francophone
- noun
- /ˈfræŋkəˌfoʊn/
- Naturally, this issue has been strikingly different for francophones on both sides of the border.
- francophone Africa
Examples
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Many francophones will repeat these claims and adopt French civilization as their own without the slightest criticism.
Academic text (2006) -
As a francophone, she felt at ease conversing in French during her visit to Paris.
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At the same time, Quebecers are perfectly aware of the needs of the francophone majority and the rights of its anglophone national minority.
Academic text (1999) -
Meanwhile, Benin's stunning national conference in 1990, which promised transition to democracy through elections, strengthened the cries for multipartisme in francophone Africa specifically.
Academic text (1994) -
Many francophone Quebecers argue that policies such as official bilingualism are unlikely to secure their distinctive language and culture; hence, a more interventionist approach, involving (for instance) minor restrictions on the use of English in certain contexts, is required as well.
Academic text (1999) -
This study focuses on Senegal, a low-income francophone West African country that is suffering from a critical shortage of skilled health personnel, including those essential for maternal care: midwives, obstetricians, anaesthetists, and paediatricians.
Blog text (28) -
Many francophone communities celebrate their cultural heritage through festivals and events.
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The francophone population in Canada plays a vital role in the country's bilingual identity.
How Fluent
Surface Forms
Morphology
francophone = franco + phone
The word is built from the combining forms franco- and phone, so the meaning 'French-speaking person' is fairly inferable but not fully transparent for an average learner.
Etymology
Francophone comes from franc- meaning 'French' and -phone meaning 'voice' or 'sound', like the -phone in telephone. So a francophone is a person who speaks French.