Coast Life: The search for a lost language in South Mississippi

PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. (WLOX) - Louisiana is known for its Cajun-French heritage, while South Mississippi also has its connection.

A descendant of French settlers, Claire McCullough is looking into the past to find out how common French was spoken in the area.

Although McCullough has actually never lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, her connection runs deep. Her family tree includes many common names in the area like Dedeaux, Saucier, Ladner, Lenaz and Dubuisson.

“My grandmother was a Necaise; she has a direct relation to the Necaise brothers who came here in the 18th century,” McCullough said. “We’ve [my family] been here in this area for at least the last 300 years.”

A part of her family history is the French dialect.

“Even though French isn’t spoken in this area, it’s still a part of the colonial history of Coastal Mississippi,” McCullough said. “Just like our Cajun cousins want to keep their history alive and let it thrive, I want to do the same.”

McCullough is studying French at the University of Rhode Island, and she is researching the language spoken by her ancestors.

“I want to connect with people who may have memories of French being spoken in their home,” McCullough said. “People in this area have told me that their parents and grandparents would tell them ‘fais do-do’, which means go to sleep, or you need to lay on your ‘pallet’. Just little phrases that stayed within the community, even though their older relatives might speak to them mostly in English.”

To keep this research going, McCullough is asking for help.

“I’m reaching out to anyone who has memories, recordings, writings of Mississippi French being spoken in their home. I’m interviewing people about when they heard French being spoken, what context it was being used in. Anything, even the smallest phrase like wē or no’ would be very useful to me.”

Through this project, McCullough said she feels a bond created with past generations of her family.

“My grandmother never learned to speak this French dialect; her older brothers and sisters did, so I feel like I can carry on part of her family legacy by doing this.”

Not only is she carrying on her family’s legacy, but McCullough also hopes to preserve the history of the Coast’s different languages.

“It’s imperative that we keep our history alive, not just for ourselves, but to honor the memory of the people who came before us.”

If you have something you’d like to pass along about French being spoken in South Mississippi, or you’re looking for more information, visit McCullough’s website.

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