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Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government

 

Learn About the Cajun French Language in Honor of Atchafalaya National Heritage Month

Monday October 15, 2018 09:15 am - 2893 Views - Posted By Items of Interest
Learn About the Cajun French Language in Honor of Atchafalaya National Heritage Month

This week for Atchafalaya National Heritage Area month, Terrebonne Parish celebrates Cajun French language as a rich tapestry of the French language spoken in the 18th century by Acadian and French immigrants as well as 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 Cajun French language 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.

Learn a few Cajun French words:

  • Alligator- un cocodrie
  • Grits- du gru
  • Gumbo- un gombo
  • Popcorn- du tac-tac
  • Cajun- cadien, cadienne
  • Porch- une galarie
  • Zydeco- zarico
  • Smoke- la boucane

The Atchafalaya National Heritage Area location highlight this week is the Nottoway Plantation in White Castle, Louisiana. The Nottoway Plantation is the South’s largest antebellum mansion. Completed in 1859 as a sugarcane plantation, Nottoway’s 53,000 square foot palatial white mansion awes visitors with its 64 rooms and countless extravagant features, including 22 massive exterior columns, 12 hand-carved Italian marble fireplaces, detailed plaster frieze moldings, soaring 15.5-foot ceilings, 11-foot doors, and a lavish pure white oval ballroom. The estate was built with modern luxuries, such as running water in the bathrooms and a gas plant providing gas lighting throughout the home. The plantation offers guided and self-guided tours, lodging, and dining. To visit the Nottoway Plantation or to find out more information, visit Nottoway.com.

For more information on the Cajun French language, visit the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area website.

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