CAJUN FRENCH

'Cajun French' (sometimes called Louisiana Regional French [2]) is one of three varieties or dialects of the French language spoken primarily in the U.S. state of Louisiana, specifically in the southern parishes. Other Louisiana French dialects include Napoleonic French and Colonial or Plantation Society French, spoken primarily in Orleans, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, St. Charles, St. John the Baptiste, Jefferson, West Bâton-Rouge, Pointe-Coupée, Avoyelles, St. Mary, Iberia and St. Landry parishes. Cajun French is not the same as Louisiana Creole.
It is usually presumed that Cajun French is almost solely derived from Acadian French as it was spoken in the French colony of Acadia (located in what is now the Maritime provinces of Canada and in Maine). However the dialect also has influences from Canadian French, Louisiana Creole, Haitian Creole, Swiss French, Belgian French, as well as Parisian French.
Cajun differs from Parisian (or Metropolitan) French in pronunciation, vocabulary and intonation (linguistics).

Contents

Parishes where Cajun French was historically spoken

History

Decline and resurgence

Dialects

Prairie French

Bayou French

Borrowed Words

Words of Native American origin

Differences from Standard French

See also

References

External links

Parishes where Cajun French was historically spoken

★ Acadia

★ Ascension

★ Assumption

★ Evangeline

★ Iberia

★ Iberville

★ Jeff Davis

★ Lafayette

★ Lafourche

★ St. James

★ St. Landry

★ St. Martin

★ St. Mary

★ Terrebonne

★ Vermilion

★ East Baton Rouge Parish

★ West Bâton Rouge

History

In 1755 (during the French and Indian War), about 75% of the Acadian population living in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia was deported in what is often known as the Great Expulsion. Many of them resettled in Louisiana, establishing the culture and language there. Through the Acadian language, Cajun is ultimately descended from the dialects of Anjou and Poitou (see Poitevin-Saintongeais). This heritage has left a few archaic words in the dialect; for example, ''crevette'' ("shrimp") is said ''chevrette''.
Over time Cajun became the firmly established language of many Louisiana parishes west of the Mississippi River. Cajun was not only spoken by the Cajun people but also by other ethnic groups that lived in Acadian settled areas. Creoles, amerindian ethnic groups such as the Houma, Chitimacha, Bayougoula, Tunica-Biloxi, Atakapa, Opelousa, Okelousa, and Avoyel, through their cohabitation in south Louisiana's parishes eventually became proficient in the Cajun French dialect. Creoles and Amerindians already spoke French prior to the arrival of the Acadian people in Louisiana.
The term "Cajun" is reported to have derived from the English pronunciation of the French word ''Acadien''. Some Cajuns call themselves "Cadiens" or "Cadjins" in French. The first spelling is derived from the French spelling "Acadien" and the second is an approximation, using French phonetics, of the pronunciation of the group name in Cajun French. "Cadien" is the French spelling preferred by Cajun academics. "Cajun" is an English word which is not accepted by Cajun academics to designate the group in French. The primary region where Cajun French is spoken is called Acadiana (not to be confused with Acadia, which refers to the region where Acadian French is spoken). Cajun areas of Louisiana sometimes form partnerships with Acadians in Canada who send French teachers to teach the language in schools.
In 1984, Jules O. Daigle, a Roman Catholic priest, published ''A Dictionary of the Cajun Language'', the first dictionary devoted to Cajun French. It is generally considered the authority on the language, though it is not exhaustive. It does not contain some alternate spellings and synonyms which Father Daigle deemed "perversions" of the language, but which are nonetheless popular among Cajun speakers and writers.

Decline and resurgence

Many residents of Acadiana are bilingual, having learned French at home and English in school. In recent years the number of speakers of Cajun French has diminished considerably, but efforts are being made to reintroduce the language in schools. The Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL) was established during the late 1960s to promote the preservation of French language and culture in Louisiana.
Some people question whether the Cajun language will survive another generation. The number of people who speak Cajun has declined dramatically over the last fifty years. Many parents intentionally did not teach their children the Cajun language to encourage English language fluency, in hopes that the children would have a better life in an English-speaking nation. However, many of these same parents are discovering that their grandchildren are researching and trying to learn the language.
Many young adults are learning enough Cajun to understand Cajun music lyrics. Also, there is now a trend to use Cajun language websites to learn the dialect. Culinary words and terms of endearment such as "cher" (dear) (pronounced "shah" or "sheh") and "nonc" (uncle) are still heard among otherwise English-speaking Cajuns. Some of the language will continue to exist, but whether many people will be able to conduct a full and fluent conversation in the language is still uncertain.

Dialects

Cajun French changes depending on communities and ethnic groups. However, Cajun French has two distinct dialects: Prairie French and Bayou French.[3]

Prairie French

Prairie French is spoken among Cajun, Creole and Black residents in southwest Louisiana.

Bayou French

Bayou French is primarily spoken among Cajuns and American Indians in southeast Louisiana. The Black population of southeast Louisiana now only has a few non-fluent speakers.

Borrowed Words

Words of Native American origin

Words of Native American Origin [1]
Term	Gloss	Origin
	Bayou	Choctaw ''bayuk''
	Raccoon	Choctaw or Mobilian ''shaui''
	Bowfin	Choctaw ''shupik'', "mudfish"
	Palmetto	Carib ''allatani''
	Pecan	Algonquian via Mobilian
	Sunfish	Choctaw ''patàssa'' "flat"
	Persimmon	Illinois ''piakimin'', via Mobilian
	(Black)bird	Possibly Atakapa ''t'sak''

Differences from Standard French

Cajun differs in some areas of pronunciation and vocabulary from the accepted standard of Metropolitan French. In some cases these are differences that are retained from the western langues d'oïl from which Cajun is descended.

★ Past tense constructions are almost all made using the verb ''avoir'' (to have) in Cajun French whereas there are a few important verbs whose compound past tense is made using ''être'' (to be) in standard French. Thus, Cajuns may say "''j'ai passé par la maison''" (lit. "I have passed by the house") where standard French would require "''je suis passé(e) par la maison''," (lit. "I am passed by the house"), or "''il a parti''" (lit. "he has departed/left") instead of the standard "''il est parti''" (lit. "he is departed/left").

★ is pronounced with tongue towards the back of the mouth, being more like .

★ , are pronounced (before /a/(?) and /i/, respectively).

★ is pronounced (before /i/), as in the word ''Acadian''. (This sound is represented in modern Poitevin-Saintongeais by the digraph ''jh'')

★ is pronounced as an alveolar trill or flap rather than the uvular fricative of standard French and other dialects. is dropped when at the end of a syllable; for example: "''mon père''" , but "''mon père a venu''" .

★ pronounced , similar to Quebec French (and also to other langues d'oïl), but also often more like , with a bit of an offglide towards , similar to Acadian French.

★ Surnames ending in "-eaux" instead of the French "eau."
Over the years, Cajun French speakers have incorporated many anglicisms (such as ''truck'') directly into the language. Due to extensive contact with English-language culture, business and communications, this is also a common phenomenon in both Canadian French and Acadian French and is gaining momentum rapidly in France. The majority of Cajun speakers have never been schooled in French and thus are not familiar with standard French spelling. As a result, much written Cajun has non-standard or anglicized spellings, e.g. Cajun ''Les le bon ton rouller'' for standard ''Laisse le bon temps rouler''^[2] or ''Laissez les bons temps rouler'' (''Let the good times roll.'').
The first person plural subject pronoun used in Cajun French is "''on ''" as it is in all spoken varieties of French. "''On ''" is conjugated using the third person singular form of the verb. "We speak French" translates as "''On parle français''". "''Nous-autres''" can also be added before "''on ''" to clarify; it is also used both in Canadian French and Acadian French. Cajuns tend to have a slight pause after each syllable. Also, the last consonant of a syllable is usually elided into the start of the next one.

See also

★ Acadian French

★ List of Louisiana parishes by French-speaking population

★ French in the United States

★ Canadian French

★ Cajun English

★ Endangered language

★ List of endangered languages

References

1. Read, William A. 1931. Louisiana-French. Revised edition. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press.
2. Title of a song from the Cajun singer Zachary Richard and a radio broadcast of Cajun music

''Cajun French Dictionary and Phrasebook'' by Clint Bruce and Jennifer Gipson ISBN 0-7818-0915-0. Hippocrene Books Inc.
''Tonnerre mes chiens! A glossary of Louisiana French figures of speech'' by Amanda LaFleur ISBN 0-9670838-9-3. Renouveau Publishing.
''A Dictionary of the Cajun Language'' by Rev. Msgr. Jules O. Daigle, M.A., S.T.L. ISBN 0-9614245-3-2. Swallow Publications, Inc.
''Cajun Self-Taught'' by Rev. Msgr. Jules O. Daigle, M.A., S.T.L. ISBN 0-9614245-4-0. Swallow Publications, Inc.
''Language Shift in the Coastal Marshes of Louisiana'' by Kevin J. Rottet ISBN 0-8204-4980-6. Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.
''Conversational Cajun French I'' by Harry Jannise and Randall P. Whatley ISBN 0-8828-9316-5. The Chicot Press.

External links

★ LSU Cajun Pages
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★ A beginner's introduction: What is Cajun French?
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★ Le français cadien par thèmes: Cajun French by Themes
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★ Faux amis: How to Speak French in Louisiana Without Getting in Trouble
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★ Glossaire Français Cadien-Français Européen: Cajun-Standard French Glossary
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★ L'interrogatif en français cadien: Forming questions in Cajun French
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★ Les pronoms personnels cadiens: Cajun personal pronouns
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★ Les pronoms sujets et le système verbal: The Basics of Verb Conjugation
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★ Les animaux dans la métaphore populaire: Cajun animal metaphors
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★ Un glossaire cadien-anglais: Cajun French to English glossary

★ La Base de données lexicographiques de la Louisiane

★ Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL)

★ Cajun language websites

★ Ethnologue report for Cajun French

★ Cane River Valley French

★ Cajun French taught by a native of Louisiana - Jim Leger teaches the language that is quickly disappearing

★ Terrebonne Parish French Online!