New England French

New England French
français de Nouvelle-Angleterre
Native to New England (primarily Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont)
Native speakers
120,000 (2001)
Language codes
ISO 639-3
Glottolog None

New England French (French: français de Nouvelle-Angleterre) is a variety of Canadian French spoken in the New England region of the United States.[1]

New England French is one of the major forms of the French language that developed in what is now the United States, the others being Louisiana French and the nearly extinct Missouri French, Muskrat French and Métis French.

The dialect is the predominant form of French spoken in New England (apart from standard French), except in the Saint John Valley of northern Aroostook County, Maine, where Acadian French predominates.

The dialect is endangered, but its use is supported by bilingual education programs in place since 1987.[1]

Number of French-speakers by state

The figures below include speakers of any French dialect:

State Number of speakers Proportion of population
Maine[2] 47,066 3.73%
New Hampshire[2] 24,697 1.98%
Vermont[2] 9,543 1.61%
Rhode Island[2] 11,477 1.15%
Massachusetts[2] 65,874 1.06%
Connecticut[2] 35,565 1.05%

Francophone communities in New England

French language spoken at home by more than 10% of the population:[3] [4]

Community State Percent French-speaking Population (2010 census)
Lewiston Maine 14.8% 36,592
Biddeford Maine 13.0% 21,277
Berlin New Hampshire 18.8% 10,051
Sabattus Maine 12.3% 4,876
Fort Kent Maine 53.8% 4,097
Madawaska Maine 66.6% 4,035
Holden Maine 10.4% 3,076
Colebrook New Hampshire 12.8% 2,301
Van Buren Maine 59.8% 2,171
Milan New Hampshire 14.5% 1,337
Frenchville Maine 79.3% 1,087
Canaan Vermont 26.1% 1,078
Stewartstown New Hampshire 11.3% 1,004
Eagle Lake Maine 44.4% 864
Jackman Maine 12.7% 862
St. Agatha Maine 68.3% 747
Holland Vermont 10.7% 588
Wallagrass Maine 56.9% 546
St. Francis Maine 47.0% 485
Grand Isle Maine 64.2% 467
Portage Lake Maine 12.6% 391
New Canada Maine 48.8% 321
Caswell Maine 18.8% 306
Dummer New Hampshire 10.6% 304
Errol New Hampshire 10.5% 291
Saint John Plantation Maine 46.6% 267
Clarksville New Hampshire 18.6% 265
Stockholm Maine 10.4% 253
Allagash Maine 11.1% 239
Hamlin Maine 44.8% 219
Moose River Maine 10.0% 218
Norton Vermont 26.9% 214
Cyr Plantation Maine 59.0% 103
Ferdinand Vermont 19.4% 33
Wentworth's Location New Hampshire 28.6% 33

See also

References

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