French still present at Vieille Mine
We would be wrong to believe that French disappeared in this region of North America after the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763.
The language even survived the sale of the territory of Louisiana to the Americans by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1803. Thanks to institutions, such as schools, bilingual or French, French was transmitted from one generation to another until the late 19th century, with students increasingly enrolling in English-language schools.
Despite everything, the language of Molière continued to be spoken in a number of homes, although currently there are only a very small number of French speakers left in the town of old mine.
In this community of some 2,500 individuals, located south of Saint-Louis, the state capital and named after King Louis XI, or Saint Louis, one can still hear a French spoken that shares some traits with the varieties of French spoken in Canada and Louisiana, while having its own elements.
French paw paw, a 17th century language
How is Paw Paw French similar to the French spoken in Canada? Here are some basics: