Author Archives: btland10

The Difference Between Cajun and Creole

Check out this informative video about the differences between Cajun and Creole! Pay attention to the last 2 minutes, talking specifically about the variations between the languages. He also talks about cultural identifiers: the term Cajun is commonly associated with … Continue reading

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Creole in the Media

Why do we rarely see Creole in the media? I just couldn’t resist: here is a link of famous celebrities that you may not have known are French Creole! http://madamenoire.com/175991/bonjou-8-celebs-you-might-not-have-known-were-of-creole-heritage/8/  

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Creole Diaspora Communities

Since Creole is not a direct descendent of a singular population or culture, we have to look at Louisiana and Southern Creole as its own diaspora community. It is actually a diaspora within a diaspora! The original settlement of the … Continue reading

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Response to Allison’s Presentation: Creole

Allison made a very interesting presentation last Thursday regarding the English language invading eastern Africa and potentially hurting local culture and traditional dialects. Allison made the argument that English influence and western culture is homogenizing the population, and where older … Continue reading

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A Creole Blog!

Check out this gem of a find! Perhaps a distant relative of mine, Christophe Landry, writing an excellent blog about Louisiana Creole. Creole Language

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Speaking Creole: Some Unique Words and Their Roots

As the name Creole connotes, there are several different dialects of the language spoken, but here are some pretty cool words associated with Louisiana French Creole. Kréyol la Lwizyán: Louisiana Creole. (Notice that the words actually are spelled how they … Continue reading

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Where Did ‘Howdy’ Come From?

Now I am not talking about Howdy Doody, the children’s cartoon with a Western protagonist, I am talking about the word HOWDY. Coming from Texas, I will admit that no one up north uses the word correctly. I hear the … Continue reading

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The History of Ya’ll

Really cool blog here, shows the geographic distribution of the contraction “ya’ll.” The word is actually quite simple: a contraction between ‘you’ and ‘all,’ implying the plural informal form of addressing a large group of people. Linguist Michael Montgomery has … Continue reading

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Jorge Klor de Alva: Class Discussion Question

We decided to attack Question 2: What is Klor de Alva’s argument about applying ‘colonialism’ to Latin America? Does it apply equally to North America and the Caribbean? What is left out of his argument? Do you agree with his … Continue reading

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Bhabha on the Creole South

Hybridity is the name of the game when it comes to Creole, both the dialect and the culture! Homi Bhabha’s theory about hybridization is as follows: “Hybridity, in Homi K. Bhabha’s formulation, can perhaps be best understood as an argument … Continue reading

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