French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century ; French: Canadiens français, pronounced [kanadjɛ̃ fʁɑ̃sɛ]; feminine form: Canadiennes françaises, pronounced [kanadjɛn fʁɑ̃sɛz]) are an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to French colonists who settled in Canada beginning in the 17th century. The French Canadian ethnicity (including those who are no longer French-speaking) constitutes the second largest ethnic group in Canada, behind those of English ancestry.[2]