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

• pròp NE ( adj. )
  1. Own; propre.
     Pou Krismis HARVEY te gen so pròp fizi. For Christmas Harvey got his own rifle. (NE) See examples
• pròsh BT, CA, NE, PC ( adv. ) pròshké BT, NE prèské BT, NE
  1. Closely; de près. (PC; NE)
     ♦ Lapen wa ti bonnonm-la. Li te pe pa konprann ki sete, e li marche tou alantou li an gardan li ben pròch. Rabbit saw the little fellow. He couldn’t understand what it was, and he walked all the way around it looking at it closely. (JR) See examples
  2. Almost, nearly; presque.
     Li te gen pròch san ka li mouri. He was almost a hundred when he died. (PC); Laplòt frape li dan so nwa-ye e li te pròch pa kapab marche. The ball him in the nuts and he was almost incapable of walking. (CA) ♦ Li te pròch mò avek lafen. He was nearly dying of hunger. (JR) •pròch pare pou v.phr. (To be) about to; (être) sur le point de. Mo pròch pare pou gòn. I’m almost ready to leave. (NE) ♦ Kan mo té proce pou parti , mo tendé ti blan yé ri. When I was about ready to leave, I heard the little white boys laugh. (T17) See examples
• pròsh BT, PC ( adj. )
  1. Close; proche.
     Nou peu pa vizite konm nou te konnen pasè nou pa pròch konm nou te konnè et. We can’t visit as often as we used to because we are no longer close like we used to be. (PC); Mo konmonse travaye dan enn plas, enn mezon pròch dan Sen Marten laba. I started working on a farm, a house near St. Martinville. (BT) •pròch kote adv.phr. (NE). Near, close to; près de, proche de. Pròch kote lamezon ina en stòr. Near the house there is a store. (NE) ♦ Vou zot conin tit la maison qui proch’côté l’église? Do you all know the little house that is near the church? (T11) See examples
• pròsèsyon CA ( n. ) prosèsyon ST
  1. Procession, parade; procession, défilé.
     Sete lafèt a Sen Jozèf. Ye te gen en prosèsyon antòr legliz . It was the Feast of Saint Joseph. There was a procession around the church. (CA) ♦A la fin, yé oua ein procession néléphants qui té apé vini. At the end, they saw a parade of elephants coming. (FO T15) See examples
• prœv No sources ( n. )
  1. Proof; preuve.
     ♦A coté dé moin té sabre là qui t'apé crié: Quité moin sorti, mo pair, mo pair, (ein aute preuve ça té pas Sheridan). Next to me was the saber which was shouting ‘Let me out, I’m afraid, I’m afraid,’ (another proof that it wasn’t Sheridan). (T40) See examples
• ptidnésan BT ( n. )
  1. Newborn; nouveau-né.
     Sa tou depan kèl aj li gen; si se byen konm en mwa, deu smenn, trwa smenn se en ptidnesan. It all depends how old he is, if he is like a month old, or two weeks, or three weeks, he is a newborn. (BT) See examples
• punèz CA, PC, ST ( n. ) pinèz CA, PC pinéz lèb PC pinèz zèrb CA
  1. Stinkbug; punaise.
     ♦Am jour gros papa chien contré pauv michié Loup Plat comme ain pinaise et maig comme ain déclou. One day a big old dog ran into Mr. Wolf, as flat as a stink bug and as skinny as a nail. (T22) See examples
  2. Bedbug; punaise des lits.
     Dan lanwit dan mo lit mo krwaye sete de moustik ke t ape mèrd man me sete de punèz. During the night in my bed, I thought it was mosquitoes biting me but it was bedbugs. (CA) See examples
• pur CA, ST ( adj. ) pir CA piur PC pyo PC
  1. Pure; pur.
     Ye te janmen gen pir blan dan la loazyèn, ye tou mele. There were never pure whites in Louisiana, they are all mixed. (PC) ♦ Lait pur vaut mieux que ça qui mélangé! Pure milk is better than mixed. (T35) See examples
• purité PC ( n. )
  1. Purity; pureté.
• pwa No sources ( int. )
  1. Yuck! Pouah!
     ♦ Princes yé boucé yé né et fé pouah! The princes plugged their noses and said Pouah! (T7) See examples
• pwa CA, MO 60, PC ( n. ) pwò PC
  1. Weight; poids.
     To gen tan pwa. En jwa to gen de mil liv o trwa mil liv o to gen de tonn. You’ve got so much weight [in sugar cane]. Once you might have two thousand pounds or three thousand pounds or two tons. (PC); Mo nonk te fe karot taba an markònen fey-ye. To mèt en pwa desi pou preze taba. My uncle made plugs of tobacco by stacking the leaves. You put a weight on top to press the tobacco down. (CA) •on pwò adv.phr. (PC). By weight; selon le poids. Li te kònen achte dekonn on pwò vou gen. He used to buy cane by the weight that you have. (PC) pwa 3 n. depwa (CA; PC; ST). 1. (Green) pea; petit pois. En depwa. One sweet pea. (PC); Dòn mwen plen depwa. Give me a lot of peas. (PC) •depwa dou n.phr. (PC). (Green) pea; petit pois. •’Jean des Pois Verts’ proper n. John Green Peas (folktale character); Jean Petits Pois (personnage dans les contes), cf. jan •ti pwa n.phr. (CA; PC). (Green) pea; petit pois. Depwa, ena ki gro, ena ki ti piti. THOSE LITTLE BITTY ONES, to pèle ye ti pwa. Peas, some are big and some little. Those little bitty ones are called green peas. (PC) 2. Bean; fève. • depwa blan n.phr. White bean; fève blanche. Lendi te jour depwa isi, swa depwa blan ou depwa rouj. Monday was bean day here, either white beans or red beans. (ST) •depwa rouj n.phr. (ST). Red bean, kidney bean; haricot rouge, pwagne v.tr. To grasp, seize; saisir, empoigner. ♦ Yé poignin li, et com forçat yé pende li sur ein verbère. They seized him, and like a criminal they hung him from a lamppost. (T37) See examples
• pwal CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Hair (of animals); poil (d’animal).
     Chyen-la plen lagal. Li pèrd so pwal-ye. The dog is full of mange. He’s losing his fur. (CA); Pwal kochon. Boar bristles. ♦ Li senmen en ti pe kouchkouch ontou pwal ye. He scattered a little couscous around the hair. (DU) See examples
  2. Pubic hair; poil pubien.
     Fèm-la gen pwal an so kòkòt. The woman has (pubic) hair on her vagina. (PC) See examples
• pwal ST ( n. ) lapwal CA, ST
  1. Frying pan; poêle.
     Mo jich sizonen bèf-la e mèt li dan lapwal avèk en ti peu MARGARINE anlèr li. I just season the beef and put it in the frying pan with a bit of margarine on it. (CA) (ST) ♦ Mele di konf avek lwil doliv. Fonn li don en lapwal. Mix camphor with olive oil. Melt them in a frying pan. [' ein la poêle '] (BI) •pwal-a-fri n.phr. (PC). Frying pan; poêle. Mo tournen dezœf-la andan pwal-a-fri. I turned the egg over in the frying pan. (PC) pwalon n. (PC). Frying pan; poêle, poêlon. Mo pren en pe lagres, met dan en pwalon e farin, en pe zonyon. I take a little fat, put it in a frying pan with some flour, and a few onions. (PC) See examples
• pwar MO 60, PC ( n. ) dépwa CA, PC dépwar CA, PC pwa PC
  1. Pear; poire.
     Ye te gen pluche depwar-yè, ye te gen pou koupe lachèr-l an depwa-li, kèr-la. They had to peel the pears, they had to cut the flesh of the pear, and the heart. (PC); Map ale fe mwa en lasalad defri e m ap ale mèt en peu depwa e depòm avèk hanann. I'm going to make me a fruit salad and I’m going to put some pears and apples with bananas. (CA) •pye depwa n.phr. (PC); pye pwa (PC). Pear tree; poirier. Dibwa-sa-a se en pye depwa. That tree is a pear tree. (PC) See examples
• pwaryé CA, PC ( n. ) pwaré PC pwariyé CA
  1. Pear tree; poirier.
     En pware se en pye depwa. A pear tree is a tree that produces pears. (PC); Ena en ki rès dan pwarye-la a kote. There’s one [mockingbird] that lives in the peartree nearby. (CA) See examples
• pwason CA, MO 60, PC, ST ( n. ) pwasan PC
  1. Fish; poisson.
     Mo trape mo pwason. I caught my fish. (PC); En gro pwasan. A big fish. (PC); Mo lenm pa pwason. Mo lenm pa gou-la. I don’t like fish. I don’t like the taste. (CA) ♦ Mo sérafier passé prince, content comm ‘ poisson dan do lo. I will be prouder than a prince, As happy as a fish in water. (T11) •pwason armen n.phr. (PC); pwas armen (PC). Garfish; poisson armé. Mo wa te gen ti pwason armen te lonng konm sa. I saw there was a little garfish as long as that. (PC) •pwason avril n.phr. (PC). April fool’s joke; poisson d’avril. Mo fe twa manje pwason avril. I played an April fool’s joke on you. (PC) ♦ Pas blié vini premier avril pou oua cila dans nous zotes qua mangé posson d'avril la. Don’t forget to come back and see which of us is the butt of an April Fool’s joke! (FO T18) See examples
• pwatrinn PC, ST ( n. ) potrinn ST
  1. Chest; poitrine. (PC)
     ♦ Li kanmanse konte ye. Mwen , li di, e li frape so men on so potrin. He began counting them. ‘Me,’ he said, and he struck his hand on his chest. (JR) •fliksyon pwatrin n. Pneumonia; pneumonie, cf. fliksyon •frison potrin n.phr. Pneumonia; pneumonie, cf. frison • pwatrin sèk n.phr. An unidentified respiratory ailment; une maladie respiratoire non-identifiée. ♦ Pou lapwatrin sèk, to sèr de zonyon daliz . For a dry stomach you use the fruit of the blackhaw. (BI) See examples
  2. Chest cold; rhume de poitrine.
     Mo te gen traka pou kase en move potrin livèr pase. I had a lot of trouble clearing up/breaking a bad chest cold last winter. (ST) 3, Lung; poumon. (PC; ST) See examples
• pwazon PC ( n. ) pwazan CA
  1. Poison; poison.
     To te mèt sa antèr la. Sa te rèst antèr la ouchka sa te ote tou la pwazan an deyòr. You would put it on there. It would stay on until it had drawn all the poison out. (CA) •pwazon adj. (PC). Poisonous; venimeux. Sèrpan-sa-la se a pwazon. This snake is poisonous. (PC) ♦ Pron de gro vèr a tèr rouj e pi mare ye otur ple la ye sise tou pwazon on ple la. Take some big red earth worms and tie them around the wound, they will suck all the poison out of the wound. (LA) See examples
  2. Venom; venin.
     Li di li swa si li kwa kè l te ja mòrd kekenn, ote lapwazon-la. He said that if he believed the snake had already bitten someone and therefore had no poison left. (PC) • a pwazon prep. phr. See examples
  3. Insecticide, herbicide; insecticide, herbicide.
     Si te e fe rekòl, to gen achte fimye, to gen achte lapwazon. If you’re raising crops, you have to buy fertilizer, you have to buy herbicide and insecticide. (PC) See examples
• pwazonnin CA, PC, ST ( adj. ) pwazònè PC
  1. Poisonous; venimeux.
     Ti koulev-la se en ti sèrpon. Mo pa kònen si li pwazonnen. A little [koulev] is a little snake. I don’t know if it’s poisonous. (PC); En sèrpan pwazonnen. A poisonous snake. (CA) See examples
• pwazonnin CA, PC, ST ( v.tr. ) mpazannin PC pwazannin PC pwazann PC pwazònè PC pwazon PC
  1. To poison; empoisonner.
     Li ka pwazònè twa dan kafe . L a mèt la pwazon dan kafe. She can poison you in coffee. She’ll put the poison in coffee. (PC); Si ye te pœr to chyen, ye te pwazonnen li. If they were afraid of your dog, they poisoned it. (ST); Li marche dan lèrb-a-la-pis e li pwazonnen li. He stepped in poison ivy and it infected him. (CA) ♦ Oh non! Compair Bouki, dézef torti yé poisonné mouen. Tan pri, vite couri charché metcin. Oh no! Brer Bouki, turtle eggs poison me. Please, go get the doctor quickly. (T4) See examples
  2. To ruin, destroy; détruire, abîmer.
     BOLL WEEVIL pwazannen mpazannen le swa e tou kicho. Boll weevils destroyed silk and everything. (PC) See examples
  3. To apply insecticides to; mettre des insecticides sur.
     Fo to pwazann tou l koton. You have to poison (i. e. put insecticides on) all of the cotton. (PC) See examples
• pwazonnœr No sources ( n. )
  1. Poisoner; empoisonneur.
     ♦ Chère, Tine aime pas les n’hypocrites et les ‘poisonneurs. Dear, Tine does not like hypocrites and poisoners. (TM) See examples
• pwi No sources ( n. ) pi CA, MO 60, PC pu ST pui BT
  1. Well; puits.
     No te koutum gen en pi andan lakòr. We used to have a well in our yard. (CA); Le pui, fale fouye sa a lapèl, venn-deu, venn-trwa pye. Wells, you had to dig them with a shovel, 22 or 23 feet. (BT) ♦ Pa Lapen te konnen vini vole dolo dan ye pwi tou le swa. Brer Rabbit used to come and steal water from their well every evening. (JR) •pi artezyen n.phr. (CA). Artesian well; puits artésien. Dan tan lachechrès, no te va chèrche dolo dan pi artezyen. In periods of drought, we would go get water in the Artesian well. (CA) See examples
  2. Oil well; puits de pétrole.
     Primyè pi ki te fouye isi sete kote HIRSCH . The first [oil] well that was dug here was near Hirsch. (PC) See examples
• pwin NE ( n. ) pwan CA
  1. Pain; douleur, mal. •’point coté’
     n.phr. Stitch (pain); point de côté. ♦ Li gagnin ein point coté dans dos. She has a stitch in her back. (FO T18) 2. Pneumonia; pneumonie. La kòm si to te gen en nimoni, kekèn te gen en nimoni, ye te pele sa tè pwen, trape le pwen. Then if you or someone had pneumonia, they used to call that ‘catching the [pwen]’. (NE) 3. Stitch; point. Mo fe de piti pwan kan mo koud. I make little stitches when I sew. (CA) 4. Point; point. Ye joue byen. Ye chmen ye nèf pwan a de pwan. They played well. They beat them 9 to 2. (CA) See examples
• pwin PC ( n. ) pwon PC pon CA
  1. Fist; poing.
     Bat avek pwen. To fight with fists. (PC) ♦ Pi la li songle li en koud pwen don so vont. So pwen-la rete kole. Then he dealt him a blow in the stomach. His fist remained stuck there. (LA) See examples
• Pwint PC ( place n. ) Pòit Koupé PC Pwan Koupi PC Lapwènnt Koupé PC Lapwènn Koupé PC Pòt Koupé PC
  1. [Village]. Pointe Coupee; Pointe Coupée.
     Ye te pèl sa-la Pwenn Koupe. Aben, se pwenn koupi PARISH mè ye te pèl bout-sa-la Pwenn Koupe . They used to call this village Pointe Coupee. This is also Pointe Coupee Parish, but they’ve always called this village Pointe Coupee too. (PC) See examples
  2. [Parish]. Pointe Coupee Parish; paroisse de la Pointe Coupée.
     Laparwas deu Pòt Koupe . Pointe Coupee Parish. (PC) See examples
• pwint BT ( n. )
  1. Point, tip; pointe.
     Le toupi sète fèt an bwò avèk enn pwent. [Children’s] tops were made out of wood and they had a tip. (BT) •on pon adj.phr. Sharp, sharpened; aigu, aiguisé. Kan i va vini gouf, ti devis e pi ti menn o blèksmit. l kony e pi i me on pon ankòr. When it (i.e. the plowshare) gets dull, you unscrew it and take it to the blacksmith. He hammers it and makes it sharp again. (BT) See examples
  2. Cape, spit, tongue (of land), bend in a river; pointe, cap, promontoire.
     ♦ Jean Sotte gardé li longtemps jisqua li disparaite derrière la pointe. Foolish John watched him for a long time until he disappeared around the bend in the river. (FO T18) See examples
• pwintu PC, ST ( adj. ) pwinti BT, CA
  1. Pointed; pointu.
     Ye gen lèstwar ke si se en garson to vant e pwenti, e si se enn fiy to vant e ron. They have the folk belief that if you’re carrying a boy your belly is pointed, and if it’s a girl, your belly is round. (BT); Chalon i fe koum sa, e bout isi pwenti. A flat-bottom boat is made like this, and this end is pointed. (PC); En deklou gen en bout pwentu. A nail has a pointed end. (ST) ♦ C’était barre di di fer qui té si pointi au boute qué ein démouche té pas capabe posé sans li resté pris. It was bars of iron so sharp that a fiy could not come to rest on it without getting stuck. (FO T15) See examples
• pwinté CA, PC, ST ( v., v.tr., v.intr. ) pwanté CA
  1. To point; pointer.
     Si l te fen, li t ale kote mon REFRIGERATOR, li te ouvèr li, li te pwente. If he was hungry, he would go to my refrigerator, he would open it and he would point. (CA) ♦ Kan li te a pe pre san yad distans, li rete e pwonte so baton on Lyon. When he was about a hundred yards away, he stopped and pointed his stick at the lion. (JR) •pwente l dwa apre v.phr. (PC). To point a finger at, accuse; pointer le doigt à, accuser. Pèson pa ka pwente l dwa apre mon. No one can point their finger at me. (PC)To clock in (at work); pointer (à l’arrivée). Kan nouzòt nou se lache ton nonm, aben vou te gen ton lòt pou pwante pou replase nouzòt. When we had to let some men go, well you’ve got so many others to clock in to replace us. (PC) See examples
• pwinñé CA ( n. ) pwinñin CA
  1. Handful; poignée.
     Mo mèt andan bol-la en pwengne lafarin pou fe en lakrèp. I put in the bowl a handful of flour to make a pancake. (CA) ♦ Pe la tizonn pi la pron en ponye kafe vè avek en ka wiski. Make a tea and then take a handful of green coffee in a quart of whiskey. (LA) See examples
• pyas CA, NE, PC, ST ( n. ) pia DT pyas(t) MO 60
  1. Dollar; dollar.
     Puto achte en char kenz katòrz mil pyas. Rather than go buy a new car for fourteen or fifteen thousand dollars. (BT); Ye peye enn pyas vent sen sou lakòd. They paid a dollar twenty-five for a cord of wood. (PC) ♦ Gouvernair li oulé donnin cinq cent piastres pou so la tête. The Governor wanted to give rive hundred dollars for his head. (T38) See examples
• pye No sources ( n.phr. )
  1. Picket fence; palis, palissade. cf. depye
• pyochez CA ( n. )
  1. Tiller; piocheuse. REM: This differs from a kultivatè by having disks.
• pyoshé BT, CA, PC ( v.tr. ) pyòsh PC pyòshé MO 60
  1. To hoe; piocher.
     Pyoche, se, to koup lèb-la, to pyòch plont-la, to gen tournen la trwa jwa. ‘To hoe’, that is when you cut the grass and then you hoe the plants, you have to turn it [the ground] over three times. (PC); Li tè pyòche en ta. He dug for a while. (MO 60) ♦ Mo boucou rabouré, boucou piossé latere. I have hoed a lot, plowed the earth a lot. (T13) See examples
• pyèj CA, PC ( n. ) pyéj PC
  1. Trap; trappe, piège.
     Se parey konm si vou mèt en pyej pou trape en radbwa o nenpòt-ki dan dezè. Vou mèt kèk napa anho la. La ka betay-la vini trape napa, ‘penml’ l afrenmen sa so latet o so pat. It’s like when you set a trap to catch a possum or whatever in the field. You put down some bait. Then when the animal comes to get the bait, it closes on its head or its paw. (PC) See examples
• pyèr CA, ST ( n. ) lapyèr CA
  1. Stone; pierre.
     Mo pa konen ou li ye lapyèr-la astèr-la. I don’t know where the stone is now. (CA) ♦ Yé trouvé qué caillou la té tournin ein lapierre grand comme ein lamontagne. They found that the pebble had turned into a rock as big as a mountain. (FO T10) •lapyèr anraje de la Vachri n.phr. (CA). The Madstone of Vacherie, part of the folklore of the German Coast; la Pierre Enragée de la Vacherie, une partie du folklore de la Côte des Allemands. •pyèr tònèr n.phr. Iron pyrite; pyrite de fer. ♦ To ouâ pié cilà? Si mo voyé on toi, ta cré cé pierre tonnerre qui cogné toi. Do you see this foot? If I strike you with it, you will think that it’s iron pyrite that is hitting you. (T2) See examples
  2. Kidney; rein.
     So pyèr-la p ape travaye. Li bwa pa ase dolo. His kidney isn’t working. He doesn’t drink enough water. (CA) See examples
• pyès CA, MO 60, PC ( n. ) pyés PC pyèz MO 60
  1. Field, patch, plot (of ground); lopin (de terre).
     T ole met dekann dan pyes-sa-a to met. If you want to put sugar cane in that field you can put it. (PC) •En jou Pa Lapen rankontre avek Pa Kokodri dan en lapyes lèrb. One day Brer Rabbit met Brer Alligator in a grassy field. (JR) • pyès dekann n.phr. (PC; ST). 1) Sugar cane field; champ de canne a sucre. Se en gro kòt, en pyès dekann. It’s a big field, a sugar cane patch. (PC) ♦ Li sote don en pyes dekonn on en chivrey. He jumped into a sugar cane patch and landed on a deer. [' ein piece décanne ’] (DU) 2) Piece of sugar cane; morceau de canne à sucre. (PC) •pyès latè n.phr. (CA). Field, patch, plot (of ground); lopin (de terre). Komyen pye to gen dan to pyès latè? How many feet do you have in your field? (CA) See examples
  2. Room; pièce.
     Li se kou kache dan en lòt pyès, diferon k aou mo te. He went to hide in another room than the one I was in. (PC) See examples
  3. Sill, soleplate (support beneath a house on which pilings rest) ; sole (pièce ou bloc sur lequel on dresse les pilotis sous une maison).
     An ba se de pyes ye pèl sa. An ba lamezon. Sa ki asit an te pilyè. Under the house, they’re called ‘sills’. What is sitting on top of the pilings. (PC) See examples
  4. Patch (for mending clothes); pièce (pour raccommoder un vêtement).
     Li gen en trou andan so kilot. Mo gen pou mèt en pyès anlèr la. He’s got a hole in his pants. I’ve got to put a patch on it. (CA) See examples
• pyèsté CA, ST ( v.tr. ) pyésté PC
  1. To mend, patch; raccommoder.
     Li toujou gen lenj dechire ke mo gen p pyèste. He always has torn clothes that I have to mend. (CA) See examples
• pyé gen, MO 60 ( n. ) piyé ST
  1. Foot; pied.
     Boug ki te e LEAD lamuzik-la, se tannd l e bat so pye. The guy who was leading the music, you heard him tapping his foot. (PC); Li gen en anflir an so pye. En mouch-a-myèl pike li. He’s got a swelling on his foot. A honeybee stung him. (CA) ♦ Kan mo tandé parol cila à force mo té kolèr, mo sorti mo souyé dan mo pié et mo kouri coucé. When I heard those words I was so angry that I took my shoes off of my feet and I began to nin. (T14) •pye plat n.phr. (PC). Flat feet; pieds plats. •nu-pye adv.phr. Barefoot; nu-pieds. cf. nu See examples
  2. Foot of a bed; pied du lit.
     Kouche swa o pye on latet To sleep at the head or at the foot (of the bed). (PC); • pye lit n.phr. Foot of the bed. (CA; ST) See examples
  3. Foot, base (of a plant); pied, base (d’une plante).
     To hal li konm sa e to koup latet-la THEN to koup pye-la. You pull it (the sugar cane stalk) like that and you cut off the head and then you cut the base off. (PC); To pran latèr-la to lèv sa o pye dibwa. You take dirt and you lift it up around the base of the tree. (CA) See examples
  4. Foot (unit of measure); pied (unité de mesure).
     Li te gran gran, li te apeupre si pye. She was really tall, she was around six feet tall. (PC) ♦ Pa Lapen prann en moso lakòd e en baton kat pye long e li parti den dezè. Brer Rabbit took a piece of rope and a stick four feet long, and he went out into the field. (JR) See examples
  5. Tree, plant, shrub, stalk; arbre, plante, arbuste, pied, tige.
     Gro pye-la li kònenfe gro bouke blan-ye, komon ye pèl ye ki ora lagaldri? The big bush that produces big white flowers, what do they call them, the ones around the porch? (PC); Mo pye rozye ap fe flè. My rosebush is flowering. (CA); Piye fevi. Okra plant. (ST); Piye fleur. Flower stem. (ST); Piye mayi. Cornstalk. (ST) ♦ Pronn trwa ou kat pye trwa-kar (sa gen de rasin nwar) e fe en di te. Get three or four Virginia Crown-Beard plants (that has black roots) and make a tea from it. (BI) •pye bouke n.phr. Flowering plant or shrub; buisson ou plante à fleurs. Pye bouke-sa-la gen pikon an la. That flower has thorns. (PC) •pye dibwa n.phr. (PC). Tree; arbre. •pye d flœr n.phr. (BT); pye flè (CA). Flowering plant or shrub; buisson ou plante à fleurs. Nave en pye d flœr ke lapèle en bouke mariye. There was a flower they called a bridle bouquet. (BT); To plant en ti boujon e sa fe en gro chodyè plen flè. Se en pye flè. You plant a shoot and it makes a big pot of flowers. It’s a flowering plant. (CA) See examples
• pyòsh BT, NE, PC ( n. ) lapyòsh CA, PC piyòsh PC
  1. Hoe; pioche.
     La to skrep sa ave en lapyòch. Then you scrape it with a hoe. (PC) • Compair Bouki pran son pagné avé so lapioce. Brer Bouki took his basket and his hoe. (T4) See examples
  2. Spade (in deck of playing cards); pique (dans le jeu de cartes).
     En SPADE? Pyòch, se en lapyòch. A ‘spade’ (in a deck of cards)? A spade, it’s a spade. (PC) See examples
  3. Spades (name of a card game); nom d’un jeu de cartes.
     Jwe lapyòch. To play spades. (PC) See examples
• pèbon PC ( n. )
  1. Prostitute; prostituée.
     Li pèbon. Ye di se pèbon. She is a prostitute, they say she is a prostitute. (PC) See examples
• pèl No sources ( n. ) lapél PC pél PC lapèil PC péyl PC lapèl BT, CA
  1. Shovel; pelle.
     Le pui, fale fouye sa a lapèl, venn-deu, venn-trwa pye. Wells, you had to dig them with a shovel, 22 or 23 feet. (BT) See examples
  2. Spade; pioche.
     Ye sévi èn pel, en lapel. They use a spade. (PC); Kan t ape fe en trou andan latèr, to sèr en lapèl en peu pli gro. When you are making a hole in the ground, you use a slightly bigger shovel. (CA) See examples
• pèlté PC ( v.tr. ) pélté PC
  1. To spade, shovel, hoe; pelleter, piocher, bêcher.
     Pèlte to jarden To shovel your garden. (PC); Kan to pa gen ase latèr otour dubwa-la e le rasin ape montre i fo to pèltre latèr par-desi-la. When you don’t have enough dirt around (the base of) the tree and the base and the roots are showing, you have to shovel dirt on top of it. (CA) See examples
• pènn CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Pan; casserole.
     Gen pou mete iskek andan ye farin e, epi fe ye lapat. La ka ye a fe ye lapat ase di aben ye genn met i dan ye penn, e lès li gonfle. They have to put their yeast in their flour, and make their dough. Then when they’ ve made their dough they put it in a pan and let it rise. (PC) See examples
• pènn No sources ( n., adv.phr. ) a pènn PC
  1. Barely, hardly; à peine, guère.
     Vyè Kadjen soti on Lil tou patou la, ye te pa ga aryen ditou. Tou kichòz t o bor isit. A penn, gen MAIL laba la. The old Cajuns from the Island didn’t have anything at all. Everything was on this side. They hardly even had mail service over there. (PC) See examples
• pènng PC ( onom. )
  1. Ding-dong; din don.
     Ye te gen en lakròch deyò-la, li se vini vandrèdi, sanmdi maten, ' penng! Penng! Penng! Penng! ‘ li se sònen laklòch-la. They had a bell outside, and when Friday or Saturday morning came around, ting! ting! ting! ting! He would ring the bell. (PC) See examples
• pènnè No sources ( n. )
  1. Penny, cent; sou, centime (centième part d’un dollar).
     ♦ [Pou] mal o don, mo fe trwa jwa noir pe pondon ma pe fe trwa lakrwa si don-la avek en deklou di pennè. For a toothache, I say three Our Fathers while making three signs of the cross on the tooth with a ten cent nail. (BI) See examples
• pèntansyè No sources ( n. ) pinitansyè CA
  1. Penitentiary, jail; pénitentiaire, prison.
     Si to kroch t a kou pèntansyè. If you’re dishonest you’ll go to jail. (PC); Kan ye voye twa dan penitansyè se pou en gro krim, to tchwe keken ou choj kòm sa. When they send you to federal prison, it’s for a major crime. You killed someone or something like that. (CA) ♦ Dernier jou la qué yé té gagnin pou jiger Marie yé dit yé sré voyé li la pénitentiaire. On the last day, when they were to judge Mary, they said they were sending her to the penitentiary. (FO T25) See examples
• pèpèrmid PC ( n. ) pèpèrmit PC pèrparmènt CA
  1. Peppermint; menthe poivrée.
     Dite pèpèrmit. Peppermint tea. (PC); Ye gen lwil pèrparmènt to pran sa pou de gaz . Mo gen de dousdous pèrparmènt drèt-la. They have peppermint oil. You take that for gas. I’ve got peppermint candy right there. (CA) ♦ Kraze bonm penpèrment; la sikre li e bwa en kirelye trwa jwa par jou. Crush some peppermint and sweeten it, and then drink a spoonful three times a day. [‘ pimpermint ’] (BI) See examples
• pèr CA ( adj. )
  1. Even; pair.
     Mo dòn de limero e mo mande si-la ke gen limèm pèr pou vini an avon. Sila ke gen limèm pa pèr ye rès annariyè. I gave out numbers and I asked those with even numbers to come forward. Those who have odd numbers stay in the back. (CA) See examples
• pèr NE ( n. ) pè PC
  1. Pair; paire.
     Nou tou te pa ka gen souye. Mo papa k chache en pè d tènis pou mo frè. We couldn’t all have shoes. My father went to get a pair of tennis shoes for my brother. (PC); Pè mile. Pair of mules. (PC); Pè pentalon. Pair of pants. (PC); Pèr de kilot. Pair of pants. (NE); Mo pè kilot-la li sal m e kou lave li. My pair of pants is dirty, I’m going to wash it. (PC) ♦ Li té pas gagnin pair soulié. He didn’t have a pair of shoes. (T36) See examples