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

• kartoush BT, CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Cartridge (of a gun); cartouche.
     To charj lakartouch, to ponmpe li, li va rantre dan leu kano. You load the cartridge, you pump it, it goes into the barrel. (BT); E gazet-la e kou frape kartouch-le. And the hammer hits the cartridge. (PC); Li mèt kartouch dan so fizi . E la li tire. He put a cartridge in his rifle and then he fired. (CA) See examples
• kartyé CA, PC, ST ( n. ) karchye CA, PC
  1. Lodging, quarters; logis.
     ♦ Li dis moin: ‘moi sé Sans-Quartier, Henri sè mo nom dé baptême..? He told me, I’m a homeless one, and Henri is my baptismal name. ‘ (T38) See examples
  2. Quarter of the moon; quartier de la lune.
     Apre leu preumye kartye a komanse grosi . After the first quarter it (the moon) starts getting bigger. (PC) See examples
  3. Upper half of the leg (between the hip and the knee), lap; giron, partie supérieure de la jambe (entre le genou et la hanche).
     Vyen asi on me kartchyeu. Come sit on my lap. (PC) See examples
• karvèl BT, PC ( n. )
  1. Long nail; clou long.
     Ina te gen de gro klou. Ye pèle sa de karvèl. Kan to pase sa, sète konm en rato. There are some that had long nails (as tines), they called them [karvèl]. When you passed it (over the ground) it worked like a rake. (BT) See examples
• Karèm CA, NE, ST ( n. )
  1. Lent; Carême.
     Pou Karèm, no gen de trwa semèn lamisyon. For Lent, we have two or three weeks for retreats. (CA); Dan Karèm plito an mèrkredi e vandredi moun fe mèg. During Lent, especially on Wednesdays and Fridays, people fast. (ST) ♦ Aux blancs faut pas trop to fier, ou ta jamais fini carême. You must not trust white people too much, or you will never make it through Lent. (T38) •fe karèm v.phr. (CA). To fast, abstain from eating meat; manger maigre, s’abstenir de manger de la viande. ♦ Einne fois, yé té gain ein gros coquin desrat tout gras qui jonmainfait carême. Once there was a big fat old rat who had never observed Lent. (BD) See examples
• karé BT ( adj. )
  1. Square, squared off; carré.
     Enn pyòch, li fil pa li-menm, paski enn pyòch kare. A hoe doesn’t sharpen itself, because a hoe is squared off. (BT) See examples
• karé CA ( n. )
  1. Square, block (of land); carré (de terre).
     Si ye se vini dan lanwit dan en kare, enave pa en pye diri ki te rèste. If they [locusts] came at night into a patch of land, there wouldn’t be a rice plant left. (CA) •kare latè n.phr. (CA). Field, patch, piece of property ; lopin de terre. Komyen pye to gen dan to kare latè? How many feet do you have in your field? (CA) See examples
• karémon NE ( adv. )
  1. Right away, immediately; tout de suite.
     ♦ Lakoulèr va revini karemon. The color will come back right away, [‘quarrément’] (BI) •drwat karemon adv.phr. (BT). Right away, immediately; tout de suite. Si to koup li drwat karemon. If you cut it right away. (BT) See examples
• karésé CA ( v. ) karèsé ST
  1. To caress, stroke; caresser.
     ♦ Li garde gro betay-la ki te ape ronfle konm en chat ki kares so met. He looked at the big animal that was purring like a cat being caressed by its master. (JR) See examples
  2. To hug; serrer dans ses bras.
     Vini karèse mwen. Se si lontan depi mo war twa. Come hug me. It’s been so long since I've seen you. (ST) See examples
• karòs PC ( n. )
  1. Coach; carrosse.
     ♦ LaGraisse té sorti tou les jou dans eune bel carosse en or. LaGraisse went out every day in a beautiful golden carriage. (T29) See examples
• karòt CA, NE, PC, ST ( n. ) karot CA
  1. Carrot; carotte.
     No te gen pimon-ye, pa pimant cho-ye men nou te gen tou kichoj kòm karòt, e lamoutad, tou zafè-sa-ye. We had peppers, not hot peppers, but we had everything like carrots, mustard, everything like that. (PC); Lapen-yen, se sa ye manj, karot. Rabbits, that’s what they eat, carrots. (CA) ♦ Choal dit li mangé jisse difoin; Compair Lapin dit li mangé jisse carottes et laitues. The horse said he ate only hay; Brer Rabbit said he ate only carrots and lettuce. (FO T11) See examples
  2. Twist, plug of tobacco; torquette, carotte de tabac.
     Li te fe karòt e sa. He used to make plugs of tobacco with that. (PC); Mo nonk te fe karot taba an markònen fey-ye. To mèt en pwa desi pou preze taba. My uncle made plugs of tobacco by stacking the leaves. You put a weight on top to press the tobacco down. (CA) See examples
• kas-tèt CA, PC, ST ( n. ) kas-tét PC
  1. Hatchet; hachette.
     Sa se en kas-tèt. That is a hatchet. (BT) •mol kas-tèt n.phr. Sledgehammer; masse, cf. mol See examples
  2. Hammer; marteau
     . ♦Mo l'onde couri cherché un casse-tête et des clous, et avec ein morceau laplanche li bouché trou là. My uncle went to get a hammer and some nails, and with a piece of wood he plugged that hole. (T40) See examples
• kasav No sources ( n. )
  1. Cassava; cassave.
     ♦ Morceau cassave dan bouillon posson cé kichoge ki dou, cé kichoge ki bon. A piece of cassava in a fish soup is a sweet thing, a good thing. (FO 1887) See examples
• kasayé CA ( v.tr. ) kasaryé NE
  1. To break up, destroy; détruire, casser en morceaux.
     Chariot te gen èn vyey mezon, se te tou kasarye. Charlotte had an old house, it was all in ruins. (NE); Louragon ap pase. Li kasaye tou so lamezon. The hurricane is passing through. It broke up his whole house. (CA) See examples
• kashanbo PC ( n. ) kashimbo ST
  1. Clay pipe; pipe en terre cuite.
     Mo popa fume en kachimbo, en pip -la tè. My papa smoked a clay pipe. (ST) ♦te té apé fimé so caçambo. He was smoking his clay pipe. (T6) See examples
• Kashanbo No sources ( prop.n. )
  1. Cachambo (folktale character); Cachambo (personnage dans les contes).
     ♦ Pa Cachambo cé piti kouzin avé kouzin Zan-Loui. Pa Cachambo is distant cousins with cousin Jean-Louis. (T17) See examples
• kashkash CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Common snipe or Wilson’s snipe; espèce de bécassine. (Gallinago delicata).
     Kan to fe li pèr, en kachkach li par tou-d-en-kou. When you frighten a common snipe, he leaves immediately. (CA) See examples
• kashkash-nikola CA ( n. )
  1. Hide-and-seek; cache-cache.
• kashmir ST ( n. )
  1. Cashmere; cachemire.
     Mo gen en kapo kachmir. Li tchanbon mwen cho. I’ve got a cashmere coat. It keeps me warm. (ST) ♦ La palé marié en blan avec ain robe cachemire so nonque fé li cado. She’s going to get married in white with a cashmere dress that her uncle gave her as a gift. (WO) See examples
• kashé CA, NE, PC, ST ( v., v.intr., v.refl., v.tr. ) kashyé PC
  1. To hide; se cacher.
     Li se kou kache dan en lòt pyès. He went to hide in another room. (PC); Li te las kache de lalwa. Li rann li-mèm. He was tired of hiding from the law. He turned himself in. (CA) ♦ Li kache dèryè en dibwa li ousi He hid behind a tree also. (JR)To hide; se cacher. ♦ Tit Poucette qui té caché li-même en bas lachaise so popa tonne tout ça yé dit. Tom Thumb, who was hiding under his father’s chair, heard everything they said. (BD)To hide; cacher. Li kache larjan-la , pèche mon trouve li. He hid the money to keep me from finding it. (PC) ♦ Fomme li ogre qui té pensé li sé ca cacher yé, laissé yé rentrer. The ogre’s wife, who thought she could hide them, let them come in. (BD) •an kache adv.phr. (PC; ST). On the sly, secretly; en cachette. Li draiv an kache. He drives on the sly (since his license was revoked). (PC); Mo kouzin ap ale avèk Jan an kache. So paran p ole ye ansanm. My cousin is going out with John on the sly. Her parents don’t want them together. (ST) ♦ Malgré Doctair Macaque dan vou confiance, cé li kapé gouvemin en cachette é conseillé tou moune é metté yé en révolte. Although Dr. Monkey has your confidence, it is he who is governing secretly and advising all your people. (FO 1887) See examples
• kashé-fwèt BT, CA, ST ( n. )
  1. Hide-the-switch (children’s game); jeu d’enfants où l’on cache un fouet.
     Kache-fwèt, to prande en gran fwèt et la tou kèkenn ale e kache sa figur, epi la two, tu va ale epi kache l fwèt. Hide the switch, you took a big switch and everyone would hide their faces. Then you would hide the whip. (BT); No va kache fwèt-la. Lezot va chèrche li. Kan ye trouve li, ye va galope dèryè twa pou taye twa. We go hide the whip. The others look for it. When they find it, they go running behind you to whip you. (CA) See examples
  2. Hide-and-seek; cache-cache.
     Piti-ye t ape kache pou pa en-a-nòt trouve ye. Ye t ape jwe kache-fwèt. The children were hiding so they wouldn’t find each other. They were playing hide-and-seek. (CA) See examples
• kashé-moun BT, ST ( n. )
  1. Hide-and-seek; cache-cache.
     Kache-moun, tou kekenn nouzòt te kache e pi la yè te konte a dis. Hide-and-seek, everyone would go hide and then you’d count to ten. (BT) See examples
• kasinn No sources ( n. ) kasyin ST
  1. Yaupon; cassinier. (Ilex vormitoria).
     Demur kasyen se koulœr rouj. Yaupon berries are red. (ST) ♦ [Pou] rimatis, met la kasin don djin e bwa sa trwa Jwa par jour. For rhumatism, put some yaupon bark in some gin and drink that three times a day. (BI) See examples
• kaspilèr No sources ( n. )
  1. Scapular; scapulaire, cf. skapilèr
• kaspèrgou PC, ST ( n. ) kazbrigo CA, PC kasbrigo PC gou PC kasbirgo ST
  1. Freshwater drum fish; espèce de poisson.
     (Apodinotus grunniens). Tu me barbu , tu me le pwason kasbrigo. You put catfish and caspergou (in a court-bouillon). (PC) ♦ Mo pas gaingnain temps jordi pou casse-birgot, pasqué y faut mo là quand ya soufflé 'birgot', I don’t have time today for drumfish, because I have to be there when they blow the ‘birgot’. (T27) See examples
  2. Common sheepshead; espèce de poisson.
     (Archosargus probatocephalus ) . See examples
• kastòr MO 60 ( n. ) kastò PC
  1. Beaver; castor.
     To te gen bwa from fòs rivyè. La la to wa kastò-ye e jwe tou kichò e jwe. You used to have to drink from False River. And you would see beavers and all playing in it. (PC) See examples
• kasé gen, MO 60 ( v., v.intr., v.tr. ) kas CA, ST
  1. To break; se casser.
     Goble-la kase. The glass broke. (PC) ♦ La kase pi ye tonmbe don la bou avek latche don la men. The tail broke and they fell in the mud with the tail in their hands. (LA)1. To break; casser. Li kase goble-la. She broke the glass. (PC); Mo pa kase lalanp-la. I didn’t break the lamp. (CA); Lafòrs dolo kas lalve-la e la safe lakrevas. The force of the water broke the levee and it made a crack. (CA) ♦ Si to kas en mirwa sa donn twa set on bèd lòk. If you break a mirror that brings you seven years of bad luck. (LA) •fiy ki janmen kase n.phr. (PC). Virgin; vierge, •kase lalwa v.phr. (CA). To break a law; enfreindre une loi. •kase lapay v.phr. (BT; CA). To break off a friendship; rompre une amitié. El e kokin...La, mon e èl kase lapay. She’s a thief...Right then and there our friendship ended. (BT) •kase latè v.phr. (PC). To break, clear, plow, till land; défricher, labourer une terre. Mo se monte trèktè, mo se kouru...mo se kase latè e zafè. I got on the tractor, I ran it [out into the field]...broke the ground. (PC) •kase (so) kœr v.phr. (ST); kase (so) kœ (PC); kase (so) kèr (CA). To break s.o.’s heart; briser le coeur à qn. Konm to parle e mon, to kase mo kœ. As you spoke to me, you broke my heart. (PC) •kase (so) latèt v.phr. (ST). 1) To worry, rack one’s brains; se tracasser, se casser la tête. ♦ Mo zonglé lontan pou trivé ein magnair pou gaigné ein filé, mé mo kacé mo lataitte pou arien. I thought a long time to find a way to get a drink, but I racked my brains for nothing. (T16) 2) To hurt oneself, break one’s neck; se casser la tête, se faire du mal. Fe tansyon anho lèskalye parske to va kase to latèt si to tonbe. Be careful at the top of the stairs, because you’ll break your neck if you fall. (ST) •kase santiman n.phr. (CA). To hurt (s.o.’s) feelings; blesser les sentiments (a qn). Mo di li kikchoj ki kase so santiman. I said something to him which hurt his feelings. (CA) 2. To tear down, demolish; démolir. Ye kase la vyey mezon, e pi la ye rebati dan la menm plas. They tore down the old house and then they built a new one on the same spot. (BT) 3. To clear up, break up (a cold); casser, enlever (un rhume). Sa te kase rum dan no CHEST. That would break up a cold in our chest. (PC) 4. To break, break down, eliminate; rompre, mettre fin à, éliminer. Mouri koulè ye bat, ye kase sa. Black people fought (against racial segregation), and they put an end to it. (PC) 5. To break, tame (a horse); apprivoiser, dompter (un cheval). Chwal-la ankòr chovaj, Li pa kase ankòr, That horse is still wild. He’s not tamed yet. (CA); Mo neve te lenmen kase chwal maron. My nephew used to like to tame wild horses. (ST) 6. To pick, harvest; cueillir, ramasser, récolter. Mo gen pou kase lepi mayi, I have to go harvest com. (PC) ♦ Anvant dinin faut vous vini idé moin cassé maïs pou mo choal. Before dinner you have to come help me harvest corn for my horse. (FO T4) 7. To shell, shuck (com); égrener, éplucher (le maïs). Deja kase mai dan magazen-la, lamotchye mai. (We had) already shucked half of the corn in the bam. (PC); Leu mèm mai-ye to plant...La to kas ye e to konen kwi ye. The same corn you plant... Then you shuck them and you can cook them. (CA); Li kase mayi e mèt en ta pay mayi anho latab. She shucked corn and put a pile of corn shucks on the table. (ST) See examples
• katafalk No sources ( n. ) katafal CA, ST
  1. Catafalque, cooling board (board on which a body lies for viewing); catafalque, planche sur laquelle on expose un cadavre.
     Vye tan pase, ye te mèt moun mouri desi en katafal avon ye mèt li dan so sèrkœy. A long time ago, they would put a dead person on a cooling board before they put him in his casket. (CA) ♦ Mo trouvé Henri Chrysocalque en haut boute ein poteau fanal, li té gagnin so catafalque. I found Henri Chrysocalque; he had his catafalque atop a lamppost. (T37) See examples
• katalpa PC ( n. )
  1. Catalpa; catalpa.
     Ye gen mirye, ye gen sirye, ye gen en katalpa. There’s a blackberry tree, there’s a wax myrtle, there’s a catalpa. (PC) See examples
• kataplas CA, NE ( n. ) katapla PC kataplad PC kataplanm PC
  1. Poultice; cataplasme.
     To fe en kataplas e fié fevi pou mèt desi deklou-ye. You made a poultice out of okra flowers to put on boils. (CA) ♦ Pou en pye foule ye te konnen fe en kataplonm avek di sel e di vineg. For a sprained foot they used to make a poultice with salt and vinegar. [‘cataplome’] (LA) See examples
• katarak CA, ST ( n. ) katara! BT, ST
  1. Cataract; cataracte.
     Ye gen pou ote mwa en ti kataral dan mo zyeu gòch. They have to remove a small cataract in my left eye. (BT); En katarak mèt twa aveg. A cataract makes you blind. (CA); Mo zyeu te gen en kataral. My eye had a cataract. (ST) See examples
• katin PC ( n. ) katènn CA, PC
  1. Doll; poupée.
     Li pèd so katen. She lost her doll. (PC); Kan to fe en katenn, to foure koton andan la. When you make a doll, you stick cotton inside it. (CA) ♦ Li couri pran so zouti et li fé ein gro catin avé boi laurié. He went to get his tools and he made a big doll out of laurel wood. (T2) See examples
  2. Voodoo doll; poupée qui sert dans les rites du vaudou.
     Ye se fe le katenn. E si kkœn te lenm pa twa ye se mèt le zegwiy dan la katenn. They used to make dolls. And if someone didn’t like you, they would stick needles in the doll. (PC) See examples
• katolik CA, NE, PC, ST ( n., adj. )
  1. Catholic; catholique.
     Vou toun kote legliz katolik an Leklenn. You turn by the Catholic church in Lakeland. (PC); Si to te batize katolik, to gen drwa èt antere la. If you were baptized Catholic, you have a right to be buried there. (CA) See examples
• katr PC, ST ( num.card. ) kat CA, MO 60, NE, PC
  1. Four; quatre.
     Fanm-la li mouri enan katr an, senk an. That woman died four or five years ago. (PC); Yè tapè pèye de kochon kat sou isi. They were paying four cents [a pound] for hogs here. (MO 60); No gen trwa o kat labank isit La Vachri. There are three or four banks in Vacherie. (CA) ♦ Yavé eune madame ki té gagnin cate filles. There was a woman who had four daughters. (T29) See examples
• katriyinm BT, PC ( num.ord. ) katriyèm PC katrinm ST
  1. Fourth; quatrième.
     Mon se katriyenm. Mo mo se katriyenm-la dan nèf-ye. I’m the fourth, I’m the fourth out of nine children. (PC) •katriyenm (liv) n.phr. (BT; PC). Fourth (grade); quatrième classe dans le système éducatif américain. Kan t ave ale a lekòl e pi fini l katriyenm liv ; o, endike fini, byen endike katriyenm liv. When you went to school and you finished fourth grade, your education was over, oh, you were well-educated after fourth grade. (BT); Nou te dan katriyèm. We were in the fourth grade. (PC) See examples
• katré-vin CA, NE, ST ( num.card. ) kat-vin CA katre-vin PC katrœ-vin PC
  1. Eighty; quatre-vingts.
     Mo te tchwe en kochon ki peze apeple katre-ven liv. I killed a pig that weighed about eighty pounds. (NE); Katreuven-deu. Katreu-ven-dèz on. Se sa li gen. Eighty-two. Eighty-two years old, that’s how old she is. (PC); Se mo lafèt jodi. Mo fe katre-ven-trwa. It’s my birthday today. I turned eighty-three. (CA) See examples
• katré-vin-dis PC ( num.card. )
  1. Ninety; quatre-vingt-dix.
     Katre-ven-dis, manke diz an ankò pou fe sant an. Ninety, I’m ten years short of a hundred. (PC) • katrœ-ven-diz-nèf num.card. (PC). Ninety-nine; quatre-vingt-dix-neuf. See examples
• katéshis BT, CA, ST ( n. ) katéshi PC katéshish CA, PC, BT katèshish PC
  1. Catechism; catéchisme. Mo
     gran-momon monte mon katechi ka mo te gen fe mo prèmyè konmiyon. My grandmother taught me catechism when I was going to do my first communion. (PC) See examples
  2. Catechism class; cours de catéchisme.
     Pou swi katechich on nave se gro ròb -la . For catechism class we had these big robes made of duckcloth. (BT) See examples
• katòrz CA, NE, ST ( num.card. ) katòz PC
  1. Fourteen; quatorze.
     Li te katòz anne. He was fourteen years old. (PC) See examples
• kavalri No sources ( n. )
  1. Cavalry; cavalerie.
     ♦ N'officier lé roi a vini chercher choals et milets pou la cavalerie pou fait la djerre. The king’s officers come to get the horses and mules for the cavalry. (FO T15) See examples
• kavalyé BT, CA, PC, ST ( n. ) kabiyé PC
  1. Male dance partner; cavalier (partenaire de danse).
     Kan to danse ave en kavalye, ti jin onm k t e danse ave. Li gen pran to lamen mennen twa kote latab pran to trit. When you dance with a [kavalye], you know, a young man that you dance with, he has to take your hand and lead you to the table to get your gift. (PC); Se mo-ken kavalye sa. To pa konen danse avèk li. He’s my dance partner. You can’t dance with him. (CA) ♦ Tan yé fini manzé, tou cavalié pran yé dammes et mêté en place pou dancé. When they finished eating, all the young men took their women and got in place to dance. (T8) See examples
  2. Escort, date; compagnon.
     Mo sœr ale dmen avèk so kavalye. My sister went to dinner with her date. (ST) See examples
  3. Jockey, horseman; jockey.
     En kavalye se en ti garson ou enn fiy, kèken onba d san ven liv. A jockey is a young boy or girl, someone under a hundred and twenty pounds. (BT) See examples
• kavo CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Burial vault; caveau, sépulture.
     To met sèrkey-la anndan kavo-la, la to krouv li. You put the coffin inside the vault, then you cover it. (PC) See examples
  2. Safe, vault; coffre-fort.
     Li gen so kavo dan so lamiray pou mèt so dòrir e so larjan. She’s got a safe in the wall to put her gold jewelry and her money. (CA) See examples
• kawshou No sources ( n. )
  1. Rubber; caoutchouc.
     ♦Ce moin qui Président pou lasouscription pour statue en caoutchouc Miché Kellogg. I’m the president of the collection for the rubber statue of Mr. Kellog. (T34) See examples
• kawènn BT, CA, PC, ST ( n. ) kawonn CA, PC kawann PC kawèn CA kawin ST
  1. Freshwater alligator snapping turtle, loggerhead; tortue alligator d’eau douce qui ressemble à la caouanne. (Machrochelys lacertina).
     Ye gen toti kawenn-ye. There are loggerhead turtles. (PC); Se en gro kawenn. It’s a big snapping turtle. (ST) ♦ To va prend in costume caouène, moin mo sra zétoile du matin. You will get a snapping turtle costume, and I will be the morning star. (T33) See examples
  2. Turtle (of any kind); tortue (de n’importe quelle espèce). (ST)
  3. Vagina; vagin.
     Va nètwaye ta kawenn. Go wash your vagina. (BT) See examples
  4. Head; tête.
     ♦ Yé té pa gaignin à faire pou sorti san mo té connin. Mo dja di yé ça mé yé gaignin ain cawaingue ça dur com caïman. They had no business going out without me knowing it. I’ve told them that but they have a head as hard as an alligator. (WO) See examples
• kay MO 60, PC, ST ( adj. )
  1. Spotted, speckled; tacheté.
     Chyen kay. Spotted dog. (MO 60); Mo chyen kay. Li gen tach bren. My dog is spotted. He has brown spots. (ST) See examples
• kay BT, PC, ST ( n. )
  1. Meadowlark, field lark; alouette. REM: RD 1963: 16-17 defines as quail, for which most speakers use pèrdri; RD says that the latter term, usually with some modifier, denotes various songbirds, e.g. catbird, lark, thrush.
• kay CA ( n. ) lakay CA
  1. House; maison.
     Mo va kay mwen e mo march vit. I go home and I walk quickly. (CA) See examples
• kay-di PC ( n. )
  1. Cushaw, long-necked pumpkin; potiron à cou long, espèce de courge comestible.
     (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne). See examples
• kaymòl CA, ST ( n. )
  1. Softshell loggerhead turtle; espèce de tortue à carapace molle.
• kayou CA ( n. ) kayoud ST
  1. Mutt, dog of mixed breed; chien de race mixte, cabot.
     Pèrsòn pè anbète en kayou. Nobody can upset a mutt. (CA) See examples
• kayou CA, PC, ST ( n. )
  1. Stone; caillou.
     Latè-sa-a gen en lo kayou. This soil is full of stones. (PC); Ye mèt ti kayou dan chemen-la. They put small stones on the road. (CA) ♦ Yé té gagnin ein caillou pas plis grand qué ein piti canique. There was a pebble not any bigger than a little marble. (FO T22) • kayou lagrèl n.phr. (ST). Hailstone; grêlon. Kayou lagrèl domaj mo char livèr pase. Hailstones damaged my car last winter. (ST) ♦ [Pou] mal o zye, to ramas de kayou lagrel, e to gard ye don en boutey pou lave to zye-ye. For sore eyes, you collect hailstones, and you save them in a bottle to wash your eyes with. (BI) See examples
  2. Gravel; gravier.
     Mo mèt kayou dan mo DRIVEWAY . I put gravel in my driveway. (PC); Chemen pou vini che mwen kouvèr avèk kayou. The road to my house is covered with gravel. (ST) See examples