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

• andòrmi CA, MO 60, ST ( v., v.intr., v.tr. ) andormi PC andòr PC
  1. To be sleepy; s’assoupir, être fatigué.
     Mo andormi, mo vi dormi. I’m sleepy, I feel like sleeping. (PC) • vyen andòrmi v.phr. (MO 60); vini andòrmi (CA); tonbe andòrmi (ST). 1. To fall asleep; s’endormir. Mo vini andòrmi ap garde tivi. I fell asleep watching TV. (CA); Kan mo las, mo tonbe andòrmi tou drwat mo latèt touche lòriye. When I’m tired I fall asleep as soon as my head touches the pillow. (ST) 2. To get sleeping sickness; attraper la maladie du sommeil. Le betay vyen andòrmi. The cattle get sleeping sickness. (MO 60)To put to sleep; endormir, faire dormir. ♦ Li mette aussi plein baille dolo avec ein drogue qui té connin endormi tout souite. He also put out a lot of tubs of water with a drug that puts one to sleep right away. (FO T15) See examples
• anfan MO 60, PC ( n. ) zonfon NE zanfan CA, PC lanfan CA
  1. Child; enfant.
     Safe ye te pron le vyeu ne grès-la, ye te èlve de zonfon èk ye. So they took old black women, and they raised children with them. (NE); Enn anfan , en zanfan. A child. (PC) REM: Most speakers consider this word to be French, and piti to be Creole. ♦ Compair Bouki ri dan so la barbe kan li oua tou so zanfans vini gra com cosons langré. Brer Rabbit laughed up his sleeve when he saw all his children getting fat like fattened pigs. (T6) See examples
• anfan-d-gas No sources ( n., int. )
  1. Son of a bitch; enfant de garce.
     Mon tit anfan-d-gas, te toujou ape konye mon. Little son of a bitch, you’re always hitting me! (BT); Mile kreyòl sa pa bon aryen, fan-d-gas-sa-la move konm mo pa konnen ki. A Creole mule is good for nothing. That son of a bitch is bad like I don’t know what. (PC); Zonfon-gars, en pitenn la-ba. Son of a bitch, that’s a prostitute over there. (ST)Son of a bitch, I’ll be damned; enfant de garce. Afan-d-gas! Mo m pa konpran sa te e di. Damn, I can’t understand what you’re saying. (PC) See examples
• anfan-d-shyin PC ( n. )
  1. Son of a bitch; enfant de garce.
     To konnen sa anfan-deu-chyen-sa-la? Do you know that old son of a bitch? (PC) ♦ Fand'chien...to té dit ça té mal, pourtant to té bésoin volé. Son of a bitch, you said it was wrong, yet you had to go and steal. (T32) See examples
• anfans No sources ( n., adj. ) ann anfans BT
  1. Senile, in one’s second childhood; sénile, gâteux.
     Gar, sa mo tit-anfan achte, mo peu pa bliye me mèdsin, to kònen, de fwa mo ann anfans. Look what my grandchild bought me. (That way) I can’t forget my medicine, you know, sometimes I forget things. (BT) See examples
• anfin PC ( adv. ) onfin NE
  1. Well, anyway, in short; enfin, bref.
     Ye te rache nòt zyè, rache nòt zong kom-sa-la, rache nòt zong zòrtey, koupe nòt long, koupe nòt zòrey, onfen fe nouzòt tou spès de martur. They tore out our eyes, tore off our nails like that, tore off our toenails, cut out our tongues, cut off our ears, in short they put us through every kind of torture. (NE) REM: NE considers this term rare. ♦Enfin, fau nou vite parti, porté nou bagage loin d'ici. Well, we have to leave in a hurry, and take our luggage far from here. (T32) See examples
  2. Finally, at last; enfin.
     ♦Enfin yé rivé dans cabane vié fame la. Finally they arrived at the old woman’s house. (T30) See examples
• anfonsé PC ( v.intr. ) afonsé PC
  1. To crumble, cave in; s’enfoncer.
     Sa sanmb la plu. Wè, tonnèr lan grony, latèr ap anfonse, latcheu le matou krak. It looks like rain. Yes, the thunder is rumbling, the earth is caving in, the cat’s tails are cracking. (PC) See examples
• angajé PC ( adj. ) angajé PC
  1. Engaged; fiancé.
     Mo angaje avefiy-sa-la. I am engaged to that girl. (PC) • vini angaje v.phr. (PC). To get engaged; se fiancer. Ka ye vini angaje pou mariye When they got engaged to be married. (PC) See examples
• angajé BT, CA ( v.tr. ) gajé PC gaj PC gajè PC ongajé PC
  1. To hire; engager.
     Ye te gaje nouzòt pou rantre rekòt. They hired us to bring in the harvest. (PC); Mo gen en bon djab. Mo ete angaje yè. I’ve got a good job. I was hired yesterday. (CA) • angaje avèk n.phr. In league with; ligué avec. ♦Prend ga pou vous, Michié Néléphant, Compair Lapin engagé avec Djabe, la servi vous mal si vous pas fait tention. Watch out, Mister Elephant, Brer Rabbit is in league with the devil, it will go badly for you if you’re not careful. (FO T15) See examples
• angar BT ( n. ) longar NE langar CA
  1. Barn, stable (for storing animals); étable, écurie.
     Enn ekiri se dan enn angar. A horse stall is in a stable. (BT) See examples
  2. Barn (for storing hay); grange.
     Sa se enn angar. Enn angar pou mèt fouraj. That’s a barn. A barn for storing fodder. (PC); En langar difwon, se en batis ou to mèt to difwon. A barn is a building where you put your hay. (CA) See examples
• anglé* No sources ( adj. ) langlé CA, PC longlé NE
  1. English-speaking, non-Creole; anglophone.
     Moun langle-ye isi ye pa gen menm lakson e menm mongnen avèk nouzòt. The ‘English’ don’t have the same accent and the same ways that we do. (PC) • patat anglez n.phr. (Irish) potato; pomme de terre. cf. patat See examples
• anglé* No sources ( n. ) langlé CA, PC longlé NE léz-onglé (pl.) NE
  1. English (language); anglais.
     Tou moun ye parle angle astè-la, juch en pè moun te ka parle kreyòl. Everyone speaks English now, only a few people could speak Creole. (PC); Ena en ta le piti ki pa kone byen parle longle AT ALL. There are a lot of kids who don’t know how to speak English well at all. (NE) ♦Ma splixifié vou zot dan franslet ça lot Brada splixifié dan zanglé. I will explain to you in French what the other brother explained in English. (TI6) See examples
  2. British person; Anglais.
     La kon lez-ongle INVADE CANADA, la ye chache le Fronse de la Kanada. When the English invaded Canada, they chased the French out of Canada. (NE). ♦Mouen, mo ein vié neg krihol ki té dijà gran dan tan vié Iakzone batte Yinki yé pélé Zanglé dan bataïe Nouvail-Zorléhan. Me, I’m an old Creole negro who was already grown up in the time that Jackson fought the Yankees that they call ‘the English’ in the Battle of New Orleans. (T13) See examples
• angourdi PC ( adj. )
  1. Numb; engourdi.
• angrèsé BT, ST ( v., v.tr., v.intr. ) grèsé CA angrésé PC ongrésé NE angrès BT
  1. To fatten up, make fat; engraisser.
     To te gen angrese de kochon pou livè. You had to fatten two hogs for the winter. (PC); Mo kouzen elve en ta kochon. Li angrèse ye pou vann pou Krismis. My cousin raised a lot of pigs. He fattened them to sell for Christmas. (ST) ♦Sete en navir vagabon. Ye se pase e ramase tou moun ye se wa, grese ye dan kaj-ye e la ye se manje ye. It was a vagabond ship. They would go by and pick up everyone they saw, fatten them up in cages and then they would eat them. (JR)To gain weight, get fat; engraisser, prendre du poids. Sa-fe le swar Lapen se kouri e li se monje mai-la. E sa-fe li komonse ongrese. Rabbit would go and he would eat the corn every night. And so he started to gain weight. (NE) See examples
• anhan No sources ( int. )
  1. Uh huh, yeah; oui, ouais.
     ♦Torti réponde an-hant, to per parié toujou. Tortoise answered, ‘Uh huh, you’re still afraid to bet.’ (T26) See examples
• anho CA, MO 60, PC, ST ( prep., adv. ) anho-la MO 60 onho NE, PC, BT anwo PC an-o PC
  1. On top of, on; sur, au-dessus de.
     Ye me le konpres onho-la. They put a compress on it. (NE) ♦ Li oté so latête, li mette li enhaut so ginou. He took off his head and set it on his knee. (T30); En haut chaque poteau so labarrière li té metté ein paquet de bois. Atop each fencepost he had put a bundle of kindling wood. (T40) 2. On; sur, a. Mon rès onho la ri AVENUE C. I live on Avenue C street. (BT); Mo en pe STRICT onho ye. I’m somewhat strict with them. (NE); Mo tannde li anho TELEVISION . I heard it on TV. (PC) ♦ Té ein femme billé en singe qui té en haut bras un nomme déguisé en cocodri. There was a woman dressed like a monkey on the arm of a man dressed as a crocodile. (T40) 3. [With verbs of speaking, thinking]. About; de, à, au sujet de. Pa Bouki komonse jongle onho-la. Father Bouki began to think about it. (NE); Si te e parle mal anho kèkenn e li konnen kreyòl. If you’re talking bad about someone and they understand Creole. (PC)1. On, on top; dessus. SPREAD to kouti patè e la to mèt to lamous anwo la. Spread your ticking on the ground and then you put your moss on top (of that). (PC); Lavyann fe lekum vini anho kan lasoup bouyi. The meat makes foam come to the top when the soup boils. (ST); La parti anho, sa se lakalòt. The top of the head is called the crown. (BT) 2. Upstairs; en haut. Ye ye kouch anho. Them, they sleep upstairs. (PC); Anho dan a grègnen. Upstairs in the attic. (MO 60) 3. In addition; en sus, de plus. Vou gen ton larjon, la vou achte ton kichò anho leu. You have so much money, and you go and buy so many things in addition (to what you already bought). (PC) See examples
• ankourajé PC ( v.tr. ) onkourajé NE
  1. To encourage; encourager.
     ‘Trap BANJO-la ki laba don kwen-la, pètèt mo va grate kèk nòt', li di, 'pètèt sa va onkouraje ouzòt ’ . ‘Grab the banjo that’s over in the corner, maybe I’ll play a few notes and that will encourage you (to dance). (NE); M e ankouraje twa pouf tel tel kichò to p ole fe li. Sa se me e dòn twa kouraj pou fe li me to p ole. I’m encouraging you to do such and such a thing but you don’t want to do it. That means I’m giving you encouragement to do it but you don’t want to. (PC) ♦ Li kouraje li pou tournen, e avan lontan, li marye avek fiy-la. He encouraged him to return, and before long he had married the girl. (JR) See examples
• ankòr BT, CA, MO 60, ST ( adv. ) ankò PC onkor BT, NE
  1. Again; encore.
     Ka to rive o bout, kèkenn vyen ave en chari ankò e kouvè li. When you arrive at the end (of the row of sugar cane), someone comes along again with a plow and covers it up. (PC) ♦Popa la voyé cherché ein médecin qui commencé soignin li et qui dit li sré bientot vive encore. The father sent for a doctor who began to treat him and who said that he’d be alive again soon. (FO T20) See examples
  2. Still, yet; encore, toujours.
     To gen to lamont ankò? Do you still have your watch? (PC); • pa... onkor adv.phr. Not yet; pas encore. cf . pa See examples
  3. More, once more, once again, else; de nouveau, encore, d’autre.
     Li parti galope onkor. She ran off once more. (NE); Anou wa sa nou peu plonte onkor. Let’s see what else we can plant. (NE) • pa ... onkor adv.phr. No longer, not anymore; ne ... plus. cf . pa See examples
• ankòr No sources ( conj. ) ankò PC
  1. But, although; encore que, bien que, quoique.
     Ankò ye te byen ra, richa. But rich folks were quite rare. (PC) See examples
• anlvé No sources ( v.tr. )
  1. To remove; enlever, ôter.
     ♦ Comme li pas tendé Compair Lapin remué li cré li té mort touffé et li enlevé la mousse et les briques qui té fermé trou la. As he did not hear Brer Rabbit stirring he thought he had died of suffocation and he removed the moss and the bricks that plugged the hole. (FO T6) See examples
• anmnin PC ( v.tr. )
  1. To bring, import; apporter, importer.
     La ye gen de STRIPED BASS, ye anmnen sa isi. Now they have striped bass, they brought them here. (PC) See examples
• anmpwazan-d-san CA ( n. )
  1. Blood poisoning; empoisonnement sanguin.
     Eusot a ete mòrdi la dan le chan diri. Sete tou, fini. Si eusot se pa menen li wa en doktèr la apeupre dan tè dis kenz minut apre sa arive, l a trape lanmpwazan-d-san. They were bitten in the rice fields. That was it. If they didn’t take him to see a doctor in about the first ten or fifteen minutes after it happened, he would get blood poisoning. (CA) See examples
• anmèm No sources ( adv., prep. ) anmèm dan CA
  1. Right out of, straight from; a même.
     Li t ape bwa anmèm danflèch wiski-la. He was drinking right out of the whiskey flask. (CA) See examples
• anmèr CA ( adj. ) anmè CA, PC
  1. Bitter; amer.
     Sète en tèb ki te anmè. That was a weed that was bitter. (PC) ♦ [Pou] malaria ou lafyèv tranasont, to pronn di mongilye e pi la to f e en gro pake, bouyi byen jiska li amèr antèr. For malaria or the slow fever, take some marsh elder and make a big bundle. Boil it well until it turns really bitter. (BI) See examples
• anmèr CA ( n. ) namè CA
  1. Bitters, aloes, bitter-weed; amers, aloès.
     ♦ Pou fe dezamè pou la fyev pron ti mayi tonn pi fe la tizonn, pi la pron en ponye kafe vè avek en kar wiski. Sa koup la fyev. To make bitters for fever, take a little sweet corn and make an herbal tea, then take a handful of green coffee grounds with a quart of whiskey. That will cut the fever. (LA) See examples
• anmèrdé CA ( v.tr. ) anmèrdi PC amèd PC
  1. To bother, disturb, trouble; gêner, déranger.
     Mo te move ka li vini anmèrdi mon. I was nasty when he came to bother me. (PC) See examples
  2. To anger, irritate; fâcher, vexer.
     Piti-la ap kriye tou-l-tan. L ap anmèrde mwa. The child is always shouting. He is making me mad. (CA) See examples
• ann CA ( adv. ) onn PC
  1. On, running (of an electrical appliance); allumé, ouvert (en parlant d’un appareil électrique).
     To gen sa onn? You have that (turned) on? (PC); Tournen li ann. Turn it on. (CA) annalan prep, onalon (NE); onnalan (PC). Going, leading to; menant à, qui mène à. Li pa pron chemen ki te kour onalon che li, li pron chemen pou kouri pli lwen.* She did not take the road that headed to her home, she took the road to go further away. (NE) See examples
• annaryèr No sources ( adv., adj. )
  1. In back, behind; en arrière.
     Mo te gen en ta de flœr dan ma kour annaryèr. I had a lot of flowers in my back yard. (BT); Annaryèr-la se tou bwaze e dibwa. In back there, it’s all wooded with trees. (CA) ♦ To kontin marche son regarde on aryèr. You continue walking without looking back. (BI) 2. Ago; il y a. Senk ann, siz an annaryè. Five or six years ago. (PC)1. Behind, slow, backwards; arriéré, en arrière. Vou konnen na d moun ki toujou plu parese, ye plu annaryè. You know, there are always people who are lazier, they’re more backwards. (PC) 2. Behind (in one’s work, schedule); en arrière, en retard, retardé (dans ses obligations). Mo annaryè. I’m behind (in my work). Nou annèryè. We’re behind schedule. (PC) 3. Slow (of a clock); qui retarde (en parlant d’une horloge). Pandul-la la dèriyè mwa, le en pe annariyè. The clock behind me is a little slow. (PC) See examples
• annavan No sources ( adv., prep. ) onnavon PC onavon NE
  1. Before, ahead, in front; devant.
     Inave en lak plu onnavon, navè Lak Sòl. There was a lake in front, there was Lake Au Sol. (PC)annavon-d (PC). Before, ahead of, in front of; devant. Le ponn, se plu annavon-d la sikleri. The pond is more in front of the sugar refinery. (PC) annim v.tr. (PC). To tempt, attract, draw in; tenter, attirer. Annim li, l ole rèste. L ole jwe plu lontan. (It) draws him in. He wants to stay. He wants to play longer. (PC) See examples
• anntwa PC ( v.tr. )
  1. To glimpse, catch a glimpse of; entrevoir.
     Mo djus anntwa chèvrey-la pase parmi dibwa, kòm en zeklè. I just caught a glimpse of the deer running through the trees, like lightning. (PC) See examples
• annwiyé PC ( v. ) anniyé MO 60 annouyé CA, ST
  1. To bore, be bored; ennuyer, s’ennuyer.
     Mo vigni anniye. I got bored. (MO 69); Mo vini annouye . Mo pa gen aryen pou fe . I got bored. I haven’t got anything to do. (CA) ♦ En jou sete fe move ton. Mouche-ye te nwiye don barj. One day the weather was bad. The men were bored on the barge. (TP) See examples
  2. To be lonely, lonesome; se sentir seul.
     Dèpi Elmo mouru, nou toujou annwiye. Since Elmo died, we’re always lonesome. (PC); Mo annouye kan mo tou sel e mo pa gen pèrsòn pou parle avèk. I’m lonesome when I’m all alone and I have no one to talk to. (ST) See examples
• ano* No sources ( n. ) nòno PC zòno PC lano PC
  1. Ring (for harnessing); anneau (pour un harnais).
     Se en gran lèkolyet la li gen dè nòno, dè RING , se sa nou pèl en zòno. It’s a big collar and it has harness rings, some ‘rings’, that’s what we call harness rings. (PC) See examples
• anonsé CA ( v.tr. )
  1. To announce; annoncer.
     M ap ale anonse mariaj mo fiy dan gazèt. I’m going to announce my daughter’s marriage in the newspaper. (CA) See examples
• anpòrt No sources ( v.tr. )
  1. Go to hell! • ‘djab t'emporte’
     exp. May the devil take you! Que le diable t’emporte! cf. djab See examples
• anrajé CA ( adj. )
  1. Rabid, mad, crazy; enragé.
     Chyen-la te anraje. The dog was rabid. (CA) • la pyèr anraje de la Vachri n.phr. (CA). The Madstone of Vacherie, part of the folklore of the region; la Pierre Enragée de Vacherie, une partie du folklore régional. See examples
• anran PC ( prep. )
  1. On (a committee, etc.); dans, qui fait partie (d’un comité, etc.).
     Kan ma j eute anran leu polis juri. When I was part of the police jury. (PC) See examples
• anrolé No sources ( v.tr. )
  1. To enlist (s.o. in the army); enrôler (une recrue).
     ♦ Oh non, gardé so zoreille, vouzote oua ben c'est ein milet , et mo sra fouti, yé va enrolé moin et mo va bligé marché. (They’ll say) ‘Oh no, look at his ears, you can all see he’s a mule,’ and then I’d be in trouble, they would enlist me and I’d have to march. (FO T15) See examples
• anrouwé CA, PC ( adj. ) anrwè PC
  1. Hoarse; enroué.
     Li anrouwe, li pa kapab parle byen. He’s hoarse. He can’t speak well. (PC); Mo tou anrouwe dan la gòrj. Mo trape rim. I’m hoarse in the throat. I caught a cold. (CA) See examples
• anréjistré CA, PC ( v. ) anréjisté PC anréjist PC
  1. To register; enregistrer, s’inscrire.
     Se en betay ki anrejistre. Se pen en komen, enn etalon sen enn etalon ki anrejistre. That’s an animal that’s registered. It’s not a common (horse), a stallion is a registered stallion. (PC); M ale anrejistre jodi pou vote. I’m going to register to vote today. (CA) ♦ To oulé konné si mo kouri register; ki ça ki nou zot kandida? You wanted to know if I had gone to register; who is our candidate? (T12) See examples
• ansanm BT, CA, PC, ST ( adv. ) asanm PC onsòm NE ansòm MO 60
  1. Together; ensemble.
     Mo parl kreyol plis ke mo parl langle. Sa fe mo mele li ansanm. I speak Creole more than I speak English. So I mix them together. (CA) ♦ Ain jour ain bande macacs t apé joué en bas n'abe là-bas dans bois, ensembe. One day a group of monkeys was playing together under a tree down there in the woods. (T25) See examples
• ansint CA ( adj. ) onsint ST onsyint ST onsin ST
  1. Pregnant; enceinte.
     Li ansent. L an famiy. She’s pregnant, she’s in a family way. (CA) See examples
• ansyin* No sources ( adj. )
  1. Former; ancien, précédent.
     ♦Là yé di mouan cé ein laite Pa Cachambo té hékri Pa Lindor, aine dan no lanchien neg-maite. Then they told me it was a letter Pa Cachambo had written to Pa Lindor, one of my former masters. (T17) See examples
  2. Old; ancien, vieux.
     ♦ Compair Dahomey té ein vié zancien nègue guinain ki té rété lot côté bayou. Brer Dahomey was an old black-skinned negro who lived across the bayou. (T6) See examples
• ansévli CA ( v.tr. )
  1. To prepare a body for a funeral; préparer un cadavre pour les obsèques, ensevelir.
     Kan ye te ansevli twa, ye te vide to letrip. Ye te bouche to fòrmon avèk las ann. Ye te lav twa e ye te biye twa. Je te mèt twa desi katafal. When they prepared you for burial, they would empty your bowels. They would stuff your rectum with ashes. They would wash and dress you. They would put you on a cooling board. (CA); Yé té ensévli li en d'dans la maison cé mo grand-popa. No' t'apé veiller corps-là quand in'a défômes blancs qui t'arrivé. They prepared her body in my grandfather’s house. We were holding the wake when two white women arrived. (GY) See examples
• antandi CA ( adj. )
  1. Busy; occupé.
     Mo te si antandi ke mo pa i la chans pou mèt mo lastik andan mo manch-ye. I was so busy I didn’t have the chance to put the elastic in my sleeves. (CA) See examples
• antouré CA ( v.tr. ) touré PC
  1. To surround; entourer.
     Mo antoure parmi dikann. I’m surrounded by sugar cane. (CA) ♦ Li tann en tren dèryè li e li wa li te antoure par enn bann sovaj. He heard a noise behind him and he saw that he was surrounded by a band of Indians. (JR) 2. To enclose, fence in; clôturer, entourer d’une barrière. Mo antoure en park pou mèt kochon. I enclosed a pen for a pig. (CA) 2. To draw a circle around, circle; cerner, entourer, encercler. ♦ [Pou] en dart, vu toure li avek di ble. For a ringworm, you draw a ring around it with [a piece of] wheat. (BI) See examples
• antrin No sources ( v.aux. )
  1. To be doing sth., be in the process of; être en train de (faire qch).
     Mo pa antren pou anbete avèk piti jòrdi. I’m not in the mood to deal with children today. (ST) ♦ Fo to appronne tout moune qui flattè en train vive en ça-yé qui ‘coute li. You must learn that every flatterer is living at the expense of those who listen to him. (BD) See examples
• antré No sources ( prep., adv. )
  1. Among, between; entre.
     Ye te parl meriken antre ye. They spoke English amongst themselves. (PC); No mèt baton bale dan hour le no rido pou ponn li annt de deklou. We put a broom-stick in the hem of our curtains to hang it between two nails. (CA) ♦ Quand dé bougue apé génin toi, faut to fait yé batte et tchué yé entre yé. When two guys are bothering you, you have to get them to fight and kill each other. (FO T3)Between; entre. Aben mo fe mo lapat dipen e tou mo pran mo lavyann, e la mo met li ant e la mo BAKE li. Well, I make my bread dough and I take my meat, and then I put it between (the rolls of bread dough) and I bake it. (PC) See examples
• antré PC ( v., v.intr., v.tr. ) ontré PC annt PC anntr CA
  1. To enter, go in; entrer.
     Mo kouri kote katolik, pèr-la kè mo vini pou ontre, di mon to pa ka asi an-o. I went to the Catholic (church), and when I went to go in the priest told me ‘You can’t sit there.’ (PC) ♦ Mo té oi li entré dan trou. I saw him go into the hole. (T23)To bring in; rentrer. • antre rekòt v.phr. To bring in the harvest; rentrer la récolte. cf. rekòlt See examples
• antrépran No sources ( v.tr. )
  1. To undertake, take on; entreprendre.
     ♦ Li di can minme yé donnin li $100,000- li papé récommencé jamin encor, jamin la entrepran ein pareil job. He says that even if they gave him $100,000 he wouldn’t start that again, never would he undertake such a job. (FO 1887) See examples
• antrétyin CA ( v. )
  1. To keep up, maintain; entretenir.
     Chemen Dezire, li ale lwan me li se pi antretyen. Desiree Road went far but it’s no longer kept up. (CA) See examples