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
Information on contents and orthography:
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- 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
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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
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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
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fonksyon
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Function; fonction.
♦ Yé di mo pas digne rempli fonction là que mo rempli jusqu'à c'theure avec in dignité qui embété yé. They said I wasn’t worthy to fulfill the function that I had been fulfilling up till then with a worthiness that irritated them. (T34)
See examples
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fonn
PC
(
v.,
v.tr.,
v.intr.
)
fon
CA, NE
fòn
MO 60, NE
-
To melt; fondre.
En bèf gen dè lagres. Ye fonn sa, e ye fe li vini di. A bull has fat. They melt it and cause it to harden. (PC); M ap fon lasir. I’m melting wax. (CA) ♦ Mele di konf avek lwil doliv. Fonn li don en lapwal. Mix camphor with olive oil. Melt them in a frying pan. (BI)To melt; fondre. Lakrèm ap fon. The ice cream is melting. (CA) ♦ Pauvre La Graisse li crié, li crié, mais yé forcé li pour resté coté di fé: mais li tapé fonne fonne. Poor Grease was crying and crying, but they forced her to remain by the fire, and she was really melting. (T29)
See examples
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fonsé
No sources
(
adj.
)
-
Dark; foncé, sombre.
Yé té fait les mounes metit'yé mains au ras lo sac-en papier. Si la main té pli foncée yé té pourré pas rantrer. They had people put their hand next to the paper bag. If the hand was darker, they could not go inside. (GY)
See examples
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fonsé*
No sources
(
v.tr.
)
-
To frown; froncer les sourcils.
♦Mo te kri, Nonk Remi di, on fonson so zye. I'thought,’ Uncle Remus said frowning, [‘on fonsont'] (DU)
See examples
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fontèn
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Fountain, spring; fontaine, source.
♦ Jonmen di: fontenn, mo va jonmen bwa to dolo. Never say, Spring, I will never drink your water, [fontaine' ] (DU)
See examples
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fontènn
PC
(
n.
)
fontènn latét
PC
fontin
CA
-
Fontanel, soft spot on a baby’s head; fontanelle.
Ti bebe gen en fonten desi latèt. Babies have a soft spot on top of their heads. (CA)
See examples
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fortun
PC
(
n.
)
fòrtinn
PC
-
Fortune; fortune.
Sa kout en fòrtin. It costs a fortune. (PC) ♦ Vye nonm-la te kwa li te kouri fe so fortin. The old man thought he was going to make his fortune. (JR)
See examples
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foré
ST
(
n.
)
-
Forest; forêt.
No te ale dan fore pou ramase de snèl. We used to go into the forest to pick parsley hall. (ST) ♦ Set nonm t ape trèvèrse enn fore. Sete enn plas ben foure. Seven men were crossing through a forest. It was very dense. (JR)
See examples
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foskoush
CA, ST
(
n.
)
fòskoush
BT, NE
-
Miscarriage; fausse couche.
En fòskouch to konmons awar en dœmœraje, to gen pagayar. A miscarriage, you hemorrhage and you have a period. (BT); Li pèr so bebe. Fanm-la fe en foskouch. She lost her baby. The woman had a miscarriage. (CA); Li pèrdu so bebe par foskouch. She lost her baby through miscarriage. (ST)
See examples
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fosé
PC
(
n.
)
-
Ditch; fossé.
To kònen aou gro fose-a ye ? Aben, mo kwa li res drwat la ora fose. Se sotchèn latè fose-la pase ann. Do you know where the big pit is? Well, I think she lives right there on the pit. It’s her land the pit passes through. (PC) ♦ Pa Lapen parti chèche di ven. La kan li tournen li met li dan en fose la ou enn ave lonbraj. Brer Rabbit went to get some wine, and when he returned he put it in a ditch in the shade. (JR) •fouye fose v.phr. (PC). To dig ditches; fouiller des fossés.
See examples
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fotografi
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Photograph, picture; photographie, image. •tiré (so) fotografi
v.phr. To take one’s picture; prendre une photo. ♦ Mo fé tiré mo photographie; et mo gagnin l''honneur voyé vous in copie. I had my picture taken, and I have the honor of sending you a copy. (T34)
See examples
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fotœj
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Armchair; fauteuil.
♦ Vou, va mouri dan vou fauteuil avec ain nindigestion. You will die of indigestion in your armchair. (ME 91)
See examples
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fou
CA, NE, PC
(
adj.
)
foi (f.)
BT, CA, NE
-
Crazy; fou.
Se frak, sa! Li foi! That’s crazy! She’s crazy! (BT); Depou dan latet. Sa rann en moun fou ou fòl. En moun ki fou se en nòm. En moun ki foi se en fonm. Lice on one’s head. That drives a person crazy. A person who’s [fou] is a man. A person who’s [fòl] is a woman. (PC); Fanm-la ap bat so zye-ye kòm keken ki foi. That woman is batting her eyes like a crazy person. (CA) REM: The gender distinction between fou (m.) and fol (f.) is not systematically observed in PC. ♦ Mais mo per li, malé, mo pas Vainmain n'homme fou. But I’m afraid of him, I’m leaving, I don’t like a crazy man. (T27) •kouri fou (fòl) v.phr. (PC); kou fou (PC). To go crazy, lose one’s mind/head; s’affoler, devenir fou, perdre la raison, la tête. T a kou fou dè li. Se ich li t ole. You’ll go crazy over her. It’s only her you want. (PC)
See examples
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fou
PC
(
n.
)
-
Oven; four.
Li di li te ja wa fou dipen ye konnen fe dan lakour. She said she has seen bread ovens that they used to use to make bread in the yard. (PC)
See examples
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fou
BT, CA, NE, PC
(
v.tr.
)
-
To do; faire.
Ye gen chwaze sa y ole kouri fou. They have to choose what they want to do (in life). (PC)
See examples
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To hit, strike; frapper.
Oto-la fou baryè-la. The car hit the fence. (CA) ♦ 'Lache mwen ou m a fou twa avek mo lòt lapat!' E kan li fou li, pat-sa-la rete pri ousi. ‘Let me go or I’ll hit you with my other paw.’ And when he hit her his other paw remained stuck as well. (JR)
See examples
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To deliver, deal (a blow); donner, foutre (un coup).
Fou mo en KNOCKOUT. Deal me a knockout punch. (PC); Fou li en kou. Deal him a blow. (NE); Fout en kou de pye. To kick someone. (BT); Li fou mon en kou-d-pwon. He punched me. (CA) ♦ Sorti! Sorti , avan mo fou twa en kou lapat! Get out! Get out! Before I kick you with my foot! (JR)
See examples
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To throw, toss; jeter, lancer.
Ye se fou li don l trou. They would throw him in the hole. (NE) ♦ Ain ti di vent, pas plis, ma chère, capab d’ain cou fou toi par terre. A small wind and no more, my dear, could throw you down to the ground with one blow. (T21) •fou deyò v.phr. (PC). To throw s.o. out; mettre à la porte. DAMN TO HELL si to fou mon deyò ye tou gen soti. Damn you, if you throw me out, all of them will have to leave. (PC) • fou par-tèr v.phr. (BT; CA); fou par-tè (PC). To throw down; jeter par terre. Te konye li don la sèrvèl pour fou li par-tèr ou ye pe fonn so lagòrj. They would hit it [the pig] in the head and throw it to the ground to cut its throat. (BT); Mo se fou li par-tèr an planche e mo se biche li. I would throw him down on the floor and beat him. (CA) •fou ann v.phr. (PC). To turn on; allumer. Astè ye pa kònen koman pou fe fas, ye a fou tivi ann, ò ye PUT ON en RADIO. Nowadays people don’t know how to tell stories, they put the TV on or the radio on. (PC)
See examples
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To place, stick, put; mettre, foutre.
Pa manke mèm koupe-la, fou li anndan mèm koupe-la. Don’t miss the same cut (when you’re chopping wood), get it (the axe) into the same cut. (PC) •fou dife v.phr. (CA; PC). To set fire; mettre le feu. Ye fou dife dan kabann, ye fe to sòrti, brile to kabann. They set fire to your house to make you come out, they burned your house. (PC); Ye fou dife dan lekiri mile. They set fire to the mule bam. (CA) • fou (so) kan v.phr. (CA; PC; ST). To leave, beat it; partir, foutre le camp. Tou mo piti-ye se la ye ne, e la ye tou e fou ye kan. All of my children were bom there, and now they are all leaving. (PC); Fou to kan. Mo gen ase e twa. Beat it. I’ve had enough of you. (CA) ♦ Lion-la t'olé fait gros bougue, li laissé desrat-la fout so camp. The Lion wanted to show off, he let the rat go. (BD) •’fou côté’ v.phr. To pass out, faint; s’évanouir. ♦ Mo gaignin douleur qui pran moin com ça dan mo vente. Ça couri jisqu’à dan mo zorteil. Quand mo seyé dressé pou assite, on dirait mo tou fou côté! I have a pain that takes me in my chest. It goes all the way to my toes. When I try to sit up, you’d think I was passing out! (WO) •fou pa mal v.phr. (BT; CA; NE; ST). To not care about, not give a damn; s’en foutre. Li te fou pa mal. He couldn’t care less. (NE); I yete fou pa mal. He was carefree. (BT); Mo fou pa mal sa to fe e sa to di. I don’t give a damn about what you do and what you say. (CA) ♦ ’Mo fout pas mal toi, ’ dit Jean Malin. ’ T don’t care about you,’ said Clever John. (FO T2)
See examples
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To trick, fool; tromper. •
Aïe! dit Baleine, Lapin dit moin méme quichogela, mo croi ben li té oulé fout nous zotes. Ouch! said the whale. Rabbit told me the same thing, I think he wanted to trick us. (FO T1) •’fout...onnedans’ v.phr. To trick, fool; tromper. • C’est néque li tout moune, même ein piti, capa fout onnedans. He’s the only one who is so stupid that everyone, even a small child, can trick. (BD)
See examples
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fouiy-mèrd
BT
(
n.
)
fouiy-mèrt
BT
-
Nosy person, busy body, snooper; fouinard.
Mo lenm pa de fouiy-mèrt toujou ape fuyaiye. I don’t like nosy people always prying. (BT).
See examples
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foulir
CA
(
n.
)
foulé
NE
-
Sprain; foulure.
Li gen en foulir. Li t ape jwe FOOTBALL. He’s got a sprain. He was playing football. (CA) ♦ Pou en foulir pron en demi boutey e met en jonn def on don la. For a sprain, take half a bottle and put an egg white in it. ['foulire ‘] (LA)
See examples
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foulri
BT
(
n.
)
-
Craziness, foolishness, stupidity; folie, bêtise.
El ich ap fe la foulri èk èl-mèm. She’s just making a fool of herself. (BT) •gen en gren d foulri v.phr. To be mad at s.o. for no good reason; être fâché contre qn sans aucune raison, cf. gren fouraj n. (CA; PC). 1. Fodder; fourrage. Èzot plante defèv pou fé fouraj pou betay-ye dan livè. They planted beans to make fodder for the animals in the winter. (CA); To se gen soukouye bin pou fe fouraj pou mile-ye. You would have to shake [the dirt from] the soybean plants to make fodder for the mules. (PC) 2. Hay; foin, •fe fouraj v.phr. (PC). To cut hay; couper le foin. Si ye di ‘m e kou fe fouraj', THEY GONE CUT HAY. If they say I’m going to make fodder, they’ve gone to cut hay. (PC) fouran n. (PC). Furrow, row; rang.
See examples
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foulé
CA, MO 60, NE, PC
(
v.tr.
)
-
To sprain; (se) fouler.
Mo tonbe e mo foule mo jwenti. I fell down and sprained my ankle. (CA); Mo foule mo jounou. I sprained my knee. (PC) ♦ Pou en pye foule ye te konnen fe en kataplonm avek di sel e di vineg. For a sprained foot they would make a poultice with salt and vinegar. (LA)
See examples
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To pack down, tamp; bourrer, tamponner.
Foule, nou te ramas nèf, dis sak par jou. (After it was) tamped down, we had gathered about nine or ten sackfuls a day. (PC); Mo foule mo sak difwon pou sere mo difwon pou kouvèr mo patat. I packed down my bag of hay to pack in my hay to cover my potatoes. (CA)
See examples
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fourbu
No sources
(
adj.
)
fourbi
CA
-
Worn-out, exhausted; fourbu, épuisé, surmené.
Li sòr travay. Li tou fourbi. He just got out of work. He’s exhausted. (CA) ♦ Mo toujou fourbu avec douleurs! I’m always worn out with pain. (WO)
See examples
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fourni
CA, PC
(
v.tr.
)
-
To furnish, provide; fournir.
Bòs-la fourni tou kichò, e twa to fourni to-mèm, kont so-kèn zafè. The boss furnishes everything, you just provide yourself in exchange for his tools. (PC); Mo konpangni fourni kapo pou lapli, de bot e tou. My company furnishes raincoats, boots and all. (CA)
See examples
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fourno
CA, PC
(
n.
)
-
Furnace (in a sugar factory); fourneau (dans un moulin à sucre).
Lé foumo dé la siklèri. The furnace of a sugar factory. (PC); En fourno, se pou moule dikann dan laskleri. A furnace is for grinding sugar cane in the sugar factory. (CA)
See examples
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Oven; four.
Li mèt so dipen dan fourno me li te pa dòre. He put the bread in the oven but it wasn’t golden brown. (CA)
See examples
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foursh
CA
(
n.
)
foush
PC
-
Pitchfork; fourche.
Fou li an ta e pran fouch e me li dan wagon. Put it in piles, take a pitch fork and put it in the wagon. (PC); En fourch, se sa to travay e difwon. To pik difwon evèk en fourch. A pitchfork is what you work hay with. You stab hay with a pitchfork. (CA) •fourch lestoma n.phr. (CA). Part of the chest below the sternum; creux de l’estomac, partie de la poitrine au-dessous du sternum. ♦ To met sa on de bren e to poz li si la fourch lestoma. You put that on cheesecloth and you set it in the center of the chest below the sternum. (BI)
See examples
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Prong; fourchon, dent.
Ena de da ki gen trwa fouch, enan ki gen jich en fouch. There are gigs which have three prongs, there are some which have only one prong. (PC); Pèrch-la te gen en fourch pou leve lakòrd. The pole had a forked end to lift the line. (CA)
See examples
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fourshèt
CA, MO 60, PC
(
n.
)
foushèt
CA
fourshét
PC
foushét
PC
gro léfourshèt
PC
-
Fork; fourchette.
En gar-monje s p met ta laveseyl, to fourchet e to kiyè-ye, to vèr, sa to bwa andon. A larder is for putting your dishes, your forks and spoons, your glasses, what you drink out of. (PC); To manj e en fouchèt e pa e to dwa-ye. You eat with a fork and not with your fingers. (CA) ♦ Quand yé mandé li ein l'assiette li donnin di pain ou ben ein fourcette. When they asked her for a plate she gave them some bread or a fork. (FO T2)
See examples
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Pitchfork shaped like a rake; fourche qui a la forme d’un râteau.
Èn fourchèt pou ramase fouraj. A pitchfork for gathering fodder. (PC)
See examples
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Fishgig, gig; lance longue et barbelée qui sert à pêcher.
Konnfèdere te konnen kou si moun-ye avek fouchet. The Confederates used to rush at people with a gig. (PC)
See examples
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fourshèz
CA
(
n.
)
-
Mower, reaper; faucheuse.
En fourchèz se pou rasanble, pou fè en milo d jwen. A reaper is for gathering hay into a haystack. (CA)
See examples
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fouré
No sources
(
adj.
)
-
Thickly wooded, dense (of woods, undergrowth); fourré, dense.
♦ Set nonm tape trèvèrse enn fore sete enn plas ben foure. Seven men were crossing a forest. It was a very thickly wooded place. (JR)
See examples
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fouré
CA, MO 60, NE, PC, ST
(
v.,
v.intr.,
v.tr.
)
four
PC
fourè
PC
-
To dig; fouiller.
Foure dan en trou. To dig into a hole. (PC)
See examples
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To burrow oneself in, go in a hole; se fourrer (dans son trou).
♦ Tan li ouâ Compair Bouki sofé li tro proce li fourré dan trou di boi. When he saw that Brer Bouki was following him too closely, he burrowed into a hole in a tree. (T4)To put, stick (in), put away; fourrer, mettre. Mo foure l dan stov. I put it in the oven. (PC); To jis foure lenj dan to tirwa. To pa playe li. You just stick clothes in your drawer. You don’t fold them. (CA); Pa foure to ne dan mo biznis. Don’t stick your nose in my business. (ST) ♦ Mo ramassé bête-là et fourré li dans sac. I collected the animal and put him in the bag. (T23)
See examples
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fout
No sources
(
n.,
adv.phr.
)
pa in fout
CA, NE, PC, PC
-
Nothing at all, not a single thing, not a damn thing; rien du tout, pas la moindre chose.
Mo e vini fen jòdi a m pa gen en fout pou mon manje. I’m getting hungry today and don’t have a thing to eat. (PC) ♦ Pouve Compè Bouki si couillon yé pas ca trosse li pou fait ein foute. Poor Brer Bouki is so stupid that they can’t trust him to do anything. (BD) •kone pa en fout v.phr. Not to know a damn thing; ne savoir absolument rien. cf. kone
See examples
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fout
PC
(
int.
)
-
Rats! Foutre!
-
fout
No sources
(
v.tr.
)
fout dé
CA
foud
PC
fouté
NE
-
To make fun of; se moquer de.
Kofèr to jich ap fout de mon? Arèt anbete mon. Why are you just making fun of me? Stop bothering me. (CA); Wè, li kòm e foud twa to konnè, i di 'To vilen, ’ ‘To si so sa', se sa sa min. Yes, he’s somewhat making fun of you you know, he says ‘You’re ugly’, or ‘You’re this or that’, that’s what that means. (PC) ♦T’apé foute moin, roi Bongon réponne. ‘You’re mocking me,’ King Bangon replied. (BD)
See examples
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foutajé
CA, NE
(
v.intr.
)
-
To ransack, search everywhere; fouiller partout.
Sa ye ap chèrche pou, ye foutaje partou. What they were looking for, they ransacked everywhere. (CA)
See examples
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foutimon
CA
(
adv.
)
-
Extremely; extrêmement.
To foutimon kouyon twa. You’re really a jerk. (CA) ♦ Li te nonm foutimon pares e, vye Konpè Ratbwa te. He was an extremely lazy man, old Brer Possum was. (DU)
See examples
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foutriké
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Little squirt; foutriquet.
♦ Miché Carion, vous capab croi, trois foutriquets oulé f... moin dehors comme un vié Azor. Mr. Carillon, you can believe it, three little squirts wanted to throw me the hell out like an old dog. (T34)
See examples
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foutrou
No sources
(
int.
)
-
(An exclamation)
♦ Foutrou, ça lourd comme Diabe, dit Néléphant, anon parti. Wow, that’s as heavy as the devil, said the elephant. Let’s get going. (FO T3)
See examples
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foutu
PC
(
adj.
)
fouti
CA, MO 60, NE, PC
-
In bad shape, sunk; en mauvaise forme, foutu.
Dènyè mo wa Doc, Doc te byen fouti. The last time I saw Doc, Doc was in bad shape. (PC); To konen gonn. To fouti twa. To p ap ale gangnen. You can leave. You’re sunk. You’re not going to win. (CA) ♦ Gardé si mo té pas prend précaution. Ah, Compair Lapin té raison; ein pé plis mo té fouti. Look what would have happened if I hadn’t taken precautions. Oh, Brer Rabbit was right, a bit further and I would have been in bad shape. (FO T18)
See examples
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Damned; maudit, Sacré.
To fouti enbesil. To pli bèt k en bosal. You damned fool. You’re more stupid than a country bumpkin. (CA) •pa fouti v.phr. (CA; NE); pa foutu, pa ftu (PC). To not be able to, not be allowed to; ne pas pouvoir. N te pa fouti rantre dan SALOON-la. We didn’t have the right to go into the bar. (PC); Mo pa fouti mare mo soulye-ye. I can’t tie my shoes. (CA) ♦ Jan wa ke ye lachanm te en laprizon pou ye. Ye te pa fouti sorti. John saw that their room was a prison for them. They couldn’t get out. (JR)
See examples
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fouyaiyé
BT
(
v.tr.
)
-
To pry, nose about; fouiner, fourrer son nez partout, fouinasser.
Mo lenm pa de fouiy-mèrt toujou ape fouyaiye. I don’t like nosy people always prying. (BT)
See examples
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fouyé
CA, MO 60, ST
(
v.tr.
)
fouyè
BT, NE, PC
fwiyé
PC
-
To dig, dig up; fouiller.
Li fouyè en trou e li met poto-la anndan trou-la. He dug a hole and he put the post in it. (BT); Mo gen pou fouye mo patat-ye. Se tan. I’ve got to dig up my potatoes. It’s time. (CA) ♦ Se pròchtan pou nou fouye nou patat-ye. It’s almost time for us to dig up our potatoes. (JR)
See examples
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frajil
PC
(
adj.
)
-
Fragile; fragile.
Sefrajil. Paski, to ka fè li, sa pran tro lanton pou fe li, to ka pèd li dan en jou, en noragon ka vini la e GOOD BYE. (Cotton) is too fragile. It takes too long to cultivate it, and you can lose it in a single day. If a hurricane comes along it’s goodbye! (PC)
See examples
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frak
BT
(
adj.
)
-
Crazy; fou.
Nom li marye te kouche èk sa monmon. Se frak, sa! The man she married slept with her mother. That’s crazy! (BT)
See examples
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fraka
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Mess; gâchis.
♦ Pa Nelson a done vou ein pair cana dame, si lablette pa vini fé fraka dan poulayé. Pa Nelson will give you a pair of turkeys, if the weasel doesn’t come and wreak havoc in the henhouse. (T 17)
See examples
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fran
No sources
(
adj.
)
-
Honest; franc, honnête.
♦ Li esplike li ke li te en volè, men enn ki te fran. He explained that he was a thief, but an honest one. (JR) •Fran Koken prop.n. Franc Coquin (folktale character); Franc Coquin (personnage dans les contes). ♦ Mwen se en fran koken. Mo pa gen pou fe aryen ki mal. Landmen maten Fran Koken parti . I’m an honest thief. I won’t do anything bad. The next morning the Honest Thief left. (JR)
See examples
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franj
CA
(
n.
)
-
Fringe; frange.
En chal gen de franj k ape pann e en tapchal pa gen de franj. A shawl has fringe that hangs down and a cape doesn’t have fringe. (CA)
See examples
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Frans
No sources
(
place n.
)
la Frans
CA, PC
la Frons
PC
Frons
NE, PC
-
France; France.
An kote mo momò ye soti dan la Frons. On my mother’s side they came from France. (PC); Mo rève mo te dan la Frans. I dreamt I was in France. (CA) ♦ Fe te kwa li te deside rete an Frans pou tou tan. They thought he had decided to stay in France for good. (JR)
See examples
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fransé
PC
(
adj.
)
fronswa
PC
fronsé
NE
fransèz
NE
-
French; français.
Se kreyòl ye pèle li, langaj-la, e lòt plas-ye ye pèlè li en patwa franse. Men nou se kreyòl, se en patwa. They call it Creole, the language. In other places they call it a French patois, but here it is Creole, it’s a patois. (PC) ♦ 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. (JR) •kana fronse n.phr. Greenhead Mallard; canard français. ( Anas platyrhynchos). cf. kanar
See examples
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fransé
CA, PC
(
n.
)
fronsé
NE, PC
fransèz
NE
-
French person; Français.
Vyè Pè H. sètè en Fronse, li sòti la Frans. Old Father H. was a Frenchman, he came from France. (PC) ♦ Enn jwa de Franse te ape trèvèrse en swanp. Once two Frenchmen were crossing a swamp. (JR)
See examples
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French, the French language; le français.
An franse se en matou. An kreyòl se en popa chat. In French it’s a ‘tomcat’. In Creole it’s a [popa chat]. (PC); Aswaye-vou, se franse. No di asit. ‘Assoyez-vous’ is French (for ‘sit down’). [In Creole] we say ‘asit’. (CA) ♦Ma pas connin comment yé pélé Low Hell en français. I don’t know what they call Low Hell in French. (T40) •bon franse n.phr. (CA; PC); bon fronse (NE). Good French, proper French (often used of Cajun in contrast to Creole); bon français, français correct (souvent utilisé en parlant du cadien par opposition au creole). Tou vyè moun ye te konnen parle kreyòl e bon franse osi. All the older people could speak Creole and good French too. (PC)
See examples
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frap-dabòr
PC
(
n.
)
flaptabo
CA
-
Deerfly; taon.
En flaptabo, se en ti tan. Li mòrdi. A deerfly is a little fly. It bites. (CA)
See examples
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The Acadians of Avoyelles Parish (term used by the residents of False River); les Acadiens de la Paroisse d’Avoyelles (terme utilisé par les habitants de la Fausse Rivière). (PC)
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frapan
No sources
(
adj.
)
-
Striking; frappant.
♦ Ah! Mo bien regretté yé pas fini statue Kellogg! Si vous té voir pattes là qui déjà faites, cé té frappant avec quene nous Gouvernair. I’m really sorry they haven’t finished the statue of Kellogg. If only you could see the feet that were already finished, the resemblance to our Governor was striking. (T34)
See examples
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frapé
CA, MO 60, PC
(
v.tr.
)
frap
BT, CA, PC
frapè
MO 60
-
To hit, strike; frapper.
Li kouri en kote, peche cha-la frape li. She ran to one side to keep from hitting him with her car. (PC); Zeklè frape kabann-sa-a. Lightning struck the house. (PC) ♦ Men divan-la te tro fo pou li e li frape on en chiko. But the wind was too strong for it and it hit a stump. (JR)
See examples
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To reach, arrive at (a place); atteindre, arriver à (un endroit).
Kan li frape sa mezon li tonbe dan lachanm-l. When he reached his house he collapsed in the room. (PC)
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To strike, assail, overtake; atteindre, frapper.
Kon li sèzi, se, sifre frape li When it (the flower) wilts is when the cold strikes it. (PC)
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To knock; frapper.
Keken ap frape apre lapòrt. Va war ki se. Someone is knocking on the door. Go see who it is. (CA) ♦ Li rive kote en gro lamezon e li frape on la pòrt. He arrived at a big house and he knocked on the door. (JR)
See examples
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fraz
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Sentence; phrase.
♦ Cé Françoése qui dicté moin dernier phrase là. It is Frances who dictated that last sentence to me. (T34)
See examples
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fri
CA, MO 60, PC
(
n.
)
-
Fruit; fruit.
Nou te toujou gen nou fri. We always had our fruit. (PC); Mo manj en ta fri. Mo lenm en morso banàn, en morso depòm. I eat a lot of fruit. I like a pièce of banana, a pièce of apple. (CA) ♦ En ave de fri on lil. There was some fruit on the islands. (JR)
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