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Message
re: French speech in Louisiana
Posted on 7/20/16 at 6:43 pm to saintsfan1977
Posted on 7/20/16 at 6:43 pm to saintsfan1977
quote:
I believe in 50 years Cajun french will be a thing of the past.
Unfortunately, I don't think it's going to be that long. 25 years tops, it'll probably be less than that.
It sucks. I grew up around it here in Mamou and I sure miss it.
LC
1
Posted on 7/20/16 at 7:22 pm to LongueCarabine
It was my grandfather's first language. My dad is fluent in it. It was not passed down beyond that.
A few personal stories, if you oblige:
- In the small town I grew up in, old people spoke French always, and some didn't know English. I remember when I got to LSU, I was walking by a couple of old gray-haired men chatting outside Circle K. I remember being surprised that they weren't talking French.
- Last year, on a flight home from Paris, a large group of high school students boarded the plane and all were conversing in French. I assumed they were heading to America on a field trip. I was more surprised when the same group boarded my flight from Dallas to Baton Rouge. When we arrived at Baton Rouge, parents were there to pick up their kids. Apparently it was a French Immersion group that had toured France and was coming home. Very cool.
- Approaching the Y2K, my aging grandfather (now passed) mentioned at Christmas dinner that he'd like to take a ride back to the area where he grew up near Mamou. I told him I'd love to do that with him, and we ended up doing it as a family trip on Dec. 31, 1999. What amazed me was that Paw Paw would stop and get out of the vehicle when we got to areas he didn't recognize. He walked up to strangers' houses, knocked on the door and introduced himself in French. He was answered in French every single time. Amazing to see that so recently.
A few personal stories, if you oblige:
- In the small town I grew up in, old people spoke French always, and some didn't know English. I remember when I got to LSU, I was walking by a couple of old gray-haired men chatting outside Circle K. I remember being surprised that they weren't talking French.
- Last year, on a flight home from Paris, a large group of high school students boarded the plane and all were conversing in French. I assumed they were heading to America on a field trip. I was more surprised when the same group boarded my flight from Dallas to Baton Rouge. When we arrived at Baton Rouge, parents were there to pick up their kids. Apparently it was a French Immersion group that had toured France and was coming home. Very cool.
- Approaching the Y2K, my aging grandfather (now passed) mentioned at Christmas dinner that he'd like to take a ride back to the area where he grew up near Mamou. I told him I'd love to do that with him, and we ended up doing it as a family trip on Dec. 31, 1999. What amazed me was that Paw Paw would stop and get out of the vehicle when we got to areas he didn't recognize. He walked up to strangers' houses, knocked on the door and introduced himself in French. He was answered in French every single time. Amazing to see that so recently.
Posted on 7/20/16 at 8:49 pm to Peytonknows
Dupe
This post was edited on 7/20/16 at 8:51 pm
Posted on 7/20/16 at 8:49 pm to Peytonknows
I was just talking to Donnie. Is your initials P.D.?
Posted on 7/20/16 at 10:04 pm to Guess
It's peasant French
Posted on 7/20/16 at 10:55 pm to Guess
Lemmee just say, french speaking cajun girls are the shite...just saying.
Posted on 7/21/16 at 4:16 am to bpinson
Posted on 7/21/16 at 7:03 am to Guess
My great grandparents all grew up speaking it. All but 1 of them have passed away in the past 10 years. Their children, my grandparents, are still bilingual. All are from Vermillion parish, where I understand a healthy population still can speak and understand.
Posted on 7/21/16 at 7:44 am to Mufassa
I played on a traveling baseball team from N LA some years ago.
We played a few times against a team from Ville Platte.
Their 3rd base coach didn't bother to give hand signals to their hitters. He just told them what he wanted them to do aloud in Cajun French.
I was our team's 3rd baseman and just stood there in amazement.
We played a few times against a team from Ville Platte.
Their 3rd base coach didn't bother to give hand signals to their hitters. He just told them what he wanted them to do aloud in Cajun French. I was our team's 3rd baseman and just stood there in amazement.
Posted on 7/21/16 at 10:35 am to JoePepitone
If you go to the Little Desi truck stop in Henderson, there's groups of old folks in there everyday speaking French.
Posted on 7/21/16 at 11:22 am to Guess
That's me.
Posted on 7/21/16 at 12:04 pm to 20MuleTeam
quote:
It's peasant French
It's mostly a dialect of French that was spoken in 16th and 17th Century France, before the advent of Modern French.
It was spoken by both peasants and gentry back then.
LC
Posted on 7/21/16 at 8:56 pm to LongueCarabine
You are right, it's a little known fact that though they mock the Cajuns and Canadians, they speak the original French spoken before some King decided the whole country should speak the language spoken at court
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