New Caledonian French
New Caledonian French, also known as Caledonian French, is a dialect of French spoken in New Caledonia. It is the mother tongue of Caldoches, while it is usually a second language for Kanaks and immigrant groups in New Caledonia. It contains heavy influences from Metropolitan French, Kanak languages, Tayo Creole, Australian English, Tahitian, Wallisian, Bislama, Javanese and Vietnamese.
While French is not a first language for a large number of New Caledonians, it is the official language of the territory and is almost universally understood as a lingua franca. In the 2009 census, the last census in which knowledge of French was a question, 97.5% of New Caledonians aged 15 and older stated that they could speak, read and write French, while just 1.1% reported having no knowledge of French.
Vocabulary and influences
New Caledonian French is primarily based on Metropolitan French, though much of the terminology used is from colonial, military, prison or vulgar contexts. influenced by a wide variety of other languages, namely Kanak languages, trade and tourism languages such as Australian English, creole languages such as Bislama and Tayo Creole, and immigrant languages such Javanese, Tahitian, Vietnamese and Wallisian.French
Standard French, particularly European French, is the core basis of New Caledonian French. However, there are differences in terminology. For example, a beer bottle is known as a topette in New Caledonia as opposed to a bouteille de bière.English
New Caledonian vocabulary has been highly influenced from Anglicisms borrowed from English, particularly from Australian and New Zealand English through the mining industry, immigration, trade and tourism, as well as due to many Kanaks being blackbirded to work on sugarcane plantations in Queensland and northern New South Wales. These influences only strengthened in World War II, when Anglophone troops from Australia, New Zealand and the United States were in New Caledonia.[Anglo-Celtic Australians|Anglo-Celtic Australian English] has been the principal source of Anglicisms in New Caledonian French. This is especially true in agricultural terminology, with terms such as paddock, run, station, stock, stockman, stockwhip and stockyard having all entered New Caledonian French from Australian English.
Other Anglicisms present in New Caledonian French include blady, carport, creek, ice cream, Poken and tata, as well as the place name Fern Hill.
Anglicisms are not limited to new terminology, as many existing Anglicisms also used in Metropolitan French are pronounced closer to their English pronunciation.
Kanak languages
The 30 indigenous New Caledonian languages, spoken by the indigenous Kanak people, have all influenced New Caledonian French. While some words are primarily used in Kanak French, many other Caledonians also use terms derived from Kanak languages in everyday French. For example, the term yossi is a common expression of surprise, admiration or upset in New Caledonian French, and is derived from the Drehu language spoken on Lifou in the Loyalty Islands.Creole languages
Various creole languages have influenced New Caledonian French, primarily Bislama and Tayo Creole. Examples include kaï-kaï and nakamal.The term Zoreilles referring to French people born in Metropolitan France is derived from Réunion Creole, where it has been adopted into the local French dialect to refer to Metropolitan French people living in Réunion. The term is also used in French Polynesia, the Lesser Antilles and Mauritius.
Genericised trademarks
Various brand names have become genericised trademarks in New Caledonian French, despite most products being foreign and often imported to New Caledonia from Australia or Metropolitan France.Examples of genericised trademarks include aérogard for insect repellent and sao for savoury crackers.