Un glossaire cadien-anglais

A Cajun French-English Glossary

Le franais louisianais


Pronociation
A note about pronunciation: The upper-case letters in brackets at the beginning of some
entries are meant to serve as a rough guide to the pronunciation of words using an
English-based spelling system. We are using an English-based system since most of our
students are native English speakers, but you should keep in mind that French
pronunciation has traits that make such a comparison only approximative. Also, keep in
mind that regional variants in pronunciation abound in CF (Cajun French). The
pronunciation given here will be typical but not necessarily the "only way" the term is
pronounced in Louisiana.
A sounds like the a in fat.
AH sounds like the o in pot.
An sounds like the nasal vowel in "taunt" and want.
AW sounds something like the a in father.
CH sounds like "ch" in "cheer."
E sounds like the e in set
EH sounds like the a in baby, only its not as long or dipthonguized.
EE sounds like the vowel sound in feet.
En sounds like the nasal vowel sound in "can't" and pant.
EUH sounds something like the vowel sound in "put."
J sounds like the initial consonant sound in "just"
OH sounds like the vowel sound in "coat."
On sounds something like the nasal vowel in "dawn."
OO sounds like the vowel sound in tool.
SH sounds like the initial consonant sound in "sugar."
U sounds something like the vowel sound in "pure".
UH sounds like the vowel sound in "up.".
Y sounds like the y in yes








Cajun French-English
A
(prep.) 1. to 2. at. 3. in. 4. Belonging to. a c'est le chien Esta. (That's Esta's
dog.)
Acmoder (v.t.) of a fresh fish, to gut, scale and prepare for cooking. (LaFourche).
(From SF accomoder.)
Acheter (v.) to buy.
Acre (n.m.) acre.
Adonner (s'~) (v.r.) 1. to get along. Marie et Jacques s'adonnent bien avec leurs
voisins. (Marie and Jacques get along well with their neighbors.) 2. to so happen;
to occur. a s'adonnait que moi et Philippe tait dans la mme classe. (It so
happened that Philippe and I were in the same class.)
Aroplne (n.m.) airplane.
Aider (v.) to help.
Aigrette (n.f.) egret.
Ail (n.m.) [AHY] garlic.
Aile (n.f.) [EL] wing.
aimer (v.t.) [EnMEH] to like; to love. Ils aimont pas le garon que leur fille sort
avec. (They don't like the boy their daughter is going out with.)
Ais (adj.) [EHZEH] 1. easy; not difficult. 2. comfortably well off financially.
Alentour de around. Aux alentours in the environs.
Alle (subj. pron.) she (when used as a subject pronoun in front of a word
beginning with a vowel sound. Writers who use alle typically write a or a' in
front of consonant-initiated words. These two forms more accurately represent
the pronunciation of the pronoun in context, but many Louisiana French writers
prefer to use the SF elle in general to represent the subject pronoun.) A voulait
pas te parler parce qu'alle tait bien fche. (She didn't want to talk to you
because she was really angry.) (SF elle)
Alle (v.i) to go. See also: t. s'en aller to go away; to leave.
Alliance (n.f.) [AHLYAnS] wedding band; wedding ring. Garon en alliance
stepson. -----en alliance by marriage; step relative.
Allons (v.i.) Form of aller (to go). 1. Let's go. Allons au festival! (Let's go to the
festival!) 2. allons+ infinitive Lets (do something). Allons danser! Let's dance! 3.
Allons dire (que) Suppose (that); let's say (that).... Allons dire que t'es dans un
accident. (Let's suppose you're in an accident.)
Allumer (v.t.) to ignite; to light; to turn on (a light).
Allumette (n.f.) match (for making fire).
Almanach (n.f.) 1. calendar. 2. almanach. Variant spelling: almanaque. (SF
calendrier)
Almanaque (n.f.) 1. calendar. 2. almanach. Variant spelling: almanach. (SF
calendrier) Amarrer (v.t.) [AH MAH REH, An MAH REH] 1. to tie up. 2. to attach.
3. to settle the terms (of a race or game, usually in a race between two horses,
but it may also be between people) amarrer ses souliers to tie one's shoelaces.
(SF attacher)
me (n.f.) soul.
Ami (n.m.) friend.
Amener (v.) to take (s.t. to another place).
Amoureux (adj.) 1. in love. Il coute pas personne parce qu'il est amoureux. (He
doesn't listen to anyone because he's in love.) 2. womanizing. Cet homme est
beaucoup amoureux. (That man is a womanizer.)
Amygdale (n.f.) [AH MEE DAHL] tonsil.
Ananas (n.m.) pineapple.
Ange (n.m.) angel.
Appeler (v.t.) [AHPLEH] to call.
Appareil (n.m.) instrument.
Appartenir (v.i.) [AHPAHRTNEER] to belong. La boutique appartenait Gilbert
Trahan. (The store belonged to Gilbert Trahan.)
Aprs (prep.) [AHPREH] 1. after. Aprs le bal, on a t manger chez Ccile. (After
the dance, we went to eat at Cecile's house.) 2. tre aprs+ infinitive to be in the
process or act of. On tait aprs dormir quand il a appel. (We were sleeping
when he called.)
Arabe (adj./n.m.) Arab.
Araigne (n.f.) [AHREnYEH; AHREEnYEH] spider.
Arbre (n.m.) [AHRB] tree.
Arcotchin (n.m.) [AHRKOCHEn] cockleburr.
Argent (n.m.) 1. silver. 2. money.
Arranger (v.t.) 1. to arrange. 2. to fix; to repair.
Arrter (v.t.) to stop.
Arroser (v.t.) 1. to water; 2. to spray; to sprinkle.
Assayer (v.t. ) [AHSEHYEH] to try. See also: essayer.
Asseoir (v.r.) [ASWAHR] to sit; to sit down. Variant: assir.
Assez (adv.) enough; sufficiently.
Assir (v.r.) to sit; to sit down. Variant: asseoir.
Asteur (adv.) now. Descends de l droite asteur! (Get down from there right
now!) [From SF cette heure.]
Attacher (v.) to attach, to tie.
Atteler (v.t.) [AHTLEH] to harness; to rig up (of a horse and wagon).
Attendre (v.t.) [AHTAnN] 1. to hear. Parle plus fort! Je peux pas t'attendre.
(Speak louder. I can't hear you.) 2. to wait. [not commonly used in this SF
sense].
Attiner (v.t.) to tease; to pick at. See also: picocher.
Attraper (v.t.) [AH TRAH PEH] 1. to catch. J'ai t la pche hier matin, mais j'ai
pas attrap rien d'autre qu'un rhume. (I went fishing yesterday morning, but I
didn't catch anything but a cold.) 2. to fetch; to get. Attrape la gazette sus le
comptoir. Je veux voir qui c'est qu'a gagn la course. (Grab the newspaper on the
counter. I want to see who won the race.)
Attraper du mal to get hurt. especially as a result of an accident.
Aucun (adj.) [OH Ken] not any; no. J'ai aucune ide comment je vas payer
l'enterrement de mon mari. (I have no ide how I'm going to pay for my
husband's funeral.)
Au ras au ras (adv.) [ORAH ORAH] 1. at the same level. 2. neck and neck. Les
deux bougres tiont aprs courir au ras au ras jusqu' la fin de la course. (The
two guys were running neck and neck up until the end of the race.)
Au ras de 1. next to; on the side of. On va dmnager au ras de chez mon beau-
pre. (We're going to move next to my father-in-law's place.) 2. approximately;
about. On va se revoir au ras de cinq heures. (We'll see each other again around
5 o'clock.)
Aussi (adv.) [OHSEE] also, too. Variant to reflect pronunciation: aussitte. see
also: itou.
Autre (adj.) other. Quoi d'autre? What else?
Autrement que (conj.) unless. Variant to reflect pronunciation: entrement que.
Avalasse (n.f.) [AH VAH LAHS] downpour.
Avant (prep.) before. Avant le souper, on a besoin de se laver. (Before supper,
we have to wash up.)
Avec (prep.) with. acheter avec to buy from. Il a achet son char avec Howard
Fontenot. (He bought his car from Howard Fontenot.)
Avenant (adj.) [AHVNAn] nice; likeable.
Avocat (n.m.) [AHVOHKAH]1. lawyer. 2. [figurative] arrogant person; know-it-
all. 3. avocado.
Avoine (n.f.) [AHVWEnN] oats.
Avoir (v.t.) [AH WAHR] to have. avoir pour + infinitive to have to; to be obliged
to. avoir faim to be hungry. avoir soif to be thirsty. avoir....ans to be....years old.
avoir honte to be ashamed. avoir de misre to have trouble [doing something].
avoir peur de to be afraid of.

B
Babiller (v.t.) [BAH-BEE-YEH] to scold [usually a child].
Bal (n.m.) [BAHL] dance [event]. Tu veux aller au bal avec moi soir? (Do you
want to go to the dance with me tonight?)
Badgeuler (v.t.) [BAH JEUH LEH] to harass; to nag. (v.i.) to nag. Variant spelling:
badjeuler.
Balai (n.m.) broom.
Banane (n.f.) banana.
Bananier (n.m.) banana tree.
Banque (n.f.) bank (financial institution).
Baptiser (v.t.) [BAH TEE ZEH] 1. To baptise. 2. [Figurative] to use for the first
time.
Barbe (n.f.) beard. (loc.) la barbe du bon Dieu a very good and decent person.
Barboter (v.i.) to waste time; to piddle around.
Barbue (n.f.) catfish.
Baril (n.m.) [BAHREE, BAHREEY] barrel.
Barr (adj./p.p.) 1. striped. 2. locked. un candi barr candy cane.
Barrer (v.t.) to lock.
Bas (n.m.) stocking.
Bas (adj.) low. (Feminine: basse)
Basan (adj.) [BAH ZAH NEH] freckled.
Basse-cour (n.f.) poultry flock, poultry yard.
Basset (adj.) short. (Feminine: bassette)
Bteau (n.m.) boat.
Btir (v.t.) to build.
Btisse (n.f.) building.
Bton (n.m.) stick.
Battre (v.) to beat.
Beau (n.m.) boyfriend. Moi et mon beau, on est ensemble a fait deux ans. (My
boyfriend and I have been together for two years.)
Beau (adj.) beautiful; pretty. Garde voir le beau petit bb! (Look at the beautiful
baby!) (Feminine: belle)
Beau-frre (n.m.) 1. step-brother. 2. brother-in-law. See also: alliance.
Beau-pre (n.m.) 1. step-father. 2. father-in-law. See also: alliance.
Beaut (n.f.) [BOH TEH] beauty.
Bb (n.m.) 1. baby. loc. un bb de...something remarkably large. a c'est un
bb de melon, a! (That's quite a big melon!) Variant: bibi.
Bec (n.m.) 1. beak (of a bird). 2. kiss. Donne-moi un petit bec doux, cher! (Give
me a sweet little kiss, dear!)
Blier (n.m.) ram, male sheep.
Belle (n.f.) 1. girlfriend; sweetheart. (adj. fem.) beautiful; pretty. [Masculine:
beau]
Belle-fille (n.f.) 1. step-daughter. 2. daughter-in-law. See also: alliance, bru.
Belle-mre (n.f.) 1. step-mother. 2. mother-in-law. See also: alliance.
Belle-soeur (n.f.) 1. step-sister. 2. sister-in-law. See also: alliance.
Bercer (v.t.) [BA R SEH] to rock [gently, as a baby].
Berceuse (n.f.) 1. rocking chair. 2. lullaby.
Besoin (n.m.) need. avoir besoin de to have need of; to need.
Besson (n.m.) male twin. See also: jumeau.
Bessonne (n.f.) female twin. See also: jumelle.
Bte (n.f.) [BET] 1. animal. 2. cow, cattle. (adj.) 1. dumb, stupid. 2. silly.
Bte puante (n.f.) [BET PYAnT] skunk.
Bte rouge (n.f.) [BET ROOZH] red bug; chigger.
Bte Bon Dieu (n.f.) ladybug.
Betterave (n.f.) beet.
Beurre (n.m.) butter.
Bible (n.f.) [BEEB] bible.
Bien (adv.) well.
Bien-lev (adj.) 1. well-raised; 2. xhibiting signs of being properly raised; well
behaved; polite.
Bire (n.f.) beer.
Bine (n.m.) bean.
Biscuit (n.m.) [BEESKWEE] biscuit.
Blanc (n.m./adj.) white. (Feminine: blanche.)
Bl (n.m.) wheat.
Blesser (v.) to wound.
blessure (n.f.) wound
Bleu (adj.) blue. gros bleu. navy blue.
Blouse (de nuit) (n.f.) nightgown. See also: camisole.
Boeuf (n.m.) ox.
Boire (v.t.) to drink.
Boghei (n.m.) buggy.
Bol (n.f.) [BAW L] bowl [In SF and some places in Louisiana, bol is a masculine
noun.]
Botte (n.f.) boot. tomber en botte to fall into ruin; to fall apart.
Boucaner (v.t.) [BOO KAH NEH] smoke (meats, etc.)
Boucan (past part.) [BOO KAH NEH] smoked. T'aimes mieux la saucisse
frache ou boucane? (Do you prefer fresh or smoked sausage?)
Boucher (v.t.) 1. to stop up. 2. to plug. (n.m.) butcher.
Boucherie (n.f.) [BOOSHREE] butchering.
Bouki (n.m.) a canine character in Creole folktales, typically the dimwitted victim
of Lapin's trickery. [bouki is a Wolof word meaning "hyena"]
Bouillie (n.f.) [BOOYEE] 1. custard. 2. a type of soup made of organ meats
[Evangeline].
Bougre (n.m.) [rhymes with first syllable of "sugar" or in some areas is
pronounced BOH-G] 1. man; guy. 2. [in direct address] buddy; pal. Quoi a dit,
bougre? (What's happening, buddy?; What do you say, man?)
Boulette (n.f.) [BOOLET] 1. meatball. 2. small ball of a substance, typically rolled
by hand. boulette de genou knee-cap.
Bourdon (n.m.) bumble bee.
Bourriquet (n.m.) donkey.
Bourgeon (n.m.) bud of a plant. Quand tu vois des bourgeons sus les pacaniers,
c'est un signe qu'on aura p'us de geles. (When you see buds on the pecan trees,
it's a sign that there will be no more freezes.)
Bourgeonner (v.i.) to bud.
Bourrer (v.t.) to stuff. chaise bourre upholstered chair.
Bouton (n.m.) 1. button. 2. blemish; pimple.
Braillard (adj.) whiney; suseptible to crying. (n.m.) one who cries a lot.
Brailler (v.i.) [BRAH YEH] to cry.
Branche (n.f.) branche.
Bras (n.m.) arm.
Brasser (v.t.) to stir.
Brebis (n.f.) ewe; female sheep. Variant: Moutonne.
Brme (n.m.) eggplant. In Standard French: aubergine.
Bretelle (n.f.) suspender. Variant pronunciation: bertelle.
Brin (n.m.) [BREn] a very small quantity; a bit. Il a mis un petit brin de piment
dans la sauce. (He put a little bit of pepper in the gravy.) (adv.)a little bit; a little.
Brise (n.f.) breeze.
Briser (v.t.) to break.
Broguin (n.m.) 1. Workboot. 2. any type of heavy, lace-up boot.
Brouillard (n.m.) fog.
Bru (n.f.) daughter-in-law. See also: alliance, belle-fille.
Brler (v.) to burn.
Brun (adj.) brown.
Brunante (n.f.) dusk.
Bu past participle of boire.
Bcher (v.t.) to beat; to hit; to beat up.
Butin (n.m.) household goods and possessions.
Butte (n.f.) hill.
Buveur (n.m.) drinker. buveur de lait tee-totaler, one who does not drink alcohol.

C
a (pro.) 1. that. a c'est that is. a c'est la maison de cour. (That's the
courthouse.) 2. they [when previously referred to or impersonal form] a boit et
a fume et a couche au serein. (They drink and they smoke and they stay out all
night.) (adj.) 3.that [for emphasis] Cet homme-a a jamais travaill un jour de sa
vie. (That man (there) never worked a day in his life!)
Cabaler (v.t.) 1. to solicit favors from; to coax. 2. to campaign politically.
Cble (n.m.) [KAHB] rope; cable.
Cabri (n.m.) [KAHBREE] 1. goat. [In SF, this word refers to a baby goat or kid.
The CF usage cited here is also common in the Antilles.]
Cacher (v.t.) to hide.
Cacher-faite (n.m.) [KAH SHEH FET] hide and go seek game. [A preferred spelling
has not been established. Variant spellings include: cachez-fte, cach -faite,
cache-et-fte, etc.] Variant form: fte cacher (LaFourche/Terrebonne).
Cadien (adj./.n.) [KAH JEn] Cajun. Variant spelling: cadjin.
Caf (n.m.) 1. coffee. 2. caf.
Cage (n.f.) cage.
Cagou (adj.) 1. appearing to be sick. 2. feeling ill.
Caille (adj.) [KAHY] 1. mottled. 2 of fabric, characterized by patterns or designs
such as paisley.
Caman (n.m.) [KAHY MAn] alligator. (Terrebonne/LaFourche). See also:
cocodri.
Calebasse (n.f.) gourd; type of gourd squash.
Caleon (n.m.) underpants. Variant: caneon.
Caltron (n.m.) cardboard. Variant: carton.
Camisole (n.f.) [KAH MEE ZAWL] nightgown. See also: blouse (de nuit)
Camper (v.) huddle.
Canaille (adj.) [KAH NAHY] 1. mischievous [of children]. 2. sneaky, wily. [This
word does not have the strong pejorative connotation it has in standard French.]
Canaillerie (n.f.) [KAH NAH YREE] mischief trickery.
Canard (n.m.) duck.
Canard franais (n.m.) mallard.
Candi barr (n.m.) 1. peppermint candy cane; 2. a dandy or effeminate male.
Caneon (n.m.) underpants. Variant: caleon.
Canique (n.f.) [KAH NEEK] 1. marble (child's toy). 2. testicle.
Canne (n.f.) 1. sugar cane. 2. walking cane. 3. drinking straw. canne (n.f.)
sucre sugar cane.
Capot (n.m.) [KAPO] coat, jacket. capot cir (n.m.) raincoat.
Capoter (v.i/t) to turn over; to turn upside down.
Caracoler (v.i.) to swagger; to sway.
Cardinau (n.m.) cardinal.
Carencro (n.m.) vulture; buzzard.
Caresse (n.f.) 1. caress. 2. hug.
Carotte (n.f.) carrot.
Carrment (adv.) [KAH REH MAn] 1. directly; immediately. 2. abruptly.
Carte (n.f.) 1. map. 2. card.
Carton (n.m.) cardboard. Variants: caltron, calton.
Casser (v.t.) 1.to break. 2. to break up (a party or dance) by provoking a fight. 3.
of corn, to pick or harvest. Casser la paille to break off relations, of a couple or of
friends.
Catin (n.f.) 1. doll. 2. term of endearment for a female.
Cause (n.f.) cause; reason. cause de because of. See also: par rapport .
Causer (v.i.) to converse; to talk. (v.t.) to cause; to be the cause of .
Ceinture (n.f.) 1. belt. 2. medical condition known as shingles.
Cleri (n.m.) celery.
Cercueil (n.m.) coffin.
Cerise (n.f.) cherry.
Chaboulure (n.f.) prickly heat. Variant: chouboulure. [Often used in the plural.]
Proverb: Si c'est pas les maringouins, c'est les chaboulures. (There'salways
something wrong. If it's not one thing, it's another.)
Chacun (n.m.) each one.
Chadgue (n.) grapefruit [in the Lafourche area] (SF pamplemousse).
Chaise (n.f.) chair. chaise bourre upholstered chair.
Chambre (n.f.) room. chambre bain bathroom. chambre coucher bedroom.
Chameau (n.m.) camel.
Champ (n.m.) field (agricultural) [in Lafourche Parish] See also: clos.
Champignon (n.m.) mushroom.
Chance (n.f.) 1. luck. 2. chance.
Chandelle (n.f.) candle. chandelle de glace icicle. See also: dent de glace.
Chanson (n.f.) song.
Chanter (v.t./i) to sing.
Chaoui (n.m.) [SHAH WEE] raccoon.
Chapeau (n.m.) hat.
Chapelet (n.m.) [SHAH PLEH] rosary.
Chaque (adj.) each.
Char (n.m.) car. [SF voiture; automobile] Il a achet son char avec Howard
Fontenot (he bought his car from Howard Fontenot.)
Charrer (v.i.) to chat; to talk.
Charrue (n.f.) plow.
Chasse (n.f.) 1. hunting. 2. hunt.
Chasser (v.t.) to hunt.
Chassis (n.m.) window. [Originally, the chassis referred to glass-paned windows
with a sash (SF chassis) which lifted and lowered, while a fentre was a
rectangular opening in a wall , usually with a shutter hinged at the top, which
was propped open by a stick. In plantation-style homes, the shutters opened
sideways.]
Chaste-femme (n.f.) [SHAHS FAM] [SHAHS FAnM] 1. midwife. Variant to reflect
pronunciation: chasse-femme. [Compare to SF sage-femme].
Chat (n.m.) cat.
Chatte (n.f.) female cat.
Chat tigre (n.m.) bobcat.
Chaud (adj.) 1. hot. 2. excited. 3. angry.
Chaudire (n.f.) cooking pot. Chaudire Noire black cast iron pot. [SF chaudron]
Chaudin (n.m.) pig stomach stuffed with sausage meat and seasoning. Variant:
panse bourre.
Chauffer (v.t.) 1. to heat. 2. to drive (a vehicle).
Chaussette (n.f.) (woman or child's) sock.
Chausson (n.m.) 1. slipper. 2. (man's) sock.
Chaux (n.f.) [SHO] lime (mineral).
Chemise (n.f.) shirt.
Chenille (n.f.) caterpillar
Chercher (v.) to look for; to search.
Chesser (v.i./t) to dry. Variant: scher.
Chesseresse (n.f.) [SHESRES] drought; dry spell. Variant: scheresse.
Cheval (n.m.) horse. chevel de course race horse. Cheval (du) diable praying
mantis. cheval nain pony.
Chevrette (n.f.) shrimp. [The SF crevette was originally a dialectal variant of
chevrette in France.]
Chevreuil (n.m.) deer.
Chvrefeuille (n.m.) honeysuckle.
Cheveu (n.m.) hair [plural: cheveux]
Chicot (n.m.) stump. chicot de canne cane stubble.
Chien (n.m.) dog.
Chienne (n.f.) female dog.
Chignon (n.m.) 1. nape of the neck. 2. lower back of the head.
Choix (n.m.) choice.
Choquer (v.t.) to anger; to make angry.
Chou (n.m.) cabbage.
Chouboulure (n.f.) prickly heat. Variant: chaboulure.
Choucroute (n.f.) 1. sauerkraut. 2. cole slaw.
Chouette (n.f.) screech owl.
Choufleur (n.m.) cauliflower.
Cicatrice (n.f.) scar.
Ciel (n.m.) 1. sky. 2. heaven.
Cigale (n.m.) 1. cicada. 2. mosquito hawk; dragonfly. [In areas where cigale is
used to mean "mosquito hawk," the term for cicada is cigale de bois. In
Lafourche Parish, the term for "cicada" is cigale de nuit.] 3. ultralight airplane
(Lafourche).
Cigale de bois (n.f.) cicada [in areas where cigale means "mosquito hawk."]
Cigale de nuit (n.f.) cicada [Lafourche Parish: In Lafourche, cigale is a mosquito
hawk].
Cimetire (n.m.) cemetery. Variant to reflect common pronunciation: cimitire.
Cinq (adj numr.) five.
Cipre (n.m.) cypress tree; cypress wood. Variant spelling: cypre.
Ciprire (n.f.) 1. cypress grove or forest; stand of cypress. 2. cypress swamp.
Variant spelling: cyprire.
Cloche (n.f.) bell.
Clos (n.m.) field [agricultural]. Clos d'huile oil patch, oil field. Mon frre a
travaill douze ans dans les clos d'huile. (My brother worked for twelve years in
the oil fields.) See also the Lafourche Parish variant: champ.
Closette (n.f.) closet.
Clou (n.m.) nail.
Coco (n.m.) 1. egg. 2. (figurative) odd character. Monsieur Aldus Hbert? Tu
parles d'un drole de coco! (Mr. Aldus Hebert? You talk about a strange bird!)
Cochon (n.m.) pig.
Cocodinde (n.?.) freckle. [SF tache de roussure]
Cocodri (n.m.) alligator. Variant spellings: cocodril, cocodrie.
Cogner (v.t.) to knock. Quelqu'un est aprs cogner la porte. (Someone is
knocking at the door.)
Collation (n.f.) 1. Between-meal snack; 2. (Wedding) reception. See also:
dessert.
Coller (v.) to glue.
Collge (n.m.) college.
Compter (v.t.) to count.
Commit (n.m.) salesclerk.
Concombre (n.m.) cucumber. Variant spelling to reflect pronunciation: cocombre.
Confiture (n.f.) jam, preserves.
Congo (n.m.) water mocassin.
Content (adj.) happy; contented.
Contenter (v.r.) to be contented; to be satisfied.
Conter (v.t.) to recount, as a story. See also: raconter.
Corne (n.f.) horn (of an animal).
Corneille (n.f.) crow.
Corsage (n.m.) 1. woman's blouse. 2. bodice (of a dress).
Corus (n.m.) rooster. Variant spelling: corusse. See also: guime; gume.
Coton (n.m.) cotton.
Coton de mas (n.m.) corn cob.
Cou (n.m.) neck.
Coude (n.m.) elbow.
Coudre (v.t.) to sew.
Couillon (n.m.) [KOO YOn] 1. imbecile; fool. 2. crazy person. 3. funny person.
(adj.) 1. foolish. 2. crazy. 3. funny.
Couler (v.i.) to flow. se couler to pass (as in time); to flow.
Coupable (adj.) guilty. Elle se sent coupable parce qu'elle a pas voulu donner de
l'argent son frre. (She feels guilty because she didn't want to give money to
her brother.)
Couper (v.t.) 1. to cut. 2. to harvest [of sugar cane, beans and certain other
crops]
Cour (n.f.) yard.
Courir (v.t.) to run. [Past participle: couri].
Couronne (n.f.) 1. crown. 2. wreath of flowers traditionally worn by a bride. By
extension, the wreath and veil ensemble worn by a bride.
Cours (n.m.) a course, a class.
Course (n.f.) race.
Court (adj.) short.
Courtiser (v.t.) to court romantically; to woo.
Cousin (n.m.) 1. male cousin. 2. mosquito (regional)
Cousine (n.m.) female cousin.
Courtiser (v.t.) to court.
Coushaw (n.m.) coushaw; type of gourd.
Couteau (n.m.) knife.
Couvert (adj./past participle) covered. Le temps est couvert. (The weather is
overcast.)
Couverte (n.f.) blanket. (SF couverture)
Couverture (n.f.) 1. roof. une couverture de zinc tin roof. 2. cover. (SF toit. In
LaFourche area, toit usually refers to the roof of a lean-to or other primitive
shelter)
Couvrir/couvre/couvert (v.) to cover.
Cracher (v.t) to spit.
Crampe (n.f.) cramp.
Crapaud (n.m.) 1. toad. 2. muscle cramp [of the extremities]. 3. crusty nasal
excretion.
Craquer (v.t.) to crack.
Craquette (n.f.) cracker. Mon pre peut pas manger son gombo sans craquettes.
(My father cannot eat gumbo without crackers.) (SF biscuit)
Craqueur d'os (n.m.) chiropractor.
Crasse (n.f.) 1. crud; filth; sticky dirt. 2. (Figurative) low class person or people.
Tu vas pas te marier avec lui! C'est de la crasse pure! (You're not going to marry
him! He's pure trash!)
Crasseux (adj.) filthy; encrusted with filth or dirt. C'est tout crasseux derrire la
glacire. (It's filthy behind the refrigerator.)
Crayon (n.m.) pencil.
Crme (n.f.) 1. Cream. 2. ice cream. (Sometimes referred to as crme glace to
distinguish it from cream.)
Crevaison (n.f.) flat tire.
Crin (n.m.) mane.
Crise cardiaque (n.f.) heart attack. Variant: attaque de coeur.
Criquet (n.m.) criket.
Croche (adj.) crooked.
Croire (v.t.) to believe. Comment tu crois? (Expr.)(How do you like that? What
do you think of that?)
Croupillon (n.m.) 1. tailbone of fowl. 2. (Figurative) rear end of a person.
Crotte (n.f.) [KRAWT] 1. turd. 2. (Figurative) disagreable, nasty person.
Crote (n.f.) [KROOT] crust.
Cuillre (n.f.) spoon. cuillre lait ladle.
Cuire (v.t.) to cook. (Past participle: cuit)
Cuisse (n.f.) thigh [Sometimes pronounced CHWEES]
Cyprs (n.m.) 1. cedar tree; cedar wood. Variant spelling: ciprs.
Cyprire (n.f.) 1. cypress grove or forest; stand of cypress. 2. cypress swamp.
Variant spelling: ciprire.
Cul (n.m.) [CHU] ass; anus. Variant to reflect pronunciation: tchu.
Culotte (n.f.) pants. fond de culotte seat of one's pants.

D
Danger (n.m.) danger.
Dangereux (adj.) dangerous.
Dans (prep.) in; inside.
Danser (v.t.) to dance.
Date (n.f.) [pron. DAHT] date. Quoi c'est la date aujourd'hui? (What's the date
today?) See also: quantime
Daube (n.f.) 1. roast (cut of meat).
De nos jours (expr.) in our time.
Dchirer (v.t.) to tear up into shreds or pieces.
Dcider de (v.i.) to decide to.
Declarer (v.t.) to declare. (v.i.) of a couple, to announce or make official one's
engagement.
Dfunt adj.) deceased. [Used in front of names of deceased to indicated respect,
much as Cajuns use "poor old" or "poor little" in front of names of deceased
when referring to them. Somewhat similar to the English term of respect for the
dead "the late....."] C'est l -o dfunt Nonc Pierre travaillait avant la guerre.
(That's where poor old Uncle Pierre worked before the war.)
Dlivrer (v.t.) 1. to save; to deliver (as from a curse or spell); 2. to deliver (as a
package).
Demain (adj.) tomorrow.
Dmnager (v.t./i/) 1. to move (from one household to another).
Dent (n.f.) tooth. Dent de glace icicle. See also: chandelle de glace.
Dentelle (n.f.) lace.
Dentiste (n.m./f.) dentist.
Drangement (n.m.) diarrhea. [Many Cajuns are now familiar with the SF term le
Grand Drangement to refer to the 18th century deportation and dispersal of
Acadians from Nova Scotia.]
Dernier (adj.) last. [Feminine: dernire]

Derrire (prep.) behind. (n.m.) buttocks.
Dessert (n.m.) 1. dessert. 2. wedding reception. See also: collation.
Dteler (v.t.) [DEH TLEH] to unharness.
Deux (adj numr.) two.
Devant (prep.) in front of. (n.m.) front.
Devenir (v.t.) 1.to come from E-o (est-)ce que tu deviens? (Where are you
from?) 2. to become. See also: venir.
Diable (n.m.) devil. Alternate spelling to reflect pronunciation: djable.
Dieu (n.m.) god. Bon Dieu God; the Good Lord.
Dimanche (n.m.) Sunday.
Dinde (n.f.) turkey.
Dner (v.) to have the noon meal, to eat lunch.
Dire (v.t.) to say; to tell. on dirait it seems as if; it ressembles Regarde la petite
fille Henry! On dirait une femme de vingt-cinq ans! (Look at Henry's daughter!
She looks like a 25 year old woman!)
Dix (adj numr.) ten.
Dix-huit (adj numr.) eighteen.
Dix-neuf (adj numr.) nineteen.
Dix-sept (adj numr.) seventeen.
Doigt (n.m.) [pron. DWAH] finger.
Docteur (n.m.) doctor.
Dompter (v.t.) [DOnTEH] to tame.
Donner (v.t.) [DOn NEH] to give.
Dos (n.m.) [pron. sounds like "doe"] back [part of the body]
Douce (adj. fem.) [DOOS] sweet; gentle. eau douce fresh, non-ocean water.
Doucement (adv.) 1. slowly. 2. softly. (adj. invariable) not very bright; slow to
learn. Jacques apprend bien l'cole mais son petit frre est manire
doucement. (Jacques learns well at school, but his brother is rather slow.)
Douceur (n.f.) sweets. Elle mange p'us de douceur depuis qu'elle a la maladie de
sucre. (She doesn't eat sweets anymore since she has diabetes.)
Doux (adj.) [DOO] 1. gentle. 2. sweet [with sugar]. Feminine: douce.
Douze (adj numr.) twelve.
Drap (n.m.) [DRAH] bedsheet.
Drapeau (n.m.) 1. flag. 2. diaper.
Drigaille (n.f.) 1. rubbish; trash. 2. shiftless or reprehensible people. Il faut pas
que t'ailles l-bas! C'est rien que de la drigaille qui frquente cette place! (You
mustn't go there! Nothing but trashy people hang out in that place.)
Droite (n.f.) right. Tourne la droite aprs l'glise. (Turn (to the) right after the
church.) (adv.) directly; just; right. Je l'ai trouv droite devant la maison. (I
found it just in front of the house.) Variant pronunciations: [DRWAHT][DRWET]
[DRET]. Variant spelling to reflect pronunciation variants: drte.
Drole (adj.) [DRAWL] 1. strange; bizarre; wierd. [Compare to SF drle, meaning
"humorous". The Cajun drole is rather pejorative.] C'est pas drole que... No
wonder; it's not surpising that.
Dur (adj) 1. hard. 2. difficult.
Duvet (n.m.) fuzz.

E

Eau (n.f.) water. eau douce fresh, non-ocean water. eau sale salt water; ocean
water.
chapper (v.t.) to drop. Il a chapp sa boisson par terre. (He dropped his drink
on the ground.)
Eclair (n.m.) lightning. Variant: loize.
couter (v.t.) to listen; to listen to.
craser (v.t.) to crush; to mash down.
crevisse (n.f.) crawfish.
cureuil (n.m.) squirrel.
Ein/eine a, an, one. [This spelling is used to reflect the common pronunciation of
un/une.]
lphant (n.m.) elephant.
elle (pron.) she. Variant to reflect pronunciation: alle [used in front of words
beginning with vowel sounds]. (obj. of prep.) her. Il est parti avec elle. (He left
with her.) (pron. disj.) C'est elle qui m'a dit a. (It's she who told me that.)
loize (n.f.) lightning bolt. Variant: clair.Variant pronunciation: louze.
Embter (v.t.) 1. to aggravate; to irritate. 2. to trick.
Embracer (v.) to kiss.
Enfant (n.m./f.) child.
Engager (v.t.) 1. to hire. 2. to commit to; to take on the responsibility of. Marie
s'a engage nous trouver une place pour rester. (Marie took on the
responsibility of finding us a place to stay.)
Engraisser (v.i.) to gain weight. (v.t.) 1. to fatten up. 2. to fertilize [agricultural].
Ennuyer (v.r.) 1. to be lonesome, bored, sad. s'ennuyer de to miss. La petite fille
s'ennuie de ses parents. (The little girl misses her parents.)
Ensemble (adj.) together.
Enterrement (n.m) 1. burial. 2. (by extension) funeral.
Enterrer (v.t.) to bury.
Entt (adj.) stubborn; pigheaded.
Entourer (v.t.) to surround; to encircle.
Entre (adj.) between.
Entrer (v.) to enter.
Envaler (v.t.) to swallow. (SF avaler)
Envelopper (v.t.) to wrap. J'ai proche fini d'envelopper les prsents. (I've almost
finished wrapping the presents.)
Envie (n.f.) desire; want; inclination.
Envoler (s'~) (v.r.) to fly off. s'envoler to fly away. Les oiseaux s'envolent dans
le sud en hiver. (Birds fly south in the winter.)
Envoyer (v.t.) to send.
pailler (v.t.) 1. to spread out. 2. to scatter.
pais (adj.) thick. Feminine: paisse.
paule (n.f.) shoulder.
pinard (n.m.) spinach.
Epouser (v.) to marry.
Es (v.i.) [More or less rhymes with last syllable of "caf"-don't pronounce the
"s"] Form of tre (to be) are (2nd person sing.) T'es par? (Are you ready?).
Escalin (n.m.) twelve and a half cents; a bit. [Used today only in the expression
six escalins, seventy-five cents.]
Escouer (v.t.) to shake. [Compare to SF secouer].
Espeler (v.t) [ESPLEH] to spell.
Esprer (v.t.) to wait (for). Les enfants esprent le transfert devant la boutique.
(The children wait for the bus in front of the store.)
Espoir (n.m.) hope. expr. avoir espoir de+ infinitive to hope to (do something)
Esquelette (n.m.) skeleton.
esprit (n.m.) [EHSPREE] intelligence; common sense.
Essayer (v.t.) to try. Variant to reflect alternate pronunciation: assayer.
Est (v.i.) [more or less rhymes with last syllable of "caf"-don't pronounce the
"st"] Form of tre (to be) is, are. Oscar est dehors. (Oscar is outside.) On est
parent avec Monsieur Babineaux. (We are related to Mr. Babineaux.)
Est (n.m.) [pron. EST] East.
Estomac (n.m.) [EHSTOMA] 1. stomach. 2. chest. estomac de poule chicken
breast.
Estropi past. part (adj.) crippled.
tat (n.m.) state.
talon (n.m.) stallion.
t (n.m.) summer.
t (past. part) 1. been [p.p. of tre]. 2. went [This form is used much more
commonly in the pass compos than forms of aller to express "went"]. J'ai t
au bal hier au soir. (I went to the dance last night.)
teindre (v.t.) (of a fire or light) to extinguish; to put out.
toffe (n.f.) fabric; cloth.
toile (n.f.) star.
tonnement (n.m.) astonishment.
tonner (v.r.) to be astonished.
touffe (n.f.) style of cooking in which the food is "smothered" by being cooked
while covered. touffe d'crevisse crawfish touffee or smothered crawfish.
touffer (v.t.) to smother.
trangler (v.t.) to strangle.
tre (v.i.) to be [infinitive] J'aime pas (d')tre en retard. (I don't like to be late.)
tudiant (n.m.) student.
tudiante (n.f.) student.
eux-autres (pron. obj. of preposition) them. Pierre a travaill vingt ans avec eux-
autres. (Pierre worked with them for 20 years.). they (subj) Eux-autres
peut/pouvont pas comprendre le franais. (They can't understand French.) [The
verb form used with pronouns ending in -autres is variable. Both the 3rd person
singular and 3rd person plural forms are heard.]
Eusse (pron. obj. of preposition) them. (pron. subject) they. [This form is more
commonly used in the southeast parishes of Terrebonne and Lafourche.]
venter (v.t.) to sniff; smell. J'ai vent l'oeuf pour voir s'il tait pourri. (I
smelled the egg to see if it was rotten.)
F

Fcher (v.t.) to anger. (v.r.) to get angry.
Faim (n.f.) hunger.
Faire (v.t.) 1. to make. 2. to do. Il fait, a fait + weather term. The weather is----
-. a fait chaud. (The weather is hot.) Il fait beau. (The weather is nice.) a fait
(du) soleil. (It's sunny.)
Faire attention (expr.) 1. to pay attention. 2. to be careful.
Faire drle (expr.) to appear strange; to act weird.
Faire maigre to fast; to not eat meat, usually as part of a religious observance.
Dans le vieux temps le monde avait l'habitude de faire maigre tous les vendredis.
Faire mieux (de) (expr.) to do better (to); to be better off (doing something).
Faire rcolte (expr.) 1. to farm. 2. to harvest.
Fais (v.t.) 1st and 2nd person singular form of faire in the present tense.
Fait (v.t.) 3rd person singular form of faire in the present tense.
Falcon (n.m.) falcon.
Famille (n.f.) family. en famille pregnant.
Fanner (v.i/t.) to wilt.
Far (n.m.) stuffing.
Faraud (adj.) dressed up; well-dressed.
Farce (adj.) funny; comical. (n.f.) joke; practical joke.
Farine (n.f.) flour. farine franaise white flour. farine de mas corn meal.
Farouche (adj.) wild; feral.
Fatras (n.m.) [FAH TRAH] 1. trash; garbage. 2. no-account person.
Faucheuse (n.f.) lawn mower. See also: machine z'herbes.
Femme (n.f.) 1. woman. 2. wife.
Fer (n.m.) iron.
Fertilizer (v.)
Fesse (n.f.) buttock.
Fte (n.f.) 1. birthday. 2. party; feast; celebration.
Feu (n.m.) fire.
feuille (n.f.) leaf.
Fve (n.f.) bean. fve plate butter bean. fve au coeur noir black-eyed pea.
Variant: fve coeur noir.
Figue (n.f.) fig.
Fille (n.f.) [FEEY] 1. girl. 2. daughter. 3. as yet unmarried (of a young woman).
Fiancer (v.r.) to become betrothed (engaged). Je crois qu'ils vont se fiancer pour
Nol. (I think they're going to get engaged at Christmas.)
Fianc (adj.) engaged.Ovide et Eugnie sont fiancs. (Ovide and Eugnie are
engaged.) (n.m.) man to whom one is betrothed.
Fiance (n.f.) woman to whom one is betrothed.
Fiel (n.m.) gall bladder.
Fier (adj.) [FYER] 1. proud. 2 happy.
Fivre (n.f.) fever.
Figure (n.f.) face.
Fille (n.f.) 1. girl. 2. unmarried young woman. jeune fille girl. petite fille little girl
[Usually pronounced: TEET FEEY].
fin-fond (n.m.) the boondocks; a remote place. Variants: fin-fi-fond; fin-si-fond.
[Fin-fin-fond is often used in the plural.]
Flaman (n.m.) flamingo.
Fleur (n.f.) flower.
Fleurir (v.i.) 1. to bloom. 2. to pop (of popcorn).
Fluxion (n.f.) pneumonia.
Fois (n.f.) time; incident. Il est/a tomb trois fois de son cheval, mais chaque
fois il a remont. (He fell three times from his horse, but each time he got on
again.)
Fond (n.m.) bottom. fond de culotte seat of one's pants.
Fondre (v.) to melt
Font (v. t.) 3rd person plural form of faire in the present tense. Variant: faisont.
Fort (adj.) 1. strong. 2. of the age of reason, about six or seven years old. J' tais
dj fort quand ma mre a mouri. (I was already out of babyhood, of the age of
reason, when my mother died.) Comment fort il tait? How old was he [in
speaking of a young child]?
Fou (adj.) crazy [Feminine: folle].
Fouille-merde (n.f.) dung beetle.
Fouiller (v.t.) [FOOYEH] 1. to dig. (v.i.) 2. to dig around; to search aimlessly (as
in a drawer or closet). [Often said of children caught in places where they aren't
supposed to be.] fouiller des patates to harvest potatoes.
Fouine (n.f.) mink.
Fourchette (n.f.) fork (eating utensil).
Fourmi (n.f.) See: fromi.
Fourre-nez (n.m.) busybody. (adj. invariable) meddlesome.
Frais (adj.) cool. (Feminine: frache)
Fraise (n.f.) strawberry.
Frapper (v.) to hit.
Frquenter (v.t.) [FREH KAnTEH] 1. to be a regular visitor to (a place or person);
to socialize regularly with (of people).
Frre (n.m.) brother.
Frisson (n.m.) chill; goosebump. Les contes de loup-garou me donnent des
frissons. (Werewolf tales give me the chills.)
Frit (adj.) fried.
Fromi (n.f.) ant. Variant spelling: fromille. Variant: fourmi. [SF fourmi] avoir des
fromis to have numbness or "pins and needles" in an extremity.
Fromille (n.f.) ant. Variant spelling: fromi. Variant: fourmi. [SF fourmi] avoir des
fromilles to have numbness or "pins and needles" in an extremity.
Front (n.m.) forehead.
Frotter (v.t.) to rub.
Frottoir (n.m.) 1. rubboard; washboard. 2. musical rubboard, a corrogated metal
rhythm instrument usually worn over the chest and scratched with a spoon or
other metal implement.
Fumer (v.t.) smoke (cigarettes, pipes, etc.) See also: boucaner.
Fumier (n.m.) fertilizer; manure.

G
Gager (v.) to bet.
Gagnant (n.m.) winner. gagner son pain make a living.
Galerie (n.f.) porch; veranda. prendre la galerie. (to go out on the porch.)
Galeux (adj.) 1. mangy. 2. lazy.
Galoper (v.) 1.to run. 2. to gallop.
Gant (n.m.) glove.
Garon (n.m.) 1. boy. 2. son. Mon garon reste pas loin d'ici. (My son lives not
far from here.) vieux garon bachelor; man who has never married.
Garde-manger (n.m.) pie safe; cabinet where food is kept.
Garder (v.t.) 1. to keep. 2. to watch (derived from regarder).
Garrocher (v.t.) to throw. Variant spelling: garocher.
Gaspillage (n.m.) waste.
Gaspiller (v.t.) [GAH SPEE YEH] to waste.
Gter (v.t.) to spoil. gt pourri spoiled rotten [often said of a child]
Gteau (n.m.) cake. petit gteau cookie.
Gazette (n.f.) newspaper.
Geai bleu (n.m.) blue jay.
Gendre (n.m.) [ZHAnN] son-in-law. See also: alliance.
Gens (n.m.) young man.
Gn (adj.) shy; easily embarrassed.
Giraumon (n.m.) pumpkin.
Gele (n.f.) freeze.
Geler (v.t.) to freeze.
Gnreux (adj.) generous [feminine: gnreuse]
Genou (n.m.) knee. [plural: genoux]
Glace (n.f.) ice.
Glacer (v.i.) to ice; to freeze.
Gland (n.m.) acorn.
Glissant (adj.) slippery.
Glisser (v.i./t.) to slip; to slide.
Glorieux (adj.) vain; seeking glory [feminine: glorieuse]
Gobelet (n.m.) 1. goblet. 2. glass.
Gombo fvi (n.m.) okra.
Gonfler (v.t.) 1. to swell up; 2. to inflate.
Gorge (n.f.) throat.
Gourlot (n.m.) jingle bell. [SF grelot]
Gourmand (n.m.) a greedy eater. (adj.) gluttonous.
Got (n.m.) taste. Proverb: A chacun son got. To each his own.
Goter (v.t.) to taste.
Goutte (n.f.) drop. Ils se ressemblent comme deux gouttes d'eau. (They
resemble each other like two drops of water.)
Graine (n.f.) seed.
Grand (adj.) 1. big. 2. tall.
Grand-mre (n.f.) grandmother.
Grand-pre (n.m.) grandfather.
Grappe (n.f.) cluster, as of grapes.
Gratin (n.m.) in cooked foods, the crust formed by browning in contact with the
pot or cooking container. Le gratin dans la chaudire riz est la meilleure partie.
(The crust in the rice pot is the best part.)
Gratte--bombe (n.f.) scouring pad. (LaFourche)
Gratter (v.t.) to scratch.
Gratton (n.m.) cracklin.
Grgue (n.f.) coffeepot.
Grmille (n.f.) crumb.
Grenier (n.m.) attic; ceiling.
Grenouille (n.f.) frog.
Grimacer (v.i.) to mist; to rain very lightly.
Grippe (n.f.) flu.
Gris (adj.) grey.
Grisgris (n.m.) curse.
Grive (n.f.) American robin.
Gros (adj.) 1. fat. 2. big. gros bleu navy blue. gros + color dark. Ils ont peintur
son wagon gros vert. (They painted his wagon dark green.) je t'aime gros I love
you very much. [feminine: grosse]
Gros bec (n.m.) night heron.
Grouiller (v.t.) [GROOYEH] to move.
gru (n.m.) grits. On a mang du gru au djeuner ce matin. (We ate grits for
breakfast this morning.)
Gume (n.m.) rooster. See also: corusse; guime.
Gupe (n.f.) wasp.
Guerre (n.f.) war. la premire grande guerre World War I. la deuxime grande
guerre World War II.
Guetter (v.t.) 1. to watch. Alle a mesur eine cuillere de vanille et j'ai guett les
ronds de vanille bruns disparatre. (She measured a spoonful of vanilla and I
watched the brown circles of vanilla disappear.) -Earlene Broussard, "Le
Tablier." 2. to be on the lookout for.
Guime (n.m.) rooster. See also: gume; corusse.

H

Habillement (n.m.) [AH BEEY MAn] 1. clothing. 2. outfit.
Habiller (v.t.) [AH BEE YEH] to dress. s'habiller to get dressed; to dress oneself.
Habitant (n.m.) farmer; farmworker; rural dweller.
Habitation (n.f.) 1. farm. 2. farmstead. 3. plantation.
Hacher (v.t.) [HAH SHEH] to chop up. viande hache ground meat. See also:
mouler.
Har (v.t.) [pron. HAH EER] to hate.
Hassable (adj.) [pron. HAH-EE-SAHB] hateful; despicable.
Haler (v.t) [HAHLEH] to pull; to haul.
Halle (n.f.) [HAHL] meat market.
Hameon (n.m.) [AHM SOn] fish hook.
Hanche (n.f.) [HAnSH] hip.
Haria (n.m.) [HAH RYAH] 1. troublemaker. 2. no-account person.
Haricot (n.m.) bean.
Hlas (n.m.) [EHLAH] sigh. faire des grands hlas [GRAnZEHLAH] to exclaim.
herbe (n.f.) grass. l'herbe la puce poison ivy. les grandes herbes tall grass.
L'herbe coquine cockleburr. See also: arcotchin.
Hron (n.m.) heron.
Hibou (n.m.) [EEBOO] owl.
Histoire (n.f.) 1. story. 2. history.
Hiver (n.m.) winter.
Honnte (adj.) honest.
Honneur (n.f.) honor.
Honte (n.f.) shame; embarrassment. avoir honte to be embarrassed.
Honteux (adj.) 1. embarrassing; scandalous. 2. easily embarrassed (of a person);
timid.
Hormis que (conj.) [AWRMEE KEUH] unless.
Htel (n.m.) hotel.
Hourra (n.m.) 1. a large quantity. 2. a hubbub.
Huile (n.f.) 1. oil. 2. petroleum.
Huit (adj numr.) eight.
I

Ici (adv.) here. Variant: icitte.
Icitte (adv.) here. Variant: ici.
Ide (n.f.) 1. idea. 2. mind. faire son ide to make up one's mind.
Il (subj. pron.) he; it.
le (n.f.) island. la Grand'Ile Grand Isle.
ils (subj. pron.) they. [The feminine form elles is very rare. Ils is typically used to
refer to both masculine and feminine groups.]
Imbcile (n.m.) imbecile.
Important (adj.) important.
Importer (v.t.) to import.
Impossible (adj.) impossible.
Innocent (adj.) innocent.
Intelligent (adj.) intelligent. See also: smatte.
Itou (adv.) also; too. Moi itou, je veux partir. ( I want to leave, too.) Variant:
aussi.

J
Jalousie (n.f.) jealousy.
Jamais (adv.) 1. never. 2. ever.
Jaube (n.f.) mumps.
Jaune (adj.) yellow. la fivre jaune yellow fever; malaria.
Jaunice (n.f.) jaundice.
je (pron. pers.) I.
Jeter (v.t.) to throw away; to throw out.
Jeudi (n.m.) Thursday.
Jeune (adj.) young.
Joli (adj.) pretty; beautiful.
Joliment (adv.) very; pretty much. a va joliment bien aujourd'hui. (It's going
pretty well today.)
Jongler (v.i.) 1. to think. 2. to reflect thoughtfully.
Jouer (v.i./t.) to play. jouer la pelote to play ball. Viens jouer avec moi! (Come
play with me!)
Jour (n.m.) day.
Journe (n.f.) day [emphazing the duration].
Juge (n.m./f.) judge.
Juger (v.t.) to judge.
Jumeau (n.m.) twin. See also: besson.
Jumelle (n.f.) twin. See also: bessonne.
Jument (n.f.) mare.
Jurer (v.i.) to swear.
Jus (n.m.) juice. jus de chique spittle from tobacco chewing.
Justice (n.f.) justice.



K
L

Labourer (v.t.) to work (the land); to till. Variant: rabourer.
Lcher (v.t.) 1. to drop. 2. to let go of 3. to stop; to get off [of work or school.]
On lche l'cole trois heures et quinze. (We get off of school at 3:15.)
Lafourchais (adj.) from Lafourche.
Lagniappe (n.) something extra given at no cost. [From the Spanish " la apa"
meaning "something extra," which was originally borrowed from Quechuan.]
Laid (e) (adj.) ugly. laid comme un coin de banquette (ugly as the corner of a
sidewalk.)
Lait (n.m.) milk. buveur de lait tee-totaler; one who does not drink alcohol.
laitue (n.f.) lettuce.
Lamenter (v.r.) [LAH MAnTEH] 1. to complain. Edouard se lamente tout le temps
qu'il a pas assez d'argent. (Edouard complains all the time that he doesn't have
enough money.)
Lampe (n.f.) lamp.
Lapin (n.m.) rabbit.
Largue (adj.) [LAHRG] tired. See also: las, fatigu.
Larguer (v.t.) to tire.
Las (adj.) [LAHS] tired. See also: largue, fatigu. [Fem. lasse]
Lavabo (n.m.) 1. piece of furniture on which a washbowl, pitcher and towel were
usually placed for personal hygiene. 2. bathroom sink; lavatory.
Laver (v.t.) to wash.
Lavette (n.f.) washcloth.
Lche (n.f.) fishing worm.
Lendemain (n.m.) next day; day after.
Lever (v.t.) to raise; to lift. lever (v.r.) to get up. Lve-toi, on a l'cole
aujourd'hui! (Get up, we have school today!)
Liane (n.f.) vine.
Licher (v.t.) to lick. Variant: lcher.
Limon (n.m.) lemon.
Limonade (n.f.) lemonade.
Lion (n.m.) lion.
Linge (n.m.) 1. clothing. Catherine voulait rester la veille ce soir chez sa
memre, mais elle a oubli son linge. (Catherine wanted to spend the night
tonight at her grandmother's, but she forgot her clothes.) 2. cloth; rag. une
boutique de linge clothing store.
Lire (v.t) read. [Past participle: li, lu]
Lit (n.m.) bed. [lit is also the 3rd p. sing. form of lire in the present tense.]
Livre (n.m.) 1. book. 2. grade (level in school) Mon pre a quitt l'cole aprs le
quatrime livre. (My father quit school after the fourth grade.)
Livre (n.f.) pound.
Loup (n.m.) wolf.
Loupgarou (n.m.) werewolf. Variant: rougarou. [Local legend includes other
enchanted forms that humans took. For example, one could be a cheval-garou
(enchanted horse). The loupgarou and other garou phenomena were legends
known in the southeastern part of Louisiana and typically unfamiliar to
inhabitants of the western prairies.]
Lourd (adj.) heavy.
Loutre (n.f.) river otter.
Lumire (n.f.) light.
Lundi (n.m.) Monday.
Lune (n.f.) moon.
Lunettes (n.f. pl.) eyeglasses.
Lutte (n.f.) wrestling.
Lutter (v.i.) 1. to wrestle. 2. to struggle.

M
Macaque (n.m.) monkey.
Macaquerie (n.f.) foulishness, monkey shines.
machine z'herbes (n.f.) lawn mower. See also: faucheuse.maigre (adj.) 1. thin;
skinny. 2. jour maigre day of fasting (in the liturgical calendar).
Main (n.m.) hand.
mais (conj.) but
mas (n.m.) [pron. MAH-EE] corn. mas tendre tender corn (for human
consumption).
Maison (n.f.) house. maison de cour courthouse.
Matresse (d'cole) (n.f.) female school teacher.
Matre d'cole (n.m.) male school teacher.
Mal (n.m.) 1. hurt; injury; pain. Ca me fait du mal quand je marche. (It hurts
when I walk.) 2. evil. (adj) badly.
Malade (adj.) sick. (n.m./f.) sick person.
Maldiction (n.f.) curse.
Mal-lev (adj.) impolite; having poor manners.
Malheureux (adj.) unhappy; unfortunate.
Mal-pris (loc.adj.) in a bad situation.
Mangeaille (n.f.) food.
Manger (v.t.) to eat. (n.m.) food.
Manier (v.t.) to handle.
Manire (f.) [MAn YA-R] way. J'aime pas la manire qu'il me regarde. (I don't
like the way he looks at me.)(adv.) kind of; sort of. Mon beau-frre est manire
paresseux. (My brother-in-law is kind of lazy.)
Manquer (v.t.) 1. to miss. Il a tir trop vite et il a manqu le canard. (He shot too
fast and he missed the duck.) [Typically s'ennuyer is the verb used for the
sentiment of missing a person emotionally.] manquer de + infinitive to just miss
or almost (do something). J'ai manqu de me casser une jambe quand j'ai
tomb. (I almost broke a leg when I fell.)
March (n.m.) market.
Mardi (n.m.) Tuesday
Mari (n.m.) husband.
Mariage (n.m.) marriage.
Mari (n.m.) bridegroom. les maris bridal couple. (adj.) married.
Marie (n.f.) bride.
Marier (v.t./v.r.) to marry.
maringouin (n.m.) mosquito. Les maringouins ont tout mang ma belle, ils ont
laiss que les grands orteils. (Chanson traditionelle: "La valse de Holly Beach")
The mousquitos at up my sweetheart; they left only her big toes. (traditional
song: The Holly Beach Waltz). See also: moustique.
Marraine (n.f.) godmother.
Marteau (n.m.) hammer.
Masquer (v.r.) to put on a mask. [By extension,] to put on a disguise or costume
in which one's identity is hidden. Tu vas te masquer pour le Mardi Gras cette
anne? (Are you going to mask for Mardi Gras this year?)
Massacrer (v.t.) 1. to beat up. 2. to damage. 3.to destroy. 4. to beat badly (as in
a sports competition). LSU a massacr Tulane hier soir. (LSU beat Tulane badly
last night.)
Maton (n.m.) chin. Variant: menton.
Matou (n.m.) tomcat.
Maudire (v.t.) [MODEER] to curse.
Maudit (past. part.) cursed; damned.
Mauvais (adj.) bad. mauvais btail (n.m.) insect pest. mauvaise herbe weed.
Melon (n.m.) melon. melon d'eau watermelon [SF pastque]. melon de France
canteloupe. Variant: melon franais.
Mentau (pr.n.f.) [MEnTAHW] Mermentau. J'ai t lev la Mentau. (I was
raised in Mermentau.) Variant: Mentav. [MEnTAHV]
Mentir (v.i.) to lie; to tell an untruth.
Menterie (n.f.) lie; falsehood.
Mpriser (v.t.) to disdain; to show disdain for; to criticize with disdain.
Mme (adj.) even.
Mer (n.f.) sea.
Mercredi (n.m.) Wednesday.
Mre (n.f.) mother.
Merise (n.f.) wild cherry.
Mettre (v.t.) 1. to put. 2. to put on [as of clothing]. mettre la table to set the
table.
Mieux (adv.) better. le mieux the better; the best. Je fais le mieux que je peux. (
I do the best that I can.)
Mine (n.f.) appearance.
Mirliton (n.m.) vegetable pear.
Misre (n.f.) misery; trouble. faire de la misre quelqu'un. to cause someone
trouble.
Mitaine (n.f.) fingerless gloves [often used protect hands and arms while picking
cotton, berries, etc.]
Modiste (n.f.) seamstress.
Moi (pron.) me.
Mois (n.m.) month.
Moiselle (n.f.) firefly.
Moiti (n.f.) [MO CHEH, MWAHCHEH] half. Variants to reflect spelling: motch,
mtch.
Monde (n.m.) 1. world. Il y a pas rien dans le monde que tu peux faire pour
l'aider. (There's nothing in the world you can do to help him.) 2. people; family.
Mon monde devient de Scott. (My people come from Scott.)
Monter (v.) to climb; to ride.
Moque (n.f.) 1. mug; large cup. 2. cup [measure].
Moqueur (n.m.) mockingbird.
Morceau (n.m.) piece.
Mordre (v.) to bite.
Mort (adj.) dead. [While in SF il est mort can denote either"he is dead" or "he
died," many CF speakers distinguish between the adjectival il est mort (he is
dead) and the CF verbal form il a mouri (he died).]
Mortalit (n.f.) 1. death (an incident); casualty. 2. mortality. Il y a eu deux
mortalits dans l'accident hier au soir. (There were two deaths in last night's
accident.)
Mouche (n.f.) fly [insect].
Mouche feu (n.f.) firefly. [SF luciole].
Mouche miel (n.f.) honey bee. [SF abeille]
Mouchoir (n.m.) handkerchief.
Moudre (v.t.) to grind. Elle a moudu le caf. (She ground the coffee.) Variant:
mouler.
Mouiller (v.i.) to rain. (The SF pleuvoir is used more rarely.)
Mouler (v.t.) to grind. La viande moule.Ground meat. Je moule mon caf moi-
mme. (I grind my coffee myself.) Variant: moudre.
Mouri past participle of mourir. See also: mort.
Mourir (v.i.) to die.
Moustique (n.m.) mosquito. See also: maringouin.
Moutarde (n.f) 1. mustard greens. 2. mustard.
mouton (n.m.) sheep.
Moutonne (n.f.) ewe; female sheep.
Mulet (n.m.) mule.
Mur (n.m.) wall.
Mr (adj.) ripe.
Mre (n.f.) blackberry.

N
Naissance (n.f.) birth.
Narine (n.f.) nostril.
Navet (n.m.) turnip.
Naviguer (v.t) 1. to navigate 2. to drive.
n (past. part.) born. Variant: n.
Neige (n.f.) snow.
Neiger (v.t.) to snow.
Netteyer (v.t.) to clean. Variant: nettoyer. See also: propter.
Nettoyer (v.t.) to clean. Variant: netteyer. See also: propter.
Neuf (adj numr.) nine.
Neuf (adj.) new; brand new. Quoi de neuf? Whats new?
Nic (n.m.) nest. Variant spellings: nyc, nique.
Noir (adj.) black.
Nom (n.m.) 1. name 2. noun. petit nom, ti-nom nickname.
Non (adv.) no.
Nonc (n.m.) uncle. See also: oncle.
Nord (n.m.) north.
Nourriture (n.f.) 1. Nourishment. 2. Food. See also: manger.
Nous-autres (pron.) us (obj. of preposition) Nonc Octave veut aller en Ville avec
nous-autres. (Uncle Octave wants to go to New Orleans with us.)
Nouveau (adj.) new.
nu (adj.) nude; naked.
Nuage (n.m.) cloud. See also: nue.
Nue (n.f.) cloud. See also: nuage.
Nulle part (loc. adv.) no where.

O
Obstiner (v.r.) 1. to argue; to haggle. Je voulais pas m'obstiner avec ma mre. (I
didn't want to argue with my mother.) Variant spelling: ostiner (the "b" sound is
typically not pronounced in this word in CF).
Oeuf (n.m.) egg.
Oignon (n.m.) onion.
on (pron.) [sounds like a foghorn; only pronounce the "n" in front of a word
beginning with a vowel sound] we; one (people in general).
Oncle (n.m.) uncle (often pronouced nonc, particularly in direct address to an
uncle. Nonc Adam m'a donn ce cheval. (Uncle Adam gave me this horse.))
Oppression (n.f.) asthma.
Orange (n.f.) orange (as is the fruit). (adj.) orange in color.
Or (n.m.) gold.
Oreille (n.f.) ear.
Oreiller (n.m.) pillow.
Orphelin (n.m.) orphan.
Orphelinat (n.m.) orphanage.
Orteil (n.m.) toe.
Ostiner (v.r.) See: obstiner.
Osseux/ osseuse (adj) bony.
ter (v.t.) 1. to take off. 2. to take out. Il a t ses souliers avant d'entrer dans la
maison. (He took off his shoes before entering the house.)
Ouaouaron (n.m.) bullfrog.
Oublier (v.t.) to forget. Variant spelling [to reflect pronunciation]: oblier.
Ouest (n.m.) west.
Ouragan (n.m.) hurricane. Variant spelling [to reflect pronunciation]: oragan.
Ours (n.m.) bear.
Outil (n.m.) [OO TEEY] tool.
Ouvrage (n.m.) work.

P
Pacane (n.f.) 1. pecan. 2. nothing (figurative).
Pacanier (n.m.) pecan tree.
Pacanire (n.f.) pecan grove; a stand of pecan trees.
Padna (n.m.) 1. male friend. 2. partner.
Pagaille (n.f.) paddle.
Pagailler (v.t.) to paddle; to row (a boat). Variant spelling: pagayer.
Pagayer (v.t.) to paddle; to row (a boat). Variant spelling: pagailler.
Paillasse (n.f.) 1. straw or corn husk mattress. 2. scarecrow. 3. clown.
Paille (n.f.) 1.straw [of grain]. 2. drinking straw. See also: canne. casser la paille
to break off a relationship.
Pain (n.m.) bread. pain de froment homemade white bread. pain de mas
cornbread. pain perdu French toast.
Pantalon (n.m.) pants.
Paon (n.m.) peacock.
Papier (n.m.) paper.
Papillon (n.m.) butterfly.
Pquer (v.t./i.) to hit Easter eggs together in a competition to see which egg
breaks the other. [The winner traditionally takes the losing egg. This tradition is
well known in Evangeline, Avoyelles, and Acadia Parishes and some other areas
in southwest Acadiana.] On va pquer avec Memre aprs la messe. (We're going
to "pock" with Memre after Mass.) Variant: faire pque-pque.
Pques (n.f.) Easter.
Paquet (n.m.) package.
Par rapport (conj.) because. par rapport because of. par rapport que because +
subordinate clause. See also: parce que; cause de.
Parc (n.m.) 1. park. parc de... animal yard of some kind. parc de cochons pigpen.
Parce que (conj.) because.
Par (adj.) [PAH REH, ending rhymes with "caf"] ready.
Pareil (adj.) [pron. PAH RAY] the same; alike. feminine: pareilles. Ces deux robes
sont exactement pareilles.(These two dresses are exactly alike.)
Pareillement (adv.) 1. in the same way. 2. same here (formulaic response
indicating agreement).
Parier (v.i.) to bet.
Parler (v.t.) to speak.
Paroisse (n.f.) parish.
Parrain (n.m.) godfather.
Partager (v.t.) to share.
Partir (v.t.) to start (a motor or engine). Je peux pas partir mon char. (I can't
start my car.)
Partir (de) (v.i.) to depart from; to leave (a place).
Pas (neg.) not. Il est pas trop vaillant. (He's not very nice.)
Passer (v.) to pass.
Patassa (n.m.) sunfish; bream.
Patate (n.f.) potato. patate anglaise Irish potato. patate douce sweet potato;
yam.
Pataterie (n.f.) potato shed.
Pte (n.f.) dough; batter.
Patin (n.m.) skate.
Patte (n.f.) paw; foot (of an animal).
Pauvre (adj. ) poor.
Peau (n.f.) skin.
Peau-morte (n.f.) dandruff. Variant to reflect pronunciation: peaumotte.
Pche (n.f.) peach.
Pche (n.f.) fishing. On est parti la pche. (We're going fishing.)
Pch (n.m.) sin. un pch mortel a mortal sin.
Pcher (n.m.) peach tree.
pcher (v.i.) to sin.
Peine (n.f.) pain. a me fait de la peine. (I am sorry; That hurts me.) a vaut la
peine (It's worth it.)
Plican (n.m.) pelican.
Pelote (n.f.) [PLAWT] ball. jouer la pelote to play ball.
Pense (n.f.) 1. pansy. 2. thought.
Penser (v.i.) to think.
Percer (v.) to pierce; to puncture.
Perdre (v.t.) to lose.
Perdrix (n.f.) quail.
Perdu (past. part. of perdre) lost. Pain perdu French toast.
Pre (n.m.) father.
Persil (n.m.) parsley.
Personne (adv. neg.) nobody; no one. (n.f.) person.
Ptale (n.f.) petal.
Petit (adj.) small; little; short. [When used as an adjective before a noun, the
first syllable is often dropped. Thus, a listener will hear "une 'tite maison" or "un
'tit chien."] (n.m.) child.
Petit-enfant (n.m./f.) grandchild.
Petit-garon (n.m.) grandson. Also: petit-fils.
Petite-fille (n.f.) granddaughter.
Peu (n.m.) a small quantity; a little bit. (Typically used in the expression un petit
peu.) Il a mis un petit peu de piment dans la sauce. (He put a little pepper in the
sauce.) (adv.) a little; a little bit. Tu parles anglais? Un petit peu. (Do you speak
English? A little.) See also: brin.
Peur (n.f.) fear. avoir peur de to be afraid of. faire peur to scare.
Piastre (n.f.) [pron. PYAS] dollar. On a pay quatre piastres et demie la livre
(pour) ces chevrettes. (We paid $4.50 a pound for those shrimp.)
Picbois/piquebois (n.m.) woodpecker.
Picocher (v.t./i.) to tease.
Picotte (n.f.) chicken pox.Variant spelling: picote.
Pied (n.m.) foot. pied de tomate tomato plant. pied de... _____plant.
Pigeon (n.m.) pigeon.
Piment (n.m.) pepper. piment doux bell pepper.
Pin-pi-po (n.m.) a rhyme game similar to "eeny meey miney mo".
Piquebois (n.m.) woodpecker.
Pistache (n.f.) [PEE STAH SH] peanut (abbreviated form of pistache de terre).
Plancher (n.m.) floor.
Planter (v.t.) to plant.
Plaque (n.f.) record disk [precursor of the CD, for you youngsters!]
Plaquemine (n.f.) [PLAHKMEEN] persimmon.
Plat (adj.) flat.
Plein (adj.) full. plein de a lot of; many. pleine lune (expr.) full moon.
Ployer (v.t.) to fold. [SF plier].
Plume (n.f.) 1. pen (ball point or ink). 2. feather.
Plumer (v.t.) to pluck. a se plume! (expr.) Things are going well. [literally: It
plucks!]
Plus (adv.) see: p'us.
Poil (n.m.) body hair. pubic hair.
Poire (n.f.) pear.
Pois (petits) (n.m.pl) sweat peas.
Poison (n.f.) [PWAH ZOn] poison.
Poisson (n.m.) [PWAH SOn] fish.
Politicien (n.m.) politician.
Pomme (n.f.) apple.
Pomme de terre (n.f.) potato. See also: patate anglaise.
Pommier (n.f.) apple tree.
Pondre (v.) to lay (an egg).
Pont (n.m.) bridge.
Pont Breaux (n.m.) Breaux Bridge. Chaque anne en mai, il y a un gros festival au
Pont Breaux. (Every year in May, there's a big festival in Breaux Bridge.)
Populaire (adj.) 1. popular. 2. populous.
Portrait (n.m.) 1. picture; painting; image. 2. photo. 3. portrait. 4. movie.
Pouce (n.m.) 1. thumb. 2. inch.
Poulailler (n.m.) [POO LAH YEH] chicken coop.
Poulain (n.m.) colt.
Poule (n.f.) hen.
Poulet (n.m.) chicken.
Pouliche (n.f.) filly.
Pour (prep.) 1. for. 2. for the purpose of. avoir pour + infinitive to have to (do
something), to be obliged to. On a pour propter la maison avant que la
compagnie arrive. (We have to clean the house before the company arrives.)
pour que + subjunctive subordinate clause. in order that Mon mari travaille des
longues heures pour que je peuve rester la maison avec les enfants. (My
husband works long hours so that I can stay home with the children.)
Pourrir (v.t.) to rot.
Pourquoi (pron.) why. Pourquoi dfunt Nonc Justilien est pas enterr ct de sa
femme? (Why isn't Uncle Justilien buried next to his wife?)
Pousser (v.t.) 1. to push. 2. (of plants, hair, teeth) to grow or sprout.
Poussire (n.f.) dust.
Pouvoir (v.t.) to be able to. (n.m.) power.
Prendre (v.t.) 1. to take. 2. to have (of food and drink) On va prendre notre caf
dessus la galerie. (We'll have our coffee on the porch.)
Prendre + infinitive to begin to; to start. Il a pris boire un tas aprs la mort de
son garon. (He started drinking a lot after the death of his son.)
Prendre feu to catch fire.
Prparer (v.t.) to prepare.
Prsent (n.m.) 1. gift. 2. present (time).
Prtendu (n.m.) 1. suitor. 2. boyfriend.
Prtendue (n.f.) girlfriend.
Prtre (n.m.) priest.
Prier (v.i.) 1. to pray. 2. beg or supplicate.
Prire (n.f.) prayer.
Printemps (n.m.) springtime; spring.
Pris (past participle of prendre) 1. took; taken. 2. stuck; immobile. mal pris in a
bad situation.
Prochain (adj.) next.
Proche (adv.) almost. Quand on a trouv Henry, il tait proche la crve de faim.
(When we found Henry, he was almost dead from hunger.)
Procurer (v.) to procure.
Profiter (v.i.) to grow. Le bb a profit un tas depuis la dernire fois que je l'ai
vu. (The baby has grown a lot since the last time I saw him.) propre (adj.) 1.
clean. Elle a une chambre bien propre. (She has a very clean room.) 2. own.
J'aimerais avoir ma propre chambre. (I would like to have my own room.)
Propter (v.t.) to clean.
Prouver (v.t.) to prove.
Prune (n.f) plum.
Pruneau (n.m.) prune.
Puce (n.f.) flea. (Loc.) mettre la puce l'oreille to "put the bug one's ear;" to
make someone privy to a piece of information; to hint around to someone.
Puer (v.i.) to stink; to smell bad.
Puits (n.m.) well. puits d'huile oil well.
Punaise (n.f.) 1. stinkbug. 2. bedbug.
Punir (v.t.) to punish.
Punition (n.f.) punishment.
p'us (adv.) no longer; no more. [In much the same way that SF tends to use the
pronunciation of the final "s" to distinguish plus [plys] meaning "more" from
plus [ply] meaning "no more," in CF, the pronunciation of the "l" sound [ply]
denotes "more" while the lack of it in [py] indicates "no more." Still, many Cajun
writers use the same spelling, plus, for both.]
Pur (adj.) pure.
Purement (adv.) 1. purely. 2. solely.
Purge (n.f.) 1. purge; 2. purgative laxative.
Purger (v.t.) to purge.
Putain (n.f.) prostitute; bitch. fils de putain son of a bitch.

Q
Qualit (n.f.) [KAH LEE TEH] 1. kind. Quelle qualit de crme tu veux? (What kind
of ice cream to do you want?) 2. quality. Je veux une toffe de bonne qualit. (I
want a good quality cloth.)
quand-mme (adv.) anyway. J'aime pas danser, mais je vais aller au bal quand-
mme. (I don't like to dance, but I'll go the dance anyway.)
quantime (n.m.) date. Je connais pas quel quantime on est parce que j'ai pas
d'almanaque. (I don't know what the date is because I don't have a calendar.)
quarante (adj numr.) forty.
quarantine (n.f.) quarantine.
quatre (adj numr.) four.
quatre-vingts (adj numr.) eighty.
quatre-vingt-dix (adj numr.) ninety.
quelqu'un (pron.) someone.
quelque chose (loc. nom.) something.
quelque parte (loc. adv.) somewhere.
quereller (v.i./v.r.) [KRE LEH] to argue; to quarrel. (v.t.) to fuss at; to scold.
queue (n.f.) tail. queue d'oignon onion top. Variant spelling (to reflect variant
pronunciation): tcheu.
Qui (pron.) [pron. KEE] 1. who; whom. Qui veut aller la pche avec moi? (Who
wants to go fishing with me?). 2. what (regional: Evangeline, Avoyelles,
Lafourche, Terrebonne and others). Qui t'as fait avec tes outils? (What did you do
with your tools?)
Quitter (v.t.) [KEE TEH] 1. to leave; to depart from. 2. to let; to permit; to allow.
Variant: laisser is also used in the sense of "to permit; to allow."
Quoi (pron.) what. See also: qui.
quoi faire why. Quoi faire t'as pas venu veiller hier au soir? (Why didn't you come
visiting last night?) Variant spellings to reflect pronunciation: kofaire; quo'faire.
See also: pourquoi.


R
Rabourer (v.t.) to work the land; to till. Variant: labourer.
Racine (n.f.) [RAH SEEN] root.
Raconter (v.t.) to recount; to tell [a story or a narrative]; to tell about. Raconte-
moi de tes nouvelles. (Tell me your news.)
radis (n.m.) radish.
radotage (n.m.) incessant chatter.
Radoter (v.i.) to chatter; to talk incessantly.
Raisin (n.m.) grape.
Raison (n.f.) reason; correct thinking. T'as raison! (You're right!)
Ramasser (v.t.) 1. to gather; to pick up. 2. to harvest; to pick [cotton, for
example].
Rang (n.m.) row. faire des rangs to make the rows.
Ranger (v.) to store; to put in rows.
Rappeler (v.r.) [RAH PLEH] to recall; to remember. Tu te rappelles du petit cheval
nain que Thophile avait qu'on restait la campagne? (Do you remember the
little pony Thophile had when we lived in the country?) (v.i.) to recall; to call to
mind; to remind one of. Ca me rappelle une chanson que Mame avait l'habitude
de chanter pour bercer les bbs. (That reminds me of a song that Mom used to
sing to rock the babies.)
rapport (n.m.) See: par rapport.
rat (n.m.) rat.
rat de bois (n.m.) [RAHD BWAH] oppossum.
rat musqu (n.m.) muskrat.
Ravert (n.m.) roach. Variant: ravet.
Ravet (n.m.) roach. Variant: ravert.
Recevoir (v.) 1. to receive. 2. to welcome visitors.
Rchauffer (v.t.) 1. to warm up. 2. to reheat. se rchauffer to warm oneself up.
rcolte (n.f.) 1. harvest; crop. faire rcolte to farm. rentrer sa rcolte to take in one's
crop; to harvest
Rcolter (v.t.) to harvest.
rcolteur (n.m.) farmer. Variant: rcoltier.
rcoltier (n.m.) farmer. Variant: rcolteur.
Regarder (v.) to look at; to watch.
Regretter (v.t.) 1. to regret. 2. to be nostalgic about or miss [something lost or in
the past]. Je regrette assez mon chien Fido qu'a mouri le printemps pass. (I
really miss my dog Fido who died last spring.)
Rejeter (v.t.) to vomit.
Rejoindre (v.t.) to join up with; to meet.
Renard (n.m.) fox.
Rencontrer (v.t.) to meet; to encounter.
Repasser (v.t.) to iron.
rpondre () (v.i.) to answer. T'as pas rpondu ma question! (You didn't
answer my question!)
Rponse (n.f.) answer; response.
Resrve (n.f.) stock; store.
Ressembler () (v.i.) to resemble; to look like. Il ressemble son pre. ( He looks
like his father.)
Rester (v.) 1. to stay; to remain 2. to inhabit.
retenir/retiendre (v.) to hold back; to retain
Russir (v.) to succed.
Rveiller (v.t.) to awaken. se rveiller to wake up.
Revenant (n.m.) ghost.
Riche (adj.) rich.
Rien (pron.) nothing. Variant: arien. [Often used with the negative particle pas.]
Il y a pas rien qu'on peut faire pour lui. (There's nothing we can do for him.)
Rincer (v.t.) to rinse.
Rire (v.i.) to laugh.
Riz (n.m.) [REE] rice.
Robe (n.f.) [RAWB] dress.
Rder (v.i.) to roam; to "run the roads."
Ronger (v.) to gnaw.
Rose (n.f.) [RAWZ] rose. (adj.) pink.
Rougarou (n.m.) werewolf. Variant: loupgarou.
Rouge (adj./n.m.) red.
Rougir (v.) to turn red; to blush.
Rouler (v.i/t.) to roll.
Royville (n.p.) [RWAH VEEL] Youngsville.
Rue (n.f.) street.
Russien (adj.) Russian. Feminine: russienne.

S
Saint (n.m.) saint. (adj.) holy; sacred. le Vendredi Saint Good Friday. le Jeudi
Saint Holy Thursday. la Semaine Sainte Holy Week.
Saison (n.f.) season.
Saler (v.t.) to salt.
Saline (n.f.) Avery Island. Mon grand-pre a t lev la Saline. (My
grandfather was raised on Avery Island.)
Salir (v.t.) to dirty; to soil.
Samedi (n.m.) Saturday.
Sangsue (n.f.) leech.
Sans (prep.) without.
Saoul (adj.) [SOO] drunk. Also spelled: sol.
Saouler (v.t) to make drunk; to inebriate. (v.r.) to become inebriated; to get
drunk.Il s'a saoul hier au soir. (He got drunk last night.) Also spelled: soler.
Sauce (n.f.) 1. sauce. 2. gravy.
Saucisse (n.f.) sausage.
Saute crapaud (n.m.) leapfrog (game).
Saut (n.m.) 1. leap. 2. jump.
Sauter (v.i./t.) 1.to jump. 2. to skip.
Sauver (v.t.) to save.
Sauterelle (n.f.) grasshopper.
Savanne (n.f.) pasture.
Savon (n.m.) soap.
Sec/ sche (adj.) dry.
Scher (v.i./t.) to dry. Variant: chesser.
Scheresse (n.f.) drought; dry spell. Variant: chesseresse.
Sel (n.m.) salt.
Selle (n.f.) saddle.
Semence (n.f.) 1. the sowing of seed. 2. sowed seeds.
Semer (v.t.) to sow or plant [seeds].
Sentir (v.t.) 1. to smell; to smell like. Ca sent le caf ici dans. T'en as fait? (It
smells like coffee in here. Did you make some?) 2. to feel. Tu peux sentir a
quand je touche tes orteils? (Quand you feel that when I touch your toes?) (v.r.)
to feel (one's personal well-being) Je me sens pas bien ce matin. Je crois que j'ai
attrap une grippe. (I don't feel well this morning. I think I've caught a flu.)
Sept (adj numr.) seven.
Serment (n.m.) oath. Faire serment to swear; to take an oath.
Serpent (n.f./m) snake. Serpent congo water mocassin.
Serr (adj./adv.) tight; tightly. Tiens-moi serr. (Hold me tight.)
Serrer (v.t.) to squeeze; to hold tightly.
Si (conj.) if.
Siblme (n.f.) scalloped quash.
Siffler (v.i./v.t.) to whistle.
Siffleur (n.m.) whistler.
Six (adj numr.) six.
Soco (n.m.) muscadine.
Soeur (n.f.) 1. sister. bonne soeur nun.
Soif (n.f.) thirst. avoir soif to be thirsty.
Soigner (v.t) to care for; to take care of.
Soire (n.f.) an evening party.
Soldat (n.m.) [SOL DAH] soldier.
Soleil (n.m.) sun.
Sommeil (n.m.) sleep; sleepiness. Ca drange mon sommeil. (That disturbs my
sleep.) avoir sommeil to be sleepy. Il avait pas sommeil. (He wasn't sleepy.)
Sonner (v.i./t.) to sound; to ring.
Sont (v.i.) Present tense form of tre (to be). are (3rd person plural). Ils sont
contents. (They are happy.)
Sorcire (n.f.) witch.
Sortir (v.i) to go out. (v.t.) to take out. sortir de + infinitive to have just (done
something). Je sors de parler avec ma belle-mre. (I just spoke with my mother-
in-law.)
Sou (n.m.) [SOO] cent. cinq sous. five cents. E-quand j'tais jeune, on payait cinq
sous le gallon notre gasoline. (When I was young we paid five cents a gallon for
gas.)
Souffler (v.t.) to blow.
Sol (adj.) [SOO] drunk; inebriated. Also spelled: saoul.
Soler (v.t., v.r.) See: saouler.
Soupe (n.f.) [SOOP] soup.
Souper (n.m.) [SOOPEH] supper; the evening meal.
Sourd (adj.) [SOOR] deaf.
Souris (n.f.) mouse.
souris chaude (n.f.) bat (mammal) (SF chauve-souris).
Sous (prep.) under; underneath.
Souvent (adv.) often. (expr.) souvent des fois oftentimes. souventes fois
oftentimes.
suce-fleur (n.m.) hummingbird [SF colibri; oiseau-mouche.]
Sud (n.m.) south.
Suer (v.i./t.) to sweat. suer des carvelles(figurative) to be in a difficult situation;
to be stressed because of one's difficulties.
Suire (v.t.) to follow. Variant: suivre.
Suit (v.t.) followed; past participle of suire/suivre.
Suivre (v.t.) to follow. Variant: suire.
Sur (prep.) on; upon. Variant: sus.
Surveiller (v.t.) to oversee; to chaperone.
Sus (prep) on; upon. Variant: sur.


T
Table (n.f.) [TAHB] table.
Tablier (n.m.) apron.
Tchac, tchoc (n.m.) blackbird.
Tactac (n.m.) popcorn. boule de tactac (popcorn ball.)
Talle (n.f.) bush.
Tandis que (conj.) while; during the time that.
Tant qu' (prep.) as for; with regards to. Tant qu' toi, t'es toujours en retard!
(As for you, you're always late!) (Compare to SF quant .)
Tante (n.f.) aunt. Petite tante/ti-tante aunt who is close in age to at least some
of her nieces and nephews.
Tapis (n.m.) [TAHPEE] rug; carpet.
Tarte (n.f.) [TAHRT] pie; tarte. petite tarte couverte a folded tart, usually made
of sweet dough crust.
tas (n.m.) [TAH] pile; a lot. un tas (adv.) a lot. Ces enfants se battent un tas.
(Those children fight a lot.)
Tasse (n.f.) cup.
Tataille (n.f.) [TAH TAHY] scary creature; monster.
taureau (n.m.) bull.
tayau (n.m.) [TAH YO] hound dog.
Tchoc (n.m.) blackbird.
Tenir/teindre (v.t.) to color; to dye. (Past participle: teint.)
Tempte (n.f.) storm.
Temps (n.m.) 1. time(s); day. Dans le temps de mes grandsparents, les filles
allaient pas au bal sans leur mre. (In my grandparents' day, girls did not go to
dances without their mothers.) 2. Weather. [When speaking of time as an
incident to be counted, use fois. (n.f.) instead of temps.]
Terre (n.f.) land; soil; earth.
Tige (n.f.) [TEE ZH] stem [of a plant.]
Tigre (n.m.) tiger.
Tirer (v.t.) 1. to throw. 2. to shoot. 3. tirer une vache. to milk (a cow).
Tireur (n.m.) shooter.
Tiroir (n.m.) drawer.
Tocaille (n.m.) [TOKAH Y] person who has the same first name as another.
Toilette (n.f.) toilet. faire sa toilette to clean and groom oneself.
Tomate (n.f.) [TO MAH T] tomato.
Tomber (v.i.) to fall. tomber en faiblesse to faint.
Tonner (v.i.) to thunder.
Tonnerre (n.m.) thunder.
Tortue (n.f.) turtle.
Tourbe (n.m.) hull (of a ship).
Tourner (v.t.) to turn; to turn over.
Tourte (n.f.) dove.
Toussaint (n.f.) All Saints' Day. On a besoin de propter le cimetire pour la
Toussaint. (We have to clean the cemetery for All Saints' Day.)
Tousser (v.i.) to cough.
Tout (pron.) everything. (adj.) all. (adv.) completely.
Tout le monde 1.everyone; everybody. 2. the whole world.
Tout quelqu'un everyone; everybody.
toute quelque chose everything.
toux (n.f) cough.
Tracas (n.m.) [TRAH KAH] 1. trouble; problem. 2. obsession.
Tracasser (v.i.) [TRAH KAH SEH] 1. to worry. 2. to bother. se tracasser 1. to
worry. 2. to be obsessed.
Trace (n.f.) print (as in foot or paw print).
Tracteur (n.m.) tractor.
Traitement (n.m.) treatment.
Traiter (v.t.) to treat.
Traiteur (n.m.) healer (SF gurisseur.)
Tranquille (adj.) [TRAn KEEL] calm; tranquil. Laisse-moi tranquille! (Leave me
alone! Quit bothering me!)
Transfert (d' cole) (n.m.) schoolbus.
Travail (n.m.) work.
Travaillant (n.m.) [TRAH VAH YAn] 1. worker; hired hand.
Travailler (v.t.) to work.
Traverser (v.t.) to cross.
Trempe (adj.) [TRAnP] wet. Il faut pas sortir comme a avec tes cheveux
trempes; tu vas attraper un rhume! (You mustn't go out like that with your hair
wet; you'll catch cold!)
Trois (adj numr.) three.
Tronc (n.m.) trunk; tree trunk.
Trou (n.m.) hole.
Troupeau (n.m.) herd. un troupeau de vaches (a herd of cows).
Trouver (v.t.) to find.
Truie (n.f.) sow; female pig.
Truite (n.f.) bass fish.
Tuer (v.) to kill.

U
Un/une (art. ind.) a, an, one. Variant spelling to reflect pronunciation: ein/eine.
un (adj numr.) one.
uni (adj.) 1. united. 2. smooth. C'est mieux de danser dessus un plancher qu'est
bien uni. (It's better to danse on a floor that is nice and smooth.)
User (v.t.) to use.
Utile (adj.) useful.

V
va (v.i.) go; goes [3rd p. sing. form of aller in the present tense]
Vache (n.f.) cow.
Vaillant (adj) 1.nice; friendly. 2 nice-looking. [In Lafourche Parish, vaillant has
only the meaning "nice-looking." Meaning 1 is expressed by avenant.]
Valse (n.f.) [VAHLS] waltz.
Vanille (n.f.) vanilla. Variant pronunciation: vanisse.
Vanter (v.r.) to brag.
Vas (v.i.) goes [1st and 2nd p. sing. form of aller in the present tense.]
va-t-et-vient (n.m.) [VAH TEH VYEn] comings and goings; hubbub of activity.
Vaut-rien (n.m.) [VO RY En] good-for-nothing.
Veau (n.m.) calf (baby cow).
Vendeur (n.m.) seller; salesman.
Vendeuse (n.f.) saleswoman.
Vendre (v.t.) to sell.
Vendredi (n.m.) Friday.
Venir (v.i.) 1. to come. 2. to become. Il a venu blme quand il a attendu la
nouvelle. (He became pale when he heard the news.)
Vent (n.m.) wind.
Venter (v.i.) of wind, to blow.
Vrit (n.f.) [VE REE TEH] truth.
Verrat (n.m.) male pig; boar.
Verre (n.m.) drinking glass.
Vert (adj./n.m.) green.
Viande (n.f.) meat. viande de cochon pork. viande de bte beef.
Vieillir (v.i./t.) get older; to age. Variant: vieillzir.
vieux (adj.) old.
Vieux garon 1. unmarried man (usually an older man). 2. zinnia.
Vilain (adj.) 1. ugly. 2. nasty, mean. vilaines manires ugly manners/ bad
behavior.
Village (n.m.) town.
Ville (n.f.) large city. la Ville New Orleans; en Ville in (to) New Orleans.
Virer (v.t.) to turn; to change direction.
Vite (adv.) fast; quickly.
Vitre (n.f.) window (pane).
Voir (v.t.) [WAHR] [VWAHR] to see. voir to see about. Va voir tes petits. (Go
see about your children.) Variant spellings to reflect pronunciation:oir, 'oir.
Voisin (n.m.) neighbor.
Voisinage (n.m.) neighborhood.
Voiture (n.f.) buggy; carriage.
Volaile (n.f.) poultry.
Voler (v.t.) 1. to fly. 2. to steal. Voler une fille of a young man, to run away with a
girl; to elope.
Vouloir (v.t.) to want.
Voulu past participle of vouloir.
Vous (pron.) [VOO] you (formal) [In Cajun French, vous is much less frequently
heard than the familiar tu or toi, even among people who don't know each other.
Vous is used to show respect, in particular in speaking with elderly people.]
Vous-autres (prn.) [pron. VOOZAWT] you (plural); y'all. Si vous-autres a fini de
manger, on va sortir dessus la galerie pour prendre du caf. (If y'all have
finished eating, we'll go out on the porch to have coffee.)
Voyage (n.m.) 1. trip. 2. load. Je crois qu'on pourra haler tout ce bois en deux
voyages. ( I think we can haul all that wood in two loads.)
Voyager (v.i.) to travel.
Vrai (adj.) true.
Vraiment (adv.) really; truly.



W


X


Y

Yeux (n.m.) eyes. Plural of oeil.

Z

Zbre (n.m.) zebra.
Zinc (n.m.) 1. sink. (SF vier) 2. tin.
Zinzin (n.m.) rear end; buttocks.
Zirable (adj.) [ZEERAB] disgusting; revolting.
z'oie (n.f.) goose. Norbert tu une grosse z'oie caille ce matin. Norbert killed
a big speckled belly goose this morning. [In some areas of St. Landry, z'oie is
masculine by default instead of feminine.]