Skip to Main Content
Michigan State University

French Language Dictionaries: Outre Mer (Beyond the Sea)

This is a guide to French language dictionaries in the M.S.U. Libraries in all formats. Last updated 06-21-2023

Outre Mer

Arranged roughly alphabetically by country, dialect, etc.

Dictionnaire du Français Acadien Main PC 3645 .M37 C67 1999

Covers the French which is/was spoken in the Eastern provinces of Canada.

Inventaire des Particularites Lexicales du Français en Afrique Noire Main PC 3680 .A38 I68 1988

As a descriptive inventory of terms and usage specific to Africa, it does not pretend to the scope or depth of a dictionary; in addition, it was not possible to adequately survey every francophone African nation.-Foreword.  A long introduction explains the conception of the inventory and the modus operandi in each country.  Valuable as a single location to identify and briefly define terms currently used across francophone Africa.  Entries include definitions, variant orthographies, and origins, as well as synonyms, antonyms, or geographic indications where appropriate. For more dictionaries of African French browse the online catalog for the call number PC 3680.

Dictionnaire des Belgicismes Main PC 3581 .D53 2010

Dictionnaire Français-Breton Main PB 2837 .M45 2012

Dictionnaire de la Langue Corse  Main PC 1918 .Z5 P37 2013

Dictionnaire Créole Martiniquais-Français Main PM 7854 .M25 C664 2007

Covers the “creole stabilize” (stabilized créole) consolidated and described in grammars dating from 1869 to 2003.  Includes neologisms, but excludes “mots virtuels” (virtual words).  Entries drawn from both formal and informal sources.  Brief definitions, many words then used in sentences.  No pronunciations. Editor wants to preserve and defend creole, and argues for language planning.  Bibliography of works composed in creole and works used as references for this dictionary included.

Dictionary of Louisiana French Main PC 3680 .U7 L728 2010

“The Dictionary of Louisiana French (DLF) provides the richest inventory of French vocabulary in Louisiana and reflects precisely the speech of the period from 1930 to the present.  This dictionary describes the current usage of French-speaking peoples in the five broad regions of South Louisiana: the coastal marshes, the banks of the Mississippi River, the central area, the north, and the western prairie.  Data were collected during interviews from at least five persons in each of twenty-four areas in these regions.  In addition to the data collected from fieldwork, the dictionary contains material compiled from existing lexical inventories, from texts published after 1930, and from archival recordings.” “DLF not only contains the largest number of words and expressions but also provides the most complete information available for each entry.  Entries include the word in the conventional French spelling, the pronunciation (including attested variants), the part of speech classification, the English equivalent, and the word’s use in common phrases.  The DLF features a wealth of illustrative examples derived from fieldwork and textual sources and identification of the parish where the entry was collected or the source from which it was complied.  An English-to-Louisiana French index enables readers to find out how particular notions would be expressed in la Louisiane.” (from Book Jacket).

Discours Simple! Mots du Saguenay, du Lac-Saint-Jean et de Charlevoix Entendus, Perdus, et Retrouves  Main PC 3645 .S129 B47 2017

Dictionnaire du Français Québécois Main PC 3645 .Q4 D52 1985

Tresor de la Langue Française au Quebec.  Has an extensive introduction describing differences between French spoken in France and in Quebec.  Entries include dated quotations for usage.  Extensive bibliography.  Index.

Dictionnaire des Expressions et Tournures Calquées sur l’Anglais Main PC 2582 .E5 P37 2006

Bibliographie des Dictionnaires Patois Galloromans (1550-1967) Main Z 2175 .D5 W3 1969

Incorporates corrections from the first edition and supplement.  A comprehensive listing of regional and dialect dictionaries from all parts of France and francophone countries.

Dictionnaires de Langue Française du Canada: Lexicographie et Sociète au Quebec. Main PC 3634 .F37 2001

Extensive annotated bibliography, organized by date of publication, preceded by a substantial history of French Canadian lexicography.

Dictionnaire Yiddish-Français  Main PJ 5117 .V34 2011