Also Known As: Cajun,Cajan,Acadian,Cadien,Français Acadien
Description:
Cajun French (sometimes called Louisiana Regional French) 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 the parishes of Orleans, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, Jefferson, West Baton Rouge, Pointe Coupée, Avoyelles, St. Mary, Iberia, Assumption, and St. Landry. Cajun French is not the same as Louisiana Creole.
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 a significant amount of cultural vocabulary is derived from Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole..
Cajun differs from Metropolitan French in pronunciation, vocabulary and intonation. Like some varieties of Québec French, its variances with the Metropolitan dialect have reached the point where the two are no longer mutually intelligible.
The French began sending colonists to Louisiana around the turn of the 18 century. The majority were residents..... full article at Wikipedia |