Zydeconoun
Factsheet
What does the noun Zydeco mean?
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun Zydeco. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.
This word is used in U.S. English.
How common is the noun Zydeco?
| 1960 | 0.014 |
| 1970 | 0.019 |
| 1980 | 0.023 |
| 1990 | 0.023 |
| 2000 | 0.028 |
| 2010 | 0.033 |
How is the noun Zydeco pronounced?
British English
U.S. English
Where does the noun Zydeco come from?
Earliest known use
1940s
The earliest known use of the noun Zydeco is in the 1940s.
OED's earliest evidence for Zydeco is from 1949, in the song Zolo Go by ‘Lightnin' Hopkins’.
Zydeco is apparently a borrowing from French.
Etymons: French les haricots.
Nearby entries
- zwanziger, n.1828–
- Zweig, n.1973–
- zwieback, n.1894–
- zwieselite, n.1861–
- Zwinglian, n. & adj.1532–
- Zwinglianism, n.1581–
- Zwinglianist, n.1673–1759
- zwischenzug, n.1941–
- zwitterion, n.1906–
- zwitterionic, adj.1946–
- Zydeco, n.1949–
- zygadite, n.1861–
- zygaena, n.1717–
- zygaenid, n. & adj.1913–
- zygaenidan, n.1837–
- zygal, adj.1886–
- zygantrum, n.1854–
- zygapophysial, adj.1870–
- zygapophysis, n.1854–
- zygite, n.1888–
- zygnemaceous, adj.
Etymology
Summary
Notes
Meaning & use
- 1949–A kind of uptempo syncopated music originating among Creole people in southern Louisiana, typically featuring an accordion and a type of washboard known as a vest frottoir. Also: a dance performed to this.
- 1949
You know we gotta zydeco dance.
‘Lightnin' Hopkins’, Zolo Go (transcribed from song) in Gold Star Sessions (1990) vol. I. - 1964
‘Zydeco’ is a mixture of the blues and the music of the early Acadian settlers and is very popular in Southern Louisiana and along the Southeast Texas Gulf Coast especially in Houston, Texas.
American Folk Music Occasional No. 1. 28 - 1979
[The Twisters] have two records currently available here: Doin' The Zydeco..and Zy-De-Blue.
Guardian 13 June 10/7 - 1979
Zodico refers to the fast, syncopated dance numbers in a Creole band's repertoire as well as to the dance event itself.
N. Spitzer, Zodico: Louisiana Creole Music (record sleeve notes) 3/1 - 2022
The festival is..known for showcasing the wide gamut of musical talent and genres found in Louisiana such as zydeco, gospel, blues and of course, jazz.
Independent (Nexis) 7 May
- kalinda1763–Any of various dances performed in the Caribbean, South America, and Louisiana, which are influenced by African dance traditions.
- breakdown1819–U.S. regional (chiefly southern). A boisterous rural dancing party; a hoedown, shindig. Also: a fast dance or song typical of this; esp. one…
- juba1838–A species of dance or breakdown practised by the black inhabitants of the southern United States, accompanied by clapping of the hands, patting of…
- hoedown1841–A noisy, riotous dance; = breakdown, n. 3.
- walk-along-Joe1862A type of dance; cf. walk-around, n. A.1.
- cakewalk1902–A dance characterized by an exaggeratedly upright carriage of the body, strutting movements, and intricate steps and high kicks, performed to…
- scronch1925–A kind of slow dance apparently originally performed to swing or boogie-woogie music in the 1920s and 1930s.
- Lindy Hop1927–A dance performed to fast, lively jazz or swing music and characterized by exuberant, bouncing steps and improvisation, typically involving a…
- Lindy1929–= Lindy Hop, n.
- swing dance1934–Any of various lively, energetic dances typically performed to swing music (see swing, n.² I.10b) and characterized by exuberant, bouncing steps and…
- Zydeco1949–A kind of uptempo syncopated music originating among Creole people in southern Louisiana, typically featuring an accordion and a type of washboard…
- galliard1545–1789The air to which the galliard was danced. Obsolete.
- passamezzo1568–A slow dance of Italian origin in 2/4 time, related to the pavane; a piece of music for this.
- pavane1591–A piece of music written for this dance. In later use also: a piece of music written in the same rhythm or style as that used for a pavane, or…
- passy-measure1597–= passamezzo, n. Frequently attributive and in plural, esp. in passy-measures pavane.
- rant1656–Chiefly Scottish. A lively, noisy, or irregular tune or song, esp. a lively dance tune.
- passacaglia1659–A slow musical composition written in triple time, usually consisting of continuous variations over a ground bass. Also: an early kind of Spanish…
- passacaille1667–= passacaglia, n.
- chaconne1685–An obsolete dance, or the music to which it was danced, moderately slow, and usually in 3–4 time. ‘The chaconne served as finale to a ballet or…
- rigadoon1690–The music to which this dance may be performed; esp. a lively dance tune in 2/4 time.
- passepied1696–A dance in triple time resembling a lively minuet; a piece of music for this dance.
- rigaudon1708–= rigadoon, n. 2.
- Congo minuet1772–A two-person dance consisting of small, quick, springy steps and incorporating elements of Kongo dance traditions, popular in the late 18th and…
- bourrée1776–A musical composition, written usually in duple rhythm and in two-measure phrases, in which the character of the lively dance so named is represented.
- minuet de la cour1783–A popular variety of minuet. Now historical.
- quadrille1802–A piece of music to which a quadrille may be danced.
- treble1805–In technical and elliptical uses. A kind of step-dance; the measure of or music for this. dialect.
- pigeon wing1807–North American. Dance and Skating. A dance step performed by jumping up and striking the legs together whilst in the air; a dance featuring such a…
- polka1825–A piece of music typically written in 2/4 time as the accompaniment to a characteristic dance (see sense 2).
- redowa1843–A Bohemian folk dance; a ballroom dance in 3/4 or 3/8 time based on this. Also: a piece of music intended to accompany such a dance.
- polka time1844–General attributive in senses 2 and 1, as polka band, polka music, polka step, polka time, etc.
- sega1861–A dance form of the Mascarene Islands (originally and esp. Mauritius, Réunion, and the Seychelles), now typically involving rhythmic swaying and…
- écossaise1863–The music for such a dance (see also quot. 1863); a tune to which the dance is performed.
- verbunkos1880–A type of Hungarian dance to gypsy music; the music played to accompany this dance; a piece of music written in this style.
- drag1901–Originally U.S. A piece of music in a slow ragtime rhythm; (also) this rhythm. Cf. rag, n.⁵ 2a. Now rare and chiefly historical.
- foxtrot1915–A modern dance, of American origin, consisting chiefly of alternating measures of long and short steps; also, a piece of music suitable as an…
- burru1929–A kind of vigorous, popular, and sometimes indecent, dance; the music, esp. drumming, used to accompany this.
- rumba1931–A piece of music for this dance or in its rhythm; the rhythm itself.
- palais glide1936–A ballroom dance with high kicks and gliding steps performed by large groups linking arms in a row. Also figurative.
- Lambeth Walk1937–The name of a street in Lambeth, used as the title of a Cockney song and dance first performed by Lupino Lane in the revue Me and my Gal in 1937.
- jitterbug1938–A dance performed chiefly to fast, lively jazz, swing, or boogie-woogie music, characterized by exuberant, bouncing steps and improvisation, and…
- high life1942–Chiefly in form highlife. Originally: a West African (originally Ghanaian) dance based on the two-step, with an emphasis on the dancer's individual…
- Zydeco1949–A kind of uptempo syncopated music originating among Creole people in southern Louisiana, typically featuring an accordion and a type of washboard…
- big beat1958–Music with a prominent beat, or (also in plural) the beat itself; spec. (a) chiefly U.S. rock and roll; (b) chiefly British a type of dance music…
- hand jive1958–A (repeated) sequence of rhythmic hand movements performed whilst or instead of dancing, esp. to rock-and-roll music. Cf. jive, n. A.2b.
- hand jiving1958–The action of performing a hand jive. Cf. hand jive, n.
- hokey-cokey1966–A kind of dance.
- twist1966–A dance in which the body is twisted from side to side; spec. a dance of this kind popular in the early 1960s. Also, music for such a dance.
- Cajun1967–A style of traditional music originating in rural southern Louisiana that incorporates elements such as singing styles associated with Indigenous…
- club music1971–Any of various styles of music played at or associated with nightclubs; esp. electronic dance music.
- chicken scratch1972–A type of dance music originating among the Pima and Tohono O'odham peoples of the Sonoran desert region of the United States and Mexico, blending…
- smoocher1976–A song or piece of music suitable for accompanying slow, close dancing.
- urban contemporary1980–a. n. (A general term for) a variety of genres of popular dance music, chiefly associated with black performers, including R&B, hip-hop, drum…
- funana1981–A type of dance music originating in the Cape Verde Islands, traditionally played on an accordion and accompanied by a ferrinho (ferrinho, n.)…
- burger highlife1987–A genre of dance music developed by Ghanaian immigrants in Germany, blending elements of highlife music with elements of Eurodisco and funk. Cf. high…
- New Beat1988–A type of electronic dance music, popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s, originating in Belgium, and characterized by a slow, mechanical beat.
- trance dance1988–A type of electronic dance music derived from Acid House and techno, characterized by rhythms and sounds intended to be hypnotic or…
- happy hardcore1993–A form of electronic dance music characterized by a very fast tempo, a repetitive 4/4 beat, and an upbeat or euphoric sound, often featuring female…
- Goa trance1994–(Also with capital initials) a variety of electronic dance music originating in Goa as a subgenre of trance (see trance, n.¹ additions) and closely…
- hardbag1994–A form of electronic dance music popular in the mid to late 1990s, derived from techno and incorporating elements of handbag (handbag, n. 2c) and…
- hardstep1994–A type of electronic dance music, derived from drum and bass and influenced by soul and reggae; frequently (and in earliest use) attributive.
- azonto2011–A freestyle dance originating in Ghana, involving fluid, rhythmic movements usually mimicking everyday activities, performed while twisting one leg…
Pronunciation
British English
U.S. English
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.
Consonants
b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values
- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige
Vowels
- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot
Forms
Variant forms
- 1900s–zarico, zodico, zologo, zotico, zottico, zydeco
Frequency
Zydeco typically occurs about 0.03 times per million words in modern written English.
Zydeco is in frequency band 3, which contains words occurring between 0.01 and 0.1 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands
Frequency of Zydeco, n., 1960–2010
* Occurrences per million words in written English
Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.
The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.
For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.
Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.
| Decade | Frequency per million words |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.014 |
| 1970 | 0.019 |
| 1980 | 0.023 |
| 1990 | 0.023 |
| 2000 | 0.028 |
| 2010 | 0.033 |
Frequency of Zydeco, n., 2017–2024
* Occurrences per million words in written English
Modern frequency series are derived from a corpus of 20 billion words, covering the period from 2017 to the present. The corpus is mainly compiled from online news sources, and covers all major varieties of World English.
Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the corpus.
| Period | Frequency per million words |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 0.031 |
| 2018 | 0.028 |
| 2019 | 0.028 |
| 2020 | 0.029 |
| 2021 | 0.028 |
| 2022 | 0.028 |
| 2023 | 0.03 |
| 2024 | 0.03 |