French Canadian, n. and a.
A. n.
1. A French settler in Canada or a French-speaking descendant of such a settler; a Canadian of French ancestry.
| 1758 Descr. Cape Breton 4 These French Canadians..he represents as an indolent People. 1775 J. Adair Hist. Amer. Indians 153 The French Canadians are highly censurable..for debauching our peacable northern Indians, with their infernal catechism. 1838 Westm. Rev. XXXI. 405 The Hindoos are a more ignorant and more passive people than the French Canadians. 1876 [see Canadian a. and n.]. 1935 Huxley & Haddon We Europeans viii. 261 The stock from which the French Canadians sprang. 1967 Times 28 Feb. (Canada Suppl.) 24 If a national break-up were to occur, French-Canadians would face a substantial loss. 1968 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 17 Feb. 6/2 Sections of the Quebec press have questioned if this is the proper time in our history for a French Canadian to seek the Prime Ministership. |
2. The language of this people.
| 1929 S. Brown tr. Constantin-Weyer's Man scans his Past 203 He hailed me in French Canadian. 1960 Amer. Speech XXXV. 229 In French Canadian the high vowels [i y u] are generally unvoiced in unstressed (nonfinal) position. |
B. adj. (Now usu. with hyphen.) Of or pertaining to the above or to French Canada.
| 1775 J. Adair Hist. Amer. Indians 164 The black tribe, the French Canadian priests. 1822 Kingston (Ont.) Chron. 23 Nov. 3/4 The pages of some French Canadian papers. 1853 S. Strickland 27 Yrs. Canada West I. 39 One pair of our horses were French Canadian. 1886, 1897 [see English-Canadian s.v. English a. 2 e]. 1930 Times Lit. Suppl. 6 Feb. 106/4 The French-Canadian politicians. 1966 Times 28 Feb. (Canada Suppl.) p. vi/4 A sharp revival of French-Canadian nationalism. 1969 Halpert & Story Christmas Mumming in Newfoundland 112 We may contrast this with the French-Canadian pattern of mumming at Lent. |
So French Canadianism, (advocacy of) the cultural distinctiveness of French Canada or political separatism in Quebec.
| 1916 A. Bridle Sons of Canada 33 One might have naively surmised that..he had renounced some of his French Canadianism. 1962 I. Fleming Spy who loved Me ii. 28 My family had belonged to the very innermost citadel of French-Canadianism. |