I can vividly remember the sounds of my Grandparents speaking Cajun French to each other.  Like many people of their generation who were taught that Cajun French was spoken by the lower class, they decided not to teach my parents how to speak  the language.  Being the major cornerstone of our culture, this presented quite an issue. The language that once defined our culture has been neglected for at least three generations.  Thanks to programs like CODOFIL (Council for the Development of French in Louisiana), activists like Dewey Balfa, and a handful of other Cajun’s we have some great resources to help our generation, and those that follow, begin speaking our native tongue.

Here are a few resources I’ve found that will help get you and your children get started or reacquainted with the Cajun language:

Cajun Self Taught – Rev. Msgr. Jules O. Daigle

This is an outstanding resource. A thorough book on the language with an accompanying CD (or “cazzette” as Rev. Daigle calls it :^). Written by someone with 90 years experience with the language (yes, 90!) this book/CD set is worth their weight in gold and get my highest recommendation.  More info on the CD | More info on the book.

The new English word “zydeco”, is a meaningless transliteration of the corrupted word “zharicot.”  It’s origin: Clifton Chenier was asked what king of music he was playing.  He answered “zharicot,” which was the name of the the old Cajun song he was playing.  Some writer spelled it “zydeco”, and presto–chango–”zydeco” was proclaimed as a new kind of Negro music.  The subject of the whole mix-up was an old Cajun song popular in the 1920′s.  It’s title was “Oh Les Haricots sont pas sales Mamme,” “Oh, mama, the beans are not salted. – Rev. Msgnr Jules O. Daigle

Cajun French-English, English-Cajun French Dictionary & Phrasebook (Hippocrene Dictionary and Phrasebooks)

I really like this book because the author presents a concise and informative overview of the history of our culture. Tracing back to our roots in the 1630′s to present day Spanish and Creole influence, you’ll get a great perspective on how our language has evolved. More info on the Cajun French Dictionary.

The joy of living, joie de vivre, is an integral part of Cajun culture and lifestyle.  In a part of the country where having a good time is often considered a very serious matter, festivals and dances are quite frequent.  The word used to describe a traditional community dance, fais do-do, has intriguing origins.  The entire family was usually welcomed at such gatherings, so children were eventually told to go to sleep or “fais do-do” (from dormir, to sleep) in a certain part of thh house to allow their parents to socialize. – Clint Bruce and Jennifer Gipson

CajunLanguage.Net

This is an excellent online resource, provided at no charge by Jim Leger. He posts once a month, on average, and accompanies the text with audio tracks. Invaluable resource. Visit CajunLanguage.Net.

Clovis the Crawfish Series

Written in French and English, Clovis’ adventures have captured the hearts of children for quite a few decades. Mary Alice Fontenot tales many of her early children memories through the eyes of this loveable crawfish. You and your children will love them. Learn more about Clovis.

Got other Recommendations?

I’d love to hear your recommendations that will help us continually develop our Cajun French language skills. Please leave a post with any resources you feel will benefit the readers of this blog.