Photo from Unsplash
New Orleans, known for its rich cultural heritage, was originally a French-speaking city founded a century before the Louisiana Purchase. By the 19th century, the city had both Anglophone and Francophone neighborhoods where English and French were spoken respectively. Notably, Creole families such as the Bernards, Lamberts, Baptistes, and Augustins were among those who spoke French. Even as recently as the 1900s, there were residents who had grown up speaking French, including famous personalities like Sidney Bechet and Jelly Roll Morton. However, in the present day, it appears that French is no longer a common language in New Orleans, although it continues to influence the local accent.
Answers from Social Media
The discussion on Reddit provides some interesting insights. One user, aged 72, recalls their grandparents speaking French at home in the late 1950s for private conversations. Another user mentions a professor who studied Louisiana French and knew a native speaker from New Orleans who passed away in the late 2000s. This suggests that there were still some French speakers in the city until the early 21st century…