English / Louisiana French / A Cajun Dictionary

Words r Us English / Louisiana French Dictionary

Louisiana Creole or Louisiana French (French: français de la Louisiane, Louisiana Creole: françé la lwizyàn) is an umbrella term for the dialects and varieties of the French language spoken traditionally in colonial Lower Louisiana. As of today Louisiana French is primarily used in the U.S. state of Louisiana, specifically in the southern parishes, though substantial minorities exist in southeast Texas as well.

Over the centuries, the language has incorporated some words of African, Spanish, Native American, Haitian and English origin, sometimes giving it linguistic features found only in Louisiana. Louisiana French differs to varying extents from French dialects spoken in other regions, but Louisiana French is mutually intelligible with all other dialects and particularly with those of Missouri, Canada and northwestern France.

Linguists make a distinction between Louisiana French (frc) and Louisiana Creole (lou), spoken by less than 1o,000 people. Louisiana French (frc) is spoken by approximately 200,000, but the terms are generally used interchangably when referencing the language spoken in southern Louisiana. The distinction revolves to the evolution of the terms being French or English in origen, although as shown above many other languages have influenced the language. You will find many Haitian Creole words in active use which are clearly Hatian and not French.

Distribution of these speakers is uneven, however, with the majority residing in the south-central region known as Acadiana. Some of the Acadiana parishes register francophone populations of 10% or more of the total, with a select few (such as Vermilion, Evangeline and St. Martin Parishes) exceeding 15%.

French is spoken across ethnic and racial lines by people who identify as Cajun or Louisiana Creole as well as Chitimacha, Houma, Biloxi, Tunica, Choctaw, Acadian, and French among others. For these reasons, as well as the relatively small influence Acadian French has had on the region, the label Louisiana French or Louisiana Regional French (French: français régional louisianais) is generally regarded as more accurate and inclusive than "Cajun French" and is preferred term by linguists and anthropologists. However, "Cajun French" is commonly used in lay discourse by speakers of the language and other inhabitants of Louisiana.

Louisiana French should further not be confused with Louisiana Creole, a distinct French-based creole language indigenous to Louisiana and spoken across racial lines. In Louisiana, language labels are often conflated with ethnic labels. For example, a speaker who identifies as Cajun may call their language "Cajun French", though linguists would identify it as Louisiana Creole. Likewise, many Louisiana Creole people of all ethnicities (including Cajuns, who are themselves technically Creoles of Acadian descent, although most do not identify as such) do not speak Louisiana Creole, instead speaking Louisiana French. As in many other languages and people groups, we see this as a distinction without a difference.

People who speak Louisiana French and those who speak Louisiana Creole have worked side-by-side, lived among one another, and have enjoyed local festivities together throughout the history of the state. As a result, in regions where both Louisiana French and Louisiana Creole are or used to be spoken, the inhabitants of the region often code-switch, beginning the sentence in one language and completing it in another.

This dictionary primarily focuses on terms identified as Louisiana French. We also have a much smaller list of "Louisiana Creole" terms - maybe 1,000. If you would like a copy in Excel format, please contact us at editor@wordsrus.us. We also publish a version of this dictionary paired with French. See our website for availability.