Yes, it’s time for another lesson in Cajun French. First, be sure to leave a comment on Sayde Grace’s author interview for a chance to win a copy of one of her smexy cowboy books! You have until tonight to get your comment in and I’ll announce the winner on Fantasy Man Friday!
Now for the Cajun Phrase. In today’s lesson, it isn’t a phrase, but a word. Parrain. You would pronounce this word “pa-ra (n)”. A parrain is a godfather, or spiritual sponsor. When babies are christened, they’re sponsored by a set of godparents, the parrain (godfather), and the nanny (godmother). Let me just point out, this is not, I repeat not, like the mafia godfather!
Like any member of your family, godparents differ in how much attention they give their godchildren. Some parrains are serious-minded, some are neglectful, some are in your business all the time, and some are the strangest people you’ll ever meet. The parents choose the parrain, of course, and sometimes they don’t make the best decisions. Friends, while you hope they’re yours forever, aren’t always the best people to be godparents for your children. Friendships end. Family, on the other hand, no matter how much you wish you could ship them to a deserted island and forget about them, are yours forever.
Anyway, in honor of the upcoming Christmas season and today’s Cajun French word, I found this little gem of a song. It isn’t technically a Christmas song, though it is sung to the tune of Winter Wonderland.
If you listen to the speaker/singer carefully, you can hear the Cajun accent in his voice. This is close to the genuine Cajun accent I hear day in and day out. Apparently, Cajun Man Ron “Black” Guidry lives not far from where I do, so I suppose he’s a neighbor. Huh. How about that?
Please ignore the silly words all over the video. It was the only one I could find with the entire song.
So what do you think? Does this put you in the Christmas spirit, or do you have an earworm now?
Unearthly Musings 
This post would’ve been a great Friday Fact!! I’m gonna have to pick your brain for some more fun Cajun words!!
Earworm, def earworm! Jillian
LOL, I have plenty of little weird phrases stuck in my head. And I too am singing “Walkin’ in da woods wit ma parrain”…cause you have to sing it with the accent. That’s what makes it fun!
LOL!!!! Nice post. That song is cute. . . I did hear the twang in there. 🙂
NICE
Glad you enjoyed, Lynn! It’s played almost non-stop on local stations during Christmas. I nearly cried from laughing the first time I heard it.
I love these posts! Keep em coming!!!
Glad you enjoy them! I love sharing Cajun culture with people 🙂
“I got to explain to some of my friends what dees words mean in here.”
Thank gods you’ve assumed that burden, ’cause I did not get pa-ran from “parrain” and I never would have derived “godfather” from it. Breed of horse, mebbe. Type of crockery most likely.
lernt me somtin nu tuday.
LOL, I’m glad I could learn ya something. I suppose I never even think about what other people might think these words mean, so this is a learning exercise for me as well.
Okay! I hade to listen to it a couple times to understand it:) Too cute. My kids liked it too.
LOL They probably should have shown the lyrics with the little bouncing ball. Glad you enjoyed it!
Pingback: Cajun French: Nanny | Unearthly Musings
I don’t guess I’d ever seen this word written anywhere except by my mom and my paran (oops – “parrain”), spelled always as paran, and nanan, in letters and such. Wish I’d grown up down there, with more of a connection to my heritage. Born Lafayette, dad Thibodaux, mom Nola. So glad I stumbled upon your blog. Thank you 🙂
It’s not “nanny” for godmother it’s Nannain (Na-nan) which is the female version of Parrain (Paw-ran)