AboutJo-Ann Expertise I can answer most questions on French-Canadian culture, geography, history, language, style, Quebec-Canada relations, aboriginal issues.
Experience Born and raised bi-lingual and bi-cultural in Quebec. Have also lived in Franco-Ontarian communities.
Several years experience in the tourism industry before becoming a teacher.
Education Credentials: B.A. in French language & literature (McGill University, Montreal,1992), Dip. Ed. (McGill, 1995), Currently working on M.A.degree in History
Awards and Honors:Jean Launay Translation Award (McGill University, 1992)
Expert: Jo-Ann Date: 5/24/2008 Subject: Canadian French
Question Bonjour Jo-Ann,
Glad I discovered you. I am a writer currently outlining a new project in which the main female character is French Canadian. I'm wondering if there are significant differences in the French language spoken in Canada versus that spoken in France. I've been told that a French-speaking Canadian would right away notice that a fellow French speaker is from France rather than Canada based on the speaker's accent, but how about word differences? Is the vocabulary quite similar between the French of the two countries? Are there any big differences I should know about?
Thank you so much for your time. Merci!
Liz
Answer Great question, Liz!
Yes, there are significant differences between the French spoken in Quebec and French Canada, and European French. These differences are due in great part to the fact that the French-Canadian colonists were more or less isolated fromt their linguistic homeland for some 300 years. Canadian French continued to grow and evolve to accommodate North American realities, while European French grew and evolved in a different direction to accommodate European realities.
The accents are different, as you point out, and in the same way as an American or Canadian can tell at once that a fellow English speaker is from the UK or Australia, so it is with Francophones. The overwhelming majority of words are the same in both European French and Canadian French are the same. We can understand each other with little effort, but every now and then a word,phrase or expression leaves us baffled.
Some words are the same in both languages but have different meanings. The word "bleuet" is a good example. In Canada, a "bleuet" is a blueberry, or by extension, someone from the Lac St. Jean or Saguenay region. In France "bleuet" is a small, blue flower. The tasty blue fruit is called a "myrtille." Another example would be the word "nouvelles" which in Canadian French, refers to the news but in France means short stories.
Canadian French also has a tradition of neologism. This tradition dates back to the seventeenth century when colonists were faced with new concepts and realities that simply did not exist in their nomeland. A good example of this is the Frech Canadian word for snow bank "banc de neige."
More pronounced at times than international differences, are the socio-linguistic distinctions in Canadian French. For lack of a better term "blue collar" or "working class" Quebec French, has a much stronger accent and features a lot of words borrowed from English. In more educated circles, however, there is a deep concern with preserving the language and avoiding English words, where perfectly good French words exist. In certain professional circles, the differences between Quebec French and European French are so subtle that they are barely noticeable, with the exception of a few consonant sounds ('r','d' and 't' sounds in particular). Depending on your character's background, her spoken French will contain more or fewer angliscisms.
Speaking of socio-linguistics, you might want to keep in mind, French-Canadian cuss-words. I'm not familiar with French cussing beyond the ubiquitous "merde" used equally in Quebec and France, but in Quebec, cusses generally feature Roman Catholic sacramental terms.
Since the 1970s, Quebecers have made a serious effort to preserve the French language. There is even a government agency for linguistic issues the "Office de la langue francaise". In France, the focus on preservation is not as pronounced, and English words and phrases have crept into European French, seemingly unoticed. For example, in Quebec, jogging is called "course a pied" but in France, it's called (faire du foot). In France, one goes to the mall "pour faire du shopping." In Quebec we go to the mall "pour faire du magasinage." Getting highlights at the beauty salon in Quebec is "un balayage" (a sweeping), but in France it's a "brushing". Comming to an intersection in Quebec, drivers will spot a red, octagonal sign indicating that they must perform "un arret." In France, the sign says "Stop."
There are also dozens of phrases and idiomatic expressions that are completely different in both countries. Keep in mind, however, that in spite of the differences, most Francophones the world over can understand each other quite well. We tease each other, of course (The French like to joke that our accent is either picturesque or that it breaks their ears "casse les oreilles) while we comment that their speech is too "pointu" (pointed).
You can get an idea of the differences in accent and expression by watching Les Tetes a Claques, which often features stereotypical, blue-collar Quebec French.
www.tetesaclaques.tv
Compare that to the French spoken by Radio Canada presenters
Another suggestion, if you read French, is to look for magazines published in Quebec (Actualites, Chatelaine, etc.) and in France (Paris Match, L'Express) and try to spot the language differences.
