text: French Canadian ( also Canadien in Canadian English or in French , or Canadien franÃ ais in French ) generally refers to French colonists who arrived in New France ( Canada ) in the 17th and 18th centuries .
simplified: French Canadian ( Canadien or Canadien franÃ ais in French ) refers to a nation or ethnic group that originated in Canada during the period of French colonization in the 17th century .