The Ville

Slang name for St. Martinville, LA the “Cajun epicenter” of Louisiana. St. Martinville is widely known as the place where Cajun culture originated after they left their home in Acadie’ (Nova Scotia) for America in the mid-1700’s. From St. Martinville the Cajun people spread out 100 miles in every direction taking over the local English, Spanish or Native American cultures wherever they went. Most Cajuns, but especially those from “Da Ville”, are known are “the most partying people in America”. For example, most senior citizens in “Da Ville” party right alongside college age kids and do not slow down until they pass away, still happily dancing and drinking. Many towns and hotels on the Florida panhandle have special provisions for when Cajuns from “Da Ville” show up for vacation. Some hotels sadly ban St. Martinville Cajuns from their premises because the other non-Cajun guests are not accustomed to the hard-partying lifestyle of the Cajun people from “Da Ville”. The “th” sound is not native to the French dialect, so locals pronounce “the” as “da”, similar to the way Italians pronounce it. For a period between 1970-1990, “Da Ville” was the dominant force in high school football, striking fear in other teams they played. St. Martinville’s wrestling team, on the other hand, was not the winningest team in Louisiana, but they were the hardest partying…