cajun

noun

1. a member of a group of people with an enduring cultural tradition whose French Catholic ancestors established permanent communities in Louisiana and Maine after being expelled from Acadia in the late 18th century.
2. the French dialect of the Cajuns.

adjective

3. of, relating to, or characteristic of Cajuns, especially those of Louisiana: Cajun cooking.

noun

1. a native of Louisiana descended from 18th-century Acadian immigrants
2. the dialect of French spoken by such people
3. the music of this ethnic group, combining blues and European folk music

adjective

4. denoting, relating to, or characteristic of such people, their language, or their music

1868, Cagian, dialectic pronunciation of Acadian, from Acadia, former French colony in what is now Canadian Maritimes. Its French setters were dispersed and exiled by the English and thousands made their way to New Orleans in the period 1764-1788.

A native of Louisiana believed to be descended from the French exiles from Acadia (see Nova Scotia). Cajuns have maintained a separate culture, including a special dialect and distinctive cooking style.