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
Information on contents and orthography:
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- Warning: There has been no censoring of the data, including offensive language or racial slurs.
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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).
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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
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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
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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
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taks
No sources
(
n.
)
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Tax; taxe, impôt.
♦ Lé roi té fé tou zanimo payé taxe pou boi dan pi la ké yé té crézé avé yé la siér! The king would make all the animals pay taxes to drink the water from the well they had dug with their sweat! (FO 1887)
See examples
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také
CA, PC
(
n.
)
takté
CA
-
Wooden door latch; loquet en bois.
Ennen en take kote prèmyè lapòt. There’s a latch on the first door. (PC); Take-la kase. To pa kapab fèrmen lapòrt. The latch is broken. You can’t close the door. (CA)
See examples
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také
BT, CA
(
v.tr.
)
-
To latch; fermer au loquet.
To gen pou fe tourtou. Lapòt-lœ take par-onndon. You have to go around (to the other door). The door is latched from the inside. (BT); Ena de koken isi. Take mo lapòrt. There are thieves here. Latch my door. (CA)
See examples
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tal
CA, NE
(
n.
)
-
Tuft, clump, grove, patch; taillis, bocage.
Va pa otour tal dibwa-la, akòz na petèt en sèrpon-la. Don’t go near that grove of trees, because there might be a snake there. (NE) ♦ Li té apé passé au ra ein talle zéronce. He was going by a briar patch. (T2)
See examples
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Mound; butte, tas.
Kan ye pik matla , ye mèt en piton pou garde li ansanm. Otreman , to gen tou la mous dan en tal. When they stitch a mattress, they put in mattress plugs. Otherwise, all the moss is in a pile. (CA) •tal fromi n.phr. (CA). Ant hill; fourmilière. Si to jis touche en tal froumi rouj, ye va sòrti e grenpe apre twa e mòrd twa. If you just touch a red ant hill, they’ll come out and climb on you and bite you. (CA)
See examples
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talon
BT, CA, PC, ST
(
n.
)
-
Heel; talon.
Mo marche anho en deklou e mo pike mo talon. I stepped on a nail and I pierced my heel. (ST) ♦ Même ti fourmi la qué Colombe té sauvé, piqué talon n’homme la et ca fait li graté. The same ant that Dove had saved stung the man’s heel and made him itch. (T18)
See examples
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Heel (of shoe); talon (d’une chaussure).
Kan no t ape jwe ti madanm, no mèt de gro soulye e talon. When we played house, we put on big high-heeled shoes. (CA) •talon ho n.phr. (BT). High heels; talons hauts. Èl marche don legliz tou faro èk de talon ho. She walked into church all dressed up in high heels. (BT)
See examples
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talèr
BT, CA, ST
(
adv.
)
talé
CA, PC
titalè
PC
tèlè
PC
toutanlè
NE
talœr
NE
-
A moment ago, a short while ago; tout à l’heure.
Mo joue BASEBALL talœr e mo las astèr. I just played baseball and I’m tired now. (NE); Li pele man talèr pou di man l ap vini demen. He called me a little while ago to tell me he’s coming tomorrow. (CA)
See examples
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Soon, in a little bit, shortly; bientôt, tout à l’heure, bientôt.
No va ale deyòr talèr. We’ll go outside shortly. (CA) ♦ Talè chèrif vini, li trape nonm-la pou met li don la prizon. Shortly the sheriff came and caught the man and put him in jail. (LA)
See examples
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talé
PC
(
v.tr.
)
-
To spread out; étaler.
Ena andan de ti lila ki tale. Some of the little China Ball trees are short and spread out. (PC) ♦ Konm ta tale to lanat ta dromi. As you make your bed, so shall you sleep. (BD)
See examples
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tam
No sources
(
onom.
)
-
Pow! Paf!
♦ Li fou li: -Tam! He struck him, pow! (T2)
See examples
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tamizé
CA
(
v.tr.
)
tamiz
CA
tanmizé
PC
-
To winnow; vanner. (PC)
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To sift; tamiser.
Mo tanmize mo farin, byen. I sift my flour well. (PC); Li tamize digri-la pou fè lafarin mayi-la. She sifted the grits to make the commeal. (CA)
See examples
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tan
CA, PC
(
conj.
)
-
When; quand.
Mo te e lave mo lasyet tan telefòn-la pele. I was washing my dishes when the telephone rang. (PC) ♦ Tan yé rivé déziéme zalon, Compair Chivreil siflé: fioute! When they arrived at the second goal, Brer Deer whistled, ‘Rats!’ (T5)
See examples
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tan
CA
(
n.
)
ton
PC
-
Horsefly; taon.
En ton. Le e mòrd mile-la, o le e mòrd lavach-la. A horsefly. They bite mules or cows. (PC) •ton d vach v.phr. (CA). Horsefly; taon. Ton d vach. Se en gro tan me sa pik pa. Sa sis disan apre lavach-ye. Ye te trape maladi chèrbon, maladi tan dòn ye. It’s a big horse-fly that doesn’t bite. It sucks blood from cows. They would get anthrax, a sickness horseflies give them. (CA)
See examples
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Bee; abeille.
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) •tan d trèf n.phr. (CA). Honeybee; abeille.
See examples
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tan
CA, MO 60, PC, ST
(
n.
)
ta
PC
ton
CA, NE, PC
-
Time; temps.
Ka ye marye ye vini isi, ben , ka te tan pou mon pou ne, li kouri bèk kote so-kenn moun. When they got married they came here, but when it was time for me to be bom she went back to her family. (PC); Mo pa gen tan. I haven’t got time. (CA) ♦ C’est bon temps pou roulé et bon temps pou planté. It’s a good time for sugar harvesting and a good time for planting. (T27) •a tan adv.phr. On time, in time; à l’heure, à temps. ♦ Eh! vié gran popa, vou rivé jiche à tan! Well, old grandfather, you arrive just on time! (T7) •bon-ton n.phr. Good time(s), fim; divertissement, amusement, cf. bon-ton •en bout tan n.phr. A while; un bout de temps. cf. bout •gen bon-ton v.phr. To have a good time, have a ball; passer du bon temps, s’amuser, cf. bon-ton • dan tan-sa-la adv.phr. (PC); dan s tan-sa-la, dan s tan, dan s tan-la, dan tan-la (CA); dan l tan, dan tan, dan tan-sa-a-la, dan tan-sa-ye, dan ton-la, don I ton, (PC); don s ton-sa-la (NE; PC); don ton-la; don s ton-la; don ton-sa-la; don le ton-sa-la (NE). 1) In those days, back then, during that time; dans ce temps-là, à cette époque-là, pendant ce temps-là. On dire, moun se viv plu lantan dan s tan-la . It seems as if people lived longer in those days. (PC) ♦ Dan tan lé zot foi, Compair Chivreil avé Compair Torti té tou lé dé apé fé lamou à Mamzel Calinda. In the old days Brer Goat and Brer Tortoise were both wooing Miss Calinda. (T5) 2) During that time, in the meantime; entretemps. Dan tan-sa-la ptèt m a parle avek boug-ye. In the meantime perhaps I will talk with those guys. (PC) •dan mo-ken tan (CA); don s ton mo-tchenn ton adv.phr. dan mo-kenn ton, don s ton so-tchenn ton (PC). In my (your, his, etc.) youth, in my (your, his, etc.) day, when I (you, he, etc.) was young; pendant ma (ta, sa, etc.) jeunesse, dans mon (tan, son, etc.) jeune temps, quand j’ (ta, il, etc. ) étais jeune. Dan mo-kenn ton, moun-ye te konnen tchwe kochon-ye dan lete. When I was young people would slaughter hogs in the summer. (PC) ♦ Vié mait content, lapé allé, vini, comme dans temps so jène temps. The old master is happy, he is going and coming as in his young days. (T27) •en tan adv.phr. (PC). At one time; à une certaine époque. Li dòn twa lalimyè. Se jich sa enave en tan, en lalanp. It gives you light. That’s all there was at one time, a (kerosene) lamp. (PC) •gagne tan v.phr. (PC). To have (the) time; avoir le temps. Mo vini bèk isit, pou gen en tan pou poze en ti bren anvon mo kouri bèk dan MOBILE . I came back here to have time to rest before going back to Mobile. (PC) ♦ Dimin mo pa gagné tem, bon Madamme; si vou té capab donne mouen li asoâ , mo té ben contan. Tomorrow I will not have time, good lady; if you could give it to me tonight, I’d be very happy. (T6) •le ton pase adv.phr. (BT); tan pase (CA; PC). Formerly, in the past; autrefois, dans le passé. Jòrdi le moun nwar lib, mè le ton pase, don ton mo gron-popa a mo papa a mon, nouzòt nou te de SLAVES . Today black people are free, but in the past, in the days of my father’s grandfather, we were slaves. (BT); Le tan pase sete diferan kòm astèr-la. In the past, it was different than now. (CA) •le vye ton adv.phr. (NE); vye tan (CA). Formerly, in the past; autrefois, dans le passé. Se te en ta mye ondon le vyeu ton. It was much better in the past. (NE) •vye tan passe n.phr. (CA); vyè tan (PC). Old times, olden days; le passé. Ye te kònè parle pou vyè tan. They used to talk about the olden days. (PC); Vye tan pase, moun te mete bidon-ye sir latèt. In the olden days, people used to wear tophats on their head. (CA) •on mèm ton adv.phr. (BT); mèm ton (PC); a mèm tan (ST). At the same time; en même temps. Vou koup pa li mèm ton. You don’t cut it at the same time. (PC); Mwen avèk mo bèl-sœr jwenn ansanm e nou arive a la fèt a mèm tan. I met my sister-in-law and we arrived at the party at the same time. (ST) ♦ Yé oua ein lumière loin, loin, et en minme temps géants vini pou trappé yé. They saw a light far off, and at the same time the giants came to catch them. (FO T22) • pèd (son) ton v.phr. (PC); pèr ton (CA). To waste one’s time; perdre son temps. Se sè pa mon monde li. Paski mo te e pèd mon ton. It would have been of no use for me to ask him, I would have been wasting my time. (PC); Li p ap fe aryen. Li jich ap pèr ton. He’s not doing anything. He’s just wasting time. (CA) ♦ Compair Lapin pa perdi tem. Li ouvri la finète et soté dihor. Brer Rabbit did not waste time. He opened the window and jumped out. (T4) •pran (so) tan v.phr. (PC). To take one’s time; prendre son temps. Li gen pran so tan. He is going to take his time. (PC) ♦ C’est mié to tonne et pronne to temps. It’s better for you to wait and take your time. (BD) •pou tou tan adv.phr. (CA); pou tou-l-tan (CA); tou tan (ST). For good, forever; pour de bon, pour toujours. Mo va lenmen twa tou tan. I will love you forever. (ST) ♦ Ye te kwa li te deside rete an Frans pou tou tan. They thought he had decided to stay in France for good. (JR) •tanz-an-tan adv.phr . (CA; PC); tonz-on-ton (NE; PC); tanz-a-òt (BT); tou tanzentan, deu tanz-an-tan (ST). Now and then, from time to time; de temps en temps. Tanz-an-tan to se wen en kokodri. From time to time you would see an alligator. (PC) ♦ Nous trop malheureux et nous oulé connin si nous pas capabe temps en temps manzé moutons nous zotes maites. We are too miserable, and we wanted to know if we couldn’t eat our masters’ sheep from time to time. (FO T15) •’temps par temps’ adv.phr. Now and then, from time to time; de temps en temps. Ca p’oté parler à le vent comme nous-autres fait temps par temps. He didn’t want to talk to the wind as we do from time to time. (DC) •tou-l-tan adv.phr. (CA; MO 60; ST); tou-l-ton (BT; NE; PC; ST); tou tan (PC; ST).1) Always, all the time; toujours, tout le temps. Mon monmon sete en gron kouk; li te kwi tou-l-ton. My mother was a great cook; she cooked all the time. (BT); Li konton tou-l-ton . He is happy all the time. (ST) ♦ Quand moune gagnin vingt-cinq pitis moune pas capabe pensé yé tout temps et moune pas oua si yé na ein ou dé qui manqué. When people have 25 children they can’t think of them all the time, and people don’t notice if one or two are missing. (FO T17) cf. toujour 2) Still; toujours, encore. (NE) cf. toujour •juska tan conj. Until; jusqu’à ce que. cf. juska
See examples
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Time, life; temps, vie.
Mo kònè li tou mon tan. I have known him all my life. (PC)
See examples
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Time, occasion; fois, occasion, moment.
Mo kapab rapèl keu èna de tan nou te gen zus de patat pou manje andan lamezon. I can remember times when all we had to eat in the house was potatoes. (PC); Ena en tan pou tou. En tan pou travaye, en tan pou regale. There is a time for everything. A time to work and a time to celebrate. (CA)
See examples
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Weather; le temps (météo).
Tan-sa tou kouvèr, to wa. The weather is cloudy, you see. (PC); Tan-la ap fredi. S ap ale fe fre aswa-la. The weather is cooling down. It’s going to be cold tonight. (CA) ♦ Li té mette so lommebrelle dans beau temps et li té couri ni-tête quand la plie té tommebé. He carried his umbrella in nice weather and he went bare-headed when it was raining. (BD) •gro tan n.phr. (PC). Storm; orage. Tan-la brouyase jòdi-a. Li sipoze pou kalm, me enna en gro tan ke e vini. The weather is drizzly today. It’s supposed to be calm, but there’s a big storm coming. (PC) •kou-d-ton v.phr. Bad weather, storm; orage, mauvais temps. cf. kou •move tan n.phr. (ST). Storm; orage. 5 . Menstrual period; règles. Fam-la gen so ton. That woman is having her period. (PC); T ap sennyen. To gen to tan. You are bleeding. You’ve got your period. (CA)
See examples
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tan
CA
(
adj.,
pron.
)
ton
CA, PC
-
So many, so much; tant de.
Kan nouzòt nou se lache ton nonm , aben vou te gen ton lòt pou pwante pou replase nouzòt. When we let so many men go, we had so many others to replace them for us. (PC); Enave tan moun la-ba mo pa wa li. There were so many people there I didn’t see him. (CA) ♦ Quand li rivé chez so moman, li té gagnin tant belle kichoge, ça té rempli lamaison. When he arrived at his mother’s he had so many pretty things, they filled the house. (T30) •fanm myen exp. (CA). So much the better; tant mieux. Ye vyen pa malad osi souvan. Tanm myen! They don’t get sick as often. So much the better! (PC) ♦ Ton mye, di Konpè Lapen, tou ta lè na ri. ‘So much the better,’ said Brer Rabbit, ‘soon we will be laughing.’ (BO)So much, a certain amount; tant. Vou ramas ton. You pick so much (cotton). (PC) ♦ Li té pas pé vini en ville tant li té pair Genéral Sheridan. He couldn’t go to town, he was so afraid of General Sheridan. (T40) •tan-ka prep. (BT; CA); ton-ka pou (NE); ta-ka (PC). As for, as concerns; quant à. Ye te jwe violon, akòrdeyon, tan-ka lakòrdeyon, sa se vit. They used to play the violin and the accordéon, as for the accordeon, that was fast! (BT); Ta-ka li li e manti, li p e di la verite. As for him, he’s lying, he’s not telling the truth. (PC); Tan-ka man, mo pa kapab manje dezeuf mole. As for me, I can’t eat soft-boiled eggs. (CA) •tan ke conj. (CA); ton k(e) (NE); ton ki, tan ki (PC). As long as; tant que. Tan ke man kapab e mo gen mo bon lèspri mo va rèste sèl dan mo lamezon. As long as I can and I’ve got my right mind, I’m going to stay alone in my house. (CA) ♦ Bouyi nèf grenn kafe vèr e fe li bwa sa tonk li pa byen inne. Boil nine coffee beans, and make the sick person drink that as long as he is not urinating well. [‘ tonque ’] (BI)
See examples
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tandi
ST
(
conj.
)
-
While, whereas; tandis que.
Tandi to momon pa la, to kapab danse kole . While your mama isn’t there, you can dance close. (ST) ♦ Tandis que coté Shriveport Liétnant-Gouvemair Antouène apé fait com si li té mort Whereas near Shreveport, the lieutenant-governor Antoine was pretending to be dead. (T38)
See examples
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tandron
BT
(
n.
)
tandran
BT
tondron
BT
-
Cartilage; cartilage. (BT)
-
Earlobe; lobe (de l’oreille).
Lœ ti bout ape pann anba l sa se le tandron isi . The little part that hangs down is the earlobe. (BT)
See examples
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tandé
CA, MO 60, PC, ST
(
v.tr.
)
ton
BT, NE
tan
CA
tann
CA
tandé
CA
tanndé
CA, PC
tondé
NE
-
To hear; entendre.
Ye pa abitchud tande moun parle kreyol. They are not used to hearing people speak Creole. (CA); Li pa tande byen. He doesn’t hear well. (ST) ♦ Mais panga flève, gros flève, quand li parti gonflé. Yé tendé li roulé comme moun qu’apé ronflé. But beware of the river when it swells. They hear it rolling like people who are snoring. (T27) •tan pa v.phr. (PC). To be deaf; être sourd. Li tan pa. He is deaf. (PC) • tan dur v.phr. (CA); tan dir (CA); tan di, di pou tande (PC); tande dyur (ST). To be hard of hearing; être dur d’oreille. Li tan di. He’s hard of hearing. (PC); Li tande dyœr. He is hard of hearing. (ST) •tann di v.phr. To hear say, hear; entendre dire. ♦ Mo tann di ke ouzòt tou le de ben fo. I hear that both of you are very strong. (JR) •tannde pou v.phr. (CA; PC); tonnde (no prep.) (PC). To hear of; entendre parler de. Mo ja tannde pou Lafayet mè mo janmè jwenn li. I’ve heard of Lafayette J., but I’ve never met him. (PC) •’tendé connin’ v.phr. To hear of; entendre parler de. ♦ Alorse, quand madame la tendé connin promesse la Marie té fait la Sainte Vierge, li fait ein corbeille avec plis belle flère layé li té capabe trouvé dans so jardin. So when the woman heard the promise that Mary made to the Holy Virgin, she made a basket with the prettiest flowers that she could find in her garden. (FO T25) Conjug: tandu past part. Heard; entendu. T a tandu sa deja? Have you ever heard that? (PC)
See examples
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To listen to; écouter.
Nou tan RADIO tou le maten. We listen to the radio every morning. (PC) ♦ Tendé di vent, ma chère, mais pas zouragan. Listen to the wind, my darling, but it’s no hurricane. (T27)
See examples
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tank
CA
(
n.
)
-
Squaw, Indian woman; squaw, femme amérindienne.
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tanmbour
PC
(
n.
)
tambou
CA, PC
tanmbou
CA, PC
-
Drum; tambour.
Ye te konnen fe tanmbou-ye ye-menm, ye te konnen pran en bari avek en bout lapo-la pou li vini STIFF. THEN ye BANG li. They used to make their drums themselves. They would take a barrel and a piece of hide and stiffen it. When it became stiff, then they would bang on it. (PC); Bat tanmbour. To beat the drum. (PC); Danse tanmbou. To dance to the drum. (PC); Bal tanmbou. Drum dance. (PC); Enave en benn lamizik avèk en kòrnen, gita e tanmbou. There was a music band with a trumpet, guitar and drums. (CA) ♦ Quand dolo la té bien chaud Bouki sorti déyors et li commencé batte tambour et hélé Macaques yé. When the water was very hot Bouki went outside and he began to beat the drum and call the monkeys. (FO T8)
See examples
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tann
CA, PC
(
adj.
)
tan
PC
tonn
BT, CA
-
Tender, soft; tendre, mou.
Ka l se desalè ase, n te gen li ase tann ò zafè, se a motchye kwi la nou se mète lavyann ndan l. When it was free enough of salt and it was tender enough, and half cooked, we would put the meat in the beans. (PC); Lavyann-la te bokou pli tann. The meat was a lot more tender. (CA) ♦ So la main li si dou, si tende, mo s’rai d’jà croqué li. Her hand is so soft and so tender that I would already have bitten it. (T11)
See examples
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tann
CA, PC
(
v.,
v.tr.,
v.intr.,
v.refl.
)
tan
PC
-
To hang out (laundry); étendre (le linge).
M ape tann du lenj jodi pou li chèche o soley. I’m hanging out the wash today so it can dry in the sun. (CA)
See examples
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To set, put out, unfurl; mettre, déployer.
To tann en ladrag den en chalan. To gen apre san lanmson. You stretch out a dragline in a rowboat. You have about a hundred hooks. (PC)To lie down, stretch out; s’étendre. ♦ Kan ye tann ye-menm on planche-la ye te pròch pou dromi dibout, telman ye te las. When they stretched out on the floor they were ready to sleep standing up, they were so tired. (JR)
See examples
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tanpri
CA, PC
(
int.
)
-
Please, I beg you; s’il te plaît, je t’en prie.
Rantre, tanpri. Asit. Rès pa debout. Come in please. Sit down. Don’t stay standing. (CA) ♦ Tan pri, mo piti, donne moin enne pé dolo, mo ben soif. Please, my child, give me a little water, I’m very thirsty. (T30)
See examples
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tanpèt
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Storm; orage, tempête.
♦ Yé té déjà proche cap Sunium dan pays l’Attique, can ain terrible tempête comancé souffler. They were already nearing Cape Sunium in the Attic country when a terrible storm began to blow. (ME 90)
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tant
CA, PC, ST
(
n.
)
tanyt
PC
tan
PC
tont
NE
-
Aunt; tante.
Mo tanyt an kote popa, se yenk sa li te pal, sèle kreyòl . My aunt on my father’s side, that’s all she spoke was Creole. (PC); Mo tant te gen en kriz de nèrf. Li te dan lopital. My aunt had a nervous breakdown. She was in the hospital. (ST) ♦ Eh bien, Mardi soir, mo tante té fait limé tou so la maison. Well, on Tuesday night my aunt lit up her whole house. (T40)
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tant
PC
(
n.
)
latant
CA
-
Tarpaulin; bâche.
Mo te mizire pou mete en tant pardèsu tròk-sa-la. I was measuring to put a tarpaulin over the truck. (PC)
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Tent; tente.
Enave en sirkus ke vini dan park-la. Li monte en gro latant: There was a circus that came into the park. It set up a big tent. (CA) ♦ Na koné coucé dan maim latante. We used to sleep in the same tent. (T17)
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tanto
MO 60, ST
(
adv.
)
-
Shortly, in a little while; tantôt, tout à l’heure.
Mo bezwen chèrche piti-le de lekol tanto. I need to go get the kids from school shortly. (ST) •tanto...tanto adv.phr. Now..., now....; tantôt... tantôt. ♦ Ti Jean Malin qui té apé servi a tabe té couri tantot ein coté tantot ein lote. Clever John who was serving at table would go now to this side, now to that. (FO T2)
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tanté
CA
(
v.tr.
)
-
To tempt; tenter.
Dyab-la mete so bòt de sèt lye pou tante jèn fiy-ye. The devil put on his seven league boots to tempt young girls. (CA)
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tap
CA, PC
(
n.
)
-
Slap; tape.
M a fou twa en tap an to babin. I’ll slap you in the mouth. (CA) ♦ Konpè Lapen dòn li en tap, so pat kole. Brer Rabbit dealt him a blow, his paw remained stuck. (TP)
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tap
PC
(
n.
)
-
Lid, top, cover; couvercle.
La mo met en ti bren dolo, e mo mete en tap e ye kwi. Then I put in a little water, and I put on a lid and they cook. (PC)
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tapaj
MO 60
(
n.
)
-
Ruckus, racket, din; tapage, vacarme.
Mo pa kapab dòrmi avèk tapaj-la. I can’t sleep with all that noise. (MO 60) ♦ Tout d’ein coup yé tendé ein tapage, ein remu menage, ein train, comme si tonnerre té apé roulé en haut la terre. All of a sudden they heard a noise, a ruckus, a din, as if thunder were rolling above the earth. (FO T15)
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tapi
BT, CA
(
n.
)
-
Rug, carpet; tapis, moquette.
Mo di divan li, mo tapi te an loup, te pa bon . I said in front of her that my carpet was unravelling, that it wasn’t good. (BT); No te toujou gen en tapi devan lit pou no te pa mèt no pye an planche fre, We always had a little rug in front of our bed so we didn’t have to put our feet on the cold floor. (CA)
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taposhé
NE
(
v.tr.
)
tapisé
CA
-
To strike, hit, beat, slap; frapper, rosser.
Repon pa. M a tapise to ladjèl. Don’t talk back. I’ll slap you in the mouth. (CA)
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tapshal
CA
(
n.
)
-
Cape; cape.
En chal gen de franj k ape pann e en tapchal pa gen de franj. A shawl has fringe that hangs down and a cape doesn’t have fringe. (CA)
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tar
CA, MO 60, NE, PC, ST
(
adv.
)
ta
CA, PC
-
Late; tard.
Char-la te ta bo maten. The train was late this morning. (PC); Sa ariv ke li vyen tar. It happens that he arrives late. (NE); Li toujou gen en lèskiz. Li toujou ta pou travay. He’s always got an excuse. He’s always late for work. (CA); Mo manke lamès. Mo arive tro tar. I missed Mass. I got there too late. (ST) ♦ Li te vini pou regle det-sa-la, men li te tro tar pou toumen sa kouri an lwa. He had come to settle the debt, but he was too late to keep it from being taken to court. (JR) •leu plu tar n.phr. (PC). The future; l’avenir. •mye vo tar ke jamen exp. (CA). Better late than never; Mieux vaut tard que jamais.
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taratantan-tonbé-lévé
CA
(
n.
)
-
Children’s game; jeu d’enfants.
Taratantan tonbe-leve . Kan ye di sa trwa fwa e arèt devan en moun , moun-sa-a-la vini taratantan. When they say that three times and stop in front of someone, that person becomes «it». (CA)
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tardé
No sources
(
v.intr.
)
-
To delay in; tarder de.
♦ Mo va pa tardé couri coté lé roi. I shall not delay to go and see the king. (FO 1887)
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tarji
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Lethargy; léthargie.
♦ Piti la té sélement dans targie et bientot li sré bien encore. The child was merely lethargic, and soon he would be well again. (FO T20)
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tart
CA
(
n.
)
tat
PC
-
Pie; tarte.
Enave moun ke vann tart jiromon e tart labwi o le, tart koko sen sou la tart. There were people who sold pumpkin pies and custard pie, coconut pie five cents a pie. (CA)
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Meat pie, pâté; pâté.
M pa kwa mo jonmen fe tat. Mo ja fe gato. I don’t think I’ve ever made pies. I have made cakes. (PC)
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tart
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Tartar; tartre.
♦ Met en kirelye di souf e di tart mele. Pronn sa trwa fwa par jou. Put in a spoonful of sulfur and tartar mixed together. Take that three times a day. (BI) •lakrenm de tart n.phr. (CA). Cream of tartar; crème de tartre. No sèr lakrèm de tart pou lonflonmasyon dan to lagòrj. We use cream of tartar for a sore throat. (CA) ♦ [Pou] de emòrvid, pronn en demi liv lakrenm tart, en demi liv flè souf mele ye onsonm. For hemorrhoids, take a half pound of cream of tartar and a half pound of flowers of sulfur, and mix them together. (BI)
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tas
CA, MO 60, PC
(
n.
)
taz
MO 60
-
Cup; tasse.
Ye donn mwen en tas kafe san dusuk. They gave me a cup of coffee without sugar. (PC); Mo brile en tas disik e mo mèt dile andan pou fe dile karomèl. I burned a cup of sugar and I put milk in to make caramel milk. (CA) ♦ Pou vomisman bouyi konmami don dolo e bwa de ti tas tou le jou. For vomiting, boil chamomile in water and drink three cups of it a day. (LA)
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tash
CA, ST
(
n.
)
tak
PC
tat
PC
-
Spot; tache.
Nou te gen laroujòl kan nou te piti. Sa dòn twa tach rouj tou partou an to kòr. We had the measles when we were little. It gives you red spots all over your body. (CA); Kana fronse, ye mwayen jonn gen de tak nwa. Mallards, they are somewhat yellowish and they have black spots. (PC); Kan mo gen en tach anho mo lenj, mo tranpe li dan dolo fret. When I have a spot on my clothes, I soak it in cold water. (ST)
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tash
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Task; tâche.
♦ Tou tan la, les ote zanimo té apé fouillé dir, chakenne té gagnin so part louvrage, minme yé té quitté ein bon morceau pou la tâche Compair Lapin. During this time, all the animals were working hard, each one had his share of the work, and they had even left a big piece as Brer Rabbit’s task. (FO 1887)
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tashé
BT, ST
(
v.tr.
)
tash
BT
atashé
CA, ST
-
To attach, connect; attacher.
En marto sa se pour tache avèk de klou. A hammer is for attaching things with nails. (BT); Ye tache kouch-la e en lepengn-a-kouch. They pinned the diaper with a diaper pin. (CA); Anon tache patalon. Let’s pin the pants. (ST) ♦ ’tacher [tache]' (PE) 2. To tie up; lier, ligoter. Mo va atache pake pou voye pou mo frèr an vil. I’m going to fié up the package to send to my brother in New Orleans. (ST) ♦ Compair l'Ours fait ça Compair Lapin té dit et taché li. Brer Bear did what Brer Rabbit told him and tied him up. (FO T4) 2. To pin; épingler. Mon tach mon ba si se ase long mon konmons koud a lamen. I attach my hem, and if it is long enough I start sewing by hand. (BT)
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taso
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Dried meat or fish; poisson séché, viande séchée.
♦ »Premié chose: yé prend la vianne la qui yé pélé ‘tasso ‘, metté li dans to chodière avec ein ti brin la graisse et ein ti brin la farine.» «The first thing: they take a little of the meat they call «tasso», put it in your kettle with a little grease and a little flour.» (TN)
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tatanos
CA
(
n.
)
-
Tetanus; tétanos.
Li pike so pye avèk en klou. Li trape tatanos andan-la. He pricked his foot with a nail. He caught tetanus in it. (CA) ♦ Pou tentonòs, pron trwa rave epi fe en kataplonm avek ye e pi la met sa on bobo la. For tetanus, take three cockroaches and make a poultice with them, and put that on the wound. [ ‘tintonas ‘, ‘tintanas’ ] (LA)
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taté
PC
(
adj.
)
takté
CA
-
Spotted, speckled; tacheté.
E l fèmèl-la li pa gen bar nwa-la, li grizad, li gri, li tate gri parey konm en rob nwa le gen tat gri. The female doesn’t have black stripes, she is grayish, she’s gray, she is speckled with gray like a black dress with gray spots. (PC); Poul-la gen plim blan e plim nwa. Li takte. Li bo. That chicken has black and white feathers. It’s spotted. It’s pretty. (CA)
See examples
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taté
CA
(
n.
)
-
Index finger; doigt index.
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taté
CA, PC
(
v.,
v.intr.,
v.tr.
)
-
To feel around, grope; tâter.
Mo wa pa li me m ape tate ichka mo trouve li. I don’t see him but I’m groping around until I find him. (CA) ♦ Ti mait dit moin: taté, plis loin, plis fond, mettez to dé lamain, Guitin, pas per fouillé. The little master told me, ‘Feel around, deeper, farther, put in both hands, Guitin, don’t be afraid to dig.’ (T23)To feel, touch; palper. ♦ Jean Sotte gardé yé, li taté yé, li té proche envie mordé ladans. Foolish John looked at them, he felt them, he almost wanted to bite into them. (FO T18)
See examples
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tay
BT
(
n.
)
taye
BT
tai
PC
-
Tire; pneu.
Mo se mèt mon enn nouvèl machin anddan, mèt de bon tay. I’d put a new engine in it, put on some good tires. (BT)
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tay
BT, CA
(
n.
)
latay
ST
-
Waist; taille.
Li trèt to kòrdon, don twa li. To me li antour ta tay. He treats the string and gives it to you. You put it around your waist. (BT); Mo mirize latay-la pou mo wa koman mo se gen pou mèt sentur-l. I measured the waist so I could see how I would put on the waistband. (CA)
See examples
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Size; taille. (CA)
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tayo
BT, CA
(
n.
)
-
Hound; chien courant, chien de meute.
En tayo ti pa bizwenn monte jape, kan i va santi latras, lodœr, i va jape. A hound dog, you don’t have to teach him to bark, when he catches the scent he will bark. (BT); En tayo se en chyen komen. Li pa gen oken valèr. A hound is a common dog. It doesn’t have any value. (CA) ♦ C'était chaoué, ladjeole pointi et ti jiés nois; li parti galopé, mais tayo té oir li. It was the raccoon with a pointed snout and little black eyes; he took off running, but the hound dog saw him. (T23) •chyen tayo n.phr. (CA). Mutt, dog of mixed breed; chien de race mixte, chien bâtard. En chyen tayo gen de long zòrey. A mutt has long ears. (CA) •'Compair Tayot’ proper n. Brer Hound (folktale character); Compère Chien (personnage dans les contes). ♦ Vanderdi bon matin, Compair Tayot passé aura cabanne Compair Lapin. Friday early in the morning, Brer Hound came near Brer Rabbit’s house. (T3)
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