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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antyé
CA, PC
(
adj.
)
-
Whole, entire; entier.
Sete en gro morso lavyan. Chyen-la manje tou roti antye. It was a big piece of meat. The dog ate the entire roast. (CA)
See examples
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Uncastrated; qui n’a pas été chatré.
Se en betay antye, ye pa koupe li. He’s an intact animal, they haven’t castrated him. (PC)
See examples
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antèr
CA
(
adv.,
prep.
)
onlèr
NE
-
Up; en haut, en l’air.
Vyeu Djab trape sa malin, li trape sa malin onba so bra, li leve li laba onlèr. Old Devil grabbed his girlfriend, he caught her under her arms and lifted her up. (NE); Kofèr to march bosi kòm sa avek zepol-ye antèr? Why do you walk hunchbacked like that with your shoulders up? (CA) ♦ Li te ape marche dousman, la tet an tèr, pou garde pou kirèy dan bwa-ye. He was walking softly, his head held high, to look for squirrels in the trees. (JR) • antèr e anba adv.phr. (CA). Up and down; en haut et en bas.On, on top of; sur. Se jich li ke pre nouzot. Alòr se jich li no gen p pele antèr li. She’s the only one that is close to us. So it’s just her that we can call on. (CA); To gen p mèt bibron antèr boutey-la pou li kapab tète so boutey. You have to put the nipple on the bottle so that the baby can suck it. (CA)
See examples
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antèrman
PC
(
n.
)
lantèrman
CA
latèrman
PC
latèrmon
PC
-
Funeral, burial; enterrement.
Mo te ale ede lantèrman yèr. I went to help with the burial yesterday. (CA) ♦ Fô no fé mékié pou trapé li. Dimin to voyé di li mo mouri, fo li vini pou couri mo zanterman. We have to use a trick to trap him. Tomorrow send word to him that I died, and that he has to go to my funeral. (T3)
See examples
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antèré
PC
(
v.tr.
)
téré
CA, PC
antèr
PC
tér
PC
tèri
MO 69
ontèré
ST
-
To bury; enterrer.
Li mouri , ye tere l sanmdi. She died, they buried her Saturday. (PC); Apre li mouri, mo ontère li. After she died, I buried her. (ST) ♦ Li kouri tere li. Li met sèrkey-la dan lafòs-la e klouwe so kouvè. He went to bury him. He put the coffin in the ground and nailed its lid shut. (JR)
See examples
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antèté
No sources
(
v.refl.
)
-
To be stubborn, become stubborn; s’entêter.
♦ Torti entété li. Turtle became stubborn. (ME 90)
See examples
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anvi
CA
(
n.
)
onvi
NE
-
Desire; envie. •dòn anvi
v.phr. To make one feel like; donner envie (à qn). Ven d lamèriz, sa va dòn twa anvi dòrmi osit. Cherry wine will make you feel like sleeping also. (CA) •gen onvi v.phr. (NE). To want, feel like; avoir envie de, vouloir. Mo pa gen onvi fe sa. I don’t feel like doing that. (NE) ♦ Mo té gagnin l'envi faché car mo l'aimin la politesse. I felt like getting angry because I liked politeness. (T38)
See examples
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anvi
MO 60, PC
(
v.,
v.tr.,
v.aux.
)
onvi
NE
-
To want; vouloir, avoir envie de.
Doktè ote mon kafe. Li te pa si anvi mo bwa sa men mo bwa yenk en tas le maten. The doctor took me off coffee. He didn’t really want me to drink that, but I only have one cup in the morning. (PC)To want, feel like; avoir envie de. Mo anvi dòrmi. I want to sleep. (PC)
See examples
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anvlòpé
BT
(
v.tr.
)
vlopé
BT, MO 60
anvlòp
BT
vlopé
CA, NE, PC, ST
volpé
CA
vlop
NE
-
To wrap, tie around; lier, envelopper.
Mo vlope mo lavyan-la pou glase li. I wrapped my meat to freeze it. (CA); Mo gen pou vlope en pake pou voye pou mo sèr dan Tèksas. I’ve got to wrap a package to send to my sister in Texas. (ST) ♦Macaque là té gagnin so la tête vloppé dans ein mouchoir bleu. The monkey had his head wrapped in a blue handkerchief. (T36)
See examples
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anvyé
PC
(
v.
)
-
To envy, be jealous of; envier.
Ena defwa mo ont, ye tro anvye pou mon. Sometimes I’m ashamed, they envy me too much. (PC)
See examples
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anvèr
CA
(
prep.
)
-
Towards; envers.
Li dòn pa li la chans pou sòrti. Li tro drwat anvèr li. He didn’t give her a chance to go out. He’s too strict with her. (CA)
See examples
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ané
CA, MO 60, NE
(
n.
)
lannin
CA, PC, PC
lènnin
CA, PC, PC
anné
CA, PC, PC
lanné lanin
PC, ST, CA, PC
lané
NE
léz-ané (pl.)
NE
-
Year; année.
Titanic, li kale diz-nèf san dis. Mèm lannen mo ne, mo kwa. The Titanic sank in 1910 (sic). That’s the same year I was bom, I believe. (PC) ♦ Cé on 4 jiyet Djabe vini kolair hé li fé tombé la pli pandan karante zane. It was on the Fourth of July that the Devil got mad and he made it rain for forty years. (T 13) • bonn ane n.phr. (CA); bon lane, bon nouvèl lane! (NE). Happy New Year! Bonne Année! Apre minwi, tou va ale swate bonn ane. After midnight, they’ll all wish ‘Happy New Year!’ (CA) ♦Jour là nos cou saloué madame comme ain lareine pou dit li bonne annain... That day we went to greet the lady like a queen to tell her ‘Happy New Year!’ (T27) • lanne ki pase n.phr. (PC); lannen pase (PC). Last year; l’année dernière. Lane ki pase, ye te gen tro lpli, e ye pa fe en fout. Last year there was too much rain, they didn’t produce anything. (PC) • lane ki vyen n.phr. (NE); lannen ki vyen, lanne ki vyen (PC). Next year; l'année prochaine. Nou peu pa pase en nòt livèr kòm sa lane ki vyen, parske se tro dur. We can’t spend another winter like that next year, because it’s too hard. (NE); To fini plannte pou lanne ki vyen. You’ve finished planting for next year. (PC) • lennen prochen n.phr . (PC). Next year; Tannée prochaine. Li gen komanse lekòl lennen prochen. She’ll start school next year. (PC) • o bout lanen adv.phr. (PC). At the end of the year; au bout de l'année. O bout lanen t a peye, ka t a fini rantre to rekòt. At the end of the year you’ll have to pay, when you finish bringing in your harvest. (PC) • èstonnen adv.phr. (PC); èstanne, èstònè-la, stannen, lanne-sa-la (PC); lonnen-sa-la, estonen (CA). This year; cette année. Si vou plante dekonn lannen pase, vou gen koupe l èstonnen-lan. If you planted cane last year you have to cut it this year. (PC); Lannen pase no te pa gen tro en ta pakan me estonen li va byen rapòrte. Last year we didn’t get very many pecans but this year, it’s going to produce well. (CA) • tou l anne adv.phr. (BT). The whole year, all year; toute l'année. La, ye ranpli le 'dipfrizeu,’ te pare pou tou l anne. They filled their deep freezers, they were ready for the whole year. (BT)
See examples
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ané
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Anet, dill, fennel; aneth, fenouil.
♦Pou de pigourwen malad, fe bouyi kontak e la Vyann ane onsonm e bwa sa. For sick kidneys, boil some green-brier and dill vines together and drink that. (BI)
See examples
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aout
CA, PC
(
n.
)
daou
PC
mwa d aou
PC
aou
BT
-
August; août.
So fet se dan aout. Le kenz d aout se so fet. His birthday is in August. The fifteenth of August is his birthday. (PC) ♦Ça vou té fait dans mois d'août? What were you doing in the month of August? (T1)
See examples
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apa*
No sources
(
n.
)
napa
PC
lapa
CA
-
Bait; appat.
Mo met mo napa an lanmsan-la e voye l dan dolo. I put my bait on the hook and I throw it in the water. (PC)
See examples
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apar
NE
(
prep.
)
onpar
NE
onpar ké
NE
apar ké
NE
-
Apart from, aside from; à part.
Onpar sa grip, li son li-mèm byen. Aside from his flu, he feels fine. (NE)
See examples
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apepré
PC
(
adv.
)
apœpré
BT
apréprè
CA, PC
apèpré
CA, PC
apré
NE, PC
apépré
NE
apéplé
NE
apela
CA
apèprè
MO 60
-
About, approximately, around; environ, à peu près.
Enavè en ti blan apeupre to laj ki vini. There was a little white guy about your age who used to come over. (PC); Mo rèste marye avèk li apeula senk an. I was married to him for about five years. (CA) ♦ Api pré midi, Compair Bouki passé au ra cabanne Compair Lapin. Around noon, Brer Bouki went near Brer Rabbit’s house. (T3)
See examples
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apik
PC
(
adj.
)
-
Steep; à pie.
En bit latè, apik? Apik se kan li gron, pwenti. A hill that’s steep? Steep is when it’s big, pointed. (PC) ♦ La pant lekò-la te apik, e li te pa fouti desann pou kouri che so larjan. The slope of the bank was steep, and he couldn’t get down to his money. (JR)
See examples
-
apiyé
CA, PC
(
v.,
v.intr.,
v.tr.
)
-
To lean against; s’appuyer sur, se pencher sur.
No te las e no apiye kont la baryèr-la. We were tired and we leaned against the fence. (CA); Li te apiye kont SHED-la. He was leaning against the shed. (PC)To hold up, support; appuyer, soutenir. ♦ Quand li vini grand li marché en haut dé (pattes), et quand li vini vié li bligé prend ein baton pou apiyer li, ça fait trois pattes. When he becomes an adult he walks upright on two (legs), and when he grows old he has to take a stick to hold himself up, that makes three legs. (FO T18)
See examples
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aplik
No sources
(
v.tr.
)
-
To apply; appliquer.
♦ La to gres en morso la twal avek lwil doliv, la to aplik sa si la plas. Then you grease a piece of cloth with olive oil and apply that on the spot. (BI)
See examples
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apotikè
PC
(
n.
)
potikèr
PC
lapotikèr
PC, ST
-
Pharmacist, druggist; pharmacien, apothicaire.
Kan to kouri kote lapotikèr, sa se li ki ranj medikaman. When you go to the pharmacist, he’s the one who prepares the medicine. (PC); Mo ale lapotikèr pou achte remèd pou mo piti ki te malad. I went to the pharmacist to buy medicine for my child who was sick. (ST) ♦ To té doite voyé Freddie coté l ’ apothicaire acheté pou ain quart i la pomade camphrée et bien frotté li. You should send Freddy to the pharmacist to get a quarter’s worth of camphor pomade, and rub it on him. (WO)
See examples
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aprann
CA, PC
(
v.tr.
)
apran
PC
aprann
PC
apròn
BT, MO 60, NE, PC
apron
NE
-
To learn; apprendre.
Mon monmon sète en gron COOK, e la mon apronn a gète li kwi. My mother was a great cook, and I learned by watching her cook. (BT); Kan mo te douz an, mo aprann koud e mo f e en rob. When I was twelve, I learned to sew and I made a dress. (CA) ♦Ye te pa pe fe larjan e ye te ole kouri aprann en metye. They weren’t able to make any money and they wanted to go and learn a trade. (JR) Conjug: apri narrative past Learned; appris. Mo apri sa an priyèr. I learned that in prayer. (MO 60)
See examples
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aproshan
CA, ST
(
adv.
)
-
About, approximately, around; environ, à peu près, vers.
Mo sòrti o CENTER aprochan dan le enn-èr-e-demi, dez-è lapremidi. I leave the Center about one thirty or two o’clock in the afternoon. (CA); Pitit-ye jus aprochan pou gen en voie. The children are just about to get a spanking. (CA)
See examples
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aprouvé
NE
(
v.intr.
)
-
To improve, make progress; améliorer, faire des progrès.
Sa-fe, le neg ap aprouve. So, blacks are making progress. (NE)
See examples
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apré
CA, PC
(
adj.
)
-
Next, following, after; d’après, prochain, qui vient.
To te ramas defev-ye e chèche ye e gen ye pou to manje, e pou li plante lannen apre-la. You gathered beans and dried them to eat and to plant the next year. (PC) ♦ Le swa apre, ye frenmen tou fnet-ye e pòt-ye avan ye va kouche. The next night they shut all the windows and doors before they went to bed. (JR)
See examples
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apré
BT, CA, MO 60, NE, PC
(
prep.,
conj.
)
apé
MO 60
-
After; après.
Apre mo sorti la mès , mo vini isi kwi mo dinen . After I got out of mass, I came here to cook my lunch. (CA) ♦ Apre sa fanmiy a Bouki te gen en lahenn kont Lapen. After that Bouki’s family hated Rabbit. (JR)
See examples
-
With, in regards to; à l’égard de.
Se kòm sa tou moun ye apre mon , blan kòm nwa. Mo rèkonni par non. That’s how everyone is with me, whites as well as blacks. I’m known by name. (PC) ♦ Li konprann enn ave kichòz mal apre so lapat. He learned that there was something wrong with his foot. (JR)
See examples
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[Location]. On, at, around, to; à, sur, autour de.
Mo t ap marche e mo pri mo-mèm apre en baton. I was walking and I got caught on a stick. (CA); Ye pèl sa en krotch , me se konm enn epenglèt to tach apre twa. They call it a brooch, but it’s like a pin that you attach to yourself. (BT); Vou kroche leu pèlannyen apre la chenn , la vou gè atle mule-ye sa fe mile-ye is ale. You attach the singletree to the chain, then you have to hitch the mules so that they just pull. (PC) ♦ Compair Bouki cogné apé lapote kom! Kam! Brer Bouki knocked on the door, bang! bang! (T3)
See examples
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[Direction]. To, at, towards; a, vers.
Li leve so lamen apre mwen. Li monnde mon komon mo son mo-mèm. He waved his hand at me and asked me how I felt. (PC)
See examples
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[Source, Point of departure]. On, from, off of; de, sur.
Mo pon chodè a bouke-la apre lami ray. I hung the flowerpot from the wall. (PC); Mo ponn mo WREATH apre mo lapòrt. I hang my wreath on the door. (CA) ♦Koup en bout apre la krep den poul nwar. Cut a bit of the comb off of a black hen. [‘après’] (BI)
See examples
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Against, into; contre.
Li bite apre mon. He bumped into me. (PC); To pa gen p pouse apre enn-e-lòt. You must not push one another. (CA) ♦Nou te pile delay e vlope li apre mòrdir-la. We ground up some garlic and wrapped it against the bite. (BI)
See examples
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For, after; pour, à l’intention de, après.
To te fe enn tit kaj apre en kirœy. You make a little cage for a squirrel. (BT); E n te senk sè dan kabann. Men moun-ye te toujou apre mon. There were five of us sisters in the house. But people were always after me. (PC) ♦ La, Tig di so vye fonm , ‘dimen maten Bouki va vini ape so mouton .’ Then, Tiger said to his wife, ‘Tomorrow morning Bouki is coming for his sheep.’ (DU)
See examples
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[In certain verbal expressions]. At, after, etc.; a, après, etc.
Li tirè apre en zouazo. He shot at a bird. (MO 60) cf. tchen apre , fache apre , ri apre , tire apre , pran apre , trakase apre , kole apre , okupe apre , pwente l dwa apre , chèrche apre, kouri apre, jongle apre , grenpe apre , pouse apreAfter; après que. Apre ye moule dekann-ye, sa sòr duju-la. After they grind the cane the juice is extracted. (PC) ♦Kapitenn-la mennen ye kote ye chanm e li kroche la pòt apre ye rantre. The captain led them to their rooms and he bolted the door after they had gone in. (JR)
See examples
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apré
PC
(
ptcl.
)
apé
BT, CA, MO 60, NE, PC
ap
BT, CA, NE, PC
pré
PC
é
PC
è
PC
in
PC
apè
MO 60
-
[Progressive].
Li t ap joue kon mo vini. He was playing when I came in. (NE); Mo te e netwaye la mezon , kant li konyen an la pòt. I was cleaning the house when she knocked on the door. (PC) ♦Quand li di moin zin mo qui dou, on diré m’apré fonne. When he says a sweet word to me, one would say I’m melting. (BD); Pendant yé t’apé batt’ ein gros zozo qui t’apé voler en haut, oua yé. While they were fighting, a big bird that was flying up above saw them. (T11); ‘apré’ (T10; T11; T12; T14); ‘ap’ (T30); ‘apé’ (NE 1987 passim); ‘pre (T12); e (JR)
See examples
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[Inchoative].
M ape fatige ek tez-istwar. I’m starting to get tired of your stories. (NE)
See examples
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[Future]. To be going to, will; aller.
N ape vini mwa ki vyen. We’re coming next month. (PC); L ap pou flèri. It’s about to flower. (CA); Sa k ole bat, GO AHEAD, BUT mwa mo pe e bat. Those who want to fight, go ahead, but I’m not going to fight. (PC) REM: When used in the negative, the future marker e usually expresses unwillingness or inability to do something. ♦Demen maten m ape parti on en gran voyajœ. Tomorrow morning I am leaving on a big trip. (JR)
See examples
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[Habitual].
M a pyèste men m pe e koud. I will patch but I won’t sew. (PC) apre-dmen adv. (PC). The day after tomorrow; l’après-demain. Li di, lapli gen tanmbe apre-dmen. He says it’s going to rain the day after tomorrow. (PC) ♦ Apé dimin dimance, ouzote a galopé. The day after tomorrow, Sunday, you will run. (T5)
See examples
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apré-midi
CA, NE, PC
(
n.
)
laprè-midi
PC
lapré-midi
CA, NE, PC, ST
pré-midi
NE
-
Afternoon; après-midi.
Mo krwa mo gen jwe kat dèmen apre-midi. I think I have to play cards tomorrow afternoon. (PC); Mo sòrti o CENTER aprochan dan le enn èr e demi, dez è lapre-midi. I leave the Center about one thirty or two o’clock in the afternoon. (CA) ♦ A katrè dimanch apre-midi. At four o’clock Sunday afternoon. (JR) •apre-midi adv.phr. (PC); apre-midi-leu, lapre-midi-la (PC). This afternoon; cet après-midi. Ye gen kouri jwe kat apre-midi-l. They’re going to play cards this afternoon. (PC) ♦gran lapre-midi adv.phr. In mid-afternoon; en plein après-midi. Ènan en paròl ki vini la, la gran lapre-midi. A policeman came by in the middle of the afternoon. (PC) •yè apre-midi adv.phr. Yesterday afternoon; hier après-midi. Mo jwe kat en ti pe yè apre-midi. I played cards yesterday afternoon. (PC) •lez apre-midi adv.phr. dan lapre-midi (PC). In the afternoon; dans l’après-midi. No gen en labor. Li ouv a senk èr lez apre-midi ouchka dis èr, onz èr du swa. We own a bar. She (my wife) opens at five o’clock in the afternoon until ten o’clock, eleven o’clock at night. (CA) •tou lez apre-midi adv.phr. (PC); tou le pre-midi, tou lapre-midi (NE); tou le apre-midi (PC). 1. Every afternoon; tous les après-midis. Tou le pre-midi li te marche mon FROM isi drwèt-la-la o ST. FRANCIS. Every afternoon he accompanied me from here to St. Francis. (NE) 2. Every evening; tous les soirs. Nou va deyòr tou lez apre-midi. We go out every evening. (PC) 2. Evening; soir. Ye jouwe kat dan laprè-midi. They play cards in the evening. (PC) REM: Some informants translated ‘evening’ as laprè-midi . However, when asked, one specified that laprè-midi is from 1-6, while the ‘evening’ is after 6.
See examples
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apwonté
No sources
(
v.tr.
)
-
To appoint (s.o.) to a position; nommer (qn) à un poste.
♦Ye kontinwe marche pou en bon bout e la nonm ki te apwonte li-menm pou gide ye rete e di, ‘anon wa si nou tou la’. They continued walking for a good while, and then the man who had appointed himself to guide them stopped and said, ‘Let’s see if we’re all here.’ (JR)
See examples
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apèrswa
BT
(
v.tr.
)
pèrséwa
NE
pèrswa
NE
pèrs(è)war
MO 60
-
To see, notice; s’apercevoir.
Kon lom-la pèrswa ke Lapen te monje le chou, la li mèt en ti nòm koltar. When the man noticed that Rabbit was eating his cabbage, he set up a little man made of tar. (NE); Sa fe kon mon apèrswa ye grizonne, mon dize pœtèt mon lach le chveu, sa va sove mwa kèk bren nwar. So when I noticed they were going gray, I said maybe I’ll stop being a barber, that will save me a few black hairs. (BT) ♦ [Pou] panari, zus kon li apèrswa panari-la, li va pronn de gro onyon blon e pi pile ye. For whitlow, when he first notices whitlow, he takes big white onions and mashes them, [‘aperçois’] (BI)
See examples
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apélé
PC
(
v.,
v.tr.,
v.refl.,
v.intr.
)
pélé
CA, NE, PC, MO 60, PC
pèl
CA, NE, PC, MO 60, PC
pèlé
CA, NE, PC, MO 60, PC
aplé
PC
apèyl
PC
pél
PC
apèl
BT
-
To call; appeler.
Mo di ‘aben pel en NURSE, pètèt li ka ouvè li .’ I said, ‘Well, call a nurse, maybe she can open it up.’ (PC); Ye te pele vyeu mile-la Fiva. They called the old mule Fiva (i.e. Fever). (NE); Kèkchoz kèkenn lenm di souvan sa apèl en patwa. Something that someone likes to say a lot is called a ‘patois’. (BT) ♦Yavé eune foi eune madame ki té gagnin dé fille yé té pélé Rose et Blanche. There was once a woman who had two daughters named Rose and Blanche. (T30) •pel an tèlèfòn v.phr. (PC). To call on the phone; téléphoner. Kekenn di mo si to pel li an tèlèfòn, li jis e ri e li di, ye di se jis kèkèn ki e pele o k ole kichò, ye p e repòn tèlèfòn. Someone told me that if you call them on the phone they just laugh and say that it’s just someone calling who wants something, and they don’t answer the phone. (PC) •pele anlèr v.phr. (CA). To call on (s.o. to do sth); demander (qch à qn), appeler (qn à faire qch). Se jis li ke pre nouzot. Alòr se jis li no gen p pele anlèr. She’s the only one who lives near us. So, she’s the only one we have to call on. (CA) •pel si v.phr. To invoke, call upon; invoquer. ♦ Mo resit trwa Sali Mari e en Notr Pe, e la mo pel si sen mo krwa plis desi. I recite three Hail Marys and one Our Father, and then I call upon the saint whom I believe in most. (BI)To be called, named; s’appeler. Mo pèl mon Magi. My name is Maggie. (CA) ♦ Li pele li-menm Kriket. His name was Cricket. (JR)To ring (of a telephone); sonner (en parlant du téléphone). Mo te e lave mo lasyet tan telefòn-la pele. I was washing the dishes when the telephone rang. (PC)
See examples
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apéti
CA, PC, ST
(
n.
)
napéti
CA
-
Appetite; appétit.
Mo pa gen apeti. I have no appetite. (PC); Bonn apeti. Enjoy your meal. (ST)
See examples
-
apòrté
PC
(
v.tr.
)
apòté
PC
-
To bring; apporter, amener.
Le katolik, ye konnen gen de ranmo, i fe la mès e ye beni le fœy, e to apòrt sa kote twa. Catholics have palm branches, and they say a mass to bless the leaves and then you take them home with you. (PC)
See examples
-
aranj
PC
(
adv.
)
-
No matter, regardless of; n’empêche que, peu importe.
Kèkenn lenm moun-la. Aranj komon pa bon moun-la ye, kèkenn lenm moun-l. Someone loves that person. No matter how bad he is, someone loves that person. (PC)
See examples
-
So what? I don’t care; Et alors?
Pa fe sa, non, l a kase. To di, ‘Aranj?’ ‘Don’t do that, it’ll break.’ You say, ‘So what?’ (PC)
See examples
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aranjé
BT, CA
(
v.,
v.tr.,
v.intr.
)
ranjé
CA, MO 60, PC, ST
ranj
CA
ronjé
BT, NE
ronj
BT
-
To fix, repair; réparer.
Ote l sòk, menne a la fòj, fòjeuron fe li BRAND NEW ankòr, aranje ankòr. Remove the plowshare, take it to the ironworks. The blacksmith will make it brand new again, he’ll repair it. (BT) ♦Ranje souye-la vini pou veye li. Li te porte enn ou de pèr souye pou ranje, e li asit on sèrkey-la pou travaye. Li t ape ranje souye-ye e te pa pe porte atansjon pou kò-la di tu. The shoemaker came to watch over it (i.e. the body). He brought one or two pairs of shoes to fix, and he sat down on the coffin to work. He was fixing the shoes and was not paying attention to the body at all. (JR) •ranje dezo v.phr. (CA; PC). To set a broken bone; remettre un os. Li kònen ranje dezo. He is a bonesetter. (PC) 2. To arrange, set up, prepare, fix; arranger, préparer, faire le nécessaire. To se ich ranje mon lasyèt dejò, kòm en chyen. You would have just prepared a plate for me outside, like a dog. (PC); Kan ti bebe batize, prèt-la ranj so batistèr. When a little baby is baptized, the priest prepares his baptismal certificate. (CA); Piti-si-lefe en ta kòmèrs kan li ranje manje. These kids make a big mess when they fix food. (ST) ♦ Li ranje enn manyè pu fe Kokodri trèvèrse li san li konnen. He set up a way for Alligator to take him across without him knowing it. (JR) •ranje la tab v.phr. (CA; PC; ST). To set the table; mettre le couvert. Mo ranje la tab-la, la nou komanse manje. I set the table, then we started to eat. (PC) • ranje so chèvè v.phr. (PC); ranje so chvey-ye (CA). To fix one’s hair; se coiffer. O tè è ranje to chèvè? Are you fixing your hair? (PC); To gen te chfeu byen ronje. Your hair is well-styled. (BT) 3. To straighten; dresser, arranger. (NE) 4. To make, construct, build; construire, bâtir. Apre loragon lamezon te deronje, ye i pou ranje li. After the hurricane the house was destroyed. They had to rebuild it. (CA) ♦Li ranje en bononm e met li ora la fnet renn-la. He made a little scarecrow and set it up outside the queen’s window. (JR) 5. To fix, get back at, show who is boss; régler le compte à, se venger sur. Sa ronj li! That’ll show him who’s boss! (BT) ♦»Han!» met-la di. «Se la ou to va tou le swa konm sa. Men m a ranje twa.» ‘Aha!’ said the master. ‘That’s where you go every night. I’ll fix you!’ (JR) 6. To bewitch, have under one’s spell (voodoo term); envoûter, ensorceler, enchanter. Li gen èl aronje. He has her under a spell. (BT)1. To arrange, agree; se mettre d’accord. No te sipoze ale an vil ansanm me li deside li p ole ale. Mo i pou ranje avèk keken dòt pou ale. We were supposed to go to New Orleans together but she decided she didn’t want to go. I had to arrange to go with someone else. (CA) ♦En jou Pa Lapen e Pa Bouki ranje pu kouri wa de fiy ansanm. One day Brer Rabbit and Brer Bouki agreed to go see some girls together. (JR) 2. To get ready; se préparer. Nou ranje nou kouri e li. We got ready and we went with him. (PC); Espèr. M ape ranje mo-mèm pou ale. Wait. I’m getting ready to go. (CA)
See examples
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arb*
No sources
(
n.
)
narb
CA, MO 60, NE, ST
larb
NE
zarb
NE
nab
MO 60
-
Tree; arbre.
Mo pa konè si mo gen mwa en zarb ki vre. I don’t know whether I’ll get myself a real tree. (NE) ♦Tou princes yé avé zeine zan pran la basse avé zoutils, couri dans diboi et comancé batte narbe pou fé bato. All of the princes and the young people took foodstuffs and tools, ran into the woods and started to fell trees to make boats. (T7) REM: This word is not used in PC, where the word for tree is dibwa.
See examples
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ardi
CA
(
adj.
)
adi
PC
hadi
PC
-
Brazen, brave; hardi, courageux.
Mo pa kon paski to adi! To te pa adi to se ja leve la. I don’t know (if I can make you leave) because you’re so brazen. If you weren’t brazen you would have already gotten up from there. (PC) ♦ To bien hardi, gros n ’ harbe cochon. You are very brave, you big pig grass. (T21)
See examples
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Hardy, healthy; sain, en bonne santé.
♦Hardi là! ramin , raminfor! You hardy men, row, row fast! (ME)
See examples
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argo
PC
(
n.
)
zargo
BT, PC, ST
zarko
PC, ST
zèrgo
CA
-
Claw; griffe.
Chyen-la grate man e so zèrgo. That dog scratched me with his claw. (CA)
See examples
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Spike on the fins of a catfish; pointe piquante sur les nageoires du poisson-chat.
Se so zargo-ye. Wè, l a pike twa. Those are its spurs. Yes, it will prick you. (PC)
See examples
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Forked hoof of a hog; onglon de cochon, sabot de cochon.
En kochon gen en pat, li gen en zargo an-o A hog has a foot, it has a forked hoof. (PC); Zargo mouton. Sheep’s hoof. (ST)
See examples
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Arishmènn
CA
(
prop.n.
)
-
Irishmen; des Irlandais.
Ena diferan nasyon, de Portoriken, Lespagnòl, Arichmèn. There are different ethnic groups, Puerto Ricans, Spanish, Irishmen. (CA) ♦Enn fwa trwa Arichmenn t ape voyaje dan la Lwizyann. One time three Irishmen were travelling in Louisiana. (JR)
See examples
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arivé
CA, MO 60, NE, PC, ST
(
v.intr.
)
rivé
CA, NE, PC
ariv
CA, NE
riv
CA, NE, PC
-
To arrive; arriver.
Kontinouwe chka to kouri kote la lve, ka to riv la lve, aben ye te pèl sa WATERLOO. Go on until you reach the levee. When you arrive at the levee, that’s the place they called Waterloo. (PC); Li p arive onkor. He hasn’t arrived yet. (NE); Mo pake jamen rive dan NEW YORK. My package never arrived in New York. (CA) ♦ Et prémié quichose li oua en arrivant, c'était so moman qui té rendi avant li. And the first thing he saw upon arriving was his mother, who had arrived before him. (T9); Fé ain tan superbe pou parrain rivé. The weather is great for when the godfather will arrive. (ME)
See examples
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To happen; arriver, se passer.
Sa ki te arive avek la mile-la? What happened to the mule? (PC); Sa ariv ke li vyen tar. It happens (sometimes) that he arrives late. (NE); Mo tande kikchoj. Sa k ap arive? I heard something. What’s happening? (CA) ♦Tout ça qui ma pé parlé ça rivé y ’ en a si lontemps. All the things I’m talking about happened so long ago. (T36); ‘rivé ’ (NE 1987 passim)
See examples
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To find, decide on; décider.
Ye arive a l non kouri vini. They decided on the name ‘couri vini’ (to refer to Creole). (PC)
See examples
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arm
No sources
(
n.
)
armin
MO 60
lézarm
MO 60
-
Arm, weapon; arme.
Yè komanse pron lezarm dè fòrs. They began to take their arms away from them by force. (MO 60)
See examples
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armé
No sources
(
adj.
)
armin
PC
-
Armed; armé.
En moun kapab et armen. Armen kapab et en kouto, se kapab et fizi. A person can be armed. ‘Armed’ can be (with) a knife or a gun. (PC)
See examples
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armé
PC
(
v.tr.
)
armin (larmin)
CA, MO 60, PC
-
To cock (a gun); armer.
Armen? Si to larmen en fizi? To cock? If you cock a gun? (PC) ♦ Li armé so biscaïen, vizé ben, tiré boum; carancro capoté: wap! He cocked his biscayen, aimed well, shot, pow! The crow fell over, plunk! (T6)
See examples
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To load; charger.
Li te gen so fizi armen e li te gen so dwa anlè gachèt-la e li te pare pou tire. He had his shotgun loaded and he had his finger on the trigger and he was ready to shoot. (CA)
See examples
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arné
PC
(
n.
)
arnin
PC
-
Harness; harnais.
Mèt arnen an chval. To put a harness on the horse. (PC)
See examples
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arozwa
PC
(
n.
)
larozwa
CA
-
Watering can; arrosoir.
Mo t ap roze mo plant-ye e en larozwa. I was watering my plants with a watering can. (CA)
See examples
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arpan
MO 60, PC
(
n.
)
èrpon
PC
lèrpan
PC
narpan
PC
èrpan
PC
-
Arpent (192' x 196'); arpent.
Nou lwe enn èrpon la tè pou fe rekòt. We rented an acre of land to farm. (PC) REM: Speaker at PC translated as acre. ♦Ouzote a galopé ein la course dice foi quat narpan; cilà ki sorti divan, ma marié avé li. You all will run a race ten by four arpents long; the one who comes out ahead I will marry. (T5)
See examples
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artik
PC
(
n.
)
artil
PC
-
Article, item (of merchandise in a store); article, objet (de marchandise dans un magasin).
‘Kòmen se pou artik-sa-la?' ‘How much is it for that item?’ (PC)
See examples
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artisho
PC
(
n.
)
-
Artichoke; artichaut.
-
artézyin
No sources
(
adj.,
n.phr.
)
pi artézyin
No sources
-
Artesian well; puits artésien, cf. pwi
-
aryin
BT, CA, NE, PC
(
pron.indef.
)
anryin
PC
-
Nothing; rien.
Ga mo mari. Plu vyeu pase mon li pa konnen aryen. Look at my husband. He’s older than me and he knows nothing at all (about Creole). (PC); Li tou aflije. Li pa kapab sèrvi so lamen. Li pa kapab leve. Aryen travay pa. He’s completely paralyzed. He can’t use his hands. He can’t stand up. Nothing works. (CA) ♦ Compair Lapin gagnin la bouche si tellement doux que personne pas capab réfisé li arien. Brer Rabbit was such a sweet talker that no one could refuse him anything. (FO T1); ‘arien ’ (NE 1987 passim); ‘aïen ’ (T4) •pa gen aryen pou fe avèk v.phr. (PC). To have nothing to do with; ne pas se mêler de. Li te pa gen aryen pou fe avèk houdou. He had nothing to do with voodoo. (PC) •aryen di tou adv.phr. (CA; MO 60; PC). Nothing at all; rien du tout. Vyè Kadjen soti on lil tou patou la, ye te pa ga aryen di tou. The old Cajuns from the Island didn’t have anything at all. (PC); Li fe aryen di tou jodi. Li las. He’s not doing anything at all today. He’s tired. (CA) ♦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 would go crazy. (T37) • aryen dot ke adv.phr. (CA). Nothing but, not anything but, only, just; ne ... que, rien que, seulement. Mo fe aryen dot ke COMPLAIN . I don’t do anything but complain. (CA) • aryen pase adv.phr. (PC). Nothing but, not anything but, only, just; ne ... que, rien que, seulement. Mon se pa aryen pase kreyòl, mon pa meriken. I’m nothing but Creole, I’m not American. (PC)
See examples
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Anything; quoi que ce soit.
Avon mo di aryen... Before I say anything... (PC)
See examples
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arèté
CA, MO 60, PC, ST
(
v.,
v.intr.,
v.tr.,
v.aux.
)
rèté
CA, PC
arété
gen
rété
PC, NE
rét
PC
arèt
CA
-
To stop; arrêter.
Si to koup twa, trap en lenj, mar li sere, sa va rete. If you cut yourself, get a piece of cloth and tie it tight, that will stop (the bleeding). (NE); BUS-la konen arete isi. The bus stops here. (PC); Piti-la tro frengan. L arèt pa. The child is too lively. He doesn’t stop. (CA) ♦Ye parti e li rete kote en trou labou. They left, and he stopped in front of a mudhole. (JR) •arete sèk v.phr. (CA; NE; ST). To stop immediately, stop suddenly; arrêter sec, arrêter soudain. Arèt sèk! Stop right now! (NE); O tola t ap ale si vit e l arete sèk, tou-d-en-kou. The car was going so fast and it stopped suddenly. (CA)1. To stop; arrêter. E si to koupe to janm o to bra e disan sengnen, to pa ka rète l, l a juch parle on life en lapryè. Te rète li. And if you cut your leg or your arm and the blood is flowing, and you can’t stop it, he will simply say a prayer over it. That stops it. (PC) ♦Pou rete rimatis pon en moso lay don to kou. To stop rhumatism hang a piece of garlic around your neck. (LA) 2. To arrest; arrêter. ♦Voisin yé alorse persiadé lé roi qué c'était Jean qui té volé li, et lé roi couri avec so soldat pou rété vié nomme la. Then the neighbors persuaded the king that it was John who had robbed him, and the king went with his soldiers to arrest the old man. (FO T26)To stop; arrêter de. L arète fimen. Li fim pi. He stopped smoking. He doesn’t smoke anymore. (CA) ♦E fifole-la rete fe ye pè. And the will-o’-the-wisp had stopped scaring them. (JR)
See examples