Quebec French is the predominant variety of French spoken in Canada and the dominant language of Quebec. This lesson introduces its relationship to other Canadian varieties and explains how its historical foundations developed.
Quebec French (français québécois) is used throughout daily life in Quebec, including education, media, government, and ordinary conversation. Canadian French is a broader umbrella term for the varieties of French used in Canada. Historically, the term was also used more narrowly for Quebec French and related varieties of Ontario and Western Canada.
All flashcards
What is Quebec French?
It is the predominant variety of French spoken in Canada and the dominant language of Quebec, used in everyday life and public institutions.
How does Canadian French relate to Quebec French?
Canadian French is a broad umbrella term for French varieties used in Canada; Quebec French is one of those varieties.
What does joual refer to?
Joual commonly refers to working-class Quebec French when regarded as a basilectal variety, and is associated with features sometimes considered nonstandard.
What role did the OQLF acquire?
The Office québécois de la langue française became an important institution supporting language planning in Quebec.
How does intelligibility vary between Quebec and European French?
Standardized forms are generally most intelligible to one another; more localized dialectal forms can present greater difficulty.
Quiz questions
What does the term Canadian French generally include?Answer: The French varieties spoken across Canada, including Quebec French.
Which variety is associated with parts of eastern Quebec and Atlantic Canada?Answer: Acadian French.
What does koiné mean in accounts of French in New France?Answer: A shared common language associated with Paris and other urban centers.
Why are *embarquer* and *débarquer* historically apt in informal Quebec French?Answer: They preserve vocabulary shaped by river and ocean travel.
How did returning emigrants contribute to changes in Quebec French between 1840 and 1960?Answer: They brought English borrowings from workplaces such as textile mills and lumber camps.
Based on the Wikipedia article Quebec French, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.