Acadian French - Examples of Acadian Words

Examples of Acadian Words

The following words and expressions are most commonly restricted to Acadian French, though some can also be found in Quebec French.

• achaler: to bother (Fr: ennuyer)(very common in Quebec French)
• ajeuve: (variation of achève, literally to complete) a while ago (Fr: récemment, tout juste)
• amanchure: thing, thingy, also the way things join together: the joint or union of two things(Fr: chose, truc, machin)
• amarrer: (literally, to moor) to tie (Fr: attacher)
• amoureux: (lit. lover) burdock (Fr: (capitule de la) bardane; Quebec: toque, grakia) (also very common in Quebec French)
• asteur: now (Fr: maintenant, à cette heure, désormais)(very common in Quebec French)
• attoquer: to lean (Fr: appuyer)
• avoir de la misère: to have difficulty (Fr: avoir de la difficulté, avoir du mal)(very common in Quebec French)
• bailler: to give (Fr: donner)(very common in Quebec French)
• besson: twin (Fr: jumeau/jumelle))
• boloxer: to confuse, disrupt, unsettle (Fr: causer une confusion, déranger l'ordre régulier et établi)
• boucane: smoke, steam (Fr: fumée, vapeur)(very common in Quebec French)
• bouchure: fence (Fr: clôture)
• brâiller: to cry, weep (Fr: pleurer)(very common in Quebec French)
• brogane: work shoe, old or used shoe (Fr: chaussure de travail, chaussure d'occasion)
• brosse: drinking binge (Fr: beuverie)(common in Quebec French)
• caler: to sink (Fr: sombrer, couler) (also "to drink fast in one shot", caler une bière)(very common in Quebec French)
• char: car (fr:voiture)
• chassis: window (Fr: fenêtre)
• chavirer: to go crazy (Fr: devenir fou, folle)
• chu: I am (Fr: je suis, or, colloquially chui)(very common in Quebec French)
• cotchiner: to cheat (Fr: tricher)
• de service: proper, properly (Fr: adéquat, comme il faut)
• ej: I (Fr: je)(common in Quebec French)
• élan: moment, while (Fr: instant, moment)
• erj: and I (Fr: et je suis)
• espèrer: to say welcome, to invite (Fr: attendre, inviter)
• faire zire: to gross out (Fr: dégouter)
• farlaque: loose, wild, of easy virtue (Fr: dévergondée, au moeurs légères)
• frette: cold (Fr: froid)(very common in Quebec French)
• fricot: traditional Acadian stew prepared with chicken, potatoes, onions, carrots, dumplings (lumps of dough), and seasoned with savoury
• garrocher: to throw, chuck (Fr: lancer)(very common in Quebec French)
• hardes: clothes, clothing (Fr: vêtements)
• harrer : Battre ou traiter pauvrement, maltraîter
• hucher: to cry out (Fr: appeler (qqn) à haute voix)
• innocent: simple, foolish or stupid (Fr: simple d'esprit, bête, qui manque de jugement)(very common in Quebec French)
• itou: also, too (Fr: aussi, de même, également)(common in Quebec French)
• maganer: to overwork, wear out, tire, weaken (Fr: traiter durement, malmener, fatiguer, affaiblir, endommager, détériorer)(very common in Quebec French)
• mais que: when + future tense (Fr: lorsque, quand (suivi d'un futur))
• mitan: middle, centre (Fr: milieu, centre)
• païen: (lit. pagan) hick, uneducated person, peasant
• parker: park (estationner)
• pire à yaller/au pire à yaller: at worst (au pire)
• plaise: plaice (FR: plie)
• ploye: buckwheat pancake, a tradition of Edmundston, New Brunswick (Fr: crêpe au sarassin)
• pomme de pré: (lit. meadow apple) American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) (Fr: canneberge; Quebec: atoca)
• poutine râpée: a ball made of grated potato with pork in the centre, a traditional Acadian dish
• qu'ri: (from quérir) to fetch, go get (Fr: aller chercher)
• se haler: (lit. to haul oneself) to hurry (Fr: se dépêcher)
• se badgeuler: to argue (Fr: se disputer)
• j'étions: i was
• ils étiont: they were
• taweille: Mikmaq woman, traditionally associated with sorcery (Fr: Amérindienne)
• tchequ'affaire, tchequ'chouse, quètchose, quotchose: something (Fr: quelque chose)("quètchose" is common in Quebec French)
• tête de violon: ostrich fern fiddlehead (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
• tétine-de-souris: (lit. mouse tit) slender glasswort, an edible green plant that grows in salt marshes (Salicornia europaea) (Fr: salicorne d'Europe)
• tintamarre: din (also used to refer to an Acadian noisemaking tradition)
• vaillant, vaillante: active, hard-working, brave (Fr: actif, laborieux, courageux)(common in Quebec French)