Date: Tue, 19 Apr 1994 18:40:52 EDT

From: Allan Metcalf aallan[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM

Subject: Cajun query



Dear colleagues,

I have a letter from a student at the State University of Groningen, the

Netherlands, majoring in Management in International Relations, and working

on a research paper for the Department of English. He is interested in Cajun

culture and language in Louisiana, and in what way these have been preserved

through the ages.

He asks me for answers to the following questions. I could make a try,

but I suspect there's a good published source or two that would do better. Or

maybe one of you would like to write a reply. Here are his questions:

1. Should Cajun language be labelled as a language or as a dialect?

2. Is Cajun language a composition of several languages, and if so, which

languages?

3. Is Cajun language still spoken on a large scale in Louisiana? Is it still

being used in, for instance, local newspapers, local radio and TV stations,

etc.?

4. Is Cajun language spoken by several population groups or just one group of

the population?

5. Could you give some examples of typical Cajun words or sayings, etc.?

6. Has Cajun language undergone any major developments through the ages or

has it more or less remained the same as it was in the 18th century?

7. Is Cajun language also spoken in schools in Louisiana or should standard

American English only be spoke in schools?

8. Also, if there is some sort of Cajun (cultural) institution, could you

send me the name and the address of this institution?

Thanks for any help you can give. - Allan