Origin of the name joual
("Horse" is used in a variation of the phrase parler français comme une vache [to speak French like a cow], i.e. to speak French terribly; hence, a put-down of the Québécois dialect.) ... The end result is the word [ʒwal] transcribed as joual.
Where does the word Joual come from?
The word joual comes from a rural or working-class pronunciation of cheval (horse). It originally functioned as an adverb, used exclusively in the expression parler joual (much like in parler bête and parler franc). Prior to 1960, it referred to speaking in an inarticulate, incorrect or unintelligible manner.
What does Joual mean in French?
: spoken Canadian French especially : the local forms of the spoken French of Quebec that differ the most from prescribed forms.
