Cajun French Language Tutorials
Jim Leger teaches the Cajun language
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The Use of the Verb “Faire” (’to do’ or ‘to make’) in Cajun Expressions (Writing with Audio)
The French verb “faire” which carries the action of ‘to make or ‘to do,’ is used widely in Cajunisms. The book “Cajun Self-Taught” (page 327) has a small section on this, so I am using these expressions but also putting them in a sentence.
To make friends: Faire des amis.
Y vaut mieux faire des amis que des ennemis. (It is better to make friends than enemies.)
To do right:Â Bien faire.
Y faut bien faire pour avoir ain bon rapport avec d’autres. (It is necessary to do right in order to have a good relationship with others.)
To make things last:Â Faire durer.
Équand on était jeune, y fallait faire durer le candie parcequ’on avait pas ain autre cinq-sous. (When we were young we had to make our peppermint stick last because we did not have another five-cents.)
To cause to win:Â Faire gagner.
Faire gagner la course est accompli par moyen de l’endurance. (To cause to win the race is accomplished by means of endurance.)
To make do:Â Faire, faire.
Faire, faire avec ça qu’on a, est mieux de souhaiter pour ça qu’on a pas. (To make do with what we have is better than to wish for what we do not have.)
To be (make) bad weather:Â Faire mauvais temps.
L’annonceur a prédit dans son rapport qu’y va faire mauvais temps. (The weather forecaster predicted in his weather report that it would (make) bad weather.)
To harm: Faire du mal à .
È va faire du mal à ses pieds si é marcherait (va marcher) nu pied parmi les chicots de grosses herbs (talles d’herbs).  (She will harm or hurt her feet if she were to walk bare foot among the tall grass stubbles.)
To garden:Â Faire jardin.
La vielle femme va faire jardin (fera jardin) comme avant. (The old woman will make garden (raise or plant a garden) as before.)
To frighten:Â Faire peur.
Y faut pas faire peur à les enfants avant qui vont se coucher, entrement [autrement-I heard it both ways] y vont avoir des couchemares* (des rêves effrayants) pendant la nuit. [*couchemares is no doubt borrowed from Creole, however, in my locale we used it for nightmare.] (We must not frighten the children before they go to bed, otherwise, they will have nightmares during the night.)
To feign:Â Faire semblant.
Faire semblant asteur, va peut-être venir nous visiter plus tard avec ses conséquences. (To feign (pretend) now, will maybe come back to haunt us with its consequences later.)
To make nice weather:Â Faire beau.
Y va faire beau (fera beau) demain et puis là on va étre capable d’aller déhors. (It will (make) nice weather tomorrow and so, there, we will be able to go outside.)
To be nice to: Faire bonne mine à .
Pour faire bonne mine à nos grands parents été exigé de nous-autres. (To be nice to our grand parents was required of us.)
To do it on purpose: Faire exprès.
J’connais qu’y va faire [en] exprès avec ça. (I know that he will do it on purpose with that.)
Pretend to be big:Â Faire le grand.
Gar ça, il est après faire le grand. (Look at that, he is pretending to be big (not just tall in stature, but in the sense of parading a tall attitude).
To make noise:Â Faire du train.
Y faut pas faire du train équand le bébé est après dormir (dort). (We must not make noise when the baby is sleeping.)
To do wrong:Â Faire mal, mal faire.
Le tit bon rien (coco) est après mal faire. [In my family we used "mal faire."] (The rascal (little guy) is engaging in wrongdoing.)
To grow fat:Â Faire du poids.
Manger autant comme cet homme mange va le faire du poids (faire gagner du poids). (To eat as much as this man eats will make him grow fat [make him gain weight].)
To be frightened:Â Se faire peur.
Le tit chien est après se faire peur du mialement du vieux matou. (The little dog is frightening himself by the meowing of the old tomcat.) [Remember "se" is reflexive for "oneself."]
To make a bend:Â Faire un [ain]Â croche.
Y faut faire ain croche dans l’aiguille pour être capable de coudre la semelle du soulier. (It is necessary to make a bend in the needle to be able to sew the sole of the shoe.)
To fit, to become:Â Faire bien.
Faire bien en notre habillement est nécessaire et très vaillant. (To be dressed fittingly is necessary and very nice.)
To be warm weather:Â Faire chaud.
Équand le soleil va sortir (sortira) y va faire chaud. (When the sun will come out it will be hot [weather].)
To be cold weather:Â Faire froid.
On peut espérer sur le temps de faire froid pendant l’hiver. (We can wait (hope) on the weather to be cold during winter.)
It does not want to work: Ça veut pas faire chose (faire aller).
On peut pas le faire chose (aller) sans du gaz. (We cannot make it work (car, motor) without gasoline.)
To shame:Â Faire honte.
Tu vas faire honte à ton tit frère si tu ferais (vas faire) connaître ses mauvaises habitudes. (You will shame your little brother if you were to make known his bad habits.)
To raise crops: Faire récolte.
Faire récolte, ça c’est ain bon ouvrage [travail]. (To raise crops is a good work [profession].)
To pretend: Faire comme çi.
On habitude de faire comme çi on était des vachers. (We used to pretend that we were cowboys.)
Get riche:Â Faire fortune.
Faire fortune comme J.C. Penney prend ain tas de expertise. (To make [a] fortune like J.C. Penney takes a lot of expertise.)
To cause to see:Â Faire voir.
J’vas faire voir (j’ferai voir) à mes enfants le bien de travailler dur. (I will make my children see the good in working hard.)
Pay attention:Â Faire attention [payer attention, prendre]
Y faut faire (payer) attention à le pialement des poules parceque le renard pouvait être près. (We must pay attention (make) at the constant peeping of the chickens because the fox could be near.)
The above are examples, perhaps you can recall these and make your own use of them in sentences. Remember, not all Cajuns use the same expressions, so please don’t give me a look of askance. (En haut c’est des exemples, peut être vous-autres peut se rappeler d’eux et peut faire votre usage de vous-même d’eux dans aine sentence. Va pas donc voir me donner des yeux de méfiances ou me faire des gros yeux.)
May 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
Cajun Sayings and Axioms From “Cajun Self-Taught” Starting on Page 505
May 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
Cajun Questions From “Cajun Self-Taught” page 191-194 Craig
CLICK HERE TO HEAR THE ABOVE PAGES LISTED
May 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
Questions In English and Then Repeated in Cajun - Craig
CLICK HERE TO HEAR PAGES 195-198 OF “CAJUN SELF-TAUGHT”
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May 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
Tous Allentour Les Rames De Fèves Plattes! (All Around The Butter Bean Poles)
 CLICK HERE TO HEAR THIS POST
 All around the butter bean poles! Pour quoi nommer ma poste “Tous Allentour Les Rames De Fèves Plattes?” (Why give my post the title or name it as above?)
Il y a aine histoire attaché sur ça. Équand j’avais au près de douze ans, mon père élevait des guimes (gaimes) (coqs) pour les faire battre. (When I was close to 12 years old, my father raised some roosters (cocks) for fighting.)
Ain soir j’ai taquiné (tiné, nargué) ain de ses gaimes qui faisit son jouquoir (perchoir) dans ain gros arbre au ras de la maison. Le lendemain j’m'ai aperçu que ce même gaime voulait me courser. (One night I teased or nagged one of his (my father’s) roosters that made his perch in a big tree next to the house. The next day I perceived that that same rooster wanted to chase me.)
Après cette épisode, chaque fois que j’allais déhors y fallait que j’me sauve de lui! En fin, pas seulement moi, mais toutes les membres de ma famille aussi. (After that episode, every time that I went outside it was necessary for me to run away from him. After all, not only myself, but all members of my family also.)
Ain jour mon père et ma plus jeune tite soeur etaient après faire quelque chose dans le clos équand y sont aperçu, le gaime a sauté sur le dos de mon père epuis y l’a éperonné là , et après ça il a éperonné my tite soeur sur le bas de sa jamb. (One day my father and my youngest sister were doing something in the field when they noticed it, the rooster jumped on my father’s back and spurred him there, and after that he spurred my little sister on the lower part of her leg.)
C’etait drôle que mon père l’a pas tuer! Mais le gaime valait de trop! Mon père avait mis ain tas de temps pour l’él’ver pour le faire ce battre, j’pense que ça ç’etait aine bonne raison pour pas le tuer! (It was strange that my father did not kill him (the rooster!) My father had put a lot of time to train (raise) him to make him fight, I think that that was a good reason not to kill him (it).)
Allons se retourner au titre de ma poste. Pourquoi, et qui qu’était après courir tous allentour les rames de fève platte? (Let us return to the title of my post. Why, and who was it that was running all around the butter bean poles.?)
J’étais pas un capon mais pour aine raison étonnante, j’m'ai sauvé comme ain tit chien quand le gaime a commencé de me courser. (I was not a coward but for some baffling reason I ran like a little dog when the coq started to chase me.)
J’ai couru dans le clos, au ras de la maision ayeou les fèves plattes été ramé. Mais, gardez donc voir, j’avais ain bâton en main, mais, p’utôt de l’user sur le gaime, j’ai continué a me sauver! (I ran in the field near the house where the butter beans were poled. But, please look at what I did, I had a stick in my hand but instead of using it on the rooster, I continued to run.)
Ma mère s’a éclaté a rire! Alle a crié à moi, “use le baton, mon enfant!” Mais, la peur a fait mon esprit gelée! Ma mère a venu à mon secour, toujour après rire de moi! (My mother burst out laughing! She cried at me, “use the stick, my child!” But, fear made my mind freeze (gel). My mother came to my succor (aid), still laughing after me.)
Les gaimes avaient des éprons, mais mon père les coupa pour les empêcher de se faire du mal si y se battraient ain et l’autre. Si y les aurait battu dans les battailles de gaimes qui prenaient place dans le voisinage, il aurait attaché d’autres éprons, naturels ou d’acier sur les bouts d’éprons qu’été laissé sur eux. (The cocks had spurs, but my father cut them to keep them from doing harm to one another, if they were to fight one another. If he (father) would have fought them in the rooster fights that took place in the neighborhood he would have attached some naturel spurs (these were cut off of roosters that had formidable spurs, or steel spurs on the tips of the spurs that were left on them)(roosters, these were generally attached with tape or some other wire mechanism)
Quand même, j’ai appris aine leçon sur le jour là , de pas me sauver d’ain gaime si j’aurais ain bâton en main! (Nevertheless, I learned a lesson on that day, not to run from a rooster if I had a stick in my hand!)
May 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
Équand Ain Tit Cinq Sous A Acheté (Acheta) Beaucoup
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Équand j’avais six ans d’age mon père me donnait cinq sous que j’puisse (pouvais) m’acheter quelques choses équand j’allais à l’école. J’pouvais m’acheter des bons bons, dix morceaux pour cinq sous, ou aine bouteille de pop. J’allais au “picture show” pour justement neuf cents. (When I was six years of age (had) my father would give me a nickel so that I could buy myself something when I went to school. I could buy myself candies, ten pieces for a nickle, or a bottle of “pop” (soda water). I would go to the movies for just nine cents.)
Dans les jours là ain cinq sous valait ain tas pour moi. Il y avait des fois que mon père avait pas seulement ain cinq sous pour me donner, alors, j’allais à mon école avec aine poche vide. (In those days there a nickle was worth a lot to (for) me. There were times that my father didn’t have even a nickle to give me, therefore, I would go to my school with an empty pocket.)
Les temps ont changé, oui!  Aine barre de bon bon au chocolat, aujourd’hui coûte allentour de six escalins, peut-être on peut l’acheter pour cinquante sous si alle est vendu à bon marché. (The times have changed, yes! A bar of chocolate candy today costs around seventy-five cents, maybe fifty cents if it is on sale.)
Mais, gardez donc combien ça coûte pour aller au “picture show” aujourd’hui! Le tac-tac est aussi cher (coûteux)! J’crois qu’y vendent le tac-tac presque pour le même prix que le ticket! Si des parents auraient aine bande d’enfant y faut dépensé ain tas d’argent pour les emmener (amner) au ”picture show” (cinéma)!(But please see how much it costs to go to the movies today! The pop-corn is also expensive, I believe that the pop-corn cost nearly as much as the ticket (for the movie). If parents had a bunch of children, they would have to spend a lot of money to take them to the movies!)
J’me rappelle équand on allait pomper du gaz à la boutique au près de nous-aut(res) justement pour nous amuser ou avoir quelques choses à faire, le prix du gaz etait en bas de vingt sous.! Aujourd’hui, ce jour ici, y se vend pour trois piastres et quelques sous le gallon! (I remember when we would go and pump gas at the store near to us simply to amuse ourselves or to have something to do, today, it sells four three dollars and some cents!)
J’allais couper mes cheveux pour seulement trente-cinq sous! Asteur c’me coûte dix piastres! (I would have my hair cut for only thirty-five cents! Today it costs me ten dollars.)
J’me rappelle équand on pouvait aller à la grocerie avec deux oeufs et on pouvait acheter aine barre de chocolat. Le commis nous donnait lagniappe si on achèterait cinq sous de tits gateaux secs! Aujourd’hui j’crois pas que le mot “lagniappe” est connu! (I remember when we could go to the store with two eggs and we could buy a bar of chocolate candy. The clerk would give us a little extra if we were to buy five cents worth of cookies. Today. I don’t think that the word “extra” is known!)
Si on irait dans les jours là , à la grocerie on pouvait reçevoir du foie en coutant à rien! Essayez de faire ça aujourd’hui! Les os à soup on reçevait pour rien aussi, aujourd’hui y pèsent ça et les vendent à la livre! Et ti connait que des os pèsent ain tas, ou y sont lourd! Au revoir au jours des choses gratuit! (If we were to go back in those days to the grocery store we could receive some liver at no cost! Try to do that today! We would receive soup bones for nothing, they weigh these and they sell them by the pound! And you know that bones weigh a lot or are heavy! Good-bye to the days of gratuitousness (free things)!
La boutique au près de not(re) maison vendait des mignonne tites bébelle à bon marché. Va donc voir acheter des bébelles à bon marché aujourd’hui, à la exception des fatras dans les boutiques à cinq et dix sous. (The store near our home sold cute little toys at a cheap price. Go please and buy some toys at a cheap price today, with the exception of junk in the five and ten cents stores.)
J’connais que aujourd’hui on a des affaires qui font la vie peut-être plus aisé ou facile, mais il faut payer le prix! Tous les choses qu’on achète prennent plus de temps pour les entretenir que dans le temps passé. Les gros tas de fatras sont trouvé tous partout. Il faut enterrer les choses qui se détérient jamais. Dans les années passés on avait pas des choses comme ça. (I know that today we have things that perhaps make life easier but we have to pay the price. All the things that we buy take a lot of time to upkeep than in times gone by. The big garbage or trash heaps are found every where. It is necessary to buy the things that never do deterioate. In the years gone by we did not have such things.)
J’peux continuer a parler des choses du passée pour aine bonne élan, mais ça va pas les faire ervenir. Y faut se débattre avec les choses du présent. Quand-même, il est bon de se rappeler du passée pour être capable de soutenir des choses d’aujourd’hui et eux qui vont venir plus tard. (I can continue to speak of the things of the past for a good while. It is necessary to contend with the things of the present. Anyhow, it is good to remember the past to be capable of withstanding the things of today and those that will come later.)
Â
May 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
“Aine Éducation Écrit Sur Ain Trépied” (Aine Trois-Patte) - An Education Written On A Trivet Or Tripod
J’ai dans ma possession ain “trépied” que j’ait acheté quelques années passé dans ain tit village dans le nordouest de la Louisiane. Écrit sur ce trépied sont des mots qui faisent ain tas d’esprit. Ces mots sont comme ceux-là : ”Un bon dîner Cajun excite l’esprit tandis qu’il adouci le coeur.” (Par Floyd Sonnier)
Translation: I have in my possession a trivet that I bought a few years ago in a small town in northwest Louisiana. Written on this trivet are words that make a lot of sense. The words are these: “A good Cajun dinner excites the spirit while it sweetens the heart.”
Cajun folks love to get together and eat heartily. I can still hear my mother, grandmother and aunts say: “Manges mon cher, arrêt pas asteur, t’as justement commencer à manger!” (Eat my dear, don’t stop now, you have just begun to eat!)
One practice in our family circle that was unique when we had a big family dinner was to lick our plate with a piece of bread and turn it over and use the underside upon which to put our dessert. We did not have smaller plates. In fact most our plates were deep, because we ate a lot of gumbos and soups etc.
“J’ai tourné mon aissette pour que j’ai pu mettre mon morceaux d’gâteau sur aine surface platte. On avait pas des tites assiettes pour servir le dessert. (I turned my plate over that I could have put my piece of cake on a flat surface. We did not have small plates to serve the dessert.)
“On aimait mancher du pain avec not(re) dîner.” (We liked to eat bread with our dinners.) “On avait ain voisin qui usé son couteau plutôt de sa fourchette pour manger des tits pois doux. Y les plaçait avec sa fourcette sur son couteau et p’is là avec précaution y les apportait  à sa bouche. J’avais tous l’temps peur qu’il aurait échappé que’ques aines.” (We had a neighbor that used his knife instead of his fork to eat his sweet peas. He would place them with his fork onto his knife and then carefully he would lift (bring) them to his mouth. I was always afraid that he would have dropped a few.)
“Le souper etait pas le grand repas du jour, seulement si on aurait eu de la compagnie là mom aurait fait ain gros souper.” The evening meal (supper) was not the big meal of the day, only if we would have had some company, then, mom would have made a big supper.)
“Le repas du matin (le déjeuner) etait simple. Il y avait des fois qu’on mangeait justement du couch-couch, du pain d’maïs en lait, des crêpes avec du sirop et avec du lait à coté, des biscuits avec du sirop et du lait à coté aussi. On mangeait pas beaucoup des oeufs pour le déjeuner. Il fallait les serré pour faire des gâteaus et d’autres douceurs.” (The breakfast or morning meal was very simple. There were times we simply ate fried cornmeal in milk, corn bread in milk, pancakes with syrup and milk on the side and biscuits with syrup and milk on the side. We did not eat many eggs they were saved (conserved) to make cakes and other sweets.)
“N’importe de quoi qu’on mangeait, on le goûtait avec appréciation. C’était pas tous l’temps qu’on avait ain tas pour manger, alors on donnait merçi pour le moment.” “(Anything that we ate, we savored it with appreciation. It was not always that we had a lot to eat, therefore, we gave thanks for the moment.)
“Les mots sur “la trois-patte” ou “le trépied” sont telement vraie. Les Cajuns aiment leur manger et la compagnie au même temps. Oui, un dîner Cajun excite l’esprit, tandis qu’il adouci le coeur.” (The words on the trivet are so true. The Cajuns love their food and the company at the same time. Yes a Cajun diner excites the spirit while it sweetens the heart.”
May 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
“To Hear This Post”
You will notice that on my last post you can click on “hear this post.” I am going to go back and slowly put audio on all of my past posts. I will go in reverse for this audio addition. (J’vas aller à la rebours pour additioner ou mettre ce son sur mon site.”)
Please forgive the first recording. I will have to get use to speaking in that little digital voice recorder. I notice that my voice dropped at places, I will endeavor to improve on that. I was very tired last night when I recorded it.
You will have to listen carefully for the Cajun way of pronouncing, you who are accustomed to hearing the SF.
Note:Â I did add audio to #99.
Au revoir.
May 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
Cabine - Cabane - Cabinet - Toilette - Cabosser - Caboche - Cachette - Et Plus
Allons parler sur le suject de la “cabine.” (Let us talk on the subject of the “cabin.”)Â
In my circle (cercle) of Cajun speech we used the word “la cabine” for more than just a small ‘cabin.’ We often referred to the “outhouse” as “la cabine.” We used “cabane” more often for a little “cabin” or “shack.”
Cabinet is an outhouse. ”J’ai envie d’aller au cabinet.” (I have the need (desire or urge) to go to the outhouse or outdoor toilet.) It is interesting that we used the noun ”envie” for more than just the need to use the restroom.
“Elle a l’envie de visiter sa fille.” She has the desire to visit her daughter. Or, “Alle a l’envie de visiter sa fille.” (She has the desire to visit her daughter.)Â
When I was in New York I used that noun “l’envie” aside from having the desire to use the restroom to a friend who was educated in SF, and it brought a giggle. I surmised that “l’envie” was not used too much in that sense of simply having the desire to do anything else but to relieve nature.
Now as to “la cabane,” as I said we used that noun to refer to any old and small building as well as a shack. “Cette vieille cabane ayeou que le vieux homme reste, est près de tomber par terre.”  (That old shack where the old man lives is near to falling down.)
“La cabane déhors de la cour du magasin est usé pour serrer les outi(l)s qui sont usé dans le jardin.”  (The shack outside of the barnyard is used to store the tools that are used in the garden.)
“On avait l’habitude de fouiller allentour de la tite cabane loins dans le clos pour essayer de trouver des calimaçons.” (We used to dig around the little shack located deep in the field to try and find some snails.) It is of interest that Cajuns use “calimaçon” for a snail. “L’escargot” was used, but I heard more often “calimaçon” or “la snelle.”Â
“Équand on allait user le cabinet il y avait des espèces de tites affaires glissantes qu’on croyait (croie) qu’etaient des sangsues. Mais ils etaient simplement des “slugs.”  (When we went to use the outhouse there were species of little slippery little creatures that we thought were leeches.)Â
Il y avait des fois on prénonçait (prononçait) le mot “sangsue” comme “sucesang,” (blood sucker; ”sucer” to suck and “sang” for blood).   La même chose avec la chauve-souri, qu’on prénonce des fois “souri-chaude.” En fin, ti vois, ayeou qu’on replace le mot “chauve” avec “chaude.” Ça c’est parcequ’on avait pas reçu d’instruction dans la langue Français. (There were times we pronounced the word “leech” differently than SF. The same as we pronounced the word for bat. The reason for that is that we did not receive instructions in French.)
Now as to “le cabinet.” That noun was used in our parley generally only for the “outhouse.” The indoor toilet was not referred as such. “La chamb(re) à bain”* was used,” (the bathroom.) *”bain” has that peculiar French pronunciation. You have to send the syllable ‘ain’ into the nasal cavity.Â
It is just like when Cajuns say “what?” “Ain?”
“Ma soeur a mis sa brosse à cheveux sur la toilette dans sa chambre à coucher.” (My sister put her hair brush on the dresser in her bedroom.)
The noun “la toilette” in our realm of conversation was never used for the “toilet.” Though it could have been used elsewhere. In the Cajun dictionary “toilette” is mentioned as also being the diaphragm of the body. A variant is “la toile.” ( Which can also be a waxed cloth, (waterproofed). ) So you see Cajuns have given meaning to words that SF does not.
You folks who were raised in a Cajun family, do you remember how we expressed ourselves when we said “wow!”?
Mais cher, you have to take the palm of your right hand and hit the forehead with it and at the same time say, “quiore!” In our circle we added more to “quiore!” This was done more often by adolescents. We would say, “quiore lèckie!”
“Quiore (key’ore) lèckie, gardez donc voir quoi c’est qu’a arrivé avec la pair équand qu’il ont dansé ou fait le quadrille! Ils ont reçu ain tappage (clappement) de main à jamais finir! (Wow, please look what happened when the couple danced or did the ‘quadrille’ (square dance)! They received an applauding (hand clapping) without end!)
“J’crois qu’il est ’simple comme ain bonjour’ pour les Cajuns à danser.” (I think that is as easy as ABC (as pie) or simply saying “good day,” for Cajuns to dance.)
“Équand les Cajuns entendent leur musique y commencent à être excité pour la danse comme aine goût d’eau qu’est après grelotter* sur aine plaque chaude.” (When the Cajuns hear their music they commence (begin) to be excited like a drop of water on a hot plate.)
*The verb “grelotter” means to “shiver,” but in Cajun it can also mean to “be stirred up” like when a drop of water falls on a hot plate.
The noun derived from the verb is “grelot.” “Le pauvre tit grelot a besoin d’l'aide.” (The poor little insignificant fellow needs help.) Interestingly, in SF “le grelot” can mean a bell, like on a sleigh, (traineau in French).
“Le tit tocaille a tout cabossé sa nouvelle bébelle quand il a tiré aine crise après sa mère l’a dit de la serrer jusqu’a plus tard.” (The little rascal dented or bent his new toy when he threw a fit after his mother told him to put it up (save) until later.”)
The verb “cabosser” like “cobir” simply means to dent or bend. We used either one of the two to express an action of denting or bending something. (verb transitive)
“Il va cabosser (cobir) la porte de son char si il apporterait pas de précaution équand qu’il la ouvre (va la ouvrir (ouvert) dans son garage qu’est bâti très étroit.” (He will dent the door of his car if he does not take precaution when he opens the car door in his garage that is built very narrow.)
Now here is another interesting noun used in Cajun, namely, “la caboche,” the head or a really big head. “Il croit qu’il est tellement smart avec sa grande caboche!” (He thinks that he is so smart with his big head!) Note that Cajuns use the English word “smart” more often than “intelligent.”) In fact, I thought it was a French word, just like we use “gone” for “parti.”
Gone sounds French so voilà why not use it. “Il est gone se promener.” (He is gone to visit.) I heard it used as often as the French word (parti, past tense of “partir,” which means to part or leave.
“Le cocher était après gone tellement vite qu’il avait du tracas à faire ses chevaux s’arrêter quand il a arrivé à son but.” (The driver or coachman was going so fast that he had trouble to make his horses stop or come to a halt when he arrived at his destination.) Â
Now as to the noun “la cachette” it is a place of hiding. It can also take on the adverbial meaning “in hiding, secret or on the sly.”
“J’ai essayé de faire ça en cachette de la maitresse  d’école, mais alle s’a aperçu de ma ruse.” (I tried to do that on the sly or hidden from the school teacher, but she wised up (or perceived my ruse).
The game hide-and-go-seek in Cajun is called called “caché-fette” or “jouer à la cachette” (to play hide and seek).  “Y fallait se caché dans aine bonne place, ayeou le chaseur pouvait pas nous trouver.” (It was necessary to hide in a good place where the seeker could not find us.)
“J’veux pas aller me cacher, mais il est l’heure d’aller ailleurs et reposer mon pauvre dos et cou. J’vas écrire d’aut(re) chose plus tard. Bonsoir.” (I do not want to go and hide myself, but it is time to go elsewhere and rest my poor back and neck. I will write more later. Good night.)
May 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
Le Nid Ou Le Nique - Être Tiède - Ou Être Quiède - Quel Est Le Mieux?
I wonder how many Cajun-speaking folks use these two words for “the nest,” “le nid,” or “le nique.” Well no doubt some do use “le nid.” Where I grew up I may have heard my grandfather use it. However, the Cajun word for nest most often used is “le nique.”
When I found out that “le nid” was the SF for “the nest” I felt short-changed. Something was missing!
“La poule a pondu ses oeufs dans son nique qui se trouve dans le vieux caveaux.*” (The hen layed her eggs in her nest that is found in the old dirt-floor storage building.”)
*”Le caveaux” found on my grandfather’s property was an earthen floor building with chicken nests or troughs where hay was put and the door left open so the hens could jump in and lay their eggs. I was always afraid to go looking for the eggs due to the posibility of seeing a snake looking for the same thing I was. It could also be used to “hell” potatoes.
“Si on irait agiter un nique de guèpes on se mettrait capable d’être piqué par eux.” (If we were to agitate a nest of wasps we would be capable of being stung by them.)
“Les oiseaux ont fait leurs niques (nids) dans le grenier (grinier) de not(re) maison.” (The birds made their nests in the attic of our home.)
“Mes enfants vot(re) chamb(re) est rien d’autre qu’ain nique à chien!” (My children your room is nothing else but a mess or looks like a dog’s nest or den.)
“Fais-toi ain tit nique là et vas te coucher.” (Make thou (you) a little nest there (bed) and go to bed (sleep, lie down etc.)
“Les oeufs dans le nique de poule ont tous éclos.” (The eggs in the chicken nest have all hatched.)
“C’est très manifique comment un oiseau peut construire un nique sans avoir reçu une éducation dans ce métier.” (It is a manificent thing how a bird can construct a nest without having received an education in this art (profession).)
Now here is an adjective in SF that is sounded different in Cajun: “Tepid, lukewarm or warm” in SF is “tiède.” In Cajun there is another popular way of saying it: ”quiède.”
“D’l'eau quiède goûte pas bon.” (Lukewarm or tepid water does not taste good.) I don’t remember hearing it as “tiède” but that does not mean that some Cajuns do not use the SF for the word.
“D’l'eau quiède va pas faire du bon café, y faut avoir d’l'eau chaude (chaud*). (Tepid water will not make good coffee, it is necessary to have hot water.)
*Though water “d’l'eau” is feminine we often used the masculine adjective to describe it as being hot.
“Tu peux pas te brûler avec d’l'eau quiède, justement avec d’l'eau très chaude (chaud).” (You can not burn yourself with lukewarm water, only with water that is very hot.)
“Vous-aut(res) a besoin de se baigner dans aine eau qu’est manière chaud p’tôt que dans aine eau quiède pour détruire les germes sur la chair.” (You need to bathe in water that is somewhat hot rather than in lukewarm water to kill the germs or bacteria on the skin.)
So you see in Cajun the pronunciation of words are at times different than that of SF. My opinion for that is due to the fact that most Cajuns could not read the French language, so if something didn’t sound euphonically correct, they changed it to make it so. Like I said “le nid” does not sound right to me, but “le nique” is just right!
So ruminate (chiquez) donc voir sur ça pour ain élan. (So chew on that, please, for a moment.)
May 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)