What does cajun mean?
A Cajun is a member of an ethnic group descended from French colonists who settled in Acadia — present-day Nova Scotia — in the 17th century and were forcibly expelled by the British in the mid-1700s. Many of these exiles eventually resettled in southern Louisiana, where they developed a distinctive culture blending French language, Catholic tradition, farming and fishing lifeways, and later influences from neighboring communities. The word "Cajun" itself is an English alteration of "Acadian," reflecting how the group's name was reshaped by English speakers over generations. Today the term most often appears as an adjective describing the group's celebrated contributions to American life, above all its cuisine — gumbo, jambalaya, and crawfish boils seasoned with local spice blends — as well as its fiddle-and-accordion dance music. Both noun and adjective carry affectionate, down-to-earth connotations, evoking warmth, festivity, and deep regional roots rather than formality.
A member of a cultural group descended from the French Acadians who were expelled from Nova Scotia in the 18th century and resettled mainly in southern Louisiana.
"Many of the fishermen in this parish are Cajuns whose families have worked the bayous for two centuries."
Often capitalized as "Cajun" when referring to the ethnic group; lowercase "cajun" appears in some style contexts but capitalization remains more common for the noun referring to people.
Relating to the Cajuns or characteristic of their culture, especially their spicy rural Louisiana cuisine, folk music, or dialect of French.
"We ordered blackened catfish with a side of dirty rice at a little Cajun restaurant off the highway."
The plural refers to multiple members of the ethnic group; it does not apply to the adjective sense, which is uninflected.
"Southwestern Louisiana is home to hundreds of thousands of Cajuns."
"Cajun" began as an English speaker's mangling of the word "Acadian" — the exiled French settlers of Nova Scotia whose name got slurred into one of America's most beloved food traditions.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cajun
The word "Cajun" derives from "Acadian," the English rendering of the French name for settlers of Acadia, the French colony in what is now Nova Scotia. After the British expulsion of the Acadians beginning in the 1750s — known in Cajun memory as le Grand Dérangement — many refugees made their way to Spanish-held Louisiana, where they kept their French language and identity intact. Over time, English speakers in Louisiana shortened and slurred "Acadian" into "Cajun," a transformation that was well established by the late 19th century. The word's closest relatives are "Acadia" and "Acadian" themselves, all tracing back to the French colonial name for the region.
How cajun is actually used
The word is standard English in American usage, particularly in the South, and carries warm connotations of hearty food, lively music, and strong community identity. Many Cajuns consider it an important ethnic and cultural label rather than merely a culinary one. The adjective form is far more frequent than the noun in everyday speech, largely because of the popularity of Cajun-style cooking nationwide.
Easily confused with cajun
In Louisiana, Creole refers broadly to people and culture of mixed French, Spanish, African, and Caribbean heritage associated especially with New Orleans, whereas Cajun specifically denotes descendants of exiled Acadians of rural south Louisiana.
Cayenne is a hot pepper (and spice made from it), while Cajun describes the Louisiana cultural group and its cuisine.