Louisiana’s French Language

Louisiana French is a rich tapestry of the French that was spoken in the 18th Century by Acadian and French immigrants and the French and African Creoles who came to Louisiana from the West Indies. Add some Spanish, a few words from the local Native American tribes, a little African vocabulary and some English, and the result is the Louisiana French that is spoken by the majority of Francophones in this state.

As with all living languages that continue to evolve, the accent and expressions of Louisiana French are unique, but the same thing can be said of the French spoken in places like Quebec, Dakar, and even Paris.

Below are a few examples of Louisiana French. To hear for yourself Louisiana's Cajun French, check out the MP3 audio file listed at right. Click here for a transcription in French of the audio. Thanks to Christian Landry, Rocky McKeon, Dowell Lafleur, Bryan Lafleur and Daniel Blanchard for the transcription.

For a more extensive glossary of Cajun French terms, click on the links to your right to access the work of Amanda LaFleur and the Cajun Studies Department of LSU.