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

• rantré CA, MO 60, PC ( v., v.tr., v.intr. ) rontré NE, PC ront NE, PC ronté NE rant PC rantrè PC rint PC rantr MO 60
  1. To bring in; rentrer.
     No te fe dijwon e lalyòn defev-ye. Nou kite sa cheche e nou te rantre sa. We used to make hay with bean vines. We let them dry and brought them in. (PC); Lapli ap grenase. Va rantre lenj. It’s drizzling. Go bring in the wash. (CA) •rantre (la) rekòt v.phr. To bring in the harvest; rentrer la récolte, cf. rekòlt1. To enter; entrer. N te pa fouti rantre dan souloun-la. We didn’t have the right to go into the saloon. (PC); Rantre. Asit. Come in. Sit down. (CA) ♦ Li fé ein gran chalan ou ké li rantré kan dolo monté. He made a big barge that he went into when the water rose. (T13) •rant bèk v.phr. (CA). To go back in, reenter; rentrer. Mo wa kalimason apre en lapli. Kan ye wa twa, ye rant bèk andan kokiy-la. I see snails after a rain. When they see you, they go back in their shell. (CA) 2. To return home, go home, come home; rentrer (à la maison). Se tro ta, to rantre tro ta le swa, to gen rantre bonè. It’s too late, you come home too late at night, you have to come back earlier. (PC) ♦ Ein soir li té rentré tard bien piqué. One evening he came back home very drunk. (FO T15) 3. To begin, start (to); commencer à. (NE) See examples
• ranvwayé CA, ST ( v.tr. ) ranvwòyé CA
  1. To fire, dismiss; congédier, renvoyer, mettre à la porte.
     Li te pa ape travaye byen. Ye i pou ranvwòye IL He wasn’t working well. They had to fire him. (CA) ♦Li dit Jean Malin li sré renvoyé li si li té pas fait mié . She told Clever John that she would fire him if he didn’t do better. (FO T2) See examples
  2. To send away, send back; renvoyer.
     Li vini pou vann jardinaj me ye ranvwaye li. Ye te p ole so jardinaj-ye. He came to sell vegetables but they sent him away. They didn’t want his vegetables. (CA); Mo resevwa en liv ke mo pa òrdonen e mo ranvwaye li. I received a book I didn’t order and I sent it back. (ST) ♦ So mari té pli limmin li et renvoyé li coté so moman. Her husband didn’t love her any more and he sent her back to her mother’s. (T29) See examples
• ranvèrsé CA ( v.tr. ) ronvèrsé NE ranvèrs BT
  1. To turn over; renverser.
     Se leu sòk ki koup la tèr, me apre li koup, sila ranvèrs la tèr. The plowshare cuts the ground, and after it cuts, the ear throws the dirt. (BT); Li kouch toujou dan mèm kote. Li bèzonn èt ranvèrse. He always lies on the same side. He needs to be turned over. (CA) ♦ Pou la rat malad, to pas to pye gòch onho di gazon. E la to ronvèrs gazon-la. For a sick spleen, pass your left foot over some grass, and kick the grass over. (BI) See examples
  2. To spill (out); déborder.
     Mo pa mèt mo feu tro ho, parske, to wa, dile sa lèv e se se petèt ronvèrse on STOVE . I don’t turn the fire on too high, because you see the milk rises and it might spill out onto the stove. (NE) See examples
• rap* No sources ( n. ) rapé PC, CA, PC rarap larap PC, CA, PC
  1. Grater for com; râpe à maïs.
     Derape to gen en rarap, en TIN. La to ka fe dugru, e tou, me to ka vanne li, to gen en rarap. For grating you have a grater, a piece of tin. And you can make gruel and all, you can sift it if you’ve got a grater. (PC) See examples
• raplé CA, PC, ST ( v.tr. ) répélé NE rapélé NE rapél PC rapèil PC rapèl CA, MO 60, PC
  1. To remember, recall; se rappeler, se souvenir.
     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); Li gen bon memwa. Li rapèl tou kikchoj. He’s got a good memory. He remembers everything. (CA) ♦ Yé couri dans la chambre ou Miché... mo plus raplé so nom, apé coupé statue là. They went into the room where Mr. ... I can’t remember his name, was chopping up the statue. (T34) See examples
  2. To call again, call back; rappeler, appeler de nouveau.
     Ye repele li bèk onkor. They called him back once again. (NE) See examples
• rapé PC ( v.tr. )
  1. To grate, shred; râper.
     Le e tchòp la grenn-ye. Me e moule li, to wa. Sa se rape. They chop their corn, you see, but I grind it, I grate it. (PC); M ap rape en koko pou fe en gato. I’m grating a coconut to make a cake. (CA) ♦ Pronn de ponm de tèr, e rape ye avek en kouto. Take some potatoes, and grate them with a knife. (BI) See examples
  2. To file; limer. (PC)
• rapòrté BT, MO 60, CA ( v., v.tr., v.intr. )
  1. To take sth. back; rapporter.
     ♦ Djabe té gagnin pou tournin chercher ein la jarre dolo pou taingnin di fé. Li té gagnin pou couri rapporté so la jarre. The Devil had to go back to get a jar of water to put out the fire. He had to go take his jar back. (FO T19)1. To bear fruit, yield; rapporter, porter des fruits. Tou mo narb-yè kòmansè rapòrte. All my trees began to bear fruit. (BT) 2. To tattletale, gossip; dire des commérages. Ina en ta ki rapòt. There are a lot of people that tattletale. (BT) raptise v.intr. (CA); ratise (PC). To shrink; rétrécir. Letof-sa-la li vayan me mo konen kan mo va lave li, li va raptise. This material is pretty but I know when I wash it, it is going to shrink. (CA) rar adj. (BT; CA; PC); ra (PC). Rare; rare. Pu pèrsonn peu fè de chari. Se rar rar rar. No one can make plows any more. That is really rare. (BT); Sete rar mo te va o magazen koto. Sete lwen. It was rare for me to go to the store on the hill. It was far. (CA) ♦ Mo byen konm mo ye, paròl ra. 'I'am well enough as I am’, are rare words. (DU) •byen ra adv.phr. (CA; PC). Rarely, it is rare that; rarement, il est rare que. Byen ra en piti se gen en ti batay ave en lòt. It was really rare for a child to have a fight with another child. (PC); Byen ra enn te bezòn en doktè pou dèrivle so piti. It was really rare for someone to need a doctor to deliver their baby. (PC); Byen ra moun te gen la mont. Pou di lè ye se garde soley. It was very rare that people had watches. To tell time they would look at the sun. (PC) See examples
• rara CA ( n. )
  1. Hand rattle; crécelle.
     Dòn-li so rara. Li va rete kriye. Give him his rattle. He’ll stop crying. (CA) ♦ Yé n'avait deux banjo, deux paires rakatcha, ein rara et ein laflute en canne maronne. There were two banjos, two pairs of spurs, a rattle and a wild cane flute. (T40) See examples
• ras CA, MO 60, PC, ST ( n. ) laras CA, ST
  1. Race; race.
     En blan se en laras e, moun nwa se en laras. A white person is a race and black people are a race. (PC); Pa sa pou to lamourè. Se pa laras-sala. Se du move monn. Don’t pick a boyfriend from them. That’s not the race. They’re bad people. (CA) ♦ Mo cher garçon, mo olé sové nouzote larace. My dear boy, I want to save our race. (T6) See examples
  2. Grade (of livestock); qualité (de bétail).
     Mo se voudre gen la ras kochon-sa-la. Mo se voudre gen la ras poul-sa-la. I’d like to have that grade of hog. I’d like to have that grade of chicken. (PC) ; Kan vach-ye an sezon, ye te mennen bèf-la, parske sete en bonn ras. When cows were in heat, they would bring the bull because it was a good grade. (CA) See examples
• rasanblé CA ( n. )
  1. Gathering; rassemblement.
     Mo p ole twa dan mo rasanble. To tro fronte. I don’t want you at my gathering. You’re too rude. (CA) See examples
• rasanblé CA, ST ( v., v.intr., v.tr. )
  1. To gather together; se rassembler, se réunir.
     Kan no te dan en divèrti, tou moun te rasanble. When we were at a reception, everyone was gathered together. (CA) ♦ Kan zozos yé tendé gran sanson larenne, yé tou rassemblé aurà li. When all of the birds heard the queen’s great song, they all assembled around her. (T8)To gather together; rassembler. Ye rasanble tou l ansanm pou di nouzòt kikchoj. They gathered everyone together to tell us something. (CA) ♦ Tout so chiveix té rassemblé ça et là dans des tits tats qui té marré avec des cordons soulié. All of her hair was gathered up here and there in little piles tied with shoelaces. (T40); 'samble' (T2; T5) See examples
• rasazi CA ( v.refl. )
  1. To satisfy, fill up, eat one’s fill; se rassasier.
     Mo byen rasazi man avèk mo lasoup. I’m filled up with my soup. (CA) See examples
• rashé CA, NE, PC ( v.tr. ) rash PC
  1. To pull out/off/ up, take out/off; arracher.
     Mo gen en lavach ki bourbe dan bayou-la. Zo ole vini ede mwen rache li? I have a cow that’s stuck in the mud. Would you like to come and help me pull it out? (NE); Li gen lay plante dèryè men li pa rache ye. He has garlic planted back there, but he hasn’t pulled it up yet. (PC); Mo ale o dantis. Ye rache mon trwa dan. I went to the dentist. They pulled out three of my teeth. (CA) ♦ Compair Bouki raché so chivé, tan li colair. Brer Bouki pulled out his hair, he was so mad. (T4) •rach lèrb v.phr. (PC), rache lèrb (PC); rache zèrb (CA). To pull out weeds; arracher les herbes. L e rach lèb. He’s pulling out weeds. (PC) See examples
• rasi CA ( adj. )
  1. Stale; rassis.
     To sèrvi dupen rasi pou fe poudin dupen. You use stale bread to make bread pudding. (CA) See examples
• rasinn CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Root; racine.
     Rasin koton va ouchka dan milye ran, e ka lapli tanmbe, fimye frape rasin koton sa-l, li chanje konm nwit jou. The roots of the cotton plant go all the way to the middle of the row, and when the rain falls, manure hits the cotton roots and they change like day and night. (PC); Kan to pa gen ase latèr otour dubwa-la e le rasin ape montre, ifo to pèltre latèrpar-desi-la. When you don’t have enough dirt around the tree and the roots are showing, you have to shovel dirt on top of it. (CA) ♦ Trou la té dans racine ain n’harbe au ras la terre. The hole was in the roots of a tree, at ground level. (T23) See examples
• rasiré No sources ( v.tr. )
  1. To reassure; rassurer.
     ♦ Mé cété pou donnin li courage é rassiré li. But it was to encourage him and reassure him. (FO 1887) See examples
• rasuran No sources ( adj. )
  1. Reassuring; rassurant.
     ♦ Pour moi ça té pas rassurant de tandé parlé ce milâte. For me it was not reassuring to hear this mulatto speaking. (T38) See examples
• rat MO 60 ( n. ) larat CA, PC
  1. Spleen; rate.
     En kicho ye pel larat ki dan to lèstoma, e dan lèstoma en betay. A thing they call your spleen which is in your stomach and in an animal’s stomach. (PC) ♦ Pou en larat malad to me to pye gòch si en raket e to mezir li e la to koup li. For a sick spleen, you put your foot on a prickly pear and you measure it and then cut it. (BI) See examples
  2. Inflammation of the spleen; inflammation de la rate.
     Kan to te gen larat, to vant te gonfle. When you had an inflamed spleen, your stomach would swell. (CA) See examples
• ratatinin CA ( adj. )
  1. Wrinkled; ridé, ratatiné.
     Li pli jen ke man. A fòrs li tou ratatinen, li gard bokou pli vye ke man. She’s younger than me. Because she’s all wrinkled, she looks a lot older than me. (CA) See examples
• rato CA ( n. ) ratou PC
  1. Rake; râteau.
     Ina te gen de gro klou. Ye pèle sa de karvèl. Kan to pase sa, sète konm en rato. There are some that had big tines that they called [karvèl]. When you used that it was like a rake. (BT); To gen pou pran en rato pou rakle zordi. You have to take a rake and do some raking today. (CA) See examples
• ratonné PC ( v.tr. ) ratannè CA, PC ratannin CA, PC ratonnin CA, PC ratòné CA, PC
  1. To rake; râteler.
     Va paye le fey deyòr to tou ratonne. Go scatter the leaves outside that you raked up. (PC); Si mo se gen en rato, mo se ratòne tou fey-ye ansanm. If I had a rake, I’d rake all the leaves together. (CA) See examples
• ratèlyé BT, CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Dentures, false teeth; dentier.
     Se pa so ban dan-ye, se en ratèlye li gen. Those aren’t his real teeth, that’s a set of dentures he has. (PC); Mo wèt me ratèlye kon mo kouri kouche le swa. I remove my dentures when I go to sleep at night. (BT) See examples
  2. Harness rigging; attelage.
     To me en ratèlye desi chval-ye, kan t ape atle boge. You put harnessing on a horse, when you’re hitching up a buggy. (CA) See examples
• raté CA ( v.tr. )
  1. To miss; rater.
     ♦ Faut nous surveillé li et prémier qua oua li, faut pas nous raté li. We have to watch for him, and the first one to see him must not miss. (FO T1) •’raté (so) coup’ v.phr. To fail in an attempt; rater son coup. ♦ Tito ain jour té apranne tou ça vou té fé pu tchué li avan li vini dan moune; li té connin que can tour Johnelle té vini, vou té pa raté vou vilain coup. Tito one day learned all you had done to kill him before he came into the world; he knew that when Johnelle’s turn came, you would not fail. (ME 91) See examples
  2. To misfire; faire long feu, rater.
     Li te pa trape lachach parskè so fizi t ape rate. He didn’ t get his catch because his shotgun was misfiring. (CA); Fizi-la t ape rate. Li te pa charje. The shotgun was misfiring. It wasn’t loaded. (CA) See examples
• ravé CA, PC, ST ( n. ) ravin PC ravè PC
  1. Cockroach; blatte, cafard.
     En lòt kichò ye te kònen sèrvi si to te ge en bobo ki te e abouti pou vini myeu, ye te me en rave on sa. Another thing they used if you had a sore that was coming to a head and healing, they would put a cockroach on it. (PC) ♦ Rave pa gen rezon devon poul. The roach cannot reason with the chicken, might makes right. (BD); ‘ravée [rave]’ (LA) See examples
• razwa CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Shaver, razor; rasoir.
     Lam razwa. Razor blade. (PC); Lonton pase sete en lon razwa avèk en lanm ye te sèrvi pou raze ye. A long time ago, it was a long razor with a blade they used to shave. (CA) ♦ Compair Dahomey sauté droite diboute avé so boulknife ki té filé com razoa. Brer Dahomey jumped straight up with his knife that was as sharp as a razor. (T6) ; Dans so lamain li t’apé tchombo ein serviette et ein vié rasoir. In his hand he was holding a towel and an old razor. (T36) See examples
• razé CA ( v. ) raz CA
  1. To shave; raser.
     To raze to chvey-ye anba to bra. You shaved your underarm hair. (CA) ♦ Vaut mieux rasé et vande cala. It is better to shave (people, as a barber) and to sell rice cakes. (T31); Pa Renar te raze dépi avan-midi. Brer Fox had shaved at noon. (JR); So janm-ye te plen dive. Li raz pa ye. Her legs were full of hair. She doesn’t shave them. (CA) See examples
• rebour No sources ( n., adv.phr. ) a rebour No sources
  1. In a bad mood; de mauvaise humeur.
     ♦ Li entré chez li soûl com douze, qué dépuis li té à rebours. He came back home stone drunk, and ever since he has been in a bad mood. (T37) •’a la rebours’ prep.phr. Against, contrary to; à rebours de. ♦ Li té fait tout quichoge a la rebours bon sens. He did everything contrary to common sense. (FO T18) See examples
• rechté PC ( v. ) rishté PC, CA rèshté CA, ST
  1. To throw up, vomit; vomir.
     Mo gonbo fevi te fe mo rèchte. Li te filan. My okra gumbo made me throw up. It was slimy. (CA) ♦ Compair Lapin té ben malade a cause do l'eau et soleil et li commencé réjété tout ça li té manzé. Brer Rabbit was really sick because of the water and the sun and he began to throw up everything that he had eaten. (FO T4); Sa va onpeche ye touse e rechte en ta. That will prevent them from coughing and throwing up a lot. [ ‘richeté’ ] (BI) See examples
• relod CA, PC ( v. )
  1. To reload, load again; recharger.
     Leu GAGE deu leu RAILROAD difè ran larjœr. Fo tu delod a chak eta. A chak eta ou delod e reulod. The gage of the rails is different widths. You have to unload and reload at every state border. (PC) See examples
• remué No sources ( v., v.intr., v.tr. )
  1. To stir, move, move around, budge; se remuer.
     ♦ Comme li pas tendé Compair Lapin remué li cré li té mort touffe. As he did not hear Brer Rabbit stirring he thought he had died of suffocation. (FO T6)To shake up; remuer. ♦ Cêté divent, vous connin, qui tapé soufflé et rémié lamer. It was the wind, you know, that was blowing and stirring up the sea. (FO T20) See examples
• repo NE ( n. ) répo CA, NE, ST
  1. Rest, nap; repos, petit somme.
     Mo krwa mo pron mwa en ti reupo. I think I'm going to get a little rest. (NE); Tou lez apre-midi mo pran mo repo an sofa. Mo dormi en demi œr de tan. Every afternoon I rest on the sofa. I sleep a half hour. (ST) See examples
• resi PC ( v., v.aux., v.intr., v.tr. ) rési CA, NE réisi CA risi BT reisi MO 60
  1. To succeed in; réussir à.
     Li resi trape man an telefòn. He succeeded in reaching me by phone. (CA) ♦ A la fen li reisi ote pikan-la. In the end he succeeded in removing the thorn. (JR)To succeed; réussir. Ye fe tou sa ye te peu pour monntre mon la plu joli vi dan l monn ki nave, e mo krwa ye joliman byen risi. They did all that they could to show me the prettiest life that there was in the world, and I think they succeeded rather well. (BT); Li resi byen a lekol. He’s succeeding well at school. (CA)To turn out, produce; produire. Nou fe en jarden me no resi pa granchoj avèk jarden astèr-la. We have a garden but we're not producing much in the garden right now. (CA) See examples
• retournè PC ( v., v.tr., v.intr. ) tounin PC tourn PC tourné PC tournin PC rètoun PC rétòrnin CA rétournin CA rétourné ST
  1. To give back; rendre.
     Mo reutournè li bèk. I return it. (PC); Mo prete so sizo e la mo retournen li. I borrowed his scissors and now I’m returning them. (CA)To return, come back; retourner, revenir, rentrer. Ka to tounen to gen bengnen ankò to partou, to plen la pousyè. You will have to take another bath when you get home, because you’ll be all covered in dust. (PC); No te dan le bwa e no te ape hele e leko t ap retournen a nouzòt. We were in the woods and we were yelling and the echo was coming back to us. (CA) ♦ Ki sa ki va o bayou ape chonte e retoun ape plere? What is it that goes to the bayou singing and comes back in tears? [ ‘rétoune’ ] (DU) •tournen bèk v.intr. To return, go back; retourner, repartir. ...ouchka midi, to pran midi, la èn è to tournen bèk dan dezè. [You work] until noon, you take noon off, and then at one o’clock you come back to the fields. (PC) Conjug: rètouna v.intr.fut. Will return; retournera. To rètouna pi bèk ankò to vyenra pi bèk ankò. You will not return any more, you will not go back any more. (PC) See examples
• ri CA, NE, PC ( v., v.intr. ) rir MO 60, ST
  1. To laugh; rire.
     Yé jich e monti pou fas pou fe to ri. They were just lying as a joke, to make you laugh. (PC); Li ri la kontontmon. He laughed from contentment. (NE); Mo jich ap betize pou to ri. I’m just joking so you’ll laugh. (CA) ♦ Et tous macacs lé yé en ba nabe parti ri. And all of the monkeys under the tree began laughing. (T25) Conjug: an rian pres.part. Laughing; en riant. ♦ »La vou gen li ben, Misye Lyon , « Lours di li an Han. ‘There you are quite right,’ the Bear said laughing. (JR) •ri ant so moustach v.phr. (CA). To force a laugh; rire faux, rire pointu. L ape ri ant so moustach. Li p ole ri. Li pa konen sa pou fe. He’s forcing a laugh. He doesn’t want to laugh. He doesn’t know what to do. (CA) • ri jichka dan so ba vant v.phr. To split one’s sides laughing; se tenir les côtes de rire à force. A fòrs li t ap ri, li ri jichka dan so ba vant. He was laughing so hard, he split his sides laughing. (CA) •ri apre v.phr. (CA; PC; NE); rize apre (CA). To laugh at; rire de. Kan piti-ye t ape parle Kreol, ye t ape ri apre euzòt. When the children spoke Creole, they laughed at them. (CA) ♦ E Lapen la li te o bout mirye e pi li te ri ape Bouki. And Rabbit was at the end of the mulberry tree, and he was laughing at Bouki. (LA) •ri bon kèr v.phr. (CA). To laugh heartily; rire de bon coeur. Li konen ri bon kèr. He can laugh heartily. (CA) ♦ Yé tous fait semblant ri, mais li, li ri bon tchor. They all pretended to laugh, but he laughed heartily. (T25) •ri don (sa) barb v.phr. (NE); ri dan so barb (CA). To laugh up one’s sleeve; rire dans sa barbe. E tou s ton-la Lapen t ape ri don sa barb. All the while Rabbit was laughing up his sleeve. (NE) ♦ Compair Bouki ri dan so la barbe kan li ouâ tou so zanfans vini gra com cosons langré. Brer Rabbit laughed up his sleeve when he saw all his children getting fat like fattened pigs. (T6) —v. tr. To laugh at; rire de. ♦ Li té si béte tout moune té rit li. He was so stupid that everyone laughed at him. (BD) See examples
• riban CA ( n. ) rouban CA
  1. Ribbon; ruban.
     Li te gen de joli riban mare dan so latèt. She had two pretty ribbons tied on her head. (CA) ♦ Fo oucitte mo maitresse donne moin ruban, cofair mo oulé fé Emma é Caroline bel tou plin dimin. My master’s wife has to give me a ribbon, because I want Emma and Caroline to look beautiful tomorrow. (ME) See examples
• rido CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Curtain; rideau.
     No mèt baton bale dan bourle 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) See examples
• ridé CA, PC ( adj. )
  1. Wrinkled; ridé.
     Ka to vyen vye, to vyen ride dan to figi. When you get old, you become wrinkled in your face. (PC) See examples
• riflé CA, NE ( v., v.aux., v.tr. ) ruflé NE, PC
  1. To nearly, almost do sth.; faillir, manquer de.
     ♦ Ye rifle trape li, men li grenpe en bwa jis a tan. They almost caught him, but he climbed a tree just in time. (JR)To graze, brush (against); effleurer. Li tire apre li, mè li jich rifle li. He shot at him, but he just grazed him. (NE); Li vini si pre lotomobil. Li jich rifle li. She came so close to the car. She just brushed up against it. (CA) •an riflan prep. (PC); o riflon (CA; PC). Level with, flush with; a fleur de, au niveau de, à ras de. Chiko-ye, ye gen en bout deyò an riflan la tè. Cane stubble has an end that comes out level with the ground. (PC) rigodon n. Rigadoon; rigodon. ♦ Compair Lapin , pas manké vini dimin soâ et méné vou viellon calbasse pou jouyé zoli rigodon. Brer Rabbit, don’t forget to come over tomorrow night and bring your gourd violin to play a pretty rigadoon. (T3) See examples
• rigòl CA, PC, ST ( n. )
  1. Small trench, furrow (for drainage); rigole, fossé d’égouttement.
     Èn rigòl. Ina ki pèl sa en fose. A drainage ditch. Some people call it a [fose]. (PC) • Toi conné qui belle rigole, qui coule dans bananiers? Do you remember the pretty little brook that ran through the banana trees? (GC3) See examples
• riji No sources ( v.intr. )
  1. To roar; rugir. •
     Lion ki té le roi ouvri so la djole. Li rigi, la terre tremblé afirce li parlé fort. Lion who was the king, opened his mouth, he roared, the earth shook, he spoke so loud! (FO 1887) rijid adj . Rigid; rigide, raide. •Mo té pas gagnin soupçon, qué blancs té vini si rigide. I never suspected that whites had become so rigid. (T38) rim n. Rhyme; rime. ♦ «Baissez, macac « et pim! Béte la fou li ain clac ( esquisez mo larime). ‘Get down, monkey,’ and pim! The animal dealt him a blow (excuse my rhyme). (T25) See examples
• rimin No sources ( v.intr. )
  1. To rhyme; rimer.
     •Va tendé neg chanté, tout moun apé rimain. You will hear the blacks laughing and everyone making rhymes. (T27) See examples
• rin CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Backbone, spine; colonne vertébrale.
     Opere en kochon oben en bif, paski si disan otour le ren, sa va sengnen tou disan-lan pètèt pèd betay-la. If someone had to castrate a hog or a bull, because if there was blood around the back, the animal would lose a lot of blood and you might lose the animal. (PC) See examples
  2. Back; dos.
     Mo ren fe mo mal. I have a backache. (PC) ♦ ’Ça docteur là dit?' ‘Li dit com ça cé mo fin qui ouvert. Mo gaignin pou resté dan lite pendan tou ain semaine! ' ‘What did the doctor say?’ ‘He said it’s my back that’s open. I have to stay in bed for an entire week! ‘ (WO) •mal o ren n.phr. Backache; mal au dos. cf. mal See examples
• rinar CA, ST ( n. )
  1. Fox; renard.
     Ena en kont pou en renar-la. Ye kanay. There’s a story about a fox. They’re cunning. (CA) ♦ Ain jour au soir, Cigogne (mo cré c'était so fête) té invité Rénard soupé en tête à tête . One evening, the Stork (I think it was his birthday) invited the Fox to a private supper. (T20) •’Compair Renard 9 proper n. Brer Fox (folktale character); Compère Renard (personnage dans les contes). ' Compair Renard' (FO T15) See examples
• rinshé NE ( n. ) rinché PC rinchyé PC rinké CA, PC
  1. Back, spine, backbone; dos, colonne vertébrale.
     Epi ye se koupe vou rentche a kou-d-jwèt. And then they would cut your back with lashes of the whip. (NE); Ye fe frikase kochon avèk renke kochon. They made a pig fricassee with the pig’s backbone. (CA) See examples
• rinsé PC ( n. )
  1. Beating, whipping; correction, rincée, rossée.
     Dòn li en bon rensey. Give him a good thrashing. (PC) See examples
• rinsé CA, PC ( v.tr. ) rinshé PC rins PC
  1. To rinse; rincer.
     La vou lave li, mè la sa se pa fini. La vou gen pase li den en lòt lo pou renche li. You wash it, but it’s not finished yet. You have to pass it through some different water to rinse it. (PC); Kan mo fini rense mo lenj, mo me li andan en bake. When I’m finished rinsing my laundry, I put it in a washtub. (CA) ♦ Blanche rincé so baquet donnin li bon dolo fraîche pou li boi. Blanche rinsed her bucket and gave her fresh water to drink. (T30) See examples
• rinsé PC ( v.tr. ) rinté CA
  1. To beat; battre, rosser.
     Rense li pou mo! Thrash him for me. (PC) See examples
• rintonsyon No sources ( n., n.phr. ) rintonsyon d irinn No sources
  1. Urine retention; rétention d’urine.
     ♦ Pou lentonsyon d irin, bouyi en la men plen de ti sabo, e bwar sa trwa fwa par jou. For urine retention boil a handful of little pony-foot and drink that three times a day. (BI); "la rintention d'irin [la rentonsyon d irin]' (BI) See examples
• rish NE, PC ( adj. )
  1. Rich, wealthy; riche.
     La moun vini rich on fe wiski. People got rich making whiskey. (PC) ♦ Navé ein vié famme riche, yé té pélé Madamme Ranhoutan. There was an old rich woman whom they called Mrs. Orangutan. (T6) See examples
  2. Rich (of soil, food, etc.); riche (en parlant du soi, de la nourriture, etc.)
     Dezè-sa-la, latè-la rich. This field has rich soil. (PC); Mo te gen GEORGIA COW, te gen la krèm, dile rich. I used to have a Georgia cow who had rich cream. (PC) See examples
• rish CA ( n. ) larish CA
  1. Beehive; ruche.
     Le ti tan ape voltije e apre fè dimyèl dan en rich. The little bees are flying around and are making honey in a hive. (CA); Li gen en ti kabonn avèk de larich dimyèl e de tan. He’s got a little shed with beehives and bees. (CA) ♦ Kon mouch a myel ye te vini sise plakmin ye, Konpè Lous te djete ou ye te kouri. Konm sa li te swiv ye e trouve ou ye larich te. When the bees came to suck the persimmons, Brer Bear watched where they went. That way he could follow them and find their hive. (DU) See examples