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I've noticed that potato chips are translated as croustilles in Canada. This seems to be a Quebec French term (and the term pomme chips is used elsewhere)(1)(2)

I haven't been able to find where this usage of the term originates from. I'm guessing the word itself must come from croustiller, but I'm wondering when/how the term started being used specifically in the context of potato chips?

Any insight is appreciated, and since my French is very limited, please let me know if I made any incorrect assumptions!

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    Je ne connaissais pas ce terme, car en France on emploie malheureusement « chips » (prononcé : « ships » !), mais je le trouve très bon !
    – 5915961T
    Jan 4, 2019 at 0:07
  • I am not from Quebec so it may be not entirely true, but Quebecois hate English words and will find or create a new word - so chips was out of question for naming these. In UK English, potato chips are called crisps (maybe for the sound they make when we eat them), so croustilles sounds like a good alternative.
    – Lyzvaleska
    Jan 4, 2019 at 12:24
  • The french word people use in France is also "tuiles". I read it often on packages and use it myself.
    – Christoph Mark
    Jan 4, 2019 at 14:49

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In Quebec, there is an organization responsible to translate and make the promotion of French terms instead of using english words, especially with neologisms, that is l'Office québécois de la langue française.

The translation was created by them (at the end of the seventies I would say) and they tried very hard to make this translation adopted by everyone in Quebec, but still, the word chip, for potato chip, is widely used in spoken French. Though, since it's the official translation, you will encounter the word croustilles on packages that are sold in French Canada.

Official Information here: http://gdt.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/ficheOqlf.aspx?Id_Fiche=8365214

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