Newfoundland French

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Newfoundland French is a regional dialect of French that was once spoken by settlers in the French colony of Newfoundland. This dialect of French is distinct from other French dialects in Canada including Quebec French and Acadian French.

The French colony of Newfoundland existed from 1662 until 1713 when it was ceded to Britain as part of the Treaty of Utrecht. In 1763, French fishing rights on the west coast of Newfoundland were cemented by the Treaty of Paris, and French fishing villages existed there exclusively until 1904. Since the time Newfoundland became part of Canada in 1949, French has been in decline. Newfoundland French is now only spoken by a handful of elderly Newfoundlanders. Other French-speakers in Newfoundland use Acadian French, not Newfoundland French. Today, 15 000 descendants of French Newfoundlanders live in the province and there is a movement to reestablish the Newfoundland dialect as the French language of education in the province. Currently, however, standard Quebec French or an Acadian-influenced variety thereof is being reintroduced in schools.