French is the mother tongue of about 6.7 million Canadians (23% of Canadian population) [1]. While most native French speakers live in Quebec, where it is the majority language, about one million native Francophones live in other provinces, forming significant minorities with French-language supporting institutions, in the provinces of Ontario, New Brunswick, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Official languages French Capital Quebec City Largest city Montréal Lieutenant-Governor Lise Thibault Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 75 24 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 2nd 1,542,056 km² 1,183,128 km² 176... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 106 24 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 4th 1,076,395 km... Motto: Spem reduxit (Hope restored) Official languages English, French Capital Fredericton Largest city Saint John Lieutenant-Governor Herménégilde Chiasson Premier Bernard Lord (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 10 10 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 11th 72 908 km² 71 450 km² 1 458 km... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) Official languages English (French is an official language of the Manitoban legislature and courts) Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 14 6 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked... Motto: Multis E Gentibus Vires (Latin: From many peoples, strength) Official languages English (but legally required to provide some services in French) Capital Regina Largest city Saskatoon Lieutenant-Governor Gordon Barnhart Premier Lorne Calvert (NDP) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 14 6 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked...

French is one of Canada's two official languages at the federal level; the other is English and is the language of the majority. French is also the sole official language in Quebec, while it is co-official with English in New Brunswick. Where numbers justify the situation, the federal government provides services in both official languages throughout the country. In addition, all senior management positions in the federal government have a bilingualism requirement by agreement with the PSAC (union of federal civil servants) offers extensive language training services to the civil service. The provincial governments of Ontario, New Brunswick, and Manitoba also provide service in the French language where numbers warrant. In the cases of Ontario and New Brunswick, the provincial services include government-funded education. This has sometimes been a politically sensitive issue, not because of the cost, but because the French-language schools are largely parochial schools run by the Catholic Church. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Official languages French Capital Quebec City Largest city Montréal Lieutenant-Governor Lise Thibault Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 75 24 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 2nd 1,542,056 km² 1,183,128 km² 176... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Motto: Spem reduxit (Hope restored) Official languages English, French Capital Fredericton Largest city Saint John Lieutenant-Governor Herménégilde Chiasson Premier Bernard Lord (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 10 10 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 11th 72 908 km² 71 450 km² 1 458 km... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 106 24 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 4th 1,076,395 km... Motto: Spem reduxit (Hope restored) Official languages English, French Capital Fredericton Largest city Saint John Lieutenant-Governor Herménégilde Chiasson Premier Bernard Lord (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 10 10 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 11th 72 908 km² 71 450 km² 1 458 km... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) Official languages English (French is an official language of the Manitoban legislature and courts) Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 14 6 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked...

French Dialects in Canada

As a consequence of geographical and political/historical (British Conquest) isolation, the French language in Canada presents three distinct dialects (distinct from French in Europe, but also among each other within Canada):

• Quebec French (/Canadian French) is spoken mainly in Quebec, but also by French-speaking communities in Ontario, Western Canada, Labrador and even in the New England region of the USA.
• Acadian French is spoken by the Acadians in the Canadian Maritimes and some parts of Quebec and Newfoundland. It is an ancestor of Cajun French.
• Newfoundland French is spoken by a few people in Newfoundland. It is an endangered dialect.

Note that the term Canadian French (as used by persons outside Canada) usually refers to only to Quebec French (the most widely spoken dialect), and not the French language as it is spoken elsewhere in Canada, as the other Canadian dialects have little international visibility (excepting Acadian among American francophones). Quebeckers prefer to say Quebec French, while Francophones of other provinces might prefer to say Canadian French. It is just a question of identity, not a difference in meaning. The three dialects can be historically associated with three of the five former colonies of New France, respectively Canada, Acadia and Terre Neuve (Newfoundland). Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Official languages French Capital Quebec City Largest city Montréal Lieutenant-Governor Lise Thibault Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 75 24 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 2nd 1,542,056 km² 1,183,128 km² 176... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 106 24 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 4th 1,076,395 km... Western Canada is a geographic region of Canada, also known as simply the West, generally considered to be west of the province of Ontario. ... This article is about the region in Canada. ... The states of New England are Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. ... Acadian French (le français acadien) is a dialect of French spoken by the Acadians in the Canadian Maritimes provinces and the Saint John River Valley in northern Maine. ... The Acadians (French: Acadiens) are the descendants of the original French settlers of parts of the northeastern region of North America comprising what is now the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. ... The Maritimes or Maritime provinces are a region of Canada on the Atlantic coast, consisting of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. ... Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Official languages French Capital Quebec City Largest city Montréal Lieutenant-Governor Lise Thibault Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 75 24 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 2nd 1,542,056 km² 1,183,128 km² 176... Newfoundland (French: Terre-Neuve; Irish: Talamh an Éisc; Latin: Terra Nova) is a large island off the northeast coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ... Cajun French is a variety or dialect of the French language spoken primarily in the U.S. state of Louisiana, particularly in Lafayette Parish, Evangeline Parish, St. ... Newfoundland French is a dialect of French that was once spoken by settlers in the French colony of Newfoundland. ... Newfoundland (French: Terre-Neuve; Irish: Talamh an Éisc; Latin: Terra Nova) is a large island off the northeast coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ... Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... New France (French: la Nouvelle-France) describes the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River, by Jacques Cartier in 1534, to the cession of New France to the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1763. ... The national flag of Acadia, adopted in 1884. ... Newfoundland (French: Terre-Neuve; Irish: Talamh an Éisc; Latin: Terra Nova) is a large island off the northeast coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ...

Also, Michif is a mixed language based on Cree and Quebec French. Michif (also Mitchif, Mechif, Michif-Cree, Métif, Métchif) is the language of the Métis people of Canada and the northern United States, who are the descendants of First Nations women (mainly Cree, Nakota and Ojibwe) and fur trade workers of European ancestry (mainly French Canadians). ... A mixed language is a language that arises when two languages are in contact and there is a high degree of bilingualism among speakers. ... Cree is the name for a group of closely-related Algonquian languages spoken by approximately 50,000 speakers across Canada, from Alberta to Labrador. ... Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ...

The Language across Canada

Quebec

Quebec is the only province whose sole official language is French. However, many of the services it provides are available in English for the important anglophone population of the province (i.e. Montréal). Quebec French is noticeably different in pronunciation and vocabulary, though easily mutually comprehensible, with Metropolitan French in France. This is due to the long history of French in North America and the fact that French immigrants to New France kept speaking the French of the Ancien régime while in France the French Revolution led to the standardization of bourgeois Parisian French. Today, 81.4 percent of Quebecers or Québécois are francophone.[2] Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Official languages French Capital Quebec City Largest city Montréal Lieutenant-Governor Lise Thibault Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 75 24 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 2nd 1,542,056 km² 1,183,128 km² 176... An anglophone is someone who speaks English natively or by adoption. ... {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Concordia Salus (Salvation through harmony) Ville de Montréal, Québec, Canada Location. ... Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... New France (French: la Nouvelle-France) describes the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River, by Jacques Cartier in 1534, to the cession of New France to the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1763. ... Ancien Régime means Old Rule or Old Order in French; in English, the term refers primarily to the social and political system established in France under the Valois and Bourbon dynasties. ... Liberty Leading the People, a painting by Delacroix commemorating the July Revolution of 1830 but which has come to be generally accepted as symbolic of French popular uprisings against the monarchy in general and the French Revolution in particular. ... Old French is a term sometimes used to refer to the langue doïl, the continuum of varieties of Romance language spoken in territories corresponding roughly to the northern half of modern France and parts of Belgium and Switzerland during the period roughly from 1000 to 1300 A.D...

Atlantic Canada

French is one of the two official languages of the province of New Brunswick. Apart from Québec, this is the only other Canadian province that recognizes French as an official language. Approximately one-third of New Brunswickers are francophone [3], the largest Acadian population in Canada. Most commonly known as Acadian French, the variety of French spoken in Atlantic Canada possesses features different from Québécois French. It also has speakers in the provinces of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Acadian French is historically related to Cajun French. Motto: Spem reduxit (Hope restored) Official languages English, French Capital Fredericton Largest city Saint John Lieutenant-Governor Herménégilde Chiasson Premier Bernard Lord (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 10 10 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 11th 72 908 km² 71 450 km² 1 458 km... During the 1960s, a terrorist group known as the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) launched a decade of bombings, robberies and attacks on government offices. ... Acadian French (le français acadien) is a dialect of French spoken by the Acadians in the Canadian Maritimes provinces and the Saint John River Valley in northern Maine. ... Quebec French or Québécois French is a dialect of French spoken natively by the great majority (82. ... Newfoundland (French: Terre-Neuve; Irish: Talamh an Éisc; Latin: Terra Nova) is a large island off the northeast coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (Latin: One defends and the other conquers) Official languages None (English,French,Gaelic) Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Lieutenant-Governor Myra Freeman Premier Rodney MacDonald (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 11 10 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 12th 55,283... Motto: Parva Sub Ingenti (Latin: The small under the protection of the great) Official languages None Capital Charlottetown Largest city Charlottetown Lieutenant-Governor J. Léonce Bernard Premier Pat Binns (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 4 4 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 13th 5,660 km... Cajun French is a variety or dialect of the French language spoken primarily in the U.S. state of Louisiana, particularly in Lafayette Parish, Evangeline Parish, St. ...

Although not traditionally associated with Acadia, the Magdalen Islands, an archipelago of 9 small islands belonging to Québec, also have historical ties with Acadian French. Magdalen Islands — location The Magdalen Islands (French, îles de la Madeleine) are a small archipelago in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with an area of 194. ...

In Acadia, French is a minority language. In some communities, it is an endangered language. A minority language is a language spoken by a minority of the population of a country. ... An endangered language is a language with so few surviving speakers that it is in danger of falling out of use. ...

Ontario

Although French is the native language of just over half a million Canadians in Ontario, francophone Ontarians represent only 4.4 percent of the province's population and are concentrated near the border with Québec (Eastern Ontario) and in Sudbury. Nonetheless, they are also present in smaller numbers throughout the province as well. However, a third of Franco-Ontarians no longer speak the language at home. Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 106 24 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 4th 1,076,395 km... Eastern Ontario is the region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies between the Ottawa and St. ... Greater Sudbury (2001 census population 155,219) is a city in Northern Ontario. ... Franco-Ontarians (French: Franco-ontarien) are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. ...

The province has no official language, although it is a largely English-speaking province. Ontario law requires that the provincial Legislative Assembly operate in both English and French (individuals can speak in the Assembly in the official language of their choice), and requires that all provincial statutes and bills be made available in English and French. Furthermore, an individual is entitled to communicate with the head or central office of any provincial government department or agency in French, and an individual is entitled to receive all government services in French in 23 designated areas in the province. The provincial government of Ontario's website is bilingual. Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 106 24 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 4th 1,076,395 km...

Prairies

Manitoba also has a significant Franco-Manitoban community, centred especially in the St. Boniface area of Winnipeg, but also in many surrounding villages. The provincial government of Manitoba boasts the only bilingual website of the Prairies; the Canadian constitution makes French an official language in Manitoba for the Legislature and Courts. Saskatchewan also has a Fransaskois community, as does Alberta with its Franco-Albertans. British-Columbia, on the other hand, hosts only a small francophone population, the Franco-Columbians. The Franco-Manitobans are a community of French-speaking people living in Manitoba. ... Saint Boniface is an area of the city of Winnipeg, home to the Franco-Manitoban community. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Unum Cum Virtute Multorum (One With the Strength of Many) Established: 1738 (Fort Rouge),1873 (City of Winnipeg) Area: 465. ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) Official languages English (French is an official language of the Manitoban legislature and courts) Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 14 6 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked... Flag of the Fransaskois Fransaskois are francophones or French Canadians living in the Prairie province of Saskatchewan. ... The Franco-Albertans are an extended community of French Canadians or French-speaking people living in Alberta. ... Franco-Columbians or Franco-Colombiens are French speaking Canadians living in the Pacific province of British Columbia. ...

Although not a dialect of French, Michif, a unique mixed language based on Cree and French, is spoken by a small number of Métis living mostly in the province of Manitoba. Michif is the indigenous language of the Métis people of Canada. ... A mixed language is a language that arises when two languages are in contact and there is a high degree of bilingualism among speakers. ... Cree is the name for a group of closely-related Algonquian languages spoken by approximately 50,000 speakers across Canada, from Alberta to Labrador. ... The Métis (pronounced MAY tee, SAMPA: [meti], in French: [metis] or, [mEtIs]) are an ethnic group of the Canadian prairies and Ontario. ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) Official languages English (French is an official language of the Manitoban legislature and courts) Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 14 6 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked...

Northern Territories

French is an official language in each of the three northern territories: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Motto: u jackMedia:Example. ... Motto: None Official languages Dene Suline, Cree, Dogrib, English, French, Gwichin, Inuktitut, Slavey Capital Yellowknife Largest city Yellowknife Commissioner Tony Whitford Premier Joe Handley (Consensus government - no party affiliations) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 1 1 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 3rd 1,346,106 km... Motto: Nunavut Sannginivut (Inuktitut: Nunavut our strength or Our land our strength) Official languages Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, English, French Capital Iqaluit Largest city Iqaluit Commissioner Ann Meekitjuk Hanson Premier Paul Okalik (independent) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 1 Nancy Karetak-Lindell 1 Willie Adams Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total...

French-speaking communities in Canada outside of Quebec

• Franco-Ontarians
• Franco-Manitobans
• Fransaskois (in Saskatchewan)
• Franco-Albertans
• Franco-Columbians
• Acadians (in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island)
• Franco-Terreneuvians

Franco-Ontarians (French: Franco-ontarien) are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. ... The Franco-Manitobans are a community of French-speaking people living in Manitoba. ... Flag of the Fransaskois Fransaskois are francophones or French Canadians living in the Prairie province of Saskatchewan. ... Motto: Multis E Gentibus Vires (Latin: From many peoples, strength) Official languages English (but legally required to provide some services in French) Capital Regina Largest city Saskatoon Lieutenant-Governor Gordon Barnhart Premier Lorne Calvert (NDP) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 14 6 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked... The Franco-Albertans are an extended community of French Canadians or French-speaking people living in Alberta. ... Franco-Columbians or Franco-Colombiens are French speaking Canadians living in the Pacific province of British Columbia. ... The Acadians (French: Acadiens) are the descendants of the original French settlers of parts of the northeastern region of North America comprising what is now the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. ... Motto: Spem reduxit (Hope restored) Official languages English, French Capital Fredericton Largest city Saint John Lieutenant-Governor Herménégilde Chiasson Premier Bernard Lord (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 10 10 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 11th 72 908 km² 71 450 km² 1 458 km... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (Latin: One defends and the other conquers) Official languages None (English,French,Gaelic) Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Lieutenant-Governor Myra Freeman Premier Rodney MacDonald (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 11 10 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 12th 55,283... Motto: Parva Sub Ingenti (Latin: The small under the protection of the great) Official languages None Capital Charlottetown Largest city Charlottetown Lieutenant-Governor J. Léonce Bernard Premier Pat Binns (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 4 4 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 13th 5,660 km...

See also

• Language in Canada
• Bilingualism in Canada
• French in the United States
• French Language
• French pronunciation