Acadian

[uh-key-dee-uh n]

adjective

of or relating to Acadia or its inhabitants.

noun

a native or inhabitant of Acadia.
Cajun(def 1).

Origin of Acadian

An Americanism dating back to 1695–1705; Acadi(a) + -an

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for acadian

Contemporary Examples of acadian

There could be no more fitting companion for the Acadian chicken stew entree inscribed on a blackboard in the dining room.
On the Canadian Border, It's Pancakes for Every Meal
Jane & Michael Stern
July 6, 2014

Historical Examples of acadian

The decrepit figure in its quaint Acadian garb was one to be remembered.
Earth's Enigmas
Charles G. D. Roberts
Old Remi Corveau was a man of means among the Acadian peasants.
Earth's Enigmas
Charles G. D. Roberts
The Acadian stooped at once and with a quick splash launched his canoe.
Bonaventure
George Washington Cable
This and most of the unbroken English of this story stands for Acadian French.
Bonaventure
George Washington Cable
With an Acadian girl such a thing was impossible But girls do not need words.
Bonaventure
George Washington Cable

British Dictionary definitions for acadian

Acadian

adjective

denoting or relating to Acadia or its inhabitants

noun

any of the early French settlers in Nova Scotia, many of whom were deported to Louisiana in the 18th centurySee also Cajun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for acadian

Acadian

1705, from Acadia, Latinized form of Acadie, French name of Nova Scotia, probably from Archadia, the name given to the region by Verrazano in 1520s, from Greek Arkadia, emblematic in pastoral poetry of a place of rural peace (see Arcadian); the name may have been suggested to Europeans by the native Micmac (Algonquian) word akadie "fertile land." The Acadians, expelled by the English in 1755, settled in large numbers in Louisiana (see Cajun, which is a corruption of Acadian).