Sa k a prifé?
November 15, 2002 1:33 PM   Subscribe

Sa k a prifé? With lists of Louisianan Creole grammar and vocabulary and a few real audio files, you'll be navigating your pirogue through the swamps in no time, or, at least, ordering correctly at your favorite Cajun restaurant.
posted by Katemonkey (9 comments total)
 
Just in case... the google cache of the grammar site, and the cache of the real audio file directory.

Of course, being that the latter is a university site, they could move files at any given moment.
posted by Katemonkey at 1:49 PM on November 15, 2002


I often mix up Creole and Cajun. But sometimes I just shake it up.
posted by four panels at 1:53 PM on November 15, 2002


Eureka! The post I've dedicated my life to finding!

Well, not really, but damn close. This IS really cool, and I thank you for sharing it. And that was good thinking to point to the caches as well.

'Course now I'm feelin' all guilty that I was too lazy to find this on my own ...
posted by Wulfgar! at 2:03 PM on November 15, 2002


How ya'll are? The first time I visited New Orleans I expected everybody to sound like Justin Wilson, but of course they didn't.
posted by oh posey at 2:17 PM on November 15, 2002


Here's a pretty decent explanation of the difference between Creole and Cajun, although it's incomplete. Outside New Orleans, in the French-speaking areas of southwest Louisiana, "Creole" is generally used to refer to the black Creole people, who have co-existed with the Cajuns (i.e., Acadian descendents) for generations, and who are a mix of African, Caribbean, Native American plus French/Spanish roots.

The link primarily deals with Creole French (with phonetic spellings), but if you're interested in the Cajun French language (which is not quite the same) you should seek out the work of Msgr. Jules O. Daigle. During his tenure as a priest in Welsh, Louisiana and surrounding communities, he spent over 25 years compiling an exhaustive dictionary of Cajun French, plus a written and spoken course of "Cajun Self-Taught". Here's one place where you can get them. Incidentally, speaking of Justin Wilson, I once spoke with Msgr. Daigle and during the conversation he referred to Wilson as an offensive caricature. YMMV.

Action Cadienne is an organization dedicated to the promotion of Cajun French, and Clarence at cajunradio.org has a pretty good list of links for those interested in the language.

One more thing ... in my humble opinion, Michaul's would be at the bottom of my list of good Cajun restaurants. La vraie chose is to be had at The Pig Stand in Ville Platte, Robin's in Henderson, and many similar places throughout southwest Louisiana. Michaul's is in New Orleans (which is not a Cajun city), and it's primarily for tourists.
posted by chuq at 3:07 PM on November 15, 2002


Just when it's almost crawfish boil season.........Nate's Seafood in Dallas, Tx one of the only places they don't taste like a mudbug.
Go with the 3lbs to 5lbs at a time extra-turbo and many draft beers.........whoowee hotfire y'all be saying in the morning.
posted by thomcatspike at 4:25 PM on November 15, 2002


Dallas? Texas?? Oh dear. :-)
posted by chuq at 4:40 PM on November 15, 2002


True, chuq, it ain't the best restaurant, but when I was living in New Orleans, it was my favorite, simply because of the live band -- I am a sucker for enjoying loud and cheerful music while I eat.
posted by Katemonkey at 12:29 AM on November 17, 2002


Katemonkey -- if the live Cajun music atmosphere makes you happy, it's definitely worth a drive out to Acadiana to dine at Prejean's in Lafayette, which has outstanding food. There's also Randol's, in Lafayette as well, plus D.I.'s in Basile. While you're out there, go to Café des Amis in Breaux Bridge, perhaps my favorite restaurant in Acadiana, which is reopening on November 23 (they had a fire earlier this year).

Bon appetit!
posted by chuq at 1:21 PM on November 18, 2002


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