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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tròk
CA, PC
(
n.
)
-
Truck; camion.
Mo te mizire pou mete en tant pardèsu tròk-sa-la. I was measuring to put a tarpaulin over the truck. (PC)
See examples
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tròs
CA, PC
(
v.tr.
)
-
To trust; se fier à, faire confiance à.
Se parey konm si vou gen en travayan en bon boug, vou ka tròs li nenpòt ki mwòyen nenpòt ki zafè. It’s like you have a worker who is a good guy, you can trust him in any way, for anything. (PC); Tròs pa li. Se en mantè. Sa vo pa aryen. Don’t trust him. He’s a liar. He’s worthless. (CA) ♦ Pauve Compè Bouki si couillon yé pas ca trosse li pou ‘ fait ein foute. Poor Brer Bouki is so stupid that they can’t trust him to do anything. (BD)
See examples
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tròté
CA
(
v.intr.
)
-
To trot; trotter.
Li p ape galope. Li jich ap trote. He’s not galloping. He’s just trotting. (CA) ♦ Tan yé rivé apipré moké chimin, Compair Bouki troté ein ti brin. When they arrived about half way, Brer Bouki trotted a little bit. (T3)
See examples
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tumœr
CA, PC
(
n.
)
tumèr
CA
-
Tumor; tumeur.
Li gen p èt opere. Li gen en tumœr. He’s got to be operated on. He has a tumor. (CA)
See examples
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tutéyé
No sources
(
v.tr.
)
-
To address as ‘tu’/’to’ ; tutoyer.
♦ Épi asteur, effronté, to tutéié to Mamrie. Now, sassy one, you speak familiarly to your Mamrie. (ME)
See examples
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tué
CA, NE, PC
(
v.tr.
)
chouwé
CA, PC, ST
chwé
CA, MO 60, PC, ST
touwé
PC
chouwè
PC
tié
NE, CA, NE
chi
NE, CA, NE
choué
BT, NE
tu
CA
twé
CA
chou
CA
-
To kill; tuer.
Mo lòt-la mo genn ki ète touwe. I had another son who was killed. (PC); Kan to tchou en kochon... When you kill a pig... (CA) ♦ Couri la chache, tchoué zozo là, et porté mouen li. Go get it, kill the bird, and bring it to me. (T7) •tchwe (li) fre v.phr. To shoot dead cold; hier net. ♦ Anmeriken -la trape so fizi e tire li an trèvè so kò. Li tchwe li fre. The American grabbed his gun and shot him through his body. He shot him cold. (JR) •tchwe kriye v.phr. (BT). To cry one’s heart out; pleurer à chaudes larmes. Li tchwe kriye kon èl kite li. He cried his heart out when she left him. (BT) •tchwe tan v.phr. (PC). To kill time; tuer le temps. Mo uch e tchwe tan. I’m just killing time. (PC)
See examples
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twa
gen, MO 60
(
pron.
)
-
obj. You; te.
Si to gran-momon ole twa, mo gen lès to gran-momon pran twa. If your grandmother wants you, I have to let your grandmother take you. (PC); To p ap okipe pou sa m ap di twa. You’re not paying attention to what I’m telling you. (CA); Se en plezi pou jwenn twa. It’s a pleasure to meet you. (ST) ♦Ma donn twa senk mil pyas pou li. I'll give you five thousand dollars for it. (JR)
See examples
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oblique You; toi.
Me e tchombo mo zyè an twa. I’m keeping an eye on you. (PC); An prèmye ka, mo pa sur si mo dwa ale avèk twa. In the first case, I'm not sure I should go with you. (ST); Du moman mo va fini mo va èt avèk twa . As soon as I’m finished, I’ll be with you. (CA) ♦ Momzel là di li té ben oulé mayé avé toi. The young lady said that she was willing to marry you. (T3)
See examples
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Yourself; toi-même.
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) •twa-mèm pron.emph . (BT). Yourself; toi-même. Si to lèv li twa-menm ou si to achèt li, sa fe pa boukou d difèrans. It doesn’t make much difference whether you raise (a horse) yourself or you buy it. (BT)
See examples
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twa
PC
(
n.
)
-
Roof; toit.
Ena en branch ki tonmbe on twa la. There was a branch that fell on the roof. (PC)
See examples
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twal
No sources
(
n.
)
la twal
CA
-
Cloth; toile, tissu.
Kan no te fe koutepwant, no te pran en latwal ke epe pou mèt ant karo-ye. When we made quilts, we took a cloth that was thick to put between the squares. (CA) ♦ La to gres en morso latwal avek lwil doliv, la to aplik sa si laplas. So you grease a piece of cloth with olive oil, and you apply it to the wound. (BI) • latwal zaryen n.phr. (PC); letwal, latwal laryen, twòl zaryen (PC). Spider web; toile d’araignée. Enan latwal zaryen dan kwen-la. There’s a spider web in the comer. (PC); Gro zaryen dan bwa, li fe en gro fil zaryen ron. La twal pas tou partodan ron-la. A big spider in the woods, he makes a big, round spiderweb. The web goes everywhere in the circle. (CA) ♦ Kon to koupe to dwa ou to pye, pou rete di son met latwal zanye. When you cut your finger or your foot, to stop the blood you put on a spider web. (LA)
See examples
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twalèt
CA, PC
(
n.
)
latwalèt
CA, PC
-
Dresser, dressing table; commode, coiffeuse.
Mo gen en ta be bèl an mo latwalèt. I’ve got a lot of nicknacks on my dressing table. (CA •nepenng a twalèt n.phr. Straight pin; épingle, cf. epenng
See examples
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Grease or light tissue in a hog; graisse ou chair légère d’un cochon. (PC)
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Elegant clothes; vêtements élégants.
♦ Astér, compair Lapin rétournin chez li , é can jou vini pou li couri oua mamzelle, li fé ein bel toilette. Now, Compair Lapin returned home, and when came the day appointed for the visit to the young ladies, he dressed up fine. (FO 1887)
See examples
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tyin
PC
(
int.
)
-
Well, you know; tiens, tu sais.
Vou konnen vou gen tchouwe men nou dè gen gonn, tchyen tchyen. You know that if you kill me we will both die, well, well. (PC) ♦ Blanche meté dézo dans chaudière, tiens, dans eune piti moment, chaudière té plein bon lavianne. Blanche put the eggs in a kettle, and lo and behold, in a moment the kettle was full of good meat. (T30)
See examples
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tyin,
No sources
(
v.tr.,
v.intr.
)
-
To hold; tenir.
Li tchambo kouto-la dan so lamen. He held the knife in his hand. (PC); Se en bas-kour pou tchobo te poul. This is a barnyard to keep chickens. (PC); Ye tchonbon mon pou pèche mon tonbe. They held me to prevent me from falling. (CA) ♦ Dans so la main li t’apé tchombo ein serviette et ein vié rasoir. In his hand he was holding a towel and an old rasor. (T36) •tchobo lamen v.phr (CA; PC). To hold hands; se tenir la main. Ye te kat o senk ansanm, e ye tchombo ye lamen. There were four or five of them together, and they held hands. (PC) •tchen apre v.phr. (BT); tchenn apre (BT). To take after; tenir de. Li tchenn apre so papa pou dèt smat. He takes after his father for being smart. (BT) •tchobo lakonvasasyon v.phr. To have a conversation; tenir une conversation, cf. konvèrsasyon •tchombo kanmponyen v.phr. To keep s.o. company; tenir compagnie à qn. cf. konpagni 2. To hold, keep, maintain (in a certain position or state); maintenir, tenir, garder. To te fe enn tit kaj apre en kirœy, e la te bloke li avèk en ti baton pou tchenn lapòt ouvèr. You would make a little cage for a squirrel, and then you blocked it with a little stick to hold the door open. (BT); Mo te tchenbon lamezon prop. I kept the house clean. (CA) ♦ Dans bal là tchombo to zieux ouvri et pas gagnin malheur parlé. During the dance keep your eyes open and don’t have the misfortune of speaking. (T33) •tchambo (so) zye an v.phr. (CA; PC). To keep an eye on; surveiller. Me tchambo mo zyè an twa. I’m keeping an eye on you. (PC) •tchyen ansanm v.phr. (CA; PC). To keep, stick, stay together; se tenir ensemble, rester ensemble. Moza di mon ye diviz le Mulat, sa tchyen ansanm. Sa veu pa marye ave le neg, o e le nwar, sa tchyen ansanm. Mozart told me they divide the mulattoes, they stick together. They don’t want to marry blacks, they stick together. (PC) 3. To keep, save; garder. Gen en lakrenm la to kònen. To jis tchaim li, ka to ramase plen lakrenm. There is a cream in it, you know. You just keep it until you’ve got a lot of it. (PC); Mo tchonbon mo lenj plwaye andan tirwar biro. I keep my clothes folded in the dresser drawer. (ST) 4. To keep fresh, preserve; conserver, préserver. Te gen kennfeuv plat, te met dipwòv andan l tchobo l. When you were canning beans you would put pepper in to preserve them. (PC) 5. To hold together, maintain, preserve; maintenir, préserver. Ye te bat lagèr pou tchenn UNITED, tchèn leu UNION . He was fighting to keep the Union together. (PC) 6. To hold back, hold in place; retenir. Sen èn muray, to konnen, pou tyenn latèr. That’s a support wall to hold the earth back. (PC); No te gen de zartyè pou tchanbon deba. We had garters to hold up our stockings. (CA) ♦ Fiy -ye te pe pi tchenn ye-menm. Ye bòs ri apre bouki drèt devan li. The girls could no longer contain themselves. They burst out laughing in front of Bouki. (JR) •tchombo (so) lasouf v.phr. To hold one’s breath; retenir son souffle, cf. souf1. To hold on, persist; tenir, persister. Sa tchonm. It holds [in place]. (PC) ♦ En vilen loragon tonmbe on ye. Navir-la grouye plen, men li tchobo en bon bout tan. A bad storm came upon them. The ship was tossed a lot, but it held on for a good while. (JR) •sa tchòb byen? exp. (PC); Sa tchyen ansanm? (CA). How goes it? Comment ça va, comment va la vie? •si sa tchòb! exp. (PC). Things are fine; Ça va bien. 2. To run, manage, tend (a store, a business, etc.); gérer, tenir (un magasin, etc.). (PC) Conjug: tchyen imp. Here! Tiens! Ye tronpe twa. Ye met kichò dan en ti papye ye di twa 'tchyen ‘ to ouvri èna pa aryen anndan la. They trick you. They put something in a little pièce of paper, they tell you, ‘Here!’ You open the paper, there is nothing in it. (PC) ♦ Tchen to larjan. Here is your money. (JR)
See examples
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tyèd
CA
(
adj.
)
kéd
BT
kèd
ST
tèd
CA
-
Lukewarm; tiède.
To bezenn bwa dolo ked èk di sèl kon to gen mal-o-kœ. One needs to drink warm saltwater when one has nausea. (BT); Dile-la pa cho. Li tyèd. The milk is not hot. It’s lukewarm. (CA) ♦ To pronn de bourjon siro, to me li don en vaz e la to vide dolo ked on li. You take some elderberry buds, and you put them in a vase and then you pour lukewarm water over them. (BI)
See examples
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tyédi
No sources
(
v.tr.
)
tédi
CA
-
To make lukewarm, warm up; faire tiédir.
To pa kapab done bebe dile fre. To gen p tedi li. You can’t give a baby cold milk. You have to warm it. (CA) ♦ [Pou] foulir, to pronn di vineg e lakre. To disoud lakre-la don vineg-la. La to tyedi li e to vlope foulir-la avek sa. For a sprain, you take some vinegar and chalk. You dissolve the chalk in the vinegar. Then you warm it up and you wrap the sprain with that. (BI)
See examples
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tèknik
NE
(
n.
)
-
Technique; technique.
No te pa konè aryen pou le tèknik SHOT. We didn’t know anything about the technique of giving shots. (NE)
See examples
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Tèksas
CA, NE, PC, ST
(
place n.
)
Tèksa
PC
-
Texas; Texas.
Mo gen pou vlope en pake pou voye pou mo sèr dan Tèksas. I’ve got to wrap a package to send to my sister in Texas. (ST)
See examples
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Tèksyin
CA, NE
(
prop.n.
)
-
Texan; Texan.
Ina tro le Tèksyen ondon la Louzyòn, se le moun lwil. There are too many Texans in Louisiana, they are oil men. (NE) • Navé ein jouife ki té boucou lémé grinbek et ki vand li a ein Teksien ki touyé li avé so rivolvert. There was a Jew who liked money a lot and who sold him to a Texan who killed him with his revolver. (T13)
See examples
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tèl
MO 60, NE, PC
(
adj.,
pron.
)
tél
PC
-
Such, such a; tel(s), telle(s).
Me e di twa tel kicho an-o la men sa min tel tel kicho. I’ll tell you such a thing about that, but that means such and such a thing. (PC) •tèl e tèl (CA; PC); tel e tel, tel tel, tèl è tèl, tèl tèl (PC).Such and such, so-and-so; tel et tel. To gen tel tel laj, to te ne tel mwa, tel tel DATE dan mwa-la. You are so many years old, you were bom in such and such a month, on such and such a date in the month. (PC); Mo gen en plan pou fe tèl e tèl choj. I’ve got a plan to do such and such a thing. (CA)So-and-so, such and such (a thing); Monsieur un tel, telle ou telle chose. Tèl è tèl i e gòn en latèrmon pou, li sòti tchwe lasmèn pase. So-and-so went to a funeral for someone who was killed the week before. (PC) •tèl kòm adv.phr. (CA; MO 60; NE). Just like; tout comme. Le Blon achte ye laba tèl kòm ye t achte le mile isi. The whites bought them over there just like you buy mules here. (NE); Li tèl kòm so moman. Li di toujou la verite. She’s just like her mother. She always tells the truth. (CA) ♦ Men sa se en nòt zafè, vèje plakmin-la te la tel konm mo di twa. But that is another thing, the persimmon orchard was there just as I told you. [ ‘tel comme ’] (DU) •tèl kòm sa-la adv.phr. (NE). Just like that, easily; facilement. Metrès-ye te di mon kòm-sa-a mo piti-ye t apròn FRENCH tèl kom-sa-la. The teachers told me that my kids were learning French just like that. (NE)
See examples
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tèlman
PC
(
adv.
)
tèlmon
NE
si-tèlmon
NE
si-tèlman
CA, PC
-
So; si, tellement.
Astèr ke le Kadjen vini tèlmon popilèr tu partou don pei-la, tou kekèn ole dèt le Kadjen. Now that Cajuns have become popular all over the country, everyone wants to be Cajuns. (NE); Nou te si-tèlman pòv ; kan nou te jœn. We were so poor when we were young. (PC); Mo te si-tèlman kolèr, mo te firye. I was so angry, I was furious. (CA) ♦ Tout ça fait moin tellement peur, qué mo tremblé com ein nanguille. All of that made me so afraid that I shook like an eel. (T37)
See examples
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So many, so much; tellement de, tant de.
Laparwas isit gen si-tèlman le ti kanal e le ti bout dolo keu ina ye pa gen leu non dutou. This parish has so many little canals and stretches of water that there are some which have no name at all. (PC); Enave si-tèlman moun, mo te pa kapab rekònèt li. There were so many people I couldn’t recognize him. (CA) •tèlman ke conj. (CA); tèlmon ke (NE); si-tèlman kè (PC). So much (that); tellement, tant (que). Li t ape donse tèlmon ke so latcheu chmiz t ape sòrti ondeor de so kilot. He was dancing so much that his shirt-tail was coming out of his pants. (NE); Kan mo te dan lopital, mo manje dezeufmole tèlman ke mo te fen. When I was in the hospital, I ate soft-boiled eggs, I was so hungry. (CA) ♦ Li sauté tellement que so la tchié sorti et tout moune oua li té ein macaque. He jumped so much that his tail fell off and everyone saw that he was a monkey. (FO T9)
See examples
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tèlèvizyon
BT, CA
(
n.
)
télévizyon
CA
-
Television; télévision.
Mo lenm gète tèlèvizyon. I like to watch TV. (BT)
See examples
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tèn
PC
(
v.tr.
)
tènn
CA, PC
-
To dye, color; teindre, colorer.
Pal min li pa FULL COLOR, se en koulè moyen detenn. Li pa osi tenn. Pale means it doesn’t have it’s full color, it’s a rather faded color. It’s not as richly colored. (PC); M ap tenn dezèf pou Pak. I’m dying eggs for Easter. (CA)
See examples
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tènis
CA, PC
(
n.
)
-
Tennis shoes, sneakers; baskets, (chaussures de) tennis.
Mo papa k chache en pè d tènis pou mo frè. My daddy went to get a pair of tennis shoes for my brother. (PC)
See examples
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tènn
PC
(
v.tr.
)
tinyin
CA, PC
tinñin
CA
-
To turn off (an electrical appliance); éteindre, fermer (un appareil).
Tenn li. Turn it off (i.e. the television). (PC); Vini tenyen stov-la. M ap santi gaz . Come turn the stove off. I’m smelling gas. (CA)
See examples
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To extinguish, put out; éteindre.
SPIRIT-la te kònen tenyen li lalonnt. The spirit kept putting out his lamp. (PC); Ye i pou pele ponpye pou tengnen fe andan lamezon. They had to call the fire to extinguish the firemen in the house. (CA) ♦ Sito ke chondel-la va tenye, sa lev lestoma. As soon as the candle goes out, that will cure the stomachache. [ l’tinyé’ ] (BI)
See examples
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tènnési
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Tansy; tanaisie. (Tanacetum vulgare).
♦[Pou] mal orey, pronn di tennesi e kraze sa. For an earache, take some tansy and crush it up. (BI)
See examples
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tèr
BT, PC, ST
(
n.
)
latè
CA, PC
latèr
CA, NE, ST
-
Land, ground, earth; terre.
Sa fe li mèt mai partèr on latèr. So he put the corn down on the ground. (NE); Ye t ape hale dibwa dan dolo. Kan ye arive o bout, ye hele: Lache li pou mèt li anlè latèr. They were hauling logs in the water. When they got to the end, they yelled: Let go so they could put it on land. (CA) ♦ Li tendé Compair Taureau apé béglé et gratté la terre. He heard Brer Bull bellowing and scraping the earth. (FO T2) •a tèr adv.phr. (NE; ST). To the land, shore; a terre. Kan bato-la mèt a tèr, tout moun desann. When the boat landed everyone got off. (ST) ♦ Et cher ti nange la halé fourmi à ter. And the dear little angel pulled the ant to shore. (T18) •fe manje latè v.phr. (BT). To make s.o. eat dirt, make s.o. crawl; faire mordre la poussière. Wi, èl fe li manje latè! Ofonf se kanaiy. Boy, did she make him eat dirt! She’s so cruel. (BT) •mèt a tèr v.phr. To land; atterrir, cf. mèt •monrso d tèr n.phr. Plot of ground; lopin de terre. cf. morso
See examples
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Ground, soil, dirt; terre, sol.
Latè-sa-a gen en lo kayou. This soil is full of stones. (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 soil, so it doesn’t get them dirty. (CA) ♦ [Pou] poro, to va a en simityèr e to pronn latèr si en fòs. La to fròt chak poro pondon tape marche e to voy li on aryèr to do. For warts, you go to a cemetery and you take some dirt from a grave. Then you rub each wart while you’re walking and you throw it behind your back. (BI) •latèr disèl n.phr. (CA). Salt marsh; terre salée. •latèr fort n.phr. (PC). Rich soil, black soil, fertile soil; terre noire, terre fertile. To peu pa fe koton dan latèr fòrt. You can’t grow cotton in rich black soil. (PC) •latèr gra n.phr. (CA); latè gra, tè gra (PC). Clay, «blackjack»; argile. ♦ Compair Dahomey ramassé ein morceau laterre gras. Brer Dahomey picked up a piece of clay. (T6) •tatè gri n.phr. (PC). Gray soil; terre grise. Ena latè nwa , ena latè gri, ena tou kalite. There is black dirt, there is gray dirt, there are all kinds. (PC) •latèr mou n.phr. (CA). Wetland; marécages. •latè nwa n.phr. (PC). Black soil, rich soil, fertile soil; terre noire, terre fertile. Ena latè nwa, ena latè gri, ena tou kalite. There is black dirt, there is gray dirt, there are all kinds. (PC) •latè sab n.phr. (PC); latè deu sab, latenr sab (PC). Sandy soil; terre sableuse. Latè sab, pou fe vou rekòt se mye. Sandy soil is better for raising crops. (PC)
See examples
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tèrbolizé
CA
(
v.tr.
)
-
To confuse, upset; embrouiller, énerver.
Ye vyen tèrbolize e ye peu pa parle byen kòm ye labitud parle. They get confused and they can’t speak as well as they usually do. (CA)
See examples
-
tèri
MO 60
(
v.tr.
)
téri
BT
-
To use up, dry up; tarir, sécher.
To ka pron en de e t ale tèri larivyèr avèk de-la. You can get a thimble and try to dry up the river with the thimble. (MO 60); Kouri wa, mo kwa mo chodyè ap teri. Go and see, I think my pot has dried up. (BT)
See examples
-
tèritwar
BT, CA
(
n.
)
tèritwa
PC
-
Territory; territoire.
Le primyèr ke vini, kant i dekouvèr leu tèritwar isi, inave deu ou trwa frèr. The first ones to arrive here, when they discovered the territory here, there were two or three brothers. (BT)
See examples
-
tèrm
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Term, end; terme, fin.
♦ Contre nous, préjugé des milates, li va jamais gagnin ein terme. Against us, the mulattos’ prejudice will never come to an end. (T35)
See examples
-
tèrmomèt
CA
(
n.
)
tèrmomét
PC
-
Thermometer; thermomètre.
To mèt en tèrmomèt anba so lalang pou wa koman ho so lafyèv ye. You put a thermometer under his tongue to see how high his fever is. (CA)
See examples
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tèryèr
CA, PC
(
n.
)
tèryè
PC, CA
tèriyèr
BT
-
Hand drill, auger, borer; tarière, perceuse (à main).
En DRILL, li pèrse parey konm tèryèr, men se plu vit fe. A drill pierces just like a hand drill, but it is faster. (PC); En tèryèr tourn e fe de trou pou mèt en lavis. Se en zouti. A hand drill turns and makes holes to put a screw in. It’s a tool. (CA)
See examples
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tès
PC
(
v.tr.
)
tés
PC
-
To test; tester, éprouver.
Ye gen en zafè pou prèsè JUICE-leu. Ye gen tès li. They have an instrument for squeezing the juice. They have to test it. (PC)
See examples
-
tèt
BT, CA, PC
(
n.
)
latét
PC
tét
PC
latèt
CA, NE, PC, ST
-
Head; tête.
Li t ape donse so latèt don lèr. He was dancing with his head held high. (NE); Mon kouche latèt-la. I lie down with my head here. (BT); Mo cheuveu ape tonbe deor mo latèt e mo pa konen sa pou fe. My hair is falling out of my head and I don’t know what to do. (ST) ♦ Li cogné so latête apé ein diboi: bip! He hit his head on a tree, whack! (T8) •an tet prep.phr. (PC); an tèt (CA). 1) In the head, in one’s head; dans la tête. Li ekri jamen aryen. Li tchen tou an tèt. He never writes anything. He keeps everything in his head. (CA) 2) At the head, in the lead; en tête. ♦ Yé tout té apé galpé et yé prend pou passé pont, Lion en téte avec so fille. They were all running and they got ready to cross the bridge, Lion at the head with his daughter. (FO T15) •bon tet n.phr. (PC). A good head; une bonne tête. Mo te gen bon tet. I had a good head [on my shoulders]. (PC) •gen latet dur v.phr. (CA); gen latèt di (CA; PC). To be stubborn; être têtu. • gen latèt lou v.phr. (CA); latèt lou (PC). To have a headache; avoir mal à la tête. To latet lou. You have a headache. (PC); Pito di mo gen mal d tèt, ye di mo gen latèt lou. Rather than say I have a headache, they say I’ve got a heavy head. (CA) •latèt ape tournen v.phr. (CA); latet e tournen (PC). To be dizzy; avoir le vertige, avoir la tête qui tourne. Mo latèt e tournen. I’m dizzy. (PC); Mo latèt t ape tournen asmaten. Mo rèste asit. I was dizzy this morning. I stayed seated. (CA) •gro latèt n.phr. (CA). Bighead; crâneur. •mèt tèt e tèt onsanm v.phr. (CA). To put one’s heads together; réfléchir ensemble. No te pa kapab konprann. Sa s fe no mèt tèt e tèt onsanm e la no konprann. We weren’t able to understand. So, we put our heads together and now we understand. (CA) •tèt-a-tèt n.phr. Tête-à-tête; tête à tête. ♦ 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 have a private supper. (T20) •latèt fromaj n.phr. (CA; PC). Head cheese; fromage de tête. Fe de bouchri, latèt fromaj, lapans-la, plen sa ave le trip-y e, sezannen sa byen, fe graton, le zandouy . We used to have communal hog slaughters, we made head cheese, smoked pig’s stomach, sausage, we seasoned that and made crackling and andouille. (PC) •pa gen bon latet v.phr. (CA; PC). To be crazy ; être fou. Li pa gen bon latet. She is crazy. (PC)
See examples
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Head [of hair]; chevelure. •latet prop
n.phr. (CA; PC); latèt prop (PC; ST). Bald head; tête chauve. Latet prop, pa gen chèvè ditou, en latèt prop. ‘A clean head’ means having no hair at all, a bald head. (PC) •latet krote n.phr. (CA; PC). Kinky hair; cheveux crépus, •latèt blan n.phr. (CA; PC); tèt blan (BT; PC). 1) White hair; cheveux blancs. Wa mo y a di mo gen latèt blan. To see me they would say I have white hair. (PC) 2) Blond hair; cheveux blonds. En miraini se kèken kiy byen klèr avèk enn tèt blan ou ben enn tèt rouj. A [miraini] is someone with very light skin and blond or red hair. (BT) •latet fonm blon n. (CA). Chrysanthemum; chrysanthème. ♦ Pou de emòrvid, pronn latèt fonm blon e laflijè de mezon. For hemorrhoids, take some chrysanthemums and some house figwort. (BI) •tèt nu n.phr. Bald head; tête chauve. cf. nu •penye (so) latèt v.phr. To comb one’s hair; se peigner. cf. pengnen
See examples
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Top, head (of a sugar cane stalk, vegetable, tree, etc.); tête (de la canne à sucre, d’un légume), cime, sommet (d’un arbre, etc.).
To hal li konm sa e to koup latet-la THEN to koup pye-la. You pull it like this and then you cut off the head, and then you cut the base [of the cane stalk]. (PC) ♦ Leste comme ein cureuil dans ein ti moment li té dans la téte nabe la. As nimble as a squirrel, in a moment he was atop the tree. (FO T2) •latèt dechou n.phr. Head of cabbage; tête de chou. cf. chou
See examples
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Head of a bed; tête de lit.
Kouche swa o pye on latet. To sleep at the foot or at the head [of the bed]. (PC); Latèt du lit. The head of the bed. (CA)
See examples
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tèt-d-oriyé
CA
(
n.
)
tèt-loryé
ST
-
Pillowcase; taie d’oreiller.
M achte en gro roulo letòf pou fe dra e tèt-d-oriye. I bought a big bolt of material to make sheets and pillowcases. (CA)
See examples
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tèté
CA
(
n.
)
tété
CA
-
Breast, nipple, teat; téton, mamelle, sein.
Ena moun kan ye gen en bebe, ye dòn li ye-kenn tète. There are some people who, when they have a baby, they let the baby suckle their own nipple. (CA)
See examples
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tèté
CA, PC
(
v.,
v.tr.,
v.intr.
)
tété
PC
-
To suck (a baby bottle or breast); téter.
To gen p mèt bibron anlèr boutey-la pou li kapab tète so boutey. You have to put the nipple on the bottle so that the baby can suck it. (CA)To suck, suckle, nurse; téter. Piti-le e tete. The baby is nursing. (PC) ♦ Francoèse aussi té gagnin ein long la tcheu, mais so quene té tordé autour so cou et li ttapé sucé ptit bout là tou comme si c'était ein bébé qui ttapé tété dans ein biberon. Frances also had a very long tail, but hers was wrapped around her neck and she was sucking on the end of it like a baby suckling a bottle. (T40) •dòn tète v.phr. (CA; PC). To nurse, breast-feed; nourrir au sein, allaiter. Li p ole dòn so piti tète, life en lòt fonm dòn so piti tete. She doesn’t want to breast-feed her baby, she has another woman breast-feed him. (PC)
See examples
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té
No sources
(
det.poss.
)
-
Your; tes. cf. to
-
té
No sources
(
n.
)
-
Tea; thé. cf. dité
-
té
gen, MO 60
(
ptcl.
)
t
gen, MO 60
tè
MO 60
-
[Marker of past tense].
Mo t ap boukanne de sosis dan en gro SMOKER. I was smoking sausage in a big smoker. (BT); Mo tè lèmen lachas. I used to like the hunt. (MO 60); Ye te pa gen Edikasyon, mè tou moun-sa-ye te konnen sa ye te e di. They had no education, but all those people used to know what they were talking about. (PC); Vye tan pase, ye te mèt moun mouri desi en katafal avon ye mèt li dan so sèrkœy. A long time ago, they would put a dead person on a cooling board before they put him in his casket. (CA) • Mari la prend ti garçon la pou resté avec li et li té cré li té ein zombi, pasqué li té pas dit li coman li té connin ça li té dit. The husband took the little boy to live with him, and he thought he was a zombie because he did not say how he knew the things he said. (FO T27)
See examples
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[Copula used in past tense].
Mo tè brav. I was brave. (MO 60); Kan mo te douz an, mo aprann koud e mo fe en rob. When I was twelve, I learned to sew and I made a dress. (CA); Mo ale lapotikèrpou achte remèd pou mo piti ki te malad. I went to the pharmacist to buy medecine for my child who was sick. (ST) ♦ Ç'a fait Compair Lapin couri cherché ein la corde qui té longue et ben fort. So Brer Rabbit went to get a rope that was long and very strong. (FO T1)
See examples
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[Copula used in past passives].
Primyè pi ki te fouye isi sete kote HIRSCH. The first oil well they dug here was near Hirsch. (PC) ♦ La levé qui asteur si vide, dé provisions té si chargé, qué miré yé rend moin stupide. The levee which is now so empty was so loaded with supplies that looking at them left me speechless. (T27)
See examples
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[Used in the ‘if’ clause of hypothetical conditionals].
Si mo te konnen li te la, mo se pa vini. If I had known he was there, I would not have come. (PC); Si li te vini, mo se ede li avèk so lenj. If he had come, I would have helped him with his clothes. (ST) ♦ Si vous té connin ça moin mo connin, vous té pair aussite et vous té pas quitté n ' homme la vini dans vous la maison. If you knew what I know you would be afraid too and you would not let that man come into your house. (FO T2)
See examples
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téléfòn
CA, PC
(
n.
)
téléfonn
BT, PC
-
Telephone; téléphone.
Me te ALREADY kou, e repòn telefòn-la me li te a repòn telefòn. I was going to pick up the phone, but she had already answered it. (PC); Li resi trape man an telefòn. He succeeded in reaching me by phone. (CA) •numero d telefonn n.phr. Phone number; numéro de téléphone. cf. numero •telefonn san fil n.phr. (PC). Radio; radio.
See examples
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télégraf
CA
(
n.
)
-
Telegraph; télégraphe.
En telegraf te pli vit k en telefòn. A telegraph was faster than a phone. (CA) ♦ Lot , cé bon courore: li galopé com divan, li fé tour laterre comme télégrafe. The other one is a good runner; he ran like the wind, and toured the earth like a telegraph. (T7)
See examples
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télégrafé
CA
(
v.
)
-
To telegraph; télégraphier.
Si no t ole telegrafe kèkchoz , no te blije ale dan stasyon pou voye mèsaj-la. If we wanted to telegraph something, we had to go to the station to send the message. (CA)
See examples
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témwin
No sources
(
n.
)
témon
CA
-
Witness; témoin.
Ye mande man pou èt temon devan juri. They asked me to be a witness before the jury. (CA) ♦ Mo va prende mo cœur pou jige et pou témoin. I will take my heart as a judge and as a witness. (T18)
See examples
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térib
PC
(
adj.
)
tèrib
CA, PC
-
Awful, bad; terrible.
Li te si tèrib. It was so awful. (PC); Li tèrib. Li par. Li pa di aryen a pèrsonn eou li ap ale. He’s bad. He leaves. He doesn’t say a word to anyone about where he’s going. (CA) ♦ C’est mois-ci là qui plis terrib pou zouragans. That month is the worst for hurricanes. (T27)
See examples
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Wild, unruly; sauvage, fougueux, indiscipliné.
Boug-sa-a terib, wi. That guy is unruly, yes. (PC)
See examples
-
térébantinn
CA, ST
(
n.
)
tèrbantinn
PC
-
Turpentine; térébenthine.
Ye mèt kolòy e ye te met tèrbantin on koupe-la. Sa te brul. They used to put kerosene and turpentine on the cut. That would bum. (PC); Kan piti-ye te gen devè, no te pase tèrebantin anlantour so lanmbri. When children had worms we put turpentine on their belly buttons. (CA) ♦ Yé prend ein pote ferblanc yé metté ladans piment avec télébentine et yé frotté chien la partout. They took a tin pot and put pepper and turpentine in it and they scrubbed the dog all over. (FO T15)
See examples
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téton
PC, ST
(
n.
)
tétan
PC, ST
tèton
PC, ST
-
Breast, nipple; téton, sein.
Li dòn li tete so teton. She gave it her breast to suckle. (PC); Kan mo piti te ne, mo tèton vini tann. When my children were bom, my nipples got tender. (ST) REM: In ST, this only means ‘nipple’ and sen means ‘breast’.
See examples
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téyat
CA
(
n.
)
téat
MO 60
-
Theater, cinema, movie theater; théâtre, cinéma.
Kan mo te ale o teyat, ye te gen en lalign moun debout ap atann pou rantre dan teyat. When I went to the movies, there would be a line of people standing waiting to get in the theater. (CA) ♦ Le soir, las dé rodailler, mo prand ein tiquette aux théâte. That evening, tired of gallivanting, I bought a ticket for the theater. (T38)
See examples
-
Show; spectacle.
♦ Konpè Bouki, Konpè Lonpen e ye teyat. Brer Bouki, Brer Rabbit and their show. [ ‘téyat’ ] (DU)
See examples
-
tò
CA, PC
(
n.
)
-
Taw, shooter (marble); calot, grosse bille.
To fe en CIRCLE . E to me le kankik andan milyeu, e deu pèson jou, EACH ONE gen en tò, en gros kannik e to sey KNOCK ye OUT OF THE RING . You make a circle. And you put the marbles in the middle, and both people play, each one has a big marble, and you try to knock the other guy out of the ring. (PC); En tò, se en peu pli gro k en kanik. No te tire kanik. A taw is a little bigger than a marble. We used to shoot marbles. (CA)
See examples
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tònwa
CA
(
n.
)
-
Funnel; entonnoir.
Le krebis mont byen dan zarkaj-la me ena en tònwa. Li anntr dan zarkaj-la me li peu pa sòrti bèk. The crawfish go into the cage but there is a funnel-shaped entrance. He goes into the cage but he can’t get back out. (CA)
See examples
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tònè
MO 60, PC
(
v.intr.
)
-
To thunder; tonner.
Kon le e tonnè, fe zeklè, ki moun te fe sa? When it is thundering and lightning, who does that? (PC)
See examples