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:
(see more)
- 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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gém
CA, PC
(
n.
)
gélm
BT
-
Game; jeu.
Se en gem fronse, gem pou le kadjen. Te pèl sa boure. It’s a French game, a Cajun game, they called it Bourré. (PC); Piti-la ap jwe JACK(S). Se en gem. The child is playing jacks. That’s a game. (CA)
See examples
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gém*
No sources
(
n.
)
gim
BT, MO 60
gayim
BT
gèm
PC
ginm
PC
-
Gamecock, fighting cock; coq de combat.
Sa ba antre ye kòm si se de gro gim. They fight amongst themselves as if they were gamecocks. (BT); To wa èna diferan kòk . Enen en ti kòk ye pel en ti genm. En vye ti kòk. Ti zafè-sa-a ka bat, li ka bimen en gro kòk. You see there are different kinds of cocks. There’s a little cock they call a little gamecock. A little old cock. That little thing can beat a big cock. (PC)
See examples
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gép
PC
(
n.
)
djèp
CA, PC
djép
CA
-
Wasp; guêpe.
Sa ki te pase la? Ste en djèp. What just went by? That was a wasp. (PC); Djep-la pike mo ti boug. Li krie. The wasp stung my little boy. He screamed. (CA) •nik djèp n.phr. (CA). Wasp nest; nid de guêpes.
See examples
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géri
CA, PC
(
v.,
v.intr.,
v.tr.
)
-
To heal, get better; guérir.
Mo te gen en bobo. Li geri byen. I had a sore. It healed well. (CA) ♦Quand li voir la main Blanche apé sai gnin, li jiste soufflé en ho là, la main guéri. When he saw Blanche’s hand was bleeding, he just breathed on it and the hand healed. (T30) •vini geri v.phr. (PC). To heal, get better; guérir. E la kan so pous vini geri, so pous te gro. Te geri ALL RIGHT. Then when his thumb got better his thumb was big. It was healed all right. (PC)To cure; guérir. Mo konen geri to bobo to gen apre to janm avèk lagrès poul. To me souf andan lagrès poul-la. Sa geri. I know how to cure your wound you’ve got on your leg with chicken fat. You put sulphur in the chicken grease. It heals. (CA) ♦ Pou geri mal de tet, met en krapo vont on lè on to latet; kon l a fe kwak to sa geri. For a headache, put a frog belly-up on your head. When it croaks you will be healed. (BD)
See examples
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gérison
CA, PC
(
n.
)
-
Cure; guérison.
Ena pa gerison. There’s no cure. (PC); Pou maladi-sa-a-la ena gerison. For that disease there’s a cure. (CA)
See examples
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gòb
CA, PC
(
n.
)
-
Gob, chunk, piece; morceau.
Vou ote en gro gòb. You remove a big gob. (PC); To koupe en gro gòb apre gato-la. You cut a big chunk out of the cake. (CA)
See examples
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gòl
PC
(
n.
)
-
Brain; cerveau.
To lagòl. Your brain. (PC)
See examples
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gòl
PC
(
n.
)
-
Thrashing pole; gaule.
To monte anndan pakangnen-la aven en gòl. You climbed into the pecan tree with a thrashing pole. (PC)
See examples
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gòlf
PC
(
n.
)
-
Gulf of Mexico; Golfe du Mexique.
Vou lwe le gro bato, vou bezwen en gro zafè konm sa pou kouri laba dan gòlf. You rent a big boat, you need a big thing like that to go out in the Gulf. (PC)
See examples
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gòm
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Rubber band; élastique.
♦ Ce pas avec treize escalins que mo capab acheté gome élastique gros corne Miché Kellogg. I can’t buy a rubber band as big as Mr. Kellogg for thirteen bits. (T34)
See examples
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gòm
No sources
(
n.
)
lagòm
CA, PC
lagonm
PC
lagoum
PC
-
Gum, sap from a gum tree; gomme, sève d’un gommier.
En kopal fe lagonm. A sweet gum tree produces gum. (PC); Ena en zafèr jón ki vyen apre dibwa-ye kòm en lagòm. There’s this yellow stuff on the trees like sap. (CA)
See examples
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Gum tree; gommier.
Bwa-sa-a se en lagòm. That tree is a gum tree. (PC)
See examples
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Chewing gum; chewing-gum.
Toujou en gad pou lagonm. So momon di, èskè to monnde to tant pou lagòm-la? He is always looking for some chewing gum. His mother says to him, ‘Did you ask your aunt for some chewing gum?’ (PC); L ap chike lagòm. She’s chewing gum. (CA) ♦ Pou jonsiv gonfle, pron en rasin refò e to chik sa konm lagonm. For swollen gums, take a horse-radish root and chew it like gum. (LA)
See examples
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gòn
NE, PC
(
v.intr.
)
gonn
BT, CA, PC
gon
PC
gon
NE
-
To go, leave; aller, partir.
Si vou gonn deyò vou pa gen kapo ou ka trape frison-potrin. If you go outside and you don’t have a coat on you can catch pneumonia. (PC); Mo las. M ap gonn kouche. I'm tired. I’m going to bed. (CA)
See examples
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To die; mourir.
Vou konnen vou gen tchouwe men nou dè gen gonn, tchyen tchyen. You can kill me if you want, but then we will both die, well well. (PC)
See examples
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gòrj
BT, PC
(
n.
)
gòj
PC
lagòrj
CA, PC
lagòj
ST
-
Throat; gorge.
Ye pe fonn so lagòrj. They could slit his throat. (PC); Mo tou anrouwe dan lagòrj. Mo trape rim. I’m all hoarse in my throat. I caught a cold. (CA); Mo lagòj fe mal. My throat hurts. (ST) ♦ Galgalise to gòrj. Gargle your throat. (LA)
See examples
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gòrjé
CA
(
n.
)
godré
PC
gojlé
PC
-
Mouthful, swallow, gulp; gorgée.
Mo bwa en gòrje diven jodi-la. I drank a swallow of wine today. (CA) ♦ La mo f e li bwa dolo-la don trwa gòrje. Then I made him drink that water in three mouthfuls. (BI)
See examples
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gòré
No sources
(
adj.
)
-
Piglet; goret.
♦ Ti goret la li té prosse tro gra pou moune manzé. The little piglet was almost too fat for people to eat. (T14)
See examples
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gòs
CA, PC
(
n.
)
gos
PC
gous
PC
-
(Cotton) boll; capsule (du cotonnier).
To pran gòs-la ki ouvè la. You pick the boll which is opened. (PC) •gòs koton n.phr. (PC). Cotton boll; capsule du cotonnier.
See examples
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Clove (of garlic); gousse (d’ail). (PC)
♦ ’des gosses de Tail [de gòs delay]' (BI) •gòs lay n.phr. (CA). Clove of garlic; gousse d’ail, •gòs chalot n.phr. (CA). Clove of shallot; gousse d’échalote.
See examples
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hadiya
BT
(
adj.
)
-
Sloppy, slovenly; négligé, débraillé.
Kofè t ole tchèn to-mèm hadiya konm sa? Why do you want to carry yourself sloppily like that? (BT)
See examples
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hai
No sources
(
v.tr.
)
-
To hate, detest; haïr, détester, cf. ai
-
hal
NE
(
n.
)
-
Butcher’s shop; boucherie.
Mo kouri o la hal-la, o SLAUGHTER HOUSE. I went to the butcher’s, to the slaughterhouse. (NE)
See examples
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halo
No sources
(
int.
)
-
Hey, hallo! Holà, Hé!
♦ Tan Compair Chivreil rivé côté primié zalon, li hélé: Halo! Compair Torti! When Brer Deer arrived at the first goal, he yelled, ‘Hey! Brer Tortoise!’ (T5)
See examples
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halé
CA, MO 60, NE, ST
(
v.tr.
)
alé
PC
al
PC
hal
BT, NE
-
To pull; tirer.
Vou ale ye met ye ansonm. You pull them, and put them together. (PC); Sa hale nòm-la mèm andan fwaye-la. That pulled the man even into the fireplace. (MO 60) ♦ Li [chevrey] trape Lapen par so de zorey-ye e ale on ye jiska ye vini gran konm ye e zordi. Brer Deer grabbed Rabbit by the ears and pulled on them until they were as long as they are today. (JR)
See examples
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To grab, catch; saisir.
Ye hal kom-sa apre le piti. They grab the children like that. (NE); Mo va hale dufil dan zyeu negwiy. I’m going to grab the thread in the eye of the needle. (CA)
See examples
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To carry, haul, transport; transporter.
Mon mo te ale dekann, dan tan-la to te ale dekann ave wagon. I used to transport cane, in those days they hauled cane with a wagon. (PC); To gen en tèt konm en bourike. Bourike hal pa pèrsonn. Ti peu tire li, li hal pa. You’re as stubborn as a mule. Mules don’t carry anyone. You can pull it, it won’t carry anything. (BT); Ye t ape hale dibwa dan dolo. They were hauling logs in the water. (CA) ♦ Li te ape ale de lòg e se konm sa li te fe so la vi. He was hauling logs and that is how he made a living. (JR) •alè lòg n.phr. Log hauler; charroyeur de bûches. ♦ ’Mo pa kwa sa mwen, ‘ alè lòg-ye reponn. I'don’t believe that,’ the log hauler answered. (JR) •’halé son tchou’ v.phr. To haul one’s ass; se magner, se secouer. De tous les bords yé descendu pauvre nég-là, li té juste halé son tchou. From every side they were coming down on the poor black man, he was just hauling his ass. (DC)
See examples
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To draw out, extract; retirer, extraire.
Lonton pase ki se te pou, dile e dipen? Se te pou le klou? Se te hale le jèrm don le klou? What were milk and bread used for, in the past? Were they for boils? Did they draw germs out of boils? (NE)
See examples
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hamak
ST
(
n.
)
-
Hammock; hamac.
♦ Quand branche la balancé ça idé piti zozos la chanté, comme hamac idé ein homme chanté. When the branch swings it helps little birds to sing, just as a hammock helps a man sing. (FO T20)
See examples
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han
ST
(
int.
)
-
Aha! Aha!
Han! Mo te krwar to t ap manje gato-si-la! Aha! I thought you were eating that cake. (ST) ♦ Han! met-la di. Se la ou to va tou le swa konm sa. Aha! the master said. That’s where you go every evening like that! (JR)
See examples
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hansh
No sources
(
n.
)
lahansh
CA, PC, ST
lahonsh
PC
-
Hip; hanche.
Mo tonbe e fe mo lahanch mal. I fell and hurt my hip. (ST)
See examples
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hapskat
BT, CA
(
n.
)
-
Hopscotch; marelle.
Hapskat, ye te sote konm sa. Hopscotch, they jumped like that. (BT); Se en jeu. To sot ant de mòso dibwa. Se hapskat. It’s a game. You jump between two pieces of wood. (CA)
See examples
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hapé
No sources
(
v.tr.
)
-
To seize, grab; happer, saisir.
♦ Yé tous les dés ensembe oi ain dézouite par ter, ain dans yé happé li, et dit c'était pou li. They both saw an oyster on the ground, one of them grabbed it and said it was his. (T24)
See examples
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harasé
No sources
(
adj.
)
-
Worn-out, exhausted; surmené, épuisé.
♦ Comme to ouar moin là, mo harrassée avec l'ouvrage. Just like you see me there, I’m worn out from work. (WO)
See examples
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hash
BT, PC
(
n.
)
laash
PC
lash
PC
ash
PC
lahash
CA, MO 60, PC, ST
-
Hatchet, axe; hache.
Tayon dè lach. The blade of an axe. (PC); En lamas, sa gen en lamanch kòm en lahach . A sledgehammer has a handle like a hatchet. (CA) ♦ Ça, ce lagresse zozo paradis; couri gressé vou lahace avé li et di vou famme coupé vou cou; ça pa pé fé vou mal. That is the fat from the bird of paradise; go grease your axe with that and tell your wife to cut off your head; it will not harm you. (T8)
See examples
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hashé
No sources
(
v.tr.
)
-
To chop (off); hacher, cf. aché
-
hayon
BT, MO 60
(
n.
)
-
Old clothes; vieux habits.
To wa le hayon kroche? Gar! You see the clothes hanging up? (BT)
See examples
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Rag; haillon, chiffon. (MO 60)
♦ Li té gagné nainc vié zaillons anho li, ki té santi pi com cocodri. He had on only old rags that smelled worse than an alligator. (T7)
See examples
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hayonnin*
No sources
(
adj.
)
honñonnin
CA
-
Ragged, tattered; hailloneux, en haillons.
Si keken gen lenj tou hongnonnen, se vilen. If someone has clothes that are all tattered, it’s ugly. (CA)
See examples
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hirlé
CA
(
v.intr.
)
-
To howl; hurler.
Ye di kan chyen ap hirle leswa, se la mòr. They say that when a dog howls at night, it means death. (CA) ♦ I fo mo di vousote ké si ein cochon connin grognin, chien jappé, loup hirlé, lavache béglé, chaque qualité zanimo gagnin yé tchenne langage. I must tell you that if a hog grunts, a dog barks, a wolf howls, a cow bellows, each kind of animal has its own language. (FO 1887)
See examples
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hisé
No sources
(
v.tr.
)
-
To raise; hisser.
♦ Yé hissé sajfaud pou' so la tête. They raised a scaffold for his head. (GC2)
See examples
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ho
gen
(
adj.,
adv.
)
-
High, tall; haut, grand.
Fe tansyon to pa tanmbe la, paske se ho. Be careful not to fall, now, because it’s high. (PC); Ye ouv Bòne Kare-la pou dolo flev pase kan flev ho, pa pou gen lakrevas. They open the Bonnet Carré Spillway to let water in when the river is high, so the levee won’t break. (CA) ♦ Alors l'Irlandais jété li méme dans do l'eau qui té très haut et té vini jisqua so cou. So the Irishman threw himself into the water that was very high and that came up to his neck. (FO T5) •dolo ho n.phr. Flood, high water; inondation, cf. dolo
See examples
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High, drunk; ivre, soûl, éméché.
L ap vini ho. Se pa lontan avan li vini sou. He’s getting high. It won’t be long until he’s drunk. (ST)High; haut. Youkoun te la. Youkoun vini o bal-leu. Youkoun t ape sote ho konm sa-leu. O wi', 1 t ape fe la kour le fiy-la. Youkoune was there, he came to the dance. Youkoune was jumping this high, oh yes, he was wooing the girls. (BT) •’hotte et bas’ adv.phr. Up and down; en haut et en bas. ♦ Apé galopé tou la journin, hotte et bas dan gran la manison (sic) la. Running around all day, up and down, in that big house. (WO)
See examples
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ho
NE
(
int.
)
-
Ho! Hé!
-
hobo
CA, PC
(
n.
)
-
Hobo; clochard.
L ap marche so sak an so do. Se en hobo. He’s walking with his sack on his back. He’s a hobo. (CA) ♦ Li kontinwe viv konm en hobo pou dezan. He went on living like a hobo for years. (JR)
See examples
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honm
CA, PC
(
n.
)
-
Nursing home; maison de retraite.
Li gen en bo-frè andan honm osi. She has a brother-in-law in the retirement home also. (PC); En vye moun lamezon se en honm. An old person’s house is a nursing home. (CA)
See examples
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hou
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Holly; houx.
♦ To fe en di te avek de fey en piti narb ye pel le hou. You make a tea with the leaves of a little tree they call holly. (BI)
See examples
-
hou-wa
PC
(
int.
)
-
Oh! Oh!
Se gaspiy e larjan-seu. To chin pa souvan. Hou-wa! That is a waste of money. You don’t win often. Oh! (PC)
See examples
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houdou
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Voodoo, practitioner of voodoo; vaudou, pratiquant du vaudou, cf. voudou
-
houlalé
PC
(
v.intr.
)
-
To grumble, gripe, complain; rouspéter, se plaindre.
Nouzòt te konnen houlale, nou te di ‘medikaman mule. ’ We used to complain and call it ‘donkey medicine’. (PC)
See examples
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houpla
No sources
(
int.
)
-
Zing! Houp-là, hop!
♦ Tan li rivé côté pon, li tendé zerbe grouyé. Houp-la! li pati galopé. When he arrived at the bridge he heard the grass moving. Houp-la! He took off running. (T7)
See examples
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houra
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Hurry; hâte. •dan en oura
adv.phr. In a hurry, quickly, fast; à la hâte, vite, rapidement. ♦ Li rantre an ba magazen-la e li seye fe kochon-ye sorti. Men en dan gro-ye gonfle on li an ba la, e li te blije sorti dan en oura. He went under the barn and he tried to get the pigs to come out. But one of the big ones charged at him and he was forced to come out in a hurry. (JR)
See examples
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houra
PC
(
v.aux.
)
oura pou
PC
oura
PC
-
To hurry, hurry up; se dépêcher.
Peutèt to gen vini la mo pa la. Sou pou sa te e oura vini. Maybe you’ll come back and I won’t be here any more. That’s why you have to hurry up and come back. (PC) ♦ Hourra! cria un nègre, alà li, là, là! ‘Hurry up!’ one of the blacks cried. ‘There he is! There he is!’ (ME)
See examples
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hèrs
BT
(
n.
)
laès
PC, CA
lahès
PC, CA
-
Harrow; herse.
Kan no te raboure, i rèste de mot, sa fe, nou te kroche de mile, te pase lahèrs disu, sa vini plonnj. When we plowed, some clumps remained, so we hitched up some mules and passed the harrow over it, and it became even. (BT)
See examples
-
hèrsé
PC
(
v.intr.
)
èrsé
PC
harsé
MO 60
-
To harrow; herser.
Mo di, mo m pe trape mile mon, le maten, kouri hèrse pou plante diri. I said I could go get my mule in the morning, and harrow the ground for planting rice. (PC)
See examples
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hé
CA, NE, ST
(
int.
)
é
NE
-
Hey! Hé, Holà!
He! Sa t ape fe la-ba? Eou t ap ale? Hey! What are you doing over there? Where are you going? (ST) ♦ Hé! hé! Compair Lapin, ça ta pé fé là? Hey! Brer Rabbit, what are you doing there? (T2)
See examples
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hélayé
CA
(
v.intr.
)
-
To yell, shout, make a racket; gueuler, chauter.
Mèt-d-ekol-la li gen en ti sifle e kan li sif piti-ye arèt helaye, fe ye komèrs. The schoolteacher has a whistle, and when he whistles, the children stop yelling. (CA)
See examples
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hélé
CA, NE, ST
(
v.intr.
)
élé
PC
hélé
BT, PC
él
PC
hèl
CA
-
To yell, call out, shout; crier, pousser un cri, hurler.
Ye ele an mon, koman sa va? They called out to me, ‘How’s it going?’ (PC); No te ape hele e leko t ap retoumen a nouzòt. We were yelling and the echo was coming back to us. (CA); Hele apre piti-le. Fe ye arète voye kayou apre en-a-lòt. Yell at those kids. Make them stop throwing stones at each other. (ST) ♦ A swa kan t a tann nouzòt hele, vini kote kabann e y a donn twa soupe ousi. Tonight, when you hear us yelling, come in to the cabin and they will give you some dinner too. (JR) •hèle en kri v.phr. (BT). To yell, shout, call out; crier, pousser un cri, hurler. Kan mo te hèle en kri onho, li te galope. When I shouted out to him, he came running up. (BT)
See examples
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To chirp, sing; chanter, pépier, gazouiller.
Enn ki ele la, m pa kònè aou li ye, dan dibwa, kèk plas. There is one (a mockingbird) singing, I don’t know where he is, in the woods somewhere. (PC)
See examples
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To bray; braire.
Mule-la ele. The mule is braying. (PC)
See examples
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To cry; pleurer.
♦ Ah , ben ki ça to guignin apé hélé com ça gran bo matin? Oh, what is wrong with you, to be crying like that so early in the morning? (TM)
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hòl
CA, NE, PC
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n.
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òl
PC
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Dance hall; salle de danse.
Òl-la plen moun. The hall was full of people. (PC); Se en vayan hol-la. Ye dòn en bal andan. That’s a nice dance hall. They give dances inside. (CA) ♦ Mo couri fermé mo la malle, et dandy, com ein étourneau, mo descende coté la halle. I went to shut my trunk, and as spiffed up as a blackbird I went down to the hall. (T37)
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