolish, to break.

But a burglar who is in a flat and find money and jewels and breaks a lot of things without reason (a seak in the kitchen, a table...) before leaving may be call "casseur".

so the english word would b "vandals" "vandalize" 

We have "vandales" too but it's a bit formal. "casseurs" is more popular.

And "vandaliser" is commonly used to relate what some "casseurs" did.

And "vandales" is replaced by "casseurs" to avoid the repetition with "vandal" :  "les vandales ont vandalisé le magasin". So we have "les casseurs ont vandalisé le magasin"

And I forgot something, "casseurs" as "burglars" is possible in another way. in argot. in movies, you might see it.

A big burglary in a bank or a casino (like ocean's eleven) is called "un casse" in argot, and these burglars are called "casseurs". It's less used now, since big burglaries are less common.

Are we also talking about  "looters" ;people who take advantage of a breakdown in law and order  to steal from shops and private buildings that are temporarily vacated?

Yes, some of them may have orders from politic groups or real estate promoter.

u might b interested to know that in english the most common way to say "cambrioler" is "break in" -- "my house was broken into."  "argot" isn't english.  the english is "slang."  

"Argot " exists in English but it does not have the same meaning as "slang, although it is similar.

It is a bit of a false friend ,I think.

It seems to describe language restricted  to (as an example) a profession or perhaps a region.

I don't know if "un argot" can also be used like that in French.

i think the french say "un mot d'argot."  i've never heard of "argot" in english so if it does exist it's very obscure.  i would advise chantal to say "it's slang."  since so much of any language is slang, it's an important word to know.  

i did a fast, incomplete google since i have to leave for work.  what i immediately saw is that the word in english (which i've never heard) applies to a secret language among groups, professions.  so it is different from slang which is the common, informal language of all users of the language    

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argot

This seems to be the same way of using "un argot" in French as it is in English.

"Un argot est un « langage ou vocabulaire particulier qui se crée à l'intérieur de groupes sociaux ou socio-professionnels déterminés"

"Slang" and "argot" have  different meanings in English  but I don't know if there are two words in French that "share the burden " in the same way ,so to speak.

I have always used "l'argot " as a translation for "slang" but am not certain that this is  absolutely correct. 

but i've never heard it used in english.  people would say "it's lawer-speak, it's doctor-speak, etc."  

the only way i know to use it in french is "un mot d'argot" meaning slang.  if the french would say "c'est l'argot des avocats" to mean "lawer-speak" that would b interesting to know.  

thank you both of you.

I won't forget "slang".

I don't know if "argot" is exactly like "slang". I thought slang is a way of expression, a kind of very popular language used in streets, without rules.

"Argot" is a language with specific words. A lot of actuel used words come from "argot".

we say "en argot" or "un mot d'argot". We may say "un argot" but with a different meaning ".

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