Cajun

American  

[key-juhn] / ˈkeɪ dʒən /

Sometimes Cajan

noun

1. a member of a group of people with an enduring cultural tradition whose French Catholic ancestors established permanent communities in Louisiana and Maine after being expelled from Acadia in the late 18th century.

2. the French dialect of the Cajuns.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Cajuns, especially those of Louisiana.

   Cajun cooking.

Cajun British  

/ ˈkeɪdʒən /

noun

1. a native of Louisiana descended from 18th-century Acadian immigrants

2. the dialect of French spoken by such people

3. the music of this ethnic group, combining blues and European folk music

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adjective

1. denoting, relating to, or characteristic of such people, their language, or their music

Cajun Cultural  

1. A native of Louisiana believed to be descended from the French exiles from Acadia (see Nova Scotia). Cajuns have maintained a separate culture, including a special dialect and distinctive cooking style.

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Etymology

Origin of Cajun

First recorded in 1865–70; shortening of Acadian; compare Injun for Indian

Example Sentences

When I go home and I’m around my family — my grandma has a very thick Cajun accent — it comes out.

From Los Angeles Times

And if you want to get messy with a Cajun seafood boil, head to the Boiling Crab in Terrace South.

From Los Angeles Times

Before those people were “Cajuns” they were Acadians, burned out of their homes in Canada and northern Maine after the British took over just before the Revolutionary War.

From Los Angeles Times

In four large serving trays, Batiste had chicken wings coated in buffalo, lemon pepper, honey lemon Cajun and buffalo lemon pepper sauces ready to give out.

From Los Angeles Times

On a somewhat lighter note, famed Democratic strategist Carville brought his inimitable eccentric Cajun wit and shrewd political analysis to the festival as the subject of Matthew Tyrnauer’s doc “James Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid!”

From Los Angeles Times