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:
(see more)
- 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
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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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tour
CA, PC
(
n.
)
-
Turn (at a game); tour (dans un jeu).
La, ka li mo-tchèn tour, sè vini e se pèze li. Then when it was my tum I came and weighed it. (PC); Mo t ape atann e sete mo tour me keken dòt pase devan man. I was waiting and it was my turn but someone else went in front of me. (CA) ♦ Astère cé ouzotte tour rentré dans chaudière. Now it’s your tum to get into the cauldron. (FO T8)
See examples
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Round, pass; tour.
To fou li de tour chare, to bòs milye ran to lache li la, kit li gonn. You go over it with the plow, you bust the middle of the row and leave [the dirt] there. (PC)
See examples
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Walk, jaunt, short trip; promenade, tour, excursion, •fe en tour
v.phr (CA; PC). 1) To make a round, take a walk around; faire un tour, une promenade. Li vyen wa fe en ti tour toutanlè sa-la. She is going to take a little walk over to see me shortly. (PC) ♦ Mo appranne qu’avec Pinch li t’allé fait ein tour aux îles! I learned that he had gone with Pinch to tour the islands. (T37) 2) To curve (of a road); décrire une courbe. ♦ Safe kon li te pati en bout la ou chimen te fe en tou, Konpè Lonpen leve. So when he went a little ways to where the road curves, Brer Rabbit rose up. (DU)
See examples
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Turn, spin, revolution; tour, révolution.
♦ Nous marré, (pas sans fait des tours car boat té serré com sardine.) We moored, not without spinning around, for the boat was packed like sardines. (T37) •fe l tour v.phr. (NE); fe la tour, fe l tor (CA). To walk around sth.; faire le tour de qch. Pa Bouki kouri, li fe l tour poulaye-la pluzyœr jwa. Brer Bouki went, he went around the henhouse several times. (NE); No te blije fe la tour dan Donalsòn pou trape Tibodo. We had to go around Donaldsonville to get to Thibodaux. (CA) ♦ Li fe tour lamezon. He went around the house. (JR); Sete Konpè Lonpen ki te toujou ape fel tou don bwa. It was Brer Rabbit who was always walking around the woods, [ ‘fait l’tou’ ] (DU)
See examples
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tourbiyon
CA
(
n.
)
-
Tornado; tornade.
Tou kikchoj te tòrnen andan syèl o lwan, e plis sa ape vini pre plis sa vini gro. Sete en tourbiyon. Everything was turning in the sky far away and the closer it got, the bigger it got. It was a tornado. (CA)
See examples
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tourdi
CA, PC
(
adj.
)
tòrdi
CA
-
Dizzy; étourdi.
Kan mo bèse e mo vyen pou leve, mo tòrdi. When I crouch down and I go to get up, I'm dizzy. (CA); Patdan li di sa, ina en mòso d grel ki frape dan latet, e li monyè tourdi. While he was saying that, a piece of hail struck him in the head, and he was somewhat dizzy. (PC) ♦ Si keken tòm etourdi fe li bwa en ti bren lapoudfizi don dolo. Sa chas so di son. If someone gets dizzy make him drink a little gunpowder dissolved in water. That will get his blood flowing. (BI)
See examples
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tourdikoli
CA
(
n.
)
-
Whiplash; torticolis.
Li dòrmi tou en kote. Li te tou kroch kan li reveye. Li te trap tourdikoli. Li te pa kapab toumen parske so kou fe li mal. He slept all on one side. He was all crooked when he woke up. He had a stiff neck. He wasn't able to turn because his neck hurt. (CA)
See examples
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tourdisman
CA, PC
(
n.
)
-
Dizziness, dizzy spell; étourdissement.
Sa sete laparòl te sèrvi an lòt kote larivyè-la, tourdismon. That was the word that they used on the other side of False River [for dizziness]. (PC); To tourdisman kapab dire de trwa jour. To pa kapab marche. To disan ale anlè tro vit. Your dizziness can last two or three days. You can’t walk. Your blood pressure goes up too fast. (CA)
See examples
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tourman
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Torment; tourment.
♦ Ah Dié! Qui tourment, qui peine, dipis longtemps quimbé moi. C’est tourment la passé chaine. Oh God! What torment, what pain, for so long has held me. It is a torment worse than chains. (GC3)
See examples
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tourman-tèit
PC
(
n.
)
-
Dizzy spell, dizziness; étourdissement.
Li geny de tourman-tèit. She gets dizzy spells. (PC)
See examples
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tourmantis
CA
(
n.
)
-
Dizzy spell, dizziness; étourdissement.
Mo leve mo tro vit e mo te tourmante. Mo trape en move tourmantis. I got up too quickly and I was dizzy. I got a bad dizzy spell. (CA)
See examples
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tourmanté
CA, PC
(
adj.
)
-
Dizzy; étourdi.
Mo leve mo tro vit e mo te tourmante. I got up too quickly and I was dizzy. (CA)
See examples
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tourmanté
No sources
(
v.
)
-
To torment; tourmenter.
♦ Mom pas conné qui quichose qui appé tourmenté moin la. I do not know what it is which torments me thus. (GC3)
See examples
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tournavis
CA, PC
(
n.
)
toundèvis
PC
-
Screwdriver; tournevis.
To bèzwen en tournavis pou mèt vis-la andan machin. You need a screwdriver to put the screw in the machine. (CA)
See examples
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tournayé
CA, PC
(
v.intr.
)
tòrnayé
CA
-
To run around, run back and forth; tournailler, courir çà et là.
Mo latet kone anbete mon. To konnen tournaye, kouri vini konm sa mo pa abitchwe e sa. My head was bothering me; you know, that running around, going back and forth, I’m not used to that. (PC) •tournaye tou kote v.phr. (PC). To walk all around; faire des tours.
See examples
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To toss and turn; se tourner et se retourner dans son lit.
Chak rafal lapli reveye man. Mo t ape tòrnaye dan mo lit. Each blast of rain woke me. I was tossing and turning in my bed. (CA)
See examples
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tournin
PC
(
n.
)
tounin
PC
-
Beating, whipping; rincée, rossée, correction.
L e kouri bat e li e li gen fou li en bon bon tounen. He went to fight with him, and he gave him a good beating. (PC) ♦ Nonm-la kouri wa e li trouve nonm-la kache dan ladepans. Li fou li en toumen kou pye e fe li parti. The man went to look, and he found the man hiding in the pantry. He dealt him a volley of kicks and made him leave. (JR)
See examples
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tourné
No sources
(
v.,
v.tr.,
v.intr.
)
tourn
CA, MO 60, PC
tournin
CA, MO 60, PC
touné
BT
tòrnin
CA
tourné
PC
tournin
PC
tounè
PC
tounin
PC
-
To tum; tourner
. Li tournen lamonch-la an moulen kafe-la. She turned the handle of the coffee grinder. (PC) ♦ Si to tourne en lachez on en pat don to lamezon sa don twa»bèd lòk». If you tum a chair on one leg inside your house that brings you bad luck. (LA) •tournen do v.phr. (PC). To tum one’s back (on s.o.); tourner le dos (à qn). Ena moun ye mari e viv, ye toumen ye do. There are people whose husband is alive and they tum their backs on them. (PC) •tournen lalanng v.phr. (CA; PC). To be eloquent; être éloquent. Ye te priye an kreyòl. O si vou te tannde sa! Mè si mo te ka tournen mo-tchenn lalanng konm sa, mo te vini PROUD . They used to pray in Creole. Oh, if you could have heard that! But if I was eloquent like that I would be proud. (PC) •tournen latèt v.phr. To make one’s head spin; faire tourner la tête (à qn). ♦ Sa toumen ye latet e ye bwa plis onkò jiska ye te sou moriv. That made their heads spin and they drank some more until they were dead drunk. (ME) •tournen ann v.phr. (CA). To turn on (an appliance); allumer, ouvrir (un appareil). Mo va garde televizyon. Mo va toumen li ann. I'm going to watch television. I’m going to tum it on. (CA) •tournen of v.phr. (CA). To tum off (an appliance); éteindre. Tournen stov-la òf To turn the stove off. (CA) 2. To change, turn into, switch to; changer en, changer à. La, ye vini, ye mèt de gravwa deusu, sa a pa dure. La, ye kontinye uchka, la, ye toune li simon, BLACKTOP . Then they came along and put down gravel, that didn’t last. Then they went on until they turned it into cement, blacktop. (BT) ♦ Ennfwa enn ave en vye neg ki te konnen tournen li-menm an fifole. Once there was an old black man who could tum himself into a will-o’-the-wisp. (JR) 3. To turn, become (+ adj. or noun); devenir. Narb-la ke fe sa rèste vèr tou livèr. Tou lez ot ye tòrnen jòn e ye fey tonbe. The tree that did that stayed green all winter. All the others turned yellow and their leaves fell. (CA) ♦ Mo té tan sirpri ké mo trouné blan kom mo chimige bontin. I was so surprised that I turned as white as my gingham shirt. (T16) 4. To stir; tourner, touiller, remuer. Li pa tournen? She hasn’t stirred it? (PC) 5. To prevent, stop, keep (from); empêcher (de). ♦Nou vye hobo te chagren. Li te vini pou regle det-sa-la, men li te tro tar pou tournen sa kouri an lwa. The old hobo was distraught. He had come to settle that debt, but he was too late to prevent it from going to court. (JR) 6. To turn over; retourner. Mo tournen dezef-la anndan chodè-la. I turned the egg over in the frying pan. (PC) ♦ Vié neg dans rang di cane apé tournain la terre avec yé la charrie. The old blacks in the cane rows were turning over the ground with their plows. (T27)1. To turn; tourner. Si vou tourn a drwat, v a vini bèk kote Glin. If you turn right you’ll be heading back towards Glynn. (PC); T e malenpasyon. Ye dmande twa konmon te epi ti toun epi ti fe de kri apre mwa. You’re in a bad mood. I asked you how you were and then you turned and yelled at me. (BT); Jwen pa en chatig andan bwa. To pa konen si li va sote an twa ou si li va tournen e parti. Don’t go near a wildcat in the woods. You don’t know if it’s going to jump on you or if it’s going to turn and nin. (CA) ♦ Li commande so Baton fout yé ein bon trempe et Baton la prend tournin a droite et a gauche. He ordered his stick to give them a sound beating, and the stick started to turn right and left. (FO T15) 2. To spin, turn around, revolve; tourner. Sa toun, e la sa chèych. The dryer spins and it dries the sugar. (PC) •tournen lanvè v.phr. (PC). To roll back, backward; tourner a l’envers. Ye zye te toumen lanvè, tan ye te chante. Their eyes rolled back when they were singing. (PC) 3. To turn, twist; tourner, tordre. Kan li toumen, li te kòm li te kan nou kouri e l lopital. So labouch te e tounen kote, tou pa ka kòmprann sa li di. When he came back he was in the same state that he was in when we took him to the hospital. His mouth was twisted to the side, you couldn’t understand what he was saying. (PC) 4. To spoil; pourrir, tourner, aigrir. L a toumen. It will spoil. (PC) 5. To turn around; faire un demi-tour, se retourner, faire volte-face. Mo bloke mo chmen pa pou oto-ye toumen. I blocked my driveway so cars couldn’t turn around. (CA)
See examples
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tourt
BT, CA, PC
(
n.
)
-
Dove; colombe, tourterelle.
Le tourt, sa vòltij an lèr. Doves fly around in the air. (BT); En tout. To ja tande li, 'hwou! Hwou! Hwoul' A dove. You’ve heard it, ‘who! who! who!’ (PC)
See examples
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tourtérèl
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Turtledove; tourterelle.
♦ Koupè Bouki te trape en tourterèl. Li te ole koui li pou so soupe. Brer Bouki caught a turtledove. He wanted to cook it for supper. (TP)
See examples
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tous
PC
(
adj.,
pron.,
adv.
)
-
All (of them), everything; tout, tous, toute(s). Mo moman, popa, tou te rete la isit, se sa ki fe mo isi. My mother, father, all of them lived here, that is why I am here. (PC);
Misyonèr-la vyen pou done lamisyon. Se tou li fe se lamisyon. The missionary comes to conduct retreats. That’s all he handles is retreats. (CA); Mo swat ke tou sra meyèr èstonen ke tou te lane pase. I hope that everything will be better this year than it was last year. (ST) ♦ Là, yé tout pé créver faim , toi et pauv’bougues-yé comme toi. Now they are all dying of hunger, you and poor guys like you. (BD)All, completely, very; tout, très. To wa mè zòrtey komon se te tou blon, tou mouri. You see my toes, how they were all white, all dead. (NE); Sa tèt tu nu. He’s bald. (PC); Li tou aflije. Li pa kapab sèrvi so lamen. Li pa kapab leve. He’s completely paralyzed. He can’t use his hands. He can’t stand up. (CA) ♦ Bouki e Lapen te tou broube don bou-la. Bouki and Rabbit were all covered with mud. (LA)
See examples
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tous
No sources
(
n.
)
latous
CA, PC
-
Cough; toux.
No te sèrvi chèvreu-fey pou fe dite. Sa koup latous. We used honeysuckle to make tea. It breaks up a cough. (CA)
See examples
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toushé
BT, CA, MO 60, PC
(
v.tr.
)
-
To touch; toucher.
Piti-la touche stov-la, e li brile so lamen. The child touched the stove, and he burned his hand. (PC); Kan to plant to frèz-ye, to me en plastik chak kote pa pou ye touche latèr-la pa pou li sali ye. When you plant your strawberries, you put plastic on each side so they don’t touch the dirt, so it doesn’t get them dirty. (CA) ♦ To touch chak poro avek en grenn . You touch each wart with a kernel. (BI)
See examples
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To touch, tamper with; toucher à.
Nou sòti kote Tan Anryet, pa ka touche joronj-la. We would go to Aunt Henriette’s, but we weren’t allowed to touch the oranges. (PC)
See examples
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To heal (through touch); guérir (par imposition des mains).
Te kònè touche, si to foule to... They used to heal you by touching, if you sprained your (foot, etc.) (PC)
See examples
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To receive (money); toucher (de l’argent).
Mo zyeu gòj ap sote. Mo petèt ale touche en ta lajon. My left eye is jumping. Maybe I’ll come into a lot of money. (BT)
See examples
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Tousin
No sources
(
n.
)
la tousin
CA, MO 60, PC, ST
-
All Saints’ Day; La Toussaint.
Lontan pase, la Tousen, ye di twa moun te mach. Long ago they told you that the dead would walk around on All Saints’ Day. (PC); Prèt-la beni fòs dan simtyèr pou la Tousen. The priest blesses the graves in the cemetery for All Saints’ Day. (CA) ♦ Lœ jou avan la Tousen enn dan so zanmi-ye vini vizite li. The day before All Saints’ Day one of his friends came to visit him. (JR) •la vey la Tousen n.phr. All Hallow’s Eve, Halloween; la veille de la Toussaint, cf. vey
See examples
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tousé
CA, PC
(
v.intr.
)
-
To cough; tousser.
Li t ap touse tou lanwit. He was coughing all night. (CA) ♦' tousser [touse] ‘ (PE)
See examples
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To sneeze; éternuer.
♦ ' tousser [ touse ] ' (PE)
See examples
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toutafé
CA, PC
(
adv.
)
toutafè
PC
ttafè
PC
-
Completely; tout à fait.
Mo toutafe fini lave mo lenj avèk frotwa. I’m all finished washing my clothes with the washboard. (CA) •pa toutafe adv.phr. Not quite, not completely; pas tout à fait. Diz-nèf san vennt-sis, mo te gen, mo te pa toutafe gen sèz an. That was in 1926, I wasn’t quite sixteen yet. (PC)
See examples
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trafik
CA
(
n.
)
-
Traffic; circulation.
Ye pretan lari-la toujou gen trafik. They claim the street always has traffic. (CA); En souri-syòl, sa sanm en souri me li fe tou so trafik avèk so lake. A bat resembles a mouse but he moves around with his tail. (CA)
See examples
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trai
No sources
(
v.tr.
)
-
To betray; trahir.
♦ Vouzote allé oua comment Jean Malin sorti clair avec Compair Taureau qui té fait serment li sré tripé ti bougue la qui té trahi li. You are going to see how Clever John came out with Brer Bull, who had sworn that he would disembowel the guy who had betrayed him. (FO T2)
See examples
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traka
gen, MO 60
(
n.
)
-
Problem, trouble, difficulty, difficult situation; tracas, embarras, difficulté.
La movèz konpanyi va me twa anddan l traka. Bad company will get you into trouble. (PC); Mo dan lamizèr. Mo gen traka. Mo pa gen kouraj. I’m into a lot of problems. I’ve got troubles. I’m in poor spirits. (CA); Mo vwazin toujour gen en ta traka avèk so garson e ye kamarad. My neighbor always has a lot of trouble with her son and their friends. (ST) ♦ Navir-la kouri san traka pou trwa jou. The ship sailed for three days with no difficulties. (JR) •fe traka v.phr. (CA). To cause trouble, make trouble; faire des histoires, faires des embarras. To ap menen lonbara. To jich ap fe traka. You’re causing trouble. You’re just making problems. (CA) •gagnin boucou tracas v.phr. To have a lot of trouble; avoir beaucoup de mal. ♦ Yé té gagnin boucou tracas pou oté lapierre la et ouvri la porte. They had a lot of trouble removing the stone and opening the door. (FO T22) •dan l traka adj.phr. (BT; PC); dan traka (CA). In trouble, up a creek; dans le pétrin. T a pa traka avèk leu chval. Ti peu lache aou i veu, i va pa trakase pèrsonn. You have no trouble with the horse. You can let him go where he wants, he won’t bother anyone. (BT); Monta e popa elve nouzòt byen. Mo prichye sa, paske nou tanm pa dan l traka. Mom and Dad raised us well. I appreciate that, because we don’t get into trouble. (PC) ♦ Pandan Kokodri te dan traka. While Alligator was in a fix. (JR)
See examples
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trakasé
No sources
(
v.intr.,
v.tr.
)
-
To worry; s’inquiéter, se tracasser.
Leu doktœr di mwa pa trakase, paski se pa ryen ke sra tro move . The doctor told me not to worry, because it’s nothing too bad. (BT) ♦ Compair Torti couri coucé, mé li pas dromi boucou, li si tan tracacé. Brer Tortoise went to bed, but he didn’t sleep much, he was so worried. (T5) •trakase apre v.intr. (CA; PC). To worry about; s’inquiéter de, se tracasser de. Sa veu pa ede li-mèm, kofè mon mo gen trakase apre li? He doesn’t want to help himself, why should I worry about him? (PC); Trakas pa apre man. Mo san mo-mèm byen. Don’t worry about me. I feel well. (CA)To bother, trouble, disturb; déranger, gêner, tracasser. Te pe kite le finèt ouvèr, le pòrt ouvèr, tou kèkchoz ouvèr. Pèrsòn te pa vini trakase tò. They used to leave the windows open, the doors open, everything open. No one came and bothered you. (PC) ♦ Mo oulé vini gros, gros, pou mo capab bimin nimporte qui qua vini bété moin ou tracassé moin. I want to become big, so I can beat up anyone who comes to bother me or make trouble for me. (FO T3)
See examples
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tranasont
No sources
(
adj.,
n.phr.
)
lafyèv tranasont
No sources
-
Slight fever; fièvre lente, cf. fyèv
-
tranblan-tèr
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Earthquake; tremblement de terre.
♦ Tremblant-terr’vini ' branlé moulin. An earthquake came to shake the mill. (GC2)
See examples
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tranblé
CA
(
v.intr.
)
tranmblé
PC
tronblé (tròm)
NE
-
To shake, tremble; trembler.
Li te e tranmble kòm sa. He was shaking like that. (PC); M ape tranble. Mo sòrti san mo kapo e la mo jle. I’m shaking. I went out without my coat and now I’m freezing cold. (CA) ♦ Tou ca fait moin tellement peur, qué mo tremblé com ein nanguille. All of that made me so afraid that I trembled like a needle. (T37)
See examples
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tranglé
CA, PC
(
v.,
v.intr.,
v.tr.
)
tranglé
NE
tròng
NE
trangglé
PC
-
To choke; étouffer.
Si to manje pri dan to lagòrj e to pa kapab richte, to va tranglé. If your food is caught in your throat and you can’t throw up, you’re going to choke. (CA) ♦ So latet pase ont de nab ye e li trangle a mò. His head passed between the two trees and he choked to death. (DU)1. To strangle; étrangler. Li trangle li. So lalanng te e sòrti. He strangled him. His tongue was coming out. (PC); Li trape li par so kou e li trangle li par dèryèr. He grabbed him by the neck and he strangled him from behind. (CA) ♦ Si jamin mo frappé li ma tranglé li. If I ever catch her I’ll strangle her. (FO T20) 2. To clog; boucher. (PC)
See examples
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trankil
BT, CA, PC, ST
(
adj.
)
tronkinn
NE
trankinn
CA, PC
tranki
MO 60
-
Quiet, peaceful, calm, still; tranquille.
En kokodri, si to gèt le, tan k t ape gète li, i va kouche trankil. An alligator, if you watch him, as long as you watch him he will lie quietly. (BT); Ifo mye kite sa trankin. He had better leave that alone. (PC); Si to rèst pa trankin, m a taye twa. If you don’t stay still, I’ll spank you. (CA) ♦ Mari la té gagnin Tair tranquille. The husband seemed very calm. (FO T27) •kite trankil v.phr. (PC; ST). To leave alone; laisser tranquille, laisser en paix. Kite neg-la trankil! Leave the black man alone. (PC); Kite mwen trankil. Leave me alone. (ST) •laissé tranquille v.phr. (CA). To leave alone; laisser tranquille, laisser en paix. Lès man trankil. Mo p ole èt anbète avèk twa. Leave me alone. I don’t want to be bothered with you. (CA) ♦ Yé doit laissé moin tranquille, ou si yé trop embété moin, mo va poigné mo rasoir, et... mo juste di sa. They’d better leave me alone, or if they bother me too much, I'll get my razor, and ... well, that’s all I’ll say. (T34) •reste trankil v.phr. (PC); rès trankil (PC); rès trankin (CA; NE). To keep quiet, still; se taire, rester tranquille. Ye te fe tou piti reste trankil. They made all of the children remain quiet. (PC); Rès twa trankin. Di pa en paròl. Keep quiet. Don’t say a word. (CA) ♦ Vaut mié mo resté tranquille, comme ça arien pas apé rivé moin. I’d better stay quiet, that way nothing will happen to me. (FO T15)
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trankilman
No sources
(
adv.
)
-
Calmly, quietly; tranquillement.
♦ Comme yé té passé tranquillement sans taquer personne, ça donne Lapin ein pé courage. Since they were passing by calmly, that gave Brer Rabbit a little courage. (FO T15)
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tranp
BT, CA, ST
(
adj.
)
tronp
NE, ST
-
Wet; mouillé, trempé.
To chanj sa kouch kan li tranp. You change his diaper when he is wet. (BT); Li ape koupe zèrb-la. Li tou tranp. He’s cutting the grass. He’s all wet. (CA); Li te tronp avèk laswèr. He was soaking wet with sweat. (ST) •tranp a lanaj adj.phr. (CA). Soaking wet; très mouillé, en nage, trempé jusqu’aux os. Leu soley cho la e li travay tro tar...Me ena de jou li vyen e li tranp a lanaj. The sun is hot and he works too late...But there are some days when he comes back soaked with sweat. (CA)
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tranp
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Beating, whipping; rincée, rossée, correction.
♦ Li fait serment quitté Léonine mais anvant ça li té gagnin donne li ein famé la trempe. He swore an oath to leave Leonine, but before that he had to give her a sound thrashing. (FO T15)
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tranpé
PC, ST
(
v.tr.
)
tronpé
NE
-
To (get) wet, soak; mouiller, tremper.
E to mè pa dlo onho la, to peu pa tronpe en rezipèl! And you don’t put water on it, you must not get an erysipelas wet. (NE); Piti-la vini de lekol tou tranpe parskè laplu trape li an chemen. The child came home from school all soaked because he got caught on the street by the rain. (ST) ♦ Mapé trempé mon plime dans di l'encre. I am dipping my pen in ink. (T40)
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transféré
PC
(
v.tr.
)
-
To transfer (a soldier); transférer, muter (un soldat).
-
transh
CA
(
n.
)
-
Slice; tranche.
Mo manje jich en tranch dipen asmaten. I just ate a slice of bread this morning. (CA) ♦ Pou en pwatrinèr, to me de ou trwa zonyon daliz koupe par tronch don en boutey wiski ou jin. For tuberculosis, you put two or three blackhaws cut into slices into a bottle of whiskey or gin. (BI)
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transhé
CA
(
n.
)
-
Slicer; machine à couper.
Mo krwa mo gen de tranche pou koupe dipen. I think I’ve got two slicers for cutting bread. (CA)
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Big carving knife; grand couteau à découper. (CA)
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transhé
CA
(
v.tr.
)
tronshé
NE
tronsh
NE
-
To cut, slice; trancher.
To byen lav ye byen prop la, to byen tronch ye. You wash it clean and cut it up well. (NE); Mam te mande Pap tou-l-tan pou tranche roti-ye. Mom would always ask Dad to slice the roasts. (CA)
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trant
BT, CA, PC, ST
(
num.card.
)
tront
NE
-
Thirty; trente.
To kònen sa en PINT wiski te kout? Senkant sou, AND HALF A PINT , trant sou. Do you know how much a pint of whiskey used to cost? Fifty cents, and a half pint cost thirty cents. (PC); To fe kèkchoz dòt ke to te pa supoze fe, so to va kanpe dan l kwen pour trant minut. You did something you’re not supposed to do, so you go stand in the comer for thirty minutes. (BT) •le trant n.phr. (PC). The thirties; les années trente. Dan le trant. In the nineteen thirties.
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tranñin
CA
(
v.tr.
)
trannin
CA
-
To thread; enfiler.
Mo wa pi klèr pou trangnen mo negwiy. Mo pi kapab koud. I can’t see well to thread my needle. I can’t sew anymore. (CA)
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trap
CA, ST
(
n.
)
latrap
CA
-
Trap; piège.
Enave de souri dan mo lamezon e mo te mèt de ti latrap souri e mo te trape ye. There were mice in my house, and I put out little mouse traps and I caught them. (CA) ♦ Lannmen maten, vye Bouki trouve Lapen on so latrap. 'La mo gen twa! ' The next day, old Bouki found Brer Rabbit in his trap. ‘Now I’ve got you!’ (JR)
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trapé
gen, MO 60
(
v.tr.
)
trap
BT, CA, MO 60, NE, PC
trapé
MO 60
-
To trap, catch, grab; attraper.
Na zon dimoun ki va kouche avèk èn krwa avèk Bondyeu onho pou peche Kòchmar vini pou trape ye. There are some people who will go to bed with a cross to keep Nightmare from coming to get them. (NE); Mwa e mon frè, nou te trap pwason tou kalite monyè. My brother and I used to catch every kind of fish. (PC) ♦ In michié qui té vive on bord in bayou trappé in gros tortie. A man who lived along a bayou caught a big turtle. (FO T10) •trape (so) souf v.phr. To catch one’s breath; reprendre haleine, cf. souf
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To get, obtain, pick up; prendre, obtenir.
Mè dek to te koupe twa move, se t ape senye en ta, to te trape le fil nagne. But when you cut yourself bad and it was bleeding a lot, you would get a spiderweb. (NE) Conjug: an trapan part.pres. Grabbing; en attrapant. ♦ O se sa ki to traka, li di an trapan so kouto dan so lapòch. ‘Oh, that’s what your problem is,’ he said, grabbing the knife in his pocket. (JR)
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To go get, fetch; aller chercher.
Mo m pe trape mile mon, le maten, kouri hèrse pou plante diri. I can get my mules in the morning and plow before planting rice. (PC); Trap BANJO-da ki laba don kwen. Grab the banjo that is over there in the comer. (NE); Trap man ti ponyen a koud. Get my little sewing basket. (CA)
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To contract, catch (a disease, etc.); attraper (une maladie).
Mo trape mal o zyeu, mo kouri o doktœr. I was starting to have sore eyes and went to the doctor. (BT); Se parèy kòm si kèkenn gen en maladi , sa s trap. That’s like when someone has a disease and it’s contagious. (PC); Trape de kranp. To have cramps. (NE); Li bwa lamidon e li trape pwazonen. He drank starch and he got poisoned. (CA)
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To remember, recall; se rappeler, se souvenir (de).
Mo te pa konè ye te gen doktèr Gilbo. Mo juch trape en doktèr Grayon. I didn’t know there was a Dr. Guilbeau. I only remember a Dr. Graillon. (NE)
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To understand; comprendre, saisir.
Enon kek paròl dan FRENCH ye petet a di m a trape li byen. M a parle kreyòl ye a trape li osi, to kone. There are some French words that they might tell me that I would understand. When I speak Creole they will catch it too, you know. (PC)
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To reach, arrive at (a place); atteindre, arriver à (un endroit).
Anvon vou trap larivjè. Before you get to the river. (PC); La sa vigni kan yè trapè en sarten naj le troua maryè. So it came to pass that when they reached a certain age the three married. (MO 60); Sete tro ho pou mo trape. Me te gen pou monte an en lechèl. It was too high for me to reach. I had to get on a ladder. (CA)
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To catch (s.o. doing sth); surprendre (qn à faire qch).
Se vye boug-la ki trape twa? Is it the old guy who caught you? (PC); Mè mo te p ole li te wa mon ap travaye che lafòm-la apre lekòl! SO en jour li trape mon. But I didn’t want him to see me working for the woman after school. So one day he caught me. (NE)
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To find; trouver
. Si le trape enn konm mo ankò, l a fe li. If he finds another one like me, he will do it. (PC)
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To catch up with; rattraper.
Kan mo te trape ave mo rekòt e mo nouvraj. mo te kouri fe EXTRA DOLLARS . When I had caught up on my work in the fields, I went to earn a few extra dollars. (PC)
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To have, experience; éprouver, vivre, avoir.
To trape èn move lannen, l a chode, li pe e grosi . If you have a bad year the cotton will dry out and it won’t grow. (PC)
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To deliver (a baby); mettre (un bébé) au monde.
Mon mo jonmè trape en ti bebe. I’ ve never delivered a baby. (PC)
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To catch (one’s foot, etc.), get (one’s foot) caught; se prendre (le pied, etc.).
Li trape so pye dan rakatcha-la e chval-la trennen li juska li arete. He got his foot stuck in the stirrup and the horse dragged him until it stopped. (CA)
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tras
BT, CA
(
n.
)
-
Trace, trail, tracks, scent (of an animal); trace, fumet (d’un animal).
En tayo ti pa bizwenn monte jape, kan i va santi latras, lodœr, i va jape. A hound, you don’t have to teach him to bark. When he smells the scent he will bark. (BT); Piyon-ye pase. Kan mo ramase mo tomat, ye te deja fe tras. The stinkbugs passed by. When I picked my tomatoes, they had already left tracks. (CA) ♦ Li ouâ trace Compair Lapin aura so pi. He saw Brer Rabbit’s tracks near the well. (T2)
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travayan
BT
(
n.
)
travayon
PC, NE
travayez (f.)
CA
-
Worker; travailleur, ouvrier.
Si li veu dè travayon li se gen pou peye le travayon. If he wants workers he would have to pay the workers. (PC); En travayan, li travay dan klo e en travayeuz se en dam li travay dan lamezon. A worker works in the field and a female worker is a lady who works in the house. (CA) ♦ Ein bon travagnan kom moué té douet fé plin patat, plin larzan. A good worker like me should make a lot of potatoes and a lot of money. (T12)
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travayé
No sources
(
v.intr.,
v.tr.
)
-
To work; travailler.
Mo travay pou moun-sa-ye, mo bin e travay pou madòm-sa-la karant an. I work for those people, I have worked for that woman for forty years. (PC); E froumi travay tou le jour. And the Ant works every day. (NE); To travay tro. To gen lafatig. You work too much. You’re tired. (CA) ♦ Nous té libe; nous té pas bligé travaille pou ein maite. We were free; we didn’t have to work for a master. (FO T20) •travay a senkyèm v.phr. (PC). To work as a sharecropper paying one fifth of the harvest as rent; travailler comme métayer dont le loyer se paie avec la cinquième part de sa récolte. Èn òt k t kònè travay a senkyèm osi. There was another one who paid a fifth of the harvest in rent also. (PC) •travay an twazyenm v.phr. (PC). To work as a sharecropper paying one third of the harvest to the landlord; travailler comme métayer dont le loyer se paie avec la troisième part de sa récolte, •travay an lamotche v.phr. (PC); travay de motche (PC). To work as a sharecropper paying half the harvest as rent; travailler comme métayer dont le loyer se paie avec la moitié de sa récolte. Ena ki te travay an lamotche, ena ki te travay o kar. There were some who paid half the harvest in rent, others who paid a quarter. (PC) •travay o kar v.phr. (CA; PC). 1) To work as a sharecropper paying one quarter of the harvest as rent; travailler comme métayer dont le loyer se paie avec le quart de sa récolte. Mè nouzò n te pe travay o kar. But we weren’t paying a quarter. (PC) 2) To work in shifts; travailler par roulement. Dan lasikreri, nom-ye travay o kar; senk-œr de tan e en nòt vini pran senk-œr jichka la roulezon te fini. In the sugar mill, the men work on shifts: five hours at a time and another comes and takes five hours until they finish the harvest was finished. (CA) •travay par jou v.phr. (PC). To work as a day laborer, work by the day; travailler comme journalier. Ye te travay par jou, to kònè. They were day laborers, you know. (PC)
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To work, function; marcher; fonctionner.
Zafè-sa-la, sa travay pa. That stuff [i.e. voodoo] doesn’t work. (PC); Li tou aflije. Li pa kapab sèrvi so lamen. Li pa kapab leve. Aryen travay pa. He is completely paralyzed. He can’t use his hands. He can’t stand up. Nothing works. (CA) •travaye on v.phr. (PC). To heal by laying on of hands; guérir par attouchement. Moun ye gen doulè, ye pele mon pou ote ye doulè, travay on ye, e vye lamen gòch-la. Mo goche. If people had aches, they called me to take away their pain, to heal with my old left hand. I’m left-handed. (PC)To work, cultivate; cultiver, travailler. Apre li leve, to komanse travay li. After it has grown you begin to cultivate it. (PC)
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travèr
No sources
(
adv.
)
-
Askance, sideways; de travers.
♦ Bradas yé gardé mouan travair avé yé gro jiés et yé mandé mouan hou mon larzan. The friars looked at me sideways with their big eyes, and they asked me where my money was. (T16) •a tòr e a travèr adv.phr. Every which way; à tort et à travers, dans tous les sens. ♦ Musiciens la yé t apé gueulé et fou coups pieds à tort et à travers. The musicians were shouting and kicking every which way. (T40)
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Across; à travers.
STEW MEAT, sa se le kòt koupe d en longèr d apeupre en pous, en pous e dmi an travèr. Stew meat is ribs cut in lengths of about an inch, an inch and a half across. (BT); Mo te koutmen marche a travèr Pon Lamich . I used to walk across Lamiche Bridge. (ST) •on travèr adv.phr. (NE). Cross-country; a travèrs champs. Mo t ape kouri on travèr che mo nonk. I was running cross country to my uncle’s. (NE) •a travèr prep. (ST); a travè, travè, an travè (PC); on travèr (NE; ST); an travèr (BT; CA; ST). 1) Through; à travers. Le char peu pa navige an travè tou lez eta. Leu GAGE deu leu RAILROAD diferan larjœr. The train can’t travel through all the states. The gauge of the railroad is a different width. (PC); Nou te koutmen marche dan buch a travèr slou e dan livèr ye pye se glise dan dolo e sete fret. We used to walk on logs across the water hole, and in the winter their feet would slip into the water and it was cold. (ST) ♦ Anmeriken -la trape so fizi e tire li an trèvè so kò. The American got his rifle and shot him through his body. (JR) 2) Across; à travers. Li mèt so char on travèr l chmen. He put his car across the road. (NE); En trèvenrsen se en zafè ki lanng, ye fe li lanng. Sa fe i met l a travè lit-la, pou kouche. A bolster is long. You put it across a bed to sleep on. (PC); To me en bar an travèr lapòrt pou bare li. You put a long piece of wood across the door to block it shut. (CA) 3) Cross, in a bad mood; de mauvaise humeur. Piti-la reveye tou an travèr bo maten. Li pa rete kriye. The child woke up cross. He hasn’t stopped crying. (ST)
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travèr
CA
(
n.
)
-
Drainage ditch (in a field); rigole, fossé d’égouttement (dans un champ).
Kan lapli tonbe, i fo nètwaye travèr-ye an travèr la pou lèse dolo sòrti. When the rain falls you have to clean the drainage ditches across there to let the water get out. (CA)
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travèrs-lapòrt
CA
(
n.phr.
)
-
Threshold; seuil.
Travèrs lapòrt se la ou to gen pou pase pou antre dan lamezon. The threshold is where you have to pass to enter the house. (CA)
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travèrsin
PC
(
n.
)
trèvinrsin
PC
-
Bolster; traversin.
En trèvenrsen se en zafè ki lanng, ye fe li lanng. Sa fe i met l a travè lit-la, pou kouche. A bolster is long. You put it across a bed to sleep on. (PC)
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