Acadian

English

Etymology

First attested in 1705. From Acadia +‎ -n (“one that is”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈkeɪ.di.n̩/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /əˈkeɪ.di.n̩/, /əˈkeɪ.d͡ʒn̩/
• Homophone: Akkadian
• Rhymes: -eɪdiən

Adjective

Acadian (comparative more Acadian, superlative most Acadian)

1. Of or pertaining to Acadia, its people, or their language or culture. [First attested in the early 19th century.]
2. (geology) Of or pertaining to the Acadian epoch.

Usage notes

• The second US pronunciation is a rarely used historical version that led to the word Cajun.

Derived terms

• Acadian Coast
• Acadian French
• Acadianness
• Acadian owl

 

Translations

of or pertaining to Acadia

• Catalan: acadià
• Finnish: acadialainen
• French: acadien (fr)
• Portuguese: acádio m
• Spanish: acadio (es)

of or pertaining to the Acadian epoch

• Catalan: acadià
• Finnish: keskikambrilainen
• French: acadien (fr)
• Portuguese: acádio m

Noun

Acadian (plural Acadians)

1. A native of Acadia or their descendants who moved to Louisiana; a Cajun. [First attested in the early 18th century.]
2. (Canada) A descendant of the settlers of the French colony of Acadia in current eastern Canada. More specifically a speaker of Acadian French.

Proper noun

Acadian

1. (rare) Ellipsis of Acadian French.: the form of French spoken in Acadia.

   In many places, Acadian has been supplanted by English and by Standard French.

2. (geology) The Middle Cambrian epoch, lasting from 497 million years ago to 509 million years ago.

   The Burgess Shale contains fossils of very odd organisms that lived during the Acadian.

Derived terms

• Cajun

Translations

Of or pertaining to Acadia

• Catalan: acadià m, acadiana f
• French: acadien (fr) m, acadienne (fr) f
• Portuguese: acádio

Acadian French

• French: Acadien (fr) m
• Irish: Acaidis f

Acadian epoch

• Catalan: acadià m
• French: acadien (fr) m
• Portuguese: acádio

Anagrams

• Canadia