Lafayette pronunciation

[Hooj_Cajun_Fan]

_ I grew up in rural north Lafayette Parish. French is my first language. My degree is in English. Lafayette pronounced "Laugh-a-yette" uses English, not French, not Cajun-English, but just plain old English phonetics. You're just plain wrong. There isn't anything wrong with the way we pronounce Lafayette, its the proper English way to pronounce it. I've just always found it ironic that most Americans pronounce the city's name using French phonetics, and the natives pronounce it using English phonetics. (an incidentally, in Cajun-French, Lafayette is pronounced exactly the same way its pronounced in Paris. The accent may be different, but the phonetics are identical.) _

Congrats on your English degree, and congrats on speaking French you are the man...but chill dude.

Again, no reason to flex your muscles. No reason to talk down to anyone. I was just trying to have a discussion.

Sorry for jacking the thread everyone. I apologize.

[CajunFun]

_ All of that is true enough, but it has nothing to do with why people from Lafayette pronounce the city's name as Laugh-a-yette. That short A sound does not exist in the French language--be it in France or Cankton. You're in way over your head here. _

Sure, the short a exists in French: gaz, pâte. Even 'Place de la Concorde'; supposedly Place has the 'ah' sound, but when I listen closely to the French it sounds to me like the the first 'a' in the American pronunciation of Lafayette. (Well, sometimes like the American pronunciation. Oxford MS is in Luh FAYE ut county.)

I think you guys are arguing about different things. Cajun pronunciations are different from 'hexagonal' pronunciations, as are Quebecois, Caribbean French, and African French pronunciations, and numerous others. Heck, I've visited with people from different parts of France, and even the regional dialects can be wild (I had a guy who kept talking about 'paguis', or so I thought; it was 'Paris').

Nevertheless, the Cajuns pronounce Lafayette very similarly to the French... sometimes. I've observed Cajuns changing the pronunciation depending on whether they're speaking French or English, and depending on to whom they are speaking.

[RaginWaldo]

Yall do realize that Lafayette is a City in multiple states of America right?
Such as Indiana, Georgia, Colorado, just to name a few. I wonder how they pronounce it?

[Hooj_Cajun_Fan]

_ Yall do realize that Lafayette is a City in multiple states of America right?
Such as Indiana, Georgia, Colorado, just to name a few. I wonder how they pronounce it? _

I work with a guy that went to Purdue in West Lafayette, Indiana. He pronounces it Laugh-eye-ette. I'm from Pont Breaux, I pronounce it Laugh-ee-ette. As in, "Shake dat laffy taffy..ooohhh" haha

[Johnboy4713]

in Oxford, we live in la-fay ette county the rednecks in the country say laafet

[VObserver]

_ Sure, the short a exists in French: gaz, pâte. Even 'Place de la Concorde'; supposedly Place has the 'ah' sound, but when I listen closely to the French it sounds to me like the the first 'a' in the American pronunciation of Lafayette. (Well, sometimes like the American pronunciation. Oxford MS is in Luh FAYE ut county.)

I think you guys are arguing about different things. Cajun pronunciations are different from 'hexagonal' pronunciations, as are Quebecois, Caribbean French, and African French pronunciations, and numerous others. Heck, I've visited with people from different parts of France, and even the regional dialects can be wild (I had a guy who kept talking about 'paguis', or so I thought; it was 'Paris').

Nevertheless, the Cajuns pronounce Lafayette very similarly to the French... sometimes. I've observed Cajuns changing the pronunciation depending on whether they're speaking French or English, and depending on to whom they are speaking. _

Back to the Muses, Fun. .... the worst in New Orleans is Clio ...

Pronounced by the locals as C L ten. [Street signs are all caps: hence CLIO]

[Asian_Cajun]

in Oxford, we live in la-fay ette county the rednecks in the country say laafet

They pronounce it the same way in LaFayette, GA.

[CroCajun1003]

_ All of that is true enough, but it has nothing to do with why people from Lafayette pronounce the city's name as Laugh-a-yette. That short A sound does not exist in the French language--be it in France or Cankton. You're in way over your head here. _

Being that we are "Cajuns" from "Acadiana"...wouldn't anything we say be the "cajun pronunciation"?

[CajunFun]

_ Yall do realize that Lafayette is a City in multiple states of America right?
Such as Indiana, Georgia, Colorado, just to name a few. I wonder how they pronounce it? _

I mentioned Lafayette County MS.

BTW, of all the Lafayettes in the US, which is the largest?

[CajunFun]

_ They pronounce it the same way in LaFayette, GA. _

And then you have Awl-Benny GA, and Kay-ro GA (Albany & Cairo).

[Turbine]

I mentioned Lafayette County MS.

BTW, of all the Lafayettes in the US, which is the largest?

As in lar-guest or lar-jest?

Ok back fom thred creep: I once heard it pronounced LafYet. And they were serious.
igeaux.mobi

[Hooj_Cajun_Fan]

_ As in lar-guest or lar-jest?

Ok back fom thred creep: I once heard it pronounced LafYet. And they were serious.
igeaux.mobi _

I'd say that's better then calling us Baton Rouge!