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

• goudou No sources ( onom. )
  1. Thud! Patapoum!
     ♦ Vié Madame Torti marché goudou, goudou. Old Mrs. Tortoise plodded along, thud! thud! (T26) See examples
• gouf BT ( adj. )
  1. Dull; émoussé.
     Kan i va vini gouf ti devis e pi ti menn o BLACKSMITH. I kony e pi i me on pon ankòr. When it gets dull you unscrew it and take it to the blacksmith. He hammers it and makes it sharp again. (BT) See examples
• goujon CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Mud catfish, yellow catfish; espèce de poisson-chat.
     (Leptops olivaris). Mo lenm pa goujon. Se pa en pwason pou moun manje. I don’t like mud catfish. It’s not a fish for people to eat. (CA) See examples
• goulo CA ( n. )
  1. Neck (of a bottle); goulot.
     En boutey gen en ti goulo me en pobon se larj. A bottle has a small neck but a jar is wide. (CA) ♦ Pou fou ‘ Réna’d-la onnedans, yé servit lavionne-la dans ein gros djogue ‘vec ein long goulot. To make fun of Fox, they served the meat in a big jug with a long narrow neck. (BD) See examples
• goulou PC ( onom. )
  1. Glug; glouglou.
     Debouche li mo bwa ‘goulou goulou goulou. ‘ I uncorked it and drank, glug glug glug. (PC) See examples
• gouloupya No sources ( n. )
  1. Gourmand, glutton; glouton, gourmand.
     ♦ Pou ça li fait, gouloupia la té bien content. For what he had done, the glutton was very happy. (T19) See examples
• gourd No sources ( n. ) goud PC
  1. Gourd; gourde.
     Moun manj pa goud. People don’t eat gourds. (PC) See examples
  2. Dollar; dollar.
     ♦ Mo gain dix gourdes bosse té doit moin et li vauyé moin. I have ten dollars that the boss owed me and that he sent to me. (BD) See examples
• gourman CA ( adj. ) gourmon PC
  1. Gluttonous; gourmand, glouton.
     Mo po ole èt gourmon. I don’t want to be gluttonous. (PC); Kan to manj tro, to gourman. To tro chyen twa. When you eat too much, you’re a glutton. You’re too much of a pig. (CA) ♦ Bouki té connin Jean Sotte té gourmand et li té mangé pou sire dans gateaux yé. Bouki knew that Foolish John was a glutton, and that he would surely eat the cakes. (FO T18) See examples
• goushyè PC ( n. )
  1. Gutter; gouttière.
     ♦ Fouy en trou a la goutyèr e met li on don la e kouv li. Dig a hole in the gutter and put it in there and cover it. [ ‘gouttière ‘] (BI) See examples
• gout CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Drop; goutte.
     Te gen en gran jar, chak jwa mo se kouri dan lamagazen-la mo se pran mon en ti gout. She had a big jar, and every time I went into the storeroom I took a little drop of it. (PC); Jich mèt en gout lèsans vonniy dan gato. Just put a drop of vanilla extract in the cake. (CA) ♦ Compair Lapin té pa gagné ein goute do lo pou boi. Brer Rabbit did not have a drop of water to drink. (T2) See examples
• gouté PC ( v., v.intr., v.tr. ) gout PC gou CA
  1. To taste; goûter.
     La sa te goute bon. This tasted good. (PC); Goute si to frikase ase sezonen. Taste to see if your fricassee is seasoned enough. (CA)To taste; goûter, déguster. Mo ka goute lay-la. I can taste the garlic. (PC) ♦ Quand yé gouté la couit yé cou liché yé doigts. When they taste the syrup they lick their fingers. (T27) See examples
• gouté BT ( v.intr. )
  1. To drip; dégoutter, tomber goutte à goutte.
     Ti poure penture te volich. Konm sa, kan laplu tonmb, li rantra pa anndan. Li tonmb e li gout disu en-e-lòt. You can paint your weatherboarding. That way, when it rains it doesn’t come in. The drops fall from one to the next. (BT) See examples
• gouvènœr PC ( n. ) gouvnœr CA, PC gouvèrnè CA, PC gouvèrnin PC gouvèrnèr NE
  1. Governor; gouverneur.
     Li te marye e la fiy a gouvnœr, Gouvènœr Mouton a Lafayèt . He was married to the daughter of Governor Mouton in Lafayette. (PC) ♦ Cé té frappant avec quene nous Gouvernair They bear a striking resemblance to those of our own governor. (T34) See examples
  2. Driver (of a cart); chauffeur de charrette, charretier.
     ♦ Gouvernair charrett ‘la descende tout’ suite pou ‘ramassé moin. The driver came down right away to pick me up. (FO 1887) See examples
• gouvèrnemon PC ( n. ) gouvèrnmon NE gouvèrnéman CA, PC gouvèrnman CA
  1. Government; gouvernement.
     Leu gouvèrneumon voye twa isi p fe sa? Did the government send you here to do that? (PC) See examples
• gouvèrné No sources ( v.tr. )
  1. To govern; gouverner.
     ♦ Li marié avec fille lé roi, li prend so place et c’est li qui té gouverné pays la après. He married the king’s daughter, he’s the one who took his place and governed the country after. (FO T18) See examples
• gozyé PC ( n. )
  1. Pelican; pélican. (PC)
  2. Throat; gorge.
     Zozo-la gen en gro gozye. Li konen vale de gro pwason. That bird has a large throat. It can swallow big fish. (CA) ♦ Ein dézos ‘croché dans so gosier. A bone got stuck in his throat. (BD) See examples
• gra CA, MO 60, NE, PC ( adj. )
  1. Fat; gras, gros.
     Disik fe mo gra e mo p ole èt gra. Disik angrès. Sugar makes me fat and I don’t want to be fat. Sugar is fattening. (CA) ♦ Einne fois, yé té gain ein gros coquin desrat tout gras, qui jonmain fait carême . Once there was a big thieving rat who had never observed Lent. (BD) See examples
  2. Fatty, greasy; gras.
     To pa ka monje graton-la. Li pa bon, li tro gras e li di. Then they didn’t eat crackling. It’s too fat and it’s hard. (PC); Man, mo manj pa sosis granchoj. Mo trouv sa en ti peu gra. I don’t eat much sausage. I find that somewhat greasy. (CA) ♦ En moso la vyonn gras. A piece of fatty meat. (LA) See examples
• gra PC ( n. )
  1. Animal fat; graisse.
     Gra ki sòtchi an kochon-lan. The fat that comes from a pig. (PC) gradjanm n. (BT); granjanm (PC). Back of the knee; j arret, l’arrière du genou. La gradjanm se sa ki separ la kwis et pui le janm. The back of the knee is what separates the thigh from the lower leg. (BT) See examples
• gradwé PC ( v.intr. ) gradiyé CA, NE
  1. To graduate; recevoir son diplôme.
     En dan nyes mo mari-ye te e gradwe. One of my husband’s nieces was graduating. (PC); Piti-la ap gradiye demen swa. L ap ale komanse travay. The child is graduating tomorrow night. He’s going to start work. (CA) See examples
• grafiyin CA, PC ( v.tr. ) granfiñin PC grafiñin PC granfiyé PC
  1. To scratch; égratigner.
     Se ROUGH, si to pase to lamen an-o la sa peutet a grafiyen. It’s rough, if you pass your hand over it it might scratch you. (PC); Piti-la grafiyen li apre pikan apre rozye-la. The child scratched himself on a thorn on the rosebush. (CA) ♦ Men Konpè Tig sote on li e bimen li, li grafinye li on tou so kò jiska li tchwe li. But Brer Tiger jumped on him and beat him, he scratched him all over his body until he killed him. [‘grafinié’] (DU) See examples
  2. To strum, play (a stringed instrument); gratter, jouer de (un instrument à cordes).
     Mo grafiyen mo gita . I strummed my guitar. (CA) See examples
• grafiñur No sources ( n. )
  1. Scratch; égratignure.
     ♦ Vou sorti vou latête tou vivan dan mo ladjeule, san seuleman mo dents fé vou ain grafignure. You got your head out of my mouth alive without my teeth even making a small scratch on you. (ME 90) See examples
• gran CA, MO 60, PC ( adj. ) gron NE, PC gron NE grann PC
  1. Tall; grand.
     Li pli gran ke mon. He’s taller than I am. (PC); Se en fiy ki basèt. Li pa gran. She’s a short girl. She’s not tall. (CA) ♦ Ein té tro piti, lote té tro grand. This one was too short, that one was too tall. (FO T19) See examples
  2. Big; grand.
     Li gen en grann moustach. He has a big mustache. (PC) REM: The forms with finally n attested at PC and by NE are generally feminine. ♦ Au boute pont la, coté yé, li fait ein grand parc. At the end of the bridge, next to them, he made a big park. (FO T15) •gran lapre-midi adv.phr. In mid-afternoon; en plein après-midi. cf. apre-midi • gran-maten adv.phr. Early in the morning, just before sunrise; de bon matin, juste avant le lever du soleil, cf. maten •Gran Lak place n. (PC). Grand Lac. See examples
  3. Great; grand.
     ♦ Ah! ça té peiné moin beaucoup de regardé ein si grand homme, et de dire qu’en rien du tout, li té va banane-concomme. It grieved me a lot to see such a great man, and to know that in no time at all he had gone completely nuts. (T37) See examples
  4. Great- (in kinship terms); arrière (dans les termes de parenté).
     Se so gron-gron-gron-piti. They are his great-great-grandchildren. (PC); Gran-tiz-anfan. Great-grandchildren. (CA) See examples
• gran-gou No sources ( n. )
  1. Hunger; faim.
     ♦ Dan tan gran gou, patate pa gagnin lapo. When one is very hungry, one does not peel the sweet potato. (FO 1887) See examples
• gran-maman* No sources ( n. ) gron-momon NE, PC gran-mòmon PC gran-momon PC
  1. Grandmother; grand-mère.
     Mo gron-momon e mo gron-popa ne isit. My grandmother and my grandfather were bom here. (PC) See examples
• gran-mèr CA ( n. ) gran-mè PC gran-min PC
  1. Grandmother; grand-mère.
     Me mo te gen mo gran-mè e mo gan-pè, ye ye te konne kante kant pou Pa Lapen e tou kichò. But I had my grandmother and my grandfather, they used to tell stories, about Brer Rabbit and all that. (PC) See examples
• gran-ouvè PC ( adj. ) gran-ouvèr CA
  1. Wide open; grand ouvert.
     Lantan pase mo se janmen fèrmè mo lapòt. Kite li gran ouvè. A long time ago I never used to shut my door. I kept it wide open. (PC); Mo lapòrt rèste gran ouvèr tou lanwit yèr oswa. My door was wide open the whole night last night. (CA) See examples
• gran-papa PC ( n. ) gron-papa NE
  1. Grandfather; grand-père.
     Mo pa konnen mon gron-momon. Mo konnen mon gran-popa. I didn’t know my grandmother, but I know my grandfather. (PC) ♦ Compair Bouki ka pé fé so vantor, li té choual pou mo gran popa. Brer Bouki who boasts so much was my grandfather’s horse. (T13) See examples
• gran-paran CA ( n. )
  1. Grandparent; grand-parent, gran-pèr
     n. (PC); gran-pè (PC). Grandfather; grand-père. Mo kouri veye mo gran-pèr. I want to attend the wake for my grandfather.(PC) See examples
• gran-piti PC ( n. ) gron-piti PC
  1. Grandchild; petit-enfant.
     Mo gen senk fiy ; e de gason, e mo gen plen gran-piti. I have five daughters and two sons, and I have a lot of grandchildren. (PC) •gron-gron-gron-piti n.phr. (PC). Great-great-grandchild; arrière-arrière-petit-enfant. Se so gron-gron-gron-piti. They are his great-great-grandchildren. (PC) See examples
• grandi CA, PC, ST ( v.intr. ) granndi PC grandi PC
  1. To grow up; grandir.
     Mo garson di l a èt en doktè kan l a grandi. My son says he’ll be a doctor when he grows up. (PC); Piti-la grandi tro vit pou so laj. The child is growing up too fast for his age. (CA) See examples
  2. To grow; pousser.
     AS le e granndi ye kanntine laboure la. As it (the sugar cane) grows you continue to cultivate it. (PC) ♦ Mo bésoin dé trois mois crédit, juqu'à Pâques là, juqu'à les jours grandit. I need two or three days of credit, until Easter, until the days start to get longer. (T1) See examples
• grandè No sources ( n. ) grondœ BT
  1. Size; grandeur, pointure, taille.
     ♦ Ma met nenpòt grondè souye son fose. repons: jis ramase li la e met li la. I’ll put on any size shoe without effort. Answer: Simply pick it up here and place it there (on a table). (DU) •tire on grondœ v.phr. (BT). To act like a bigshot; frimer. Ye lèm tire on grondœ devon le moun e ye pa gen aryen. They act like bigshots in public and they don’t own anything. (BT) See examples
• granman CA ( adv. )
  1. Quite; assez, tout a fait.
     Mo gen p peye l asirans pou lamezon, pou so char, pou so TRUCK, pou lavi. Sa se granman ase! I have to pay the insurance on the house, on his car, on his truck, and on life. That’s quite enough! (CA) See examples
• grannd-fiy PC ( n. ) grann-fiy PC gran-fiy PC
  1. Granddaughter; petite-fille.
     Mo gen en ti grannd-fiy, en ti gran—ti-fiy, en ti-fiy:I have a granddaughter. (PC) See examples
• granshoj CA ( n., adv.phr. ) granshoj PC granshò PC granshòz (pa ... granshoj) MO 60, PC, CA, PC
  1. Not much; pas grand-chose.
     Mo pa fe granchoj yèr. I didn’t do much yesterday. (CA); Dòktè-la fe mo lopèrasyon, mè li di mon navè pa granchòz lachans. The doctor performed the operation, but he said I didn’t stand much of a chance. (PC) ♦ Si tot l'hiver vini , li pas gagné grand'chose. A soon as winter came, he didn’t have very much. (T1) See examples
• grantèr CA ( adj. ) grantèz (f.) CA
  1. Conceited, vain; fat, vaniteux.
• grantèr CA ( n. )
  1. Glare; éclat, éblouissement.
     Lagrantèr fe mo zye mal. The glare is hurting my eyes. (CA) See examples
• grap CA ( n. )
  1. Cluster, bunch (e.g. of berries); grappe.
     En chougra sa sanm lameriz. Sa gen de grap e se mèm koulèr ke lameriz. Pokeberry looks like wild cherries. It has clusters of berries and it’s the same color as wild cherries. (CA) See examples
• gras No sources ( n. )
  1. Pardon; grâce.
     ♦ Li pardonnin tou ça ki té condanné dan pénitentiaire. Cau li donnin yé la grace, li di yé couri boi dolo dan pi la. He pardoned all that were in the penitentiary. When he granted their pardon, he told them all to go and drink the water of the well. (FO 1887) See examples
  2. Favor; service.
     ♦ Popa, mo gagnin ein grace pou mandé vou. Papa, I have a favor to ask you. (FO 1887) See examples
• graton NE, PC ( n. )
  1. Crackling (pieces of fried fat); cretons (morceaux de graisse frits).
     Ye te pran diswif bef ye te fe en graton. They used to take beef tallow and make cracklings. (PC) See examples
• gratèl No sources ( n. )
  1. Itch; démangeaison, gale.
     ♦ Gratèl fe en la gres avek di souf e la gres kochon. grese byen avek sa. For the itch, make a grease with sulfur and pig fat. Grease yourself up well with that. (BI) See examples
• graté CA, NE, PC ( v.tr. )
  1. To scrape; gratter, racler.
     Nou grate so sabo wa si te en deklou k t anndan. We scraped his shoe to see if he had a nail in it. (PC) ♦ Li tendé Compair Taureau apé béglé et gratté la terre et voyé la poussière en haut so dos. He heard Brer Bull bellow and scrape the earth and throw dust on his back. (FO T2) See examples
  2. To scratch; gratter. L
     ap grate li parskè defromi rouj pike li. He’s scratching himself because red ants bit him. (CA) ♦ Blanche, tan pri, mo piti, gratté mo dos. Blanche, please, my child, scratch my back. (T30) •grate (so) latet n.phr. (CA). To scratch one’s head; se gratter la tête. Kofèr t ap grate to latèt? To gen depou andan-la? Why are you scratching your head? Have you got lice on it? (CA) ♦ Anon wa, di Bouki an gratan so latet. «Let’s see,» said Bouki, scratching his head. (JR) See examples
  3. To strum, play (a stringed instrument); gratter, jouer de (un instrument à cordes). (NE)
  4. To grate; râper.
     Vou ka grate li met dan TOMATO KETCHUP. You can grate it (i.e. radish) and put it in ketchup. (PC) See examples
  5. To scale (a fish); écailler.
     Mo grate mo patasa pou ote zekay. I scaled my sunfish to take the scales off. (CA) See examples
  6. To skin (a catfish or other fish which has no scales); écorcher (un poisson sans écailles).
     Men to grate li, chè! But you skin it! (PC); To jich grate pou ote lagli-la. You just skin it to take off the slime. (CA) See examples
  7. To scrape (a hog’s skin, to remove the hair); racier (la peau d’un cochon, pour enlever les poils).
     Mo gen pou chode li pou grate kren apre kochon-la. I have to scald it to scrape the hair off the pig. (CA) See examples
  8. To strike (a match); frotter (une allumette).
     E graten en zalimet. And we struck a match. (PC); Li grate zalimèt-la pou limen dife. He struck a match to light a fire. (CA) See examples
• gravwa BT, ST ( n. )
  1. Gravel; gravier.
     La, ye vini, ye mèt de gravwa deusu, sa a pa dure. Then they came along and put gravel down, that didn’t last. (BT); En cheumen gravwa. A shell road. (ST) See examples
• gri CA, PC ( adj. )
  1. Gray; gris.
     Li gen zyè manyè gri. He has grayish eyes. (PC); Chèvè gri. Gray hair. (PC); Ena langan gri pou depou dan latèt. There’s a gray ointment for lice on one’s head. (CA) ♦ Mo chaudiè gris remplies limiè. My grey kettles are filled with light. (BD) See examples
• gri CA ( n. )
  1. Screen; grille.
     Mo gen lapòrt an gri pa pou moustik vini andan lamezon. I’ve got a screen door so mosquitoes don’t come in the house. (CA) • baryè an gri n.phr. Screen fence; barrière en grille, cf. baryèr See examples
• gri PC ( v.intr. )
  1. To abound, be plentiful; foisonner.
     Pakann gri konm sa on laté. Pecans were all over the ground like that. (PC) See examples
• grif CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Claw; griffe.
     En grif ou enn onng. A claw, or a nail. (PC); So grif-ye grafiyen mon. His claws scratched me. (CA) ♦ Compair Bouki voyé so griffe on li et halé li dan so sac. Brer Bouki struck out at him with his claws, pulled him into his sack. (T6) See examples
• grif PC, ST ( n. ) grifonn CA, PC grifòn PC
  1. Griffe, the offspring of a black man and a mulatto woman; enfant d’un noir et d’une mûlatresse.
     Fonm-sa-la li pa nwa. Li pa blan. So disan mele blan e nwa. Li grifonn. That woman is not black. She’s not white. Her blood is mixed black and white, she’s a griffe. (CA); Mo ja tande pale en grif, se pen en blan. Sen en moun kòm twa. Se en moun monyè jonat to kone. En grif. En grifòn. Li li pa toutafen en milat. I’ ve heard of a griffe, that’s not a white person. That’s a person like you. That’s a person who’s yellowish in color, you know. A griffe. That’s not a white person. A griffe. He’s not quite a mulatto. (PC) ♦ Pancore ‘oir in griffonne comme ça, comparabe a mo belle Layotte. I haven’t seen a griffe like that, comparable to my beautiful Layotte. (GC1) See examples
• grifyé MO 60 ( n. )
  1. Court clerk; greffier.
• grifé CA ( v.tr. )
  1. To scratch, claw; griffer.
     ♦ Coutez moin, mo zamis, pas jouez avec big-bock, pasqué y a griffé toi et porté toi bad lock. Listen to me, my friends, don’t play with Big Bock, because he will scratch you and bring you bad luck. (T25) See examples
• grigri CA, PC ( n. ) gigri PC
  1. Spell, charm, grigri; gris-gris, charme, sort, sortilège.
     Ena bon grigri e move grigri. There are good spells and bad spells. (PC); Vye tan pase, se tou ye krwa andan, ye vye grigri. In the olden days, that’s all they believed in, their old spells. (CA) ♦ Alors Jean Malin trouvé trois dézef hibou et li porté yé coté Compair Lapin qui fait so grigris avec di lait ein femelle cabri noir. Then Clever John found three owl eggs and carried them to Brer Rabbit’s who made a grigri with the milk of a black female goat. (FO T2) •mete en grigri n.phr. (CA; PC). To cast a spell; jeter un sort. Kon mo te piti, si nou se fe kekchoj mal ye se konmonse parle pou grigri, ye di ye te mete en grigri on nouzòt. When I was a child, if we did something bad they would start talking about spells, they said they would put a spell on us. (PC); L ap mete en grigri an mon parske ye lenm pa mon. They’re casting a spell on me because they don’t like me. (CA) See examples