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

• bardo CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Shingle; bardeau.
     Ye mèt bardo anho bar-ye k anmba la. They put shingles on top of the laths that are underneath. (PC); Y ap kouvri la mezon-la e bardo. They’re covering the house with shingles. (CA) See examples
• bardé CA ( v.intr. )
  1. To go quickly, dart off; aller vite, partir vite.
     M ap marche dan chimen-la. La mo wa pi li. La li barde la-ba. I’m walking down the road. Now I don’t see him anymore. He darted off. (CA) ♦ No bardé derrière chaoué. We took off after the raccoon. (T23) See examples
• barginn NE, PC ( n. ) baginn PC
  1. Bargain, deal; bonne affaire.
     Aben, si to lem pa de rasin, m a fe en not bargin ak twa. Well, if you don’t like roots, I’ll make another bargain with you. (NE); Ènan plen ki te kònè fe de bagin koum sa. There were many people who used to bargain like that. (PC) See examples
• bari CA, MO 60, NE, PC ( n. )
  1. Barrel; baril, tonneau.
     To ramase to ramiriz. La to gen to en ti bari. To vide l andan bar i-la, è to kite li vini eg. You pick your wild cherries. You’ve got a little barrel full, you empty it into the barrel, and you let it turn sour. (PC); Bari disik. Sugar barrel. (CA); Bari siro. Syrup barrel. (CA) ♦ Pa Ben a done vou ein bari patate, si coson pa mangé yé. Pa Ben will give you a barrel of potatoes, if the pigs haven’t eaten them. (T17); un barrique ouiski. A barrel of whiskey. (T40); ‘baril’ [bari] (DU) • bari charbon n.phr. (PC). Barrel used in the distillation of whiskey; baril, tonneau utilisé dans la distillation du whiskey. Tchombo li si mwa den en bari charbon, pou CURE li, ote le pwazon. (You had to) keep it for six months in a barrel to cure it, to remove the poison. (PC) 1. Churn; baratte. En gro bari dibœr. A big butter churn. (NE) See examples
• baro PC ( n. )
  1. Bar (on the inside of a mud wall); barreau (à l’intérieur d’un mur fabriqué en bousillage).
     Annt de poto li mete la tèr. Sa mete de ti baro, komonse anba, fèzè enn muray. Between the posts they would put earth. They put in bars, starting at the bottom, to make a wall. (PC) 2. Spindle, dowel, rung (in railing), bar (in prison); barreau (d’un garde-fou, d’une prison). (PC) ♦ Si yé té mété toi dan ain bon laçage avè bon baro en fer, to sré pa cacé arien. If they put you in a good cage with iron bars, you wouldn’t be breaking anything. (ME) 1. Spoke; rayon. En larou gen kat baro. A wheel has four spokes. (PC) See examples
• baryèr CA, NE ( n. ) baryè CA, PC bariyè PC
  1. Fence; barrière.
     Se tou ouvè, ye pa gen baryè tou partou anndan dezè-la. It was all open, there were no fences anywhere in the field. (PC); To fe en baryè evèkfil de fè pou peche lavach-ye sòrti. You make a barbed wire fence to keep the cows from getting out. (CA) ♦Konpè Bouki pa tonn ye ouvri la pòt, li sote baryè. Brer Bouki did not hear them open the door, he jumped the fence. (LA); ‘barrière’ (T27); ‘bayé [bayè]’ (DU) •baryè fil de fè n.phr. (CA). Barbed wire fence; barrière de fer barbelé. • baryè an gri n.p hr. (CA). Screen fence; barrière en grille. See examples
• baré BT ( adj. )
  1. Striped; barré, rayé.
     So papa lòt nonm, sula gen chmiz bare. His dad is the other man, the one with the striped shirt. (BT) See examples
• baré BT, CA, PC ( v.tr. ) bar CA
  1. To lock; verrouiller, fermer à clé.
     Mo di m a bare devan, pa beuzwen bare dèryèr. I said I’ve locked the front, no need to lock the back. (BT) ♦ Li garde la fnet e li te bare avek de bar de fer. He looked at the window and it was closed up with iron bars. (JR); ‘barrer’ (PE) See examples
  2. To bar, close with a bar; barrer.
     To me en bar an travèr la port pou bare li. Se bare. Se pa akle. You put a long piece of wood across the door to block it shut. It’s barred. It’s not locked with a key. (CA) See examples
  3. To block; barrer, bloquer.
     Faut nous quitte yé connais nous-aut pas laimé yé, barrez yé chemin, tracassez yé plein, garrochez yé moyèr à vilain ‘méricain. We have to let them know we don’t like them, block their roads, bother them a lot, throw off their ways of being ugly Americans. (DC) See examples
  4. To block out (a pattern in sewing); ébaucher (un dessin, terme de couture).
     Koupe ye, fe de blòk. E la to gen bare ye. To cut them and make ‘blocks’, and then you block them out. (PC) See examples
• bas BT ( n. )
  1. Sideburns; favoris.
     Dœvan lezorey sa se la bas. In front of your ears are your sideburns. (BT) See examples
• bas CA ( n. ) la bas CA
  1. Bass; basse.
     Enave en benn lamizik avèk en kòrnen, gita, tanmbou e labas. There was a musical band with a trumpet, guitar, drums and bass. (CA) See examples
• bas No sources ( n. )
  1. Foodstuffs; provisions, nourriture.
     ♦ Tou princes yé avè zeine zan pran la basse avè zoutils. All of the princes and the young people took foodstuffs and tools. (T7) REM: NE 1987 connects this to bosse ‘grumeau, portion de ce qui se mangé’, p.73 n.3. See examples
• bas-kour BT, PC ( n. )
  1. Barnyard (where poultry is raised); basse-cour.
     Se en bas-kour pou tchobo te poul. This is a barnyard to keep your chickens. (PC) See examples
  2. Domestic fowl, poultry; basse-cour, volaille domestiquée.
     La bas-kour se le denn, le poul, le kanar, de zwa, de pental, se tou la bas-kour. Domestic fowl includes turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, Guinea fowl, all of that is domestic fowl. (BT) See examples
• bashoukta No sources ( n. )
  1. Scarlet sumac; espèce de sumac. (Rhus glabra). REM: RD 1931: 81 bachoucta , a dye made from Rhus glabra. In BI it seems to denote the plant itself.
     ♦Fe bouyi la rosin bachoukta. Boil some roots of the scarlet sumac. (BI) See examples
• basin BT, MO 60, PC ( n. )
  1. Pail, bucket; seau.
     Le pui. Inave en basen, trape dlo èk en gran kab da,n leu f on, pi la lève don la, trape leu basen, e pi vide dan enn òt, pou d lo. Wells. There was a bucket, you’d get water with a rope to the bottom, you’d raise it out and catch the bucket and empty it into another, for water. (BT) ♦Me sa don en basen en galon ki kouv jis. Put them in a one-gallon bucket that is filled to the brim. (BI) See examples
  2. Tub; cuve, bac.
     En basen, vou ranpli se e dolo. A tub, you fill it with water. En gro basen A big tub. (PC) See examples
• basyè PC ( n. ) basyin PC
  1. Low spot (land); baissière, dépression dans la terre.
     En basyen, se en plas ki ba. A low spot is a place that is low. (PC) See examples
• basèt BT, CA ( adj. ) basét PC
  1. Short; petit.
     Boug-sa-a se en gran boug. Men lòt boug-la li baset, li pa osi gran ke twa. That guy is a tall guy. But the other guy is short, he’s not as tall as you. (PC); Le frè to gron-monmon ste le ti nonm basèt konm de Tchaini. Your grandmother’s brothers were little short men, like the Chinese. (BT); Se en fiy ki basèt. Li pa gran. She’s a short girl. She’s not tall. (CA) See examples
• bat No sources ( v.tr. )
  1. To fell, chop down (a tree); abattre (un arbre).
     ♦Ma couri charché mo lahache pou bate diboi là. I’m going to go to get my axe to fell that tree. (T4) See examples
• bat CA, NE, PC ( v., v.tr., v.intr. ) ba BT, NE
  1. To fight; se battre.
     [Ye] ole bat konm chyen e chat. They’ve wanted to fight like cats and dogs. (PC) ♦Mapé couri oua li, pététe ma seyé fait yé batte ou bien contré ensembe, mo pense ça va fait ein joli bataille. I’m going to see him, maybe I’ll make them fight or do battle, I think that would be a nice little battle. (FO T3); ‘batte ensemb ’ (T30) •bat avek pwen v.phr. (PC). To fistfight; battre avec les poings. 2. fig. To fight, struggle; se débattre, lutter. Mo gen bat pou depanse mo larjan, hèn? I have to struggle to spend my money, huh? (PC) 3. To beat; battre. ♦ Fille la descende et so caire té apé batte fort. The girl went down and her heart was beating hard. (FO T14)1. To beat, strike; frapper, battre. Sa se vye moun-ye te konnen bat tambou e sa. Old folks used to beat drums with that (song). (PC) ♦ Quand va tendé moin batte tambour va haler fort en haut la corde. When you hear me beat the drum you’ll pull hard on the rope. (FO T1) • bat (so) pye v.phr. (PC). To tap one’s foot (to music); battre du pied (avec la musique). Boug ki te e LEAD la muzik-la, se tannd l e bat so pye, e le e di ye ‘dji! ha! dji! ha!' The guy who was leading the music, you heard him tapping his foot and saying gee! haw! gee! haw! (PC) •ba I œy v.phr. (BT); ba le zyeu (BT); bat (so) zye (CA; PC). To bat an eye, blink; battre de l’oeil, cligner des yeux. En kokodri, tan k t ape gète li, i va kouche trankil. Me la, kan ti ba l œy, la i va seye chape. An alligator, as long as you watch he will lie still. But then as soon as you bat an eye he will try to escape. (BT); Li jich ap bat so zye-ye kòm keken ki fòl. She’s just batting her eyes like someone who’s crazy. (CA) ♦ Libat so jié, et mordé so lalangue, ma chère. He blinked his eyes and bit his tongue, my dear. (T20); ‘bat to zié [bat to zye] ’ (LA) •bat (so) zel v.phr. (CA; ST). To beat one’s wings; battre des ailes. Zozo-la bat so zèl pou parti voltije. The bird is beating its wings to take flight. (CA) ♦ Li batte so zaile dans so figuire. It beat its wings in his face. (T29) •’batte les taons’ v.phr. To be in trouble; avoir des embarras. ♦ Tapé sayé fé moin di tor, mè pét-éte ben la farce a resté pou toi, mo pencor rendi au boute quarante narpen to tendé; pét-éte to minme avan lontan ta batte les taons. You are trying to injure me, but perhaps you will be the loser; I have not given up all hope; perhaps, before long, you will be in trouble. (FO 1887) 2. To beat, whip, chum (cream, in order to make butter); battre (de la crême, afin d’en faire du beurre). Nou te kònè fe dibèr mo dile. To ramase tou la krèm dile-la. E la to bat li. We used to make butter with milk. You gather all the cream from the milk, and you whip it. (PC); Li te bat sa, bat sa jichka sa te vini monyer blon. She beat them a long time until they turned somewhat white. (NE) 3. To beat (e.g. in an election, a race, etc.); l’emporter (surqn). Ye fè èlèksyon pou vote pou ote wiski. E fam-ye bat nonm-ye. Ye chmen pou ote wiski. They organized a poil to vote to get rid of whiskey. And the women beat the men. They won to get rid of whiskey. (PC) ♦ ‘Ma parye twa di pyas ma bat twa galope,’ Torti di a chevrey en jou. ‘I’ll bèt you ten bucks I can beat you at a race,’ the Turtle said to the Hare one day. (JR); ‘bat ’, ‘batte’ (T13) See examples
• batar No sources ( n. ) batardi CA, PC
  1. Bastard; bâtard.
     En move fonm ave en nonm ki pa bon aryen, li batardi. A bad woman with a good-for-nothing man, he (i. e. their child) is a bastard. (PC) ♦ Miates cé batards blancs, moins kè chiens; chien guignin pays, milates i'an pas. Mulattoes are the bastard children of whites, they’re less than dogs; dogs have a country, mulattoes don’t. (TM) See examples
  2. Amateur; amateur.
     ♦ Mo espèce batar forgeon; ma pli vite fé vou ein lot laclé passé trapé cila. I’m a kind of amateur blacksmith; I could make you a new key sooner than I could find that one. (T6) See examples
  3. Floodgate; vanne.
     Kan lo ap vini to mèt en batar pou peche lo vini. When water is coming, you put up the floodgate to prevent water from coming up there. (CA) See examples
• batay BT, CA ( n. )
  1. Battle; bataille.
     Enave en gro batay dan MAGNOLIA kote Chmen Flèv. There was a big battle in Magnolia near River Road. (CA) ♦Iakzone batte Yinki yé pélé Zanglé dan bataïe Nouvail-Zorléhan. Jackson beat the Yankees they call the English in the Battle of New Orleans. (T13); ‘batail ’ (T6) See examples
  2. Fight, row; bataille, bagarre.
     Mo frè tonbe dan en batay yèr-o-swar. Ine en beug ki koupe li. My brother got into a fight last night. There was a guy that cut him. (BT) •kòk batay n.phr. Fighting cock, gamecock; coq de combat, cf. kòk •pète en batay v.phr. To start a fight; provoquer une bagarre, cf. pete See examples
• batayé CA ( v.intr. )
  1. To fight; se battre.
     Sa toujou ape balaye me safe pa enn-e-lot dutòr. They are always fighting but they don’t hurt one another. (CA) See examples
• bati MO 60, PC ( v.tr. )
  1. To build; bâtir.
     Ye ka achte latè e bati en bon kabann. They can buy some ground and build themselves a nice house. (PC) ♦Donne moin ein coup de main pou charrier di bois pou bati mo cabane. Give me a hand hauling wood to build my house. (FO T3) •byen bati adj. (PC). Well-built; bien bâti. Li byen bati . She is well-built. (PC) See examples
• batiman No sources ( n. )
  1. Ship; navire.
     ♦ Michié Nohié té gaigné ein neg hé ein négraice li té achté dan ein batiman Massatchiset ki té sorti volé neg Guinain, Mr. Noah had a black man and a black woman he had bought from a ship in Massachussetts which had just stolen some blacks from Guinea. (TI3) See examples
• batiman-d-èr PC ( n. )
  1. Airplane; avion.
• batinm CA ( n. )
  1. Baptism; baptême. M
     ap ale batize mo ti bebe dimanch. N ap ale gen en dmen apre batenm. I’m going to baptize my little baby Sunday. We’re going to have a dinner after the baptism. (CA) ♦ Li kouri fe en trwasyenm batenm, e li nonmen piti-sa-la Trwasyenm-la. He went to do a third baptism, and he named that child the Third One. (JR) •Se pa batenm-katen. adj.phr. It’s serious, it’s not child’s play (lit. doll’s baptism); C’est sérieux, ce n’est pas un jeu d’enfants (litt. baptême de poupée). ♦Diab, tou ça cé pa baptême catin, mo crében mo fouti! By Jove! That is no child’s play, I think that I am in big trouble. (FO 1887) •’nom dé baptême’ n.phr. Baptismal name; nom de baptême, cf. non See examples
• batis CA, MO 60, NE, PC ( n. )
  1. Building; bâtiment, immeuble.
     Vou rapel vyè prizon-la dèryè la, ti batis an brik la? Do you remember the old prison behind there, the little brick building? (PC); Y ap bati en batis, en gro lamezon. They’re constructing a building, a big house. (CA) ♦ C'était einne grande batisse. It was a big building. (JR) See examples
• batistèr CA, PC ( n. ) batistè PC
  1. Baptismal certificate; extrait baptistaire.
     Mo p ole di twa mo laj an GUESS, mè mo fiy i gen mo batistè li i kònè mo laj. I don’t want to guess my age for you, but my daughter has my certificate of baptism, she knows my age. (PC); Kan ti bebe batize, prèt-la ranj so batistèr. Se en papye e so non, so pap, so moman, so paren, so nenenn e mwa li ne, e kantyèm, e lonnen. When a little baby is baptized, the priest prepares his baptismal certificate. It’s a paper with his name, his dad, his mom, his godfather, his godmother, and the month he was born, the day and the year. (CA) See examples
• batizé CA, MO 60, NE, PC ( v.tr. ) batisé MO 60 batiz PC
  1. To baptize; baptiser.
     Konbyen d piti t ale batize? How many children are you going to baptize? (NE); Mo fe konfirmen, e mo fe tou mo piti-ye konfirmen, batize katolik marenn e paren. I did my confirmation and I had all my children confirmed, baptized a good Catholic baptism with a godmother and godfather. (PC); M ap ale batize mo ti bebe dimanch. N ap ale gen en dmen apre batenm. I’m going to baptize my little baby Sunday. We’re going to have a dinner after the baptism. (CA) ♦Yapé pété moin pou batisé in piti. ‘They’re calling me to baptize a child.’ (FO T13); ‘ baptisé ’ (T39) See examples
• batmon-kèr CA ( n. )
  1. Irregular heartbeat; battement de coeur irrégulier.
     So kèr ba tro vit. Li gen batmon-kèr. Li pa regle. Mo-kenn kèr ba dousman. His heart beats too fast. He’s got an irregular heartbeat. It’s not regular. My own heart beats slowly. (CA) ♦[Pou] batmon kèr, mele sèrtifida e pi di konf avek en nwa miskad. For (irregular) heartbeat, mix assefoetida and a little camphor with nutmeg. (BI) See examples
• bato CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Boat; bateau.
     Nou RIDE dan bato-la an latè. We rode the boat to the shore. (PC); M ap fe en fondasyon pou mèt mo bato. I’m making a concrete slab to put my boat on. (CA) ♦Ye té gagnin plein bateaux, et yé té gagnin l'air ape dansé on la mer; quéquesennes té lévé et lézottes té baissé. There were a lot of boats, and they looked like they were dancing on the sea; some were going up, and the others were going down. (FO T20); 'batô' (T7) •bato a vapè n.phr. Steamboat; bateau à vapeur. ♦Vite en haut ein bateau vapeur, mo prend passage pour la ville. I quickly caught a ride to the city on board a steamboat. (T37); En nave pa ni bato a vapè ni char. There were neither steamboats nor cars. (TP) See examples
• Baton No sources ( place n. ) Batan Rouj PC
  1. Baton Rouge.
     Mo gen en fiy rès Batan Rouj . I have a daughter that lives in Baton Rouge. (PC) See examples
• baton gen ( n. ) matan PC batan PC
  1. Stick; bâton.
     To te fe enn tit kaj apre en kirœy, e la te bloke li avèk en ti baton pou tchenn la pòt ouvèr. You made a little cage for a squirrel, and then you blocked the door open with a little stick. (BT) ♦ Li prann so chapo, met li on en baton. He took his hat, put it on a stick. (JR) •baton bale n.phr. (CA). Broomstick; manche à balai, cf. bale •baton kanèt n.phr. (CA). Fishing pole; canne a peche. cf. kanèt •baton rido n.phr. (CA). Curtain rod; tringle de rideau. No mèt baton bale dan hourle no rido pou mèt li anlèr. No te pa gen baton rido. We put a broomstick in the hem of our curtains to hang them up. We didn’t have curtain rods. (CA) •baton zalimèt n.phr. (CA). Matchstick; allumette, cf. alimèt •mèt de baton don le rou v.phr. (BT). To cause trouble; faire des ennuis. Li sey mèt de baton don le rou. He’s trying to cause trouble. (BT) See examples
  2. Stalk, stem; tige, bâton.
     Rozye-la gen de gro baton. The rose bush has big stems. (CA) ♦Ouv de baton siro e met ye tronpe don dolo. Cut open some elderberry stalks and put them to soak in water. (BI) •baton koton n.phr. (NE; PC). Cotton stalk; tige du cotonnier. Ye te koupe le kon mai, koupe le baton koton . They would cut the cornstalks and the cotton stalks. (NE) •baton mayi n.phr. (CA; PC; ST). Cornstalk; tige de maïs. Ye te bril baton koton e ye te bril baton mayi osi. They used to bum cotton stalks and they burned cornstalks too. (PC) See examples
  3. Pole, stake (for plants); tuteur.
     Zadiko, ye monte on le baton. Beans grow up on poles. (PC); Mo ramen mo bin-ye file ouchka o bou d baton. Sa se so ranm. I put a stake in for my beans to climb up to the end of the pole. That’s its stake. (CA) See examples
  4. Drumstick; baguette de tambour.
     Vou pran de ti matan ‘don tò don tò don!' You take some little drumsticks, bang! bang! bang! (PC) See examples
  5. Fishing pole; canne a peche. L
     ap gonn peche avèk so baton. He is going fishing with his pole. (CA) See examples
  6. Walking stick, cane; canne.
     M ap marche avèk en baton pa pou mo tonbe. I’m walking with a cane so I don’t fall. (CA) See examples
• baton-mèrde ST ( n. )
  1. Pest, nuisance, pain in the neck; casse-pieds.
     Baton-mèrdeu arive. The big pest has arrived. (ST) See examples
• batonnaj PC ( n. )
  1. Wall construction of horizontal strips of wood with mud-walling in-between; bâtonnage (construction de murs a batons entre lesquels on met du bousillage). (PC)
• batri CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Battery; pile, batterie.
     Sa va lèktrik sa o de batri? Does that run on electricity or batteries? (PC); Mo gen pou achte en batri andan mo oto. I have to buy a battery for my car. (CA) See examples
• batur PC ( n. ) batir CA
  1. Flood plain, flat land between a river and a levee that floods at high tide; plaine inondable, lit majeur, terre plate (entre un fleuve et une levée) qui s’inonde à marée haute.
     Kan lo-la ap monte li mont dan labatir prèmye e pi l ap monte pou la lve. When the water rises it heads toward the flood plain first and then it heads for the levee. (CA) See examples
  2. Shallow water near edge of levee; eau peu profonde au bord de la levée.
     Cheurrèt lavaz ye rès pito andan labatir. Ye va pa andan dolo frèch. Grass shrimp stay mostly in shallow water near the edge of the levee. They don’t go into the cool water. (CA) See examples
• batwa No sources ( n. )
  1. Paddle (for beating clothes); battoir (qui sert à battre le linge).
     •Ki sa ki travès bayou avèk la tchye red? repons: en batwa. What is it that crosses the bayou with its tail stretched out? Answer: A paddle (for beating clothes). (DU) See examples
• bavardé No sources ( v., v.phr. ) bavardé la djœl BT, CA, BT bavardé to ladjèl CA
  1. To jabber, chatter, shoot one’s mouth off; jacasser, bavarder, parler à tort et à travers.
     Mo di chèy t ape bavarde ta djœl , ben , mo di vyen. I said, ‘Cher! You’re rattling on and on, I said come on! (BT); T ap bavarde to ladjèl e to pa konnen sa t ap di. You’re shooting your mouth off and you don’t know what you’re saying. (CA) See examples
• bavé CA, ST ( v.intr. )
  1. To drool; baver.
     Kan li bav, li sali tou mo kàrsaj. When he drools, he gets my blouse all dirty. (CA); Kòm en ti bebe ape koupe dan , li bave en ta. When a little baby is cutting teeth, he drools a lot. (ST) ♦ Yé té senti bon et Jean Sotte gardé yé longtemps; so labouche t’apé baver. They smelled good and Foolish John looked at them for a long while; his mouth was watering. (BD) See examples
  2. To jabber, chatter, shoot one’s mouth off; jacasser, bavarder, parler à tort et à travers.
     To pa konen tsonbon to labouch fèrmen. To jich ap bave. You don’t know how to keep your mouth shut. You’re just jabbering on and on. (CA) See examples
• bay BT ( adj. )
  1. Blond; blond.
     Se la moumon a tit fiy-l, sa ki sòr rantre , èk la tèt bay. That’s the little girl’s mother, the one who just came in, with the blond head. (BT) See examples
• bay No sources ( n. ) labay BT, CA, PC, ST lébay PC
  1. Tub, washtub; baille, cuvette, bassine.
     Mo te rèst dan vyeu lamezon. Te konnen koule. E n te bije mèt de fèr-blon plat , labayr pou trape dolo kan la pli tanm. I used to live in an old house. It leaked. We had to put out dishpans and tubs to catch the water when it rained. (CA); M a mèt dolo dan labay-la pou mo benyen. I’il put water in the tub to take a bath. (PC) ♦ Li mette aussi plein baille dolo avec ein drogue qui té connin endormi tout souite. He also put out a lot of tubs of water with a drug that puts one to sleep right away. (FO T15) •bay a lave n.phr. (BT). Metal washtub; cuve en métal, bac. Ti konne en bay a lave? Na pa osi lonton kœ sa , pœtèt dis kenz an pase , c h kone le moun kè te STILL prann de ben an enn bay. You know, an old time washtub? Not too long ago, maybe ten or fifteen years, I knew people who still took baths in washtubs. (BT) See examples
• bayon CA ( n. )
  1. Bit; mors.
     En tre gen de lachenn tache e en bayon pu mèt andan ladjèl mile ou chval. A trace has two chains attached and a bit to put in the horse’s or mule’s mouth. (CA) See examples
• bayou gen, MO ( n. )
  1. Bayou; bayou.
     On vent-set la , la gront-o epi bayou ye jwèn. In 1927 the Mississippi in flood season and the bayou joined. (NE); Mo lenmen jète bayou dan bayou e wa dolo bouje. I like to throw stones in the bayou and see the water move. (ST) ♦ Li mandé li mème service la pou débourbé so lavache qui té pris au ras ein bayou dans bois. He asked for the favor of helping pull his cow out of the mud; it was stuck by a bayou in the woods. (FO T1) •Bayou Chnal place n. (PC). Bayou Chenal. •Bayou Chèvrey place n. (CA). Bayou Chevreuil. •Bayou Dezalmann place n. (CA). Bayou des Allemands. •Bayou Grenn Be place n. (PC). Bayou Grand Bay. •Bayou Gros Tèt place n. (PC). Bayou Grosse Tête. •Bayou Karanko place n. (PC). Bayou Carencro. •Bayou LaKonm place n. (ST). Bayou Lacombe. •Bayou Lafouch place n. (PC). Bayou Lafourche. An prèmyè on Bayou Lafouch ye te gen de bato. At first on Bayou Lafourche they had boats. (PC) •Bayou Ponpon place n. (CA). Bayou Pompom. •Bayou Siriyè place n. (PC); Bayou Siryè (PC). Bayou Cirier. Mo te ne antour Bayou Siriyè. I was born near Bayou Cirier. (PC) •Bayou Sèl place n. (PC). Bayou Saule. •Bayou Tèch place n. (NE). Bayou Teche. • Ti Bayou place n. (PC). Little Bayou; Petit Bayou. See examples
• bayé CA, PC ( v.intr. )
  1. To yawn; bâiller.
     L e baye. He’s yawning. (PC); Piti-la jich ap baye. Li las. The child is just yawning. He’s tired. (CA) See examples
• bayé No sources ( v.tr. )
  1. To give; donner.
     En tout cas , yé té tous là sans Tchoupoule pour bailler tracas. In any case they were all there, without Tchoupoule to give them any trouble. (DC) •Docter Cigogne té mandé li l ’ argent pou grand service li té baye li. Doctor Stork asked her for money for the big favor he had done her. (T19); ‘b aille ’ (T1) See examples
• baza PC ( n. )
  1. Party; fête, soirée.
• bazanné BT ( adj. )
  1. Freckled; couvert de taches de rousseur, de son.
• Bazil PC ( place n. )
  1. Basile.
• bazilik CA ( n. ) bazili PC
  1. Basil; basilic.
     Bazili li san bon bon. Se pa p monje se pou bwa, to fe medikòmon avek sa. Basil smells really good. It’s not to eat, it’s to drink, you make medicine with it. (PC); Di te bazilik. Basil tea. (PC); Kan mo fe la sos tomat , mo mèt bazili. Sa dòn bon gou. When I make tomato sauce, I put in basil. It gives it a good taste. (CA) ♦[Pou] vomisman, fe en di te avek bazelik. For vomiting, make a tea with basil. [‘bazélique’] (BI); ‘bazili [bazili] ‘ (BI) See examples
• bazilikon No sources ( n. )
  1. An ointment made from basil; un onguent fait de basilic.
     ♦Apre sa ye te met en longon ye te pele bazilikon. Sete pou tire limé. After that they put on a salve they called ‘basilicon’. It was to draw out the pus. (LA) See examples