What is Cajun talk called?

Cajun English, or Cajun Vernacular English, is the dialect of English spoken by Cajuns living in Southern Louisiana.


What is Cajun French language called?

Louisiana French (Cajun French: français de la Louisiane; Louisiana Creole: françé la lwizyàn) is an umbrella term for the dialects and varieties of the French language spoken traditionally by French Louisianians in colonial Lower Louisiana.

Is Cajun a dialect or accent?

All of these ingredients have flavored the speech of French Louisiana, yielding a unique dialect called Cajun English. The dialect is spoken mainly in southern Louisiana, although emigrations to southern Texas and southern Mississippi have resulted in pockets of Cajuns living in those areas.


What are some Cajun sayings?

Here are a few Cajun words and sayings you may hear when visiting Louisiana.
  • Allons [Ah-loh(n)]: Let's go.
  • Ça c'est bon (Sa say boh(n)): That's good.
  • Ça va (Sa va): How are you? ...
  • C'est tout (Say too): That's all.
  • Cher [sha]: A term of endearment usually used with women, similar to 'dear' or 'sweetheart.


How do Cajuns communicate?

They spoke French in their community but learned English in order to work. What we call Cajun English today is mostly American English with some French words and accent. Louisiana Creole is another form of English spoken in southern Louisiana that has a French influence.


Louisiana Cajun/Creole accent, dialect, customs



What are some Louisiana slang words?

Here are 7 Louisiana Slang Words To Sound Like A Local
  • Lagniappe = Bonus. ...
  • Dressed = Sandwich toppings. ...
  • Pinch the tail and suck the head = Crawfish eating. ...
  • Envie = Craving. ...
  • Makin Groceries = Food shopping. ...
  • Holy Trinity = Cajun flavouring. ...
  • Hurrication = Vacation during storm season.


What does ya ya mean in Cajun?

Gumbo YaYa gets its name from Chef Paul Prudhomme who claimed that the gumbo was so good it made you say “Ya Ya!" Try this recipe, and you'll be saying it too!

What is Toot Toot in Cajun?

In French-influenced Cajun Louisiana, where the 47-year-old Simien lives, toot is a corruption of the Gallic word tout, meaning 'all. ' “From the old Cajun (language), a toot-toot is something special, maybe your best girlfriend, your all, your everything,” Simien says.


What does Boo mean in Cajun?

Boo. A term of endearment a parent or grandparent would call a small child, presumably Cajun in origin. Sometimes refers to your sweetheart, too.

What does paw paw mean in Louisiana?

papaw (plural papaws) (US, dialect, Southern US) Alternative form of pawpaw, a grandfather, especially one's paternal grandfather. (US, dialect, Southern US, less commonly) A father.

How do you talk like you're from Louisiana?

19 Words and Expressions You Should Learn Before Traveling To Louisiana
  1. “Pinch the tail and suck the head.” A tawdry-sounding phrase, but it's actually how you eat crawfish. ...
  2. “Pass a good time” ...
  3. “Dressed” ...
  4. “Laissez les bon temps rouler.” ...
  5. “Fais-do-do” ...
  6. “Throw me somethin', Mister!” ...
  7. “Neutral ground” ...
  8. “Holy Trinity”


How do you say I love you in Cajun?

“Mo linm twa”.

How do you say baby in Cajun?

bébé (n.m.) 1. baby.

What does Sha mean in Louisiana?

Sha: Louisiana Cajun and Creole slang, derived from the French cher. Term of affection meaning darling, dear, or sweetheart. It could also be a reference to something that is cute.


What does chu mean in Cajun?

It usually refers to something small. It replaces a word that you can't think of when you need to use it. As Cajuns we speak extremely fast, so instead of waiting for the word to come we quickly replace it with chu-chut.

What does Dodo mean in Cajun?

By most accounts, the term fais do-do (with do pronounced dough) , in contemporary Louisiana parlance, refers to a public dance of some sort, often one held on a Sunday afternoon, usually involving an accordion and fiddle-led band and lyrics sung in vernacular Louisiana French.

What does fais dodo mean in Cajun?

: a country-dance or dancing party held usually on a Saturday night in southern Louisiana.


How do you say crazy in Cajun?

Fou is crazy. C'est fou means that's crazy, or he's crazy. Salop is a messy woman/bad housewife. To call a Cajun woman a salop is a serious insult.

How do Cajuns say goodbye?

"Au revoir" is typically the polite form of saying good-bye, and it is to be remembered that the "v" here is not pronounced. So it will be more like "Au re'oir", or as some will say "À re'oir".

Why do Cajuns say Couyon?

Couyon (coo-yawn)

A Cajun French term used to describe a foolish person.


What does NEG mean in Cajun?

(Louisiana) Alternative form of nègre, friend.

What race are Cajuns?

Cajuns include people with Irish and Spanish ancestry, and to a lesser extent of Germans and Italians; Many also have Native American, African and Afro-Latin Creole admixture. Historian Carl A. Brasseaux asserted that this process of mixing created the Cajuns in the first place.

How do Cajuns say yes?

Mais yeah: Cajun French saying that translates literally to “but yes,” it's used to express excitement or agreement.