Missouri French ( French : français du Missouri ) or Illinois Country French ( French : français du Pays des Illinois ) also known as français vincennois, français Cahok , and nicknamed " Paw-Paw French " often by individuals outside the community but not exclusively, is a variety of the French language spoken in the upper Mississippi River Valley in the Midwestern United States , particularly in eastern Missouri .
68-542: The language is one of the major varieties of French that developed in the United States . At one point it was widely spoken in areas of Bonne Terre , Valles Mines , Desloge , De Soto , Ste. Genevieve , Old Mines , Cadet , St. Louis , Richwoods , Prairie du Rocher , Cahokia , Kaskaskia , and Vincennes as well as several other locations. Speakers of Missouri French may call themselves " créoles ", as they are descendants of colonial Louisiana French people of
136-607: A few elderly, French monolingual speakers remained, but few young people spoke the language and their children were all monolingual English speakers. From 1934 to 1936, Joseph Médard Carrière made several trips to the Old Mines area to study the Missouri French dialect and to collect folktales from local conteurs . Carrière estimated a total of 600 families still used the dialect. He noted the increased influence of English, particularly among younger speakers, and felt this
204-626: A formed common identity. The Louisiana Purchase brought about a marked change: francophones of Ste. Genevieve and St. Louis assimilated more rapidly into English-speaking American society because of interaction with new settlers, while the inland mining communities remained isolated and maintained their French heritage. Piocheurs held fast to primitive techniques, using hand tools and simple pit mining. They performed smelting over crude, chopped-wood fires. Soon, ethnic French families in St. Louis and Ste. Genevieve, as well as American companies, purchased
272-550: A good sum of money to anyone who could give him an idea that would work to catch Samson." French language in the United States The French language is spoken as a minority language in the United States . Roughly 1.18 million Americans over the age of five reported speaking the language at home in the federal 2020 American Community Survey, making French the seventh most spoken language in
340-537: A handful of elderly speakers remained in isolated pockets. In 2014 news media reported that fewer than 30 Missouri French speakers remained in Old Mines, with others being able to remember a few phrases. Periodic attempts have been made to preserve the dialect, for the most part with minor results. At the turn of the 20th century, Belgian Creole Père Tourenhaut attempted to preserve French at the Ste. Genevieve Church but to no avail. Joseph Médard Carrière published Tales from
408-588: A local variety of Canadian French , is spoken in parts of the New England states. This area has a legacy of significant immigration from Canada , especially during the 19th and the early 20th centuries. Some Americans of French heritage who have lost the language are currently attempting to revive it. Acadian French is also spoken by Acadians in Maine in the Saint John Valley. Métis French
476-638: A mission to the south along the Kaskaskia River in 1703, followed by a stone church built in 1714. During that time, Canadien settlers had moved in and begun to farm. Some also mined for lead west of the Mississippi River. The fertile land of the American Bottom was tended to by habitants who moved from Prairie du Rocher . Soon the meager French post of Kaskaskia became the capital of Upper Louisiana , and Fort de Chartres
544-739: A number of distinguishing features. Other phonological elements are unique in North American French, sometimes retaining archaic elements: As compared to other dialects of French in North America, Missouri French shares many lexical similarities. The language has influence mainly from English but also Spanish, Native American languages: voiture (f.) char (m.) partie (f.) game (f.) partie (f.) During his trips to Old Mines, Carrière found that Missouri French had been heavily influenced by English, with many English words and even entire idiomatic phrases borrowed or translated into
612-445: A offert eune bonne somme d'argent pour n'importe qui y'aurait donné ein avis pour attraper Sam'son." "It's good to tell you that once upon a time there were an old king and an old queen. They had a daughter who was married, and she had a little boy. In that town, there was also a man named Samson, who lived in the woods. No matter what the king did, Samson destroyed it. The king had lost many men trying to get rid of Samson. He offered
680-472: A vast territory in North America, New France or La Louisiane , which stretched from present-day Louisiana and the Illinois Country to Canada . The village was founded in 1722 by French colonists , mostly migrants from Canada. In 1718, Pierre Dugué de Boisbriand built the first Fort de Chartres . In 1722, St. Thérèse Langlois , a nephew of Boisbriand, founded Prairie du Rocher. The town
748-542: Is morphosyntactically identical to Quebec French. It is believed to have resulted from a localized levelling of contact dialects between Québécois and Acadian settlers. Some of the Brayons view themselves as neither Acadian nor Québécois, affirming that they are a distinctive culture with a history and heritage linked to farming and forestry in the Madawaska area. Canadian French spoken by French Canadian immigrants
SECTION 10
#1732791078851816-666: Is a village in Randolph County , Illinois , United States . Founded in the French colonial period in the American Midwest , the community is located near bluffs that flank the east side of the Mississippi River along the floodplain often called the " American Bottom ". The population was 502 at the 2020 census. Prairie du Rocher is one of the oldest communities in the 21st century United States that
884-910: Is also spoken by Canadian Americans and French Canadian Americans in the United States across Little Canadas and in many cities of New England . French Canadians living in Canada express their cultural identity using a number of terms. The Ethnic Diversity Survey of the 2006 Canadian census found that French-speaking Canadians identified their ethnicity most often as French, French Canadians, Québécois , and Acadian . The latter three were grouped together by Jantzen (2006) as "French New World" ancestries because they originate in Canada. All these ancestries are represented among French Canadian Americans . Franco-Newfoundlanders speaking Newfoundland French , Franco-Ontarians , Franco-Manitobans , Fransaskois , Franco-Albertans , Franco-Columbians , Franco-Ténois , Franco-Yukonnais , Franco-Nunavois are part of
952-565: Is central France, as was also the case of New Orleans, but with settlement being more recent (1830–1840). He also reports that in the 1960s French seemed to be on the verge of extinction in the state community." Brayon French is spoken in the Beauce of Quebec; Edmundston, New Brunswick; and Madawaska , Maine mostly in Aroostook County, Maine . Although superficially a phonological descendant of Acadian French, analysis reveals it
1020-425: Is now the United States : Louisiana French , Missouri French , and New England French (essentially a variant of Canadian French ). Louisiana French is traditionally divided into three dialects, Colonial French , Louisiana Creole French , and Cajun French . Colonial French is traditionally said to have been the form of French spoken in the early days of settlement in the lower Mississippi River valley, and
1088-529: Is spoken by some Métis people in North Dakota . Ernest F. Haden identifies the French of Frenchville, Pennsylvania as a distinct dialect of North American French. "While the French enclave of Frenchville, Pennsylvania first received attention in the late 1960s, the variety of French spoken has not been the subject of systematic linguistic study. Haden reports that the geographical origin of its settlers
1156-590: The French and Indian War (also known as the Seven Years' War ), the British gained possession of French lands east of the Mississippi, excluding New Orleans . The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763; however, the British did not arrive in force until 1765. To avoid British rule, many of the town's French residents moved across the Mississippi River to towns such as Ste. Genevieve and St. Louis in what
1224-569: The Gold Rush and was supplemented by French wine-making immigrants to the Bay Area is centered culturally around that city's French Quarter . In Maine, there is a recent increase of French speakers due to immigration from Francophone countries in Africa. Many retired individuals from Quebec have moved to Florida , or at least spend the winter there. Also, the many Canadians who travel to
1292-432: The Illinois Country ( Upper Louisiana ) and their native-born descendants. Today the dialect is highly endangered , with only a few elderly native speakers remaining. It is thought that remaining speakers live in or around Old Mines, Missouri . French colonization of the region began in earnest during the late 17th century by coureurs des bois from what is now modern-day Canada . With French colonial expansion into
1360-455: The Prairie du Rocher Creek levee protecting the town, residents discovered a unique situation had developed. The water that had broken through the main Mississippi River levee and was approaching the top of the Prairie du Rocher Creek levee was higher than the water in the main Mississippi River channel. The Army Corps of Engineers (COE) decided to use a barge-mounted shovel to break through
1428-464: The census of 2000, there were 613 people, 240 households, and 160 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,076.2 inhabitants per square mile (415.5/km ). There were 255 housing units at an average density of 447.7 units per square mile (172.9 units/km ). The racial makeup of the village was 99.02% White , 0.33% Native American , and 0.65% from two or more races. There were 240 households, out of which 39.2% had children under
SECTION 20
#17327910788511496-471: The 1760s; students boarded with local families. Because habitants did not practice fertilization, the soil became exhausted. In addition, an increase in population meant there was not sufficient land for everyone. Some villagers moved to the west side of the Mississippi and founded Ste. Genevieve about 1750, in present-day Missouri . They quickly created an agricultural community with characteristics similar to Prairie du Rocher. Following their victory in
1564-406: The 1930s and 1940s, use of new excavation equipment by mineral companies almost entirely pushed French-speaking Creoles from mining, leaving them without income. French became associated with poverty, lack of education, and backwardness. Harassment and intolerance from English speakers left many Missouri French speakers ashamed of their language and hesitant to speak. Use of French on school property
1632-550: The 1930s there were said to be about 600 French-speaking families in the Old Mines region between De Soto and Potosi . By the late 20th century the dialect was nearly extinct, with only a few elderly speakers able to use it. Similarly, Muskrat French is spoken in southeastern Michigan by descendants of habitants , voyageurs and coureurs des bois who settled in the Pays d'en Haut . New England French , essentially
1700-418: The 2010 census, Prairie du Rocher has a total area of 0.57 square miles (1.48 km ), all land. Illinois Route 155 is the only state highway that runs through Prairie du Rocher. It connects the town with Ruma , 7 miles (11 km) to the northeast, and Fort de Chartres , 4 miles (6 km) to the west. Bluff Road connects the town to as far south as Ellis Grove and as far north as Columbia . As of
1768-821: The French Canadian American population and speak their own form of French . Various dialects of French spoken in France are also spoken in the United States by recent immigrants from France, by people of French ancestry and descendants of immigrants from France. A total of 10,804,304 people claimed French ancestry in the 2010 census although other sources have recorded as many as 13 million people claiming this ancestry. Most French-speaking Americans are of this heritage, but there are also significant populations not of French descent who speak it as well, including those from Belgium , Switzerland , Haiti and numerous Francophone African countries. In Florida,
1836-560: The French Folk-lore of Missouri (1937), a collection of 73 stories he had collected from the Old Mines area. The works of Miller and Carrière on the dialect helped to preserve some of Missouri French's lexical intricacies as well as document the influences of English as it was absorbed into the language. In 1941, Carrière published a study on the phonology of Missouri French and some of the archaic pronunciations it had preserved in its isolation. The work Folk Songs of Old Vincennes
1904-628: The Mississippi River levee near Fort de Chartres, to allow flood waters to escape back to the Mississippi River channel. This did not significantly lower the water level, but the COE decided against further action. In a 3:30 a.m. decision, with the flood waters at the top of the sandbags stacked on top of the Prairie du Rocher Creek levee, all three commissioners of the Fort de Chartres – Ivy Landing Drainage and Levee District voted to use dynamite to breach
1972-476: The North American interior, various missions, forts and trading posts were established under the administration of New France . One of the first settlements to be established in the region was that of Cahokia in 1696, with the foundation of a French mission. The town quickly became one of the largest in the region with booming commerce and trade to assist its growth. Jesuit missionaries also established
2040-600: The Old Mines Area Historical Society. Growing up near Vincennes, Indiana, in the 1990s Stroughmatt learned to play fiddle and speak the regional dialect in Old Mines and Festus, Missouri and Cahokia, Illinois. In 2015 a handful of small classes were held in Ste. Genevieve. Soon after, Illinois Country French Preservation Inc. was formed; it offered a five-week course in Missouri French. Carrière described Missouri French as generally phonetically similar to other North American varieties, though with
2108-694: The Southeastern states in the winter and spring include a number of Francophones, mostly from Quebec but also from New Brunswick and Ontario . Quebecers and Acadians also tend to visit Louisiana , as Quebec and New Brunswick share a number of cultural ties with Louisiana. Florida , California , New York , Texas , Louisiana , Arizona , Hawaii , and a few other popular resort regions (most notably Old Orchard Beach , Maine , Kennebunk and Kennebunkport , Maine and Cape May , New Jersey ) are visited in large numbers by Québécois , during winter and summer vacations. French has traditionally been
Missouri French - Misplaced Pages Continue
2176-525: The Upper Louisiana Valley by the 18th century, in part due to interaction with coureurs des bois and European expeditions. French demand for lead quickly outstripped available labor despite French colonial reliance on Native Americans, freelancer miners, and 500 African slaves shipped from Saint-Domingue in 1723 to work in the area of Mine à Breton , under control of Philippe François de Renault . With large quantities of ore visible from
2244-462: The West ) were published during the second half of the 19th century, with an intended audience of the "French-language population of 'The West'", but the papers fell out of print before the turn of the century. Outside of St. Louis, French survived into the 20th century but the francophone population of settlements near the Mississippi River had dropped dramatically: ... few Créoles to be found today in
2312-423: The age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.16. In the village, the population was spread out, with 29.2% under
2380-463: The age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males. The median income for a household in the village was $ 35,795, and the median income for a family was $ 44,659. Males had a median income of $ 31,750 versus $ 20,556 for females. The per capita income for
2448-470: The city of Miami is home to a large Francophone community, consisting of French expatriates, Haitians (who may also speak Haitian Creole , a separate language which is derived partially from French), and French Canadians ; there is also a growing community of Francophone Africans in and around Orlando and Tampa . A small but sustaining French community that originated in San Francisco during
2516-498: The colonies in his Illinois campaign that also resulted in the capture of Vincennes, Indiana . Reportedly, his campaign caused some of the remaining French settlers to emigrate to the Spanish-controlled territories west of the Mississippi, leaving relatively few in Prairie du Rocher. Many of the subsequent settlers of the area had been members of Clark's campaign, or were related to someone who was. They were convinced of
2584-508: The country behind English , Spanish (of which it is the second Romance language to be spoken after the latter), Chinese , Tagalog , Vietnamese , and Arabic . Several varieties of French evolved in what is now the United States: More recently, French has also been carried to various parts of the nation via immigration from Francophone countries and regions. Today, French is the second most spoken language (after English) in
2652-399: The country in the early 18th century, wrote: This country is one of the most beautiful in all Louisiana. Every kind of grain and vegetables are produced here in the greatest abundance .... they have, also, large numbers of oxen, cows, sheep, etc., upon the prairies. Poultry is abundant, and fish plentiful. So that, in fact, they lack none of the necessaries or conveniences of life. In 1743
2720-511: The course was regularly attended by 20 people. Three years later, the book It's Good to Tell You: French Folktales from Missouri (1982) was published, highlighting some of the best stories from the community and providing English translations. Since 2013, Illinois Country French and culture classes have been offered by French Creole musician Dennis Stroughmatt at Wabash Valley College in Mt. Carmel, Illinois . He has also taught periodic workshops for
2788-491: The dialect due in large part to language attrition . "C'est bon d'vous dzire eune fouès c'étaient ein vieux rouè pis eune vieille reine. 'L ontvaient eune fille qu'était mariée et qui I'avait ein mouèyen p'tsit garçon. Pis dans c'te ville-là, 'I avait ein homme qui s'app'lait Som'pson. l' restait dans I'bois, lui. I'avait pas d'dzifférence quoi 'rouè faisait, i' l'détruisait, lui, i' l'démanchait. L'rouè avait fait perdre ein tas des hommes pour essayer d'faire détruire Sam'son. II
Missouri French - Misplaced Pages Continue
2856-458: The foreign language of choice for English-speakers across the globe. However, after 1968, French has ranked as the second-most-studied foreign language in the United States, behind Spanish. Some 1.2 million students from the elementary grades through high school were enrolled in French language courses in 2007–2008, or 14% of all students enrolled in foreign languages. Many American universities offer French-language courses, and degree programs in
2924-529: The land occupied by the Creoles. They created a division between an increasingly anglophone authority and francophone labor. By the 1820s production of lead had declined in the area of Old Mines. Following the Civil War , new mining technologies left the community impoverished. The eventual decline of Illinois Country French did not occur at the same rates as it inevitably did in other areas. Most attribute
2992-410: The language are common. In the fall of 2021, 135,088 American university students were enrolled in French courses, or 11.4% of all foreign-language students and the second-highest total of any language (behind Spanish, with 584,453 students, or 49.4%). French teaching is more important in private schools , but it is difficult to obtain accurate data because of the optional status of languages. Indeed,
3060-449: The levee in two additional locations. Because of risk, the COE had argued against such a decision. The village put out a call for help and added a foot and a half of sandbags to the creek levee. Finally, the two openings allowed enough water to escape back to the main channel so that the town was saved from flooding. The levee still stands strong today. French settlers founded Prairie du Rocher circa 1722. At least twelve surviving houses in
3128-430: The post. In addition, marriages took place between French settlers (usually men) and women from the local Native American tribes. Both sides considered such unions to be to their advantage for long-term alliances and trading relationships. Originally granted as a French trading post in 1763, St. Louis quickly developed into a settlement under Pierre Laclède . By this time, the French had established several footholds along
3196-486: The promise of the area by tales of the fertility of the soil in the area now called American Bottom . Prairie du Rocher was one of the few towns along the Mississippi River that escaped being flooded in the Great Flood of 1993 . After levees broke to the north near the towns of Columbia and Valmeyer, Illinois , flood waters engulfed Fort de Chartres. They also threatened the town of Prairie du Rocher. With only
3264-615: The states of Maine and Vermont . French is the third most spoken language (after English and Spanish) in the states of Louisiana , Connecticut and Rhode Island . As a second language , French is the second most widely taught foreign language (after Spanish ) in American schools, colleges and universities. While the overwhelming majority of Americans of French ancestry grew up speaking only English , some enroll their children in French heritage language classes . There are three major groups of French dialects that emerged in what
3332-401: The study of a foreign language is not required in all states for American students. Some states, however, including New York , Virginia and Georgia , require a minimum of two years of study of a foreign language . Note: speakers of French-based creole languages are not included in percentages. Prairie du Rocher, Illinois Prairie du Rocher ("The Rock Prairie" in French )
3400-494: The summer, as well as the winter, at the Fort de Chartres . During that time, people from a broad area come to camp out for the weekend. They dress like Indians and French soldiers of the mid-18th century, camp out at the fort, and re-enact the wars that decided the ownership of the fort. Fort de Chartres is a French military fort constructed in the 18th century. It later was designated an Illinois state historic site. According to
3468-563: The surface, entire Creole families moved inland to exploit such plentiful resources. When Moses Austin settled in Potosi , formally Mine à Breton, he introduced serious mining operations into Missouri in 1797 and stimulated growth of the francophone community in the area. Mining communities such as Old Mines ( French : La Vieille Mine ), Mine La Motte , and St. Michel (St. Michaels), which were established further inland, remained well-connected to Ste. Genevieve through trade, familial ties, and
SECTION 50
#17327910788513536-599: The survival of the language in Old Mines primarily due to its relative isolation, as compared to other communities such as St. Louis or Ste. Genevieve . In 1809, the French street signs of St. Louis were replaced, but the population remained largely ethnic French through the 19th century. Migration of francophones from New Orleans , Kaskaskia , and Detroit bolstered the French-speaking population. Two French-language newspapers, Le Patriote (English: The Patriot ) and La Revue de l'Ouest (English: The Review of
3604-430: The territorial government granted the Prairie du Rocher Common (land used by all the villagers) to the village; the common was used until 1852. The villagers had plots for cultivation defined in typical French fashion: long narrow lots that reached back from the riverfront through the common. The villagers kept the plots open within the common, and built a fence around it to keep out livestock. A school existed as early as
3672-432: The towns along the river, with the exception of Festus and Crystal City, where many of them are employed in the factories. Sainte-Geneviève has no more than a score of families which have remained definitely French. French did not fare far better in distant Vincennes where German immigration in the 1860s had severely weakened the French community and by 1930 there were only a small population of elderly francophones left. In
3740-457: The upper Mississippi River such as Cahokia , Kaskaskia , St. Philippe , Nouvelle Chartres , Prairie du Rocher , and Ste. Genevieve . Even so, after the British victory in the French and Indian War in 1763, many francophone residents of Illinois Country moved west of the Mississippi River to Ste. Genevieve , St. Louis , and elsewhere. Additionally, following France's loss in the War, Louisiana
3808-426: The village was $ 14,771. About 9.3% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over. The town has one elementary school for grades K-8. Students must travel to a nearby town for high school. The village has a library and two parks, one owned by the school and the other by the town. The volunteer fire department occupies part of
3876-821: The village were built in the eighteenth century, including the Melliere House, which was constructed in 1735. Another is the Creole House , constructed in 1800, which was built in the French Colonial style by an unknown English-speaking immigrant from the eastern United States. French customs practiced in Prairie du Rocher include La Guiannée , a custom of caroling on New Year's Eve dating back to medieval times in France. It has been celebrated in Prairie du Rocher every New Year's Eve since settlement in 1722. The town also celebrates Rendezvous during
3944-574: The west side of the Mississippi in what is now Missouri. In 1732, following a short-lived French trading post for buffalo hides, Vincennes was established as a French fur trading post for the Compagnie des Indes (Company of the Indies) under the leadership of François-Marie Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes . The trade was primarily with the Miami , and was so lucrative that more Canadiens were attracted to
4012-490: Was a sign of eventual displacement . In 1977, Gerald L. Gold visited the community to document how movement away from family and child labor in lead and baryte mining coincided with the loss of Missouri French as a maternal language. He suggests that the 1970 census statistic of 196 native French speakers in Washington County underrepresented the true number of speakers. In 1989, Ulrich Ammon estimated that only
4080-476: Was built on a tract of land donated by the Royal Indian Company . Boisbriand later became the commandant of the area. The town was strategically located along fertile Mississippi River bottomland . Surpluses from the productive cultivation by habitants later helped supply critical wheat and corn to New Orleans and other lower Louisiana Territory communities. D'Artaguette, an inspector in
4148-670: Was ceded to Spain in Treaty of Fontainebleau . Several hundred French refugees from the Midwest were resettled at Ste. Genevieve by the Spanish in 1797. From the end of the French and Indian War through the early 19th century, francophones began settling in the Ozark highlands further inland, particularly after French Louisiana was sold to the United States in 1803. It is speculated that Native Americans may have already begun to process lead in
SECTION 60
#17327910788514216-538: Was constructed nearby. Since its inception, Kaskaskia possessed a diverse population, a majority of whom were Illinois or other Native American groups, with a minority of French voyageurs . Many of the Canadiens and their descendants would eventually become voyageurs and coureurs des bois . Continued immigration of Canadien settlers and natives of Illinois Country, as well as a need for other resources resulted in some founders establishing Sainte-Geneviève in 1735 on
4284-416: Was founded as a French settlement. About four miles to the west, closer to the Mississippi River, is Fort de Chartres , site of a French military fortification and colonial headquarters established in 1720. Some buildings were reconstructed after falling into ruins, and the complex is now a state park and historical site. The fort and town were a center of government and commerce at the time when France claimed
4352-543: Was now, via the secret Treaty of Fontainebleau , Spanish Louisiana . Additionally, King George III 's Royal Proclamation of 1763 designated all the land west of the Appalachians and east of the Mississippi an Indian Reserve . He tried to prevent settlers entering from the then- British Colonies . During the American Revolutionary War , George Rogers Clark captured Prairie du Rocher for
4420-530: Was once the language of the educated land-owning classes. Cajun French, derived from Acadian French , is said to have been introduced with the arrival of Acadian exiles in the 18th century. The Acadians, the francophone inhabitants of Acadia (modern Nova Scotia , New Brunswick , Prince Edward Island , and northern Maine ), were expelled from their homeland between 1755 and 1763 by the British. Many Acadians settled in lower Louisiana, where they became known as Cajuns (a corruption of "Acadians"). Their dialect
4488-457: Was prohibited and it was not uncommon for students to face corporal punishment by monolingual , English-speaking teachers for using the language. In 1930, French professor W. M. Miller visited this area of rural Missouri, finding the largest remaining concentration of Missouri French speakers in a small pocket south of De Soto and north of Potosi . He estimated their population to be about 2,000, all bilingual . There were rumors that at least
4556-407: Was published in 1946, helping to preserve some of the culture and language that had linked francophones across Illinois Country. Starting in 1977, serious efforts began to revive the language; classes were offered in Old Mines assisted by eight native Missouri French speakers. By 1979, classes were held weekly with professional instruction and specific focus on Missouri French with eight core lessons;
4624-469: Was regarded as the typical language of white lower classes, while Louisiana Creole French developed as the language of the black community. Today, most linguists regard Colonial French to have largely merged with Cajun, while Louisiana Creole remains a distinct variety. Missouri French was spoken by the descendants of 17th-century French settlers in the Illinois Country , especially in the area of Ste. Genevieve , St. Louis , and in Washington County . In
#850149