ita, just looking for a resource. From what I understand, the tenses and the like are different because of the 18th century split linguistically between Metro French and Quebec French, since a lot of the rationalization of the French language rules happened in the 19th century post split.

I have a Canadian character who grew up as a member as part of a minority, which means either one of the French minorities or a First Nation. The story is set in the 1830-1850 timeframe, so I was thinking that the character would be a expat that left Canada due to the 1837 Patriotes' Rebellion.

For instance, yes is Oui in French, but because of the different tenses, do I modify that?

You're definitely beyond my scope there, CaBil. In Montreal I didn't have exposure to different tenses, but it might be because of the # of English speakers there who would have learnt textbook French, if any--the biggest differences were pronunciation and vocabulary.

Also "oui" would have nothing to do with tenses. It's just "yes."

Since this will be written, I won't have to worry about pronunciation then.

Do you think it still seem authentic if I just used a Quebecois slang dictionary to get a handle on the different vocab?

I haven't taken French since Grade Ten, but my understanding is that most of the differences between Quebec French and French French are about everyday and idiomatic language and accents. I'm pretty sure the grammar and tenses are similar. But my knowledge of French tenses past the basic ones is almost nil.

I don't know anything about Quebecois, but I believe there are some tense differences in Cajun French.

You might try pinging megan walker about this -- granted, her French is actual France French, but she is deeply fluent, well-traveled, knows people from practically everywhere on the planet, and works for a textbook publisher, so even if it falls outside her own French genius she might at least know where some good resources are.

Yeah, Cajun French has some different stuff going on with conjugation, but I couldn't really explain what was different, just that it wasn't the way I learned it.

So, do any of our UKers watch Skins at all?

Tell me somebody does.... It's excellent.

I would... but I don't get C4 (long story).

Bloody hell, London. How can you have elected Boris Johnson as mayor?

eta for benefit of un-un-Americans: afaik, he's what you'd get if you crossed George Bush with Lucius Malfoy. Famous for his dishevelled, hearty, hail-fellow-well-met public school boy manners, for his blonder-than-blond chaos of hair, for appearing on the TV show Have I Got News For You in the capacity of editor of the v. right wing Spectator newspaper, for comparing gay marriage to bestiality, and for referring to Africans as 'Piccaninnies with watermelon smiles'.

Yep. One of our best and brightest all right. Apparently he's apologised for the piccaninnies with watermelon smiles thing, and assured everyone that he hates racism. So that must be okay then.

sinks head in hands.