Cajun (language)

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In the parishes marked in yellow , Cajun French is spoken by 4–10% of the population at home, in the orange marked parishes it is 10–15%, in the light red 15–20% and in the dark red 20–30%.
Bilingual sign, French-English, on the border with the state of Louisiana .
Flag of Acadiana

Cajun [ ˈkeidʒn̩ ] ( listen ? / I ), French: Cadien [ ka.ˈdjɛ̃ ] ( listen ? / I ), is the western French dialect of the Cajuns who live in the Cajun Country in the south of the American state Louisiana . Audio file / audio sample Audio file / audio sample

The French-born Cajuns were by the British after their victory against France in the French and Indian War from 1756 to 1763 from the eastern Canadian province of Acadia , which had become British in 1713 expelled and settled from 1765 to the present territory of the State of Louisiana to . The defeat of France also meant that it sold Louisiana to Spain in 1763, which ruled the colony, which was still dominated by French, for almost four decades until Napoleon Bonaparte regained it in 1800. But since the return to a French colonial empire quickly turned out to be illusory, he sold Louisiana again in 1803 : to the young United States of America .

Because of their origins, the Cajuns still refer to themselves today as Acadiens , and their language in the abbreviation as Cadien . Cajun is an Anglicization of this name. The areas they inhabit are called Acadiana , an official name for the francophone Louisiana, which in 1974 also received its own Louisiana Fleur Orleans flag .

In the US past, children who spoke Cajun French in school were often punished and laughed at and despised as hillbilly because of their faulty, harsh English. It wasn't until the 1970s that the Cajuns received government support in their efforts to preserve their own culture and language. Since then, French has been promoted by the state agency CODOFIL (Council for the Development of French in Louisiana). The 2000 census found that 194,000 Louisiana residents speak Cajun French.

The Cajun dialects are clearly shaped by the English-speaking environment. As a rule, many anglicisms are used. Anglicized spellings of French words can also often be observed. For example, the English Let the good times roll becomes 'Enjoy life' on Cajun Laisse le bon temps rouler (instead of high French Laisse rouler les bons temps ).

See also

Web links

Commons : Cajun  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

notes

  1. ^ Laura Atran-Fresco: Les Cadiens au présent. Revendications d'une francophonie en Amérique du Nord. Les Presses de l ' Université Laval , Québec 2016, p. 31f.