Dictionary of Louisiana Creole

The contents of this website remain the intellectual property of the following authors: Albert Valdman, Thomas A. Klingler, Margaret M. Marshall, Kevin J. Rottet

• Warning: There has been no censoring of the data, including offensive language or racial slurs.
• Orthography: Entries use the modern Kouri-Vini Orthography; however, the examples retain their original orthography based on Haitian Creole from the book. There are also several examples written in a French Orthography; these have also been left as is in the book. Additionally, the acute (à) and circumflex (â) when used for stress, preterit, or disambiguation, have not been included separately (i.e., aren't used).
• There are several variants for certain sounds that have not been included in the variants for entries. Please use the variants in quotations in place of the others when searching for words with the following sounds:
  • use "s" for /s/ ← s, ç
  • use "è" for /æ/ ← æ, è
  • use "i" for /ɪ/ ← ì, i
  • use "an" for /ã/ ← an, am, en, em
  • use "on" for /ɔ̃/ ← on, om
  • use "in" for /ɛ̃/ ← in, im
• Parts of Speech abbreviation correspondences:
  • adj. = Adjective
  • adv. = Adverb
  • adv.phr. = Adverbial Phrase
  • art.def. = Definite Article
  • art.indef. = Indefinite Article
  • conj. = Conjunction
  • dem. = Demonstrative
  • det. = Determiner
  • det.poss. = Possessive Determiner
  • f. = Feminine
  • int. = Interjection
  • interr.phr. = Interrogative Phrase
  • m. = Masculine
  • n. = Noun
  • n.phr. = Noun Phrase
  • num.card. = Cardinal Number
  • num.ord. = Ordinal Number
  • onom. = Onomatopoeia
  • pl. = Plural
  • place n. = Place Name
  • prep. = Preposition
  • pron. = Pronoun
  • pron.indef. = Indefinite Pronoun
  • pron.refl. = Reflexive Pronoun
  • pron.rel. = Relative Pronoun
  • prop.n. = Proper Noun
  • ptcl. = Preverbal Particle
  • sg. = Singular
  • v. = Verb
  • v.aux. = Auxiliary Verb
  • v.cop. = Copular Verb
  • v.intr. = Intransitive Verb
  • v.mod. = Modal Verb
  • v.phr. = Verb Phrase
  • v.refl. = Reflexive Verb
  • v.tr. = Transitive Verb
• Sources abbreviation correspondences (post-1960):
  • gen = (BT + CA + NE + PC + ST)
  • AN = Ancelet 1994
  • BT = Bayou Teche, field data
  • CA = Côte des Allemands, field data
  • DC = Clifton 1980
  • DT 77 = Tentchoff 1977
  • GY = Guidry, Richard
  • HW = Hebert Wiltz
  • MO 60 = Morgan 1960
  • MO 69 = Morgan 1969
  • MO 72 = Morgan 1972
  • NE = Neumann 1985
  • PC = Pointe Coupee, field data
  • ST = Saint Tammany, field data
  Sources abbreviation correspondences (pre-1960):
  • BD = Broussard 1942
  • BI = Bienvenu 1933
  • BO = Bourgeois 1927
  • DU = Durand 1930
  • FO T# = Fortier 1895
  • FO 1887 = Fortier 1887
  • GC1 = Cable 1886a
  • GC2 = Cable 1886b
  • JR = Jarreau 1931
  • KB = Krehbiel 1962
  • LA = Lavergne 1930
  • ME = Mercier 1881
  • ME 90 = Mercier 1890
  • ME 91 = Mercier 1891
  • PE = Perret 1933
  • T# = Neumann 1987 Text # (T12–T17 are satirized Creole, use with caution)
  • TM = Marie Augustin
  • TN = Tinker 1935
  • TP = Trappey 1916
  • WO = Marguerite Wogan

Website created by William S. Morales.

5139 entries found

• béryé CA ( n. )
  1. Butter dish; beurrier.
     Pas-mwa bèr-la andan bèrye. Pass me the butter in the butter dish. (CA) ♦Faut mo régalé mo méme, mapé couri rempli mo bérier avec mo bon dibère. I have to treat myself, I’m going to fill my butter dish with my good butter. (FO T13) See examples
• béshé CA ( v.tr. )
  1. To dig, turn over (earth), dig postholes; bêcher, creuser des trous (pour des poteaux).
• bésé NE, PC, ST ( v., v.intr., v.tr. ) bèsé CA, PC
  1. To go down; baisser, descendre.
     An dire la jar-la gen en trou andon li, paskè l e bese en pè. Se mò ki te fe li bese. You’d think the jar had a hole in it, because (the level of the wine) was going down a little. I was the one who was making it go down. (PC); Kouri bese feunèt. Go lower the window. (ST) ♦Ye té gagnin plein bateaux, et yé té gagnin l'air ape dansé on la mer; quéquesennes té lévé et lézottes té baissé. There were a lot of boats, and they appeared to be dancing on the sea; some of them were rising and others were going down. (FO T20) See examples
  2. To bend down, stoop over, crouch down; se baisser, s’accroupir.
     Nou te bese don le ron parske nou te vepa ye wa nouzot ap ramase koton. We crouched in the cotton rows, because we didn’t want them to see us picking cotton. (NE); Mo bèse pou ranmase batan-la porté. I stooped down to pick up the stick on the ground. (PC) ♦Puis li baissé li avec soin, pou n'entrer en bas la table. Then he crouched down carefully to go under the table. (T39) See examples
  3. To set (of the sun); se coucher (en parlant du soleil).
     Sole e kou kouche, sole e bese, le e kou kouche. The sun is going down, it’s setting, it’s going down. (PC) ♦Soleil apé baissé, li tourné vini. The sun was setting, (so) he turned around and came back. (T6)To lower, turn down; baisser. Mo bese BLIND-la. I lowered the blind. (PC); T ape hele tro fòr'. Bèse to lavwa. You’re yelling too loud. Lower your voice. (CA) •bèse latèt v.phr. (CA); bese latèt (PC). To hang one’s head; baisser la tête. ♦ E chevrey bese so la tet dan en gro chagren pas ke li te lenmen fiy-la plen. Then the Deer lowered his head in sorrow, because he loved the girl greatly. (JR) See examples
• bétasri No sources ( n. )
  1. Stupidity, foolishness; sottise, bêtise, niaiserie.
     ♦Ye parti kote ye, ben anmize apre la betasri, malgre la riches, de sèrten moun. They left for home, quite amused by the foolishness of some people, in spite of their wealth. (JR) See examples
• bétay CA, MO 60, NE, PC ( n. )
  1. Insect; insecte.
     Te konnen gen ti ti betay-ye on lefey koton-ye. Mo mo di milou mon. There were tiny little insects on the cotton leaves. I call them [milu]. (PC); Gro zaryen dan bwa, life en gro fil zaryen ron. Li trap ti betay andan pou li manje. A big spider in the woods, he makes a big, round spiderweb. He catches bugs in it for him to eat. (CA) ♦Ye te janmen wa de marongwan e ye te pa konnen ki kalite betay sete ki te ape mòd ye. They had never seen mosquitoes and they did not know what kind of insect it was that was biting them. (JR) See examples
  2. Animal; bête, animal.
     Se parey konm si vou mèt en pyej pou trape en radbwa o nenpòt-ki dan dezè. La ka betay-la vini trape napa, ‘penm!’ L afrenmen sa so latet o so pat. It’s like when you put out a trap to catch an opossum or anything in the field. When the animal comes to get the bait, bam! it shuts on his head or his paw. (PC) ♦Ye te de bon gaya onsonm, paske Konpè Ratbwa te pa bete Konpè Lonpen konm lòt betay ye. They were good pals, because Brer Possum didn’t bother Brer Rabbit like the other animals did. [‘bétaille’] (DU) 2.Cattle; bétail. (MO 60) See examples
• bétayé NE ( v. )
  1. To quibble, nitpick; chicaner, couper les cheveux en quatre.
     Li reste la betaye. He stayed there quibbling. (NE) See examples
• bétiz PC ( n. )
  1. Stupidity, foolishness; sottise, bêtise, niaiserie.
     Betiz se mèm zafè koum kwiyonad. Stupidity is the same thing as foolishness. (PC) ♦Gardé sécret ec'est ein bêtise qui mo pas connin fait. Keeping a secret is a foolishness that I don’t know how to do. (Til) •fe de betiz v.phr. To do (say) stupid things, goof off, joke; faire (dire) des bêtises, plaisanter. ♦ To blije et ape fe de betiz avek mwen. You must be joking with me. (JR) See examples
• bétizé CA, PC ( v., v.intr., v.tr. ) bétiz PC
  1. To kid, joke, tell jokes; plaisanter, raconter des blagues.
     Li betiz plen. He jokes around a lot. (PC); M ap di de zafèr pa vre. Mo jich ap betize pou to ri. I’m saying things that aren’t true. I’m joking so you’ll laugh. (CA) ♦Sa ki to profesyon? So manman mannde li. Mo metye se vole, li reponn. So manman te kwa li te betize. ‘What is your profession?’ his mother asked. ‘My profession is stealing,’ he replied. His mother thought he was joking. (JR)To tease; taquiner. (CA) See examples
• bétrav CA, MO 60, PC ( n. ) bétwav PC
  1. Beet; betterave.
     Mo pran betrav-ye, mo bouyi ye, mo koup ye. Mo mèt en ti pe disèl, dipwav; diwil e de zongnon. I take the beets, I boil them, I cut them. I put in salt, pepper, oil and onions. (CA) ♦[Pou] koklich,fe en siro avek de betrav. For whooping cough, make a syrup with beets. (BI) See examples
• bézwin NE, ST ( v., v.aux., v.tr. ) bezwènn BT bézwènn NE, PC bézèn NE bouzèn NE bozèn NE bèzòñ MO 60 bèzwinñ MO 60 bzènn PC bezènn PC bezòn PC bèzèn PC bèzwènn PC bézòn PC bézonn CA
  1. To have to, must, need to; avoir besoin de, devoir.
     Mo bezwen travaye dur pou fini louvraj-la. I have to work hard to finish this job. (NE); Flè-ye ap fannen parskè ye bèzonn èt roze. The flowers are wilting because they need to be watered. (CA) ♦Si to bésenne vini fort, to ca pronne poil-la et quand t'a lévé li t'a tournein ein tigr. If you need to become strong, you can take this hair, and when you lift it you will turn into a tiger. (BD)To need; avoir besoin de. Mo beuzwenn de klou osi pour ranje la chèj. I also need nails to fix the chair. (BT) ♦Mais Bon Dyé té béni yé, yé té vini dans ein place ou yé té pas bésoin boucou largent. But the Lord blessed them, they came into a place where they didn’t need much money. (FO T15); ‘ bésoin (T32); ' besoin' (T38); ' bésoin dé’ (TI) See examples
• bòld-héd PC ( adj. ) bòld-èd CA, PC
  1. Bald; chauve.
     Kan chœvœ-la pa ka grosi la. Ka to bòld-hed ye di se en BUSY STREET. When your hair doesn’t grow. When you’re bald, they say it’s a busy street. (PC); Li bòld-èd. Li pa gen cheve. Li gen latèt tou ni. He’s bald. He hasn’t got hair. His head is bare. (CA) See examples
• bòlwiva PC ( n. ) bolwiva PC bòlwivœl MO 60 bowiwa CA
  1. Boll weevil; charançon.
     Bowiwa, ye te manj tou patat-la e patat te pi bon. Boll weevils ate all the potato and the potato wasn’t good anymore. (CA) See examples
• bòm BT ( n. ) dibonm CA
  1. Mint; menthe.
     Vou pe fe enn tode avèk du te, avèk de kalite d afèr vou kas deyòr kòm lo bòm. You can make an herbal tea with some tea, and with things you get outdoors like mint. (BT); No sèr dibonm pou fe le tizann. We use mint to make herbal teas. (CA) ♦Pou lafyev to bouyi dibonm don dolo pi pron sa don lete. For fever, boil mint in water and drink that during the summer. (LA); Fe en di te avek di bonm. Make a spearmint tea. (BI) See examples
  2. Anise; anis.
     ♦Fé li boi ain ti tasse di thé baume shauvage, mené li ain cat ap lasse la feuille patate sou so ti vente. Give him a cup of anise tea to drink. Put a poultice of sweet potato leaf on his little stomach. (WO) See examples
• bòr BT, CA, MO 60, NE, PC ( n. ) bo PC
  1. Side, edge; côté, bord.
     Mwa mo di ina en ta ondon mo-tchén nasyon ki gen mem koulœr kom twa, e na zon ondon to-tchén bòr ki gen koulœr pa kom mwa onkor. I say that in my race, there a lot of people who have the same skin color as you do; and there are some people on your side whose skin color isn’t quite like mine yet. (NE) •bòr isit adv.phr. (NE; PC); bòr isi (NE); o bòr isi (CA). Here, to (on) this side; ici, de ce côté-ci. Vy è Kadjen sot i on lil tou patou la, ye te pa ga aryen , aryen ditou. Tou kichòz t o bor isit. The old Cajuns from the Island didn’t have anything at all. Everything was on this side. (PC) ♦ Tou moune bor icit yé voyé vou bon zamiké. Everyone here sends you their best wishes. (T14) •bòr e babòr adv.phr. (CA). Every which way; dans tous les sens, à tort et à travers. Le kochon tou parti bòr e babòr. The pigs went every which way. (MO 60); Ekan to va fini ale bòr e babòr? When are you going to stop running every which way? (CA) •bòr chapo n.phr. (ST). Brim of a hat; bord de chapeau, •bor-la adv.phr. (BT). On the other side, on this (that) side; de ce côté-là. T e pase la, t e kapote la tèr bor-la; ti veuve bor-la, t e kapote bor-la, ti kontinue. You came along here, you turned the earth over to one side, you went along there, turned it over on that side, and continued on. (BT) •en bòr adv.phr. (BT). On one side; d’un côté. Enn chari gen enn orey. La, kan to rant li, le fe la tèr kapote konm sa pou fe ton ran juch en bòr. A plow has an ‘ear’. So when you push it in, it turns the dirt over like that to make your rows even on one side. (BT) • le deu bòr adv.phr. (BT). On both sides; des deux côtés. Ina deu, enn chari e pi na enflouk. Kant i rant dan la tèr li tir la tè le deu bòr. There are two different ones, a single and a double plow. When you push it into the ground it throws dirt on both sides. (BT) •lòt bòr n.phr. (NE). The other side; l’autre côté. Msye Pèryo rès on lòt bòr la ri. Mr. Periou lives on the other side of the street. (NE) •lòt bòr adv.phr. (CA; NE; PC). On the other side (of any body of water, e.g. of any bayou, of the Mississippi River or the Atlantic Ocean); de l’autre côté (de n’importe quelle surface d’eau, p.ex. d’un bayou, du fleuve Mississippi, de l’Océan Atlantique). Ena en ke rès lot bòr. Li rès not koteflèv-la. There is one who lives on the other side. She lives on the other side of the river. (CA); Le moun-d-koulœr rès lòt bòr bayou. Colored folks live on the other side of the bayou. (NE); To pèl lòt kote Lòt Bo. They call the other bank [of False River] ‘the other side’. (PC) •o bòr prep. (NE); o bòd (PC). 1) On, with; avec, sur. Mo garson, li li bwa kafe. Li gen en tas o bòd li. My son, he drinks coffee, he’s always got a cup with him. (PC) ♦ ‘au bord’, ' au bor’ (T9; T17; T24). 2) Near, close to, at; près de. Kòchmar vyen obòr le lit. Cauchemar comes up to the bed. (NE) ♦ A la fin yé rivé au bord ein la rivière qui té boucou fond. Finally they came to the edge of a river that was very deep. (FO T15) •an bòr isit adv.phr. (PC); an bòr isi (PC). On this side of; en deçà de, de ce côté de. An bòr isit NEW ORLEANS. On this side of New Orleans. (PC) •a bòr prep, o bòr (CA). On board; à bord. Mo mèt li o bòr navir. I put him on board the ship. (CA) ♦ Yé metté li a bord ein navire. They put him on board a ship. (FO T20) See examples
• bòrdé CA, NE ( v.tr. )
  1. To graze, brush (against); effleurer.
     Li rufle borde mon avek char-la. He nearly grazed me with the car. (NE); Li jich manke bòrde apre mon. He nearly brushed up against me. (CA) ♦ Li bòde kont en nab jimèl, li tonmbe. He ran into twin trees, and he fell, [‘bôde’] (DU) See examples
• bòrn CA ( n. )
  1. (Property) marker; borne.
     Sa se la bòrn mo latèr drèt-la. That’s my property marker right there. (CA) See examples
• bòrnin PC ( adj. )
  1. Having property which borders on, adjacent to; qui possède des terres qui avoisinent, voisin de.
     Mo bòrnen ave Sa Romen e mo bòrnen avèk ma sœr. My property borders on Saint-Romain’s and on my sister’s property. (PC) See examples
• bòrñon No sources ( adj. )
  1. One-eyed; borgne.
     ♦ Ein vié négue borgnon vini dan diboi, apé mandé lasarité. An old one-eyed black man came out of the woods begging for alms. (T7) See examples
• bòrñé No sources ( v.tr. )
  1. To poke out (an eye); éborgner.
     ♦ To borgné mo jié, mo pa capa oua. You poked out my eye, I can’t see. (T3) See examples
• bòs CA, MO 60, PC ( n. )
  1. Boss; patron.
     Bòs-la fourni tou kichò, e twa to fourni to-mèm, kont so-kèn zafè. The boss furnishes everything, and you furnish yourself in exchange for his things. (PC); Mo-kenn bòs se bon pou mon. Mo pa konen di aryen pou mo bòs. My boss is good to me. I can’t say anything against my boss. (CA) ♦ Li te toujou kwa ke Bon Dje te bòs dan syèl e nòm te bòs on la tèr. He had always believed that God was the boss in heaven and man was the boss on earth. (JR) •gro bòs n.phr. (PC). Superintendent, boss (at a sugar mill); directeur, gérant, patron (dans une sucrerie). (PC) See examples
• bòs CA, MO 60, PC ( n. ) bos NE, PC bousal ST
  1. Swelling, blister, bump; boursouflure, ampoule, bosse.
     N a én bos k ape sorti on mo nepol. There’s a blister coming out on my shoulder. (NE); Sa fe en bòs e sete gen lapostim andan. It made a bump and it had pus in it. (CA); Ina an bousal an mo latèt. There is a bump on my head. (ST) See examples
• bòs CA, PC ( v., v.intr., v.tr. ) bosté PC
  1. To break, burst; casser, faire éclater.
     En soko, bòm p manje. To tan li vini mi, epi to bòs li avèk to dan-ye. A muscadine grape is good to eat. You wait until it’s ripe, and then you break it open with your teeth. (PC); To bòs en bouton anlè to lafigir. You broke open a pimple on your face. (CA) •bòs milye-la v.phr. (PC). To open a row, a furrow (by plowing); ouvrir un sillon (en labourant). Bòs milye ran. To open the middle of the row. (PC) •boste chiko dekann v.phr. (PC); bòs chiko-ye (PC). To plow under sugar cane stubble; casser les chaumes de la canne à sucre en labourant. To bòs chiko-ye. You plow the stubble under. (PC)To bust, burst, break; se casser, éclater, se briser. Goble-la tonbe partè li bòs. The glass fell on the floor and it broke. (PC) ♦Roi Bongon gratté so latéte. So zié-yé t'apé soti so latéte. Li pensé si dir li té presse bosse. King Bongon scratched his head. His eyes were popping out of his head. He was thinking so hard he nearly burst. (BD) •bòs ri v.phr. To burst out laughing; éclater de rire. ♦ Fiy-ye te pe pi tchenn ye-menm. Ye bòs ri apre Bouki drèt devan li. The girls could no longer contain themselves. They burst out laughing in front of Bouki. (JR) bòs-mayi n. (PC). Popcorn; popcorn, bosal n. (BT; CA; PC; ST). 1. Bit; mors. No te mete de bosal y ye met sa dan ye labouch. We used to put a bit in (the horse’s) mouth. (PC) 2. Halter; licou. La manyèr mwa mo konmons , mo bròs yet mo adousi ye a la kòrd e o bosal. The way I start, I brush them, I tame them with reins and a halter. (BT) ♦ To dija bîtef sotte animal bossale, Bourriquet kèto yé. You are a fool, stupid halter animal, donkey that you are. (FO 1887) 3. Recently imported African slave, bossai; esclave africain d’importation récente, bossai. ♦Misérab de négue bossai. You wretched greenhorn of a slave! (T32) 4. Hick, country bumpkin; péquenaud, rustre. To fouti enbesil. To pli bèt k en bosal. You damned fool. You’re more stupid than a hick. (CA) See examples
• bòs PC ( n. )
  1. Bus; bus, autobus, autocar.
     Le bòs pou charye le piti. Buses for carrying kids (to school). (PC); Dan la ri ye gen en bos ki pas. In the street there is a bus passing by. (HW) See examples
• bòskòyò-d-sip MO 60 ( n. ) bòskòyo-sip CA boskoyo ST
  1. Cypress knee; jet de cyprès, excroissance sur les racines du cyprès.
     Ekan ena dolo ho e to va pa wa bòskòyo-sip , t a bokche apre li e t a tonbe. When there is a flood and you don’t see a cypress knee, you will trip on it and fall. (CA) See examples
• bòt CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Boot; botte.
     Le bòt, se sa to me peche te pye vini mouye. Li fet ave ròbò, lastik. Boots, that’s what you put on to keep your feet from getting wet. They’re made of rubber. (PC); Mo konpanni fourni kapo la pli, de bòt e tou. My company furnishes raincoats, boots, and everything. (CA) ♦En haut so pied li gagnin botte. On his feet he wore boots. (T36); 'botte (T10; T27; T38; T40) •bòt de sèt lye n.phr. (CA). Seven league boots; bottes à sept lieues. Lè djab mete sa bòt de sèt lye pou tante jèn fiy-ye. Se le bòt ki kondi. San bòt , li te pa kapab kòrsye. The devil put on his seven league boots to tempt young girls. It’s the boots that led him. Without boots he wasn’t able to run. (CA) ♦Donne-moin mo bottes sept liés-yéy m'a 'trapé tits bougues-yé! Give me my seven league boots, I’ll catch those little guys! (BD) See examples
• bòys No sources ( int. ) bonys BT
  1. Gee, boy, golly, man; bon Dieu, eh bien!
     E garson a Miss Chandler, bonys, se kèk-choz, nonm-sa-la. Mo jame wa en nonm smat konm sa. And Miss Chandler’s son, boy, he’s something else, I’ve never seen a man as smart as that one. (BT) See examples
• bœf BT ( n. ) bèf CA, NE béf PC bef NE
  1. Bull, steer, ox; boeuf.
     Ye mete en lapo bef on en bari e ye bimen sa. They put a cow hide over a barrel and they beat on that. (PC); Se en gro bèf Takapa. Ye gen gro konn. It’s a big Attakapas steer. They have big horns. (CA) ♦ Li te kwa ke se bef-la ki te reponn li. He thought it was the ox who had answered him. (JR) •'Compair Bef' prop.n. Brer Ox (folktale character); Compère Boeuf (personnage des contes). ♦ Zozo yé placé yé méme autour bayou la et yé oua ein bef vini. -Compair Bef, est-ce que c'est vous qui mangé nous dézef? The birds placed themselves around the bayou and they saw an ox coming along. ‘Brer Ox, are you the one eating our eggs?’ (FO T11) • lavyann bef n.phr. Beef; boeuf, cf. vyann •ti bœf n.phr. (BT). Young bull, male calf; petit boeuf, veau. Kan to gen en vo, to swa gen en ti bœf ou en tit tòr. If you have a calf you either have a young bull or a heifer. (BT) See examples
  2. Beef; boeuf.
     Mo jich sizonen bèf-la e mèt li dan lapwal avèk en ti peu MARGARINE anlèr li. I just season the beef and put it in the frying pan with a bit of margarine on it. (CA) See examples
• bœr PC ( n. ) bèr CA dibèr NE, PC dibè PC dubœr ST
  1. Butter; beurre.
     Li mèt dibè-la on dupen-la. She spread the butter on the bread. (PC); Pas-mwa bèr-la andan bèrye. Pass me the butter in the butter dish. (CA) ♦Ein jou’ Maite vauyé yé dé chéché ein sceau di bè côté magasin. One day the Master sent them to get a bucket of butter at the store. (BD); ‘di beurre’ (FO T4); ‘dibère’ (FO T13) See examples
• cheve CA, PC, ST ( n. ) shévé CA, PC shevœ CA shevé CA shfé CA shvé CA, PC shve CA, PC shfe CA, PC
  1. Hair; cheveux.
     To partaje so cheuve dan milyeu e to pengn li , to très li. You part her hair in the middle and then you comb it and braid it. (CA); Chèvè jonn. Blond hair. (PC) ♦ Tout so chiveix té rassemblé ça et là dans des tits tats qui té marré avec des cordons soulié. All of her hair was gathered up here and there in little piles tied with shoelaces. (T40) •bon cheuveu n.phr. han cheuveu (PC). Straight hair, ‘good hair’; cheveux raides (‘bons cheveux’). To gen ban Chivi. You have good hair (i.e. straight hair). (PC) •move cheuveu n.phr. (PC). ‘Bad hair,’ kinky hair; cheveux crépus. Move cheuveu se cheuveu krote. ‘Bad hair’ means kinky hair. (PC) See examples
  2. Body hair; poil.
     Cheve an mo bra. The hair on my arms. (PC) See examples
• chevronn CA ( n. ) shovron PC
  1. Rafter; chevron.
     Y ape mèt cheuvron e ape sa ye va mèt lakouvèrti. They’re putting on the rafters and after that they’ll put on the roof. (CA) See examples
• chèvre-féy CA ( n. )
  1. Honeysuckle; chèvre-feuille.
     No te sèrvi chèvreu-fey pou fe dite. Sa koup latous. Sa san bon desi labaryèr. We used honeysuckle to make tea. It breaks up a cough. It smells nice on the fence. (CA) ♦ [Pou] mal o zye, bouyi de chev-fey e lave to zye-ye avek sa. Sa òt tou lonflamasyon. For sore eyes, boil some honeysuckle and wash your eyes with that. That removes all of the inflamation. (BI) See examples
• dabòr No sources ( adv. )
  1. First of all; d’abord.
     Kan mo te fe la bisk, dabòr mo mete tou mez epis dan la rou . When I made bisque, first I put all my spices in the roux. (CA) ♦Dabor ki permette toi entré dan la mézon? cofair tapé grognin ? 'First of all, who let you in the house?’ (ME) —conj . Since; puisque. Dabòr to isit, to va ede mon nètwaye mo mezon . Since you’re here, you’re going to help me clean my house. (CA) ♦Dénise, d'abord to laimé moin, allons parti couri léglise allons marié démain. Denise, since you love me, let’s go to the church, let’s get married tomorrow. (T11) See examples
• Dahoméy No sources ( prop.n. )
  1. Brer Dahomey (folktale character); Compère Dahomey (personnage dans les contes).
     ♦ Mo croa mo vo mié couri ouâ Compair Dahomey. I think I’d better go see Brer Dahomey. (T6) See examples
• dakòr CA ( adv. )
  1. Okay; d’accord.
     Mo te pa pou sa. Me mo tonbe dakòr pou fe li. I wasn’t for it. But I agreed to do it. (CA) ♦ Kan li vini gran, èceque tou moune té pa daccor pou di que li té fé onair à so péi? When he became an adult, didn’t everyone agree that he did honor to his country? (ME 91) •tonbe dakòr v.phr. To agree; se mettre d’accord, cf. tonbe See examples
• dal PC ( n. ) ladal CA
  1. Gutter, eaves trough; gouttière.
     Ladal-la, l ape pand. Safe mo fe li arache. The gutter is hanging down. So I had it pulled off. (CA) See examples
• dam No sources ( adj. )
  1. Damned; maudit, Sacré.
     ♦ Kofair péhi cila lib si ein bon Radiko pa gaigné droâ fiziyé ein dam Rébail tan-zan-tan pou mizé nou zot? Why is this country free if a good Radical doesn’t have the right to shoot a damned rebel every now and then to entertain us? (T16) See examples
• dam CA ( n. ) donm PC
  1. Lady; dame.
     To gen garde twa pou en bon donm. You have to save yourself for a good lady. (PC); Sèt en bèl dam. Li te byen abiye. She’s a beautiful woman. She was well dressed. (CA) ♦Tan yé fini manzé, tou cavalié pran yé dammes et mêté en place pou doncé. When they finished eating, all the dancers got their ladies and got in place to dance. (T8) See examples
• dan CA, MO 60, PC ( n. )
  1. Tooth; dent.
     Mo brose mo dan-ye. I brushed my teeth. (PC); Mèt to dan anba lòriye-la. Souri-la va mèt twa en sen-sou. Put your tooth under the pillow. The mouse will give you five cents. (CA) ♦ Pou koupe so don-ye, les ti bebe-la mòrd si en don krokodil. For a child who is cutting teeth, let the baby bite on an alligator tooth. (BI) See examples
  2. Tooth (of a machine); dent (d’une machine).
     Chwini gen plis dan ke laès, en chwini avek en kultivatè, ye tou diferan. A small harrow has more teeth than a cultivator. A small harrow and a cultivator, they’re quite different. (PC) See examples
• dan BT, CA, MO 60, PC ( prep., adv. ) don NE, PC ondon NE, PC andan CA, MO 60, PC nan PC anddan PC anndan PC andon PC ondon MO 60 danz [+vowel] CA, MO 60
  1. In, inside, into; dans, en.
     Nou me nòt sik e nòt bœr anddan lo MIXER. We put our sugar and our butter into the mixer. (PC); Li mèt sa ondon sa poch. He put that into his pocket. (NE); Ye te fe la byèr danz en gran krich. They made beer in a big jug. (CA); Danz en bari dible. In a barrel of wheat. (MO 60) ♦ Ain jour ain gros dézo croché dans so gavion. One day a big bone got caught in his throat. (T18) •don tou prep. In spite of; en dépit de, malgré. Don tou so parese, li resi a lekòl. Despite his laziness, he does well in school. (NE) REM: NE 1985 calls this usage rare. See examples
  2. On; sur.
     Ondon latab. On the table. (NE) See examples
  3. In, at, during, around; vers, autour de.
     Apeupre don le nœv-œr. Around nine o’clock. (NE); Ondon dèrnye lagèr mo papa te on Frons. During the last war my dad was in France. (NE) See examples
  4. Of, from, between, among; entre, parmi.
     Sanm kòm si, dan le jen jan le, kichòw e kouri pli mal kè janmen. It seems like, among young people, there is something that is going worse than ever. (PC); Na zon don le paron ki pa konpron. There are some of the parents who don’t understand. (NE) ♦ Katafo te lœ plis vye dan le trwa ti frè. Catafo was the youngest of the three brothers. (JR) See examples
  5. Out of, from; de, dans.
     Se te hale le jènn don le klou. That took the germs out of boils. (NE); Sòr onndon. To get out of. (PC) ♦ Ye marche on trèk-la jiska ye sorti dan bwa. They followed the trail until they came out of the woods. (JR)Inside; dedans, cf. anddan See examples
• dandi No sources ( adj., n. )
  1. Dandy; dandy.
     ♦ Sitôt mo mené mo chapeau mo couri fermé mo lamalle, et dandy, comme ein étourneau, mo descende coté la halle. Right away I put on my hat and I went to shut my trunk, and as spiffed up as a blackbird I went down to the hall. (T37) See examples
• danjé* No sources ( n. ) donjé PC
  1. Danger; danger.
     Nou te pa donje kòm nou ye astœr-la. We were never in danger like we are now. (PC) ♦ Yé té pas gagnin danger pou so la vie, pasqué so latéte té pas cassé. There was no danger for his life, because his head wasn’t broken. (FO T20) See examples
• danjérè PC, ST ( adj. ) danjerè PC danjœrœ PC danjéré PC donjéré NE
  1. Dangerous; dangereux.
     To ka RIDE dan flèv si t ole mè se danjere. You can ride on the Mississippi if you want to, but it’s dangerous. (PC) ♦ Li fe so lide ke sete tro danjere. He decided that it was too dangerous. (JR) See examples
• dans CA ( n. ) dons NE ladans PC
  1. Dance, ball; bal.
     Ye te konnen gen en ladans le sanmdi swa. They used to have a dance on Saturday nights. (PC); Enave en benn ki t ap jwe lamizik pou en dans. There was a band that was playing music for a dance. (CA) 1. Song, dance song; chanson. Ça fait, quand Compère Bouki voit que Compère Lapin t'apé jouer banjo-là, et pis c'était des si vaillantes danses, li dit, li commencé à inviter so z-amis. So, when Brer Bouki saw that Brer Rabbit was playing the banjo, and that they were such nice dances, he began inviting his friends. (AN T7) See examples
• dansez BT ( n. ) danséz PC dansèz CA
  1. Dancer (female); danseuse.
     Mo te gen en ta de BOYFRIEND. Mo te bonn danseuz. I had a lot of boy- friends. (BT); Li te en bon dansèz e li te ale danse tou le swa. She was a good dancer and she went dancing every night. (CA) See examples
• dansé BT, PC ( v., v.tr., v.intr. ) donsé NE, PC dons NE, PC dans CA
  1. To dance; danser.
     Ye te e danse e bwa wiski, e tou kichò. They were dancing and drinking whiskey and everything. (PC); Mo mari te dans byen. My husband danced well. (CA) ♦ Ye té gagnin plein bateaux, et yé té gagnin l'air apé dansé on la mer. There were a lot of little boats that looked like they were dancing on the sea. (FO T20)To dance; danser. Mo konmonse danse enn vais. I started to dance a waltz. (BT) ♦ Blanc et pi noir, yé dansé bamboula. Blacks and whites alike danced the bamboula. (T10) •danse latcheu rèd v.phr. (BT). To dance very energetically; danser avec beaucoup d’énergie. Li t ape danse la tcheu rèd. He was dancing very energetically. (BT) See examples
• dansœr PC ( n. ) dansè CA, PC donsé PC
  1. Dancer; danseur.
     Mwa sète pa en dansœr. Mo te toujour honnt danse. Mo te p ole donse. I was never a dancer. I was always ashamed to dance, I never wanted to dance. (PC) See examples
• dantis CA ( n. )
  1. Dentist; dentiste.
     Mo ale o dantis. Li rache mon trwa dan. I went to the dentist. They pulled out three teeth. (CA) See examples
• dantèl CA, ST ( n. )
  1. Lace; dentelle.
     Ena en dam ki gen en rob lanòs avèk en ta dantèl. There’s a woman who has a wedding dress with a lot of lace. (ST) ♦ So jipons, yé gaignin dé volan tou froncé avec la dentel. Her petticoats, they have gathered flounces of lace. (WO) See examples
• dané NE ( adj. ) dònin PC donnin PC dannin PC
  1. Damned; damné.
     Le fifole se te le moun dane . Will-o’-the-wisps are (the spirits of) damned people. (NE); To dannen, to nanm pa dan bon plas . You’re damned, you’re soul isn’t in the right place. (PC) See examples
  2. Haunted; hanté.
     Lamezon-sa-la, li donnen. Pèrsòn pa kapa rete andan la . That house is haunted. No one can live in it. (PC) See examples
• dapré BT, CA, NE ( adv. )
  1. According to; d’après, selon.
     Mo t ap boukanne de sosis dan en gro SMOKER. Dapre mwa lèksplozyon sa satake mo zyœ. I was smoking sausage in a big smoker. In my opinion it’s the explosion that attacked my eyes. (BT); Dapre mon se pa bon, se move. In my opinion it’s not good, it’s bad. (CA) See examples