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I am but a midwesterner via West Virginia roots hoopie. Presently we are taking holiday in Santa Fe, NM.
I am hearing a lot French spoken. Are signature “tells” to know if they Canadian, South of France, Parisian, etc?
Brad
Do any sound like Inspector Clouseau?
Might be Cajun French you’re hearing. But they could also be from Canada as in Snow Birds
If you speak French and you can't understand a word they're probably Parisian. If you can then possibly Belgian or from the South West. My favourite French, because I don'thave to keep asking for it to be repeated, is from West African Francophone countries.
Edited by - AndrewD on 01/29/2023 10:02:02
If they say ‘ockey instead of hockey, or hice instead of ice , then they’re French-Canadian 
Could be Yoopers in disguise!!!
Slammer!!!
The French inhabited Quebec during the 1600's. Over the years Quebec remained somewhat isolated from the evolving language in France. According to the people of France [Parisienne dialect] the people in Quebec sound like someone from the 17th century. To us that would be like hearing Shakespearian English. Another comparison would be learning English in London and trying to understand someone with a heavy Southern U.S. accent.
i hear the France French look down their noses at the Quebecois.
Some people refer to Montreal as Polite Paris. (Maybe if you're French!) When I lived in Ontario friends & family used to detour through the States to miss Quebec to go to the Maritimes!
I heard of a guy that was captured by terrorists & forced to eat hundreds of meat pies!
It was tourtiere !
French Canadian swear words have religious connotations. French from France swear words do not. You hear 'tabarnak, osty, kalvair (these are phonetic)', then they are Québcois!
Though the accent gives it away. French Canadian accent is as distinctive as a Parisian accent (but not if it all sounds the same to ones' ears).
Like today, here in Montreal, we had a big snowstorm and all the folk walking out in the snow were French from France. Québecois stay inside on days like this!
Edited by - bluenote23 on 01/29/2023 14:16:56
Our French class in western Canada was taught in the Parisienne dialect. After 4 years of a basic high school French I have been able to remember many of the phrases and words. While in Quebec I could ask almost any question and get an answer. The only major problem was my lack of ability to understand the words being spoken back to me. Had they written down the words I would have probably understood most of it. About 3 years after that I was in France and Belgium. As long as they didn't speak too fast I could understand a lot of it.
I took French from grade 6 to 12. I'm fluent enough to put a lawnmower together with French only instructions!
I went in the wrong room for a verbal French test for grade 9 French . No English. It was a different teacher. When we were done I asked him if it was a grade 9 test, It was grade 11 & I thought it seemed different . I passed anyway!
Highest mark in the Class! My Teacher made me move from the back of the class with the spit ball boys up front with all the chicks!
Had some Acadian neighbours & learned all the swear words too. Worked with a guy that said he learned all his French off a cereal box! We used FLOCON DE MAIS! as a swear word!!
*In Canada everything has to be in both languages!
The second language around here is probably Cantonese [Chinese] or Hindustani. French is way down the list as a second language.
Saku Koivu, a Finn, was named captain of the Montreal Canadiens (yes, with an “e”) and was then criticized by the Francophone press for not being able to speak French. Koivu replied “Late at night I sometimes speak a little French in my wife’s ear.”
quote:
Originally posted by doncThe French inhabited Quebec during the 1600's. Over the years Quebec remained somewhat isolated from the evolving language in France. According to the people of France [Parisienne dialect] the people in Quebec sound like someone from the 17th century. To us that would be like hearing Shakespearian English. Another comparison would be learning English in London and trying to understand someone with a heavy Southern U.S. accent.
My wife has felt that pain for 18 years now
....and speaking of haccents [from the broken record department]:
Q: What's the difference between a teef and a robber?
A: A teef is a guy what steals things; a robber is a Ukrainian overshoe.
quote:
Originally posted by doncThe French inhabited Quebec during the 1600's. Over the years Quebec remained somewhat isolated from the evolving language in France. According to the people of France [Parisienne dialect] the people in Quebec sound like someone from the 17th century. To us that would be like hearing Shakespearian English. Another comparison would be learning English in London and trying to understand someone with a heavy Southern U.S. accent.
Same deal with Dutch and Afrikaans, the "Dutch" spoken in South Africa.
Thanks Bart I did wonder about that. The people in northern Belgium speak Flemish. It is a dialect of Dutch but the people in the Netherlands say it's very difficult to understand.
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Originally posted by doncAs long as they didn't speak too fast I could understand a lot of it.
French tongues speaking slow? Not possible, can't be done 
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Originally posted by doncThanks Bart I did wonder about that. The people in northern Belgium speak Flemish. It is a dialect of Dutch but the people in the Netherlands say it's very difficult to understand.
Forgot to mention that one. Yup, same deal again. I have no problem understanding Afrikaans or Flemish except for the Antwerp dialect, clueless with that one.
Then again, my dad was from a village only 10 km away from where I grew up (in Holland) and our two dialects were hugely different. Go figure...
If they roll their Rs they are probably from rural Quebec or the french speaking Canadian east coast.
If they sound like inspector Clouzeau they are from somewhere in francophone Europe.
If if doesn't sound like anything in particular, its either creole or french-Canadian french.
Once you hear all the different accents you can tell immediately who's from the old world and who's from the Americas.
Just like with Spanish.
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Originally posted by chuckv97Saku Koivu, a Finn, was named captain of the Montreal Canadiens (yes, with an “e”) and was then criticized by the Francophone press for not being able to speak French. Koivu replied “Late at night I sometimes speak a little French in my wife’s ear.”
They are so exhausting in this province with their "everyone must speak French" bs
quote:
Originally posted by ChunoTheDogquote:
Originally posted by chuckv97Saku Koivu, a Finn, was named captain of the Montreal Canadiens (yes, with an “e”) and was then criticized by the Francophone press for not being able to speak French. Koivu replied “Late at night I sometimes speak a little French in my wife’s ear.”
They are so exhausting in this province with their "everyone must speak French" bs
We have the same problem here with people that insist that English is mandatory.
quote:
Originally posted by Bart Veermanquote:
Originally posted by doncThe French inhabited Quebec during the 1600's. Over the years Quebec remained somewhat isolated from the evolving language in France. According to the people of France [Parisienne dialect] the people in Quebec sound like someone from the 17th century. To us that would be like hearing Shakespearian English. Another comparison would be learning English in London and trying to understand someone with a heavy Southern U.S. accent.
Same deal with Dutch and Afrikaans, the "Dutch" spoken in South Africa.
I had a quite pleasant conversation with a South African flight attendant once. Her Afrikaans and my Antillean-flavoured Dutch meshed nicely.
quote:
Originally posted by kwwquote:
Originally posted by ChunoTheDogquote:
Originally posted by chuckv97Saku Koivu, a Finn, was named captain of the Montreal Canadiens (yes, with an “e”) and was then criticized by the Francophone press for not being able to speak French. Koivu replied “Late at night I sometimes speak a little French in my wife’s ear.”
They are so exhausting in this province with their "everyone must speak French" bs
We have the same problem here with people that insist that English is mandatory.
Nobody in the US is scapegoating Latino or Japanese MLB players for not spending their lives learning english instead of mastering the sport that they're paid millions to play.
English is the universal language and that's never going to change.
Go to a work meeting between Belgians and Chinese in Morocco and everyone at the table will speak english. Nothing wrong with that.
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Originally posted by Bart VeermanForgot to mention that one. Yup, same deal again. I have no problem understanding Afrikaans or Flemish except for the Antwerp dialect, clueless with that one.
I bet you'd be equally clueless with many if not most Flemish dialects (including mine like here... ), just like I am with many northern Dutch dialects.
Just like Canadian French is 'older' than the continental version I speak, my own version of Dutch is 'older' as well, we still use cases in some instances, gender-dependent articles, we conjugate "ja" and "nee",.....
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