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

• gashèt BT, CA ( n. ) gajèt PC
  1. Trigger; gâchette.
     Al la gajèt! Pull the trigger! (PC); Li te gen so fizi armen e li te gen so dwa anlè gachèt-la e li te pare pou tire. He had his shotgun loaded and he had his finger on the trigger and he was ready to shoot. (CA) See examples
• gaspiyé CA, MO 60, NE ( v.tr. ) gaspyé PC gaspi PC
  1. To waste; gaspiller.
     Mo te ja gaspye en kartouch pou aryen. I’ve already wasted a cartridge for nothing. (PC); To jis ap gaspiye manje. To lès sa gate. You’re just wasting food. You let it spoil. (CA) See examples
  2. To spend; dépenser.
     T ap gaspiye larjan-la pou achte sa to pa bezonn. You’re spending money to buy things you don’t need. (CA) ♦ Fame la té fait ça pou so mari sorti so chimin et pou li capabe gaspiller so largent. The woman did that to get her husband out of the way and so she’d be able to spend his money. (FO T24) See examples
• gato BT, CA, NE, PC ( n. )
  1. Cake; gâteau.
     Li te kònen kwi, e fe gato. She knew how to cook and make cakes. (PC); M achte en gato. Li te toufe e li te bon. I bought a cake. It was ready-made and it was good. (CA) ♦ Li prend ein grand panier gateaux qui té poisonnin. He took a big basket of cakes that were poisoned. (FO T18) •gato banann n.phr. (PC). Banana cake; gâteau aux bananes. •gato chokola n.phr. (PC). Chocolate cake; gâteau au chocolat, •gato deponm n.phr. (PC). Apple cake; gâteau aux pommes, •gato jiromon n.phr. (CA). Pumpkin cake; gâteau à la citrouille. •gato koko n.phr. (PC); gato kokon (PC). Coconut cake; gâteau à la noix de coco. Gato koko, gato deponm, mo fe gato tou—karamèyl, and tou zafè-sa-ye. Coconut cakes, apple cakes, caramel cakes, I make all of that. (PC) •gato labwi n.phr. (CA). Custard cake; gâteau au flan, •gato limon n.phr. (PC). Lemon cake; gâteau au citron, •gato patat dous n.phr. (CA). Sweet potato cake; gâteau aux patates, •gato roule n.phr. (CA). Jelly roll; espèce de petit gâteau à la confiture. •gato siro n.phr. Symp cake; gâteau au sirop. Gato siro-lœ fou mon en deronjmon. That symp cake gave me diarrhea. (BT) •gato sitron n.phr. (CA). Lemon cake; gâteau au citron. • ti gato n.phr. (CA). Cookie; petit gâteau, biscuit. See examples
• gaté BT, CA, PC ( v., v.intr., v.tr. )
  1. To spoil, rot; pourrir, gâter.
     Se dan livè ye te konnen tchwe kochon , lete se tro cho. Lavyann-la a gate e fe to malad'. It’s in the winter that they killed pigs, summer is too hot. The meat would spoil and make you sick. (PC); Dzifa-lœ va gate o stov si to me pa sa karemon donfrijidè-lœ. The rice dressing will spoil on top of the stove if you don’t immediately put it in the refrigerator. (BT) ♦ Pou mal o don met en chik taba otor don ke gate. For a toothache, put a chaw of tobacco around the tooth that is rotting. (LA) •gate dèriè v.phr. (BT). To be very attached to; tenir beaucoup à. Piti-lœ toujou te gate dèriè so papa. The child was always too attached to his father. (BT)To destroy, ruin; détruire, miner. E gate tou jenn moun-ye. (Drugs) are mining young people. (PC); Si to me tro disèl dan to diri , to pa konen manje li. To gate li. If you put too much salt in your rice you can’t eat it. You mined it. (CA) ♦ Mo connin vou haï Compair Lapin , é moin aussite, pasqué li gaté mo nom. I know that you hate Compair Lapin, and I also, because he has sullied my name. (FO 1887) See examples
• gavyon No sources ( adj. )
  1. Glutton, gourmand; gourmand, glouton.
     ♦ Michié Loup gros gavion, li si content bafré qui li jamain gardé ça qui Ilapé mangé. Mr. Wolf is a big glutton, he is so happy to feed his face that he never looks at what he is eating. (T19) See examples
• gavyon No sources ( n. )
  1. Throat; gorge.
     ♦Am jour ain gros dézo croché dans so gavion. One day a big bone got caught in his throat. (T18) See examples
• gavyònin CA ( v.intr. )
  1. To wander, roam aimlessly; errer, rôder.
     To jich en bonn-aryen. To pa konen sa t ole fe. To jich ap gavyònen tou partou. You’re just a good-for-nothing. You don’t know what you want to do. You’re just wandering about aimlessly. (CA) See examples
• gayar BT, CA, MO 60, NE, ST ( adj. ) gaya PC
  1. Healthy, in good health; en bonne santé.
     La mo vini la pou kou doktè. Mo san pa mon gaya, san pa mon byen. I came there to see the doctor. I don’t feel healthy, I don’t feel well. (PC); Ti-la te malad, me li gayar astèr. The child was sick, but he’s healthy now. (CA) ♦ Quand li vini gaillard, li mandé so fame pardon. When he was back to health, he asked his wife for forgiveness. (FO T15) •pa gayar adj. (BT; ST). Having one’s period, menstruating; qui a ses règles. Me pour enn dam se swa li pa gayar ou byen li endispoze. But for a woman she is either said to be having her period or to be indisposed. (BT) See examples
• gayar BT, CA, NE ( n. ) gaya PC
  1. Guy, fellow; mec, gars.
     Gayar te fe sa parske li te gen larjon. The guy did it because he had money. (NE); Sa se gaya ki tchoue nòm-la. Se gaya-sa-a ki fe sa. That’s the guy who killed the man. It’s that man who did it. (PC); Sa se gayar-la ki vole larjan dan labank. That’s the guy who stole money from the bank. (CA) ♦ Gayare cilà té fé bon lavianne fraîche. That fellow (i.e. that bull) gives good fresh meat.(T8) See examples
• gaz CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Gas; gaz.
     Gaz olyè d lwil. Gas instead of oil. (PC); Li mèt en zalimèt dan gaz e sa fe dife. He put a match in gas and it made a fire. (CA) See examples
• gazolinn BT ( n. )
  1. Gasoline; essence.
     Se nòt gazolin pi dizeul pou mèt sa dan le machin. That is our gasoline and diesel to put in the engines. (BT) ♦ Kon li refredi to met de kirelye gazolin e to bras tou sa byen onsonm. When it cools down you put in three spoonfuls of gasoline and you mix them together well. (BI) See examples
• gazon CA ( n. )
  1. Wild grass; gazon.
     Sa kraz le gazon. (The harrow) crushes the grass. (PC); Zèrb gazon se move pou koupe. Se dir pou koupe. Wild grass is hard to cut. It’s hard to cut. (CA) ♦ Pou la rat malad, to pas to pye gòch onho di gazon. E la to ronvèrs gazon-la. For a sick spleen, pass your left foot over some grass, and kick the grass over. (BI) See examples
• gazèt CA, PC ( n. ) gazét PC
  1. Newspaper; journal.
     Mo gade en peu gazèt, me mo te p ole li li. I looked at the newspaper a little bit, but I didn’t want to read it. (CA) ♦ Maintnant mo oulé vous publié dans vous gazette mo pli responsabe pour statue Miché Kellogg. Now I want you to publish in your newspaper that I am no longer responsible for the statue of Mr. Kellogg. (T34) See examples
• gañé No sources ( v.tr. ) ganñé PC ganyin PC ginyin PC ginyé PC ginñ PC gonyin PC gonyé BT, NE gonñin CA ganñin CA
  1. To gain, win; gagner.
     T a pètèt genye en pe e petet pèd en pe. You might win some, you might lose some. (PC); Mo gongnen on lalotri. I won the lottery. (CA) ♦ Li promet donn li enn pyas si li se ganyen so lakous. He promised to give him a dollar if he won the race. (JR) •ganyen on v.phr. To gain ground on; gagner du terrain sur. ♦ Katafo-ye galope vit, men li te ganyen on ye. Catafo and his brothers ran quickly, but he was gaining ground on them. (JR) •ganyen (so) lavi v.phr. To make a living; faire une vie. cf. vi See examples
  2. To beat (a team or player), score; l’emporter sur, marquer (un point, etc.).
     Mon gonye twa mo gen le meyeu nonm ka twa. I beat you. I have better men (players) than you do. (BT); To konen gonn. To fouti twa. To p ap ale gangnen. You can leave. You’re sunk. You’re not going to win. (CA) See examples
• gelé No sources ( v.intr. )
  1. To yell, shout; gueuler, crier, pousser un cri, hurler.
     ♦ Dans so lit li t'apé guélé «Oh ga! là-bas ce grand macaque! ‘‘ In his bed he was shouting, ‘Oh, look at the big monkey!’ (T37) See examples
  2. To cry; pleurer.
     ♦ Quand li té plis ca penser li hélé: Mo pas ca! Mo pas ca! -et li commencé guéler. When he could no longer think he began to shout 'I can’t! I can’t!’ and he began to cry. (BD) See examples
• gid CA, PC ( n. ) lagid PC
  1. Rein; guide, rêne.
     Kan li RIDE chfal-la li tchòm le gid-ye. When he rides a horse he holds onto the reins. (PC); M ap tyen mo gid apre mo boge. I’m holding the reins on my buggy. (CA) See examples
  2. Rope; corde.
     Vou gen lagid-la, vw e sere l, la ou fou l partè ou mare 1. You have the rope, you tighten it, you throw (the pig) to the ground and you tie it up. (PC) ♦ La li prann en la gid, mare li dan kou a Nelefan. Then he took a rope, tied it to Elephant’s neck. (JR) See examples
• gidé PC ( v.tr. ) gid BT, PC
  1. To guide, steer; guider.
     Te kroche le chenn pour le mile hal, èn gra flèch on bwa pour ye gid leu wagon. For the mules to pull the wagon, you attach the chains to a big wooden tongue to steer the wagon. (BT); M ap gide ran-la pou wa si li drwa. I’m guiding the row to see if it’s straight. (CA) ♦ Ye kontinwe marche pou en bon bout e la nonm ki te apwonte li-menm pou gide ye rete e di, ' anon wa si nou tou la '. They continued walking for a good while, and then the man who had appointed himself to guide them stopped and said, ‘Let’s see if we’re all here.’ (JR) See examples
• gilin No sources ( onom. )
  1. Clink! Cling, guiling!
     ♦ Compair Bouki pran ein sac lazan blan dan so poce et li voyé li on Iatabe guiling! guiling! Brer Bouki took a sack of change from his pocket and threw it on the table, clink! clink! (T3) See examples
• gimòv No sources ( n. )
  1. Marshmallow; guimauve.
     ♦ Fe en siro avek la rasin gilmòv, e bwa sa trwa fwa par jou. Make a syrup with marshmallow roots, and drink that three times a day. (BI) See examples
• gin CA, NE, ST ( v.aux. ) gin pour PC gap NE ginp CA, NE
  1. [Necessity]. To have to, must; devoir, avoir à.
     Le chodyèr gen pou dèt frote e rense. The pots have to be scrubbed and rinsed. (PC); Si li kroch o milye, to gen pou drwati li. If it’s crooked in the middle, you have to straighten it. (CA) ♦ Alors li gagnin pou payé ça. Then he’ll have to pay for that. (FO T1) See examples
  2. [Hypothesis]. Must; devoir.
     ♦ Ye rive la ou enn ave en nonm mò. Ye te konnen kekenn te gen pou vini la. They arrived to where there was a dead man. They knew someone would show up soon. (JR) See examples
  3. [Future]. To be going to, will; aller (+infinitif).
     ♦ M ape parti on en gran voyajœ. Mo pa konnen kan mo gen pou toumen. I’m leaving to take a big trip. I don’t know when I'll be back. (JR) See examples
  4. [Possibility].
     No te gen pou ale me no chanje no nide. We were supposed to go but we changed our minds. (CA) ♦ Tou lòt-ye seye e ye te pe pa. Kanman mwen mo gen pou fe sa? All of the others have tried and they couldn’t do it. How am I supposed to do it? (JR) See examples
• gin gen, MO 60 ( v.tr., v.mod. ) ginñ PC gany PC ga PC
  1. To have; avoir.
     Pròch tou le jou nou gen difèran mènyou. Almost every day we have a different menu. (PC) ♦ Mo gagnin ein lavache qui bourbé au ras la mer. I have a cow which is stuck in the mud near the sea. (FO T1) REM: A speaker at ST remembers that in her youth people would say gagne for ‘to have’. At present, the latter has come to be perceived as a different verb. The form gengn at PC is only used by acrolectal speakers, •gonye èk v.phr. (NE). To trick, fool; tromper, décevoir. Si zòt te ole lenj, zòt pa konè komon pou gonye èk en Jwif ! If you wanted clothes, you wouldn’t know how to trick a Jew. (NE) •gen don sa tèt v.phr. (BT). To «have in one’s head», to have an active imagination; avoir une vive imagination. Wi, to gen don ta tèt pou jongle tou le zafè-sa-lœ. You have quite an active imagination to think of all these things. (BT) •gen kekenn v.phr. (BT). To be involved with, have an affair with s.o.; avoir une affaire avec qn. Èl gen so bo-frè! She’s having an affair with her brother-in-law ! (BT) •gen li byen v.phr. (PC). To have it good; avoir la vie facile, avoir une situation facile à vivre. La ye gen li byen avek tou machin ye gen. Now they’ve got it good with all those machines they’ve got. (PC) •ye gen v.phr. (PC); yè gen, ye genn (PC). There is/ are; il y a. Aben, ye te gen kabouch, pètèt de kabouch, on cha, èn pou blan e èn pou •wa. Well, there was a caboose on the train, maybe two cabooses, one for whites and one for blacks. (PC); Ye gen en ta zwazo dan narb chèn vèr. There are a lot of birds in the live oak tree. (ST) ♦ Ein fois yavait ein l'Irlandais sou qui té passé coté ein piti la rivière ou yé té gagnin boucou crapauds. Once there was a drunk Irishman who was passing near a river where there were a lot of toads. (FO T5) •To gen mo. exp. (PC). You’ve got me; Je ne sais pas/ Je donne ma langue au chat. To gen mo astè, m pa konne sa-la. You’ve got me there, I don’t know that. (PC) •Li pa gen aryen. exp. (BT). There’s nothing wrong with him; Il n’a rien. •Li pa gen tou. exp. (BT). He’s not all there. Il est faible d’esprit. 2. To be (an age); avoir (un âge). Ki laj to gen? How old are you? (PC); Mo gen kat-ven-trwa zan. I’m eighty-three. (CA) ♦ Li mandé Jean Malin qui l'age li té gagnin. She asked Clever John how old he was. (FO T2) 3. To have under one’s control, in one’s power; avoir sous son emprise, avoir bien en main. Si to gen en moun kwa sa, to gen li. If you get someone to believe in that (i.e. voodoo), you’ve got him. (PC) 4. To get (s.o. to do sth.); faire faire (qch à qn). Mo seye gen li montre mon, pou parle on sèrpan e tou kichò. I tried to get him to show me how he talks to snakes and all. (PC).1. Should; devoir. Kan en fanm koulè te fe kèkcho li pa ganfè, ye se taye li. When a colored woman did something she wasn’t supposed to do, they would whip her. (PC) 2. To have to; avoir à, devoir. Ye te gen bat pou sa. They had to fight for that. (PC) 3. [Future]. To be going to, will; aller (+infinitif). Fwa-sa-la, si to pa gète li, li gen chmen en MAJORITY. This time, if you don’t watch him, he will win a majority. (PC) ♦ Li gen neye mwen pou sa. He’s going to drown me for that. (JR) 4. To get, become; devenir. Mo te gen blese o mon djob, I got hurt on the job. (PC) See examples
• ginblé NE, PC ( v.intr. ) ginmblé CA, PC ginb NE
  1. To gamble; jouer (pour de l’argent).
     Nou genble pou en pe larjan. Men tan mo te BACK OF TOWN , no te gen en CLUB, no te genble pou bon larjan. We play for a little money. But when I lived in the black part of town, we had a club and we played for good money. (PC) See examples
• ging CA ( n. )
  1. Group, bunch, gang; bande, groupe.
     Ena en geng nom debout-la dan kwen-la. There’s a group of men standing there in the comer. (CA) See examples
• ginin No sources ( adj. )
  1. From Africa; africain.
     ♦ Compair Dahomey té ein vié zancien nègue guinain ki té rété lot côté bayou . Brer Dahomey was an old African black man who lived across the bayou. (T6) REM: The word ‘ginen’ is attested in Haitian Creole with the meaning ‘African’. In Louisiana, since the word is not recognized by our modern speakers, it is difficult to know whether the word meant specifically ‘from Guinea,’ or more generally ‘from Africa’ . See examples
• ginon No sources ( n. )
  1. She-monkey; guenon, singe femelle.
     ♦ Jour là, c'était ein jour de fête, li té avec ein vié guénon. That day was a holiday, and he was with an old she-monkey. (T34) See examples
• gitar BT ( n. ) gita CA, PC
  1. Guitar; guitare.
     Mo popa te konnen jwè en gita. My dad used to play the guitar. (PC); Enave en benn la mizik avèk en komen, gita e tanmbou. There was a music band with a trumpet, guitars, drums. (CA) ♦ Mo baillé vous in gage, in vaillant la guitare . As a pledge, I will give you a nice guitar. (T1) See examples
• gizé No sources ( v.tr. )
  1. To sharpen, whet; aiguiser.
     ♦ Lave vou avek dolo lamel. Pondon va pe gize en kouto, trape dolo ki tonm onmba. Wash yourself with grindstone water. When you’re sharpening a knife, catch the water as it falls. (BI) See examples
• glasyè CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Refrigerator; réfrigérateur.
     Mo gen en ta rèstan dan glasyè. I’ve got a lot of leftovers in the refrigerator. (CA) See examples
  2. Freezer, icebox; glacière, congélateur. (PC)
• glasé CA, PC ( v.tr. )
  1. To freeze; congeler, glacer.
     Se tou nètwaye, glase. It’s all cleaned and frozen. (CA) ♦ Tou mo sang glacé dans mo veine. All my blood froze in my veins. (T39) See examples
  2. To ice, frost (a cake); glacer (un gâteau).
     To glase li blan blan blan blan. To gen glase to gato, apre to fini fe li. You ice your cake really white. You’ve got to ice your cake after you’ve made it. (PC) See examples
• glims CA ( n. )
  1. Headlamp used for hunting at night; lampe qu’on attache à la tête pour la chasse nocturne.
     Mo fe lachach ou mo ale peche krebis tou lànwi avèk en glims alantour mo latèt. I go hunting or I go crawfish fishing with a lamp around my head. (CA) See examples
• glimsé CA ( v.tr. )
  1. To hunt (deer) with a headlamp; faire la chasse (au chevreuil) à la lampe.
     T ape marche e la t apèrswa en chèvrey apre vini desi twa. To va glimse chèvrey-la e marche en ti peu pli pre me li va pa galope. Li va rèste trankin. You’re walking along and you see a deer coming towards you. You shine your light on the deer and walk a little closer. It won’t run off but will remain still. (CA) See examples
• glisé CA, PC ( v.intr. )
  1. To slip, slide; glisser.
     Li glise an laglas-la. He slipped on the ice. (PC); Ena dolo an planche-la. Fe tansyon. T ap ale glise. There’s water on the floor there. Be careful, you’re going to slip. (CA) ♦ Lapen gete Bouki pi li di, «Ga konm to gra», e li seye chte dolo cho on Bouki me dolo-la glise. Rabbit was watching Bouki and he said, ‘Look how greasy you are!» and he tried to throw hot water on him but the water slid right off. (LA) See examples
  2. To sneak in; se glisser dans.
     ♦ So Majesté Roi Carnaval apé rivé Mardi prochain. Faut mo glissé moin dans so bal sans personne connin arien. His Majesty King Carnaval is arriving next Tuesday. I have to sneak into his ball without anyone knowing it. (T33) See examples
• glwar-o-pèr CA ( n. ) glwar-o-pè PC
  1. Gloria Patri, Glory Be; Gloire au Père.
     ♦ Mo tret o non ti bebe-la, e mo di en Nòtr Pè, en Sali Mari e mo di en glwar o pè. I treat in the little baby’s name, and I say an Our Father, a Hail Mary and a Gloria Patri. (BI) See examples
• go-ènn-konm No sources ( v.phr. ) donn pou go-ènn-konm BT
  1. To tell s.o. off, to send s.o. packing; dire ses quatre vérités à qn, passer un savon à qn.
     Mo donn èl pou go-enn-konm. I told her off. (BT) See examples
• goblé PC ( n. )
  1. Glass, glass with stem; gobelet, verre, verre à pied.
     Mo se bwa deu gobie dolo fre. I would drink two glasses of cold water. (PC) ♦ Jean Malin qui té apé vidé divin dans so goble. Clever John, who was pouring wine in the goblet. (FO T2) See examples
• godish No sources ( adj. )
  1. Simpleminded, stupid, dumb; godiche, stupide, bête.
     ♦ Ain mari godiche vini mandé postiche, qui té servi so femme, pou fé label dame. A simpleminded husband came to ask for a wig which his wife could use to turn herself into a beautiful woman. (T 10) See examples
• godron CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Tar; goudron.
     En ti bònòm godron se pou trape demouch. A tar baby is for catching flies. (CA) ♦ Bouki ranje en ti bonnonm godron e met li ora pwi-la. Bouki made a little tar man and set him up near the well. (JR) See examples
  2. Dirt; saleté, crasse.
     Godron? Se la salite. [godron] means ‘dirt’. (PC) See examples
• godroné No sources ( v., v.tr., v.intr. ) godrannin CA, PC
  1. To tar; goudronner.
     ♦ Li godroné, li godroné li si tan jika li té noi comme négresse guinain. He coated her in tar until she was as black as an African black girl. (T2) See examples
  2. To dirty, get dirty; (se) salir.
     Lamezon-la godrannen. The house is all dirty. (PC)To be sticky; être poisseux. To lenj tou godrannen e siro. Your clothes are all sticky with syrup. (CA) See examples
• gogo CA, PC, ST ( n. )
  1. Buttocks, ass; fesses, cul.
     Ena moun ka di sa se vo gogo, ena moun ka di sa se vo dèryè. Vo ka di sa se mo tchi, o kekichò konm sa. There are people who call that your butt, there are people who say it’s your behind. You can say it’s your ‘ass’ or something like that. (PC); Li blije pase dan so gogo pou ale kote so boyo. He has to go in through the backside to get to the intestines. (CA) See examples
• golé PC ( v.tr. )
  1. To thrash; gauler.
     Se èn gòl pou gole de pakangnen. That’ a thrashing pole for thrashing pecan trees. (PC) See examples
• gon No sources ( n. )
  1. Hinge; gond, penture, charnière.
     ♦ Mo capab racomodé ain lessieu é tou ça qui cacé dan ain voiture: croché, vérou, charnière, gon, piton. I can repair an axle and anything that is broken on a car; hooks, bolts, hinges, eyebolts. (ME) See examples
• gonbo BT, CA, MO 60, NE, PC ( n. ) gòmbo PC ganmbo PC gambo PC
  1. Okra; gombo (légume). (Hibiscus esculentis).
     Kon en piti te gen en deklou, ye te pran en flè on en gòmbo. E f e en katapla, mèt sa on la. When a child had a boil they would take the flower from an okra plant and make a poultice to put on it. (PC); Mon konmons achte du gonbo e de patat su l chmen. I started to buy okra and (sweet) potatoes by the roadside. (BT) •gonbo klo n.phr. (NE). Okra; gombo (légume), •pye gòmbo n.phr. (PC). Okra plant; plante de gombo. To plant lagrenn-na, li lev. Ka li lev li fe en filè La flè-la la li grosi. La to ka kou kase li, se sa ye pèl en pye gòmbo, li fe gòmbo. You plant the seed, and it grows. When it grows it produces a flower. The flower gets bigger. Then when you break it off, that’s what they call an okra plant. (PC) 2. Gumbo ; gombo. Tann ichka to prechke pare, pou TURN to gòmbo OFF anvon to met to chevret anndan pase to kònen t a kwi ye a fe ye tro di. Wait until your fire under your gumbo is almost out before adding your shrimp, because cooking them too long makes them hard. (PC) ♦ Pi yé bâfré gombo avé dou ri yé vante plin. Then they ate their bellies full of gumbo and rice. (T3) •dibwa gonbo n.phr. (CA). Sassafras tree; sassafras (arbre), •gòmbo blan n.phr. (PC). «White gumbo», made without meat or seafood; «gombo blanc», fait sans viande ni fruits de mer. Se jis en gòmbo blan, to pa met aryen anndan 1. To pa met de chevret aryen dtou andan. That’s just a ‘white gumbo’, you don’t put anything in there. You don’t put shrimp or anything in there. (PC) • gonbo chawi n.phr. (CA). Raccoon gumbo; gombo au raton laveur. ♦ Ouâ li apé manzé gombo çaoui avé zambalaya. Saw him eating raccoon gumbo and jambalaya. (T3) • gonbo dlo n.phr. (BT). Gumbo; gombo. Vou fe en ti rou, vou me sa avèk la poul, de sosis, et pi si vou gen dòt choz vou pe mèt e pu vou me sa a bouyir sa saapèl en gonbo dlo. You make a little roux, you put that with chicken, sausage, and then if you have anything else you can add that and then you boil it, that’s called a gumbo. (BT) •gonbo fevi n.phr. (BT; CA; NE); ganbo fèvi, gonbo fèvi, gòmbi fevi, ganmbo fevi (PC). 1) Okra; gombo (légume). ( Hibiscus esculentis). Moun koulè lèm pa gonbo fèvi bwi, se le blan ki lèm sa. Colored folks don’t like boiled okra, it’s white people who like that. (PC) REM: Speakers at PC disagree argue about how to say ‘okra.’ One claims it is either ganmbo fevi or just fevi, while another claims it is only fevi. ♦ [ Pou ] vomisman, to bouy trwa flè gonmbo fevi e to fe li bwa en ti tas a kafe. For vomiting, boil three okra leaves and make (the sick person) drink a little coffee cup of it. (BI) 2) Okra gumbo; ‘gombo’, soupe faite avec du gombo. Aben to kònè ka to fe en gòmbo fevi, to ka me sosis, chevret, enon moun ti fe li avet lavyàn bef. You know, when you make an okra gumbo, you can add sausage, shrimp, there are people who make it with beef. (PC); Se en zardinaj sa osit. Vou pœ fe li etoufe epi an gonbo fevi. (Okra) is a vegetable too. You can stew it or make an okra gumbo with it. (BT); To koup to fevi. To mèt sa dan chodyèr e de lagrès. To touf li byen, zongnon e tou. To gen pou ote filan-la. Kan li tou sòrti, to mèt dolo e la to fe en gonbo fevi. You cut up your okra. You put it in a pot with grease. You smother it well with onions. You have to remove the slime. When it’s all gone, you add water and then you make an okra gumbo. (CA) •gonbo file n.phr. (CA). File gumbo (a gumbo made with sassafras powder used as a thickening agent instead of okra); gombo filé (gombo fait à la base de sassafras en poudre au lieu de gombo). (CA) •gòmbo kribis n.phr. (PC); gonmbo kribis, gonmbo de zekrebis (CA). Crawfish gumbo; gombo aux écrevisses. Enon plen moun k en fe gòmbo kribis, o wi, gòmbo kribis se en gòmbo osi. There are a lot of people who make crawfish gumbo, oh yes, crawfish gumbo is a gumbo too. (PC) •gòmbo tcheuvrèt n.phr. (PC); gonmbo chèvrèt (CA). Shrimp gumbo; gombo aux crevettes. ♦ Vié pa Djion té porté li ein pé gonbo févi pou ranzé so gombo civrete. Old Pa John brought him some okra to fix a shrimp gumbo. (T14) •gonbo vèr n.phr. Vegetarian gumbo, green herb gumbo; gombo aux légumes, gombo vert, gombo aux herbes. ♦ Fé gombo vert, mo vieil; cé jordi vandrédi, no va fé mègue. Make a vegetarian gumbo, old pal; today is Friday, we will abstain from meat. (T6) •gonbo zèrb n.phr. (CA; ST). Vegetarian gumbo; gombo aux légumes. Gonbo zèrb, to fe sa avèk tou kalite jardinaj. Vegetarian gumbo, you make that with all sorts of vegetables. (CA) 3, Louisiana Creole; créole louisianais. Kan to parl kòm nouzòt, to parl gonbo. When you speak like us, you speak Creole. (CA) See examples
• gonf CA ( adj. )
  1. Swollen; gonflé.
     Mo bimen so ladjèl byen. Li te tou gonf. Li te ble-nwa. I hit his mouth well. It was all swollen. It was black and blue. (CA) ♦ Mo jisse assite coté di feu, apé trempé mo pié dan ain baké do lo, à force yé gonfe! I just sit by the fire, soaking my feet in a big bucket of water, so swollen are they. (WO) See examples
• gonflé PC ( n. )
  1. Swelling; gonflement, enflure.
     Jus parle o li fe lapriyè. Tou gonfle-la gonn. He just spoke or said a prayer (over the sick mule). All of the swelling is gone. (PC) See examples
• gonflé PC, ST ( v.intr. )
  1. To swell; (se) gonfler.
     Ena ki gen ye zye gonfle. Sa gonfle anba ye zye. There are some people who have swollen eyes. It’s swollen under their eyes. (PC); Nouzòt soufèr avèk nou palèt. Li tonbe e li te vini gonfle. Sa te fe mal kan nou te vale. We suffered with our palate. It fell and it would get swollen. It hurt when we swallowed. (ST) REM: The idea is that the palate or actually the uvula gets red and swollen and hangs lower when one is sick with a sore throat. ♦ Nave en chwal ki te mouri, li te gonfle gro konm en tonmbo. There was a horse that was dead, it was swollen up like a tomb. (LA) See examples
  2. To rise; lever.
     La ka ye a fe ye lapat ase di aben ye genn met i dan ye penn, e lès li gonfle. And when the dough was hard enough, well, they had to put it in a pan and let it rise. (PC) See examples
  3. To run toward aggressively, charge; se mer vers.
     ♦ Men enn dan gro-ye gonfle on li an ba e li te blije sòrti dan en oura . But one of the big ones charged at him and he had to get out fast. (JR) See examples
• gosh CA, NE ( adj. ) gòsh BT, PC
  1. Left; gauche, de gauche.
     Ye gen pou ote mwa en ti kataral dan mo zyeu gòch. They have to remove a small cataract from my left eye. (BT) ; Nom-sa-la goche. Li fe tou kikchoj e so lamen goch. That man is left-handed. He does everything with his left hand. (CA) ♦ Lâché-mouen, ti négresse, o ben mo va fou toi on to jié avé mo lot la main. Li fou li. - Bim! La main goche collé oussi. Let me go, little black girl, or else I’ll hit you in your eyes with my other hand. He hit her, bam! His left hand stuck too. (T2) •kote gòch n.phr. (PC). On the left side; à gauche. So kè an kote gòch parèy konm vou-tchen. His heart is on the left side just like yours. (PC) ♦ En haut so la tête li té gagnin deux peignes: un gros peigne du côté gauche, et ein peigne fin du côté draite. On top of her head she had two combs: a big comb on the left side, and a thin comb on the right side. (T40) See examples
  2. Awkward, clumsy; gauche, maladroit.
     ♦ Quand Jean Sotte rivé coté lé roi yé prend ri a force Jean té paraite gauche. When Foolish John arrived at the king’s they started laughing because he looked so awkward. (FO T18) See examples
• gosh CA ( n. ) gòsh PC
  1. Left; gauche.
     Toumen a gòch. Turn to the left. (PC) ♦ Plis loin , encore plis loin, passé a droite, passé a gauche. Further, still a little further, go to the right, go to the left. (FO T3) •a la goch adj.phr. (CA). Awkward, clumsy; maladroit, gauche. Moun-sa-la en ta a la goch. Those people are very awkward. (CA) See examples
• goshé CA, PC, ST ( adj. )
  1. Left-handed; gaucher.
     Mo goche. I’m left-handed. (PC); Nom-sa-la goche. Li fe tou kikchoj e so lamen gòch. That man is left-handed. He does everything with his left hand. (CA) ♦ Et mo té fort comme d'jab pasqué mo té gauché, c'est vrai: moun qui gauché toujours plis fort, yé dit. And I was as strong as the devil because I was left-handed, it’s true: left-handed people are always stronger, they say. (T27) See examples
• gou CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Taste; goût.
     Ye pa dou, ye pa eg, ye yenk pa gen gou. They are not sweet, they are not bitter, they just don’t have any taste. (PC); Kan mo fe lasos tomat, mo mèt bazili. Sa dòn bon gou. When I make tomato sauce, I put in basil. It gives a good taste. (CA) See examples
• goudlòk PC ( n. )
  1. Good luck; bonne chance.
     Mo ja tannde ye pran en ve krapo pou fe goudlòk. Ye se kite l dan soley ouska li cheche, e fou li dan poch pou goudlòk. I’ve heard they would take an old toad for good luck. They would put it in the sun until it dried, and put it in their pocket for good luck. (PC) • ‘gain goude loque' v.phr. To have good luck, be lucky; avoir de la chance. ♦ Li té pas ca héler mai li té gain goude loque. He couldn’t shout but he was lucky. (BD) See examples