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

• siga CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Cigar; cigare.
     Mo te gen en bwat siga boug-ye te donn mon. I had a box of cigars that those guys had given me. (PC) ♦ Apré nou zot té boa, li tiré so la posse kapo ein gro papa cigal qui té doi sorti laSavanne. After we had drunk, he drew from his pocket a big old cigar that must have come from Havana. (T12) See examples
• sigal PC, ST ( n. ) sigalin CA
  1. Cicada, locust, katydid; cigale.
     Sigal? Sè en bètay ki kone den en dibwa, le e chonte ‘Kenwi! Kenwi! Kenwi! ‘ A cicada? That’s an insect that’s usually in a tree, it’s singing ‘kenwi! kenwi! kenwi!’ (PC); Kan soley ape kouche, sigalen ape hele. When the sun is going down, the cicadas are singing. (CA) ♦ Cigal' là té chanté tout lété. The cicada sang all summer. (T1) See examples
• sigarèt CA, PC ( n. ) sigarét CA, PC
  1. Cigarette; cigarette.
     Mo te konnen fimen de pake sigarèt. I used to smoke two packs of cigarettes. (PC) ♦ Chese de flè kòrnar don en stov e fimen ye don en pip ou en sigarèt. Dry out some jimson weed flowers on a stove and smoke them in a pipe or a cigarette. (BI) See examples
• sigòñ No sources ( n. ) sigonn CA
  1. Stork; cigogne.
     En sigonn, li sipoze menen bebe. A stork is supposed to bring babies. (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 dinner one on one. (T20) See examples
• sijé No sources ( n. )
  1. Subject (of a king); sujet (d’un roi).
     ♦ Mait Lion qui té roi bois-yé vini si vié li té plérer. Tous so sijets-yé té foute li, tellement li té vini faib. Master Lion who was king of the woods got so old that he cried. All of his subjects mocked him, so weak had he become. (BD) See examples
• sikadril PC ( n. ) sikalis PC
  1. Cocoon; chrysalide, cocon.
     COCOON IS sikadril kèk zafè konm sa. A cocoon is called a [sikadril] or something like that. (PC) See examples
• sikatris PC ( n. )
  1. Scar; cicatrice.
     Li gen en sikatris on sa figur. He has a scar on his face. (PC) ♦ Se la ou li wa enn sikatris on so pat, e li rekonnen so lyon. That is when he saw a scar on its paw, and he recognized his lion. (JR) See examples
• siklón CA ( n. )
  1. Cyclone, tornado; cyclone, tornade.
     Mo se garote twa si tèlman to sa kra en siklón k ap pase disi twa . I would kick you so hard that you’ll think a cyclone is passing over you. (CA) See examples
• sikro CA ( n. ) shikro PC
  1. Sucrose (sugar content of sugar cane); saccharose (de la canne à sucre).
     Ye fe disik ave chikro-l. They make sugar out of sucrose. (PC); Si sikro mont, li bon pou koupe. Sinon , li gen pou atann en bon jle. If the sucrose level goes up, it’s ready to cut. If not, it has to wait for a good frost. (CA) See examples
  2. Molasses; mélasse.
     Chikro se en SYRUP. Molasses is a syrup. (PC) See examples
• sikré CA, PC ( v.tr. )
  1. To sweeten, add sugar to; sucrer.
     Li toujou sikre so kafe. She always sweetens her coffee. (PC) ; Mo fe lalimonad e mo sikre li. I made lemonade and I sweetened it. (CA) ♦ Ye te konnen donn latizonn altea sike avek di myel. They used to give an althea tea sweetened with honey. [ ‘siké’ ] (LA) See examples
• sil PC ( n. ) sòl PC
  1. Sill, soleplate (support beneath a house on which pilings rest); sole (pièce ou bloc sur lequel on dresse les pilotis sous une maison). (PC)
• sila gen, MO 60 ( dem. ) sula BT
  1. This one, that one, the one; celui (celle, etc.).
     Mo gen en bros neuf Li bros mo cheuve-ye myen parskè li en ti peu pli red ke sila ke mo te gen avon. I have a new brush. It brushes my hair better because it’s a little stiffer than the one I had before. (CA); Ki sila ki bèk ansanm? Who are the ones that are back together? (PC); Ti buti onkor la ling. Sila k arive primye, se sila k a tire leu primye. You lag at the line again. The one who arrives first, that’s the one who will get to shoot next. (BT) ♦ Quand cila té lasse li té rété pou posé ein pé. When he was tired he stopped to rest a little. (FO T3); Li blamé so mari tellement cila t’olait fou ’ li des coups. She blamed her husband so much that he wanted to beat her. (BD)[Postnominal]. This, that; ce, cet, cette. ♦ Li souvan zonglé limiro cila a porté li malor. He often thought that number would bring him bad luck. (T6); -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
• silènn BT ( n. )
  1. Cylinder; cylindre.
     I yanna en trou ke va desu enn silenn, pi kan sa va desu enn silenn, li frap leu mègeuzin, e li tir lakartouch deyòr, pi li me lòt. But there is a hole in a cylinder, and when it goes into a cylinder it strikes the magazine, and that pushes the cartridge out, and then the rifleman puts in another. (BT) See examples
• simagri CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Motions made with the hands by a folk healer while treating a patient; mouvements que fait un traiteur avec les mains.
     O mo popa te kònen fe de simagri, li, avek so dwaye, e di en priyè, e t ena plen moun ki te va la, e sa te konnen pase, ye doulè. My father used to make motions with his fingers, and say prayers. A lot of people came to him for that, and their pains would go away. (PC) ; Li t ape fe tou zespès simagri devan man. He was making all sorts of secret motions in front of me. (CA) See examples
  2. Gossip; commérages, racontars.
     To te la parle to simagri. To t ape fe de kont apre man. You were there spreading gossip. You were telling tales about me. (CA) See examples
• siman PC ( n. ) simon BT, CA, PC
  1. Cement; ciment.
     Ti chmen d kampangn, te me pa de simon an ba. Tou bonnmon ye me BLACKTOP. Little country roads, they don’t put cement on them. All they put down is blacktop. (BT); Mo te konnen travay aven en boug ki travay lasimon. I used to work with a man who worked in the cement business. (PC); Li t ape fe du simon pou fe de pilye pou monte so lamezon. He was making cement to make pillars to build his house. (CA) See examples
• simityèr NE ( n. ) simitè PC simtyèr CA
  1. Cemetery; cimetière.
     Nou kouri mènè le flœr o simityèr le Tousen. For All Saints’ Day we took flowers to the cemetery. (NE); Prèt-la beni fòs dan simtyèr pou la Tousen. The priest blesses the graves in the cemetery for All Saints’ Day. (CA) ♦ Nous moman tchué nous, Nous popa manzé nous. Nous pas dans la bière, Nous pas dans cimetière. Our mama killed us, our daddy ate us. We’re not in our coffin, we’re not in the cemetery. (FO T16) See examples
• sin BT, CA, PC ( adj. )
  1. Healthy; sain.
     Lavyòn kochon pa sen. Pork is unhealthy. (PC); Ye di dolo don le pu se pli sen ke de tonn. They say the water from a well is more healthy than a cistern. (BT) ♦ Mé pendan yé tapé fé procés la, Doctair Macaque avé Bourriquet té pensé ça té pa sain pou yé tou lé dé. But while they were hearing the case, Dr. Monkey and Bourriquet thought that it was not healthy for them to remain there. (FO 1887) See examples
• sin No sources ( adj. )
  1. Holy; saint.
     ♦ Lé roi, cé la jistice en ho la terre, com Bon Djié jiste dan so saint Paradis! The King is justice on earth, as God is just in His holy Paradise! (FO 1887) •Sent Èspri proper n. Holy Spirit; le Saint Esprit, cf. èspri •Sent Vyèrj proper n. The Holy Virgin, the Virgin Mary; la Sainte Vierge, cf. vyèrj See examples
• sin BT, CA, ST ( n. )
  1. Breast; sein.
     Me to latèt on mo sen. Put your head on my breast. (ST) •donne leu sen v.phr. (BT); dòn so sen (CA). To breast-feed; nourrir au sein. Li donne so piti leu sen pour fe li annouri li. She breast-fed her baby. (BT); Li dòn li so sen. Se meyè pou bebe. She breastfeeds him. It’s better for the baby. (CA) See examples
• sin CA, PC ( n. )
  1. Saint; saint.
     Pèr Chaveureu...i di men plu gran sen enan se Sen Pyas. Father Chaveureux...he says that the greatest saint who ever existed was Saint Piastre. (PC); Sete en sen e en martir. Ye twe li avèk kayou. He was a saint and a martyr. They killed him with stones. (ST) ♦ Remase flè siro si le jou de la Sen Jon e pi la to met sa cheché don soley. Gather elderberry flowers on St. John’s day and then set them out to dry in the sun. [' saint Jean ‘] (BI) •Sen Bèrnar proper n. Saint Bernard; Saint Bernard. ♦ Pitit milâte là, Guichard, qui té toujours ein vié ganache, asteur au fond de Saint Bernard. The little mulatto, Guichard, who was always such an old fogey, is now at the bottom of a Saint Bernard. (T38) •Sen Marten propern. (BT). St. Martinville. 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) •la Sen Meda n. (BT). Period of heavy summer rain, rainy season; «la Saint-Médard», période de pluies fortes d’été. Se la Sen Meda k ape konmonse. The heavy summer rain period is upon us. (BT) See examples
  2. Virgin; vierge.
     Len en sen. She is a virgin. (PC) See examples
• sin-sou CA ( n. )
  1. Nickel; pièce de cinq sous, vingtième partie d’un dollar.
     Mèt to dan anba lòriye-la. Souri-la va mèt twa en sen-sou. Put your tooth under the pillow. The mouse is going to give you five cents. (CA) ♦ Safe kon sa vini pou pataje lajon, Bouki jis donn lonpen en sensou. So when it was time to divide up the money, Bouki just gave Rabbit a nickel, [ ‘ein sinsou ’] (DU) See examples
• sina No sources ( n. )
  1. Senate; sénat.
     ♦ Tout moune connin aussi que moin cé mari Françoése et Président Séna. Everyone knows also that I am Frances’ husband and the president of the Senate. (T34) See examples
• sinativ No sources ( adj. )
  1. Sedative; sédatif.
     ♦ Pou de kriz, to pe pronn dolo sinativ, to me li don lwil doliv e to pase sa byen onsonm si so lafigir e so latet. For rabies, you can take sedative water and put it in olive oil and smear that all over the face and the head of the sick person. (BI) See examples
• sinatris No sources ( n. )
  1. Senator’s wife; femme de sénateur.
     ♦ Mais li té va donnin ein grand bal , ou li té va ninvité tous les Sénateurs et Sénatrices, Gouverneurs et Gouvemourices que li té connin . But he was going to give a big ball, to which he would invite all the senators and their wives, the governors and their wives that he knew. (T40) See examples
• sinatœr No sources ( n. ) sènatèr PC
  1. Senator; sénateur.
     Li pa pase sa devan Kangrès, sènatèr, aryen. He didn’t pass that by Congress, or the senators, or anything. (PC) ♦ Yé fou li pli dé cent coups de fouette, quoique li té ein sénateur et Général dans la Milice. They dealt him more than two hundred lashes with the whip, although he was a senator and a general in the militia. (T38) See examples
• sinbo CA ( n. )
  1. Negro, black person; nègre, noir.
     En senbo se en nwa avek gro lalèv e latèt krote. A sambo is a black person with thick lips and nappy hair. (CA) ♦ Nohié met neg là (li té pélé Sambo, cé kofer tou moune pélé nou zot Sambo jika jordi) avé so fam dan chalan pou fé cui manzé pou li. Noah put the black man (his name was Sambo, that is why everyone calls us Sambo even today) with his wife in the boat to cook for him. (T13) See examples
• singulyé No sources ( adj. )
  1. Strange, unusual; singulier.
     ♦. Seulement en haut pommier té pli vini aukain des pommes, au lié dé fruit, c'est singulier, yé branches té porté des zommes avec ein corde autour yé cou. Only atop the apple tree no apples grew, instead of fruit (and this is really strange), their branches bore men with a rope around their necks. (T38) See examples
• sinj No sources ( n. )
  1. Monkey; singe.
     ♦ Droite devant moin, en entrant, té ein femme billé en singe qui té en haut bras un nomme déguisé en cocodri. Directly in front of me, upon entering, was a woman dressed like a monkey on the arm of a man dressed as a crocodile. (T40) See examples
• sink CA, MO 60, PC ( num.card. ) sin CA, MO 60, PC
  1. Five; cinq.
     Dezœf-la gen boui pou senk minit. The egg has to boil for five minutes. (PC); Mo rèste marye avèk li apeula senk an. I was married to him for about five years. (CA) ♦ Dan cinque minites li donne larenne so bague. In five minutes he gave the queen her ring. (T7) •senk œr adv.phr. (PC); senk è (PC); senk-èr (CA). Five o’clock; cinq heures. Li senk-è. It’s five o’clock. (PC); Tu jus vini demènajeu. Dènyè moso d buten ye ote l a senk œr. They just finished moving. They took out the last piece of furniture at five o’clock. (PC); No gen en labar. Li ouv a senk èr lez apre-midi. We own a bar. She (my wife) opens at five o’clock in the afternoon. (CA) •tou le senk n.phr. (PC). All five; tous les cinq. Nouzòt te senk fiy dan kabàn mon moman. E nou tou le senk marye ave prèt. There were five of us girls in my mother’s house. And all five of us were married by a priest. (PC) See examples
• sinkant PC ( num.card. ) sinkont CA, NE, PC
  1. Fifty; cinquante.
     To kònen sa en PINT wiski te kout? Senkant sou. Do you know how much a pint of whiskey used to cost? Fifty cents. (PC); Senkant-kat. Lannen nou marye. Fifty-four. The year we were married. (PC); Senkont-i-enn on l te gen. He was fifty-one years old. (PC); Ye te aprochan senkont dan ye. There were about fifty of them. (CA) ♦Y avait cinquante qui té déjà mouri. There were already fifty dead. (FO TI 8); ' cinquante-onze' (T4) REM: Regarding numerals like cinquante-onze Fortier 1887: 121 says «A strange way of counting of the negroes, but very common.» senkantèn num.coll. (MO 60). A number around fifty; cinquantaine. En nafèr d en senkantèn. About fifty. (MO 60) See examples
• sinkyèm PC ( num.ord. )
  1. Fifth; cinquième.
• sinmè PC ( v.tr. ) sèmin PC sènnin PC sinmin CA
  1. To sow, plant; semer.
     To pase en kiltuvatè ndan la ouvè li, la sennen to lagrenn to pase lahès, e la apre sa to fini, ka koton a lèvè to desose li, e to skrep li. You go over it with a plow to open it up, then you plant your seeds and go over it with the harrow again, and then you’re done. When the cotton has grown you lay it bare and you scrape it. (PC) ♦ Li senmen en ti pe kouchkouch ontou pwal ye, e la li pati ek wagon e kouchkouch bouki. He scattered a little couscous around the hair, and then he left with Bouki’s wagon and couscous, [' semé '] (DU) See examples
  2. To dump; déposer.
     T ape senmen latèr o lon di chmen. You’re dumping dirt along the road. (CA) See examples
• sinnggo ST ( n. )
  1. Nap; somme.
     Anon pron en singgo. Let’s take a nap. (ST) See examples
• sinnggo CA, ST ( v.intr. )
  1. To doze, (take a) nap; sommeiller, faire un somme.
     Mo las. M ape singgo. I’m tired. I’m taking anap. (CA); Mo t ape singgo. I was napping. (ST) ♦ So jié té apé cléré on ein gro popa carancro ki té jouké on ein vié diboi sec apé singho avé so latête en bas so zèle. His eyes were staring at a big old buzzard who was perched in an old dry tree napping with his head under his wing. (T6) See examples
• sinon CA ( conj. )
  1. If not, otherwise, or else; sinon.
     Si sikro mont, li bon pou koupe. Sinon, li gen pou atann en bon jle. If the sucrose level goes up, it’s ready to cut. If not, it has to wait for a good frost. (CA) See examples
• sinp CA, NE ( adj. )
  1. Simple, easy; simple, facile.
     Li òpsèrv pa me se senp. He doesn’t pay attention but it’s simple. (CA) See examples
  2. Artless; simplet.
     "Ga Fronswa la, laba-la, komon l ape travaye dur ondon en parey soley! «...» Sa, to pèl sa senp, mè lès li travaye, mwa mo pa trakase!" ‘Look at François down there, how he is working so hard in such sunlight. ‘ ‘That is what you call artless, but let him work, I’m not worried about it!’ (NE) ♦ Men kan li te konte sa a so fanm li te blije ri apre moun sa ye ki te si senp. But when he was telling that to his wife he was forced to laugh at people who were so simple. (JR) See examples
• sinp BT, NE ( n. )
  1. Medical remedy prepared at home or by a ‘traiteur’ ; remède médical préparé à la maison ou par un traiteur.
     Sa vou aranj sa se de senp konm en kataplas avèk. Se pa l doktœr ki donn sa. What you make yourself are called folk cures, like a poultice. The doctor does not give those out. (BT) See examples
  2. Any plant used in a folk remedy; n'importe quelle plante utilisée dans un remède médical.
     Lab-a-malo sa se en senp sa. Couch grass is a plant used in home remedies. (BT) See examples
• sinpléman No sources ( adv. )
  1. Simply, merely; simplement.
     ♦ ’Enbesil! ‘ ye di li. ‘To wa pa se senpleman en karankro?’ ‘Idiot!’ they said to him. ‘Don’t you see that it’s just a buzzard?’ (JR) See examples
• sintur BT, CA, PC, ST ( n. ) sinti PC lasintir CA sintir CA, MO 60
  1. Waist; ceinture, taille.
     Vou senti tro gro pou vo kilot. Your waist is too big for your pants. (PC); To pran en mèzur la sentur pou fe en rob. You take a waist measurement to make a dress. (ST) See examples
  2. Belt; ceinture.
     Mo detès lasentir. Sa fe soufè. I hate belts. They make you suffer. (CA) Èk en kab ou enn sentur, se sa ye te taye avèk. With a rope or a belt, that’s what they used to whip you with. (BT) See examples
  3. Waistband (in sewing); ceinture (terme de couture).
     Mo t ap fini kilot-la. Mo gen p mèt so sentur. Lès mo jongle sa li di man. Li di man trant-kat pou so sentur. I was finishing the pants. I had to put on the waistband. Let me think what he told me. He said thirty-four for his waistband. (CA) See examples
  4. Shingles; zona.
     ♦ To ouv en poul nwar e to pronn so di son pou detourne en sentir. To pay di son la partou on ho sentir-la. You cut open a black chicken and you take its blood to get rid of shingles. You spread the blood around on the shingles. (BI) See examples
• sinturon ST ( n. ) sintiron CA, PC
  1. Belt; ceinture.
     Li boukle so sentiron. He buckled his belt. (CA) See examples
• sinyé BT ( n. )
  1. Inside of elbow; saignée (du coude).
• sinñin CA, MO 60, PC, ST ( v., v.intr., v.tr. ) sinyé BT, NE, ST sènnyin CA, PC sènyé PC sènn PC sin PC sèñin CA
  1. To bleed; saigner.
     De k to te koupe twa move, se t ape senye en ta. When you cut yourself badly, it bleeds a lot. (NE); Mo fe arache en dan e mo trape en zemòraje. Li t ape sengnen. I had a tooth pulled and it hemorrhaged. It was bleeding. (CA)To bleed; saigner. La to pe pròch di li dròt ora li pour senye li dan so gargoton. Then you can approach him to bleed him from the throat. (BT) ♦ Quand li voir lamain Blanche apé saignin, li jiste soufflé en ho là, la main guéri. When she saw that Blanche’s hand was bleeding she just breathed on it, and the hand was healed. (T30) See examples
• sip BT, CA, MO 60, PC, ST ( n. ) sup PC
  1. Cypress tree; cyprès. (Taxodium distichum).
     Kofè ye pèl h en lak kabann o sip, navè sitan de sip ladan. They call it Cypress House Lake because there are so many cypress trees there. (PC); Lil de sip. Cypress Island. (BT); Ye sèr sip pou fe bardo, planch e pòrt Sip-ye pous andan sipriyèr. They use cypress trees to make shingles, boards and doors. Cypress trees grow in the swamp. (CA) ♦ Li pran so vol et couri jouké on pli gran cype dan diboi . It took flight and came to perch on the biggest cypress in the woods. (T8) See examples
  2. Cypress wood; bois de cyprès.
     Ye fòn de blòk du sup, e ye galère li, fe de bardo . They used to split blocks of cypress wood and plane the pieces to make shingles. (PC) See examples
• sipliyé No sources ( v.tr. )
  1. To beg; supplier.
     ♦ Quand Compair Lapin réveillé et li oua li méme fermé li sipplié Mme . Carencro laissé li sorti. When Brer Rabbit woke up and saw that he was locked up he begged Mrs. Crow to let him go. (FO T6) See examples
• siprièr CA ( n. ) sipriyè CA sipriyèr CA, PC
  1. Cypress swamp; cyprière, marécage où poussent des cyprès.
     Ena du mòn ki pèl sa èn sipriyèr, pei ba, ye gen tou kalte d non pou lè. There are some people who call it a cypress forest, or a lowlands, there are all kinds of names for it. (PC); Ena en ta bòskòyo-sip andan sipriyèr. Ena dolo ho e to va pa wa bòskòyo-sip. There are a lot of cypress knees in the swamp. There is a flood and you won’t see the cypress knees. (CA) ♦ Li mennen mwen don sipriyèr. He led me into a cypress swamp. (TP) See examples
• sipré CA, PC ( n. ) sipriyo PC
  1. Red cedar; cèdre. (Juniperus virginiana).
     Mo chifòròb se fe avèk sipre. Mo mèt mo lenj andan-la . Mit-ye lenm pa sa. My dresser is made of cedar. I put my clothes in there. Moths don’t like it. (CA) See examples
• sir No sources ( n. ) lasir CA
  1. Wax; cire.
     M ap fon lasir. I’m melting wax. (CA) ♦[Pou] bobo, i fo to fe twa en lagres avek lagres kochon e lasir. For sores, you must make a grease with pigfat and wax. (BI) See examples
  2. Mucus (in the eyes after sleep); mucus, mucosité (dans les yeux après le sommeil).
     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
• sirié CA, ST ( n. ) siryé PC
  1. Wax myrtle, small wax myrtle; drier. (Myrica cerifera L.)
     En sirye sè en dibwa. A wax myrtle is a tree. (PC); Sirie-ye fieri tou lete e ye gen en joli lekòrch ke plich dan livèr. Wax myrtles flower all summer and they have a nice bark that peels in winter. (CA) See examples
• sirk No sources ( n. ) sirkus CA
  1. Circus; cirque.
     Enave en sirkus ke vini dan park-la. There was a circus that came into the park. (CA) ♦ Li batte so flan avé so la tchié, ça te résonnin com ein gro papa tambour yé gagnin dan cirque. He beat his sides with his tail, it made a noise like a big drum in a circus. (FO 1887) See examples
• sirkulé CA ( v.intr. ) sœrkulé PC sèrkilé PC
  1. To circulate; circuler.
     Si dusan-la pa ka sèrkile dan to kò, se kèkkichò ki peche li sèrkile. If the blood isn’t circulating in your body, there’s something that’s preventing it from circulating. (PC); Mo san ape sirkule dan mo kòr. My blood is circulating in my body. (CA) See examples