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

• moutard No sources ( n. ) lamoutard CA, PC lamoutad PC
  1. Mustard; moutarde. (Brassica nigra , Brassica alba).
     Dan jarden no plante dechou, no plante zariko, no plante lamoutard, no plante radi. In the garden we planted cabbage, beans, mustard and radish. (PC); To kapab mèt lamoutard en pe patat anglèz dan gonbo zèrb. You can put mustard and a little potato in a vegetarian gumbo. (CA) ♦ Li wa ti grenn lamoutad-ye. Sa fe li konmonse konte ti grenn-ye. He saw the mustard seeds, so he began counting the seeds. (LA) See examples
• mouton CA, MO 60, PC ( n. )
  1. Sheep; mouton.
     Mouton-la ap bele. Li pa konen trouve so moman. The sheep is bleating. It can’t find its mother. (CA) ♦ [Li] té gagné ein gro bande moutons. [She] had a big flock of sheep. (T6) •’faib comme ein mouton’ adj.phr. Weak as a sheep; faible comme un mouton. ♦ To bien hardi, gros n’harbe cochon, to gros, mais faib comme ain mouton. You are healthy, big hog of a tree, You’re big, but as weak as a sheep. (T21) See examples
• mouyasé CA, PC ( v.intr. ) mouriasé PC
  1. To drizzle; bruiner.
     Lapli e mouyase. It is drizzling. (PC); Lapli p ap tonbe fòr. Li jich ap mouyase. It’s not raining hard. It’s just drizzling. (CA) See examples
• mouyé CA, PC, ST ( v., v.tr., v.intr. ) mouyè PC mouy PC
  1. To wet; mouiller.
     Mo mouye mo pye parskè zèb-la te plen sren bo maten. My feet got wet because the grass was full of dew this morning. (CA); Si t ape mouye to latèt, to chveu ale frize. If you are wetting your head, your hair is going to curl. (ST) ♦ [Pou] mal de gòrj, mouy en sèrvyèt avek di vineg. Chòf li e met li si lagòrj. For a sore throat, wet a towel with vinegar. Heat it and put it on your throat. (BI) 2. To water; arroser. Mo mouye mo plant-ye. I’m watering my plants. (PC)1. To wet (of a baby); mouiller (en parlant d’un bébé). Lonj, se pou met ono piti la kon li mouy, kan li pise e kan li kaka. A diaper is to put on a baby for when it urinates and when it defecates. (PC) 2. To get wet; se mouiller. E tabliyè, se sila pou pèche vou renj mouyè. And an apron is so that you don’t get your clothes wet. (PC) ♦ La plie commencé tommeber et yé té mouillés jisqu'à yé dézos. Rain started to fall and they were soaked to the bone. (BD) 3. To rain; pleuvoir. Tan li mouye. It is raining. (PC) mov 1 adj. Mauve; mauve. ♦ Li fé li ain gabrielle rause et ain otte move. She made herself a pink nightgown and another mauve one. (WO) mov 2 n. (CA; ST); demov (CA; PC); lamov, lamòv, demav, demòv (PC). Mallow; mauve. ( Modiola caroliniana). Ye ptèt konnen pèle zafè lamov ; lèb-la ? Perhaps they called that plant mallow? (PC); Kan to marche desi demov, sa kale. Sete si epe. Sa galop e sa fe de ti flè roz. When you walked on mallow it sank down. It was so thick. It runs on the ground and makes little pink flowers. (CA) ♦ Pou lestoma feb bouyi de mov e mayi tonn don ye lapay don dolo jiska dolo vini rouj epi bwa kon to swaf. For a weak stomach, boil mallow and sweet corn in the shuck in water until the water turns red and then drink the water when you’re thirsty. [ ‘des mauves ’] (LA) mòv n. (CA; PC). Mucus; morve. Sa se si li gen en rim. Lamòv e koule. That’s if he has a cold. His mucus is flowing. (PC); Li malad. Li gen la mòv ki sòr dan so ne. He’s sick. He’s got mucus coming out of his nose. (CA) See examples
• mové NE, PC, ST ( adj., adv. ) movè CA
  1. Bad; mauvais.
     Ye di se le tivi ki dòn le moun le move diresyon. People say it’s TV that sets a bad example for people. (NE); Li te gen en louten. Sa fe bebe kriye. Se en movè rèv. He had a nightmare. That made the baby cry. That’s a bad dream. (CA); Se en move fiy ; sa. She’s a bad girl. (PC) ♦ Ah, réponde Compair Lapin, vous pas connin mauvais nouvelle qué Lion declaré la djerre tous néléphants. Oh, said Brer Rabbit, you don’t know the bad news that Lion has declared war on all the elephants. (FO T14) •move disan n.phr. Syphilis; syphilis, cf. san •move lèb n.phr. Weed; mauvaise herbe, cf. lèrb •move mal n.phr. Syphilis; syphilis, cf. mal •movez maladi n.phr. Serious disease, syphilis; maladie sérieuse, syphilis, cf. maladi • move lachanch n.phr. Bad luck; mauvaise chance, malchance, cf. chans •move cheuveu n.phr. ‘Bad hair,’ kinky hair; cheveux crépus, cf. cheuveu See examples
  2. Mean, nasty; méchant.
     Mo te move ka li vini anmèrdi mon. I was mean when he came to bother me. (PC); Èn movèz fom. A mean woman. (NE) •move vivan n.phr. (CA; PC). Ghost, evil spirit that haunts a house; revenant, fantôme, esprit malin qui hante une maison. En lamezon ki gen en move vivan. A house that is haunted by a spirit. (PC)Badly, seriously; gravement. De k to te koupe twa move, se t ape senye. When you cut yourself badly it would really bleed. (NE) See examples
• mul PC ( n. )
  1. She-mule; mule.
• mulé PC ( n. ) milé gen moulé PC myoulé ST
  1. Mule, he-mule; mulet.
     Nou te kroche de mile. We hitched two mules. (BT); Ye fou dife dan lekiri mile. They set fire to the mule bam. (CA); Fimèl myoule. Female mule. (ST) ♦ Li acheté in charrette et pis trois milets. He bought a cart and three mules. (T9) •kana mile n.phr. Mule duck (a duck bred from a muscovy drake and a mallard, Pekin, or Indian runner duck); canard mulet, cf. kanar •mule kreyòl n.phr. (PC); mile kreyòl, mule kreol (PC). Creole mule; mulet créole. Mile-la ale wagon dekonn. Mo popa te gen gro mule kreyòl-ye. Mules would pull the cane wagon. My father used to have big Creole mules. (PC) See examples
• mur NE, ST ( adj. ) mir CA, NE, PC, PC mi CA, NE, PC, PC
  1. Ripe; mûr.
     Le pakòn-la tou la-la, se tou mur. The pecans are all ripe. (NE); Mo lenm pa manje depech kan ye pa mir. Ye dir. I don’t like to eat peaches when they’re not ripe. They’re hard. (CA) ♦ Li sekwe nab ratbwa te on o e fou li patè ek plakmin mi ye. He shook the tree that Brer Possum was up in and threw him down with the ripe persimmons. (DU) •vini mi v.phr. (PC). To ripen, get ripe; mûrir. Tomat-ye e vini mi anndan lafinèt-la. The tomatoes are getting ripe in the window. (PC) See examples
• mur BT ( n. )
  1. Wall; mur.
     Mo gen en poltre di onho lamur. Vyen war. I have a picture on the wall. Come see it. (BT) See examples
• mur PC ( n. ) démi CA, PC démir CA, PC dèmi PC mir CA démur ST
  1. Berry (of various kinds); baie (de plusieurs variétés).
     Demir-ye ban pou diven. Ye fe diven e demir-ye. Berries are good for wine. They make wine out of berries. (PC); Lontan pase, no te gen labitid ramase demir me astèr ena pi sa. A long time ago, we used to pick berries, but now there’s no more of that. (CA) •demi dat n.phr. (PC); demi da (PC). Mulberry; mûre. Enan demi-dat, li li grandi on en dibwa. To ka monje li men li anmè, mo jame te lenm sa. There’s a mulberry, it grows on trees. You can eat it but it’s bitter, I’ve never liked them. (PC) •pye demida n.phr. (PC); pye demidat (PC). Red mulberry tree; espèce de mûrier. ( Morus rubra). Nou gen demida, en pye demida. We have a red mulberry tree. (PC) •demi dou n.phr. (PC). Dewberry; mûre bleue. REM: The term demi dou may also refer to blackberries. •mur trennant n.phr. (PC). Dewberry; mûre bleue. ( Rubus trivialis ). Ye gen de mur trennant. Sa trenn an latèr. There are dewberries which lie around on the ground. (PC) •demi katrinèl n.phr. (CA); demi katrinèt (CA). Dewberry; mûre bleue. ( Rubus trivialis ). Sa se de bon demir, demi katrinèt. Ye dou. Ye gen tou ye disik andan. That’s a good berry, dewberries. They’re sweet. They have all their sugar inside. (CA) •mir taròt n.phr. (CA). Boysenberry, «brasenberry»; espèce de baie. See examples
  2. Mulberry; mûre.
     Se jus en piye plant koum sa, e li fe de vanyan ti, de mir. [A mulberry bush], that’s just a plant that produces pretty little berries. (PC) See examples
  3. Blackberry; mûre sauvage.
     Mam te kone fe diven avek de mir. Mom used to make wine with blackberries. (PC) •demi nwar n.phr. (CA); demi nwa (PC). Blackberry; mûre sauvage. •pye demi nwa n.phr. (PC). Blackberry bush, bramble; ronce, mûrier sauvage. En pye demi nwa. That is a blackberry bush. (PC) See examples
• muri No sources ( v.intr. ) miri PC méri CA mouri MO 60
  1. To ripen, mature, get ripe; mûrir.
     Le moun se vini', ka diri ase miri ye se koupe li kòm sa e mare ye. People would come, and when the rice was ripe enough they would cut it and tie it into bundles. (PC); To gen tàn li miri. Si to monje li vè konm sa li gen en move gou. You have to wait until it’s ripe. If you eat it green it has a bad taste. (PC); No kase no depwa e depech pou mèt ye a meri. We picked our pears and peaches to put them to ripen. (CA) See examples
• muryé No sources ( n. ) miriyé CA, PC miryé PC
  1. Mulberry tree; mûrier. (Morus rubra).
     En pye mirye. A mulberry tree. (PC); Mo gen en miriye dan lakou devan dan partèr-la. I have a mulberry tree in the front yard in the flower bed. (CA) ♦ Lapen li te malen, li grenpe don kre mirye jiska o bout mirye-la. Rabbit was clever, he climbed into the hollow in the mulberry tree all the way to the tip of the tree. (LA) See examples
• mus BT ( n. )
  1. Underarm odor; odeur d’aisselle.
     To genp dekrase onmba te bra fo pa to son lamus. One must wash under one’s armpits so that one doesn’t have body odor. (BT) See examples
• muskad No sources ( n. ) miskad PC miskal BT lamiskad CA, ST
  1. Nutmeg; (noix de) muscade.
     To gen SLICE to dipen-l e to pran dézef e lamiskad, lan miskad pou i met andan lan, ave dezef. You have to slice your bread and you take eggs and nutmeg, nutmeg to put in there with eggs. (PC); Apre to kwi to jòromon, to roz li e to bras li avèk lamiskad e en moso dibèr. After you cook your pumpkin, you sprinkle it with nutmeg and a piece of butter. (CA) •nwa miskad n.phr. Nutmeg; (noix de) muscade. ♦ Mele sèrtifida et pi di konf avek en nwa miskad. Mix assafoetida with camphor and nutmeg. (BI) See examples
• muzik No sources ( n. ) mizik NE, PC lamuzik lamizik BT, PC, CA, PC, ST
  1. Music; musique.
     Li di: Nou bezòn en, lamizik an lòt kote-la, nou gen en bal aswa-la. ‘ He said: ‘We need music on the other side. We’re having a dance tonight.’ (PC) ♦ Tou souit mo oua ein Brada vini di mouen Bon Djié Mérikien pa oulé yé fé misick zou Saba. Right away a monk (brother) came to tell me that the American God doesn’t want music to be played on the Sabbath day. (T14) •jwe lamuzik v.phr. To play music; jouer de la musique, cf. jwe See examples
• muzisyin CA, PC, ST ( n. ) mizisyin CA, NE, PC
  1. Musician; musicien.
     Isit t enan tou kalite mizisyen, te joue vyolon, komet e tou kichò. Here there were a lot of good musicians, people who played the violin, the comet and all. (PC); Li te en mizisyen. Li te joue violon. He was a musician. He played violin. (CA) ♦ Musiciens la yé t apé gueulé et fou coups pieds à tort et à travers. The musicians are yelling and kicking every which way. (T40) See examples
• mwa gen ( n. )
  1. Month; mois.
     Mo yi mo nonk ki pron mwa kon mo te gen dis-sèt mwa. My uncle took me in when I was seventeen months old. (NE); Mwa septanm. The month of September. (PC); Li gen swasant an mwa-sa-a-la. He’s sixty years old this month. (CA) ♦ Tout moune connin qué tous les ans au mois de mai lapin gagnin ein maladie . Everyone knows that every year in the month of May Rabbit gets a sickness. (FO T3) •le premye mwa n.phr. (PC). The first of the month; le premier jour du mois. Mo pey le premye mwa. I get paid on the first of the month. (PC) •mwa pase n.phr. (CA). Last month; le mois dernier. Li jus gen so BIRTHDAY mwa pase. He just had his birthday last month. (CA) •tou le mwa n.phr. (BT). Every month; tous les mois. Mo peu pa kouri legliz . Prèt vini tou le mwa komuni mò. I can’t go to church. The priest comes every month to give me communion. (BT) See examples
  2. Menstrual period; règles.
     Se so mwa le e gen, tou le mwa li gen zafè-sa-la. Li gen en RAG li met on li, e disan la tou tan e vini. Sa vyen enn fwa par mwè. E si li manke mwa-sa-la, li avè en piti. It’s her period she’s having, every month she has that. She has a rag that she puts on, and the blood is coming all the time. It comes once a month. And if she misses this month, she’s with child. (PC); Li pa gayar. Li gen so mwa. She’s not happy. She’s got her peiod. (ST) See examples
• mwal PC ( n. ) lamwal CA, PC, ST lamwéil PC lamwél PC mwèl PC lamwèl PC
  1. Marrow; moelle (d’un os).
     Lamwal, se dan lez o. Marrow is in bones. (PC); Lamwal dezo dòn to lasoup bon gou. Bone marrow gives your soup good taste. (CA) See examples
  2. Pith (of plants); moelle (d’une plante).
     ♦ Fe bouyi lamwal siro e lave to zye-ye avek sa. Boil some elderberry pith and wash your eyes with that. (BI) See examples
  3. Brain; cerveau.
     Ka l te dez on, en chwal te kou-d-pye li, e, tou so lamweil te OUT. When he was two years old a horse kicked him, and all his brains came out of his head. (PC); Mo te ot lamwal poul andan latèt e no te fe la salad vinegrèt. I took out the chicken brains and we made salad with vinaigrette. (CA) See examples
• mwatyé ST ( n. ) lamwaché CA mochyé PC moché PC mochi PC mochè PC mòché MO 60 lamòché MO 60
  1. Half; moitié, demi-.
     Li travay lamotche en jou. He worked half the day. (PC); Ye pel sa Bayou Lafouch, ye di se de franse ben, mo pèl sa se de motchi d Franse. Motche, sa veu min, ye sèy pale franse mè y peu pa. They call that Bayou Lafourche. They say they are French, but I call them half French, that means they try to speak French, but they can’t. (PC) ♦Compair Lapin patagé dézef yé, li doné la moké à Compair Bouki. Brer Rabbit divided the eggs and he gave half to Brer Bouki. (T4) •a motchye adv.phr (PC). Half, half-way; à moitié. A motchye kwi . Half-cooked. (PC) •o lamotchi adv.phr. (PC). By half (term used to describe share cropping in which one half of the harvest is paid in rent); à la moitié (terme qui décrit le travail d'un métayer dont le loyer se paie avec la moitié de sa récolte). Mo koup so o lamotchi. Mo gen en bòs li dòn mo so o lamotchi. I cut that in half. I have a boss who gives me half of it. (PC) •motche frè n.phr. Half brother (who shares the same father but not the same mother); demi-frère (qui a le même père, mais pas la même mère), cf. frèr • motche sœr n.phr. Half sister (who shares the same father but not the same mother); demi-soeur (qui a le même père, mais pas la même mère), cf. sœr 2• Half-breed; sang-mêlé, métis. Navè en boug koulè, setè en vyè lamotchye pre. There was a guy, he was black, but he was a half-breed. (PC) See examples
• mwayin CA, PC ( n., adv. ) mwòyin CA, PC moyin CA, PC
  1. Manner, way, means; manière, moyen.
     Èna pa mwòyen gen kèk deprim? Isn’t there any way we could have some prunes? (PC) ♦. Alors vié fame la dit li comme ça li connin ein moyen pou fait so frère resté nomme tout temps. Then the old woman said that she knew a way to make his brother remain a man all the time. (FO T23) •kek mwòyen adv.phr. Somehow; par un moyen ou un autre, de quelque manière. To te gen sere ye kek mwoyen s to te pa ka achte ye. You had to store them somehow if you couldn’t buy them. (PC) •nenpòt ki mwòyen adv.phr. Any old way, no matter how; n’importe comment. cf. nenpòrtKind of, somewhat, rather, a little bit; un peu, quelque peu. Mo mo ja mwayen bliye zafè-sa-ye. I’ve already somewhat forgotten those things. (PC) REM: It is clear that Creole reflexes of manière and moyen merge with one another in meaning and form. cf. mànyèr See examples
• mwazi CA, PC ( v.intr. )
  1. To grow moldy; moisir.
     Rezen-la e mwazi . The grapes are getting moldy. (PC); Mo i pou jete mo dipen parske li te tou mwazi . I had to throw out my bread because it was all moldy. (CA) See examples
• mwins CA, NE, ST ( adv. ) mons PC
  1. Less; moins.
     Kan vou kou rèstè ave kèkenn konnen mons kè vou, vou ka aprann mons mè pa plus. When you spend time with someone who knows less than you do, you can learn less but not more. (PC); To gen mwens me sa koute plus. You get less but it costs more. (ST) ♦ C'st moins tracas dromi sans latéte. It’s less trouble to sleep without a head. (FO T7) •’à moins qué’ conj. Unless; à moins que. ♦ Mo pas connin comment yé pélé Low Hell en Français à moins qué ça soit Pays Bas la yé dont journaux parlé quéque fois. I don’t know what they call ‘low hell’ in French unless, it’s those ‘Netherlands’ that the newspapers talk about sometimes. (T40) •’au moins’ conj. At least; au moins. ♦ Di li ain bonne foi ça ki rivé, au moins la crié pou kichoge. Tell him once and for all what happened, at least he’ll be crying for a reason. (ME) •mwens...ke adj.quant.comp. (CA; NE); mwen ke (CA). Less... than; moins ... que. Mo gen mwens larjon ke twa. I have less money than you do. (NE); Mo wa li mwens ke labitid. I see him less often than usual. (CA); Planch debout mwen chèr ke volich. Upright boards are less expensive than siding. (CA) See examples
• mwèt No sources ( adj. )
  1. Moist, damp; moite, humide.
     ♦ Fe bouyi de grenn moutard e donn a bwar jiska lapo vini mwèt: Boil some mustard seeds and give [the sick person] some to drink until his skin becomes moist. (BI) See examples
• mye PC ( adv., adj. ) myé CA, NE, PC méyèr NE mi PC myi PC myè MO 60 myin CA
  1. Better; mieux.
     Li travay mye (meyœr) ke tou kekèn dòt. She works better than anyone else. (NE); Li chanté mye ke mon. He sings better than I do. (PC); Se te en ta mye ondon le vyeu ton ke astèr. It was a lot better in the old days than now. (NE) ♦ Ti mo là sa donn ’ moin couraze, mo f ai mié mo l'ouvraze. But those little words encourage me, I do my work better. (T11) REM: Reflexes of mieux and meilleur have fallen together in Creole to a certain extent, cf. meyœr •kone mye v.phr. To know better; ne pas être dupe. cf. kone •leme mye v.phr. To prefer; aimer mieux, préférer, cf. enmen •pa konnen mye v.phr. Not to know (any) better; être ignorant, cf. konne •fe mye v.phr. (PC); fe myè, fomye (PC); fòmye (NE). Had better; faire mieux, avoir intêrêt à. To fè myè fe sa o ma taye to tchi. You’d better do that or I’ll whip your ass. (PC); To vè rès kote lamezon to kroche to lapòt jòdi . To fomye kroche li! If you want to stay at home these days, you have to lock your door. You’d better lock it! (PC) •vomye v.phr. Had better; faire mieux, avoir intérêt à. cf. vo-mye1. Better; meilleur. Gato-sa-a myè pase sa-la. This cake is better than that one. (PC) •la mye adj. (PC). The best; le meilleur. Ena dan flèv. Men plu fonn, si en lakoule chèch, se la ye la mye, dan koulè. There are [mudfish] in the Mississippi River. But in deeper water, if a stream dries out, that’s where they’re the best. (PC) 2. Better, in better health; en meilleure santé. Ye dòn li en BYPASS aben sa fe li en ti bren, en ti bren mi. They gave him a bypass operation, and so he’s a little better now. (PC) •fe myeu v.phr. fe mye (PC). To feel better, do better (after an illness); se sentir mieux. Me e fe mye, men, mo konnen de jou mo pa byen ditou. I'm doing better, but there are days where I’m not well at all. (PC) •vini myeu v.phr. (PC). To heal, get better; s’améliorer, guérir, aller mieux. Si to te ge en bobo, ple ki te e abouti pou vini myeu, ye te me en rave on sa. If you had a wound that was healing, they would put a cockroach on it. (PC) See examples
• myèt No sources ( n. )
  1. Crumb; miette.
     ♦ Et pauv madame Cigogne té pas trapé ain miette. And poor Mrs. Stork didn’t get a single crumb. (T20) See examples
• myété PC ( v.intr. )
  1. To snack, nibble; grignoter.
     O to jis e myete, twa. Oh, you’re just snacking. (PC) See examples
• mànyèr PC, ST ( n., adv. ) monyè CA, PC mayèr CA moyé CA mòyèr CA mànyè CA manyè PC mayè PC monñin PC monyin PC mèyè PC monyé BT mañèr MO 60 mœñèr MO 60 monyèr BT, NE
  1. Manner, way, means; manière, moyen.
     Si t ole viv, t a gen p sòrti osi vit ki na monyèr otour mon. If you want to remain alive, you had better get away from me as quickly as possible. (NE); To gen en monyè to ka chwazi sa to gen p koupe pou lagrenn to gen, kantite la grenn to gen. You have a way you can choose what you will cut according to the quantity of seed you have. (PC); Mo pa gen mayèr kreol pou di sa. I haven’t got a Creole way to say that. (CA) ♦ La sel manyè mo pe kouri avek twa se si to pòt mwen. The only way I can go with you is if you carry me. (JR) •ke monyèr adv.phr. (NE); kèl monyèr (NE); ki manyèr (ST); ki kalite mòyèr (CA). How, in what way? Comment? •vilen monyen n.phr. (PC); Swear word, dirty word, bad word; gros mot, juron, grossièreté. Si ye tande li se juch en pè WORD koman pou jire, tou zafè avek vilen monyen-ye. If they heard it [Creole], it was just swear words and nasty things like that. (PC) See examples
  2. Custom, way, behavior; coutume, moeurs, comportement.
     Mourn langle-ye isi ye pa gen menm lakson e menm mongnen avèk nouzòt. The English-speaking people here don’t have the same accent and the same customs as we do. (PC) See examples
  3. Manners, social graces; manières.
     Don tou so lèd, li gen le vayon monyèr. As ugly as she is, she has nice manners. (NE) •bòn monyèr n.phr. (CA; PC). Good manners; bonnes manières. Li gen de bonn monyèr. He has good manners. (PC) See examples
  4. Kind, sort, type; espèce, sorte, type.
     Mwa e mon frè, nou te trap pwason tou kalite monyè . My brother and I used to catch every kind of fish. (PC) See examples
  5. Way, direction; sens, direction.
     Bagaz-ye e kouri ye WAY , diju dekann-la e kouri so WAY, bagay kouri lòt monyè. [After being ground], the residue goes one way, the cane juice goes another way. (PC)Kind of, somewhat, rather, a little bit; un peu, quelque peu. Mo monyèr chagren pou fe sa. I’m somewhat sorry to have to do that. (NE); Fey-la vèr. Li konen èt mayèr maran. The leaf is green. It can be sort of brown. (CA) ♦ Pronn trwa ou nèf ravet(sic), mànyèr fri ye don lagres jis ase pou tye ye byen. Take three or nine cockroaches, fry them a little in grease just enough to kill them. (BI) REM: Creole reflexes of manière and moyen merge with one another in meaning and form. cf. mwayen See examples
• mèdsin No sources ( n. )
  1. Doctor; médecin.
     ♦ Tan pri, vite couri charché metcin. Please, go get the doctor quickly. (T4) See examples
• mèdsinn BT ( n. ) métsinn MO 60 médsinn ST
  1. Medicine; médicament.
     Gar, sa mo tit anfan achte, mo peu pa bliye prann me mèdsin. Look at what my grandchild bought me, that way I can’t forget to take my medicine. (BT) ♦ Pou netwaye matris en fam, vou sèrv medsin misye irsen. To clean a woman’s uterus, you use Mr. Irsen’s medicine. (BI) See examples
  2. Medicine; médecine. •tidye lametsin
     v.phr. To study medicine; étudier la médecine. ♦ Li te kouri tidye lametsin. Li di li te ole et en doktè. He went to study medicine. He said he wanted to be a doctor. (JR) See examples
• mèg CA, MO 60, NE, ST ( adj. ) még PC
  1. Skinny, thin; maigre.
     Ena plen moun ke manj dou e vyen pa gra. Mo kwi sa pou mo mari ke mèg. There are a lot of people who eat sweets and don’t get fat. I bake them for my husband who is skinny. (CA); Mo te gro me astèr mo vini mèg. I was fat but now I am getting thin. (CA) ♦ Chien cila té si maigre mo té pas gagnin courage bimin li. That dog was so skinny that I didn’t have the heart to beat it. (FO T15) •fe mèg v.phr. (CA; ST). To fast, abstain from eating meat; manger maigre, s’abstenir de manger de la viande. Dan Karèm plito an mèrkredi e vandredi moun fe mèg. During Lent, especially on Wednesdays and Fridays, people fast. (ST) ♦ Cè jordi vandrédi, no va fé mègue, Bon Djié a idé nouzote. Today is Friday and we will abstain from meat, and God will help us. (T6) See examples
• mèksikin PC ( adj., n. )
  1. Mexican; mexicain.
     Mo pa konnen si se JAPANESE o si se mèksiken. I don’t know if he is Japanese or Mexican. (PC) See examples
• mèksikin No sources ( n. )
  1. Balsam pear; fruit d’une plante tropicale particulière. (Momordica charantia).
     ♦ [Pou] de koupir, met en morso mèksiken si to koupir, ou met di mèksiken don wiski e vide sa si laple. For cuts, put a piece of balsam pear on your cut, or put some balsam pear in whiskey and pour that on your wound. (BI) See examples
• mèlé MO 60, PC, ST ( v., v.tr., v.intr. ) mét PC mèl PC mélé PC, CA, NE
  1. To mix; mêler.
     Mo parl kreyol plis ke mo parl langle. Sa fe mo mele li ansanm. I speak Creole more than I speak English. So I mix them together. (CA); Ye te janmen gen pir blan dan la louzyèn, ye tou mele. There have never been pure whites in Louisiana, they’re all mixed. (PC) 2. To mix up, mistake (one thing for another); confondre (une chose pour une autre). No-kenn bèt a kon te mel pa avek èn mo gran-popa. We didn’t mistake our cattle for my grandfather’s. (PC)1. To mix with, associate with someone; s’associer avec. En Fronse te vomye mele èk en nèg ke mele èk en Kadjen, parske ye te veupa en Kadjen don ye mezon. A Frenchman was better off mixing with a black man than a Cajun, because they didn’t want Cajuns in their house. (NE) 2. To interfere; se mêler de. Ye mèl tro don mo biznis. They interfere too much in my affairs. (BT) ♦ Si Djiabe pa mêlé, tou kichoge a marché drette. If the Devil doesn't get involved, everything will go right. (T6) See examples
• mèm No sources ( adj., adv. )
  1. Same; même.
     TITANIC, li kale diz-nèf-san dis. mèm lanne mo ne mo kwa. The Titanic sank in 1910, the same year I was bom, I think. (PC); Leu mèm mai-ye to plant, to manj mèm sa-ye. The same corn you plant, you eat the same ones. (CA); 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) ♦ Torti kouri chèche so frè, ki te menm grosè avek li. Tortoise went to get his brother, who was the same size as he. (JR) •mèm chòj n.phr. (PC). Same thing; même chose. Se mèm chòj avek gro bizniz e piti biznis. It’s the same thing with big businesses and little businesses. (PC) •on mèm ton adv.phr. At the same time; en même temps, à la fois. cf. tan1. Even; même. T a trouve liyon mèm. You’ll even find lions. (PC) ♦ Mo té tremblé dans mo kilotte, mo té même l'envie caché sous lasémelle de mo botte. I was shaking in my trousers, I even wanted to hide under the sole of my shoe. (T38) 2. (Used to intensify or emphasize). Don vilaj Lafayèt mèm. Right in Lafayette. (NE); Sa se sa ye pele joue lamizik mèm! Now that’s what you call playing music. (NE) •tou-d-mèm adv.phr. (NE). Nonetheless, all the same; tout de même. See examples
• mèm CA, PC ( pron. ) minm CA
  1. The same one; le (la) même.
     Se mèm-la ki gen chapo kom mo-tchèn. He’s the same man who has a hat just like mine. (PC) See examples
  2. The same (thing); la même chose.
     Mo konen di menm pou li. I could say the same for her. (CA) See examples
  3. -Self; -même.
     Ye ranpli ye machin yemèm. They fill their machines themselves. (PC); Mo te pa san mo-mèm byen yèr-o-swò. I didn’t feel well last night. (PC) cf. mo-mèm, twa-mèm, vou-mèm, li-mèm, èl-mèm, nouzòt-mèm, zòt-mèm, ye-mèm. See examples
• mèmmon NE ( adv. )
  1. Even, really; même, vraiment.
     Mè en nèg pa gen l drwa, mèmmon koze pre avèk en fom blon. But a black man didn’t have any rights, not even talking up close to a white woman. (NE) See examples
• mènayé BT ( v.intr. )
  1. To (mis)behave, carry on; se comporter (mal), faire une scène.
     Èl t ap mènaye èk tou kalte d nonm. She was carrying on with all sorts of men. (BT) See examples
• mènnœv PC ( n. )
  1. Manual labor; main-d’oeuvre.
     Nonm-la donn trwa pyas par nonm pou le mennœv. The man paid three dollars per man for labor. (PC) See examples
• mèné BT, MO 60 ( v., v.tr., v.intr. ) mènné CA, CA, PC, ST mènnin CA, CA, PC, ST mènè NE, PC minin CA, NE mèn CA, MO 60, PC mènn PC, CA mènin miné PC, CA
  1. To bring, take; amener, apporter.
     Nou kouri mènè flœr o simityèr le Tousen. We took flowers to the cemetery for All Saints’ Day. (NE); M a dòn twa en mòso pou to menen che twa. I'll give you a piece to take home with you. (CA); Li mènen piti a kote lekòl-la. She brought the child to school. (PC) ♦ Sa fe lœ swa kan li mennen so soupe... So that evening when he brought him his food... (JR) •mennen bèk v.phr. (PC); menen bèk (PC). To take/ bring s.o. back home; ramener qn chez lui. M a vini chèrche twa e mennen twa bèk. I'll come and get you and take you back home. (PC) •mennen dibri v.phr. To make noise; faire du bruit, cf. dibri •mennen di tren v.phr. To make noise; faire du bruit, cf. tren •menen komèrs v.phr. To cheat on, run around on (one’s spouse); tromper, cocufier. cf. komèrs •mennen kote lalwa v.phr. (PC); mennen a lalwa (CA). 1) To sue, prosecute, take to court; poursuivre en justice. Ye pa ka sèrvi non-ye. Ye a SUE twa, y a mennen kote lalwa-la pou zafè sa, vou pa ka sèrvi non-ye. You can’t use their names. They will sue you, take you to court, you can’t use their names. (PC) 2) To turn (s.o.) in to the police; remettre (qn) entre les mains de la police. M ap mennen li a lalwa. Li twe en nom. I’m turning him in to the police. He killed a man. (CA) •mene lanbara v.phr. To cause trouble; faires des histoires, cf. anbara See examples
  2. To bring in (money, profit); rapporter (de l’argent, des bénéfices).
     En bal, dan tan-sa-la ka koton te ase chè, te e mene de san karannt pyas, bal si san liv. A bale of cotton, in the days when cotton was quite expensive, would bring in 40 dollars, a bale of 600 pounds. (PC) See examples
  3. To carry; porter.
     Mo te ap menen mo ti bebe an mo bra. I was carrying my baby in my arms. (CA) See examples
  4. To remember, recall, bring back to mind; se rappeler, se souvenir.
     M pa kònè lòt-la, non, mo te konen non-la, mo ja lid li, plen fwa, juch pa ka mennen li astè-la. I don’t know the other name for it, I used to know it and I have read it, I just can’t recall it right now. (PC) •mennen bèk v.phr. (PC). To remember, recall, bring back to mind; se rappeler, se souvenir. Kikchò d pase lonton pase, li kapab mennen li bèk. Something that happened long ago, he can remember that. (PC) •mennen dan latet v.phr. (PC). To remember, recall, bring back to mind; se rappeler, se souvenir. Mo gen pou jangle en ti bren, mo te kònen plen andan zafè-sa-ye ben, RIGHT NOW mo jis pa ka mennen ye dan latet astè-la. I have to think for a moment, I used to know a lot about that, I just can’t think of them right now. (PC) See examples
  5. To lead; mener, amener.
     Mo mènen chwal-la kote larivyè, men mo te pa ka fe li bwa. I led the horse to the river, but I couldn’t make him drink. (PC) See examples
  6. To lead, take s.o. to (of a road); mener à (en parlant d’un chemin).
     Mo konnen tou lari ki a mennen twa kote CARROLLTON. I know all the roads that will take you to Carrollton. (PC) See examples
  7. To mention, bring up; mentionner.
     Pa mennen sa dèvan man. Don’t bring that up in front of me. (CA) See examples
  8. To import; importer.
     Mè le SLAVE se te pou le Fronse, le BIG SHOT mènè le SLAVE! But slaves were all for the French, it was big shots who imported slaves. (NE) See examples
  9. To give birth; accoucher de.
     Sa ki e mennen de ti kochon, se en latri. En latriy. The one that gives birth to baby pigs is a sow. (PC) •mennen bèbè v.phr. (PC); mennen piti-ye (PC). To have a baby; accoucher d’un enfant. Ye te va pa lopital pou mennen bèbe. They didn’t go to the hospital to have their babies. (PC) •mennen dan moun v.phr. (PC); mennen dan monn-lan (PC). To bring into the world; amener dans le monde. Te janmen gen doktè è tou piti-ye mo mennen dan monn-lan. I never had a doctor for any of the children I brought into this world. (PC)To (mis)behave, carry on; se comporter (mal), faire une scène. Arèt mène konm sa; arète fe di tren . ‘Stop behaving like that! Stop making noise!’ (BT) See examples
• mèr CA, MO 60 ( n. )
  1. Mother; mère.
     La Sent Vyèrj se la mèr no Sengnèr Jezu Kri. The Holy Virgin is the mother of our Savior Jesus Christ. (CA) ♦ Mem Brada la ki té pran mo ti kok singa et mo gro moman mèr poul et ki té apé mené yé kouri. The same friar who took my variegated rooster and my mother hen and was letting them run around. (T14) See examples
• mèrd CA ( n. ) lamèrd CA, PC laméd PC mèd PC lamèd PC lanmèd PC
  1. Shit; merde.
     Mo wa en ta kaka. Chyen a chye pa-tè, sa se en ta lamèrd. I see a pile of shit. The dog shit on the ground, that’s a pile of shit. (PC); Mo di, ‘Mèrd. Mo kolèr.’ I said ‘Shit! I’m angry.’ (CA) •fe monje lamèd v.phr. (PC). To make s.o. eat shit; faire manger la merde a qn. Mo ja tonnde ye di, ‘m a fe to monje lamèd!' I’ve heard people say, ‘I’ll make you eat shit!’ (PC) •lamèrd int. (PC). Go to hell! Au diable! •va a lamèrd! exp. (CA); va a lamèd, va t a lamèd (PC); ale a lamèrd (ST). Go to hell! Je t’emmerde! See examples
  2. Problem, trouble, difficulty; problème, embarras, difficulté.
     Petèt kèk lamèd arivè ankò. Perhaps another problem will happen. (PC) See examples
  3. Thing; chose, true.
     Larokèt sè kèk lamèd ye plant dan jarden. Yellow rocket is something they plant in the garden. (PC) •pa en mèd adv.phr. Not a damn thing; pas la moindre chose. Ye pa donn nouzòt en mèd. They gave us nothing at all. (PC); Pa en lamèrd de bon. Not a single damn good thing. (CA) See examples
• mèrde No sources ( adj. )
  1. cf. baton-mèrde
• mèrkrèdi PC ( n. ) mèkrédi PC mèkrédi PC mèrkrédi CA
  1. Wednesday; mercredi.
     Mo travay mèkredi. I work on Wednesdays. (PC) •mèrkredi de sann n.phr. (CA). Ash Wednesday ; Mercredi des Cendres. To fe en lapat klèr e to me sa dan en lapwal e li kwi. Sa fe en krèp pou mèrkredi de sann. You make a batter and you put it in the frying pan and it cooks. That’s a pancake for Ash Wednesday. (CA) See examples
• mèrliton CA ( n. ) mirlonton BT mirliton CA
  1. Vegetable pear, alligator pear, chayote; chayote, espèce de légume vert pâle qui pousse sur une liane. (Sechium edule Sw.)
     Ti pi fe far, ti pi jij etoufe ansanm, ti pi manche, ti pi mèt dan lavyonn. Ti koud pa avèk le mirlonton ? You can make a stuffing [with them], you can smother them together, you can eat them straight, or you can cook them in meat. Don’t you cook with vegetable pears? (BT); To kapab etoufe mèrliton avèk chevrèt . Se bon. You can smother vegetable pears with shrimp. It’s good. (CA) See examples
• mèrsi CA, NE, PC, ST ( n. )
  1. Thank you; merci.
     Mèsi Bondje. Thank God! (PC) ♦ Merci , mo piti, to eune bon fille, bon Djé va béni toi.’’ ‘Thank you, my child, youTe a good girl, God will bless you,' (T30) •byen mèrsi int. (CA; NE; PC; ST). Thanks a lot; merci beaucoup. See examples
• mèrsi CA, PC ( v.tr. )
  1. To thank; remercier.
     Li mèrsi mon sa mon fe pou li. He thanked me for what I did for him. (CA) ♦ Ye donnen li enn ef bouyi ant de ti moso di pen. Li manje sa e mèrsi ye an partau. They gave him a boiled egg between two slices of bread. He ate that and thanked them while leaving. (JR) See examples
• mès No sources ( n. ) lamès BT, CA, ST més NE, PC lamés PC
  1. Mass; messe.
     Mo te va a lames. I used to go to mass. (PC); Mo manke lamès. I missed Mass. (ST); N ale lamès la fèt lasonpsyon. We went to mass at the Feast of the Assumption. (CA) • Dimin, cé dimance; apé la messe, mo va donne ein gran bamboula. Tomorrow is Sunday; after mass, I’ll throw a big party. (T8) See examples
• mèsaj CA ( n. )
  1. Message; message.
     Si no t ole telegrafe kèkchoz , no te blije ale dan stasyon pou voye mèsaj-la. If we wanted to telegraph something, we had to go to the station to send the message. (CA) See examples
• mèsh PC ( n. ) lamèsh PC, CA
  1. Bit (for a drill); mèche (d’un foret).
     En DRILL , li pèrse parey konm tèryèr, men se plu vit fe. Li gen de mèch, li gen de POINT , vou ka sèrvi difèran POINT pou fè difèran grosè trou. A drill pierces like a borer, except that it is faster. It has bits, it has different points, and you can use different bits to make different size holes. (PC) See examples
  2. Wick; mèche.
     Kan mo limen lamèch bouji mo mèt dife anlè li. When I light the candle wick, I put fire on it. (CA) See examples
• mèsh No sources ( n. )
  1. Swamp, marsh; marais, marécage.
     Ouais, Cocodrie ' tait le roi de la mèche encore. Yes, Alligator was still the king of the swamp. (DC) See examples