French of New Caledonia

The French of New Caledonia or to speak calédonien differs from the French about France or the Metropolis as well by its Accent as by its loans with the ethnic mosaic composing the New Caledonian company. French (that of the colonists, of the civils servant civil and military, the convicts or convicts, of off-set political, of right common and the Commune, often picturesque and sometimes coarse regarded today as vulgar, but which makes the base and all the charm of the New Caledonian speech), 28 vernacular languages " kanak" (or canaques), the tahitien, Wallisian, the Javanese (indonésien), Vietnamese (Indochinese), the bichelamar (Vanuatu) and the Anglo-Saxon influence.

New Caledonia is the only territory of the continent “océanien” whose French language is the single official language (while with the Vanuatu, the islands Wallis and Futuna and in French Polynésie, it is official beside an other language).

The Caldoche S which represent nearly 40% of the total population of the territory, speak like native tongue a nuance of French different from that from the “metropolitan” white coming from France and expatriates for one limited time or unlimited to New Caledonia. As for the ethnos groups mélanésiennes of the territory, the Kanaks (approximately 50% of the total population), they are distributed between several maternal vernacular languages autochtones according to the area, but they use French of New Caledonia and the Metropolis like common language between them, and to communicate with the “white” calédoniens and other ethnos groups living on the archipelago. The young people mélanésiens more and more frequently use French as daily language of use to the detriment of the ancestral languages, which are lost little by little.

The use of French of New Caledonia in the white populations, mongrel, mélanésiennes and others is rather close to that of the employment of English in Australia and New Zealand at the white or indigenous inhabitants or maoris to these close countries (French of New Caledonia east to the French language what English of Australia and New Zealand and other territories océaniens pertaining to the Commonwealth are with the English language).

For example, just like the Australia near, New Caledonia knew a settlement of Bagnard S, deportees and civil and military civils servant of the Metropolis and North Africa at the 19th century: the influence of this settlement is found in the language of today, several words and expressions, and other loans (even standard of lexical influence for Australian English).

In addition to this historical example, lexical specificities of French of New Caledonia can be foreign words or many French words but which are used very little by the subways or in another way (example: “old woman” indicates “”). There are also words coming from languages mélanésiennes, brought back by the autochtones (example: “awa! ” please say “thin! ” or “oh not! ”, there is no fixed orthography). The Americans, at the time of the Second world war (March 1942 - September 1945), brought back some English accents and words there (examples: “drunk” “beusse decides”; “curry” decides “curry”; coal tar (bitumen); your your (goodbye).

Pronunciation

The sounds year transform into one and the sounds one in ân . The tonality undergoes a phonetic lengthening, the has , the O , the year have a low tonality, lengthened, slightly gouailleuse, the ends of word are often nonmarked such as for example valid says valab'. The R can be also found “eaten” like four says quate , or exaggerated quatreu it is according to.

History

The speech New Caledonian, it is a true accent. It is also a whole culture which tends to be lost especially in Noumea. In bush, it is still well marked. Take two Calédoniens and you note very quickly that the picturesque expressions emerge and the accent returns in force. There exist many works which peel the very picturesque expressions sometimes being able to appear vulgar but which for Calédonien are not it. For example: “The asshole, you know, cte pête testicle, mân idiot, it forever desired to give me the hand to cut the bush cte you asshole! ”. Completely normal and absolutely not vulgar nor coarse, it is a way of speaking.

Expressions

With block

Calédoniens say to block something to indicate an significant amount. “y' had with block of gadins (stags) in the bush! ”.

Ahou or awou

Admiring exclamation or underlining the exceptionally strong character of an event. Of origin mélanésienne. “Ahou you pète a blow aperitif! ” or “fine Ahou anger moa when I polished the old woman! ”.

Ahoua, awa

Exclamation of origin Mélanésienne. Very employed by all calédoniens to express the negation or incredulity, astonishment, as used in the same direction as “ah ouais? , not possible? ah good? ” for example when one says something who does not ask for an answer specify I am satisfied to say: awa?

Go!

Goodbye. On the telephone: “ok, bân you have appointment time at such hour hein? ok? go! ” There exist multiple ways of saying goodbye in calédonien: “babaille, touched, chick… ”. Go! in is one.

To ensure

Often seen in the sentence “But aaasssuuuuure you…. ” equivalent with “me does not release on this blow there”.

To polish

To correct or réprimander (somebody), or in the direction “to tease” some-thing. Example: to polish a stag with blow of cartridges (to drive out), to polish the square bottle (to take the aperitif while forcing a little), to polish kids if they do too much noise. For a person to be made polish cost to be made beat or correct. Be also used to justify “ Allez! Polish thoroughly!!! ”

Baby-because

Public transport. “It baby-because will come to seek you with 8:00. ”

Babylon

Babylon ! is an interjection used especially by the mélanésiens to express surprised, contrariety, fright or admiration.

Baille

Sea. “I go to the bucket. ”

Bandage (La~)

“ He the band, it is good or what? ”. Is hello everyone, how that?

Huts

Fun fair. “One goes to the huts. ”

To bar

From to go away, leave. “oh you bar where there hein? ” Also says itself to bar in testicle: decrepitude, to lose the good sense or the reason.

Bastringue

Noise. “What a bastringue! ”

Ben (~c' is that, ~alors, ~là, ~tiens)

Example: “love you rice? ” “Ben then! ” “Ben that! ” Also comes in answer from an assertion: “you know that the baker of the handle vata it is fine bân but it opens taaard! ” “Ben it is that! ” or “Ben it is that too! ”

Cattle

Brutal, it is rough. Bacler something: “job of cattle! ”. Last cattle I lay treaty when it exceeded me by the line.

Concrete mixer

Concrete-mixer. “The concrete mixer is broken down. ”

Beusse

Bus. “I will take the beusse. ”

Biquette

Goat. “It is a young person biquette. ”

Blue

The color Bleu is often used to express a very great quantity or a great intensity. For example. “It is blue fish on potato. ”

Wood

Connect. “I collected drink. ”

Good

To pronounce bân. “ Ca means goes? ”. One finds it in “ It is good? ” often “ It is good or what? ”, “ Oh Marcel… it is bân or what? ” “ Yes it is bân! ”). It is also another way of saying hello. It is like requiring in once if the family/the amis/le job/the children/etc… the unit, overall, “ It is good or what? ”.

Bump

Hill. “I assembled the bump. ”

Din

“Black Magic” local. A din can have various forms, but the goal of the din will be always the same one: to harm the person concerned. It can be represented (amongst other things) by a whole of small branches and dependant units, with always “ of other things ”, secret sheets, returning the object “ malefic ”. One will say somebody victim of a din which it is “ emboucané ”. By derivative, if somebody has too much chance (in a situation, an unspecified play) one says with a small half smile: “ It plays with the sheets the buddy… ”.

To puff out the mouth ()

This expression, which means to embrace passionately, lost of its coarse nature. Used when one sees people to embrace itself with ardor in the street, or places public “go… puffs out the mouth! ”.

Pellet

To have the pellet. To be full with energy. “ Oh! Pellet or what? ”. Does that go? You ace the form?.

To stuff

To kiss (to make love). “I stuffed my wife. ”

Square bottle

Expression very much used to indicate the whiskey. Comes from a famous mark of Scotland (Johnny Walker) which sells this alcohol in a square bottle. The square bottle was also recovered to preserve water at the refrigerator.

Broussard

Calédoniens living or having their principal activity “ in North ”. Include/understand, in the Northern province. The term “ broussard ” is most of the time compared to the rural world and country calédonien. Often stockbreeder, fisherman, farmer, or contractor in a given sector, the broussards are attached to the sure values of the life calédonienne: the family, the friends, the “ blow of festivals ”, “ blow of hunting ”, “ blow of fishings ” are their daily batch and this on what they base all their way of living. But to summarize the broussards thus would be too reducing. Character having a outspokenness which characterizes it between all, they are also known to have “ hot blood ” and not to be not afraid of in découdre (“ even not fear! ”). They however hide treasures of generosity for which takes the trouble to know them across their appearance sometimes a little bourrue.

Bush

Indicate all a little dense vegetations and by extension any place nonurban, then any place out of Noumea, the capital. “It comes from the bush. ”

That of wizz

Express admiration or satisfaction: “ He, the old woman, you us pètes aperitif… that of wizz! ”

Do not break the head

Very employed. Do not make any you, not problem.

Catoune

To be surprised. “Catoune! ”

Ceb dem tal

(It is tomorrow your hour good) Christine Pauleau (Autheur of " Words of Nlle-Caledonie." )

Chenillard

Bulldozer. “It can use a chenillard. ”

To shit

To die (used in a threat). “Will shit! ”

Shock

Very employed in the young people in New Caledonia as in the Expression “it is shock” even “fine shock! ” is equivalent to “they are super”, “it is terrible”.

Chouchoute

Vegetable. Chayotte. For réunionais, a chayotte is a pet because a chouchoute indicates the female sex!

Chouchoute (to plant one)

To give a punch. “It planted a chouchoute to him”.

Claquer

One opera hat much in Calédonie, one “ pète ” also the expression is similar. Claquer a blow of fishing, a blow of festival, a blow of habit, a blow of hunting. One can even claquer a photograph or a large smile!

Clappers

That which dares to call Tong these aired shoes, adapted well to the climate calédonien, can be only a coldly unloaded zoreil. Japanese clappers are often said, because they were judicious being manufactured with Japan or ranges by Japanese, but one does not use any more this term. All the broussards and even the urban ones, that it that is to say their community, often carry clappers.

Anger

In Calédonien, one does not say I am in anger. One says I am anger or fine anger. The Wallisians say: “me anger strong! ”

To know

“You know that”. Exagonal equivalent of “you know or you knew that”. Play a part of demarcating or marks an insistence with respect to what will be stated in the enchased sentence: “you know that it is a strapping man the guy! ”

Testicle

In Calédonie, a testicle is a friend, in particular an old testicle is an old buddy. “then….my testicle” or “oh… my old testicle”, they is very affectionate. One can also say to find the testicles with the hand to express the fact of having lost something. Also says itself when there is a problem; one often employs the expression “there y' has a testicle in the manou! ” (hexagonal equivalent of a “testicle in soup”).

Couillonner

Berner. “It couillonné me! ”

Blow of…

The blow term of… is employed for the majority of the exits of fishing or hunting. “Alooorrss one it opera hat (pète) this blow of hunting? ”

Cousin

Employed within the framework exceeding the family for a friend, familiar. Also used in the plural by the Caldoche S to indicate the Mélanésiens. Connotation semi-ironic, semi-affectionate, recall of the community of interests of the inhabitants of the Territory (tribe), even of the family ties often more than it would seem at the beginning.

Habit

Together of gestures and ceremonies (exchanges of present, etc…) achieved at the time of an event occurring in the community: arrival from abroad, marriage, mourning… To make the habit amounts dividing, to make an exchange. “I brought the chezz balls for the aperitif it is habit! ” “You ready ton tee-shirt? one makes habit, I pass mine to you. ”

Creek

Quite simply a brook. Word of Anglo-Saxon origin. All the brooks are creeks in Calédonie.

To ram

To type on somebody, to ram the mouth to him! One as employs it in the concept of quantity “This morning y' had rammed woitures with toll… lôngin I believed as I went claquer a blow of all alone anger! ”

Double cabin

Such an amount of to disappear. “oh you already descended it your double cabin? Ben lôngin she enwoye the girl! ”. Says itself of large limps hygienic of double beer of contents of limps standard. Wants to also say 4×4 record player comprising a cabin to 4 places.

Double-nostril

Rifle with double gun. “It killed a bird with its double-nostril! ”

To say

Express an irritation with respect to an addressee hesitating to say what he would like to say (turning around the pot), speaking by enigma or being explained badly. For example “oh I include/understand anything so that you tell! Say well! ” Be also used when one puts a question for example: “then you want mônger what, of what you ace envies this evening, say well! ”.

Dixe

Disc (simpler to pronounce). “It is the dixe listeners. ”

Casing

Slanging match. “It was caught one of these casings! ”

Empété (it)

The bastard. Empété, it stuffed my wife, if I catch it will shit.

Machine (it)

See ôngin.

To send

“ Ca enwoye of the large… Ben Ca goes enwoyer of the air! ”: it is strong, it is vigorous, they are super. Equivalent of “ that will do it ”.

Faré

Word tahitien. Light vegetable material house. Equivalent falé into Wallisian. Indicate all the secondary dwellings of weekend, in seaside and also the small boxes at the edge of the swimming pools.

Pretense, feinter

Blaguer. A malignant lie: “ I tai pretended there hein? ”. Also mean as in Metropolis, to avoid, trap somebody. “ I had you well there hein? ”.

End

Is equivalent to “very” of Metropolis. Fine anger, end content, end pété, end full, end large ...... fine joulie.

Fiu

In tahitien means tired, wearied. “ Go, I return there, I am fiu! ”

Wrinkle

New orthography of the name France. Expression invented by Bernard Berger to translate the phonetics calédonienne where the sounds in or year decide like the sound one . This orthography is employed by joke in the correspondences of Calédoniens in particular when they write in Frônçais! : -)

Gadin

stag is said. If you known as stag always pronounce the " f". Would come from the Wallon gade (Chèvre).

Mess tin

Together of container encased (in general 3 containers) and in which Calédoniens transport or are made deliver, to lunch to them prepared by a specialized delicatessen. The mess tin indicates as well the container, the contents that the service of delicatessen.

Ice floe

Sherbet.

Never

In Calédonie never at the head sentence and not at the end is often placed. “Never it will come”. The adverb not indicating the negation is seldom used. Also: never it will leave, never it will want. One can also use it in the place of not. Loses itself a little.

Insane Kaillafou or kaya

Nobody with declads and held rasta or hippie. Direction derived from poor. Origin mélanésienne. When the garden of the neighbors is in bulk one says: “oh it is kayafou at his place! ”.

Kakoune

“ It put a kakoune to him. ” a blow (of fist in general, but not forcing) of all its forces. From the moment when it is question of knocking like a deaf person, one speaks about “ kakoune ”. One can mix with kayafou: “ It put to him full with kakoune but, kayafou what ” (It coiled it blow like a nutcase).

Kalolo

They is good! Valab'! Excel! Word of origin mélanésienne.

Kraft

Mark Australian cheeses and of mayonnaise, consumed by Calédoniens since decades. As important as rice or the soyo. The cheese in paste kraft conditioned in glasses with drinking is particularly snuffed, like mustard in crease and which is consumed the morning with the sao and of jam. White mayonnaise Kraft is often preferred with French mayonnaises even with the true mayonnaise. The calédoniens of origin fall generally inside when they are small. Impossible for them to consider a meal without Kraft.

Laiss' talor

“ ha not leaves, I will do that presently ”. Even idea that “ Drops ”, but with spite, discouragement moreover. Example: work has just finished, everyone returns to, is tired, and… one forgot tools on the building site. “ Haaaa lôn-giiiiin… pffff… laiss' talor, I would go tomorrow. ”

Live

“ To be into live ”: to be completely destroyed by tiredness (for example). “ To bar into live ”, “ To leave into live ”: to leave in lollipop, to make a bad trip. “ One has repaints all the house. Pouha I am into live… ”.

Lôngin

Mazette. “Lôngin! Look at that! ”

Malélevés

To say coarse words. “You only make say malélevézes! ” (walk also with “ malévèze ”. More caricatural on the other hand).

Mam

Diminutive of mom, probably comes from the Anglo-Saxon mum and mummy. Dad is not employed. Says itself also a little maternal old friend: “it makes its mam! ”.

Manou

Paréo. The word is probably of origin tahitienne. Used out of loincloth or as behavior relaxed at the house or on the beach. In the idea, it is a little bit like the local dressing gown. One finds this term in the expression: “ y' has a testicle in the manou ” (y' has like a problem…) or “It has anything in the manou! ” (it has anything in the belly).

To go with the Moon

To be whimsical, soup with milk. To change mood in an unexpected way. “ I included/understood anything with his pretense there. It really goes with the Moon in this moment. ”.

Moluque

moluque Blackbird of the . Common blackbird. Bird introduced into 1874 of the Moluques islands with an aim of fighting against the grasshoppers.

To wet

The word “ to wet ” has of course the same direction that in French, but he wants to also say to strike, to give a blow. One will be able to intend somebody to say: “ It wet a punch but… kakoune what! ”. It gave him a strong punch.

Means

Means? Does Y have average? Y' has average to make?! Is this possible? , can one do it?. “I would like to borrow your woiture? means of making? ”. In Creole of Saint-Louis “monya” means capacity. One also says “Average to get into the bus? can I” mean “get into the bus? ” For bus pronounce beusse.

Chick or touched

Goodbye. Touched is of Australian origin. Chick comes from the tahitien which, does not use to him touched (touched one being réré: homosexual). In French calédonien one does not say goodbye! One says touched or chick or babaille for bye bye or Go!

Net

“ Net! ”: it is clear. Underline the fact that one is completely of agreement with his interlocutor. “ Frankly, there it exaggerates the buddy ”. “ ha Ben Net! ”

Ôngin (it)

Very much used. Interjection marking the surprise, the astonishment. Often decides with a phonic lengthening, this orthography Ci (at the beginning the machine) is a transcription of the typical vocalic closing of French calédonien.

Or what

Used to reinforce the interrogation by evoking the alternative in a state. “Does Oh Ca go or what? ” “It is bân or what? ” “oh you make koa there hein? ”. Equivalent of the “… or not? French ”. “ You come or what? ” “ That goes or what? ”.

Butterfly the Moon

Another interjection. That has as much direction than “ Saperlipopette ”, and will be used about in the same circumstances.

Leg yellows

moluque Blackbird of Calédonie. Common blackbird. See Moluque.

Peter

One pète like one opera hat in Calédonie. Peter a blow of aperitif, a blow of hunting, Peter a stag, one can also Peter an adjustment.

Pète-clappers

Nobody tedious, break-in feet. More elegant than pète testicle.

Small large boat the hold

This expression comes from the language of the sailors. It means that one should not trust with appearances. Something which does not have the air of it can have unsuspected capacities.

Poca

Pig. (comes from the Pidgin) This says Wallisian say poca. Pronounce côchân.

Ladle

Plastic bag. It is very employed in Calédonie in the supermarkets. Pronounce pôchân.

Poken

Indicate the Australian ones most of the time (or New Zealanders). Australia being at two hours hardly of plane, the “ pokens ” form a little part of the decorations. They come by vagueness for the holidays at the time of a stopover of an unspecified cruising. The origin of the word would come from the expression “ English poken ” that one can still find in the oldest snack bar-coffees.

Quality

Sometimes marked “qualitèche”. Express a positive reaction, of admiration or satisfaction. Like “end valab'”. When one takes the aperitif on the terrace, one pushes a sigh and one says: “qualitèche! hein? ”.

Sao

Have marked crackers of Krackers type imported of Australia for at least 50 years. All the children calédoniens were high with the sao. Especially with tasting and the morning. An expression calédonienne: “two stuck to butter three pétés in the bowl”.

Sicole

(see Chouchoute).

Souque

Order given to the dog to bring back the cattle or to attack.

Tamiok (le~, un~)

Ancestral weapon mélanésienne (headache of varied forms). Indicate a small axe also commonly.

Clink

In the expression: “ It rolled to the clink!!! ”, clink wants to say: to roll to open tomb. Be used as soon as it is question of going extremely quickly. But to be “ with the clink ” means to have the form

Tcha!

Word mélanésien. Interjection to order with silence or to mark its disapproval. Employee by Mélanésiens but also by the other communities. Also pronounced tché or tchi in vocalic lengthening to mean dislike or irritation. In Xârâcùù, Kanak language, “Ca” is a “exclamation marking impatience… ”.

Tinkyoubien

The Anglo-Saxon thank you caledonized: thank you well. With the supermarket one thanks the saleswoman: “tinkyou or tinkyoubien! ”.

Topette

Beer pirn. (one says also soft drink!)

Trapard

Shark in general. Used when one does not give precision on the type of shark like: white points, tiger, or hammer for example. See the expression “In the master key it is blue of trapards! ” which means: There are enormously sharks in the master key.

A blow

Often used to underline an action. " A blow the soyo" passes; for " To me the soyo" passes;.

Will bathe

Goes-T! “You irritate me, will bathe! ”

Here him!

Ca is there! It is Ca! It is done! I found it! Here it is! Origin: to speak French about Mélanésiens.

Vout vout

Onomatopoeia creates by Bernard Berger in the Bush in madness to describe the noise of the clapper launched by Tonton Marcel. Now employed to indicate the clappers. When the dog makes a silly thing or refuses to obey: “Lôngin! You will recewoir my vout vout suit you to woir there! ”

Wanamatcha!

Word mélanésien. Exclamation, astonishment or fright.

Yossi!

Very running to Mélanésiens. Surprised, admiration, contrariety. This word indicates, him, the sex of the woman in language Drehu of Lifou.

Zoreil

Indicate a metropolitan coldly unloaded (recognizable with its non-existent bronzing and a conquering arrogance often badly interpreted. By the general direction that Calédoniens give him, this word could be comparable with the tender expression foot . It is an often pejorative term but which can be right mocker. Calédonien doing too many manners will be seen treating zoreil . Example: with table the guest makes the grimace because a detail crumples it, answer of the guests: “ He but stops a little making your zoreil làààà… ”. The origin of the word is difficult to determine, but most probably comes from the Antilles or Reunion where it is also employed in equivalent contexts. It is a term which one will avoid using too much with the light one, certain people are more sensitive there than others.

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