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

• poulèt PC ( n. ) poulét PC
  1. Pullet; poulette.
     Li bat pa, li tro gro pou bat. Men li lèmen le poulet-ye, poulet-ye pè li. The rooster doesn’t fight, he is too big to fight. But he likes the pullets. And the pullets are afraid of him. (PC) ♦ Yèn a ti poulèt nwar ki kase so pat. There was a little black hen that had broken a leg. (TP) See examples
  2. Hen; poule. (PC)
• poulé PC ( n. )
  1. Chicken; poulet.
     E si li pe e ponn se en poule. And if it doesn’t lay it’s a chicken. (PC) ♦ Chapons mainnain poulets comme poule, vini oi yé. Capons are leading the chickens like hens, come see them. (T27) •ti poule n.phr. (PC). Chick; poussin. See examples
• poumon ST ( n. ) pomon CA, PC lé pomon PC pòmon PC
  1. Lung; poumon.
     Pòtrinè, se maladi dan le pomon. Tuberculosis is a disease in the lungs. (PC); Ye dòn li en ben cho e sa degòrje so pomon e li te kapab soufle mye. They gave him a hot bath and it unclogged his lungs and he was able to breathe better. (CA); Mo bel-sœr mouri avèk potrinèr. Ye te ponpe tro lèr dan so poumon. My sister-in-law died of tuberculosis. They pumped too much air into her lungs. (ST) See examples
  2. Liver; foie. (PC)
• poupé BT, ST ( n. )
  1. Doll; poupée.
     Ye te jwe avèk de poupe. They would play with dolls. (BT); Kan mo te ti fiy, mo te joue avèk poupe. When I was a little girl, I would play with dolls. (ST) See examples
• pour BT ( prep., conj. ) pou gen, MO 60
  1. For; pour.
     Nouzòt no te travaye pou no popa, sa-fe tou larjon se te rèste pou li. We worked for our father, so he kept all the money for himself. (NE); Dòn mwa en bren lalikèr. Se bon pou to lèstoma. Give me a bit of liqueur. It’s good for your stomach. (CA); Mo garson achte en bel lalyans pou so kalin. My son bought a beautiful wedding ring for his girlfriend. (ST) ♦ Pou en kou t soley ou nenpòrt ke mal. For a sunstroke or any sickness. (BI) •pou bon adv.phr. (NE). For good, forever; pour de bon, pour toujours. Chòp-sa-la fremè pou bon. This shop is closed for good. (NE) •pou mem adv.phr. (ST). For real; vraiment. Li en ti peu malad, pou menm! He’s a little sick, really! (ST) ♦ Quand macaques yé té chuites pou méme Bouki découvri so chaudière. When the monkeys were cooked for real, Bouki uncovered his kettle. (FO T8) •pou sur adv.phr. For sure; sûrement, pour sûr. cf. sur 2. [Of a time period]. For; pendant, depuis, pour. Dezœf-la gen boui pou senk minit. The egg has to boil for five minutes. (PC); Mo rèste ondon laLouzyòn pou diz - on. I stayed in Louisiana for ten years. (NE); Don-mwa lamen. Mo pa wa twa pou lontan. Shake my hand. I haven’t seen you in a long time. (CA) ♦ En hobo te pa manje pou trwa jou. A hobo hadn’t eaten for three days. (JR) 3. [Possession]. Of, for; a, de, pour. Kabann-la se pou mon se pa pou twa. The house is mine, not yours. (PC) ♦ Ce mouen ki trivé yé, yé té doi tou pou mouen. I’m the one who found them, they should have all been mine. (T4) 4. [Direction]. Toward(s), to, after; vers, à. Li galope pou l vilaj. He ran to the village. (NE) 5. Per, a, every, each; le, chaque, par. No genp peye swasont pyas pou mwa. We have to pay sixty dollars a month. (NE) 6. [Infinitival marker]. To; à, de. Mo kontan pou fe sa pou twa. I’m happy to do that for you. (PC); Mo mèt mo madriye pou tchen dijwan o sant pou peche li paye. I put a haystack pote to hold the hay in the center to prevent it from scattering. (CA); Pou kopye se pou vole. Copying is stealing. (NE); Mo di li pou asit. I told him to sit down. (NE) ♦ Ye deside ke sete Lapen pou sote premyen. They decided that Rabbit should be the first to jump. (JR) 7 [In telling time]. Until, before, at, by; avant. Li kenz minit pou onz-è. It’s a quarter to eleven. (PC) 8. [After certain verbs]. At, against; contre, envers. Lafòm-sa-la byen choke pou so garson. That woman is really mad at her son. (NE) 9. [After verbs of speaking]. About; de. Mo parle avek mo nonk pou zafè-sa-ye mo pa kònen tro pou li. I used to talk about those things with my uncle, I don’t know too much about them. (PC); Sa to di pou sa? What do you say about that? (NE); Ye konpron sa n ape parle pou. They understand what we’re talking about. (NE); Mo pa konnè ki l ap bouganne pour. I don’t know what he’s fussing about. (BT) ♦ Misye Solimon, vou di sa vou konnen pou kochon-la. Mr. Solomon, tell me what you know about the pig. (TP)In order that, so that; pour que, afin que. Pay di jwen pour li pe chèche. Scatter the hay in order for it to dry. (BT); Ye te pa gen ekòl pou ye va. They had no school to go to. (PC); M ole to dèt la jour-la, dimonch , pou nouzòt gen FUN! I want you to be there that Sunday, so we can have fun! (NE); Vyen isi pou mo pengnen twa. To latèt payas. Come here so I can comb you. Your head’s a mess. (CA) ♦ Courant la té fort, trop fort pou qué yé té passé li a la nage. The current was strong, too strong for them to swim across. (FO TI5) •pou pa conj. (NE). So that... not, in order that... not; pour que ... ne pas. Frèm lapòrt pou pa li wa nouzòt. Shut the door so he can’t see us. (NE) ♦ Et pis pou pas vou cré qué moin cé ein canaille, m apé donne vou chacaine ain joli ti lécaille. Just so you don’t think I’m a rascal, I’ll give each of you a pretty little shell. (T24) See examples
• pourgatwa CA ( n. ) pirgatwa CA
  1. Purgatory; purgatoire.
     Ena lanfèr e paradi. Pirgatwa se ant le de. There is hell and heaven. Purgatory is between the two. (CA) See examples
• pouri PC ( v.intr. )
  1. To spoil, rot; pourrir.
     Si li pran tro jon li p e dire plen jou pasi l a pouri. But if it (the banana) turns too yellow it won’t last very many days because it will rot. (PC); Depòm-la en pouri. The apple is rotting (rotten). (PC) ♦ Compair Lapin voyé boi pouri dan so jié. Brer Rabbit threw rotten wood in his eyes. (T4) See examples
• pourpyé CA ( n. )
  1. •’Pherbe poupie’
     n.phr. A kind of edible purslane (a medicinal plant); pourpier. ( Portulaca oleracea ) To kwi pourpye dan gòmbo vèr avèk lavyann sale. You cook purslane in green gumbo with salt meat. (CA) ♦ Vye moun ye te konnen bouyi lèb poupye pi bwa sa pou lafyev. Old timers used to boil purslane and drink that for a fever. (LA) REM: Holmes 1990 gives two plants called pourpier, ; the ‘petit pourpier’, Eng. ‘spurge or eyebane’ ( Euphorbia maculata L.), and the ‘pourpier de marais’ Eng. ‘water-hyssop’ (Bacopa monnieri L.). See examples
• poursan CA ( n. ) pousan PC
  1. Percent; pour cent.
     Ye te kat, biche asanm. Mo bat ye san pousan , e mo lahach. There were four of them cutting wood together. I beat them by 100 percent with my axe. (PC) See examples
• pourtan No sources ( adv. )
  1. However; pourtant, cependant.
     ♦ Samblé mouen mo tas moutons apé vini piti, poutan na pa ki krêvé. It seems to me that my flock of sheep is shrinking, and yet none of them are dying. (T6) See examples
• pous MO 60, PC ( n. )
  1. Thumb; pouce.
     Sa se en de, to mèt sa an to pous, pèchè negwi-la kou dan to... That is a thimble, you put it on your thumb to prevent the needle from poking you. (PC) ♦ Quand li nain , li té pas plis gros qué to pouce. When he is bom, he is not much bigger than your thumb. (BD) See examples
  2. Inch; pouce.
     Vou me l apeupre si pous IN THE GROUND. Si pous fon, men pitèt en peu plus. You put [the cane seeds] six inches in the ground. Six inches, maybe a little more. (PC) ♦ Pou lamatris, vou sèr lalyann on kat. Bouyi li jiska li redwi a en pous. Boil it until there’s only an inch of water left. (BI) See examples
• pousayé BT, CA ( v. )
  1. To push around; pousser.
     Konmon fo pa pousaye apre enn-e-lòt. You must not push against each other. (BT) See examples
• pousté CA, ST ( v.tr. ) époufté PC
  1. To dust; épousseter.
     Mo gen en ti degan fe an LAMB kòm en mouton e mo pouste avèk li. I have a little lamb-skin glove, and I dust with that. (CA) See examples
• pousyèr BT, PC, ST ( n. ) lapousyèr CA, ST lapousiyè PC pousyè PC
  1. Dust; poussière.
     Lèr e pi lapousyèr, lez ensèk ba pase an ba lapòt. Air, dust and insects can get in under the door. (BT); Lapousyèr andan. Mo lamezon tre sal. Dust comes in and my house is very dirty. (CA); Ye gen si-ton pousyèr, mo te pa kapab war. There was so much dust, I could not see. (ST) ♦ Dans méme moment la li tendé Compair Taureau apé béglé et gratté la terre et voyé la poussière en haut so dos. At the same moment he heard Brer Bull bellowing and pawing the earth and throwing dirt on his back. (FO T2) See examples
• pousyèré BT ( v.tr. )
  1. To dust; épousseter.
     Mo pousyère labiten jourdi. I dusted the furniture today. (BT) See examples
• pousé No sources ( v.tr., v.intr. )
  1. To push; pousser.
     I te gen vyè lasikleri lantan pase, tou kicho sèt ave lamen, mè la astèr se pouse bouton-l. They had old sugar refineries long ago, everything was done by hand. But nowadays you just push a button. (PC); To pa gen p pouse apre enn-e-lòt. You must not push one another. (CA) ♦ Alors ver de terre sorti, li poussé nabe la comme ein la paille. So the earthworm came out, he pushed over the tree as though it were straw. (FO T3) •fe pouse v.phr. To push; pousser. Enan defwa n te gen en chalon te e kou fe ye pouse, ye laba dan Lil-la. There were some times that we had a rowboat, and we went to push them (the ducks and geese) over to this side, they were on the Island. (PC) 2. To emit, put forth; émettre. • pouse de kri v.phr. To yell, shout; crier, pousser un cri, hurler. ♦ Yé té apé joué, dansé, sauté, poussé des cris. They were playing, dancing, jumping and shouting. (T25) •pouse soupir v.phr. To sigh; pousser un soupir, soupirer. ♦Zi commencin poussé soupir et fait la cour à eine dame. He began to sigh and to court a lady. (T37)1. To shove; pousser. Li pouse kant mon. He shoved against me. (PC) 2. To grow; pousser, croître. Devan leu denn, ina kèkchòch ki pouch deyòr konm le chveu, me se sa nou apèl lakravat. On the turkey’s breast there is something that grows out like hair, and that is what we call the tie. (BT) ♦Ti feilles apé poussé, bam-by ta oi yé fiers. Little leaves are growing, by and by you will see flowers. (T27) Pousèt proper n. Tom Thumb (folktale character); le Petit Poucet (personnage dans les contes). ♦ Quand li nain, li té pas plis gros qué to pouce. Ça fait, yé pélé li Tit Poucette. When he was bom he was no bigger than your thumb, that is why they called him Tom Thumb. (BD) See examples
• poutinn CA ( n. ) poudinn ST lapoutinn BT
  1. Filling for cake or pie; garniture.
     Lapoutin se sa t aranje sa pou mèt an te gato. [poutin] is what you make to put between slices of cake. (BT) See examples
  2. Dumplings; boulettes de pâte bouillie. (BT)
  3. Pudding; pudding, flan.
     Poutin rezen. Raisin pudding. (CA); Poutin diri. Rice pudding. (CA); To fe en bouyi dile pou fe en poudin diri. You make boiled milk to make rice pudding. (ST) See examples
• poutoutouf BT ( n. )
  1. Fatso; patatouf, personne obèse.
     To se di wa gro poutoutouf-lœ ap seye donse. You should have seen that big fatso trying to dance. (BT) See examples
• pouvwar MO 60 ( n. )
  1. Power; puissance, pouvoir.
     An pouvwar. In power. (MO 60) See examples
• pouyant PC ( n. ) lapiyint PC pouwint CA lapiyans CA
  1. Semen, sperm; sperme.
     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 mama fish will come along and lay her eggs there. And then the daddy fish comes along and puts his sperm on them. (PC) See examples
  2. Eggs; oeufs.
     To-kèn lapiyent gen mèle e so-tchenn sa mennen en ti bebe. Your semen will mix with her eggs, that brings a little baby. (PC) See examples
  3. Pus; pus. (PC)
• pozisyon CA, MO 60, PC ( n. )
  1. Position, condition, situation; position, condition, situation.
     Mo di ‘ga, li dan mèm pozisyon li te. ‘ I said, ‘Look at him, he’s in the same condition he was in (when we took him to the hospital).’ (PC) ♦ Ye garde pozisyon a lapen e ye te ole ri. They saw Rabbit’s position and they wanted to laugh. (JR) See examples
  2. Job, position; poste, emploi.
     To gen en gro pozisyon dèn. To en gro chyen. You have an important position, then. You’re a big shot. (PC) See examples
• pozé CA, NE, PC, ST ( v.intr. ) pòz PC
  1. To come to rest, perch, alight; se percher, se poser.
     Na de Iwazo, ye v onn dè pakongnen, pou ramase le pakònn. La li vyen poz on leu baryè. There are some birds that go into pecan trees to gather pecans. Then they come to perch on the fence. (PC) ♦ Papillon té apé voltizé et pi posé en haut flairs. The butterflies were fluttering and alighting on flowers. (FO T3) See examples
  2. To put, place; poser, mettre.
     To gen en MAP pou montre ta koman pou poze tou zafè-sa, to gen apròn tou zafè-sa-ye. You have a blueprint to show you how to place all those things, you have to learn all those things. (PC); Mo bliye ou mo poze sa. I forgot where I put that. (CA) See examples
• pozé CA, PC ( v.intr. )
  1. To exploit, abuse, impose on, take advantage of; abuser de, profiter de, exploiter.
     Me e poz an twa si mo kite to f e sa, m ole travay parey konm twa. I’d be imposing on you if I let you do that, I want to do the same work that you do. (PC) See examples
• poézi No sources ( n. )
  1. Poetry ; poésie.
     Ein jour dans so nid, Cocodrie prend le gout de poésie. One day in his nest, Alligator developed a taste for poetry. (DC) See examples
• pralapaw No sources ( onom. )
  1. Bang, boom! Boum, pan!
     ♦ Li pêté bon tirore ki mêté ein ti bombe dan so fizi, et vizé li prosse zoreille bon courore; bombe là fé pralapaou! He called the good marksman, who put a little bomb in his rifle and aimed almost at the ear of the good runner; the little bomb went off, bang! (T7) See examples
• pralinn PC ( n. ) plarinn CA, NE, PC
  1. Praline; praline.
     Diji-la, se siro e disik. Ye kwi sa ouchka sa vini konm en plarin . The juice is syrup and sugar. They cook that until it becomes like a praline. (PC) See examples
• pran No sources ( v.tr., v.aux., v.intr. )
  1. To take, get; prendre.
     Pron en NAP. To take a nap. (NE); Alòs mo pran mo parasol pou marche, pou proteje mon de soley-la. So I take my parasol to walk, to protect me from the sun. (CA); Si mo vyen a monke, gouvèmemon va pronn mo mezon. If I die, the government will take my house away. (BT) ♦ Li couri dans la quisine, li prend ein grand f erblanc plein la braise et la cende chaud. He went into the kitchen and took a big tin full of burning coals and hot ashes. (FO T6) • pran fe v.phr. To catch fire; prendre feu. •prann en portre v.phr. To take a picture; prendre une photo, cf. portre •prann lafrech v.phr. To enjoy the breeze, get some fresh air; prendre le frais. cf. frèch •prann lakours v.phr. To run away; se sauver, s’évader, cf. kours •prann paròl v.phr. To speak, speak up; prendre la parole, cf. paròl •prann pasyans v.phr. To be patient; être patient, cf. pasyans •pron lavontaj v.phr. To take advantage of, exploit; profiter de, exploiter, cf. lavontaj •'prend la poude d’escampette’ v.phr. To leave, beat it; prendre la poudre d’escampette, partir, cf. poud •pran pasaj pou v.phr. To take passage on (a boat, etc.) for; prendre passage (sur un bateau, etc.) pour. cf. pasaj •pran plas v.phr. To replace; remplacer. cf. plas •pran rivanch anho v.phr. To take revenge on; se venger sur. cf. rivanch •pran so tan v.phr. To take one’s time; prendre son temps, cf. tan •’pran cher’ v.phr. To charge a lot; faire payer beaucoup, cf. chèr •sa pron li par ton v.phr. (BT). That suits (his) mood, strikes his fancy; L’idée le prend. Sa pron li par ton pou fe kètchòz pou mon. He’ll do something for me when it strikes his fancy. (BT) See examples
  2. To take, accept; prendre, accepter.
     Mo te ole dòn piti-la en bout kanndi, men li pa pran li. I wanted to give the child a piece of candy, but she didn’t take it. (PC) See examples
  3. To take, require (of time); prendre (en parlant du temps).
     Lache chiko kòtengnen gro konm sa, sa pran ye deu smenn pou ote li dan latè. They were removing a sycamore stump as big around as that, it took them two weeks to uproot it. (PC); Mo antreprann pou nètwaye mo lamezon Sa va prann en bou tan. I’m undertaking to clean my house. It’s going to take quite some time. (CA) See examples
  4. To consider as, treat like, take for; prendre pour, considérer comme, traiter comme.
     Nòm-sa-la pron nouzòt pou le makak. This man takes us for monkeys. (NE) ♦ Pou qui to prend Lapin, vié barbotère taboue? Who do you take Rabbit for, an old mud splasher? (T26) Conjug: a) prœnè v.imperfect prènè (MO 60). Took; prenais, -ait, etc. Ye prœnè sa tofèzye. They would take what you made. (PC). Mo prènè. I took. (MO 60) b) pri past part. (CA; MO 60). Caught, stuck; pris. Mo rob pri ondon chèj-la. My dress is caught in the chair. (NE); Ye trouve ye tou maraye. Ye rèste pri andan fil de fè. They found them all tangled up. They got caught in barbed wire. (CA) ♦ La ou mwen mo va pase , en lòt va trouve li pri. Where I can get through, another will get caught. (BO) e) pren v.past. (MO 60). Took; pris, prit, etc. Ye pren la fiy yè mènè li o rwa. (MO 60).To begin, start; commencer à, se mettre à. Ye pron konye èn-a-lòt. They started hitting one another. (NE); Mo pran dòrmi pandan mo garde tivi. I fall asleep while watching television. (CA) REM: Common in old texts but rare today. ♦ Li commande so Baton fout yé ein bon trempe et Baton la prend tournin a droite et a gauche. He ordered his stick to give them a sound beating, and the stick started to turn right and left. (FO T15)To begin, start (to); commencer, se mettre à. Kan labatay se prann, trap to chapo e trap to kouto! When the battle was starting they would say, ‘Get your hat and your knife!’ (PC); No moun fe sa en ta kon livèr ape pron. Our people do that a lot when winter is coming. (NE) •pran apre v.phr. 1) To chase; poursuivre. Chyen-la pran apre mon. The dog chased me. (PC) 2) To take after; tenir de, ressembler à. Si vouzòt te pran apre to moman, t e f e en bon SPEAKER . If you take after your mother you’ll be good talkers. (PC) •prann devan v.phr. To run ahead, take the lead; gagner les devants. ♦ Ye préparé ye-menm, e kan ye parti Chevrey prann devan. They got ready, and when they began, Brer Deer took the lead. (JR) •prann dèryè v.phr. To chase; poursuivre. (PC) ♦ Domestik-la prann dèryè ye. The servant took off after them. (JR) See examples
• pran* No sources ( n. ) prinn MO 60 déprim PC déprum PC déprinn CA, PC
  1. Plum; prune.
     M e manje en deprim. I’m eating a plum. (PC) ♦ C'était toujou les soirs mo té volé des prines, yé té toujou semblé meyer au clair dé line. It was always in the evening that I stole plums, they always looked better by moonlight. (T27) •pye deprim n.phr. (PC); pye deprum (PC). Plum tree; prunier. Mo gan mwen pye deprim. I have a plum tree. (PC) See examples
• pranga NE ( v.aux. ) prongar NE, PC pringa PC pranga PC
  1. Be careful not to; Prends garde de ne pas.
     Pranga to gen tombe la. Be careful you don’t fall there! (NE) See examples
  2. Watch out, Be careful! Attention!
     ♦ Mais panga yé ladjole; ya mordé toi, quéquefois. But be careful of their mouth; they will bite you sometimes. (T25); Prend ga pou vous, Michié Néléphant, Compair Lapin engagé avec Djabe. Be careful, Mr. Elephant, Brer Rabbit is in league with the Devil. (FO T1); Mo fe mye pran ga pou mo lapo mèm! I had better be careful for my own skin! (Anon. 17.6.1876); E ben, pran ga, pa lese li sape. Well, be careful not to let him escape! (Anon. 17.6.1876) (Cited by NEUMANN, p. 328); prongar (NE) REM: This usage occurs only in historical texts. NE p. 328. See examples
• praskala PC ( n. )
  1. Dance which was common at balls; une danse qui était commune aux bals.
• pratik CA ( n. )
  1. Practice, clientele; pratique, clients.
     Se en pratik lavoka la-ba-la e isi se en pratik medsen. Ye gen plen klians. It’a a law practice over there and this is a medical practice. They’ve got lots of clients. (CA) ♦ Pove Michié Zipiter li perdi tout so pratique pasqué pape ordonnin tout moune quitté li. Poor Mr. Jupiter lost all of his customers, because the pope ordered everyone to stop going to him. (FO T15) See examples
  2. Customer, client; client.
     ♦ An rantran segon Arichmenn tannde konmi-la mannde en pratik, «pou di sou moutard? « Upon going in, the second Irishman heard the clerk ask a customer, «You want ten cents of mustard?» (JR) See examples
  3. Practice, rehearsal; répétition.
     Pratik fe parfe. Si to fe sa souvan, to oubliy pa. Practice makes perfect. If you do that often, you don’t forget. (CA) See examples
• pratiké CA, NE, PC ( v., v.refl., v.tr. )
  1. To practice; pratiquer.
     Lès mwa monyèr pratike mo-mèm en pe. Let me practice a little. (NE); To aprann jouwe violan. To gen pou pratike. You’re learning to play violin. You’ve got to practice. (CA)To speak, use; parler, pratiquer. Li pouvè pa parle langle ditou. Li toujou pratike kreyòl. He couldn’t speak English at all. He always spoke Creole. (PC) See examples
• pri CA, MO 60, PC ( n. )
  1. Price; prix.
     Tou zafè ki mante, pri-la, ann trèkta-ye. All of the prices are going up on tractors. (PC); Mo t ole vann mo tomobil pou en bon pri parskè li te an bon kondisyon. I wanted to sell my car for a good price because it was in good condition. (CA) ♦ Sa sonb mo laras kochon. Sèt en bèl bèt. Fe vou pri, ma pron li. That looks like my breed of hogs. It’s a beautiful animal. Name your price, I'll take him. (TP) See examples
• primé No sources ( v.tr. )
  1. To print; imprimer.
     ♦ Mo vohié vou kat écalin dan let cila pou péhié vou pou primé li. I’m sending you four escalins in this letter to pay you to print it. (T13) See examples
• prins CA ( n. )
  1. Prince; prince.
     Prens-la li tournen an wawaron. The prince turned into a frog. (CA) ♦ Navé ein zeine sarpentié ki té traouail dan lamizon lé roi, ki té ein pli vayan bougue passé tou princes là yé. There was a young carpenter who worked in the king’s house, and he was more handsome than all of the princes. (T7) See examples
• prinsipal No sources ( n. )
  1. Principal (financial term); principal (terme financier).
     ♦ M’a payer toi, li dit, avant l'ôtonne, si’ mo parole, l’intérêt-la et principal-la. I would pay you, in the autumn, both the principal and interest. (BD) See examples
• prinsès CA ( n. )
  1. Princess; princesse.
     Prensès-la te byen atle e tou so dòrur anlè li. The princess was all decked out with all her gold jewelry on her. (CA) ♦ Apre sa li marye avek prensès-la e elve enn grann famiy. After that he married the princess and raised a big family. (JR) See examples
• printan CA, PC, ST ( n. ) printon NE
  1. Spring; printemps.
     Ye plannte rekòt-la dan prentan . They planted crops in the spring. (PC); Apre livèr se prentan . After winter it’s spring. (CA) ♦ C’est mois-ci là qui plis terrib pou zouragans, li cassé tout qui commencé dans mois printemps . This is the worst month for hurricanes, it destroys everything that was begun in the spring months. (T27) See examples
• prinèl No sources ( n. )
  1. Prunella (fabric); prunelle (étoffe).
     ♦ Li pas mandé déba brodé', li pas mandé soulier prinelle. She doesn’t ask for embroidered hose, she doesn’t want prunella shoes. (GC1) See examples
• privé No sources ( v.tr. )
  1. To deprive; priver.
     ♦ Mé siffit li té privé ça té donnin li encor pli envi boi. But it was enough for him that he was forbidden for him to be still more anxious to drink. (FO 1887) See examples
• priyèr No sources ( n. )
  1. Prayer; prière. (CA; MO 60; ST). •fe en lapriyè
     v.phr. (PC); fe en priyè, fe (so) lapriyè, fe (so) lapriyèr (PC). To say a prayer; faire une prière. Se en tretè. E si to koupe to janm o to bra e disan è sengnen, to pa ka rète l, juch parle on life en lapriyè. Te rète li. He is a folk healer. If you cut your leg or your arm and it is bleeding, he just speaks over it and says a prayer, and that stops the bleeding. (PC) ♦ Si ein seul blanc té tendé vous, vous sré capab fait vous prière. If a single white person heard you, you could say your final prayers. (T38) See examples
• priyé CA, MO 60, PC, ST ( v., v.intr., v.tr. ) prié CA
  1. To pray; prier.
     Ye te priye on kreyòl. They used to pray in Creole. (PC); Bondyeu pardonnen moun si ye priye e mande pardon. God forgives people if they pray and ask for forgiveness. (ST)To beg; prier, supplier. L ape fe so tit bouch e l ape prie pou mo dòn li kekchoz . He’s pouting and he’s begging me to give him something. (CA) ♦ Maintnant, mo prié vous, Miché Carion. Vou lecteur tous les samedis. Now I beg you, Mr. Carillon. Signed, your Saturday reader. (T34) See examples
• priz CA ( n. )
  1. (Tobacco) snuff; prise (de tabac).
     To me la priz dan to narin ne e sa fe twa etèmen. You put the snuff in your nostril and it makes you sneeze. (CA) ♦ Après ça li mette piment, la cendre et la prise qué li paillé partout dans la trappe la. After that he added pepper, ashes and tobacco snuff that he scattered everywhere in the trap. (FO T15) REM: Sometimes used to refer to chewing tobacco. See examples
• prizon CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Prison, jail; prison, gêole.
     Ye trape li, ye mare li, ye kou mèt dan prizon. They caught him, tied him up, and went to put him in jail. (PC); Li dan prizon. Li komèt en krim. He’s in prison. He committed a crime. (CA) ♦ Li té kofré dan prizon. He was locked up in prison. (T17) See examples
• prizonnin CA ( v.tr. )
  1. To imprison; emprisonner.
     Li komèt en krim e ye prizonnen li. He committed a crime and they imprisoned him. (CA) See examples
• prizonnyin CA ( n. ) prizanyè PC prizonyin PC prizonnèz CA
  1. Prisoner; prisonnier.
     Prizanyè-la chape FROM prizon. The prisoner escaped from prison. (PC); Li en prizonnyen. Li pa lib. He’s a prisoner. He’s not free. (CA) See examples
• prodi MO 60 ( n. )
  1. Product; produit.
• produir PC ( v.tr. ) produr CA
  1. To produce, yield; rapporter, produire.
     Tu lès li uschka ye konmons to lœ produir. You leave it until it starts producing. (PC) See examples
• profi CA, PC ( n. ) profit CA
  1. Profit; bénéfice(s).
     Li gen fe en profi anndan an pou tchombo so mègazen. He has to make a profit on it to keep his store. (PC); Li fe en profit kan li vann so loto. He made a profit when he sold his car. (CA) See examples
• profité No sources ( v.intr., v.tr. )
  1. To thrive, grow well; se plaire (en parlant des plantes), profiter, venir bien.
     Sa se en fige drit-la la. Sètè en ti branch nou plante. E i profite, la vini kòm sa e fe defig. That is a fig tree right there, it’s just a little branch that we planted. And it is thriving. It will get this big and produce figs. (PC); Mo ti bebe profite. My little baby’s growing. (CA); Myoule ape profite. The mule is growing. (ST) 2. To bear fruit, yield; porter des fruits, rapporter. Sa a pa profite. Mo gen pou vini la dèmen, travay li. [That plant] hasn’t borne fruit. I have to corne back tomorrow and work on it. (PC) • profite an v.phr. 1. To take advantage of; profiter de. To jus profite on li. You took advantage of him. (PC) ♦ Li te prann so tan e profite on so lasosye. He took his time, and took advantage of his business partner. (JR) 2. To abuse, mistreat, punish unjustly; maltraiter, punir injustement. Si vou gen en piti-la vou yenk e taye li pou aryen. Si li pa fe kèkichò vou e taye li. Pa a penn. Sa min profite. If you have a child and you whip him for nothing, if he didn’t do anything and you whip him. That’s punishing someone unjustly. (PC)To profit, be to s.o.’s advantage; profiter, avantager. ♦ Eh ben, bon voyage, fait ben tention tout ça to oua, gardé partou, couté ben et ça va profité toi. Well, bon voyage, pay close attention to all that you see, listen well, and it will go well for you. (FO T18) See examples