What is "pure laine"

a. (context Canada English) Of or pertaining to francophone Quebecers of "pure" French ancestry, descended from settlers in New France. n. (context Canada English) A pure laine Quebecer.

The French term pure laine literally meaning pure wool (and often translated as true blue or dyed-in-the-wool) refers to those whose ancestry is exclusively French-Canadian. Another similar term is de souche. (of the base of the tree, or root, old stock as in ' Old Stock Canadians').

While most French-Canadians are able to trace their ancestry back to the original settlers of New France, a number are descended from mixed marriages between the French, Scottish and Irish settlers. When these shared the same Roman Catholic faith, their unions were approved by the once-powerful Roman Catholic Church in Quebec. Another factor was the settlement of many English people in the region, many of whom were ultimately assimilated into the francophone culture. Recently, Quebec has also experienced the effects of a policy of immigration from French-speaking countries, which has changed Quebec's culture.