joual

American

[zhoo-al, -ahl] / ʒuˈæl, -ˈɑl /

noun

any of the nonstandard dialects of Canadian French, characterized by deviations from the standard phonology, morphology, syntax, and vocabulary, and often containing many borrowings from English.

joual British

/ ʒwɑːl /

noun

nonstandard Canadian French dialect, esp as associated with ill-educated speakers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of joual

1960–65; representing a non-standard pronunciation of French cheval horse

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Guid Sisters Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh Until 13 OctoberBox office: 0131-248 4848 Details The play, premiered in 1968, was revolutionary in its use of joual, the Quebec working-class dialect that's been turned into pungent Glaswegian by Martin Bowman and Bill Findlay.

From The Guardian

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023