Acadian Vocabulary

dominique_breau_parler_acadien_pThe French spoken by Acadians contains many expressions of its own and is shaped by a particular vocabulary. Each region has developed its own accent, mainly due to the isolation of the various communities. The Acadian vocabulary features archaic words, used by the French settlers when they established themselves in Acadie in the 17th century, as well as words more commonly used in a nautical context.

Through the years, the proximity with the English language has also marked the language of Acadians who have integrated, and sometimes difformed, words of English origin. Here are a few examples of words or expression you might find in the Acadian Peninsula:

 

A few Acadian words

Abrier : An archaic verb, used in France until the 17th century. It means to cover, wrap up, like in a blanket for example.

Asteure : A word also used until the 17th century in France. It is a shortened form of à cette heure and means “now”.

Bâdrer : A verb that is probably derived from the English “to bother” and has the same meaning.

Brailler : A verb that means “to cry”.

Embarquer : An existing verb in the French language with the initial meaning of “getting into a boat”, but here is used when getting into anything.

Espérer : An existing verb in the French language that means “to hope”, but here is used with the archaic meaning, which is “to wait”. A word meaning “swing” that may have a nautical origin.

Galance : A word meaning “swing” that may have a nautical origin.

Mouiller : An existing verb in the French language that means “to wet”, but here is used with the archaic meaning “to rain”.

Zire : A word that expresses disgust or repulsion. “Avoir zire” is an expression that means “being disgusted”. This word originates in the Poitevin-Saintongeais, a regional language from western France.

 

Acadian French

To learn more about the French language in Acadie, visit the following web page: Acadian French on the Cyberacadie website.

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