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

• poka PC ( n. )
  1. Poker; poker.
     Se pli tan ye te jwe poka. Most of the time they play poker. (PC) See examples
• pokapo CA, PC ( adv. ) pokòpò PC pokapok ST
  1. All right, not bad, so-so; comme ci, comme ça, tant bien que mal.
     Se mo popa k te konne di sa. Moun se monnde l aben, komon ten en fe li? Aben, pokòpò. It’s my father who used to say that. People would ask him, ‘How are you doing?’ He would answer, ‘Not too bad.’ (PC); Mo pa mo-menm jòrdi. Mo pokapok. I’m not myself today. I’m just so-so. (ST) See examples
• pokino CA ( n. ) pokina CA pokinn PC
  1. Pokeno (game); pokéno (jeu).
     Mo gen jwe pokin lapre-midi. I’m going to play pokeno this afternoon. (PC); Kan mo va o CENTER, no jou domino e pokino. When I go to the Center, we play dominoes and pokino. (CA) See examples
• pol CA, PC ( v.tr. )
  1. To pole, stake; tuteurer, faire pousser sur des tuteurs.
     M e pol me zadiko. Me e ranmen me zadiko. I’m poling my beans. (PC) See examples
• poli CA ( adj. ) polit ST
  1. Polite; poli.
     Li pa frante. Li byen poli. She’s not sassy. She’s very polite. (CA); Li byen elve e li polit. He’s well-mannered and he’s polite. (ST) ♦ Mo mandé li d’ein voix poli, Comment s ‘porte vote Excellence ? I asked him in a polite voice, ‘How is your Excellence?’ (T38) See examples
• polis CA, PC ( n. ) pòlis BT
  1. Police; police.
     Li te gen en fizi e t ap pwante sa e polis vini e dezarmen fizi-la. He had a shotgun and was pointing it, and the police came and unloaded it. (CA) ♦ Au lié police y’en a patrouille. Instead of the police there is a patrol. (T38) •polis juri n.phr. (PC). Police jury, parish council; conseil paroissien. Kan ma j ète an ran leu polis juri. When I was a member of the Police Jury. (PC) See examples
• polismènn No sources ( n. )
  1. Policeman; agent de police.
     ♦ Lœ kriminel rantre kote li. Enn ave en polismenn ki te ape espere pou li e li mennen li kote laprizon. The criminal went back home. There was a policeman waiting for him, and he took him to jail. (JR) See examples
• politik CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Politics; politique.
     Se zafèr deu politik , sa. Those are political matters. (PC) See examples
• politisyin PC ( n. ) poltisyin PC
  1. Politician; politicien.
     Jeneral BANKS. Sè tè en poltisyen. General Banks. He was a politician. (PC) See examples
• politès No sources ( n. )
  1. Politeness; politesse.
     ♦ Quand temps vini, li galpé chez Cigogne; Li 'merci li so politesse. When the time came he went to the stork’s; he thanked him for his kindness. (BD) See examples
• polkèt CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Skunk; mouffette, putois.
     En polkèt, kan li pèr li fe pipi e sa pi. When a skunk is afraid, he pees and it stinks. (CA) See examples
• poltron No sources ( n. )
  1. Coward; poltron, lâche.
     ♦ Adié, adié, michié la poltron. Goodbye, goodbye Mr. Coward. (FO 1887) See examples
• pomèt ST ( n. )
  1. Mayhaw; pommette (fruit qui ressemble à la pomme). (Crataegus opaca).
     M ale dan bwa pou ramase pomèt. I went into the woods to pick mayhaws. (ST) See examples
• pon CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Bridge; pont.
     Ka vou pase on vyè pon lon, vou toun dwat. When you take the old bridge, you turn right. (PC); Mo pase anlèr pon-sa-a-la pou ale lòt bòr. I crossed over that bridge to get to the other side. (CA) ♦ Compair Bouki té gagnein pou poté Compair Lapin jika yé rivé côté pon. Brer Bouki had to carry Brer Rabbit until they arrived at a bridge. (T3) •Pon Bro place n. Panm Bro (PC). Breaux Bridge; Pont Breaux. Ye pèle li Panmbro. They call it Breaux Bridge. (PC) See examples
• ponjé CA, PC ( adj. ) ponj PC
  1. Fluffy; pelucheux.
     Li ouv konm sa e li ponj anndan lan. [The cotton] opens up like that, and it is fluffy inside. (PC) See examples
  2. Rotten (of fertilizer); pourri (en parlant de fumier). (CA)
• ponm-de-tèr BT ( n.phr. ) pòm-dé-tè PC pom-dé-tèr CA
  1. (Irish) potato; pomme de terre.
     Lafonm se vini sèrvi nouzòt en lontch pour nouzòt dine, chakenn en ponm-deu-tèr bouyi. The woman would come and serve us a lunch for us to eat, each one a boiled potato. (BT) ♦ [Pou] brilir, pronn de ponm de tèr e rape ye avek en kouto. La vlope ye si to brilir. For a bum, take potatoes and grate them with a knife. Then, tie them around your bum. (BI) See examples
• ponmgranad CA ( n. ) pòmgrinat CA pòmgranad CA
  1. Pomegranate tree; grenadier.
     Mo vwazen gen en pòmgrenat dan so lakou. Li fe de grenad. My neighbor has a pomegranate tree in his yard. It produces pomegranates. (CA) See examples
• ponn CA, PC ( v.tr. )
  1. To lay (eggs); pondre.
     Le ti legonn se bon a manje e sa ponn de jwa par jou. The little leghorn chickens are good to eat and they lay twice a day. (CA) ♦ Poule-sa-la se grosi e li se ponn dezef e sa se donnen mwen dòt poule. That chicken would have grown up and laid me some eggs, and that would have given me other chickens. (JR) See examples
  2. To spawn, lay; frayer.
     Moman pwason-la, l a vini l a ponn dezèf-la la. È, popa l a vini, l a mèt lapouyant-la an la. The mother fish will come along and lay her eggs there. And the daddy fish will come along and put some sperm on them. (PC) See examples
• ponp No sources ( n. ) laponp CA, PC
  1. Pump; pompe.
     Ye te gen en laponp, vyeu laponp ponpe dolo dèryè pou diri. They used to have a pump, an old pump to pump water in back for growing rice. (PC); Ye t abitid gen en laponp pou mèt lèr andan TUBE-la andan TIRE-la. They used to have a pump to put air in the tube inside the tiré. (CA) • Li couri donnin l'alarme, et qué quand pompes vini yé commencin pompé de suite. He went to sound the alarm, and when the pumps came they began pumping right away. (T40) See examples
• ponpon No sources ( n. ) ponpon mayi ST
  1. Corn silk, corn tassel; styles et stigmates du maïs.
• ponponin CA, ST ( v., v.tr., v.intr. ) pouponé CA
  1. To dress up; s’habiller bien.
     Sa nouzot tou le fonm sore di feze, chanje nouzot epi poupone nouzot byen epi kouri OUT. What we women should have done was get really dressed up and then go out. (DT); Mo pli vyeu sœr lenmen ponponen. Jich pou ale lagrosri, li te mete lapoud ,durouj, boul-dòrey, durouj lalèv. My oldest sister loved to get dolled up. Just to go to the grocery store, she would put on powder, rouge, earrings and lipstick. (ST)To put on makeup; se maquiller. Li ponponnen so lafigir kanli t ap ale en bal. She put on make-up on her face when she was going to a dance. (CA) See examples
• ponpyé CA ( n. )
  1. Fireman; pompier.
     Ye i pou pele ponpye pou tengnen fe andan lamezon. They had to call the firemen to extinguish the fire in the house. (CA) ♦ Parait qué pendant labarrière t'apé brulé ein pompier passé et ouar ça et qué li couri donnin l'alarme. It seems that when the fences were burning a fireman came by and saw that, and he went to give the alarm. (T40) See examples
• ponpé CA, PC, ST ( v.tr. ) ponmp PC ponp PC ponmpé BT
  1. To pump; pomper.
     Ye ponp li dan en tiyo dan l chon. He pumps it through a hose into the field. (PC); Ye ponpe lèr andan TUBE . They pumped air into the tube. (CA) ♦ Mem jou 4 jiyet la, Bon Djié fé ein gran machine déchéché li pélé Larche-Kanciel pou pompé dolo si li tombé tro boucou ancau. On the same Fourth of July, God made a big drying machine He called the rainbow to pump water if too much ever fell again. (T13) See examples
• ponsyon PC, ST ( n. ) ponsyons CA
  1. Retirement pension; pension de retraite.
     Li signen bèk ouska li fini pou sòti pou DRAW ponsyon. He signed up again until he finished and could draw his pension. (PC); L ape gen en ponsyons de so louvraj de vent-senk an. He’s getting a pension from his work of twenty-five years. (CA); Mo ponsyon pròch fini. My pension is almost done. (ST) See examples
• ponsé CA ( v.tr. )
  1. To bandage; panser.
     Kan to gen en ple, to gen pou ponse sa pou ote jènn. When you have a wound, you have to bandage it to get rid of germs. (CA) ♦ To kontin ponse li avek latwal e lwil doliv jiska li sech. You continue to bandage it with gauze and olive oil until it is dry. (BI) See examples
• ponñin CA, PC, ST ( n. ) ponyé PC
  1. Wrist; poignet.
     Pangnen e pongnen. Baskets and wrists. (PC); Ye mèt menòt an son pongnen. Sa fe li mal. They put handcuffs on his wrists. They hurt him. (CA) See examples
• popilèr CA, NE ( adj. ) popoulè PC
  1. Popular; populaire.
     Astèr ke le Kadjen vini tèlmon popilèr tou partou don pei-la, tou kekèn ole dèt le Kadjen. Now that Cajuns have become popular all over the country, everyone wants to be Cajuns. (NE) See examples
• popyèr BT, CA ( n. ) popyè PC popiyè PC
  1. Eyebrow, eyelid; sourcil, paupière.
     Èl gen le gropopyèr-d-zyeu. She has puffy eyelids. (BT) ♦ Mo té si pressé pou sorti qué mo fou latable par terre, li tombin avec tant du bruit qué sommeil quitté mo paupière. I was in such a hurry to get out that I knocked over the table; it fell over with such a noise that sleep left my eyelids. (T39) See examples
  2. Eyelash; cil.
     Sa se de popyè, popyè dez yeu. Those are eyelashes. Lapopyè. The eyelash. (PC); Piti-ye apre ye dòrmi, ye gen souvan popyèr-zye kole ansanm avèk lasir. Children after they sleep often have their eyelashes stuck together with waxy substance. (CA) See examples
• poro CA, PC, ST ( n. ) pòro CA
  1. Wart; verrue.
     En poro, l a pouse an to lamen, o an to lafigi. A wart will grow on your hand or on your face. (PC); A prezan, moun-ye trap pli poro. Now, people don’t get warts. (CA) ♦ Pou poro fe en ti lakrwa avek zalimet e kas chak zalimet de fwa e bril ye, la to poro ya pase don kek jou. For warts, make a sign of the cross with a match and break the match in half. Then burn the matches. Your warts will be gone in several days. (LA) See examples
• portré BT, CA, NE, ST ( n. ) poltré BT, PC portré PC pòltrès PC pòltrèt PC
  1. Picture; image.
     Mo gen en poltre di onho lamur. I have a picture of [an ox] on my wall. (BT); Sa se en poltre sen. That’s a saint’s picture. (PC); Mo ponn en portre apre lamiray. I hung a picture on the wall. (CA) ♦ Kan li kité lékol li té dijà là où makak là té monté on diboi dan so liv ki gaigné poltre. When he left school he was already to the point that the monkey had reached in the tree in his picture book. (T17) See examples
  2. Photo, photograph; photo, photographie.
     Mo montre twa en portre a mo pepèr. I showed you a picture of my grandfather. (CA) •prann en portre v.phr. (BT). To take a picture; prendre une photo. Mo pran en portre du bebe. I took a picture of the baby. (ST) •tire en portre v.phr. (CA); tire pòltrèt (PC). To take a picture; prendre une photo. ♦ Yé pa gaignin trop tan; yé gaignin pou allé fé tirer yé portait. They don’t have much time; they have to go have their pictures taken. (WO) See examples
  3. X-ray; radiographie.
     Ye pran potre. They take a picture [an X-ray]. (PC) See examples
  4. Movie, film; film.
     Kan mo te ale o teyat, ye te gen en lalign moun debout ap atann pou rantre dan teyat, kan sete en bon portre. When I went to the movies, there would be a line of people standing waiting to get in the theater, when it was a good film. (CA) See examples
• posh NE ( n. ) lapòsh CA
  1. Pocket; poche.
     Li mèt sa ondon sa poch . He put that into his pocket. (NE) ♦ O se sa ki to traka, li di an trapan so kouto dan so lapòch. ‘Oh, that’s what your problem is,’ he said, grabbing the knife in his pocket. (JR) See examples
• posib NE, PC ( adj. )
  1. Possible; possible.
     Ena diferan kalite posib, mo po konnen tou le kalite. There are different possible types, but I don’t know all the types. (PC); Se pa posib ke... It’s not possible that... (NE) ♦ Ma fé mo sain possibe pou trapé vou cokin, mo comaire. I will do my utmost to catch your thief, my friend. (T6) See examples
• posyon No sources ( n. )
  1. Medicine; médicament.
     ♦ Gardé to pendule; cé pa l'heur pou to potion? Look at the clock? Isn’t it time for your medicine? (WO) See examples
• posédé CA ( n., adj. )
  1. Person possessed by demons; personne possédée par les démons.
     Li en posede avèk vye djab. Li egare. He is a person possessed by the devil. He’s out of his mind. (CA) ♦ Cé bon, dit Mamrie, couri côté Lagniape ki apé crié comme ain possédé, san li connin cofair. ‘Fine,’ said Mamrie, ‘go and see Lagniappe, who is crying like a possessed man without knowing why.’ (ME) See examples
• pota CA ( n. )
  1. Taw, shooter (marble); calot, grosse bille.
     T ap jwe kanik. M ole mo-kenn pota . You’re playing marbles. I want my own shooter marble. (CA) See examples
• potans No sources ( n. )
  1. Gallows; potence.
     ♦ Zize là li lir’so la sentence, et pis li fé dressé potence . The judge read him his sentence and then he had a gallows built. (GC2) See examples
• poto CA, PC, ST ( n. )
  1. Post; poteau.
     Ye te f e lalimyè avèk en boutey. Mèt en RAG avèk kolòy den en boutey, e mèt l an en poto. They made lights with a bottle. They put a rag with kerosene in a bottle and put it on a post. (PC); Poto baryè. Fence post. (PC); Poto on fèr. Iron post. (PC) ♦ Mo trouvé Henri Chrysocalque; en haut boute ein poteau fanal li té gagnin so catafalque. I found Henri Chrysocalque; he had his catafalque atop a lamppost. (T37) See examples
• potrinn ST ( n. )
  1. Chest cold; rhume.
     Mo te gen traka pou kase en move potrin livèr pase. I had a lot of trouble breaking a bad chest cold last winter. (ST) See examples
• potrinèr CA, ST ( adj. ) potrinè PC pòtrinin PC pòtrinè PC potrinin CA potrinèz CA
  1. Tuberculous, consumptive; tuberculeux.
     Li potrinè. He is tuberculous. (PC) ♦ Pou moun ki potrinè, bouyi bouton kopal e pi fe en siro avek sa. For people with tuberculosis, boil some sweet gum buds and make a syrup with that. (BI) See examples
• potrinèr PC ( n. )
  1. Tuberculosis; tuberculose.
     Pòtrinè, se maladi dan le pomon. Tuberculosis is a disease in the lungs. (PC) ♦ Pou en pwatrinèr, to me de ou trwa zonyon daliz koupe par tronch don en boutey wiski ou jin. For tuberculosis, you put two or three blackhaws cut into slices into a bottle of whiskey or gin. (BI) See examples
• pou PC, ST ( n. ) dépou CA, PC, ST
  1. Tick, louse; pou, tique.
     De pou dan latet. Sa rann en moun fou ou fòl. Lice on one’s head. That drives a person crazy. (PC); Tit fiy-la li te gen en ta depou dan so latèt. The little girl had a lot of lice on her head. (CA); Le pou move. Lice are bad. (ST) ♦ Vié fame ...oté so latète pou gratté so dépou. The old woman took off her head to scratch her lice. (T30) •depou mayi n.phr. (CA). Little black bugs found in com; petits insectes noirs qu’on trouve dans le maïs. •pou-d-bwa n.phr. (PC); depou-dibwa (CA). 1) Cattle tick; espèce de tique. ( Maragaropus annalatus ). En pou-d-bwa ? Sa sòti on lavach. E si vou kou danmbwa v a ramase li. A cattle tick, they jump on cows. And if you walk in the woods you can pick some of them up. (PC) ♦ C’est ein ver de terre qui mordé li dans so cou en bas so machoire et sicé so disang comme pou de bois. An earth worm bit him in his neck below his jaw and sucked out his blood like a leech. (FO T3) 2) Woodlouse; cloporte. Pikbwa-ye t ape pike dibwa-la pou de vèrmin: fromi ou depou dibwa, devèr. Woodpeckers were pecking the tree for vermin: ants or woodlice, worms. (CA) See examples
• poud No sources ( n. ) lapoud CA, PC, ST
  1. Powder, dust; poudre.
     Li te mete lapoud, durouj, boul-dòrey, durouj lalèv. She would put on powder, rouge, earrings and lipstick. (ST); Kan ye fe cho, to trap chouboulu. To tou rouj. Fo to mèt lapoud anlèr la. When it’s hot out, you get heat rash. You’re all red. You have to put powder on it. (CA) ♦ Pou lademonjezon, to pronn lagres kochon e to fe fri di boraks on poud on don-la. For the itch, you take pig fat and you fry borax in powder form in it. (BI) •’la poude d’or’ n.phr. Gold dust; poudre d’or. ♦ Ein jou li parti pou chercher la poude d’or et dent néléphant. One day he went to get gold dust and elephant’s teeth. (FO T20) •’prend la poude d’escampette’ n.phr. To leave, beat it; prendre la poudre d’escampette, partir. ♦ Allons Liétnant-Gouvemair Prend la poude d’escampette. Come on, Lieutenant-Governor, skedaddle. (T32) •vit konm lapoud adj.phr. (PC). As quick as a whip; très rapide. Ye te vit konm lapoud. They were as quick as a whip. (PC) See examples
  2. Gunpowder; poudre a canon.
     ♦ Ye di mwen ye te genyen en pistole e lapoud laba . They told me they had a pistol and powder down there. [ 'lapoud’ ] (DU) • lapoud fizi n.phr. Gunpowder; poudre à canon. ♦ Si keken tòm étourdi fe li bwa en ti bren lapoud fizi don dolo. Sa chas so di son. If someone gets dizzy make him drink a little gunpowder dissolved in water. That will get his blood flowing. (BI) See examples
• poudré CA, PC ( v. )
  1. To powder; poudrer.
     So ti pipis tou jèrse. Ye te kraz lamidon andan en bren. Ye te fe en lapoud. Ye poudre so ti pipis. Her little weewee was all chapped. They would cmsh starch in cheesecloth. They made a powder, they powdered her weewee. (CA) ♦ Pou fe tonmbe nonmbri ti bebe, poud lonmbri-la tou le jour avek Johnson’s Red Cross Powder. To make a baby’s umbilical cord fall off, powder the cord every day with Johnson’s Red Cross Powder. (BI) See examples
• pouki ST ( adv. )
  1. Why; pourquoi.
     Pouki vou tar? Why are you late? (ST) ♦ Ah! Ah! dit ti garçon la, ala pouquoi li pas laissé moin entré dans la maison la. ‘Aha!’ said the little boy. ‘That is why he didn’t let me go in the house.’ (FO T27) See examples
• poul gen, MO 60 ( n. )
  1. Chicken; poulet.
     Li pron se poul, li mènè ye ondon poulaye. He got his chickens and took them to the henhouse. (NE); Labas-kour se le denn, le poul, le kanar, de zwa, de pental, se tou labas-kour. Domestic fowl includes turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, Guinea fowl, all of that is domestic fowl. (BT); En lablèt a rantre dan to poulaye tchwe to poul-ye e sise ye disan. A mink will go into the henhouse to kill your chickens and suck their blood. (CA) ♦ Si en sèrpon mòd twa pron en vye poul nwa tchwe li e koupe li e pi la to met li on bobo la. If a snake bites you get an old black chicken, kill it and put it on your wound. (LA) •lapoul fri n.phr. (PC). Fried chicken; poulèt frit. Ye gen bon lapoul fri. They have good fried chicken. (PC) •poul dòminik n.phr. (ST). Dominique (a breed of chicken); dominique (une espèce de poulet). •pou! frize n.phr. (PC). Chicken with frizzy feathers; poulet aux plumes frisées, •poul kreyòl n.phr. (PC). Creole chicken; poulet créole, •poul jenga n.phr. (CA; ST); poul zengan (PC). Barred-rock chicken; espèce de poulet gris. En poul jenga se nwa e blan. A spotted hen is black and white. (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 Brother who had taken my speckled rooster and my big mother hen and who was letting them go. (T14) 2. Hen; poule. Tan se en poul le e ponn to konnen komon to pele li? Momon poul. When a hen is laying eggs, you know what we call her? A mother hen. (PC) ♦ Et c ’ est bon temps aussi pou no mette poule couvé. And it is also a good time for us to set the hens to brood. (T27) See examples
• poulayé BT, CA, NE, PC ( n. )
  1. Henhouse; poulailler.
     En lablèt a rantre dan to poulaye tchwe to poul-ye e sise ye disan. A mink will go into the henhouse to kill your chickens and suck their blood. (CA) ♦ Couri dans poulailler, tout dézef qui va di to prend moin, il faut to prend yé, tout dézef qui va di pas prend moin, faut pas prend yé. Go into the henhouse, and all those eggs which say ‘Take me’, you must take them, and all those eggs which say ‘Don’t take me’, you must not take them (T30) See examples
  2. place n. Poulailler.
     Ye te pèl sa Poulaye. They call that place ‘Poulailler’ (Le. Henhouse). (PC) See examples
• pouldo PC ( n. )
  1. Coot; foulque. (Fulica americand).
• pouli PC ( n. )
  1. Pulley; poulie.
     To gen en lod, li gen en pouli. To sèrre li e la li gen en kètch dèryè, ka to fini sère l, to pouse kètch-la li pe e MOVE . You’ve got a load (of cane), there is a pulley. You tighten it and there is a catch in back, when you finish tightening it you push the catch and it won’t move. (PC) See examples
• poulin CA ( n. )
  1. Colt, foal; poulain.
     ♦ [Pou] koklich ti bebe, fe en jumon ki gen en ti poulen soufle don so figir. For a little baby’s whooping cough, get a mare that has a colt to breathe in its face. (BI) See examples
• poulish CA ( n. ) poulis CA
  1. Filly, young mare; pouliche.