Many people hear terms such as Cajun, Acadian, Creole and Zydeco, and they aren't sure what each term actually means. Here are some definitions that are helpful when telling the Cajun story:
Cajun: English language pronunciation of the French term, Cadien. Generally speaking, this is used for any descendent of southern Louisiana's French-speaking culture. It was originally applied to the Acadians that came to Louisiana, but also includes German and other cultures that have made themselves part of French-speaking Louisiana. However, a Cajun is not the same as a Creole, who also may be a Louisianian that speaks French.
Creole: Creole means "home grown, not imported," referring to the fact that Creoles were born in the French colony of Louisiana, not immigrants from another land. Originally, Creole referred to the children of French aristocrats born in Louisiana.Today, Creole usually refers to the black French-speaking culture of Louisiana. Creole is also the name of a dialect of French spoken in Louisiana. It is similar to the Creole French spoken in Haiti. Creoles had a strong influence on the Cajuns that migrated here, especially when it comes to food, music, and architecture.
Creole is a culture based upon a blend of French, African, West Indies, and Spanish cultures. These settlers in south Louisiana were strongly influenced by island customs and religions. Descendants of the Creoles are still abundant in New Orleans and south-central Louisiana. To learn more about Creole history and culture, please visit http://www.creoleinc.com.
Cadien : Simplified pronunciation of Acadien. Often applied to other Louisiana French cultures as well. An Acadien was a resident of Acadie (see Acadia, below).
Acadia: English spelling of the French colony in eastern Canada, now called Nova Scotia. In French, "L'Acadie" or "Acadie." Acadia Parish is also the name of a Louisiana parish (county) where many Cajun families live.
Arcadie: Mythical Greek paradise, in French: "L'Arcadie."
Acadiana: English term that refers to a 22 parish (county) area of Louisiana which was formally recognized by the Louisiana legislature. It covers from Terrebonne Parish to the Texas border, and north in a large triangle to Avoyelles Parish. [See map above for details.]
Zydeco: An upbeat musical style, as played in south Louisiana. Zydeco, developed mostly by Creoles, tends to focus on complex rhythms rather than melody. Both Cajun and Zydeco music share many of the same influences. The term "Zydeco" is generally believed to be a regional pronunciation of the French term "Les haricots." Creole farm workers used to sing about their poverty by singing a phrase, "My snap beans (les haricots) are not salty." This phrase referred to the fact that not only did they have just snap beans to eat (no meat), but that they didn't even have salt to put on the beans. While Louisiana gets a lot of credit for Zydeco music, a lot of it actually started farther to the west, stretching into southeastern Texas.