It's what the old people speak when they want to talk about how much of a little shit you are but don't want you to know they know, or when the gossip gets so good only the subjunctive tense or feminized nouns capture the scandal.
It's the echo of older languages. The last vestiges of Choctaw in Lagniappe, Atchafalaya, Bayou. The sway of a Caribbean breeze with a Co fa pas? or a mo chagrin. The rustic rhythms of West Africa in gumbo, coush coush, jambalaya.
A language most people in South Louisiana my age have some experience with, but none of us speak.
Here's Tante Sue, my great aunt, having a conversation with my friend Ibrehemia and me.
For the next couple of months I'm going to be posting any family members I have left who still speak French, or at least whatever French they still speak.
I am originally from Avoyelles Parish, Bordelonville. My mother was from Brouillette right outside of Marksville. She lived at Oakmont for 5 months before she passed away in 2012. I loved visiting her and hearing French spoken. Merci Beaucoup for bringing back memories of speaking French. I cannot speak as well as your Aunt but I understood every word she said. Tears.
ReplyDeleteThank you for liking the video. If you know anyone in your family who still speaks the language, please record them as well.
DeleteSorry for making you cry!
It is so refreshing to listen to someone speak French and know that it is THE language her parents spoke and the language of her home life. So interesting that she went to school knowing only French then learned English. I think someone once said that these students were actually prevented from speaking French with possible consequences if they did so. Wow! Now our children go to school speaking English and are introduced to French. I would love to know the thought process behind the insistence that the French language be suppressed. Thanks for sharing this
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