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

• akt CA, PC ( n. ) ak CA, PC
  1. Act; acte.
     Ak dœ kontrisyon, sa se katolik, se èn priyè, The Act of Contrition, that’s Catholic. It’s a prayer. (PC); Akt d amour. Act of Love. (CA) See examples
• akuzé* No sources ( v.tr. ) akuz PC akiz PC akizé CA, PC
  1. To accuse; accuser.
     Nouzòt nou fe pa la mizèr le nwar isi. Ye akuz leu monn blan dan l sud, men sa s fe pa dan l rejyon. We don’t make any trouble for black people here. They accuse white people [of that] in the South, but it doesn’t happen around here. (PC); Ye akize mon ap vole dan magazen. They accused me of stealing in the store. (CA) ♦Tout suite li accusé Compair Lapin, mais li jiré c’était pas li. Right away he accused Brer Rabbit, but the latter swore it wasn’t him. (FO T4) See examples
• akòrdé BT, CA ( v., v.tr. ) akòd PC akodé PC
  1. To get along; s’entendre.
     O lil se bon, sè en bon plas pou fe la vi. E tou l monn akòd ye mye. Oh, the Island is great, it’s a good place to live. And everyone there gets along better. (PC); Nou te akòrde byen onsonm, mo mari e mon. We got along well together, my husband and I. (BT)1. To grant; accorder. ♦ Mo vini mandé toi qui ça to oulé, mo va accordé toi li et to sera pou moin quand ta mouri. I came to ask you what you want. I’m going to grant it to you, and you will belong to me when you die. (FO T3) 2. To get along (with), agree (with); s’entendre (avec), être d’accord (avec). Si t ole pati, mo akòrde avèk twa. If you want to leave, I’m in agreement with you. (CA) See examples
• akòrdéyon BT ( n. ) lakòrdéyon BT, PC kòrdèlon PC kòrdéyon PC lakòrdéon NE
  1. Accordeon; accordéon.
     Ye te jwe violon, akòrdeyon, tanka lakòrdeyon, sa se vit. They used to play the violin, the accordeon. As for the accordeon, that’s a fast [instrument]. (BT) See examples
• alantour ST ( adv. ) anlantò CA
  1. Around; alentour.
     Mo mèt en ti bònom fe a lapay andan mo jarden pou lanse zozo k ap vini anlantò. I put a scarecrow made of straw in my garden to chase away birds that come around. (CA); Nou prèt vini alantour isi vizite tou moun. Our priests come around here visiting everyone. (ST) ♦Ennave enn mouch a fe dan kabàn-la e li te ape vole alantou. There was a firefly in the cabin and it was flying all around. (JR) See examples
• alantour No sources ( prep. )
  1. Around; autour de.
     cf. otur alarm n. Alarm; alarme. • donnen lalarm v.phr. To give, sound, the alarm; donner l’alarme. ♦ Parait qué pendant labarrière t’apé brulé ein pompier passé et ouar ça et qué li couri donnin l’alarme. It seems that while the fence was burning a fireman was going by and saw it, and he ran to sound the alarm. (T40) See examples
• alimé CA ( v., v.tr., v.intr. ) limin CA, PC limé NE, ST limè PC lum PC alimin CA
  1. To light; allumer.
     Ye te pa gen sèlmon èn lonp pou lime ye mezon. They didn’t have a single lamp to light their house. (NE); Alimen chandèl-ye pou gen lalimyèr. Light the candles to get some light. (CA) ♦To me di swif si de koton mayi; la to alim sa e fe ye boukane. You put tallow on the corncobs. Then you light them and make them smoke. (BI); Lese mwen vini limen mo pip kote di fe-la. Let me come and light my pipe at the fire. (JR)To light up; s’illuminer. Apre soley kouche, sa te fe nwar e mouch-a-fe-ye komanse soti. Ye te limen. After the sun set it was dark and the fireflies began to come out. They were lighting up. (CA) See examples
• aliz No sources ( n. )
  1. The edible fruit of the blackhaw; le fruit comestible du ‘blackhaw’. (Viburnum rufidulum). REM: In France, the term alise designates the sorb-apple, fruit of the service tree, l’alisier.
     ♦ Pou la pwatrin sèk, to sèr de zonyon daliz. For a dry stomach you use the fruit of the blackhaw. (BI) See examples
• Alman CA, PC ( prop.n. )
  1. Germany; Allemagne. REM: Speakers at PC recognize Almony as the name of the country but spontaneously use Alman.
• alman CA, PC ( n. )
  1. German; Allemand.
     Mon pepèr te alman. Li sòr dan Alman. My grandfather was German. He came from Germany. (CA) See examples
• almanak PC ( n. ) larmanak CA, PC larmonak PC nœrmenak PC larminak PC
  1. Calendar; calendrier.
     Mo gen en larmanak pou 1997. Mo ekri tou mo BIRTHDAYS-ye an mo larmanak. I have a calendar for 1997. I write all my birthdays on my calendar. (CA) 2. Almanac; alménac. To garde dan larmanak li di twa. You look in the almanac, it tells you (when you have to plant). (PC) See examples
• alon CA, NE ( ptcl. ) ano PC anon MO 60, NE, PC, ST anou NE, PC
  1. [Used for marking the lpl imperative or exhortative, cf. ‘Let’s’ in English].
     Anon pa pase dan dezè. Anon pase anmba lekò. Let’s not pass through the field, let’s pass along the bank. (PC); Alon reste isi, alon fe en dine! Let’s stay here and make dinner! (NE) ♦Paix to ladjeule, dit Compair Lapin, anon vancé et pi couté, mo oulé connin ça yé apé dit. ‘Be quiet’, said Brer Rabbit, ‘let’s get close and listen, I want to hear what they are saying.’ (FO T1) • anon di v.phr. (NE); anon dizon, ano di (PC). Let’s say, Suppose; Disons (que), mettons (que). Anon di, se sèz kont en. Let’s say it’s sixteen to one (in a game of dice). (PC); Anon di n ap ale legliz pou ale chèmen lakrwa? Let’s say we go to church to do the Way of the Cross? (CA) • anon wa v.phr. (NE). Let’s see; Voyons. Anon wa, ondon le wityem mo te gen jich trez-on la. Let’s see, in eighth grade I was only thirteen. (NE) ♦Anon wa, Bouki di an gratan so latet. ‘Let’s see,’ said Bouki, scratching his head. (JR) See examples
• alon CA, NE ( v. ) anon CA, MO 60, NE, ST
  1. Let’s go; Allons!
     Alon avek mwa, zot tou! Come with me, all of you! (NE); Alon an vil. N ap ale achte lenj. Let’s go to New Orleans. We’re going to buy clothes. (CA) ♦A katrè Bouki rive. A ben, anon, li di a Lapen. At four o’clock Bouki arrived. ‘Well, let’s go’, he said to Rabbit. (JR) See examples
• alonjé No sources ( v.tr. ) lanjé CA, PC lanji CA lonjé ST
  1. To stretch out; (s’)allonger.
     Kòm lapòt-la la, se ich ouvè e lanje twa, sa sète twa pou trouve to en plas pou asi. Since the door was right there, it was just a question of opening it and stretching out, it was up to you to find a place to sit down. (PC) See examples
  2. To lie down; s’allonger.
     Mo te las jòrdi-la e mo ale lanje mo-mèm en peu. I was tired today and I went to lie down a bit. (CA) ♦Ye alonje ye menm partè-la kwayan konmanse dromi ben vit pas ke ye te si las. They stretched out on the ground, thinking they would fall asleep at once because they were so tired. (JR) • lanje la men v.phr. (CA). To hold out one’s hand (waiting for a gift); tendre la main (en attendant un cadeau). Li gen so dagnen fiy k ale kolèj, lanje la men. ‘ Prèt mon di pyas .’ She has her youngest daughter going to college, who is always holding out her hand. ‘Loan me ten dollars. ‘ (CA) ♦Ça fé mo vancé oucite et mo lonzé mo lamin. So I came forward also and I stretched out my hand. (T16) See examples
  3. To lengthen; allonger.
     Mo defè mo lourle pou lanji mo rob. I undid my hem to lengthen my dress. (CA); Li lonje so rob. She lengthened her dress. (ST) See examples
• altèr No sources ( n. )
  1. Artery; artère.
     ♦Ma kapab di lapriyèr-la trwa jwa, la si di son arèt pa se en altèr ki koupe. I can say the prayer three times, and then if the blood doesn’t stop flowing it’s an artery that’s been cut. (BI) See examples
• altéa CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Althea; althaea. (Genus Althaea).
     Flè altea. Althea flower. (PC); Enn altea, se mànyè kòm en kòrnen. Se en gro bwa. An althea is like an angel trumpet. It is a big shrub. (CA) ♦Kon la postim rete soti ye te konnen met lwil doliv pou seche bobo-la pi la ye te konnen donn la tizonn altea sike avek di myel. When the pus stopped flowing they would put on olive oil to dry the wound and then they’d give you an althea tea sweetened with honey. (LA) See examples
• altéré No sources ( adj. )
  1. Thirsty; qui a soif.
     ♦Ça té donne li soif soif; tou moment, li té altéré corn si li té manzé la vianne salé ki té ben pimenté. That gave him such a thirst, that he felt at every moment as if he had eaten well peppered salt meat. (FO 1887) See examples
• alyansé PC ( adj. )
  1. Engaged; fiancé.
• Alègzandri PC ( place n. )
  1. Alexandria.
     La fanmiy, ye promyen kouru rèste alantour Alègzandri. The family first went to live around Alexandria. (PC) See examples
• alé CA, MO 60, NE ( ptcl. ) alè MO 60
  1. [Future tense]. To be going to, will; aller (+ inf.).
     M ale montre twa komon ye dons! I’m going to show you how they dance! (NE); M ap ale batize mo ti bebe dimanch. N ap ale gen en dinen apre batenm. I’m going to baptize my little baby Sunday. We’re going to have a dinner after the baptism. (CA) ♦ La nous va héreux et personne pas allé tracassé nous zotes. Then we will be happy and no one will bother us. (FO T15) See examples
• alé gen, MO 60 ( v., v.intr., v.aux. ) alè MO 60
  1. To go; aller.
     Li te p ape garde ke kote li t ale, afors li t ape donse. He didn’t look where he was going, for all the dancing he was doing. (NE); L ale a lekol bònèr s maten. He went to school early this morning. (CA); Ale bèk la. Go back there. (ST) ♦ Mo té si peur mo commencé couri sans connin ou mo té pé allé. I was so afraid that I started running without knowing where I was going. (T34) REM: NE says this form is rare as a main verb ‘to go’, for which va is the usual form. In CA it is common with or without preverbal particles, as a past form. • ale a la sèl v.phr. To defecate, have a bowel movement; aller a la selle, cf. lasèl • ‘allé cherché' v.phr. To go get, fetch; aller chercher, cf. chèrcheTo go; aller. Nou ale kouche a mènui. We went to go to bed at midnight. (PC) See examples
• alòr CA, ST ( adv. ) ala NE alòs CA alors ST alors ST
  1. Then, so; alors, donc.
     Fale nouzot nou march, me le Blon te gen le BUS! Ala le moun nwar fodre ye pron ye pye epi marche! We had to walk, but white people had the bus! So, black people had to use their feet and walk. (NE); Mo te ale ède lantèrman yèr e mo te dekouraje. Alòr mo pa fe oken louvraj jòrdi. I went to help at the funeral yesterday and I was depressed. So I didn’t do any housework today. (CA) ♦Tout stipéfait mo pas répond, alors yé fou moin ein secousse. Speechless, I did not answer, so they gave me a firm shake. (T39) See examples
• am* No sources ( n. ) lam CA, NE, ST nam CA, NE nanm PC
  1. Soul; ame.
     To gen pou priye pou sove to nam. You’ve got to pray to save your soul. (CA) See examples
• amaré BT ( v.tr. ) maré gen, MO 60 mar PC
  1. To attach, tie; attacher, lier.
     Se du fil mare double. It’s string that’s tied around twice. (BT); Si to koup twa, trap en lenj, mar li sere, mar li sere, sa va rete. If you cut yourself, grab a piece of cloth and tie it tight, tie it tight, it will stop. (NE); Ale mare tayo-la. Go ties up the hound. (ST) ♦Bouki, li, prane in gros la corde et li maré so momàn bin, pou li té pas capabe chapé. Bouki took a big rope and tied his mother up well, so she couldn’t escape. (T9) See examples
  2. To moor; amarrer.
     Te gen en pike dan la rivyèr. Mo mare chalon-la, e mo trape mo pwason. I had a stake in the river. I tied my boat to it, and I caught my fish. (PC) See examples
  3. To wind, coil, wrap; enrouler.
  4. To bewitch, have under one’s spell (voodoo term); envoûter, ensorceler, enchanter.
     L a kwi nenpòt ki morso la vyann, e ka l a gen so mwa, l a mèt sa dan la vyòn-n, la li gen to mare leu, t a monje sa. She’ll cook any piece of meat, and when she has her period, she’ll put it (i.e. the menstrual blood) in the meat, then she has you bewitched, you’ll eat that. (PC) REM: This refers to a woman who uses magic to keep a man faithful to her. See examples
• ami CA, MO 60 ( n. ) nanmi PC zanmi PC lami CA zami CA, PC, ST
  1. Friend; ami.
     Mo galope kote mo zanmi on lari. I ran into my friend on the street. (PC); Dez ami. Some friends. (MO 60); Mo gen jich en zami. Sa se to mo zami. I’ve just got one friend. That’s all my friends. (CA); Mari, se mo meyœr zami. Marie is my best friend. (ST) ♦Lœ jou avan la Tousen en dan so zanmi-ye vini vizite li. On All Hallow’s Eve one of his friends came Jo visit him. (JR) • fé zami (avek) v.phr. (CA; PC). To become friends (with); se lier d’amitié (avec). Mon te kònen en pret, mo fe zami avek li. I met a priest and I became friends with him. (PC); Mo fe en ta zami jodi a lafèt. I made a lot of friends today at the party. (CA) See examples
• amizé CA, MO 60, NE, ST ( v., v.tr., v.intr., v.refl. ) anmuzé PC anmizé PC
  1. To entertain, amuse; amuser, divertir.
     Sa se pou anmize li pou pèche li kriye. That’s to entertain him to keep him from crying. (PC); Piti-le otour isi lenmen amize nou me ye fe tro dutren. The children around here like to entertain us but they make too much noise. (ST) ♦ Florimond té imité Nita si bien qué tout moune té trompé, et ça té amisé ti garçon la boucou. Florimond imitated Nita so well that everyone was fooled, and that amused the little boy a lot. (FO T20)To have fun; s’amuser. Me nouzot nou t amize en ta. We had a good time. (NE)To have fun; s’amuser. No anmuze nouzòt en ti bren. We had a little fun. (PC) ♦ «O, mo pa e santi mo-menm ben di tou," li reponn, e ye lese li trankil an pasan pou kouri amize ye-menm. «Oh, I don’t feel well at all,» he replied, and they let him be as they went by to go have a good time. (JR) See examples
• amoure No sources ( adj. ) anmourè PC amouréz PC
  1. In love; amoureux.
     En kòk-sa-la anmourè. That rooster is in love. (PC) ♦Ein jou li oua ein jéne nomme entré dans la maison coté so quenne et li vini amouré li. One day she saw a young man go into the house next door to hers and she fell in love with him. (FO T21) See examples
  2. Intimate; intime.
     ♦ Li té di ein so voisin yé ké yé pélé Michié Bouki, avé ki li té gran camarade, (li té lamouré so fame avé so fie é li té dan la mison compair Bouki com li té ché li). He had said to one of his neighbors whom they called Mr. Bouki, with whom he was great friends (he was quite intimate with his wife and daughter, and he was at home in Brer Bouki’s house as in his own). (FO 1887) See examples
• amoure BT, CA ( n. ) lamòrè CA, ST anmourè PC lamourè PC lamouré PC
  1. Lover, boyfriend; petit ami, copain, amoureux.
     Li gen lamòrè. She has boyfriends. (CA); To bel, se to lamoure parey. Your sweetheart is the same thing as your boyfriend. (PC) ♦ Madame la babillé li et pi quand so l'amouré té parti li dit Jean Malin li sré renvoyé li. The woman scolded him and when her boyfriend had left she told Clever John she would fire him. (FO T2) See examples
  2. Lover, girlfriend; petite amie, amoureuse, copine.
     Se to lamoure, to lenm li. That’s your lover, you love her. (PC) REM: In PC and ST this term can denote ‘boyfriend’ or ‘girlfriend’; in CA it is only the former, and ‘girlfriend’ is usually bèl. See examples
• amourez No sources ( n. )
  1. Lover, girlfriend; petite amie, amoureuse, copine.
     ♦Jean Malin té rémarqué qué quand michié la té au ras madame so l'amoureuse n'avait pas taureau dans la plaine. Clever John had noticed that when the gentleman was with his lady friend, there was no bull in the meadow. (FO T2) See examples
• amson CA ( n. ) lanmson CA, PC lamison PC lòmsan PC lanmso PC lonmson PC ranmson PC
  1. Fish-hook; hameçon.
     Mo met mo napa an l lanmsan-la e voye l dan dolo. I put my bait on the hook and I throw it in the water. (PC) See examples
• amèrikin BT ( n. ) mèrikin BT mérikin CA, NE, PC
  1. The English language; anglais.
     Le fwa blan sa se plus dan vo do, se pou sa ye pèl sa de LUNGS ann amèriken. The lungs are closer to your back. That’s why they’re called ‘lungs’ in English. (BT); Sa tou parl meriken akòz lez ekòl. They all speak English because of the schools. (NE) ♦Mo pa tandé Mérikien boucou mé mo koné niga cé pa ein parol pou di ein Gemman koulair. I don’t understand a lot of English, but I know that ‘nigger’ is no word to say to a black gentleman. (T14) See examples
  2. American who is not of Francophone origin; Américain qui n’est pas d’origine francophone.
     Li Kreyòl o Meriken? Is he Creole or American? (PC) ♦Enn Ameriken te ape fe la chas dan bwa. An American was hunting in the woods. (JR) See examples
• Amérik* No sources ( prop.n. ) Lamèrik CA
  1. America; Amérique.
     Ijèn Dezire, li ne andan HAITI. Li vini dan Lamèrik lontan pase. Eugene Désiré, he was born in Haiti. He came to America a long time ago. (CA) ♦ C’est comme ça nouzottes vini nesclaves dans Namérique. That’s how we became slaves in America. (FO T20) See examples
• an CA, MO 60, PC, ST ( n. ) lon NE on NE
  1. Year; an, année.
     Fanmi-sa-a te viv dan la vil vent an. This family lived in New Orleans for twenty years. (PC); Kan mo te gen trant-dez an, mo fe ote me zamida. When I was thirty-two I had my tonsils out. (CA) ♦La vou met di gout parigori (si se en piti en n on. En piti si mwa, ke sen gout). Then you put in ten drops of paregoric, for a child that’s a year old. For a six month old child, only five drops. (BI) • tou lez an adv.phr. (CA; PC). Every year; tous les ans, chaque année. Nou ajèt en cha tou lez an. We buy a car every year. (PC); Ye plante boujon flè dan chan tou lez an dan janvye fevriye. They planted flower shoots in the field every year in January or February. (CA) See examples
• an CA, MO 60, PC, ST ( prep. ) on NE, PC
  1. [Location, position in space or time]. In, on; en, dans, à.
     An grengnen. In the attic. (MO 60); Ye te mèt li an TV enn fwa. They put him on TV once. (PC); Nou gen kite dimanch pou èt laba-la on lenmdi, dan maten-la. We have to leave Sunday to be there on Monday, in the morning. (PC); La to gen kòm le kalosi on te pye. You have something like calluses on your feet. (NE); M ap parle an telefonn evèk mo kouzin. I’m talking on the phone with my cousin. (CA) ♦ Si to tourn en lachez on en pat don to lamezon sa pòt «bèd lòk». If you turn a chair on one leg inside your house that brings you bad luck. (LA) See examples
  2. [Direction]. To, into, at, towards; dans, a, vers.
     Li pikè an poul. He stuck a knife into the chicken. (MO 60); Li hele on mwa. She shouted at me. (NE) See examples
  3. [Comparison]. Like, as; comme, en.
     ♦Derrière nous té ein nhomme déguisé en diable boiteux. Behind us was a man dressed as a lame devil. (T40) See examples
  4. [Material]. Made of, of; en.
     En mezon on bwa. A wooden house. (NE); Dè poto on fèr. Iron posts. (PC) ♦...ein laflute en canne maronne. ...a flute made of wild cane. (T40); ...ein baguette en djiaman a diamond wand. (T7) See examples
  5. [Source]. From, with, off of; avec, de.
     Ne e fe jiji an zoranj-ye. We’re making juice from the oranges. (PC); Nou soti an BUS-la. We got off the bus. (PC) See examples
  6. [Means, manner]. By, in; en, par.
     Se on sa mo apròn bwa. It is with that (by drinking that) that I learned to drink. (PC); Chariot te on jwa. Charlotte was happy. (NE) ♦Ma quitté li presse en pleurant. I left him almost crying. (T37) See examples
  7. [Division]. Into; en.
     Li tè kase lè sèrpan an dè. He cut the snake in two. (MO 60) ♦ Li partagé dipain la en trois morceaux. He split the bread into three pieces. (FO T27) See examples
• anba BT, CA, PC ( adv. ) onba BT, NE anmba PC mba PC
  1. Down; en bas, vers le bas.
     Li gen kouri mba. She has to go down. (PC); Ti chmen d kanpangn, te me pa de simon anba. Little country roads, they don’t put cement down on those. (BT); Ena kikchoj k ap koule anba an glasyè-la. There is something leaking down in the refrigerator. (CA) 1. Under, underneath, below; en bas. Tou sa mwa mo se avèk se sa swa onlèr ou onba. Everything that will be mine is either what is above (the soil) or what is below. (NE) 3. Downstairs; en bas. Nou kouri laba anmba. We went downstairs. (PC) See examples
• anba BT, CA, PC ( prep. ) onba NE, BT anmba PC mba PC
  1. Under, underneath, below; sous, au-dessous de.
     En kalson se sa ton me anba ton lenj. Underpants are what you wear underneath your clothes. (BT); Mèt to dan anba lòriye-la. Put your tooth under the pillow. (CA) ♦Enfin ein soi li té si quirié li rété en bas perchoir la et li dit: -Bonsoi, Michié Dinde. Finally one evening he was so curious that he stopped under a roost and said ‘Good evening, Mr. Turkey.’ (FO T7) See examples
  2. Down; en bas de.
     Mo kwa li te dehanche so janm anmba lekòr ki kalte monyè. I think he dislocated his leg down the bank some way or another. (PC) See examples
• anbara* No sources ( n. ) zonbara BT lanbara CA, PC lonbara CA, PC ranbara PC lanmbara PC
  1. Mess, fix, trouble; embarras, difficulté, tracas.
     Monmon a Pol ape toujou fe de zonbara. Paul’s mother is always making a mess (or interfering in his life). (BT) ♦Ça fait ein jou Jean Malin té couri coté Compair Lapin pou mandé li ein conseil, li conté li comment li té dans ein grand n'embarras. So one day Clever John went to Brer Rabbit’s to ask him for some advice, and he told him how he was in quite a fix. (FO T2) • fe lanbara v.phr. (CA). To cause trouble, make trouble; faire des histoires, faire des embarras. (CA) • fèzè lanbara n.phr. (PC). Troublemaker; agitateur. Se en vre fèzè lanbara. L a vini parle e mon, li pe e di mon aryen pase lanmbara, li pe e di mon verite. He’s a real troublemaker, he’ll come talk to me, he won’t tell me anything but lies, he won’t tell the truth. (PC) • mene lanbara v.phr. (PC); mennen lonbara (CA; PC). To cause trouble, make trouble; faire des histoires, faires des embarras. To ap menen lanbara. To jis ape fe traka. You’re causing trouble. You’re just making problems. (CA) See examples
  2. Lie; mensonge.
     L a vini parle e mon, li pe e di mon aryen pase lanmbara, li pe e di mon verite. He’s a real troublemaker, he’ll come talk to me, he won’t tell me anything but lies, he won’t tell the truth. (PC) See examples
• anbarasé CA, PC, ST ( v., v.intr., v.tr. )
  1. To be embarrassed; être gêné.
     Ye vo myè ranje li en boutey ke dòn li so pròp dule. Ye anbarase. They prefer to fix them a bottle than to give them their own milk. They feel embarrassed. (CA); Mo te anbarase parskè mo te pa abiye byen pou dinen o rèstoran. I was embarrassed because I wasn’t dressed nice to eat at the restaurant. (ST) ♦ Compair Torti couri trivé Compair Zavoka et conté li coman li baracé pou so lacourse. Brer Tortoise ran to find Brer Lawyer to tell him how he was troubled about the race. (T5)1. To bother, disturb, trouble; déranger, gêner. Tapi-la ap anbarase mon. M ap ote li. That rug is bothering me. I’m going to remove it. (CA) ♦ To fe en dite avek la morel, la to ajout di swif mouton. To bwa sa osi souvon ke rim la onbaras twa. You make a tea with morels, and then you add sheep fat. You drink that as often as your cold bothers you. (BI) 2. To hinder, impede; gêner, embarrasser, empêcher. Rozo se en—Li anbarase twa pou to pase, li gen tou kichò bloke. A reed is a- It gets in your way, it’s got everything blocked off. (PC) See examples
• anbarké CA ( v.intr. )
  1. To embark, board; embarquer.
     Mo anbarke kan m ape monte andan tomobil. I board when I’m getting in the car. (CA) ♦ Ye barke, Batis e so fanm e so de piti-ye, on vil, on en navir franse. They got on the boat, Baptiste and his wife and their two kids, headed for the city (New Orleans) on a French boat. (T7) See examples
• anboshé CA ( v. )
  1. To begin work; commencer à travailler, se mettre au travail.
     Mo komanse travay yè. Mo anboche yè. I started work yesterday. I took a job yesterday. (CA) See examples
• anbrasé CA, ST ( v.tr. ) onbras PC
  1. To kiss; (s’)embrasser.
     Ye bo, ye onbras enn-a-lòt. They kiss one another. (PC) ♦ Li oua Compair Torti on lagarlie, apé brassé Mamzel Calinda. He saw Brer Tortoise out on the porch kissing Miss Calinda. (T5) See examples
  2. To hug; serrer dans ses bras.
     Kan en moun mouri e kan to ap kriye, ye ap anbrase twa e konsole twa. When someone dies and when you’re crying, they hug you and console you. (CA); Mo sèr lenmen anbrase famiy kan li vini vizite. My sister likes to hug the family when she comes to visit. (ST) See examples
• anbèté BT, CA, MO 60, PC ( v., v.intr., v.tr. ) anmbété PC anmbét PC anbét PC abèt PC onnbét PC anbété CA, PC, ST
  1. To mess around with, bother with; se mêler de.
     Me sè pa bon sa vye bouden blan, mo te anbet pa e sa. But that’s no good, boudin blanc, I didn’t bother with that. (PC) 2. To mess around, waste one’s time; perdre son temps. Mo di JUNIOR pou fe tansyon. P ole kouri laba, rès Baton Rouj la kouri anbete la. I told Junior to be careful. You don’t want to go there, to live in Baton Rouge and mess around there. (PC)1. To bother, take the trouble to (do sth.); se donner la peine de (faire qch). Ye en fri kribis-ye. Mo jonmè anbete fri ye to kònè, kòm to fri chèvrèt. They fry crawfish. I’ve never bothered to fry them, you know, like you fry shrimp. (PC); Mo pa antren pou anbete avèk piti jòrdi. I’m not in the mood to deal with children today. (ST) 2. To bother, disturb, trouble; déranger, gêner. Pa anmbete mwon ka me e pase. Don’t bother me while I’m ironing. (PC); File. Ale. T ap anbète mon. Go away. Go. You’re bothering me. (CA) ♦ Li tont béter moin mo fou li ain coûté pied. He hassled me so much that I gave him a kick. (PE) 3. To deceive, trick, fool; tromper. 4. To make pregnant (an unmarried woman or girl); engrosser (une fille qui n’est pas mariée). Miss Chàndler trouve nonm ki anbète Esta. Mrs. Chandler found the man who got Estelle pregnant. (BT) See examples
• anbétan PC ( adj. )
  1. Bothersome, annoying; embêtant.
     Sa se lèb sa, e y anbetan. These are weeds. And they are a nuisance. (PC) ♦ Mo jamin oua arien qui bétant comme moune chez moin. I have never seen anything as annoying as the people at my house. (FO T4) See examples
• anddan No sources ( adv., prep. )
  1. Inside; dedans.
     Ti poure penture te volich. Konm sa, kan la plu tonmb, li rantra pa anndan. You can paint your siding. That way when it rains it doesn’t come inside. (BT) ♦ ‘metté nous en dedans' (T35)In, inside, into; dans, en. cf. dan See examples
• andouy* No sources ( n. ) zandouy BT lanndouy PC lézandouy PC zondouy NE landoui CA landouy CA
  1. Andouille (a type of sausage stuffed with meat chopped into large pieces); andouille (espèce de saucisse farcie de gros morceaux de viande hachée).
     E pi si vou le dòt choz, vou pœ mèt se gros zandouy boukane. If you want anything else you can put in some of that big smoked andouille. (BT) ♦No va gaingnain boudin, saucisse et zandouillete, et tout ça vo lainmain. We’ll have boudin, sausage and andouillette, and everything you want.’ (T20) See examples
• andsou No sources ( adv.phr. )
  1. Under, underneath; sous, en-dessous.
• andsou* No sources ( adj. ) òndsou NE
  1. Sneaky, deceitful; sournois.
     Lapen konpe don en kwen kom-sa-la ape gete li monyèr òndsou. Rabbit was standing in a corner looking at him sneaky. (NE) See examples
• andsu* No sources ( prep. ) onsu PC andsi PC
  1. On, on top; sur, au-dessus.
     Ote arne andsi chval. To take the harness off the horse. (PC) See examples
• anduré PC ( v.tr. )
  1. To endure, put up with, stand, bear; endurer, supporter.
     ♦Se ase pou fe vye metres sòti so la tonm laba don Parwas Poutmonn, e sa to gronmorunon te pa dire, mwen e to momon pa le dire non pli. That’s enough to make the old teacher come out of her tomb in Putman Parish, and what your grandma didn’t put up with, your mother and I don’t want to put up with either. (DU) See examples
• andéòr No sources ( adv.phr., prep. )
  1. Outside; à l’extérieur. (NE)ondeor de (NE); andeyòr (CA; PC). Outside of; hors de.
     So latcheu chmiz t ape sòrti ondeor de so kilot. His shirttail was coming out of his pants. (NE) See examples