Cajun English


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. Still, Cajun English is not merely a transitional dialect between French and English; it is a full dialect of English, and most of its speakers today are monolingual anglophones.
Cajun English is considerably distinct from General American English, 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.

History

Cajun English is spoken throughout Acadiana. Its speakers are often descendants of Acadians from Nova Scotia, Canada, who in 1755, migrated to French-owned Louisiana after the British took control of Nova Scotia and expelled them from their land. In 1803 however, the United States purchased the territory of Louisiana and, in 1812, when Louisiana drafted their first state Constitution in order to be granted statehood, the English language received official sanction as the language of promulgation and preservation of laws. Despite this change, many Cajuns at the time who lived in small towns and were poorly educated, continued to use French exclusively. This isolated them, subjecting them to ridicule and treatment as second-class citizens. In the 1930s, English was the only language taught in schools and students who spoke French were punished and humiliated in front of their class. The Cajuns still continued to use Cajun French at home and in their communities, but this led to a stigma being associated with the language, and, as a result, parents stopped teaching it to their children. The combination of being native French speakers, and the English that the Cajun children were learning during their inconsistent public education, led to the advent of Cajun English.
Many decades later, new generations of Cajuns perceived a loss of cultural identity, and their efforts to recover it started the Cajun Renaissance. The corresponding popularity of Cajun food, music, and festivities have been well received by tourists and some programs are now supported by the state government. Although Cajun English has made a comeback, the bilingualism that originally created it, a knowledge of both French and English, has not. Cajun English speakers in the 21st century typically do not speak French, and experts believe that it is unlikely that this part of the culture will be recovered. French remains mostly used only by the elderly, though it is seeing something of a cultural renaissance. This shift away from bilingualism has changed the source of many of the phonological differences between Cajun English and Standard American English from interference caused by being a native French speaker to markers of Cajun identity.

Phonology

Consonants

Consonant phonemes in Cajun English are largely the same as they are in other major dialects.

Rhoticity

Cajun English is traditionally non-rhotic and today variably non-rhotic. A comparison of rhoticity rules between Cajun English, New Orleans English, and Southern American English showed that all three dialects follow different rhoticity rules, and the origin of non-rhoticity in Cajun English, whether it originated from French, English, or an independent process, is uncertain.

French-influenced consonants

Some unique features certainly influenced by French-language phonology exist in Cajun English:
  • Th-stopping: can become or . Thus alveolar stops often replace dental fricatives, a feature used by both Cajun English speakers and speakers of Louisiana French. Examples include bath being pronounced as bat and they as day. This feature leads to a common Louisianian paradigm dis, dat, dese, doze rather than this, that, these, those as a method of describing how Cajuns speak.
  • H-dropping: words that begin with the letter /h/ are pronounced without it, so that hair sounds like air, and so on. This has never been universally applied to all words, because is phonemic in Louisiana French.
  • Cajun English speakers traditionally do not aspirate the consonants,, or. As a result, the pat can sound more like bat to speakers of other English varieties.
  • Palatalization and/or affrication of as in Louisiana French.

    Other consonant features

  • G-dropping: words like butting can sound like button.
  • tends to be deleted before another consonant sound, so jewelry sounds more like Jewry. Can be particularly prominent with all right, which can be rendered on a spectrum from standard pronunciation to .
  • The cluster is commonly metathesized to in the word ask.

    Vowels

Cajun English is not subject to the Southern Vowel Shift. Louisiana has a high concentration of people who have a Mary-''merry merger, while marry'' remains distinct. Adoption of the cot–caught merger is uncommon in Louisiana, and studies suggest the same for Cajun English, though at least one study considers the merger possible.
Most pure vowels and diphthongs in English can be nasalized according to nasalization rules. Additionally, loanwords from Louisiana French may include nasalized versions of vowels not found in English.



Vowel features

  • The typical American gliding vowels , , , , , and have reduced glides or none at all: respectively,,,,,, and.
  • Stress is sometimes placed on the second or last syllable of a word.
  • The deletion of any word's final consonant, and inclusion of nasal vowels near nasal consonants are common, both features being of French influence. Therefore, hand becomes, food becomes, rent becomes, New York becomes, and so on. This can expand to heavy nasalization, where nasalization spreads to additional phonemes.

    Changes over time

Some features of Cajun English have changed significantly since the initial adoption of English by Cajuns:
  • Non-rhoticity was found to be slightly higher in both monolingual anglophones and French-dominant bilinguals, and does not vary by age, implying that rhoticity in Cajun English has remained relatively constant through time.
  • Aspiration of is traditionally a rare feature, though it has steadily increased over time. However, after the Cajun Renaissance, men still showed less aspiration than women, while women now largely or entirely embrace aspiration.
  • Several features show a V-shaped decline and male-based rebound, including nasalization, the glide weakening of to, and th-stopping.

    Vocabulary

The inclusion of many loanwords, calques, and phrases from French is typical in Cajun English. French words and phrases are frequently borrowed without changing meaning, but some words have become distinct to Cajun English as opposed to Louisiana French, while others are used frequently enough in English that they don't register as specifically French. Notable and distinctive words used in English include:
Word or phrasePronunciationOriginSource WordDefinition and Connotation
baw or sometimes EnglishboySimilar in meaning to bloke in UK English, and used like "guy" or "dude."
bayouChoctaw?bayukSmall river, especially tidal rivers near the coast.
bebEnglish, Standard Frenchbabe, bébéBabe or baby. Can be used to call someone attractive, potentially with less of a sexual connotation than in English. Can also be a general term of endearment, comparable to in New Orleans English.
betail, or betaille, Louisiana FrenchbétailleBeast, creature, monster.
boboStandard FrenchboboSmall injury; scrape, small cut, bruise, insect bite, or a scab.
booLouisiana French?bougrePossibly from Louisiana French bougre, which historically meant "guy." In modern Cajun English, it is a term of endearment, often towards children. More commonly used by women.
Cajun NavyEnglishTongue-in-cheek mass noun for decentralized, ad hoc teams who voluntarily assist flood victims with private vehicles and small craft. Originally named during the 2016 Louisiana floods, but had existed as an institution long before then.
cherLouisiana Frenchcher, pronounced Dear or darling. Has a variety of meanings; when used as an interjection, it denotes endearment or cuteness. It can also be used as an expression of pity towards sick or injured children or animals.
couillonLouisiana FrenchcouillonCan have a range of intensity and meanings, including "silly," "idiot," "buffoon", "joker" or "dumbass". Notably, this word is not necessarily insulting as in other dialects of French, and can be used towards children. Frequently spelled couyon in English.
couleeStandard FrenchcouléeA stream or a large ditch; a small ravine.
cracklinsEnglishcracklingSnack food made from pork skins.
fais do-doLouisiana Frenchfaire, dormirRefers to late-night dance parties, typically with more traditional music. In French, the literal meaning is a command to go to sleep.
gaw, keeyaw,,,, etc.UnknownInterjection expressing surprise, usually about a large amount of something. Spelling may vary significantly by pronunciation and orthographic choices.
lagniappeQuechua, Spanishyapay, la ñapaGratuity provided by a shop owner to a customer at the time of purchase; something extra.
mais or sometimes Standard FrenchmaisUsed as an intensifier, particularly for negative statements or statements that contradict someone else.
nekkidEnglishnakedNaked. Carries a connotation of a humorous or scandalous context.
New Iberia haircutEnglishDerisive or humorous name for a variant of the Ceasar haircut common in Cajun country. Used to make fun of the perceived lower class and distinct mannerisms of the people who tend to get Ceasar cuts.
nonc or Louisiana French', mon oncleUncle.
nutria, nutria rat, SpanishnutriaInvasive semi-aquatic rodent from South America. Generally viewed as undesirable and somewhat disgusting due to its invasive status.
parrainStandard FrenchparrainGodfather, or more generally, a man playing a similar role in a child's life.
poo-yailleAn interjection expressing exhaustion or exasperation.
'EnglishpartnerBuddy. Can be ironic or carry a humorous, overbearing connotation. Spelling can vary,.
T or teeStandard FrenchpetitIn English, this connotes familiarity, usually between or towards men. Can be used in isolation as either a nickname or a stand-in for a first name, combined with a first name to form a nickname, or combined with "boy" to mean "guy" or "dude" for strangers, or "buddy" for friends.
zoie, zwahStandard FrenchoieSilly or foolish person.