Louisiana Creole Translations

[khaleesiofsnow]

I feel like this might be too off-the-wall to get many answers, but I'm building a modern fantasy world with a friend that's set on the bayou and while we're using preternatural creatures that are already established, we want to come up with names for the sub-species that sound local.

I used google and found this site which has helped me some -

Comments

[okaasan59]

You should also be aware that if your story is set on a bayou (in a rural area), the primary culture would be Cajun, not Creole.

Acadians (Cajuns) are descended from Canadian French who were forced out by the British and eventually settled in the swamps, bayous and plains of South Louisiana. You can google Cajun music and Cajun French (which differs from Parisian French) to get an idea of what it sounds like. A lot of Cajuns in southwest and south central Louisiana speak some Cajun French but most of the older generations which spoke it exclusively have died off.

Creoles are a bit harder to define and many groups claim different definitions. In Louisiana, the word Creole refers to someone of mixed ancestry, probably living in New Orleans. The term originally referred to French or Spanish immigrants who were born in Louisiana. It now also includes people with African and Native American ancestry.

Creole and Cajun food are different and the language is different, too. Most of the people I've known who identify as Creole are primarily of African descent with some French and other European background. They speak accented English with a few French words thrown in here and there. (Which basically describes most New Orleanians.)

This website has a few of the words and phrases that are unique to New Orleans:
http://www.experienceneworleans.com/glossary.html

And this site has some common Cajun terms. (Many of these are used and well-known in New Orleans as well.):  http://sugiebee.blogspot.com/p/cajun-french-language-dictionary.html?m=1