Rank: Newbie
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Joined: 5/6/2009
Posts: 2
Points: 6
Location: Cade, Louisiana
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I'm a Primeaux, and my dad has always told me this story about how we got the x in our last name,
but I think it's just one of those old tales that aren't true =P Anybody wanna confirm it for me? haha.
My dad says that our name was originally Primeau (along with other names like Thibodeaux, Boudreaux, Gilbeaux, etc.)
but when the Acadians came to Louisiana and would buy land and whatnot they didn't know how to spell their name.
So the people selling would spell the name for them &they'd add an x to confirm it was them &over time they just adapted the x into the last name.
I'm saying this story exactly how my dad told me it, so please don't blame me for being ignorant if the story isn't true xD
Has anybody else heard this story? Or does anyone know how we ACTUALLY got the x at the end of our names?
Coeur Des Cajuns
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Rank: Newbie
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Joined: 2/4/2010
Posts: 1
Points: 3
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Believe it or not, that is pretty much true. Many times, our ancestors didn't know how to read or write. So when thehad to ame to documents (deeds, census, etc) they "made their mark" which was an "x". Over time, many prople converting the hand written documents just added the "x", not paying attention.
But what is the really good story, is how the "o" sound became spelled "eau".
One of the French kings paid a group of writers by the letter, and so "o" became "eau", and other words got changed as well. Just so some people could make more money....I love it!
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