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

• konfiské No sources ( v.tr. )
  1. To confiscate; confisquer.
     ♦ Mo va gagnin tou so l'agent, ké lé roi sra confisqué pou donnin nou zote, si nous dénoncin li. I shall have all his money which the king will confiscate to give us, if we denounce him. (FO 1887) See examples
• konfitir CA ( n. ) konfitur ST
  1. Jam; confiture.
     To jich lav li prop e to mèt dolo e disik e li kwi li-mem. Ye pèl sa konfitir jòromo. You just wash it clean and you put in water and sugar and it cooks itself. They call that pumpkin jam. (CA); Konfitur defig. Fig preserves. (ST) See examples
• konfyans PC ( n. ) konfyons CA, PC
  1. Confidence; confiance.
     Li te gen dòt boug ki te kouri vini, mè li te gen pli konfyons on mon. He had other guys coming too, but he had more faith in me. (PC); Vieux blanc té gain confiance en vieux nèg-là. The old white man trusted the old black man. (AN T103); Mo pa mefyan. Mo gen konfyons dan twa. I’m not suspicious. I trust you. (CA) ♦ Malgré Doctair Macaque dan vou confiance, cé li kapé gouvemin en cachette. Although Dr. Monkey has your confidence, it is he who is governing secretly. (FO 1887) See examples
• konfèsyon ST ( n. )
  1. Confession; confession.
• konfèsé CA, PC ( v., v.intr., v.tr. ) kanfèsé PC
  1. To confess one’s sins; se confesser.
     To di to pèche. To konfèse ave pret-la. You tell your sins, you confess to the priest. (PC); Nou oblije pou konfese en fwa par mwa dan Karèm. We have to confess once a month during Lent. (ST)To confess; confesser. Mo pa gen pèche pou konfèse. I don’t have sins to confess. (CA) See examples
• konfédéré CA ( n., adj., prop.n. ) kofèdéré PC konnfèdéré PC konfèdéré PC
  1. Confederate (soldier of the South during the Civil War); Confédéré (soldat du sud pendant la Guerre de Sécession).
     Konnfèdere te konnen kou si moun-ye avek fouchet. The Confederates used to rush at people with pitchforks. (PC) ♦ Konfedere fe moun trape frison o Pòr Hudson . The Confederates made people catch chills at Port Hudson. (TP)Confederate; Confédéré. Tonn arjon se te larjon konfèdere, se pa bon, ye prann ta plas. La ye fe èsklav e twa e le nwa. Your money was Confederate money, it was no good, they took your property and they made slaves of you and the blacks. (PC) See examples
• konfésional No sources ( n. )
  1. Confessional; confessional.
     ♦ Vye mètrès te di mwen fale mo kou konfese. Mo kouri trouve pret-la don konfesional. The old mistress told me I had to go to confession. I went and found the priest in the confessional. (TP) See examples
• kongo CA, PC, ST ( n. ) kango PC konng PC
  1. pej. Darky, blacky; nègre.
     Kongo! Li di: Me latab pou li, m ole wa li monje chat-la! ‘Darky!’ he said, ‘Set the table for him. I want to watch him eat the cat. ‘ (NE) ♦ Bon Dié pas fait négue Congo pou aute chose que Bamboula. God made the black man for no other purpose than the Bamboula dance. (T32) See examples
  2. Water mocassin; mocassin (espèce de serpent venimeux). (Ancistrodon piscivorus).
     Si kongo pike twa, li gen pwazon kapab tchwe twa. If a water mocassin bites you, it has poison that can kill you. (CA) ♦ Astè m ole to kouri trape mwen en kongo vivan. ‘Now I want you to go catch me a live water mocassin.’ (JR) See examples
  3. place n. The Congo; Congo.
     To konnen ou Kango ye? Do you know where the Congo is? (PC) See examples
  4. Congo (name of a dance); congo (nom d’une danse).
     ♦ Li té dansé Kongo avek Mari Lavo. He danced the Congo with Marie Laveau. (TN) See examples
• kongri PC ( n. ) kangri PC kangru PC
  1. Rice and field pea jambalaya; jambalaya fait de riz et de fèves, riz aux fèves.
     Vou fe kangri e tou defev. You can make a rice and pea jambalaya with any kind of peas. (PC) See examples
• kongrès* No sources ( n. ) kangrès PC
  1. Congress; congrès.
     Li pa pase sa devan Kangrès, sènatèr aryen. They didn’t take that before Congress, the Senate or anything. (PC) ♦ Yankee la yé pas bon bitin-Congrés connin ça yé tous yé. Yankees are not a good prize; Congress knows what all of them are. (T31) See examples
• kongrélé No sources ( n. )
  1. Congressman; membre du Congrès.
     ♦ Li té apé parolé porlictik et tou ça Kongrelaid apé fé pou nou zot dan Wachetington. He was talking about politics and everything the congressmen were doing for us in Washington. (T16); Na ein Kongrelèsmaine ki trivé ça ein ben bon bile . There was a congressman who thought it was a really good bill. (T16) REM: Both of these terms are from satirical texts. The former term is undoubtedly an intentional play on words with congre laid ‘ugly eel’. See examples
• konm No sources ( n. )
  1. Roof; comble, toit.
     ♦ La to pel si non pèrsonn-la trwa fwa pondon ta pe kloue deklou don lakonm lamezon. Then you invoke the person three times while you’re nailing nails into the roof of his house. (BI) See examples
• konng PC ( n. ) konñ CA
  1. Mudpuppy, salamander; salamandre. (PC)
  2. Mud eel, lamp eel; espèce d’anguille. (PC)
• konnu PC ( n. ) koni PC konu PC kanni CA
  1. Hackberry tree; micocoulier de Virginie. (Celtis laevigata Wild.).
     Kanni fe de ti gren jón. To konen manje ye. Hackberry trees make little yellow seeds. You can eat them. (CA) See examples
• konparab No sources ( adj. )
  1. Comparable; comparable.
     ♦ Pancore ‘oir in griffonne comme ça , comparabe a mo belle Layotte. I haven’t seen a griffe like that, comparable to my beautiful Layotte. (GC1) See examples
• konparé ST ( v. ) kanparé PC
  1. To compare; comparer.
     E la mo demènaje e mo vini Chmen Nœf, se en gro plas kanpare e Jaro . And then I moved and I came to New Roads, that’s a big place compared to Jarreau. (PC) See examples
• konpañi* No sources ( n. ) konponyi NE konponyé NE konpayi BT kanmponyin BT kanpanñin PC kanponyin PC kon-ponñ PC konmponni PC konpanñi CA kanmponñi CA konponyi CA
  1. Company, visitors; de la visite.
     Mo momon o mo popa, si ye se gen kanpangnen, to kònè, piti kòm sa-ye te toujou antou d vyè moun-ye. My mom and my dad, if they had company, you know, the children always gathered around the adults. (PC); Mo gen en ta la konponyi jodi. Se mo lafèt. I’ve got a lot of company today. It’s my birthday. (CA) ♦ Kon en vye kòk chont on to lagali la konponye gen vini jou-la. When an old rooster sings under your porch, company will come that day. (LA) See examples
  2. Company; compagnie.
     Si en fom ora la konponyi de le nòm... If a woman was in the company of a man... (NE) •tchombo kanmponyen v.phr. (PC); tchenn la konpayi (BT). To keep s.o. company; tenir compagnie à qn. Li tchombo li kanmponyen. He kept her company. (PC); Kon t ale vini tchenn mon la konpayi? When are you coming to keep me company? (BT) See examples
  3. Company, firm; société.
     Mo fiy travay pou en konpangni lavoka a BARONNE STREET . Se deu, trwa lavoka ansanm. My daughter works for a law firm on Baronne Street. It’s two or three lawyers together. (CA) See examples
• konpliké CA ( v.tr. )
  1. To complicate; compliquer.
     Se konplike fe en rob lamarye. It’s complicated to make a wedding dress. (CA) ♦ Mo cré mo ben compliké tou zafair cila mo olé fé; si Djiabe pa mêlé, tou kichoge a marché drette. I think I really complicated all the things that I wanted to do. If the Devil wasn’t mixed up in it, everything would have gone right. (T6) See examples
• konpliman BT ( n. )
  1. Compliment; compliment.
     En nonm dou ki lèm le fonm. Li kwa li bon pou chèche le fonm. Se pa en konplimon. T ape mèt li DOWN kon to di se en siro. A womanizer, a ‘syrup’ is a ‘sweet’ man who likes women. He thinks it’s good to chase women, but it’s not a compliment. You’re putting him down when you call him a syrup. (BT); Mo donn twa en bon konpliman kan to menen mo pake. Mo di twa byen mèrsi. Mo kontan to menen sa. I gave you a nice compliment when you brought my package. I told you thanks. I’m happy you brought that. (CA) ♦ Alors Compair Lapin prend marché jisqua li contré néléphant; li salié li et fait li ein joli compliment. So Brer Rabbit started walking until he met an elephant; he greeted him and paid him a nice compliment. (FO T3) See examples
• konplin CA ( v.intr. ) kanplènn PC konmplinñin PC konplint PC kanplin PC
  1. To complain; se plaindre.
     Li pa satisfe le e kanplen. He is not satisfied, he is complaining. (PC) ♦ Ye te vini las tann li konplente. They got tired of hearing her complain. (JR); Tan li procé cabanne Compair Bouki, li comancé plène apé tchombo so vante. When they approached Brer Bouki’s house, he began to complain and hold his stomach. (T4); ‘ plainde' (FO T15); ‘complainter' (PE) See examples
• konplintè No sources ( n. )
  1. Complainer; plaignant.
     ♦ Li espere la jiska lœ vye konplentè rive. He waited there until the old complainer arrived. (JR) See examples
• konplis No sources ( n. )
  1. Accomplice; complice.
     ♦ Doctaire Macaque avè so complice Bourriquet tou lé dé sorti dan yé trou é yé vini encor parmi les ote. Dr. Monkey and his accomplice Bourriquet came out of their hole to mingle with the others. (FO 1887) See examples
• konplé No sources ( adj. )
  1. Complete; complet.
     ♦ Cé mo tour astèr, moin compair Lapin, mo gagnin pou boi, mé ein boi complète. It is my turn now; 1. Compair Lapin, I am going to drink, but a complete drink. (FO 1887) See examples
• konpozisyon PC ( n. )
  1. Chemical compound; composé chimique.
     Ye voy li dan lamannifaktir ao ye fe farin ave ye, ye met en BLEACH, en konpozisyon fe li sòrti blan. They send it to the factory where they make flour with it (wheat). They put a bleach, a compound to make it come out white. (PC) See examples
• konpran CA, PC ( v.tr. ) kanpran CA konpron (konpron) NE konmprann CA, PC konmpran CA, PC kanprann CA, PC konprann CA, PC
  1. To understand; comprendre.
     Don tou so smart, li toujour konpron aryen. As smart as he is, he never understands anything. (NE); No pa konprann koman sete. Sete en mistèr. We don’t understand how it happened. It was a mystery. (CA) ♦ Lapen wa ti bonnonm-la. Li te pe pa konprann ki sete, e li marche tou alantou li an gardan li ben pròch. Rabbit saw the little fellow. He couldn’t understand what it was, and he walked all the way around it looking at it closely. (JR) •fe konmpran v.phr. (PC). To explain, teach; expliquer, enseigner. Ye di nouzòt, ye asit ye fe nou konmpran ou ye vye PARENT sòti. They told us, they sat down and explained where their ancestors came from. (PC) •konprann enn-a-not v.phr. (CA). To get along; s’entendre. Mo enm mo piti-ye. No konprann enn-a-not byen. I love my children. We get along well. (CA) See examples
• konpromèt No sources ( v.tr. )
  1. To compromise; compromettre.
     ♦ E pi cété pou vengé li dé cé compair Lapin té compromette Mamzelle Léonine, so eié; cété ein vrai scandale. It was to take vengeance on Compair Lapin, who had compromised his daugher, Miss Léonine’s, character; that was a real scandal. (FO 1887) See examples
• konprés CA ( n. )
  1. Compress; compresse.
     Fe en konprès longan gri pou en deklou. Make a compress with grey ointment for boils. (CA) ♦ [Pou] foulir, to kab fe en konpres di sel ou to kab pile de fey morel e met de si. For a sprain, you can make a salt compress, or you can grind up some morel leaves and put that on it. (BI) See examples
• konprœnab CA ( adj. ) kanprœnab PC
  1. Understanding; compréhensif.
     O lil se bon, sè en bon plas pou fe lavi. E tou l monn akòd ye mye. Ye pri kanprœnab, ye kanprann èn-a-lòt mye, mye ke isit. On the Island is a good place to make a living. And everyone gets along better. They’re more understanding, they understand each other better than here. (PC) See examples
  2. Understandable; compréhensible.
     Prèt-la fe en bon sèrmon. Li prèch byen. Li te byen konprœnab. The priest gave a good sermon. He preaches well. He was very understandable. (CA) See examples
• konpèr ST ( n. )
  1. Comrade, brer; collègue, camarade, compère. [Title used to address male characters in folktales].
     ♦ Ein jou, dan tan lézot foi, Compair Bouki couri dîné côté so ouasin Compair Lapin . One day long ago, Brer Bouki went to have dinner at his neighbor’s, Brer Rabbit. (T2) See examples
• konpèr-loryo No sources ( n. ) konpèr-lòryé CA
  1. Sty (on the eye); compère-loriot, orgelet.
     Ye di to pis dan chemen to trap en konpèr-lorye. En gro bouton rouj desi to popyèr zye. They say (if) you pee on the road, you get a sty, a big red pimple on your eyelid. (CA) ♦ [Pou] konpèr-loryo, krache trwa fwa par tèr, va fe sa pase. For a sty, spit three times on the ground, and you will make it go away. (BI) See examples
• konpòrté CA ( v.intr. )
  1. To behave; se comporter.
     Nonm-sa-la konpòrte li byen andan lakonponyi. That man conducted himself nicely in company. (CA) ♦ Tant ta comporté bien ma va protégé toi et personne pas allé vini chercher toi icite. As long as you behave well I will protect you and no one will come looking for you here. (FO T15) See examples
• konsan No sources ( v., v.intr. )
  1. To consent; consentir.
     ♦ Bouki consent et lennemin matin yé gagnin pou parti pu la ville. Bouki agrees, and the next day they have to leave for town. (T9); ‘consenti ‘ (FO T15); ‘consentit’ (BD) See examples
• konshitrwayin No sources ( n. )
  1. Fellow citizen; concitroyen.
     ♦Vou respectabe conchitroyen. Your respectable fellow citizen. (T13) See examples
• konsilté No sources ( v., v.intr. )
  1. To consult; consulter.
     ♦ Après lé roi avé tou so zami té consilté ensemb, yé trouvé compair Lapin coupable. After the king and his friends had consulted together, they found Compair Lapin guilty. (FO 1887) See examples
• konsitman CA ( n. )
  1. Advice; conseil.
     M ap seye dòn twa en konsitman. To kout pa. To va peye pou li pli tar. I’m trying to give you a piece of advice. You won’t listen. You’ll pay for it later. (CA) See examples
• konskripté No sources ( v.tr. )
  1. To draft; appeler sous les drapeaux.
     ♦ Zénéral Chéri Dinde apé konskripté ein gran larmé karant vin mil lome et saintkant-troie gonbotte. General Chéri Dinde is drafting a large army of 80,000 men and 53 gunboats. (T16) See examples
• konsolé CA ( v.tr. )
  1. To console; consoler.
     Kan en moun mouri e kan to ap kriye, ye ap anbrase twa e konsole twa. When someone dies and when you’re crying, they hug you and console you. (CA) ♦ Mo va dit toi, c’est nhabitude dans famille Madame Compair Lapin gagnin piti qui noir, c’est quand madame yé pair lanouitte, ainsi consolé toi. I'll tell you, it’s customary in Mrs. Brer Rabbit’s family to have black offspring, it’s when women are afraid of the night, so be consoled. (FO T15) See examples
• konsontiman CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Permission to marry; permission au mariage.
     Ka i te pare pou marye i te mànde mo moman e popa pou lakonsontiman. When he was ready to get married he asked for my mother and father’s permission. (PC) See examples
• konstab CA ( n. )
  1. Justice of the peace; juge de paix.
     En konstab, se en juj de pé. A constable is a justice of the peace. (CA) See examples
• konstipasyon No sources ( n. ) lakonstipasyon CA
  1. Constipation; constipation.
     Mo gen lakonstipasyon tou-l-tan. Mo gen pou pran kekchoz pou soulaje man. I’ve got constipation all the time. I have to take something to relieve myself. (CA) ♦ [Pou] konstipasyon, to pronn lekòrch de lonrmgras, e to me li tronpe don dolo. Bwa li konm to le. For constipation, you take elm bark and you put it in water to soak. Drink that as you wish. (BI) See examples
• konstipé CA ( adj. ) kanstipé PC
  1. Constipated; constipé.
     Mo kanstipe. Mo pa ka kaka. I’m constipated, I can’t move my bowels. (PC) See examples
• konsyans CA ( n. )
  1. Conscience; conscience.
     To konsyans ap trakas e twa. Kofèr? Sa to fe ? Your conscience is bothering you. Why? What did you do? (CA) ♦ Epi tout marchandise cila la li serré dans conscience Yankee a c’theure. And now all of that merchandise is locked away in the conscience of the Yankees. (T34) See examples
• konsèr PC ( n. ) konsè PC kansèr CA
  1. Cancer; cancer.
     En ilsen, li blès lèstoma li fe en trou anho la. Èna de moun sa tonm konsè dan vou lèstoma. An ulcer, it wounds your stomach and makes a hole in it. There are some people for whom it turns cancerous. (PC) ; Ye va tère jij de pe jodi. Li mouri avèk en kansèr. They’re going to bury the justice of the peace today. He did with cancer. (CA) See examples
• konsèrvé CA, PC ( v.tr. )
  1. To keep fresh, preserve; conserver, préserver.
     Pou konsèrve vou gen chanje dolo. To keep it fresh you have to change the water. (PC); Pou konsèrve piti pwa, to me sa dan en pobon avèk dolo e to bwi li. To preserve peas, you put that in a jar with water and you boil it. (CA) See examples
  2. To save; garden
     Mo travay plen, fe plen larjon, mo konsèrve li. I’ve worked a lot, made a lot of money, and I’ve saved it. (PC) See examples
  3. To conserve; conserver.
     Konm sa moun te ka konsèrve dolo pou ye sèrvi. That way people could conserve water for them to use. (PC) See examples
• konsèsyonnèr PC ( n. )
  1. Large landowner; propriétaire de grandes terres.
• konsèy CA ( n. )
  1. Piece of advice; conseil.
     Li dòn twa en bon konsey. Pa ale vole! He gave you a good pièce of advice. Don’t go stealing. (CA) ♦ Ça fait ein jou Jean Malin té couri coté Compair Lapin pou mandé li ein conseil. So one day Clever John went to Brer Rabbit’s to ask him for some advice. (FO T2) See examples
• konsèyé No sources ( v.tr. )
  1. To advise; conseiller.
     ♦ Cé pou ça mo conseillé vou pa fé résistance. This is why I advise you not to resist. (FO 1887) See examples
• konsékans No sources ( n. )
  1. Consequence; conséquence. •par konsekans
     adv.phr. As a result, consequently; par conséquent. ♦ Latable té tombin aussi, et alors par conséquence com mo té parterre avant li, mo té couvert de lafaïence. The table had fallen also, and as a result, since I was on the ground before it was, I was covered in pottery. (T39) See examples
• kont CA ( n. )
  1. Account; compte.
     Si to gen en kredi o magazen, to vyen regle to kont. If you have credit at the store, you come to settle your account. (CA) • regle (so) kont v.phr. To fix, get back at; se venger sur. cf. regle See examples
• kont CA, PC ( n. ) kant CA, PC
  1. Story, tale; conte, histoire.
     Li te pa kante kant. He didn’t tell stories. (PC) ♦ Anon conter conte pou passer temps anvant nous couri coucher. Let’s tell stories to pass the time before we go to bed. (FO T27) See examples
  2. Gossip; racontars, commérage.
     Ape rakonte de kont. He is telling tales. (PC) •fe kont v.phr. (CA); fe kant (CA). To gossip; dire des commérages. T ap fe kant an man e mo vini kolèr. You’re gossiping about me and I’m getting angry. (CA) See examples