Cajun English

Acadiana, the traditional Cajun homeland and the stronghold of both the Louisiana French and Cajun English dialects.

Cajun English, or Cajun Vernacular English, is a dialect of American English derived from Cajuns living in Southern Louisiana. Cajun English is significantly influenced by Louisiana French, the historical language of the Cajun people, themselves descended from the French-speaking Acadian people. While French remains mostly only used by the elderly,[1] it is seeing something of a cultural renaissance.[2] Still, Cajun English is not merely a transitional dialect between French and English, and most of its speakers today are monolingual anglophones.[3]

Cajun English is considerably distinct from General American English,[4] with several features of French origin remaining strong, including intonation, vocabulary, and certain accent features. The Cajun accent is frequently described as flat within Cajun Country.[5]

  1. ^ Pérez Ramos, Raúl (2012). "Cajun Vernacular English A Study Over A Reborn Dialect" (PDF). Fòrum de Recerca. 17: 623–632.
  2. ^ Allard, Fanny (July 3, 2020). United States: In Louisiana, Cajuns are keen to preserve their identity. France 24 English. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2020 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ Walton 1994, pp. 92–93.
  4. ^ Melancon, Megan E. "Do You Speak American . Sea to Shining Sea. American Varieties: Cajun". PBS.
  5. ^ Walton 1994.