L'Acadie

The Acadians (French: Acadiens) are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia (located in the Canadian Maritime provinces — Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island — and some of the American state of Maine). Although today both Acadians and French-Canadian Québécois are francophone Canadians, Acadia was founded in a geographically separate region from Quebec ("Canada" at this time) leading to their two distinct cultures. The settlers whose descendants became Acadians did not necessarily all come from the same region in France. Acadian family names have come from many areas in France from the Maillets of Paris to the Leblancs of Normandy. Some Acadian families did not even originate in France; for example the popular Acadian surname 'Melanson' (originally 'Mallinson') has its roots in England, and those with the surname 'Bastrache', 'Basque', or 'Bascom' can find their origin in the Basque Country which is located between France and Spain.

In the Great Expulsion of 1755, around 4000 to 5000 Acadians were deported from Acadia by the British; many later settled in Louisiana, where they became known as Cajuns. Later on many Acadians returned to the Maritime provinces of Canada, most specifically New Brunswick. During the British conquest of New France the French colony of Acadia was renamed Nova Scotia (meaning New Scotland).

Examples of Acadian words

The following words and expressions mostly unique to Acadian French.

• al, a (or "a l'a", from official: "elle l'a"): she (Fr: elle)
• ajeter: to buy (Fr: acheter)
• ajeuve: just now (Fr: récemment, tout juste)
• arien (or erien): nothing (Fr: rien)
• asteure: now (Fr: maintenant, à cette heure, désormais)
• brâiller: to cry, weep (Fr: pleurer)
• ej: I (Fr: je)
• faire zire: to gross out (Fr: dégouter)
• garrocher: to throw, chuck (Fr: lancer)
• itou: also, too (Fr: aussi, de même, également)
• se badgeuler: to argue (Fr: se disputer)
• tchequ'affaire, tchequ'chouse, quètchose, quotchose: something (Fr: quelque chose)
• vaillant, vaillante: active, hard-working, brave (Fr: actif, laborieux, courageux)
• zeux: them (Fr: eux)