Louisiana is famously known for boisterous Mardi Gras celebrations, spicy Cajun cooking and the French language widely spoken throughout the state.
Michael Picone, professor of French and linguistics at the University, estimates that there are currently around 200,000 French speakers in the boot-shaped state.
“An inaccuracy may occur in this number, however, as some elderly French speakers grew up during a time where they were stigmatized for speaking the language,” he said.
Picone has done extensive research on the dialect of Louisiana French and recently worked to co-edit “Dictionary of Louisiana French as Spoken in Cajun, Creole, and American Indian Communities.” The 900-page reference book is designed to be a resource for French speakers who want to overcome word and usage disparities inflicted by differences in dialects.
“There are quite a few differences in pronunciation between conventional French and Louisiana French. However, one common misconception is that French is more ‘traditional’ in France than in Louisiana,” Picone said. “Just as the English language has evolved in both American and Britain, so has the French language. Languages are not older in Europe, as people sometimes believe.”
Kelilah Anders, a freshman majoring in French, said the dictionary will be an invaluable resource in her collegiate studies.
“A dictionary would definitely help when you are talking to locals speaking in their native tongue,” Anders said. “If you don’t know any of the Cajun-Creole dialect, you can kind of understand them, but you can not relate to them as well as if you knew all of the slang and different words.”
Picone said that his book is unusual from other foreign language dictionaries in that it is complete and not merely differential.
“Many reference books simply include the words that vary from dialect to dialect within a language,” Picone said. “However, this complete resource contains a vast majority of the words that exist in Louisiana-French.”
Aubrey Nickell, a freshman majoring in French and business, said she is excited about the communication possibilities raised by the publication of this dictionary.
“As a student who enjoys the practical application of French in daily life, I think this dictionary will be a good resource when traveling around the United States, and to Louisiana in particular,” Nickell said. “It is interesting to see the relationship between the French spoken in Louisiana versus the conventional French language spoken in France.”
Picone said the “Dictionary of Louisiana French as Spoken in Cajun, Creole, and American Indian Communities” is an important publication in language preservation.
“It is important to keep Louisiana-French alive for the sake of the rich history, ethnic identification and oral folklore associated with it,” Picone said. “It is part of the heritage in states other than Louisiana, including Alabama. The French language took on some form certainly before English did.”
