H A I T I A N - E N G L I S H 
D I C T I O N A R Y 
© Institute of Haitian Studies 
University of Kansas 
Lawrence, Kansas 
1996,1998,2000,2002,2004,2011 
ISBN 0-9654711-5-4 
Honorary Members 
University of Kansas Institute of Haitian Studies: 
Father Roger Desir 
Jowel Laguerre 
Jan Mapou 
Jean-Benito Mercier 
Carrie Paultre f 
Father Lodewijk Peleman f 
Jim D. Ross 
Roger Savain 
Available from: 
Jayhawk Ink 
University of Kansas 
Lawrence, Kansas 66045 
Tel.: (785) 864-4431 
Fax: (785) 864-5216 
www.kubookstore.com 
A B B R E V I A T I O N S 
abbrev. - abbreviation 
acad. - academic 
acron. - acronym 
adj. - adjective 
adv. - adverb 
aux. - auxiliary verb 
b. - born 
hot. - botany 
c. - circa, approximately 
cf. - compare with 
chem. - chemistry 
conj. - conjunction 
contr. - contraction 
cul. - culinary 
demonst. - demonstrative 
Dept. - Department (administrative 
district of Haiti) 
ecc. - ecclesiastic 
e.g. - for example 
Eng. - English 
ent. - entomology 
esp. - especially 
etc. - et cetera 
etym. - etymology 
ex. - example 
/ - feminine 
fam. - familiar 
fig. - figurative(ly) 
fish - variety of fish 
Fr. - French, Gallicism 
fut. - future 
geol. - geology 
gram. - grammar 
inc. - including 
inter). - interjection 
intern - interrogative 
irreg. - irregular 
jur. -juridicial 
km2 - square kilometers 
lang. - language 
lit. - literally 
m. - masculine 
mach. - machinery 
math. - mathematics 
med. - medicine; medicinal 
milit. - military 
n. - noun 
N. - Northern Haiti 
neg. - negative 
num. - numeral 
obs. - obsolete 
occ. - occasionally 
onomat. - onomatopoeia 
PaP - Port-au-Prince 
pej. - pejorative 
pens. - personal 
phr. - phrase 
pi. - plural 
pop. - popular 
poss. - possessive 
prep. - preposition(al) 
pron. - pronoun 
prop.n. - proper noun 
punct. - punctuation 
q.v. - which see 
refl. - reflexive verb 
reg. - regional 
rel. - religion 
S. - Southern Haiti 
sh. form - short form of 
sing. - singular 
s.o. - someone 
Span. - Spanish 
s.thg. - something 
syn. - synonym 
U.S. - United States 
USA - United States of America 
usu. - usually 
v. - verb 
var. - variety; variant 
vet. - veterinary 
vulg. - vulgar 
g-gadavou! 
G 
g (pronounced: je) 
g + anpil sh.form gen(yen) anpil 
there is much, there are many 
g + on shform gen(yen) 4- yon 
there is a 
ga n. wooden awning or canopy 
pa konn g a ~ nan f£y malanga 
not to know beans, be totally 
ignorant, be an ignoramus 
ga, laga n. train station; boarding 
dock 
~ woutye bus station 
gabadin n. gabardine (fabric) 
gabari n. mold, form (construction); 
var. of cloth 
gran ~ conceited, vain, pretentious 
gab£l n. headstart, advantage; 
handicap (sports) 
bay ~ to give a handicap or 
advantage, give odds, give a head 
start, facilitate; to dare 
pran ~, ranmase ~ to accept a 
handicap or advantage (sports) 
gabelis n. s.o. who receives a 
handicap or advantage (sports) 
gabiyon see gabyon 
gabji see grabji 
Gabon prop.n. Gabon 
gabotaj, gabotay see kabotaj 
gabot£ see kabot& 
gabouya, gabouyi see kabouya 
Gabriy&lprop.n. [Bible] Gabriel; 
Gabriel (Dept. Artibonite) 
gabyon n. var. of Voodoo dance 
gabyon, gabiyon n. gabion, hollow 
cement or metal cylinder (used 
esp. in constructing building 
foundations); bamboo container 
Gabyon prop.n. zone of (Aux/Les) 
Cayes (Dept. South) 
lopital ~ important eye hospital of 
Cayes 
gache v. to waste, ruin, spoil 
gach£t n. trigger 
gad n. policeman, soldier, guard; 
militia, guard; protective charm 
or amulet; marks or scratches for 
magical protection 
an ~! on your guard! 
~ abitasyon protective charm for 
one's home 
~ chanpfct rural policeman 
~ kotye coast guard; cf. gadkdt 
~ de/di kd bodyguard 
~ don£ honor guard 
~ forestye forest ranger 
~ kd protective charm for one's 
person; bodyguard 
~ malad attendant, nurse 
~ pal& opportunist, self-seeker 
~ polis rural deputy sheriff, 
assistant to a ch£f seksyon (q.v.) 
~ ves&l china cabinet, cupboard 
koupe ~ to cut or tattoo marks on 
forehead, shoulder etc. for magic 
protection 
mete an ~ to warn, caution 
pran ~ to behave oneself, be careful 
Gad (Dayiti) prop.n. Garde 
d'Haiti (beginning in 1915, 
the Gendarmerie d'Haiti later 
became the Garde d'Haiti, which 
later became the Forces Armees 
d'Haiti, until abolished in 1995 by 
President Aristide) 
gadavi n. police custody; police 
holding cell, holding tank 
gadavou! inter]. attention! (milit) 
323 
Gad Chanp£t - gadmant&g 
mete o ~ to come to attention 
sou ~ at attention 
Gad Chanp£tprop.n. Garde-
ChampStre (1st communal section 
of Bas-Limb6, Dept. North) 
gade v. to look, look at, watch, 
observe, examine, scrutinize; to 
behold (rel); to consider; to store; 
to guard, watch over, take care 
of; to keep; to raise animals; to 
concern; n. looking; look, glance; 
inter}, watch it! stop it! 
bay nan ~ to loan an animal to 
s.o. (gadyate) who obtains certain 
advantages from raising it 
ft yon (ti) ~ to take a (quick) look, 
glance, peek 
~ ak move je to look unfavorably 
upon, be prejudiced against 
~ akote je, - an kach£t, ~ an 
kachetman, ~ an travfc, ~ anba 
anba, ~ anbe chal, ~ anbiskad, 
- lanv£, ~ sou kote, ~ yon bd to 
steal a glance 
~ anba lin£t to peer at, eye 
~ anfas to face squarely, affront 
~ b£t to raise livestock 
~ (byen) fiks to stare at 
~ d£y& retrospection, recollection, 
remembrance 
~ fiks to stare (at) 
~ g e t a load of..., check out... 
~ nan je to look squarely in the 
eye, oppose 
~ pa boule je, - pa pete je, ~ 
pa pwazon there's no harm in 
looking 
~ (pou) wfc to look and see; to wait 
and see; to check on 
~ sou to copy, imitate; to cheat (in 
school) 
~ tande! now listen! 
~ vit to glance, peek at 
map - I'm doing OK 
m a p - san pran I'm on the 
outside looking in, I'm getting 
along more or less well 
mal ~ to look down upon, look at 
with disfavor 
pa konn ki kote pou li ~ not to 
know which way to turn, not know 
what to do 
sa pa ~ ou! mind your own 
business! it's none of your 
business! 
san (vire) - d£y& immediately; 
fast; headlong, without restraint; 
without a second thought, without 
hesitation, all the way; without 
remorse 
gad£ see gadyen 
gadelovi n. var. of Voodoo dance 
gadennya n. gardenia 
gadfou n. parapet, rail, railing 
gadinay, gadinaj n. livestock 
raising, animal husbandry 
Gadindprop.n. North Station 
(former railway station in 
downtown PaP) 
gadinyfc see gadyen 
gadja v. to run 
gadj ate see gadyat£ 
gadjdsee gagfc 
gad j en var gadyen 
gadj&t n. worthless object; 
unimportant person 
gadjin n. fighting cock having two 
or more colors 
gad jit see gagit 
gadkd see gad kd 
gadk6t, gad kotye n. coast guard 
gadmanje n. cupboard, pantry 
gadmant&g n. person with dirty or 
lowly occupation 
324 
gadd - gal 
gadd see gadyen 
gadon: 
- (yon) ka! wow! what a thing! 
gadri n. day-care center 
gadriyfc see gadyen 
gadwdb n. wardrobe, closet 
gadyatd, gadjat£ n. animal raiser; 
person to whom one loans an 
animal and who obtains certain 
advantages from raising it (bay 
nan gade) 
gady£ see gag£ 
gadyen, gad£, gadiny£, gadjen, 
gadd, gadriyfc n. caretaker, 
house-sitter, watchman, guard; 
goalkeeper, goalie (soccer); 
shepherd; baby-sitter, guardian 
(for minor child) 
~ bi goalkeeper, goalie (soccer) 
~ mouton shepherd, sheepherder 
gady&n f.n. babysitter 
gadyennbi n. goalkeeper, goalie 
(soccer) 
gaf n. blunder 
gaga n. fool, dummy, idiot; adj. 
dumb; retarded; sluggish; 
dazed, confused, woozy; senile; 
disoriented; v. to stupefy, stun, 
daze; see ga 
ib ~ to make one lose one's good 
sense 
gagann n. throat, gullet, esophagus; 
chest area, neck and shoulders; 
good friend, supporter; punch, 
blow (to upper body); Carnival 
shoving match; rim 
ba li ~ to make (s.o.) proud or 
self-confident 
banbou ~, tib ~ throat, gullet, 
esophagus 
bay - to punch, strike (in upper 
part of body); to treat badly 
ib ~ to push around, bully 
ib gwo - to swagger, puff oneself 
up, blow one's own trumpet 
mete men nan pat ~ to arrest 
pran - to fail 
ra- f i l led to the brim 
gagannen v. to grab (s.o.) by the 
throat, throttle; to punch, hit (in 
upper part of body) 
gagari n. gargling; v. to gargle 
gagarize, gagare v. to gargle 
gagay see bagay 
gag£, gadjfc, gadyfc, ganje n. 
cockfight arena; cockfight 
sek ~, mitan ~, pak - cockfight 
arena or ring 
gagemann n. cock-fighting fan 
gagim see kdk -
gagit, gadjit n. shoe nail 
gagdt n. mess, disorder, confusion; 
intrigue; big feed, spread; adj. 
messy, disorganized; sham 
yon - a bunch of, a (sorry) lot of 
gagotay n. messing up, creating 
disorder 
gagote v. to mess up, turn upside 
down; to talk nonsense 
gagot£ n. spoiler, wrecker 
gaj n. pledge, dues; token, sign; fine, 
penalty, forfeit (in parlor game); 
children's game (with objective 
of making s.o. "it"); obligation or 
pledge made to Voodoo priest(ess) 
pran - to make a pact with 
supernatural being(s) 
Gakasprop.n. Garcasse (communal 
section of Les Irois, Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
gal n. var. of noxious insect 
Gal see Peyid ~ 
gal, galmak n. limit, marker 
gal, lagal n. scabies; mange 
325 
gala - ganache 
gala n. gala, festive occasion 
galaksi n. galaxy 
galan n. womanizer, woman chaser; 
adj. courteous, polite (man) 
galantri n. courtesy, politeness 
Galarad prop.n. [Bible] Gilead 
Galasiprop.n. [Bible] Galatia 
Galatprop.n. [Bible] Galatians 
galata n. var. of agave or sisal 
galata, galita, galta, gata, gayita, 
gayta n. attic, loft, storeroom; 
grainery, grain store-house; ceiling 
yon ~ a lot of, many 
gale, gate see valdp 
galeri, galri n. veranda, porch; 
balcony; art gallery; see lagalri 
~ d£y£ patio 
Galesyen, Gaiety en prop.n., 
Galesy&n, Gaiety£n f.prop.n. 
inhabitant of Anse-&-Galets (La 
Gondve Island, Dept. West) 
galdt n. pebble, stone; river-bank; 
riverbed; dry stream-bed; gully; 
piece of split wood; see valdp 
an ~ wide thin slice (plantain 
chips etc.) 
wdch ~ pebble, stone 
Gal£tchanbon/?r<9/?.«. Galette-
Chambon (1st communal section 
of Ganthier, Dept. West) 
Galetyen, Galety£n see Galesyen, 
Galesy&n 
galfate, galfete v. to caulk, repair 
galgal n. red ironwood, darling plum 
(small tree) 
galil n. var. submachine gun 
Galileprop.n. [Bible] Galilee 
galimatya, galimatcha n. gibberish, 
nonsense; mess, confusion; dirt, 
mud 
galimatyak adj. messed up, confused 
galipo n. white ironwood tree 
galipdt, galpdt, gayipdt n. mythical 
animal resembling a lougawou 
(q.v.); nocturnal killer of animals; 
witch, sorcerer; member of secret 
society of evildoers; fast-moving 
person who can seemingly be in 
two places at once; adj. satanic 
galisis n. Gallicism 
galita see galata 
galize see egalize 
galkou see ralkou 
galmak see gal 
galon n. gallon (3.785 liters); (water) 
jug; stripe, chevron (milit.) 
galonnen v. to promote (milit.); to 
earn a stripe; to decorate (milit.); 
to rush; to gallop; to sprint; see 
garyonnen 
galdp see valdp 
galope v. to gallop; to rush; n. gallop 
galpdt see galipdt 
galri see galeri 
galta see galata 
galvanize v. to galvanize, stimulate; 
to galvanize, coat (iron or steel) 
with rust-resistant zinc 
galvanom&t n. galvanometer 
galwaprop.n. Welshman; Welsh 
(lang.); prop. adj. Welsh 
gam n. scale (music); key (music); 
gamut, range 
chante ~, ih ~ to brag, boast; to 
exaggerate 
gam&l see ganm&l 
gan n. glove; mitt; see genyen 
bay ~ to examine using a glove 
(anus, vagina) 
~ lanmou condom 
nan ~ blan ak to treat with kid 
gloves, give special attention to 
Gana, Gannaprop.n. Ghana 
ganache see gannache 
326 
Ganbad - garanti 
Ganbad prop.n. Gambade (4th 
communal section of Grande-
Rivi£re-du-Nord, Dept. North) 
ganbade v. [Fr.] to frisk about, caper 
Ganbiprop.n. The Gambia 
ganbo see kanbo 
gandj&l n. var. of freshwater fish 
ganeman n. hellion, mischief-maker 
Ganeyenprop.n./adj., Ganey£n 
f.prop.n, Ghanaian 
gang n. gang, mob (pej.); gang 
member 
Gang prop.n. Ganges (River) 
gangan, ganga fam. diminutive for 
oungan (q.v.) 
gangans n. elegance, grace, style; 
ritual courtesies exchanged 
between Voodoo priests; bow/ 
curtsy by Voodoo priest toward the 
four cardinal points 
gangliyon n. ganglion 
gangolo, gangolo see gongolo 
gangozye see grangozye 
Gangozye see Grangozye 
gangrenn see kangrenn 
gangrennen see kangrennen 
gangste see ganste 
gangsteris see gansteris 
gangsterize see gansterize 
gani v. to equip; to adorn, decorate, 
garnish; n. trimmings, garnishes, 
fixings 
ganiti n. ornaments, decoration, 
trimmings; wattling 
ganizon n. garrison 
ganjd see gag& 
ganme v. to put on airs, act uppity; 
adj. dressed-up, fancy, chic 
ganntel, gantel, granmel n. wooden 
receptacle, wooden basin; trough; 
grandleaf seagrape (shrub or small 
tree) 
Ganna see Gana 
gannache, ganache v. to harness 
up; to grab or hold strongly; adj. 
dressed up 
gannif see kanif 
ganste, gangste n. gangster, criminal 
gansteris, gangsteris n. 
gangsterism, criminality 
gansterize, gangsterize v. to act as a 
gangster/mobster/thug 
gantan see gentan 
gante v. to put on gloves; adj. 
dressed up 
Gantye prop.n. Ganthier (Dept. 
West) 
Gantyewaprop.n., Gantyewaz 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of Ganthier 
(Dept. West) 
gany n. winnings, prize (game, 
gambling); see genyen 
bay ~ to concede, give up 
ganyan, gayan n. winner; adj. 
winning 
ganyen see genyen 
ganydt {pronounced, ga-nydt), 
gaydt n. winner; jackpot 
ganypen n. livelihood, living; wild 
ginger (plant) 
garaj, garay n. garage 
te ~ to establish car repair business 
~ anachik makeshift garage, car-
repair business set up on street or 
sidewalk 
garaj e v. to garage, put in or take to 
a garage 
garajis n. auto mechanic 
garan n. guarantor; guarantee; 
collateral 
garanti n. guarantee; certainty, 
assurance; wealth, means; 
advantage, profit; warranty; 
collateral; guaranteed profit; v. to 
327 
garata - gate 
guarantee, assure; to pledge; to 
treat (wood etc.) 
bay ~ to guarantee 
garata: 
pit kou ~ every last person 
garay see garaj 
gare v. to park 
garyon n. stallion, stud-horse; real 
stud, macho; gravel mixed with 
small stones; triviality, trifle; adj. 
ardent, passionate, eager; useless 
kaka ~ tobacco scraps 
garyonnen, galonnen v. to frolic, 
prance about, gallivant, gad about 
Gasenprop.n. Garcin (1st communal 
section of Trou-du-Nord, Dept. 
North-East) 
gasi adj. bitter, acidic 
gaskit n. gasket (mack) 
gaskonprop.n./adj. Gascon 
Gaskdy, Gaskdn prop.n. Gascogne 
(5th communal section of 
Mirebalais, Dept. Center); 
Gascony (France) 
gason, yason n. man, fellow; boy; 
waiter; bellhop; brave man; adj. 
male; sexually active 
barak ~ tough guy; outstanding 
man 
bon ~ broadleaf spurge (plant) 
fi ~ male homosexual 
~ bouzen, - piten womanizer, 
incorrigible woman chaser 
- djougan same as ~ kalson 
- done/donne groomsman (in 
wedding) 
~ fanm, ~ femfcl male homosexual 
(passive role), "bottom"; cf. masisi 
~ kanson, - kalson, ~ ki gen 
kalson 1 nan tay li, ~ total, man 
of courage, real man, he-man 
~ kolon stingy or tight(fisted) male 
~ kouran male homosexual (cf. 
masisi) 
~ lakou yard boy 
~makonm£, makome effeminate 
man; male homosexual 
~ manba male homosexual (cf. 
masisi) 
~ pa kanpe tough, hardy, robust 
male 
- piten see ~ bouzen 
~ total see ~ kanson 
gen ~ sou li, mete ~ sou li to act 
like a man of courage, be firm; to 
assume one's responsibilities; to 
get with it 
pa - impotent 
potorik ~ see potorik gason 
ti ~ boy 
towo ~ tough guy; imposing man 
vanyan ~ courageous man; 
bitterbush (shrub or small tree) 
vye ~ old bachelor 
gasdn, gasony&z (pronounced: ga-
so-ny£z) f.n. tomboy 
gaspiyay, gaspiyaj, gaspyaj, 
gaspyay n. waste, wastefulness, 
squandering 
ft ~ to waste 
gaspiye, gaspye v. to waste, 
squander; to go to waste, die on 
the vine; adj. wasteful 
~ dlo to take a leak, urinate 
gaspiye, gaspy£ n. spendthrift, big 
spender; adj. wasteful 
gaspyaj, gaspyay see gaspiyay 
gaspye see gaspiye 
gaspy£ see gaspiy£ 
gastwonomi n. gastronomy 
gastwonomik adj. gastronomic(al) 
gata see galata 
gate v. to ruin, damage, wreck, make 
a mess of; to rot, spoil, decay; 
328 
gate - gaye 
to harm s.o. through magic; to 
pamper, spoil, baby; adj. spoiled, 
rotten, bad; constantly crying or 
whining (infant) 
~ dlo to take a leak, urinate 
~ metye underseller, undercutter; 
spoilsport 
~ pati kill-joy, spoilsport, wet 
blanket, party pooper; trouble­
maker 
- sa spoiler, party-pooper 
~ san to upset s.o.; to put s.o. in 
a bad mood; to make s.o. angry; 
to undermine one's health; to 
immunize a child's blood against 
lougawou (Voodoo) 
gate n. bespoiler 
gateras n. black sheep, outcast 
gatigal see gratgal 
gato n. cake (esp. with icing) 
cltef ~ large decorated cake 
- ak etaj layer cake 
~ eponj sponge cake 
- tet birthday cake 
~ mabre marble cake 
~ my£l honeycomb; beeswax 
- (o) b£ pound cake 
~ premye janvye rum cake 
kase - Voodoo ceremony 
celebrated January 1 
manje ~ a pou kont li to take 
everything for oneself 
gatri n. little treat 
gatwa see gratwa 
gave v. to stuff, cram (with food) 
gawa n. butt, ass 
gawo n. withers (of horse, donkey 
etc.); tourniquet 
gawdt n. garrote, strangulation; low 
or killing blow; small whip 
gawote v. to deal a crushing/piercing 
blow 
gawoutye, gawouty& n. bus station 
gay n. experienced fighting cock 
gaya adj. robust, vigorous, fit; 
healed; n. fellow; v. to recover 
fully (from sickness) 
~ ary&, ~ d&y£ quarter-deck 
~ devan forecastle 
~ vivan vigorous, dynamic 
Gaya prop.n. Gaillard (2nd 
communal section of Cayes-
Jacmel, Dept. South-East; 3rd 
communal section of Gros-Morne, 
Dept. Artibonite) 
Gaya (Woje)prop.n. Gaillard 
(Roger) - Haitian historian, author 
of Les Blancs debarquent (1923-
2000) 
gayak, kayak n. lignum vitae (tree), 
tree of life; police stick or club; 
seechabon ~ 
ti - calliandra (shrub or small tree) 
Var. are ~ bata, ~ blan, ~ fentel, -
fran, ~ mal, ~ ofisinal 
gayan see ganyan 
gaye v. to scatter, disperse, spread 
(out); to scratch the soil; to 
dissipate; to spread (news), 
broadcast; to spread (disease); 
to go astray; adj. bewildered; 
disconcerted; messy, disorganized 
- cheve to mess up, muss, tousle, 
undo (hair) 
- ploton to break up the group, 
spread out 
- s&v&l li to blow out one's brains 
- tankou dife nan pay kann to 
spread like wildfire 
- tet yon moun to mess up s.o.'s 
hair 
- yon plon to fire a gun 
pale - to speak in a jumbled or 
confusing manner 
329 
gayelik - gedje 
gayelikprop. nJadj. Gaelic 
gayipdt see galipdt 
gayita, gayta see galata 
gaydt see ganydt 
gaz n. gas(oline); kerosene (for 
cooking, lamp etc.); gas, wind, 
flatulence; ache or pain (anywhere 
in body); sharp hunger pain; 
gauze; v. to speed up 
bay - to speed up (in a vehicle), 
step on the gas; to fart; to use tear 
gas 
bw& ~ to exaggerate 
ih ~ to put gas (in a car); to speed 
up; to fart; to piss 
~ blan highest quality kerosene 
~ ble good quality kerosene 
~ brikfc (cigarette-)lighter fluid 
- j6n high quality kerosene 
~ kabonik carbon dioxide 
- lanp kerosene 
~ nan tout kd rheumatism 
~ wouj low-grade kerosene 
kole ~ to speed up (in a vehicle) 
mete ~ to speed up (in a vehicle) 
rann ~ to fart; to burp, belch 
twal ~ gauze; bandage, dressing 
Gaza prop.n. Gaza 
~ Estrip Gaza Strip 
gaz£l f.n. heifer, young cow 
gaz£t n. gazette, news-sheet; long 
list, long text 
gazfcz adj. carbonated 
gazfiltfc, filte gaz n. fuel filter 
(gasoline) 
gazolin n. gasoline 
gazon n. lawn, grass; turf 
ti ~ pubic hair 
gazonnen v. to plant with grass or 
turf 
gazouye v. to chirp, warble (bird); 
to babble, murmur (stream); to 
prattle (child); to do all right, get 
along all right 
gazouyi refl. to relax, take a breather 
gazdy n. diesel fuel 
gd abbrev. gourde (Haitian monetary 
unit formerly equivalent to $ .20 
U.S.) 
ge adj. gay, happy, merry, lively; 
interested in the opposite sex 
ft kd li ~ to amuse oneself, make 
merry 
- pase devan bann lan to be 
extremely gay or lively 
gh see lag£ 
an ~ at war 
bat ~ Voodoo rite where forks are 
struck against plates 
gede n. sexually suggestive Voodoo 
dance to the Gede; adj. raunchy, 
off-color 
Gede, Legedeprop.n. mischievous 
and often obscene Voodoo spirits 
of death (not to be confused with 
soul of the dead); general name for 
assistants of Bawon Samdi 
bag£t ~ cane used by ~; very thin 
person 
chante ~ sexually-explicit song 
~ Nenbo, ~ Nibo Voodoo spirit 
important in ~ family 
kwa ~ cross in honor of ~ 
Some other members of the Gede 
family are: - Ant-Tout, ~ Bon 
Pousyfc Lakwa, - Brav, ~ Doub, 
- Fatra, - F£k-Par£t, ~ Kaka, 
~ Loray, ~ Mazaka, ~ Ousou, 
- Soufran, ~ Ti-Pete, - Ti Pis 
nan Dlo, ~ Ti-Wawa, ~ Vi, ~ 
Zarenyen, Kapitenn ~, Piyatou ~ 
gedj n. gauge 
~ lwil (oil) dipstick 
gedje v. to measure, gauge (oil, gas 
330 
gege - gerit 
etc.) 
gege n. yellow sanders, granadilla 
wood tree 
g£ge n. wide face (of person) 
gem: 
videyo ~ [Eng.] video game 
gembo, dj&mbo n. shell sliding on a 
taut string used for fortune-telling 
gen n. profit, earnings, gain; fringe 
benefit; graft; adv. ago; see genyen 
~ de fwa, ~ de \b sometimes 
~ dwa may, might, can; to be able; 
it's possible that; likely to, liable 
to; maybe 
~ k£k lanne de sa several years 
ago 
~ \b to seem, appear; sometimes 
~ pou to have to, must 
pa ~ sou li ankd to no longer be 
with it, be old and tired 
g&n see genn 
genbo see gonbo 
gendel&, gendefwa adv. sometimes, 
at times 
gendwa adv. maybe, perhaps; see 
gen dwa 
gen&p see kenep 
gengenn n. healthy young woman; 
sexy young woman 
ih ~ to flaunt (herself), parade 
(herself) 
gengole see grengole 
genlfc adv. apparently, probably, 
likely; v. to seem, appear 
~ menm ro appear to be the same, 
be similar 
genn, djenn, gbn n. girdle, corset; 
sheath, case, scabbard 
genon f.n. female monkey 
gentan, gantan adv. already; very, 
extremely, quite; immediately, 
right away 
sa k te - gen la a? so what? why 
all that? 
genyen, gan, gany, ganyen, gen v. 
to have; to own, possess; there is/ 
are; to win; to gain; to earn, get; 
to beat (in a game); to be (with 
expressions of age); n. gain; adv. 
ago; see genl£; gentan 
~ ak to have to deal with; to have 
against, have it in for 
~ pou to have to, must 
M pa ~ anyen There's nothing 
the matter with me; I don't have 
anything 
Sa ou ~? What's the matter with 
you? 
g£p, dj£p, dy£p, gy£p n. wasp, 
hornet, yellow jacket (insect); var. 
of mango 
bay ~ to slap s.o.'s ears with both 
hands simultaneously 
~ lafy£v var. of wasp 
~ panydl yellowjacket 
~ sab digger wasp 
manman ~ ortiga (plant of the 
nettle family) 
Geren, Mouton prop.n. Guirin, 
Mouton (1st communal section of 
Baraderes, Dept. Grand'Anse) 
geri v. to heal; to cure; to get well, 
recover 
~ bosko (li) to make do with; to 
satisfy one's hunger, fulfill one's 
needs; to take out one's revenge 
~ tout powder used in Voodoo-
inspired remedies 
pa ka ~ incurable 
gerimo, derimo n. var. of med. plant 
gerisab adj. curable 
gerise n. faith-and-herb healer; (any 
type of) healer 
gerit n. sentry-box; tiny shed for 
331 
geritou - Ginen 
selling; bus-stop shelter 
geritou n. boneset, thoroughwort 
(plant) 
gerivit n. melastoma (med. shrub) 
geriya n. guerilla fighter; guerilla 
force 
gerizon, lagerizon n. recovery (from 
illness), healing 
g&rye n. warrior; adj. warlike, 
militant, aggressive 
G£rye (Filip)prop.n. Guerrier 
(Philippe) - president of Haiti, 
1844-1845 
geryewo, geriyewo n. guerilla 
fighter 
gbt n. large patch (for tire); support 
(for beam, rafter etc.); gaiter, spat; 
inter j . wow!; sh.form langet 
debouye/degaje ~ li to manage, 
assume one's responsibilities 
demele ~ ou! sink or swim! 
(aba) ~ nianman ou! fyfcl 
manman ou! zantray manman 
ou! motherfucker! fuck you! go 
fuck yourself! 
getapan see djeta pan 
gete n. gaiety, joy; v. to watch for, lie 
in wait for; to keep an eye on 
geto n. ghetto 
gevo see djevo 
gbvb n. retreat, secret place 
gi n. mistletoe; boom (nautical) 
Giprop.n. Guy 
gichfc n. ticket window; teller's 
window, cashier's window 
~ choffc drive-in teller (bank) 
~ otomatik ATM (Automatic 
Teller Machine) 
gid n. guide; guidebook; (boy/girl) 
scout 
gide v. to guide, direct 
gidon n. bicycle handlebars; stick 
used by children to guide a hoop 
de ~ pushy, aggressive 
demele ~ li, degaje ~ li to do one's 
best, do whatever one can 
ib k&k kout ~ to ride around (on a 
bicycle) 
ib kout - ak to use dishonestly 
kout ~ sudden change of direction; 
corruption 
lage de ~ to ride a bicycle without 
holding onto handlebars; to throw 
caution to the wind; to show off 
lage de ~ nan kd to go at s.thg. 
whole-heartedly; to harass 
lage de ~ nan siyay (yon moun), 
lage de ~ nan dengon (yon 
moun) to be on (s.o.'s) tail, go all 
out after (s.o.) 
gigit n. (small boy's) penis if am) 
gigole see grengole 
gilann n. garland, wreath 
gildiv n. distillery, still (for making 
rum) 
gildivye n. distiller (apparatus; 
person) 
gilmov, gimdv n. marshmallow plant 
gim n. especially good fighting cock 
gim£, giymfc n. quotation mark 
gimdv see gilmov 
ginddl n. life preserver, life buoy 
Gine see Ginen 
Gine Bisawoprop.n. Guinea-Bissau 
Gine Ekwatoryalprop.n. Equatorial 
Guinea 
ginen n. var. of yam; Voodoo 
priest(ess) of Rada rite 
Ginen, Gine, (Lafrik) Ginen, 
Langinen, Nanginen prop.n. 
Guinea; West Africa; ancestral 
homeland of the Haitian people; 
dwelling place of the Voodoo 
spirits; proper spiritual and moral 
332 
Gin&s - glann 
living; faraway place(s) 
depi nan Ginen since long long 
ago 
fd (n)an Ginen expert in Voodoo 
practices 
fran Ginen "grassroots Voodoo" 
(supposedly most uncorrupted by 
outside influences) 
liv Ginen book supposedly from 
Africa and intelligible only to 
Voodoo priest(ess) 
pale Ginen mystical ritual phrases 
originating in Africa (Voodoo) 
pati nan Ginen to go to the great 
beyond, die 
pitit Ginen child of the mythical 
homeland; member or offspring of 
Voodoo society 
retounen nan Ginen to depart this 
earth, die 
s&vi Ginen to practice the Voodoo 
religion (cf. s&vi lwa) 
Gines prop.n. Guinness (beer) 
liv rek6 ~ Guinness World 
Records (book) 
Gineyenprop.n./adj., Giney&n 
f.prop.n. Guinean 
Ginodeprop.n. Guinaud^e (2nd 
communal section of Jean-
Rabel, Dept. North-West; Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
larivy& ~ Guinaud6e river 
(immediately east of Jteremie, 
Dept. Grand'Anse) 
ginyonnen see giyonnen 
gipopo n. (small) sore, (small) cut 
Giranprop.n. Guirand (10th 
communal section of Aquin, Dept. 
South) 
gita n. guitar 
~ bwat acoustic guitar 
~ peyi rough-hewn guitar made of 
aluminum 
gitaris n. guitarist 
giw! onomat. boom! 
Giy&n, Giyanaprop.n. Guyana 
Giy&n Franse, Giyann Franse, 
Lagiy&n French Guiana 
Giyanb prop. n./adj., Giyan&z 
f.prop.n. Guianan, Guianese 
giyen see griyen 
giym£ see gim& 
Giybm prop.n. William 
Giydm Mojeprop.n. Guillaume 
Mog6 (3rd communal section of 
Verrettes, Dept. Artibonite) 
giyon n. jinx, bad luck; teasing 
jete ~ sou to hex 
giyonn& n. instigator, provoker, 
inciter 
giyonnen, ginyonnen v. to goad, 
prod, spur; to provoke, incite; to 
jinx; to be jinxed; to tease, mock, 
ridicule 
~ t&t li to fret, worry 
giyonnman n. goading 
giyotin n. guillotine; paper cutter 
(mach.) 
giyotine, giyotinen v. to guillotine 
gladiyatS n. gladiator 
GX&n&inprop.n. Glandine 
(communal section of Caracol, 
Dept. North-East) 
glann n. gland, lymph node; swollen 
lymph node; ganglion, tumor 
gen ~ to have swollen gland(s) 
~ anbavant adrenal glands 
~ g6j adenoids 
~ kriye tear or lacrimal glands 
- nan kou thyroid gland 
~ pwostat prostate gland 
~ sirenal adrenal gland 
~ swe sweat glands 
- tiwoyid thyroid gland 
333 
glas - gl6b 
glas n. ice; frost; mirror; pane of 
glass; stone (in riverbed); frosting, 
icing (on cake etc.) 
boul ~ ice cube 
ft ~ to freeze, congeal 
~ (pou bw&) ice 
~ (pou gade) mirror 
~ je pupil (of eye) 
~ kraze crushed ice 
~ (machin/oto) windshield 
kare ~ ice-cube 
plato ~ ice tray 
se pa premye ~ ki kase nan 
gouv£nman this is not the first 
time s.thg. has happened 
tounen ~ to freeze 
Glas (!arivy£)prop.n. Glace river 
(often dangerous river, Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
glasaj n.. frosting, icing (on cake 
etc.) 
glase v. to chill; to freeze; adj. cold, 
freezing, iced, icy; petrified, 
frozen (with fear) 
glasi n. cement slab or area (for 
drying coffee beans etc.); large flat 
stone; frosting, icing (on cake) 
glasiye v. to surface (with cement 
etc.); to top, glaze, ice, cover 
(cooking) 
glason n. ice-cube; dip of ice-cream 
glasyal adj. glacial 
glasye, glasy& n. ice-box; cooler, ice-
chest; ice-maker (mack); glacier 
glaw adj. shiny, bright 
glay£l n. gladiolus, gladiola 
gl£ n. phlegm, mucus; unripe 
coconut pulp; uncongealed jello; 
slime; adj. mucous 
bay ~ to have mucus stools 
~je, ~zye optic fluid 
kontwdl ~ mucus method 
(contraception) 
waft ~ mucus stool 
glenglen n. drunk, lush 
glidoup v. to plummet, plunge, dive 
down 
glikoz, glikdz n. glucose 
glirisidya n. var. of fertilizer 
glis n. trail, trace, slime (of snail or 
slug) 
glisad n. slide, sliding, slip, slipping; 
sledding; sliding of fingers over 
drumhead; sliding board, slide 
(playground) 
~ sou dlo, ~ sou vag water skiing 
glisan adj. slippery, slick 
glise v. to slide, slip; to glide; to 
creep; to slip in (inadvertently); 
adj. slippery, slick; slimy 
- desann (degrengole) to slide 
down 
~ desann sdti tonbe to slip/slide 
off 
~ £ses to slither, slink 
- file to slide by 
~ file moute nan to slip up into 
~ filtre to shine through 
~ louvri to slide open 
~ sdti to slide/slip/crawl out 
gliserin n. nitroglycerin 
glisid n. glucide 
glisman n. sliding, slipping 
- ft landslide 
glisy£ n. track, groove (window, 
sliding door); (children's) slide 
glo see dlo 
gldb n. globe, planet; lump, ball; 
hump (of hunchback - cf. bos); 
blister; (toy) balloon 
~ dlo blister 
~ san blood clot 
~ lemonn, ~ ter£s globe of the 
world 
334 
global - gof£ 
global adj. global; general, over-all 
globalizasyon n. globalization 
globalize v. to consolidate, combine 
globalman adv. globally 
globe see gobe 
globil n. globule; blood cell 
maladi ~ blan leukemia 
glokdm n. glaucoma 
glorifye v. to glorify 
gloriye adj. [Fn] glorious, blessed 
glds n. deciliter (measure, container); 
small bottle used to measure 
liquids (cooking oil etc.); lip salve; 
adj. dull, lackluster 
glos£ n. glossary 
gldt n. glottis; v. to swallow, accept, 
put up with; onomat. gulp (sound 
of swallowing) 
gldt(gldt) onomat. gurgle (sound) 
gl6tgl6t v. to wolf down, eat without 
chewing; to guzzle, gulp down 
glouglou n. glue; onomat. gobble 
(cry of turkey); glub glub (sound 
of water gurgling) 
glout onomat. gulp 
glouton n. glutton 
glwa, laglwa n. glory 
bay ~ to glorify 
gnou see yon 
gdb n. piece, portion; large piece 
(meat) 
gobe, globe, gobe v. to gulp down, 
gorge oneself, eat greedily; to 
gouge, peel, skin (taking off too 
much pulp of fruit etc.) 
Gob£ see Kolin Gob£ 
goble, gobte n. goblet, tumbler; tin 
cup; specimen cup 
gobye v. to burp, belch 
gdch, goch adj. left; clumsy, 
awkward 
Goch (larivyfc)prop.n. Gauche 
River (near Jacmel, Dept. South-
East) 
goche, gdche adj. left-handed; n. 
left-handed person 
Gochennprop.n. [Bible] Goshen 
gochis n. leftist 
gode, god&t, gdd&t n. drinking cup, 
mug; goblet (paper, plastic, metal); 
specimen cup 
a gwo ~ in great abundance 
lapli a tonbe a gwo - it's raining 
cats and dogs 
nan bon ti ~ from a reliable 
source 
nan gran ~ in a big way 
nan ti ~ in a bad way 
pa gwo ~ in great quantity 
san - pa sonnen secretly, 
unknown to anyone 
vann nan ti ~ san mezire to sell 
off cheaply 
Gode prop.n. communal section of 
Kenscoff (Dept. West) 
g6denm, gdd£m! interj. damn it! 
damn! hell! 
~ salmabit, ~ salamabit damned 
son of a bitch 
gdd&t see gode 
godiye v. to paddle, row 
Gddonnprop.n. Gordon (hurricane 
in 1994) 
godrin, goudrin n. drink made of 
fermented pineapple skins 
godwon see goudwon 
godwonnen see goudwonnen 
gddyen see ne ~ 
gdf, gdlf n. gulf, bay; golf 
baton ~ golf club 
~ estrim Gulf Stream 
~ P£sik Persian Gulf 
teren ~ golf course 
goffc n. [Eng.] gopher 
335 
gdg&t - Gonayiv 
gdg£t: 
an ~ completely, deeply 
g6gmagdg n. nonsense talk; 
demagoguery; complete disorder; 
promiscuity; adj. ambiguous, 
unclear; demagogic 
gogo n. one-piece woman's dress; 
miniskirt; booby, numskull, nitwit; 
adj. elegant, chic; whimsical, 
fanciful, capricious; credulous, 
naive 
gdgdt n. dewlap (ox), fetlock 
(horse), wattle (turkey) 
goh&d! inter j . [Eng.] go ahead! go 
on! get out! 
g6j, gdy n. throat, gullet; opening, 
mouth; gorge, mountain pass (N.); 
see gdjfct 
banbou ~ throat, gullet, esophagus 
boul nan ~ goiter 
ft gwo ~, ft ~ gra to speak 
arrogantly, speak pretentiously 
~ ft mal, ~ sere sore throat 
~ r£d lockjaw, tetanus 
grate ~ li to clear one's throat 
gwo ~ esophagus, gullet 
maladi gwo ~ var. of poultry 
disease 
ti ~ trachea, windpipe 
tou ~, twou- opening of the throat 
gdje n. swallow, sip, gulp, mouthful 
(of liquid); throat; gill(s) (of fish); 
see gdj 
anba ~ by the neck 
gdj£t n. small sip 
gdj£t, g6j n. throat, gullet; crop 
(bird); breast (bird); gill (of fish); 
small opening, mouth 
(gwo) ~ mou gullet, esophagus 
kenbe nan ~ to throttle, stifle, 
silence 
(ti) - di windpipe, trachea 
gdj ft mal n. sore throat 
gdl n. goal (sports); pole, rod; fishing 
pole/rod; beanpole, very tall 
person 
bay ~, ft ~ to score a goal 
bay ~ ak men to trick, not to play 
fairly 
~ kl£, ~ kach automatic goal 
(sports) 
~ nan kdsaj li to have a handicap 
(soccer) 
make ~ to make a goal 
pare - to fend off bail (soccer) 
pran ~ (ak men) to be tricked, be 
cheated 
ti ~ bwa small wooden stake 
goldenb£ n. well-to-do person 
gole v. to bring down, shake down 
(with a pole) 
golb n. goalkeeper, goalie (soccer) 
gdtet (ti) n. kindling wood 
golf see gdf 
Gdlgotaprop.n. [Bible] Golgotha 
gdlkipfc n. goalkeeper, goalie 
gdlte v. to set up poles 
Golwaprop.n. Gaul (person); prop. 
adj. Gallic 
Golyat prop.n. [Bible] Goliath 
gdm see gonm 
Gomb prop.n. [Bible] Gomorrah 
gomye, gdmye see gonmye 
Gomye see Gonmye 
gon n. hinge; sh.form gen(yen) + yon 
gonasigwfcl n. male homosexual, gay 
Gonavyenprop.n., Gonavyfcn 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of La Gon&ve 
Island (Dept. West) 
Gon&yiboprop.n. Gonaibo (Taino 
Arawak name for present-day 
Gonai'ves) 
Gonayiv, Gonnayivprop.n. (Aux/ 
Les) GonaiVes (administrative 
336 
Gonayivyen - Goslin 
center of Dept. Artibonite; town 
where Jean-Jacques Dessalines 
proclaimed the Independence of a 
nation resulting from the world's 
only successful slave revolt, 
the first Black nation to win its 
freedom, and the first nation to 
outlaw slavery, January 1, 1804) 
Gonayivyen prop.n., Gonayivyen 
fprop.n. Gonaivian 
gonbo, genbo n. okra (cf. kalalou); 
kind of hard bean or pea; 
ceremony in honor of Voodoo 
spirits (N.)\ adj. slippery 
manje ~ ak yon dw&t to work 
without result, work aimlessly 
gonde see gwonde 
gondole v. to warp, buckle; to limp 
very noticeably 
gondon gondon adj. cross, crabby, 
ill-tempered 
gondoye v. to barely subsist, have it 
hard; to vegetate, stagnate; to walk 
very slowly, struggle along; to 
scull, propel (a boat) with a scull 
gonfiman see gonfleman 
gonfle v. to have indigestion; to 
cause indigestion; to inflate, 
blow up; to swell, bulge, puff up, 
bloat; to flex (muscle); to strut, 
swagger, parade; to flock together, 
congregate, assemble; to throng, 
crowd; to swarm; adj. furious 
~ bouch to be resentful 
~ ponyfct li to flex one's muscle(s); 
to exert influence 
lanmfc a ~ there are high waves, 
the sea is rough 
gonfleman, gonfiman, gonfliman n. 
indigestion; exaggeration 
gong n. gong (music) 
gongolo, gangolo, gangdld, 
gongolo, kongdld, ngongdld n. 
centipede; cf. anmilpye 
~ k616k6 low-down scum 
gonm, gdm n. gum, resin; chewing 
gum (cf chiktet); (pencil) eraser; 
glue, paste; fix, predicament, 
trouble 
~ anime locust tree 
pran nan ~ to get trapped, get 
stuck, get into trouble; to trick, 
dupe; to be tricked, be duped 
pran nan ~ lamveritab to be in 
deep trouble 
gonmen v. to glue, apply glue, make 
sticky; adj. sticky, gummy 
gonmye, gomye, gomye n. West 
Indian birch tree, gumtree 
Antw&n (ki) nan Gonmye 
Antoine (legendary seer) from (the 
town of) Gommier; Antoine in his 
birch tree 
Sa m w& pou ou, Antw&n nan ~ 
pa w£ 1 If only you know what's 
hanging over your head, if only 
you knew the bad things in store 
for you 
Gonmye, Gomye, Nangonmye 
prop.n. Gommier (Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
Gonnayiv see Gonayiv 
gonokdk n. gonococcus 
gonore n. gonorrhea 
gonyon v. to whisper 
gonzel f.n. woman with long 
(flowing) hair 
gop gop onomat. sound of marching 
feet 
gore n. foreman, overseer; var. of 
weed 
gorik n. bitter ash tree 
goril n. gorilla; adj. stupid 
Goslin see Lagoslin 
337 
gdsp&l - gounba 
gdsp&I adj. gospel (music) 
gostri n. hick, redneck 
gdt onomat gulp (noise made when 
swallowing) 
gou n. taste, flavor; savor; good 
taste; preference; adj. tasty, 
appetizing, delicious; agreeable, 
pleasant 
bay ~ to motivate, induce, encourage 
bouch/djdl li ~ to have a good 
appetite 
bouch pa ~ loss of appetite 
ib ~ li to take one's pick 
gen bon ~ to be tasty or delicious 
gen move ~ unpalatable 
~ nbi novelty 
konn(en) ~ bouch/djdl li to taste 
good (food); to have good taste 
(esthetics) 
pa nan ~ li not to one's liking 
pran ~ to taste or try (s.thg.); to 
take a liking to 
san ~ bland, tasteless 
goud n. gourde (Haitian monetary 
unit formerly equivalent to $.20 
U.S.); var. offish 
gouden n. 25 centimes, quarter 
of a gourde; see degouden, 
twagouden 
ib de pou ~ to be extensive 
~ dis ak trannsenk k6b six of one 
half dozen of the other, the same 
thing; cf. degouden kole 
twa pou ~ cheap 
goudiye v. to just make ends meet, 
struggle; to scull (boat) 
goudon see goudwon 
goudonnen see goudwonnen 
goudougoudou v. to gurgle 
goudoumgoudoum n. earthquake 
goudrin see godrin 
goudwon, godwon, goudon n. 
tar, pitch; blacktop, asphalt; see 
gwodon 
goudwonnay n. tarring, asphalting 
(process) 
goudwonnen, godwonnen, 
goudonnen, goudwone v. to 
asphalt, tar, blacktop; to smear or 
cover with tar 
gouf n. abyss, chasm, pit; large dark 
cloud 
ib ~ to throng, crowd 
yon ~ a lot of, a bunch of 
goufre v. to engulf, submerge 
goug n. gouge (chisel, tool) 
Goug (Jak Angeran)prop.n, 
Gourgue (Jacques-Enguerrand) 
- Haitian painter ("Pays du 
Diable"), b. 1931 
gougoun n. glutton; adj. greedy, 
gluttonous 
ti ~ invisible thief who works 
through magic 
gougout (ti) n. var. of very small fish 
gouj n. gouge (tool) 
goulou! goulou! onomat. gobble! 
gobble! (cry of turkey); adj. 
gluttonous 
gouman n. glutton; sucker, shoot (of 
plant); adj. gluttonous, greedy 
goumandiz, lagoumandiz n. 
greediness, gluttony 
goumante v. to increase 
goume nJadj. gourmet, connoisseur 
goumen v. to fight, brawl; to 
struggle, resist; n. fight, brawl; 
struggle 
leve - to start a fight, pick a fight 
sou ~ to have a chip on one's 
shoulder; ready for a fight 
goum£t n. bracelet; chain (for 
horse's bit) 
gounba n. var. of fish 
338 
goun&l - gozye 
goun&l n. algarroba tree, carob tree, 
rain tree 
gounou v. to grumble 
gounouj, gounouy, grennouy, 
grenouy n. frog 
goupman see gwoupman 
gous n. seed pod, shell; clove (of 
garlic); see man go us 
ib ~ iron (for ironing) heated with 
charcoal inside 
gousan n. caterpillar-like larva that 
attacks sweet potatoes etc. 
gouse, gous£, gous&t see bouse 
gout n. drop, drip; drops (med.) 
~ dlo ki ranv£se vaz la the straw 
that broke the camel's back 
jete twa ~ dlo pou to pay homage 
to (Voodoo) 
kou de ~ dlo like two peas in a 
pod, exactly alike 
ti ~ droplet 
(ti) ~ pa (ti) ~ drop by drop, little 
by little 
goute n. snack; taste (sensory 
perception); v. to taste; to enjoy, 
savor; to snack; to sample; to 
experience, go through 
~ men (yon moun) to taste (s.o.'s) 
cooking; to receive a beating 
(from s.o.) 
gouty£ n. gutter (of roof); hole in roof 
gouv£lman see gouv&nman 
gouv&nab adj. governable 
gouvdnabilite n. governability, state 
of being able to be governed 
gouv&nan adj. governing 
gouv&nans n. governance 
gouvfcnantf.n. tutor, governess (in 
student boarding-house or school); 
housekeeper (for widower, 
bachelor, priest) 
gouvfcnay n. rudder, helm, tiller; 
direction, control 
pran ~ la to take the helm, take 
control 
gouv&ne see gouv&nen 
gouv£n£ n. governor; important 
officer of a konbit (q.v.) 
~ lawouze local official in charge 
of irrigation and water distribution 
gouv&nen, gouvfcne v. to govern, 
rule; to navigate, steer (ship) 
gouvenman, gouv&lman, 
gouvennman n. government 
Gouv&nman prop.n. former name 
for residence of president of Haiti 
gouvenmantal adj. governmental 
gouyad, yayad n. undulation, 
grinding (of hips); Voodoo pelvic 
dance 
ib yon - to have one's turn, get 
one's turn (at doing s.thg.) 
voye ~, bay - to undulate or grind 
the hips 
gouyan(g) gouyan(g) adv. hobbling, 
limping 
gouyav, gwayav n. guava 
pat ~ chewy candy made from 
ground guava 
Var. of guava: ~ ch& blan, ~ ch£ 
wouj/w6z (r£d indyann; wolfs) 
gouye v. to undulate the hips (esp. in 
dancing); to wriggle; to move, to 
shake (it) up; to budge 
- kd to get going, get moving; 
Brewster goatsucker (bird) 
govi n. earthenware jug containing 
Voodoo spirits 
goy see gdj 
goyin, egoyin, gowin, igorin n. 
handsaw, saw 
m£t ~ sawyer, woodcutter; cf. siy£ 
goziye v. to warble, sing out 
gozye n. gullet, throat 
339 
gra - granbarik 
gran ~ gluttonous 
gra adj. fat, overweight; plump; 
fertile, rich (soil etc.); n. var. of 
mango; see boule; ri 
fb vin ~ to fatten (up) 
\bt ~ bold type (printing) 
twa jou ~ yo (dimanch ~, lendi ~, 
madi ~) the three official days of 
Carnival 
graba n. shabby straw mat 
ala - penniless, broke, down and 
out 
grabday see grapday 
grabinay see krabinaj 
grabji, gabji, grapji n. mess, 
disorder; nonsense, ridiculousness; 
scrawl, scribble 
grad n. rank, status; (university) 
degree; 1/400th part of a circle 
(math.); grade, degree of 
inclination 
monte ~, pran ~ to be promoted, 
receive a promotion 
grade v. to promote (in rank) 
wo ~ high-ranking officer (milit.) 
graden n. step; tier; bleachers, 
stands; general admission section 
gradoub, gridoub, kridoub n. 
cartilage, gristle; large intestine; 
adj. gristly; incomprehensible, 
indefinable; see babin 
gradyasyon, gradiyasyon n. [Eng.] 
school graduation 
gradye v. to graduate (thermometer 
etc.; school [Eng.]) 
grady&lman adv. gradually; cf. ti pa 
ti pa 
graf n. graph, chart 
graffcm n. grapheme 
grafenyen see grafouyen 
grafi n. writing system, written form 
grafik n. graph, diagram; drawing; 
adj. graphic (arts) 
grafinyen see grafouyen 
grafit n, graphite 
grafiti n. graffiti 
grafonyen, grafenyen, grafinyen, 
grafiyen, grafounyen, grafouyen, 
grafye v. to scratch, scrape, scar, 
mar; to scratch, itch; n. scratch, 
abrasion 
grafyfc n. scribbler 
gragra n. crow 
graj, gray n. grater, scraper; 
perforated metal cylinder scraped 
with stick and used as percussion 
instrument; pockmark; adj. grated, 
scraped; jagged; harsh (voice); 
sore, rough (throat esp.) 
graje v. to grate, scrape; to fidget, 
squirm; to roll around on the 
ground; to writhe (in pain); see 
anraje; k6k 
~ manydk p&di farm to be self-
defeating; to do s.thg. in vain 
~ v&r&t, ti ~ pockmark 
graj^ n. show-off, boaster 
graj man n. dance to chase away 
unwelcome Voodoo spirits 
gram n. gram; tiny bit 
fb yon ~ to make a small effort 
p&di ~ to lose out 
pran yon ~ to put on a little 
weight 
gramatikal adj. grammatical 
gram&, granm&, lagram& n. 
grammar; grammar book 
grameryen n. grammarian 
gramine n. (family of) grasses 
gran adj. old, aged; big, important, 
famous; main; large; wide; great; 
mature 
Gran Antiy prop. n. Greater Antilles 
granbarik n. var. of plantain 
340 
Granbasen - grandyozman 
Granbasen prop.n. Grand-Bassin 
(2nd communal section of Terrier-
Rouge, Dept. North-East) 
granbatan adj./adv. wide-open 
granbazilik n. sweet basil (aromatic 
plant) 
granbo n. bamboo section used as 
trumpet or as drum 
granbonm n. peppermint; spearmint 
Granboukanprop.n. Grand-
Boucan (3rd communal section of 
Plaine-du-Nord, Dept. North; 3rd 
communal section of Mirebalais, 
Dept. Center; 6th communal 
section of Barad&res, Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
granbrenn, granbreng n. big 
fellow, big gvyif.n. big gal 
Granbwaprop.n. Grand-Bois (Dept. 
North); same as Kdniyon (Dept. 
West); Voodoo spirit of the forest 
Granbwazyen prop.n. 
Granbwazy£nf.prop.n. inhabitant 
of Grand-Bois/Cornillon 
granchemen n. highway 
granchire f.n. difficult pretentious 
woman; n. haughtiness; adj. 
boastful, bragging, pompous 
ft ~ to put on airs, show off, brag 
grandam n. lady (of high social 
standing); attractive and sought-
after woman 
grandan n. show-off, big talker 
G randans, Grantans prop.n. 
(Department of the) Grand'Anse 
larivy£ ~ Grand'Anse river 
(immediately east of J6r£mie, 
Dept. Grand'Anse) 
Grandansft, Grandansyenprop.n., 
Grandansftz, Grandansyen 
/.prop.n. inhabitant of the Dept. 
Grand'Anse 
grand^ n. size, dimension; 
greatness; grandeur, 
impressiveness; pretension, 
arrogance, overbearingness 
grand n. leading citizen, 
community elder, local dignitary, 
pillar of the community; greatness, 
prominence, eminence; n./adj. 
elder; grown-up; adj. older; 
autonomous 
grandi v. to grow; to grow up; to 
increase, enlarge, expand; to 
push oneself forward (socially, 
professionally); n. progress; 
expansion 
~ kanson to brag, show off 
~ lespri to develop the mind 
~ sou to get angry, blow up 
grandisman n. growth, expansion, 
development 
grandize, gwodiz£ n. big talker, 
bragger, show-off 
ft ~ to pretend to know; to show 
off 
grandjab see dyab 
grandlij&n see agranlijyfrn 
grandon n. large landholder, big 
landowner; person of importance 
(in rural area) 
grandou n. large kite (for flying) 
Grandwaprop.n. Grandoit (1st 
communal section of Anse-
d'Hainault, Dept. Grand'Anse) 
grandyab see dyab 
grandy&l n. red hind (fish) 
~ dfich speckled hind (fish) 
~ woch rock hind (fish) 
grandyoz, grandydz adj. grandiose; 
pompous 
grandyozite n. grandiosity, 
grandioseness 
grandyozman adv. grandiosely; 
341 
granfanm - granmoun 
pompously 
granfanm fn. wealthy woman, 
prosperous (woman) merchant 
granfdma n. show-off, know-it-all 
granfon n. high seas, far out at sea 
(beyond sight of land) 
Granfon prop.n. Grand-Fond (3rd 
communal section of Kenscoff, 
Dept. West; 1st communal section 
of Saint-Louis-du-Sud, Dept. 
South; 3rd communal section of 
Gros-Morne, Dept. Artibonite) 
granfouch adj. of great importance 
grangiydn n. var. of plantain 
grangdj n. big mouth, big talker 
grangou n. hunger, famine, 
starvation; adj. hungry 
bat ~ to fight off hunger; to be 
very hungry; to starve 
ddmi ~ to go to bed hungry 
~ kanpe famine 
~ long big appetite 
mouri ~ to be very hungry; to 
starve 
pase ~ li to satisfy one's hunger 
grangozye, gangozye n. brown 
pelican; glutton; person who eats 
rapidly without chewing his/her 
food 
Grangozye, Gangozye prop.n. 
Grand-Gosier (Dept. South-East); 
small island off coast of Corail 
(Dept. Grand'Anse) 
grangran papa n. great-grandfather 
grangrann f.n. great-grandmother 
Grangwavprop.n. Grand-Go&ve 
(Dept. West) 
Grangwavyen prop.n., 
Grangwavyfcn/prop.rc. inhabitant 
of Grand-Goave (Dept. West) 
granile adj. granular, grainy 
granit n. granite 
Granjaden prop.n. Grand-Jardin 
(disadvantaged area of Cape 
Haitian) 
granjan adj. fancy, beautiful; great, 
valuable 
an ~ with pomp and ceremony, 
with much ado 
Granjilprop.n. Grand-Gilles (1st 
communal section of Grande-
Riviere-du-Nord, Dept. North) 
granjipon f.n. know-it-all, show-off 
granjou see gwojounen 
Grankawo see Lakwa 
grankilt n. main Sunday morning 
church service 
grankola, kola, kongla, poulajoli, 
pouljoli, rele n. limpkin (bird) 
grankolet see kol&t 
grankrey£ n. haughty, pretentious 
person 
Granlagon/?ro/?.«. Grand-Lagon 
(4th communal section, La 
Gonave Island) 
granlaje n. show-off, pretentious 
person 
granlimenna, granlimina f.n. 
important wealthy woman 
granmanj& n. profiteer, "fat cat," big 
shot; glutton 
granmanman fn. grandmother; cf. 
grann 
granmaten, granmmaten adv. at 
dawn, at daybreak 
granme n. grandmother; madam 
(when addressing an elderly 
woman); see gram£ 
granm&l see ganmfcl 
granm£s n. (rel.) High Mass 
granmesi see gremesi 
Granm^tprop.n. God, the Lord 
granmmaten see granmaten 
granmoun n. adult, grown-up, elder; 
342 
granmtimaten - Grann rivyfc(dind) 
old person; parent or guardian 
(of minor); adulthood; adj. 
elderly, old; mature; sovereign, 
independent 
an ~ independently) 
fin ~ very elderly 
- fanm old woman 
- gason old man 
~ Ion tan, ~ aje ancestor; very old 
person 
- tbt li independent or self-
sustaining person; sovereign, 
independent 
- ti tay wizened old person 
konmanse ~ to be getting on in 
years, be getting old 
pran p6z ~ to act in an adult 
fashion 
rele tbt li ~ to proclaim 
independence 
se ~ ki non li (s)he is a person of 
wisdom/experience 
ti ~ elderly person; precocious 
child 
vye ~ elderly person, senior citizen 
granmtimaten adv. at very early 
dawn 
grann n. grandmother, granny 
gran ~ great-grandmother 
~ igrann in the distant past 
jwenn zo ~ li, kontre (ak) zo 
~ li, tonbe sou zo ~ li to get/be 
in trouble; to receive one's just 
deserts, get what one deserves 
ti ~ precocious little girl 
grannana, grannanna f.n. aged 
spinster; elderly widow 
Grann Bretay, Lagrann Bretay 
prop.n. Great Britain 
Grann Brijit see Brijit 
grannchal& see grantchal£ 
grann^g n. VIP, big shot; man of 
wealth or of means 
granni n. granny 
Grannkolin (pik)prop.n. Grande-
Colline Peak (1,980 meters) near 
Jer&nie, Dept. Grand'Anse 
Grannkolin l eprop.n. Grande-
Colline l e r (5th communal section 
of Grand-Goave, Dept. West) 
Grannkolin 2 eprop.n. Grande-
Colline 2 e (6th communal section 
of Grand-Goave, Dept. West) 
grannlijen see agranlijy&n 
grannman adv. greatly, hugely; 
grandly, broadly 
Grannpl&n, Grannplennprop.n. 
Grande-Plaine (1st communal 
section of Port-Margot, Dept. 
North) 
Grannplen 1% Grannplenn l e 
prop.n. Grande-Plaine l° r e(lst 
communal section of Thomazeau, 
Dept. West) 
Grannpl&n 2% Grannplenn 2 e 
prop.n. Grande-Plaine 2 e(2nd 
communal section of Thomazeau, 
Dept. West) 
Grannravin prop.n. Grande-Ravine 
(communal section of Acul-du-
Nord, Dept. North) 
Grannrivyfcprop.n. Grande-
Rividre (8th communal section 
of Plaisance, Dept. North; 3rd 
communal section of L6ogane, 
Dept. West; 6th communal 
section of Anse-a-Veau, Dept. 
Grand'Anse; see B&lrivyfc; 
Mafran) 
Grannrivyfc(dind), 
Granrivy&(din6)/?ro/?./7. Grande-
Rivtere(-du-Nord) (Dept. North) 
chenn ~ Grande-Rivi£re-du-Nord 
mountain range (Depts. North and 
343 
Grannrivy£(de)nip - grap 
North-East) 
Grannrivy£(de)nipprop.n. Grande-
Rivi&re-de-Nippes river (between 
Anse-^-Veau and Petite-Riviere-
de-Nippes, Dept. Grand'Anse) 
Grannrivy&f&Iprop.n. Grande-
Rivfere-Fesles (2nd communal 
section of Marigot, Dept. South-
East) 
Grannrivy£jakm£Iprop.n. Grande-
Rivi£re-de-Jacmel (7th communal 
section of Jacmel, Dept. South-
East) 
Grannsalinprop.n. Grande-Saline 
(Dept. Artibonite) 
Grannsavannprop.n. la Grande-
Savane (name of the Champs-de-
Mars, PaP, during 19th century; 
see Savann 
Grannsous prop.n. Grande-Source 
(6th communal section of Jean-
Rabel, Dept. North-West; 3rd 
communal section of Anse-&-
Galets, La Gon§ve Island) 
Granntdk see Gran T6k 
Grannzantiy see Antiy 
granpanpan n. pretentious person; 
pedant 
an/ak ~ with great ceremony, with 
much ado 
ft - to be a big show-off, act like 
a big shot 
granpapa n. grandfather 
gran ~ great-grandfather 
granparan n. grandparent 
granpe n. grandfather 
granpr&t n. high priest 
Granprizonprop.n. National 
Penitentiary (in center of PaP) 
Granpwent prop. n. Grande-Pointe 
(first name of Sale-Trou -> Belle-
Anse), Dept. South-East 
granri n. main street, principal 
thoroughfare 
Granri, boulva Desalin prop.n. 
Boulevard Jean-Jacques 
Dessalines (main street of PaP) 
Granrivy& prop.n. Grande-Riviere 
(main river at Saint-Marc, Dept. 
Artibonite) 
Granrivye(dind) see 
Grannrivy£(dind) 
Grantans see Grandans 
grantay adj. tall 
grantchale, grannchal&, 
grennchale n. venereal disease; 
gonorrhea 
grants, lagrannt& n. mainland (most 
often used to designate mainland 
of Haiti by its off-shore dwellers) 
grantlimyfc n. high headlight beam, 
brights (car) 
Gran T6k, Granntdk prop.n. Grand 
Turk Island (Turks and Caicos 
Islands) 
grantonton n. great uncle 
grantoryan n. big chief, big shot 
Grantoryan prop.n. Grand Lodge 
(Freemasonry) 
Grantousprop.n. Big Dipper (in sky) 
Granvensan prop.n. Grand-
Vincent (3rd communal section of 
Roseaux, Dept. Grand'Anse) 
Granvidprop.n. Grand-Vide (7th 
communal section of Pointe-&-
Raquette, La Gonave Island) 
granya ouv& adj. wide open 
grap n. bunch, cluster 
~ lanp large aluminum triangle 
holding a number of small oil 
lamps 
~ my£l swarm of bees 
pran ak ~, resevwa a ~ to seize 
(s.o.) violently; to respond angrily 
344 
grapday - gratis 
yon ~ a lot of 
grapday, grabday, graptay n. 
something (solid object), little bit 
(of s.thg.) 
grape v. to grab, seize 
grapen n. grapnel, grappling iron, 
grappling hook 
poze/mete ~ sou to grab, seize, 
take hold of 
grapin n. seizure, confiscation; 
hand, paw, mitt 
mete/poze ~ sou to grab, seize 
grapiyay see grapyay 
grapiye v. to glean, gather; to waste 
time, drift around, do nothing 
useful 
grapjisee grabji 
graptay see grapday 
grapyay, grapiyay, grapyaj n. 
diversified farming; informal 
sector (of commerce); first pick 
(harvest) of coffee; scraps, pieces, 
junk; small pickings, insignificant 
amount; unimportant persons, 
kiddies 
grapye v. to pick the first coffee 
beans; to be struggling, trying hard 
to get by 
gras n. mercy, pardon, forgiveness; 
grace; favor; inter]. for mercy's 
sake! 
an ~ please 
ft ~ to pardon, forgive; to grant a 
pardon 
~ lamizerikdd! Lord have mercy! 
~ oftt thanks to the fact that 
grasa prep, thanks to, due to, 
because of 
~ Dye thank God 
gras&t adj. plump 
Grasi (siklon)prop.n. Gracie 
(disastrous hurricane, September 
1959) 
grasye v. to pardon, forgive 
grasykz: 
pale ~ to speak with grace and 
elegance 
grat n. scrape, scratch (on table 
etc.); scrapings; rake; grater 
grataj n. scraping 
grate v. to scratch, scrape; to rake; 
to weed; to itch; to scale (fish; 
teeth); to scram, clear out, flee; to 
scrounge, mooch; n. itch, itching; 
scraping; adj. itchy 
~ dbyb to run after, pursue, chase 
~ gdj li to clear one's throat 
~ kwi li (1 a kreve) to be looking 
for trouble 
~ plim to shave 
~ santi to be lying around, be 
sitting around doing nothing 
~ tbt to scratch one's head, reflect, 
consider; to be in a difficult 
situation 
~ tbt bay yon moun to make 
excuses, give alibis 
san ~ tbt without hesitation 
grate nJadj. scrounger, moocher, 
free loader, golddigger; gate­
crasher; drifter; pimp 
gratei n. itch, rash, skin irritation; 
jock itch; allergy; poison ivy; see 
lagrat&l 
graten see graton 
gratezon n. itching 
gratgal, gatigal n. fustic tree 
gratifikasyon n. gratuity, 
gratification, reward; annual 
bonus, "13th month" 
gratifye v. to reward 
gratinen, gratine v. to bake au 
gratin 
gratis adj. free (of charge), gratis 
345 
gratitid - grenadja 
~ ti cheri completely free of 
charge, for nothing at all 
gratitid n. gratitude 
gratiyen n. scratch (on arm etc.) 
gratman n. scratching 
graton, graten n. crust, crusty layer 
(esp. at bottom of a cooking pot) 
pou ~ pitimi for the slightest 
reason 
gratpetren n. leftovers, unwanted 
food; var. of bread 
gratsyfcl n. skyscraper 
gratwa, gatwa n. scraper, scaler 
- penti paint scraper (tool) 
gratwitman adv. [Fr.] free (of 
charge) 
gratwon n. goose grass 
grav adj. grave, serious, critical; 
solemn, severe; malignant; adv. 
severely; gravely, seriously, 
critically 
pi ~ pase aksan ~ (kay Salnav) 
worse than bad 
grava n. rubble 
grave n. scratch; pockmark; v. 
to scratch, scar; to scrawl; to 
engrave; to make worse, worsen 
- \brbt pockmark(ed) 
gravi n. engraving, print; picture 
gravite n. (force of) gravity; see 
gravte 
gravman adv. gravely, seriously, very 
~ grav extremely serious(ly) 
gravte, gravite n. seriousness, 
graveness 
gravwa n. (coarse) gravel 
gravye n. fine gravel 
Gravye prop. n. Gravier(2nd 
communal section of Cdtes-de-
Fer, Dept. South-East) 
gray see graj 
grayndfc n. grinder (for metal) 
lanm ~ grinder disc 
gredfc n. road grader 
grbf n. graft, transplant (plant; 
tissue); office of the clerk of the 
court 
grefaj, grefay n. grafting; transplant; 
transplanting 
grefe v. to graft, transplant (plant; 
tissue) 
grefye n. clerk of the court (jur.) 
gr£g, gr£k, gr&p n. coffee filter 
(cloth) 
anba ~ first brew 
kanson tankou ~ tight-fitting 
pants 
gregdryen: 
kantik ~ Gregorian chant 
Grtgwa prop.n. Gregory 
Grhkprop.n./adj. Greek; see grhg 
GREKA acron. Gwoup Rech^ch 
pou Etid Kreyol Ayisyen 
(Research Group for the Study of 
Haitian Creole) 
gr&l see lagr&l 
gremesi, granmfcsi, grenmesi n. 
thanks, gratitude, reward; prep. 
thanks to 
pou ~ (chen) without thanks, in 
vain, for nothing; disinterestedly; 
free of charge 
gren n. windstorm, squall, gale 
grena see wouj grena 
grenad, grennad n. pomegranate; 
hand grenade, rifle grenade 
~ fragmantasyon fragmentation 
grenade 
Grenad, Grenada, Lagrenad 
prop.n. Grenada 
grenadin, grennadin n. granadilla 
(var. of passionfruit) 
Grenadin prop.n. Grenadines 
grenadja, grenadya n. passionfruit 
346 
grenadye - grenn 
~ dous var. of passionfruit 
grenadye n. grenadier 
grengole, gengole, gigole v. to go 
up, climb, ascend 
grenmesi see gremesi 
grenn, krenn n. single unit or piece 
(of anything), particle, component 
part; grain; berry; pit (of fruit), 
kernel; seed; bead; pellet; pill, 
tablet, capsule; lozenge; birth-
control pill; lump; testicle; young 
woman; individual; grain (of 
wood), roughness, irregularities; 
adj. alone; single; lumpy, granular; 
kinky (hair) 
aji an - senk to act irresponsibly 
and illegally 
ak de - je li with one's very own 
eyes 
an ~ disjointedly, in bits and 
pieces 
an ~ senk see nan ~ senk 
bay ~ to bluff, lie, deceive; to stun, 
daze; to poison 
boul ~ testicle, testis; buddy, 
chum, good and trusted friend 
chak ~ every single, every last 
de boul ~ testicles 
de - a few 
de ~ degrennen the two rings 
indicating a formal marriage 
de ~ gdch half-assed, stupid, 
idiotic (lit. \ putting on two left 
shoes); stupidly, idiotically, 
inanely 
ft ~ to spread, grow grass (etc.); to 
be lumpy 
gen ~ (nan d&y&/bounda li) to 
have balls or guts 
gen ~ p£lenpenpen to be restless, 
be always on the move 
~ bab impertinent, insolent 
~ b^f var. of mango; (supposed) 
aphrodisiac 
~ bwa seed, fruit 
~ chaft gonorrhea 
~ chapft Job's-tears (grass) 
~ chen bum, good-for-nothing 
~ dechay spermatozoa 
~ demonte angry 
~ diri baby tooth 
~ gason testicle 
~ ~ rare, dispersed, one by one; 
disheveled (hair) 
~ kabrit var. of mango 
~ kafe coffee bean 
~ kannik soapberry tree 
~ kolye bead (in necklace) 
~ kraze, kraze ~ ball-buster, 
rough, tough 
~ lajwa anti-depressant pill 
~ lapli raindrop 
~ maldjdk beads against evil 
eye (worn by infants); Job's-tears 
(grass) 
~ monben var. of small fruit 
~ monnen bit of small change, 
small amount of money 
- mwen chech I'm thirsty 
~ mwen fr£t give me rum 
- nan bounda guts, grit, spunk 
- ovan see ~ van 
~ pa ~ one by one, one at a time, 
individually 
- planin birth-control pill 
- pou ddmi sleeping pill 
~ pwonmennen, ~ ponmennen, 
- pwomennen vagrant, loiterer, 
tramp; wanderer, roamer; well-
traveled, knowledgeable 
~ s£l salt tablet 
~ senk back-up, support; 
unaffiliated person, person not 
member of any specific group; 
347 
grenn - grennkou 
prostitute; bum, jerk; con artist, 
shrewd operator; see nan ~ senk 
~ sipery& superior being, high-
class person 
~ sw£ bead of sweat/perspiration 
~ tous cough drop 
~ van, ~ ovan buck(ass) naked, 
stark naked 
~ vant cervix of uterus; confidant, 
intimate, trusted friend 
~ yon moun se d£y& 1 gade 
shameless, worthless, no-account 
gwo ~ hydrocele 
k£k ~ degrennen few and far 
between 
k6d ~, maj6 ~ scrotum and 
testicles 
kraze ~ see ~ kraze 
li menm yon ~ all alone 
mete ~ (nan bounda li) to act like 
a man of courage, be resolute; to 
assume one's responsibilities; to 
get with it 
mete ~ s&l pa li to put in one's two 
cents worth, have one's say 
move ~ scoundrel, rascal 
nan/an ~ senk without prestige, 
with a poor reputation; separate, 
detached; broken up into pieces 
pa gen(yen) yon there is not a 
single... 
pa nan ~ tough, rough, harsh 
pati ~ testicles 
po ~, pak&t ~, pdch ~, sak ~ 
scrotum 
pran ~ to be on the (birth-control) 
pill 
prije ~ (yon moun) to cut (s.o.'s) 
balls off, do in 
rete yon - to be the last survivor, 
be the last remaining person 
san ~ eunuch 
s£l ~ only, alone 
sere ~ to grab by the crotch 
tcheke ~ to check out the chicks 
(women) 
ti ~ speck, small grain; goose 
bumps, goose flesh; testicles; 
chick, babe, girl 
tire ~ (yon moun) to cut (s.o.'s) 
balls off, do in 
yon ~ a single one; a huge, a 
tremendous, a violent 
yon ~ kou all of a sudden 
yon ski ~ one single 
grenna see wouj grena 
grennad see grenad 
grennadin see grenadin 
grennbak, grinbak n. U.S. dollar 
grennbanbou n. rare type of banboo 
seed used for divination; seer 
grennchal& see grantchale 
grenndelenn n. var. of med. plant 
(same as madelenn) 
grennen v. to shell; to pick, harvest; 
to scatter, spread; to take out after, 
chase after; to count out one by 
one; to produce in great quantity, 
spew out; to fall out/off, become 
detached (teeth, hair, fruit etc.); 
adj. separated; detached, not stuck 
together (rice etc.); lumpy; see 
lese ~ 
~ dan to knock down, knock out 
~ kou to shower with blows 
- lajan to overwhelm with money 
~ mayi to shuck corn 
- pa to dance 
~ pise to take a leak, urinate 
- pitit (devan d£y£) to have/father 
one baby after another, have kids 
left and right, breed like flies 
grennkou n. blow, hit, punch 
yon - all of a sudden; abruptly 
348 
grennld - grifin 
grennld n. dovewood 
grennouy see gounouj 
grennponmennen, 
grennpwomennen see grenn 
pwonmennen 
grenntoutou n. var. of mango 
grennvant n. kidney 
Grenody^prop.n. Grenodiere (3rd 
communal section of Saint-Louis-
du-Sud, Dept. South) 
grenouy see gounouj 
grenpe v. to climb up (on), scale 
~ bwa, ~ lesy£l, ~ mon 
(Makaya), ~ moute (san gade 
d£y£) to go skyhigh (usu. prices) 
grense v. to creak, squeak 
grenye (pronounced: gre-nye) n. 
attic, loft; granary 
grep see grbg 
gr&pe, krepe v. to filter coffee 
Grepenprop.n. Dept. North-West 
grbs n. grease, lubricant; lubrication; 
cream, salve, ointment; fat, oil; fat, 
excess flesh 
bdl ~ happiness, fortune 
gen ~ to be greasy 
~ di axle-grease, heavy-duty 
grease (mach.) 
~ kochon lard 
~ mango temporary weight gain 
~ tb loose topsoil 
pran yon ~ to gain weight (in a 
favorable sense) 
tb a gen ~ the soil is (quite) fertile 
Gr£s see Lagrfcs 
gresay, gresaj n. greasing, oiling, 
lubrication 
grese v. to oil, grease, lubricate; to 
fatten (up) (animal); to get fat; to 
fertilize, enrich 
~ kabrit pou pye loko fb dans to 
work hard so s.o. else can play 
~ pat to bribe, corrupt; bribe 
~ sere to lubricate (car) 
grese n. grease zerk 
Gresyeprop.n. Gressier (Dept. 
West) 
Gresyewaprop.n., Gresyewaz/ 
prop.n. inhabitant of Gressier 
(Dept. West) 
Greta (siklbn) prop.n. Greta 
(disastrous hurricane, October 
1956) 
greton n. same as griyo q.v. 
(Grand'Anse) 
grby n. strike, walkout 
fb ~ to go/be on strike, strike 
~ grangou, ~ defen, ~ lafen, ~ san 
manje hunger strike 
leve ~ to end a strike 
grevis n. striker (person on strike) 
greyawound n. greyhound 
gri n. grid; grill (for cooking); 
crossword puzzle grid; grille, 
grate, grating, screen; adj. gray; 
drunk 
~ kou pipirit, ~ kou yon po silabe 
dead drunk 
gridap n. unattractive woman, "pig"; 
adj. kinky (hair) 
tet ~ small oil lamp (made 
from tin can and without glass 
chimney); short kinky hair (on 
woman) 
gridoub see gradoub 
grif n. claw; man with one Mulatto 
parent and one Black parent; tool 
for straightening metal rod 
bay - to claw (at) 
poze ~ li sou to sink one's claws 
into 
sdti ~ li to show one's claws 
grife v. to claw, scratch 
grifin n. shoe polish (of any color) 
349 
grifon - griyen 
grifon n. man who is half black and 
half mulatto 
grifdn, grifonn f.n. woman with 
one Mulatto parent and one Black 
parent 
grifonnen, grifonen v. to claw, 
scratch; to scrawl, scribble, jot 
down 
grigri n. hawk; fiddlewood tree; 
easy lay, woman of easy morals; 
magic love potion (Voodoo); adj. 
deceitful, deceiving 
ale nan ~ to chase women of 
dubious morality 
~ fran Hispaniolan sparrow hawk 
~ moutany pigeon hawk 
Grigri prop. n. Gris-Gris (1st 
communal section of C6tes-de-
Fer, Dept. South-East) 
grigrimonta n. trap, pitfall 
grij n. incriminating evidence; 
gather, pleat (in cloth); screen 
(window etc.); anal groove, crease 
between buttocks 
griji v. to wrinkle (skin); to tuck, 
gather, pleat (cloth); to scribble; to 
make a design on cloth; to wallow; 
to force oneself to do s.thg.; n. 
wrinkle; tuck, gather, pleat (cloth); 
cloth design 
grijyou n. sparrow hawk 
grimas n. foolishness, nonsense; 
grimace; affected behavior; foolish 
person 
ib ~ to make a face; to taunt, jeer, 
mock 
grimasay, grimasaj n. grimacing, 
making a face 
grimasye n. clown 
grim&l f.n. light-skinned Haitian 
woman with curly hair 
~ chode very light-skinned Haitian 
woman usu. with light reddish 
complexion 
grimo n. light-skinned Haitian man 
with curly hair; cf. marabou 
~ chode very light-skinned Haitian 
man usu. with light reddish 
complexion 
grinbak see grennbak 
grinkat n. [Eng.] green card, U.S. 
residency card 
Grinlannprop.n. Greenland 
(brand of powdered milk); see 
Gworenlann 
grinyen see griyen 
grip, lagrip n. cold, flu, influenza, 
grippe 
~ ak lafy£v flu 
~ lasezon hayfever 
gwo ~ influenza; tuberculosis 
gripe adj. suffering from a cold or 
flu; v. to catch cold; to climb 
grit n. small building or structure 
griy n. grid; grill (for cooking); 
grille, grate, grating, screen 
~ pen toaster 
griyad n. grilled meat 
griyay, griyaj n. mesh, grid, (metal) 
grating, wire netting; chain-link 
fencing; fried meat 
griye v. to broil, grill; to roast; to 
toast; to parch; to electrocute 
~ mayi to make popcorn 
pen - toast 
griy^, fwonmaj degriye n. Gruy6re 
(cheese) 
griy&f n. grievance 
griyen, giyen, grinyen v. to open, 
bare; to stick out, be evident or 
visible; to laugh loudly; to grin; 
to giggle; to sneer, jeer; to snarl, 
growl; adj. emaciated 
~ bounda to spread one's cheeks/ 
350 
griyo - gwayil 
buttocks 
- dan to grin; to laugh heartily; to 
mock, scoff, laugh derisively; to 
grimace; to growl; to be thread­
bare (clothes); laughter, mocking; 
sneer 
~ dan sou to growl at; to threaten, 
be mad at, yell at; to make fun of 
~ janm to give a glimpse of one's 
legs (woman) 
~ kd to be extravagant 
pa gen ~ dan ladann, pa nan ~ 
dan to be no laughing matter, not 
be kidding 
griyo n. spicy fried pork cut in small 
chunks (Haitian delicacy); spicy 
fried meat (in general) 
griz n. ritual clothing (Voodoo) 
Griz (larivy£)prop.n. Grise river 
(north of PaP, Dept. West) 
grizat adj. grayish 
grizon n. millstone; (playing-) 
marble that has lost its polish; 
damaged object; graybeard, old 
man; good-for-nothing, bum; adj. 
cheap, worthless 
Grizongad(e)prop.n. Grison-Gard£ 
(3rd communal section of Acul-
du-Nord, Dept. North) 
grizonnen v. to age, decline; to fade, 
tarnish; to lose one's beauty or 
appeal 
gwaba n. var. of insect 
gwabye n. var. of bird 
gwach n. gouache 
Gwadloup, Lagwadloupprop.n. 
Guadeloupe 
Gwadloupeyen prop.n./adj., 
Gwadloupey£n f.prop.n. 
Guadeloupean 
gwagwa n. jalopy; small passenger 
truck; see gwayil 
Gwakanagarikjpro/?.«. cacique 
of Marien (kingdom of pre-
Columbian Haiti) 
gwaftt n. var. of small boat 
Gwanmprop.n. Guam 
gwann n. bundle of corn (hung from 
tree for safe-keeping); fiber used 
for making hats, rope etc.; needle; 
type of drum 
Gwanntanamo, Wanntanamo 
prop.n. Guant&namo (Cuba) 
gwano n. guano 
gwap n. bragger; adj. brave, 
courageous; impulsive, brutal, 
violent 
Gwarikoprop.n. Guarico (Taino 
Arawak and Spanish name for 
town on site of present-day Cape-
Haitian) 
Gwaryon£ks/?ro/?.«. cacique 
of Magua (kingdom of pre-
Columbian Haiti) 
Gwasimalprop.n. Guacimal (3rd 
communal section of Saint-
Raphael, Dept. North) 
gwat n. goiter 
gwatapana see watapana 
Gwatemalaprop.n. Guatemala; 
Guatemala City 
Gwatemalt£k prop.nJadj. 
Guatemalan 
gwayab£I see wayabel 
Gwayamouk, Wayamouk (larivyfc) 
prop.n. Guayamouc river (near 
Hinche, Dept. Center) 
gwayav see gouyav 
Gwayavyeprop.n. Goyavier (3rd 
communal section of Saint-Marc, 
Dept. Artibonite) 
gwayil, gwagwa, gwayid, gw£gw£ 
n. clod, lout, hick; adj. crude, 
uncouth, unrefined 
351 
gweftt - gwonde 
gwel&t n. schooner 
gwevo n. inner sanctuary of Voodoo 
temple containing altar (reg.); cf. 
badji 
gw£w onomat. sound of gunfire 
gwo adj. big, fat, large; swollen; 
acute; bulky; important, great; in 
the middle of (time) 
an ~ wholesale; in bulk; on the 
whole, in general 
~ ble blue denim 
~ gra fat and healthy 
- lajan pile of money, big sum of 
money 
~ lanm& heavy/rough sea 
~ michel var. of banana 
~ midi high noon; (in) broad 
daylight 
~ vwa strong or loud voice; deep 
voice 
m ta gade sa ~ I would consider 
it an honor 
pi - main, principal 
gwoble n. blue denim 
gwobonsans n. common sense 
gwobrenn n. big fellow 
gwobwa n. big shot, VIP 
gwodizfc see grandiz& 
gwodon, goudwon, gwddon n. 
meconium 
gwdg n. alcoholic beverage, liquor, 
booze 
anba - (li), - nan tbt li drunk 
direkte - person in charge of 
distributing (usu.) kleren at a 
konbit (q.v.) 
gw6g£ n. heavy drinker 
gwogmann n. alcoholic, heavy 
drinker, lush, drunkard 
gwogdj n. esophagus, gullet; deep 
masculine voice 
gwojan n. hick, redneck; adj. crude, 
uncouth 
gwoje adj. greedy 
gen - to be greedy 
gwojounen, granjou adv. in broad 
daylight 
gwok£s n. bass drum 
gwokoiet see kolet 
gwolo n. jack-pot, first prize (lottery) 
Gworn ang prop. n. Gros-Mangle (5th 
communal section of Pointe-&-
Raquette, La Gonave Island) 
Gwomarenprop.n. Gros-Marin (3rd 
communal section of Cavaillon, 
Dept. South) 
gwomidi n. high noon; (in) broad 
daylight 
gwomiks n. var. of prepared soil to 
promote plant growth 
gwomo n. dirty word, curse word 
Gwomonprop.n. Gros-Morne 
(Dept. Artibonite; area of P&ion-
Ville; 11th communal section of 
L6ogane, Dept. West) 
Gvtombnb prop.n., Gwomdn£z 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of Gros-Morne 
(Dept. Artibonite) 
gwomoso n. ill-mannered and 
uncouth man; big shot, important 
man 
gwomoun adj. wealthy, rich (person) 
gwonde, gonde v. to growl (at), 
snarl (at); to scold, reprimand; 
to thunder, rumble; to drone, 
hum, buzz; to roar; to grumble, 
complain; to baste, sew or stitch 
crudely; n. var. of fish; growling, 
snarling; roaring; buzzing or 
ringing in ears; droning, humming; 
middle-sized of the three Kongo 
rite drums (Voodoo) - same as 
tenbal 
~ nan kanson li to grumble under 
352 
gwon&g - Gye 
one's breath 
gwon&g see n£g 
gwonnman n. rumble, roar 
gwonyen n. to grunt 
gwopans n. (fat) belly 
gwopo n. material for making fancy-
dress clothes; var. of mango 
gwopopo n. big shot, VIP 
gwopous n. thumb 
dw£t - loner, self-reliant person 
gwopye n. elephantiasis, 
lymphedema 
Gworenlann {pronounced: Gwo-
re-nlann), Grinlannprop.n. 
Greenland 
gwds v. to make pregnant, 
impregnate; to crave; to detest 
(s.o.); adj. pregnant; n. pregnancy; 
gross (group of 144 or 12 dozen 
items) 
~ ak to do (s.o.) in, beat up 
~ gwo vant advanced state of 
pregnancy 
~ pou to really want s.thg.; to want 
to get at s.o. 
pran yon ~ to become pregnant 
ifam.) 
vini ~ pou (yon moun) to become 
pregnant because of (s.o.) 
gwos&, gwdsfc n. size, volume, 
dimension 
- n£g/gason/fi tankou ou a boy/ 
girl your age 
pran ~ to put on weight 
gwos&s, gwds&s n, pregnancy 
maladi ~ morning sickness 
pwazon ~ eclampsia 
gwosi v. to grow larger, gain 
weight; to increase; to swell; to 
enlarge, expand; to exaggerate 
ft yon ti ~ to put on a little weight 
gwosis n. wholesaler, wholesale 
dealer 
gwosisman n. enlargement 
Gwbskay prop.n. Grande-Caye, 
Grosse-Caille (island off coast of 
Aquin, Dept. South) 
gwosomodo, gwdskosomodo adj. 
crude, coarse; adv. as a rough 
estimate, roughly; crudely done 
Gwoswbch prop.n. Grosse-Roche 
(Dept. North-East) 
gwosye adj. coarse, crude, vulgar, 
rude, uncouth; irascible, irritable, 
short-tempered 
gwosy£te n. coarseness, crudeness 
gwdt, lagwdt n. grotto, cave 
gwoup n. group; cluster 
~ elektwoj£n electric generator, 
generating set; cf. d&lko 
gwoupe v. to group (together), 
assemble 
gwoupiskil n. small insignificant 
political group 
gwoupman, goupman n. group; 
grouping; (peasant) collective 
- kominot£ community-action 
group 
gwouy£ n. type of sexually 
suggestive collective dance 
gwovant adj. pregnant; n. pot belly; 
kwashiorkor- cf. kwachydk6 
Gwowochprop.n. Grosse-Roche 
(beach and target practice area, 
north side of Saint-Marc, Dept. 
Artibonite); see Ekrevis 
gwozey n. red currant (shrub) 
gwozo adj. big for one's age; well 
developed 
gwozdm n. hedge plant 
gyab see dyab 
gyadya n. giardia 
gyanman see dyaman 
Gye see Bondye 
353 
gyegi - gydte 
gyegi see degi 
gy£p see g&p 
gyo see dlo 
gydl see djdl 
gydte see djdte 
h - hevimetal 
H 
h {pronounced: ach) 
ha interj. ha! (to surprise or startle 
s.o.); abbrev. hectare (ekta 2.471 
acres, approximately size of a 
football field) 
~! ~! ~! ~! ha! ha! ha! ha! 
(laughter) 
hach see rach 
hache, rache v. to chop up, cut up; 
to grate; to ax 
had see rad 
had£n n. var. of mango 
hadi see radi 
haje see raje 
hal n. covered courtyard; see ral 
hale see rale 
halfd see ralf6 
Halowin, ALowin prop.n. Halloween 
(US celebration on October 31) 
han! interj. ha!; to express physical 
exertion; see hi 
~ an interj. uh-huh, yes (fam.) 
hanache see annache 
hanch see ranch 
Hanika see Hanouka 
hank interj. expression of surprise 
hanm onomat. yum yum 
hannbol n. [Eng.] handball 
hanni see ranni 
Hanouka, Hanika prop.n. 
Hanukkah, Chanukah 
hany! see heny! 
hap onomat. to express sudden 
action 
hap, ap, larp n. harp 
hap! hap! interj. woof! woof! 
haso see raso 
hat n. hurry, haste; corral 
hatchbak n. hatchback (automobile) 
Hatche\o prop.n. Hatte-Chevaux 
(2nd communal section of 
Marchand-Dessalines, Dept. 
Artibonite) 
Havad (iniv&site)prop.n. Harvard 
University (Cambridge, Mass.) 
Hawad (iniv&site)prop.n. Howard 
University (Washington, D.C.) 
Hawayi see Awayi 
hay! see ay! 
hayi see rayi 
hayikou n. poetic form imitated 
from Japanese; cf. wongdl and 
zwing 
he! see hey! 
hehey! interj. hey hey! 
hbk see r&k 
h&l see r£l 
de~! interj. hell! 
travay de ~! what a stupid 
meaningless job! 
hele v. to hail, call out 
hen interj. huh? what? 
ala ~ what?! 
- en! ~ ~ ! nope! 
~! ~! ha! ha! 
h£n see £n 
H£n see En 
Hench see Rench 
Henchwa, Henchwaz see Enchwa, 
Enchwaz 
hendiprop.n. Hindi 
Hennwa, Hennwaz, H£nwa, 
Hfcnwaz see Enwa, Enwaz 
heny! hany! interj. yuck! 
hep! (banm) interj. hey! (to attract 
s.o.'s attention) 
hepla! hepbanm! interj. heave ho! 
hevimetal adj. heavy metal (music) 
355 
hey! - HUEH 
hey! he! inter j . hey! huh! uh!; call 
for cattle to come 
heyeyey! inter}, hey! hey! hey! 
hi, hi han, hihan onomat. neigh or 
whinny (of horse) 
highang see hinghang 
hihan onomat. whinny or neighing 
of a horse 
— see hinghang 
hik inter j . giddy ap (to encourage a 
donkey) 
hil n. var. of mango 
hinghang, highang, hihan hihan, 
ing ang, yingyang n. feud, quarrel 
hipe v. to yell 
hiphop n. hip hop (music) 
hise see ise 
hm interj. hum 
hmm n. very strong var. of raw rum 
(kleren) 
ho see wo 
Hodikap see Wodikap 
hddpdte, hddpot see w6dp6te 
hoholi see wowoli 
hdhdt see wdwdt 
h6k£t see dkfct 
hdki see 6ke 
hola! see ola! 
hdlddp see dlddp 
hdlddpay see dlddpay 
hdlddpe see dlddpe 
hdlddpfc see dlddp& 
hol&men see wotemen 
holokds see olokds 
hon onomat. oink (of a pig) 
honfd see ounfd 
honsi see ounsi 
hont see wont 
honte see wonte 
hop interj. sound of belch or burp 
hosanna! interj. [Bible] hosanna! 
(cry ofpraise) 
hose see wose 
hosman see wosman 
hot see wot 
hdtddg, wdtddg n. [Eng.] hotdog; 
cf. sosis 
hot£, hdt£ see wot£ 
hotfom see otfdm 
Hotkou Jistis see Otkou Jistis 
hou see wou 
houfd see ounfd 
hougan see oungan 
houk n. splash (made with one's feet) 
houke see wouke 
houm onomat. oink (of a pig) 
houmble see woumble 
noun!, oun! interj. ugh! yuck! 
(expression of disgust); woof! 
houndjenikon see oungenikonn 
hounfd see ounfd 
houngan see oungan 
houngenikon(n) see oungenikonn 
houng£v& see oungeve 
houn(k), ounk, wounk n. var. of 
rudimentary drum 
hounk! ounk! wounk! interj. Watch 
out! Be careful! 
hounla n. var. of rudimentary drum 
hounli n. var. of rudimentary drum 
hounsa see mousa 
hounsi, housi see ounsi 
hountd see ountd 
hountdgi, hountdgri see ountdgri 
hountoli n. player of hounli (q.v.) 
hounyd seeounyd 
houy interj. giddyap (to encourage a 
horse, mule, donkey) 
hoy! see woy! 
HUEH acron. Lopital Iniv&site Deta 
Dayiti, Lopital Jeneral (Hopital 
de PUniversit6 d'Etat d'Haiti)-
Hospital of the State University of 
Haiti, PaP 
356 
i - l g w a n n 
i n. position in game of 
knucklebones (oste); [N.] see li 
(pron.) 
- a n an - an an braying of a 
donkey 
ibanis n. urbanism, city living; adj. 
city-planning, urban 
ibanizasyon n. urbanization; city-
planning 
I be prop.n. Hubert 
Ibe (F&nan)prop.n. Hibbert 
(Fernand) - Haitian novelist (1873-
1928) 
iben adj. [Fr./Eng.] urban 
ibenis see ebenis 
Ibewo prop. adj. Iberian 
ibis n. ibis (bird) 
~ gan blan white ibis 
~ pech£ glossy ibis 
ibiskis n. hibiscus (usu. choublak) 
Ibo n. Voodoo rite: group or "nation" 
(nanchon) of Voodoo spirits; 
dignified reserved dance with two 
steps to the right followed by two 
steps to the left; var. of drum 
Ibobitch, Ilkasikprop.n. Ibo Beach 
(Dept. West) 
ibou n. [Fr.] owl; cf. kou kou 
ibrid n./adj. hybrid 
idantifikasyon n. identification 
idantifyab adj. identifiable 
idantifye v. to identify 
idantite, lidantite n. identity; 
identification 
pwobtem ~ lack of self-esteem 
Ida wo prop.n. Idaho (USA) 
Idayi acron. IDAI (Institut de 
Developpement Agricole et 
Industriel) - for agricultural 
products 
ide see ede; lide 
id&m adj. intact; invariable, same 
ideyal n. ideal(s); adj. ideal 
ideyoldg n. ideologist; ideologue 
ideyoloji, idewoloji n. ideology 
ideyolojik adj. ideological 
IDMO acron. UDMO (Unite 
Departementale du Maintien de 
l'Ordre) - local forces of order 
iddl see ziddl 
idolatri n. idolatry 
Idoumeprop.n. [Bible] Idumea 
idratkabdn n. carbohydrate 
idravyon n. hydroplane 
idwo prefix hydro-
idwoelektrik adj. hydroelectric 
idwoj&n n. hydrogen 
idwoksid n. hydroxide 
idwolik adj. hydraulic; hydro-
idwomet n. hydrometer 
idyo idydt//?. [Fr.] idiot 
idydm n. idiom, idiomatic 
expression 
idyomatik adj. idiomatic 
idyosi n. idiocy, imbecility 
idydt see idyo 
idydtman adv. idiotically 
Ife prop.n. dwelling place of the 
Voodoo spirits, "the Voodoo 
Olympus" 
ifo see fdk 
Igprop.n. Hugh 
Igoprop.n. Hugo 
igorin see goyin 
igrann: 
grann ~ in the distant past 
igr£g n. (letter) y 
igwann, igw&n n. iguana 
357 
igwaz - imajinasyon 
igwaz see rigwaz 
igwe n. air plant 
Igwe, Igw&y prop.n. Higuey 
(Dominican Republic; Kingdom of 
pre-Columbian Haiti) 
ihan ihan ihan onomat. braying of 
donkey 
ijan adj. urgent, pressing; cf. pa ka 
tann 
ka ~ emergency 
ijans n. emergency; urgency 
\]bn see ijy£n 
ijenik, ijyenik, jenik adj. clean, 
hygienic, sanitary 
papye ~ toilet paper 
ijydn, ijfcn, ijyenn, Iij£n, lijyfcn, 
lijyenn n. hygiene, cleanliness 
ib ~ kay la to do housecleaning, 
clean the house 
ijyenik see ijenik 
ik&t see bkbt 
ik6n n. icon (computer) 
Ikr&n, Likr£nprop.n. Ukraine 
iks (letter) x 
il see zile 
Iland&, Ilanndeprop.n./adj., 
Ilandez, Ilannd£zf.prop.n. Irish 
ilan ilan n. ilang-ilang (tree) 
Ilann, Lilann prop.n. Ireland 
Ilannd&, Ilannd&z see Iland&, 
Iland&z 
Ilavach, Dilavach, Lilavach, 
Z\\t*\2LC\iprop.n. Ile-&-Vache(s) 
(52 km2 island near Cayes, Dept. 
South) 
Ilavachwa, Vachyen prop.n., 
Ilavachwaz, Vachyen fprop. n. 
inhabitant of Ile-^-Vache(s) (island 
near Cayes, Dept. South) 
Ite(t)apy£joz£f, Zite(t)apy£joz£f 
prop.n. Ilet-^-Pierre-Joseph 
(3rd communal section of Anse-
d'Hainault, Dept. Grand'Anse) 
ilegal adj. illegal, unlawful; adv. 
illegally, unlawfully 
ilegalite n. illegality 
ilegalman adv. illegally 
ilejitim adj. illegitimate 
iletre n./adj. illiterate 
Ilinwa prop.n. Illinois (USA) 
Iliriprop.n. [Bible] Illyricum 
His prop.n. Ulysses 
ilisit adj. illicit, unlawful 
ilistrasyon n. illustration 
bay ~ to illustrate 
ilistre v. to illustrate 
ilizyon n. illusion 
Ilkasik see Ibobitch 
Iloakdn, Zilokdnprop.n. flot-&-
Cornes (8th communal section of 
Limte, Dept. North) 
ilsb n. ulcer 
~ emorajik bleeding ulcer 
iltimatdm n. ultimatum 
Iltonnprop.n. Hilton 
iltrason adj. ultrasound 
iltravyotet adj. ultraviolet 
Ilvy&j, Zilvy&j prop.n. Virgin Islands 
(US) 
~ angle British Virgin Islands 
Ilyad prop.n. Iliad (ancient Greek 
epic by Homer) 
im, lim, limn n. anthem 
imaj, imay, limaj n. image; 
picture, illustration, engraving; 
chromolithograph of a saint 
~ mak brand image (for a 
product); public image (company 
or political party) 
~ taye graven image, idol 
imaje adj. vivid, picturesque 
imajinab adj. imaginable 
imajinasyon n. imagination; 
illusion; fiction 
358 
imajine - IN AGE 
imajine, imajinen v. to imagine; to 
have an illusion 
imajinfc adj. imaginary 
imajis n. imagery 
imajri n. imagery 
imakile adj. immaculate, pure 
ibt ~ feast of the Immaculate 
Conception 
Imamouprop.n. generic name for 
Voodoo sea spirits 
imanis adj. humane, humanitarian; 
humanist 
imanite n. humanities; see limanite 
imanite adj. humanitarian 
imanizasyon n. humanization 
imans adj. [Fr.] immense 
imatrikilasyon n. registration 
plak ~ license plate, license tag 
imatrikile v. to register 
imay see imaj 
im&, zim£ n. humor, mood, 
disposition; inflammation; pus 
imfcb see byen 
imedya adj. immediate 
imedyat, imedyatman adv. 
immediately 
imel n. [Eng.] e(lectronic)-mail; v. to 
e-mail 
imele v. to E-mail 
imen n. human being (cf. kretyen 
vivan); adj. human; considerate 
im£n n. hymen; adj. human; see 
syans ~ 
imfcnman adv. humanly 
imeris n. humerus 
imfcsyon n. [Fr.] immersion 
imid adj. humid, damp, moist, wet, 
muggy 
imidimfct n. humidistat 
imidite, limidite n. humidity, 
dampness, moisture 
imigran n. immigrant 
imigrasyon n. immigration; passport 
control; United States Immigration 
and Naturalization Service (INS) 
imigre v. to immigrate; n. immigrant 
imilite, limilite n. humility 
imilyan adj. humiliating, demeaning 
imilyasyon n. humiliation 
imilye v. to humiliate; to humble 
oneself 
iminite n. [Fr.] immunity; 
(diplomatic or parliamentary) 
immunity 
iminize v. to immunize 
imis n. humus 
imitasyon n. imitation 
imitate, imitado n. imitator 
imite v. to imitate 
imobil adj. motionless, immobile 
imobilizasyon n. immobilization; 
standstill 
~ kdpor&I fixed assets 
imobilize v. to immobilize 
imobilye adj. property, real estate 
imole v. [Fr.] to immolate, sacrifice 
imoral adj. immoral; n. dissolute or 
shameless person 
imoralite, limoralite n. immorality, 
misconduct; lasciviousness 
imotalite n. immortality 
imdtalize v. to immortalize 
imdtfcl n. coral bean tree, bucare 
tree; adj. [Fr.] immortal 
in see ink 
inadmisib adj. inadmissible 
Inag (Gran)prop.n. Great Inagua 
Island (Bahamas) 
INAGE acron. INAGHEI - Enstiti 
Nasyonal Administrasyon, 
Jesyon e (W)6t Etid 
Ent&nasyonal (Institut National 
d'Administration, de Gestion, et 
des Hautes Etudes Internationales) 
359 
inakseptab - inivesit& 
Haiti's leading business school 
inakseptab adj. unacceptable 
inaktif adj. inactive 
inalan n. inhalant 
inap&si adj. [Fr.] unnoticed 
INARA acron. Enstiti Nasyonal 
Ref6m Agr& (Institut National 
de R6forme Agraire) National 
Institute of Land Reform 
inatandi adj. unexpected 
indiprop.n./adj. Hindi 
Indyana see Enndyana 
in& adv. one o'clock 
Infc see Inks 
inedi adj. [Fr.] unpublished 
in&dtan n. an hour 
chak ~ every hour, each hour 
inegal adj. unequal; uneven, rough; 
irregular 
inegalite n. inequality 
inekitab adj. [Fr.] inequitable, 
unjust, unfair 
inekite/7. [Fr.] inequity, injustice, 
unfairness 
ineksplikab adj. [Fr.] inexplicable 
Infcs (sikl6n), In£, Infczprop.n. 
Inez (disastrous hurricane, 29-30 
September 1966) 
Inesko acron. Unesco (United 
Nations Educational, Scientific, 
and Cultural Organization) 
inevitab adj. inevitable 
Infcz see Inks 
infay adv. [Eng.] in five minutes 
ing ang see hinghang 
ini v. to unite, join together; adj. 
smooth, even; plain (made of one 
piece or of one color) 
rann ~ to make even, smooth out 
inifikasyon n. unification 
inifdm n. uniform; adj. uniform, 
identical 
inifdmite n. uniformity 
inifye v. [Fr] to unify; cf. ini 
inijanbis n. one-legged person; adj. 
one-legged 
inik adj. unique, only, sole, single 
sans ~ one-way (street) 
inikite n. iniquity (rel.) 
inikman adv. uniquely 
inilateral adj. unilateral 
inilateralman adv. unilaterally 
inimen adj. inhuman 
Inis&f acron. Unicef (United Nations 
Children's Fund) 
inisyal n./adj. initial 
inisyasyon n. initiation 
inisyatfc n. initiator 
inisyativ n. initiative 
inisye v. to initiate, introduce, be 
initiated, be introduced; n. initiate 
inite see linite 
~ santral computer processing 
unit 
Inite Santral Jesyon (Unite 
Centrale de Gestion) General 
Accounting Office of Haitian 
Government 
initil adj. useless, worthless, 
unnecessary, needless, 
superfluous; pointless, trivial 
manm ~ worthless individual 
initilman adv. uselessly, vainly, in 
vain 
inivfc see \ini\k 
iniv&salis adj. universalist 
inivesalite n. universality 
iniv&s&l nJadj. universal, general; n. 
sports jacket 
iniv£site, linivfcsite n. university; 
college 
inivesit& n. university student; 
university graduate; n./adj. 
academic; adj. university(-level) 
360 
iniyoun - ipotfck 
iniyoun n. magically poisoned liquid 
(Voodoo) 
indganik adj. inorganic 
inogirasyon n. inauguration 
inogire v. to inaugurate 
inokilan n. inoculant, inoculum (bot. 
esp.)-cf. piki 
inokilasyon n. inoculation (bot. esp.) 
- cf. piki 
inokile v. to inoculate (bot. esp.) - cf 
pike 
indn n. one aune, one ell see lonn 
inondasyon, linondasyon n. flood, 
flooding, inundation 
f£ ~ to overflow (river) 
inonde v. to flood, inundate 
inonni adj. stupid, imbecilic 
inonsan see inosan 
inonsans see inosans 
inoperan adj. inoperative, 
ineffectual, ineffective 
inoptize see ipnotize 
inosan, inonsan, nosan adj. 
innocent; naive, ingenuous 
Inosan prop.n. Innocent (one of 
six forts built by Dessalines 
surrounding Haiti's first capital, 
Marchand, Dept. Artibonite) 
inosans, inonsans, linosans n. 
innocence 
inosantf.n./adj. innocent (girl or 
woman) 
inosante v. to exonerate, vindicate, 
clear; to justify, excuse 
inoubliyab adj. [Fr] unforgettable 
inovasyon n. innovation 
inove v. to innovate 
INS obs. acron. (pronounced: 
i-enn-£s) US Immigration and 
Naturalization Service 
int&riptfc n. switch (mack) 
inmt prop, n./adj. Inuit, Eskimo 
inyam see yanm 
inyon see linyon 
inyoran, iyoran adj. ignorant, 
uninformed, illiterate; boorish, 
ill-bred 
inyorans, iyorans, linyorans, 
liyorans n. ignorance, illiteracy; 
boorishness, ill-breeding 
inyore, iyore v. to be ignorant of, not 
know 
~ (konnen) to ignore, disregard, 
not pay attention to; cf. bay vag 
ion, iou see yon 
ip&bdl n. hyperbola (math.) 
ipeka n. ipecac 
ipetansyon n. hypertension 
ipi nJadj. hippie 
IPN acron. Enstiti Pedagojik 
Nasyonal (Institut PSdagogique 
National) National Pedagogical 
Institute (teacher training institute, 
PaP) 
ipnotize, inoptize v. to hypnotize 
ipnotize n. hypnotist 
ipnoz n. hypnosis 
\ipo\LY2Ltprop.n. Hippocrates 
ipokrit n. hypocrite; adj. 
hypocritical 
~ karesan two-faced backbiter, 
hypocrite 
ipokritman adv. hypocritically 
ipokrizi, lipokrizi n. hypocrisy 
Ipolit (Ektd)prop.n. Hyppolite 
(Hector) - considered greatest of 
Haitian primitive painters ("Les 
Zombis," "La Mambo"), 1894-
1948 
Ipolit (Fldvil)prop.n. Hyppolite 
(Florvil) - president of Haiti, 1889-
1896 
ipopotam n. hippopotamus 
ipot£k, potfck n. mortgage; multi-
361 
ipoteke - Ispayola 
year land lease 
leve ~ to pay off the/a mortgage; 
to pay back 
ipoteke, poteke v. to mortgage, be 
mortgaged; to lease (land) 
ipoteniz n. hypotenuse (math.) 
ipot&z n. hypothesis, given 
Irak, Lirakprop.n. Iraq 
Irakyenprop.n./adj., Irakyfcn 
f.prop.n. Iraqi 
Iram prop.n. [Bible] Hiram 
Iran, Diran, Liran prop.n. Iran 
Iranisprop.n. Uranus 
Ir&nyenprop.n./adj., Ir&ny£n 
f.prop.n. Iranian 
ir&nydm n. uranium 
irasyonfcl adj. [Fr.] irrational 
ire n. var. of fertilizer 
irediktib adj. irreducible, immutable 
iregilarite n. irregularity; fraud, 
deception 
iregilye adj. irregular 
iresponsab, ireskonsab nJadj. 
irresponsible, negligent 
iresponsablite, iresponsabilite n. 
irresponsibility 
ir&t n. urethra 
irezonab adj. unreasonable 
iridydm n. iridium 
irigasyon n. irrigation 
irige v. to irrigate 
Irigwe, Ouwougwayprop.n. 
Uruguay 
Irigweyenprop.n./adj., Irigweyfcn 
f.prop.n. Uruguayan 
irin n. urine (usu. med.); cf. pipi 
irin£ adj. urinary (med.) 
irinen v. to urinate (med.) 
irinwa n. urinal 
iris n. iris (of eye) 
iritan n. irritant 
iritasyon n. irritation, inflammation 
irite v. to irritate, annoy, exasperate; 
to chafe, abrade, scrape 
ise, hise v. to hoist, raise, haul up; to 
stand on one's tiptoes 
isi see isit 
~ prezan right here, on this very 
spot 
isiba adv. here below, on earth 
Isilin prop. nJadj. Ursuline 
isit, isi, isiya, sit adv. here 
ane ~ this year 
~ la right here, over here 
~ la menm in this very place 
~. . . 16t bd here ... there, 
everywhere 
pa bd ~ around here 
isitkay adv. here at home, here in 
this country; adj. domestic 
iskarydt see eskarydt 
Iskarydt see Jouda 
iske see riske 
Islam prop.n. Islam 
islamikprop. adj. Islamic 
islamis prop.n. Islamism; prop. adj. 
Islamic 
Island^prop.n./adj. Icelandic 
Island^prop.n., Islmdezf.prop.n. 
Icelander 
Islmnprop.n. Iceland 
isman n. hoisting, raising, hauling 
up 
Ismayfcl, Izmayfclprop.n. [Bible] 
Ishmael 
Isouzou see Izouzou 
ISPAN acron. Enstiti Sovgad 
Patrimw&n Nasyonal (Institut 
de Sauvegarde du Patrimoine 
National) - Haitian Institute for 
the Preservation of the National 
Heritage 
ispanikprop.nJadj. Hispanic 
Ispayola, Isp&nyola prop.n. 
362 
istansil - iyorans 
Hispaniola 
istansil n. [Fr.] utensil, implement 
isterik adj. [Fr] hysterical 
istokrat see aristokrat 
istorik adj. historic(al); n. historical 
background 
b a y -
ft ~ to retrace the historical 
background 
istorikman adv. historically 
istoryen n., istory£n f.n. historian 
istwa, listwa, zistwa n. history; 
story, tale, account; anecdote; 
incident, event; behavior 
bay ~, tire ~ to tell funny stories, 
banter, visit with 
- jeneral world history 
Istwa prop. n. [Bible] Chronicles 
isye n. bailiff; collection agent 
- eksplwatan summons server, 
writ server {fur.) 
~ odyansye sergeant-at-arms (jur.) 
It prop, n./adj. Hittite 
peyi ~ Hatti 
Itali, Litaliprop.n. Italy 
italik n. italics; adj. italic 
Italyenprop.n./adj., Italy&n 
f.prop.n. Italian 
ite n. [Eng.] heater 
iteris n. uterus 
itik& n. hives 
itil adj. useful, handy; profitable, 
beneficial; v. to be of use 
pa - good-for-nothing; jerk 
itilite n. use, usefulness, utility 
itilizab adj. usable 
itilizasyon n. utilisation, usage 
itilizaft n. user 
itilize v. to use, utilize, employ 
itineran: 
anbasade - roving ambassador 
itinere n. itinerary, route 
Itftprop.n. (Adolf) Hitler 
itopirt. [Fr.] Utopia 
itopik adj. [Fr.] Utopian 
ityole n. antiseptic (for cuts etc.) 
Ivprop.n. Yves 
rvb see li\b 
iv&nay see liv&nay 
l\btfprop.n. Yvette 
ivwa, livwa n./adj. ivory 
Ivwaryenprop.n./adj., Ivwary£n 
f.prop.n. Ivoryian 
ivy£ see rivy& 
Iwochima, Ewochimaprop.n. 
Hiroshima (Japan) 
iwoldg n. urologist 
iwoloji n. urology 
Iwonprop.n. Huron 
iwond£l, jiwond£l, liwond£I, 
viwond£l, wond&l, ziwond£l n. 
swallow (bird) 
~ faftz Hispaniolan cliff swallow 
~ fov var. of swallow 
~ ke long barn swallow 
~ nwa, - vant blan var. of 
Caribbean martin 
~ v b t Sclatter's swallow 
ti ~ palm swift 
iwoni n. irony 
iwonik adj. ironic(al), sarcastic 
iwonikman adv. ironically 
iwonize, wonize v. to be ironic, 
be sarcastic; to make fun of, 
humiliate 
Iwozyenprop.n., Iwozy&n fprop.n. 
inhabitant of Les Irois (Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
iydd see ydd 
iy6de see y6de 
Iyonaprop.n, Ionia (ancient region 
of Asia Minor) 
iyoran see inyoran 
iyorans see inyorans 
363 
iyore - Izrayelyen 
iyore see inyore 
izaj see izay 
izaje n. [Fr.] user; adj. used 
Izarakprop.n. [Bible] Isaac 
izay, izaj n. [Fr] usage 
Izayiprop.n. [Bible] Jesse (father of 
King David) 
ize v. to wear out; adj. worn, worn-
out, tired, old; second-hand, used 
iz£d, zfcd (letter) z 
izi n. usury 
izin, lizin n. factory, plant 
~ sitwon lime-processing plant 
izirye n. money-lender 
Izmayfcl see Ismay&l 
izolan n. masking tape; sound­
proofing; weather-proofing; 
insulation; insulator 
izolasyon n. insulation 
izole v. to quarantine, isolate; to 
insulate; adj. alone, isolated 
izolman, izolman n. isolation 
izolwa n. voting booth 
izdp n. hyssop (bot.) 
izora n. ixora (shrub) 
izosfcl adj. isosceles (math.) 
Izouzou, Isouzouprop.n. Isuzu 
(automobile) 
Izray£l, Lizrayfclprop.n. Israel 
I z r a y e l i t I s r a e l i t e 
Izrayelyen, Izrayelitprop.n./adj., 
Izrayelyen, Izrayelit f.prop.n. 
Israeli 
364 
j -Jakdb 
J 
j {pronounced: ji) 
ja, dja n. (earthenware) jug; pot of 
gold, buried treasure; vat, tub 
- lajan buried treasure 
jaboty£ n. frills, ruffles 
jabourik n. var. of plant 
jache adj. fallow, unseeded, 
uncultivated 
ft ~ to leave fallow 
jaden n. (cultivated) field; garden 
ft ~ to farm; to garden; farming, 
agriculture 
gran ~ field 
~ bwa deyo field distant from 
one's house 
~ danfan nursery school, 
kindergarten 
~ Dedenn Garden of Eden 
~ fle (decorative) garden 
- (nan) lakou, ~ alantou, ~ antre, 
~ devan pdt, ti ~ small vegetable 
garden; flower garden 
~ papa li birthright, heritage 
~ piblik park 
pye ~ part of field furtherest from 
irrigation entry point 
santi ~ to smell bad, have bad 
body odor 
ftt ~ part of field nearest irrigation 
entry point 
jadinay n. agriculture, farming 
jadinye n., jadinye f.n. gardener 
~ danfan kindergarten teacher 
jagon n. slang, jargon; Haitian 
equivalent of "pig Latin"; (cf. 
bolit; pale lanvfc) 
jagounen see ogounen 
jagwa n. jaguar 
jaja n. jealousy; adj. jealous 
Jakprop.n. James 
F6 ~ Fort Jacques (near Fermathe, 
Dept. West) 
pa...ni ~ (ni Py&) ni P61 belonging 
to no one in particular 
Ti ~ Jim 
Twou Sen ~ mud pond at 
Plaine du Nord used as Voodoo 
pilgrimage site (July 25) 
jakal n. jackal 
jakasay, jakasaj n. chatter, jabber, 
yakking 
jakase v. to chatter, jabber, yak 
Jakata prop.n. Jakarta (Indonesia) 
Jak£prop.n. Jacquet (section of 
P&ion-Ville) 
Jaken see Kafouchal 
jaket, djaket n. coat, jacket 
bay (yon moun) yon ~ to rebuke 
(s.o.), reprimand (s.o.) 
Jaklin f.prop.n. Jacqueline 
Jakmelprop.n. (from its Taino name 
Yaquimel) Jacmel - founded 1698 
(administrative center of Dept. 
South-East) 
Jakmelyen prop.n., Jakmely£n/ 
prop.n. Jacmelian 
jako n. (Hispaniolan) parrot 
ft - pye v£t to flirt, flatter, play up 
to, woo, court 
~ pye v£t would-be lady killer; 
flatterer 
~ rep^t copycat, mimic; gossiper; 
rote memory 
nen ~ aquiline nose 
Jako prop.n. traditional children's 
song 
Jakob prop.n. [Bible; Book of 
Mormon] Jacob 
365 
jakdt- jan 
jakdt n. parakeet 
Jaksilprop.n. Jacquesil (see Klodin) 
jaktans n. noisy group (of people) 
jakye n. jackfruit tree 
jal, jral, jwal skform general (milit.) 
jalap n. jalap (plant) 
jalon n. stake, pole, landmark; 
surveyor's pole 
poze - to prepare the ground, pave 
the way (fig.) 
jalonnen v. to mark off, earmark; to 
line, stretch along 
jalou adj., jalouzf.adj. jealous 
ft-to be jealous 
jalouzi n. jealousy, envy; shutter, 
blind; Venetian blinds; lattice­
work door or window 
ft-to be jealous 
- krapo groundless or 
unwarranted jealousy 
Jalouzi prop.n. Jalousie 
(disadvantaged area of Petion-
Ville, Dept. West) 
Jamayik, Lajamayikprop.n. 
Jamaica 
Jamayikenprop.n./adj., Jamayik£n 
f.prop.n. Jamaican 
jam&! interj. never! 
ditou -!, se swa - ! not on your 
life! 
(~) ogran - ! not on your life! 
jam&dodo n. night owl (person); 
prostitute; prostitution 
ft - to engage in prostitution 
jamegeri n. long-standing sore 
Jam&vi see Janmenvi 
jan n. kind, type, sort; manner, way, 
mode; process; adv./conj. how; as; 
see kijan 
an gran - with pomp and 
ceremony, with much ado 
bay bon - to be nice/ welcoming/ 
hospitable 
bay move - see ft move -
bon - honest, upright, proper; 
decent, good, solid; real, authentic, 
genuine; sincere, forthright; 
polite; respectable, trustworthy, 
legitimate; serious, reliable; 
correct, logical, coherent; 
thorough, in-depth; courtesy, 
politeness; a goodly quantity of 
ft menm - to imitate 
ft move bay move ~ to be 
rude or mean; to be hostile, be 
unfriendly 
ft yon - (ak) to get rid of, 
eliminate; to look after s.o.'s needs 
ft yon - pou to make sure that, 
act in such a way that (s.thg. gets 
done) 
ft yon - yon many£ to act in such 
a way as to 
ft yon 16t - to do things 
differently, do anything else 
gen bon - to be likeable, be 
affable, be easy-going; to be nice 
gen move - to be ill-tempered, be 
disagreeable 
gran - fancy, beautiful; great, 
valuable 
- li pase li pase whatever happens 
happens 
- li ye li ye it is what it is, be it as 
it may 
- manman li te ft 1 la in one's 
birthday suit, naked 
- ou w£ m ap pale av£ ou la a 
just the way I am 
- sa a in that way, thus 
- sa dwa properly, suitably 
move - ill-tempered 
pa menm - ak unlike 
tout - in any case 
366 
Jan - janklodis 
tout ~ tout manny^/fason 
thoroughly; one way or another; in 
every conceivable way 
yon ~ yon manny£ one way or 
another 
yon (ti) ~ a little (bit), somewhat, 
rather 
Jan prop.n. John 
- Batis John the Baptist 
~ Jak seembt— 
~ Lespri smart John (famous 
folktale character; cf. Timalis) 
- P61II (avni) avenue Jean-Paul 
II (major avenue of PaP beginning 
at avenue Henry Christophe and 
running through Turgeau and 
ending in Haut-Turgeau) 
- S6t dumb John (famous folktale 
character; cf. Bouki) 
J&n f.prop.n. Jane, Joan, Jean, 
Jeanne 
Janbaprop.n. nickname for Jan 
Batis 
Janbatisprop.n. [Bible] John the 
Baptist 
Janbatis (Pdris)prop.n. Jean-
Baptiste (Pauris) - Haitian-
language writer, author of Nan 
Lonbray Inosans 
janbe, anjanbe v. to cross, cross 
over; to go to; to go abroad; to 
change one's status, convert to; to 
step over (s.o.); n. short distance 
ft yon ~ to drop by 
~ dlo/lanm& to consult a Voodoo 
priest/priestess 
~ minwi past midnight 
~ nan peyi san chapo to cross 
over into the great beyond, die 
~ sou tb yon moun to use s.o.'s 
land without permission 
Janbelin, Janb&lin, Kayimitprop.n. 
Jean-Bellune, Cayemit(t)e (3rd 
communal section of Pestel, Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
janb£t n. pocketknife 
janblan, janblon adj. blond 
(horsehair); rather large fresh­
water shrimp (resembles small 
lobster) 
janbon n. ham; hock (of animal) 
janby£ n. legging; shin guard; knee-
high boot 
janchwa, anchwa n. anchovy 
jandam, jandanm n. policeman; 
soldier; var. of butterfly 
jandamri n. police station, barracks; 
gendarmerie, police force 
jandanm s e e jandam 
Jmdenant prop.n. Gens-de-
Nantes (5th communal section of 
Ouanaminthe, Dept. North-East) 
janet n. var. of poultry disease 
Jan&tprop.n. Jeannette (Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
Janfranswa Papiyonprop.n. Jean-
Frangois Papillon - one of early 
leaders of Haitian Revolution 
Jan jak seemkt~ 
Janjak Desalin (boulva), Granri 
prop.n. Boulevard Jean-Jacques 
Dessalines (main street of PaP) 
Jan j an prop.n. Johnny (nickname 
for Jan, q.v.) 
janjanbr&t see jenjanbr£t 
janjdl n. testicle(s) (of animal) [S.]; 
(supposed) aphrodisiac 
Janklod prop.n. fam. for Jean-
Claude Duvalier (born 1951), 
president of Haiti, 1971-1986 
janklodis n./adj. supporter of Jean-
Claude Duvalier; n. economic and 
political movement during regime 
of Jean-Claude Duvalier (1971-
367 
jankwo- japwouv 
1986) 
jankwo n. John Crow, turkey 
buzzard, black tamarind (bird) 
janm n. leg; adv. ever 
antre ~, anba ~ crotch; crotch of 
pants 
bag£t ~ skinny legs 
banbou ~ tibia, shinbone 
bwa ~ leg bone; leg; shin, 
tibia 
- boya bowlegged 
~ debwa stilt(s); person on stilts; 
scarecrow 
~ di fds supporting beam 
~ kana, ~ kounan knock-kneed 
~ kanson var. of plant (used for 
making tea) 
~ louvri, ~ ouv& bowlegged 
~ marengwen scrawny-legged 
~ sizo knock-kneed 
~ t6tdy bowlegged 
pa - never 
zo (bwa) ~ leg; shin, tibia 
janmari n. var. of mango 
janmdebwa n. stilt(s); person on 
stilts; scarecrow (cf. jwif) 
janmdefds n. support, backup 
bay ~ to reinforce, back up, 
support 
janm&, janmen adv. ever, never 
a ~ forever 
p a n e v e r 
Se swa ~! Not on your life! 
Janmenvi, Jam&viprop.n. Jamais-
Vu (6th communal section of 
C6tes-de-Fer, Dept. South-East) 
janmichfct n. var. of bird of prey 
jannago n. var. of small fish 
janni see djanni 
Janoprop.n. Jeannot (leader of 
Haitian Revolution immediately 
following death of Boukman Duty, 
later killed by Jean-Francis) 
Janrabelprop.n. Jean-Rabel -
founded 1743 (Dept. North-West) 
janritis, jdritis n. man reluctant to 
declare his intentions (concerning 
relationship with a woman) 
jansiv, jansib, zansiv n. gum(s) (of 
mouth) 
- anfle gingivitis 
jansiv&t n. teething ring 
jansyan: 
~ vyol&t gentian violet 
jant n. rim (of wheel) 
sou ~ in bad shape financially; to 
have a flat tire 
jante v. to put a rim (on wheel) 
janti n. Gentile; adj. nice, pleasant, 
kind, agreeable, well-mannered 
Janti (Oksid)prop.n. Jeanty 
(Occide) - Haitian composer and 
bandmaster, early 20th century 
jantiman adv. kindly, gently 
jantiy&s n. kindness, niceness 
janvye n. January 
ti - wait-a-bit (plant) 
Janvye (Lwi Joz£f)prop.n. Janvier 
(Louis-Joseph) - Haitian scholar 
(1855-1911) 
jany see zanj 
jap n. bark (of a dog) 
jape v. to bark (at), yap; to yell, 
shout; n. barking, yapping; yelling, 
shouting 
japman n. barking, yapping 
Japonprop.n. Japan 
Japon&, Japonn&prop.nVadj., 
Japon&z, Japonn£z fprop.n. 
Japanese 
japwouv, leget^ japwouv n. yes-
man, yes-person, sycophant; adj. 
rubber-stamp, subservient, servile 
see depite ~ 
368 
Jar&d - je 
Jar£d prop.n. [Book of Mormon] 
Jared 
Jaredit prop.n. [Book of Mormon] 
Jaredite 
jarfct, jare n. calf (of leg); hock; 
support, strength 
bay ~, pote ~ to back up, give 
support to, strengthen 
bout-ca l f (of leg) 
pran ~ to gain strength; to become 
established 
jarete v. to back up, give support to, 
strengthen 
jaretel, jarety£, jatyfc n. garter 
jasent n. hyacinth (plant) 
jasmen n. jasmine 
~ denwi (pronounced: de-nwi) 
night-blooming jasmine 
~ doub Arabian jasmine 
jasp n. jasper 
jatyfc see jaretel 
Java, javadoun n. highly malignant 
open sore or wound, skin ulcer 
javiwon see zaviwon 
javlo n. javelin 
Jawe see Yawe 
Jawdm prop.n. [Book of Mormon] 
Jarom 
jayi v. to gush forth, spurt out, burst 
forth 
jayisman n. bursting forth, 
outpouring 
jaz n. jazz 
jaze v. to gossip, chatter, prattle 
jazman n. gossip 
je n. set, series; game(s); deck (of 
cards) 
~ daza game(s) of chance, 
gambling 
je, jye, zye n. eye; eyesight; (letter) g 
ak de boul ~ pa m with my very 
own eyes 
an ~ at stake 
anba ~ in sight, within sight 
anndan po ~ inner side of eyelid 
anvan ou bat ~ ou, anvan de ~ 
bat, anvan ti madanm bat ~ in 
the blink of an eye 
bande ~ to blindfold 
bat ~ to blink; to wink; blink; 
wink; in the blink of an eye 
bat ~ f&men - in an instant 
bay ~ to enlighten, inform 
(mystically); to endow with the 
gift of clairvoyance (Voodoo) 
blan ~ white of the eye, sclera 
boul ~ eyeball 
bounda - li corner of one's eye 
bourik ~ bdy very stubborn 
person 
chb nan ~ pterygium 
chirijyen ~ ophthalmologist 
de grenn ~ nan tbt li one's life-
blood; livelihood 
de ~ femen impartially 
dlo - tear(drop) 
doktfc ~ eye specialist, 
ophthalmologist 
ddmi nan ~ (li) to be sleepy 
espesyalis ~ optometrist 
fatig nan ~ eye strain 
fb ~ (li) ch&ch to accept the 
situation, resign oneself; to act 
innocent; to deny the truth 
fb ~ dou, fb yon ~ dou bay to 
make cow eyes at, bat one's 
eyelashes at, look lovingly at 
fb ~ ft/pise san to get back at 
(s.o.), make (s.o.) pay 
fb (li) pase nan yon - zegwi to 
mistreat, oppress, abuse, give a 
rough time (to) 
fb yon ~ wouj sou to be firm with, 
put one's foot down with 
369 
je - je 
ffcmen ~ sou to ignore 
founi ~ (gade) to give a look, gaze 
at, watch 
gen bon ~ to have good eyesight 
gen gwo ~ to be envious; to be 
greedy 
gen ~ ch£ch/s6ch to lie brazenly; 
to have the gall (to do s.thg.) 
gen - nan do to have eyes in the 
back of one's head 
gen - sou to covet, have one's 
eyes on 
gen - toupatou to be overly 
attracted to the opposite sex; to be 
still keeping one's eyes open (for 
the opposite sex); to be fickle 
gen ~ wouj to have a quarrel/ 
dispute 
gla(s) ~ cornea 
gib ~ iris 
grenn ~ pupil (of eye) 
grenn ~ nan tbt li, (de) grenn 
~ li apple of one's eye, prized 
possession 
gwo - bulging eyes; avid, greedy, 
ambitious 
~ antravS cross-eyed 
~ antre deep-set eyes 
- ap febli to have failing eyesight 
~ atawfct cross-eyed 
- av£ cross-eyed 
~ bande blindfolded 
~ baton beating 
~ bouche blindfolded; swollen 
eye; black eye 
~ boukannen, ~ griye eyelids 
without eyelashes, ptilosis 
~ bourik large stupid eyes 
~ bouyi see ~ drandran 
- bouzen shamelessness, audacity 
~ bdy one-eyed 
~ chandfcl bright shining eyes 
~ chat hazel-colored eyes 
~ ch£ch cold-eyed; unscrupulous, 
shameless; daring, bold 
~ chire slanted eyes; Chink, Jap 
(pej. for an Asian) 
- degouden gonbo children's 
game 
~ drandran, ~ bouyi, - kalanbfc, 
~ pichon; cf. azoumounou 
pinkeye, (epidemic hemorrhagic) 
conjunctivitis 
~ dw&t knuckles 
~ fann slanted eyes; Chink, Jap 
(pej. for an Asian) 
~ f&men effortlessly; with full 
trust, with complete confidence 
~ fon deep-set eyes 
- grbs droplet of grease (in soup) 
~ griye see ~ boukannen 
- jouda inquisitive 
~ kaka eye filled with eye-matter; 
var. of very small fish 
~ kalanbe see ~ drandran 
- kale alert, smart 
~ kase black eye 
~ kat deck of (playing-)cards 
~ klb awake; wide awake; 
discerning, sharp; awakening 
~ klere intelligent, smart, clever; 
blind 
- koken shifty-eyed 
~ kdkl&t excessive blinking 
~ koud elbow 
~ krab round sore (usu. on sole of 
foot) 
~ krankran (epidemic 
hemorrhagic) conjunctivitis, 
pinkeye 
~ kreve blind person; dough, 
money 
~ kristal glass eye, false eye 
~ lalin pop-eyed, big-eyed 
370 
je - je 
~ lanv£ cross-eyed; lazy eye, 
strabismus 
~ lasi eye filled with eye-matter; 
bleary-eyed 
~ li ft ft pwa t£ mayi to look on 
helplessly; to show anxiety and/or 
distress 
~ li kouri dlo his/her eyes water 
~ li n a n twou/tou to have bags 
under one's eyes 
~ li se n a n d&y£ 1 li ye blinded, not 
able to see the obvious 
~ li senyen to envy, covet, lust 
after 
~ li tounen to faint; to die 
~ li toupatou nosey, snoopy; to 
have a roving eye (for opposite 
sex) 
- li vire Ianv& to die 
~ li w£ kft his/her eyes light up 
~ li w£ Iwen inquisitive, curious; 
nosey, snoopy 
~ loloj nystagmus 
- louch squinting 
~ mare blindfolded 
~ mari madmwaz&l ent£l 
children's game 
~ mouran bedroom eyes 
~ n a n ~ face to face 
~ n a n tou bags under the eyes 
~ nw& native-born Haitian 
Je olenpik Olympic games 
~ ouve alert, smart, clever 
~ pete blind; blind person 
~ pete klere imbecile, idiot; 
ridiculous; illiterate 
~ pichon chronic eye disease 
involving lid and lash changes; see 
~ drandran 
~ pichpich beady eyes; swollen or 
squinting eye(s) 
~ pou ~ face to face 
~ pye ankle; tarsus 
~ s&ch see ~ ch&ch 
~ sdti protruding eyes 
~ soulye shoe eyelet (for attaching 
shoelaces) 
~ taw£t see ~ tw£t 
~ tenyen excessive blinking 
~ tdtdy squinting 
~ tounen cross-eyed 
~ toupatou curious, inquisitive; 
overly flirtatious or loose woman 
~ twenzi, ~ twezi cross-eyed 
~ tw£t, ~ twat squinting 
- twou deep-set eyes 
~ twoub blurred vision 
~ \ b t green eyes; light-colored 
eyes; Caucasian (person) 
~ vewon cross-eyed; strabismus 
~ vire giddy, dizzy 
~ w£ bouch pe! keep it to 
yourself!, keep it a secret!; to mind 
one's own business 
~ wont ~ reluctantly 
- wont ~ wi somewhat 
embarrassed, somewhat ashamed 
~ wouj pinkeye; black-eye; 
bloodshot; passionate, ardent; evil 
(when applied to a Voodoo spirit) 
~ zegwi eye of needle 
- zdr&y audio-visual 
kad ~ see kat ~ 
kaka ~ eye matter, sleep 
kalalou ~ optic fluid 
kale ~ (sou) see kale ~ 
kat ~, kad ~ tanager (bird); 
blinders (for horse etc.); ability to 
foresee the future (Voodoo) 
kat ~ nd Hispaniolan palm tanager 
(bird) 
kat ~ sid gonave palm tanager (bird) 
klou nan ~ sty 
koupe ~, koupe (yon moun) nan 
371 
je-j^bil 
kout ~ to give (s.o.) a scornful 
look, show disdain 
kout ~ glance, look; dirty or 
haughty look; snub 
kraze yon - dou ak to make cow 
eyes at, bat one's eyelashes at 
lasi - sleep, eye matter; eye 
discharge; conjunctival discharge 
lave ~ to wash one's face; to wise 
up, enlighten; to have intercourse 
too soon after delivery 
maladi nan - conjunctivitis 
manman ~ pupil (of eye) 
mare ~ to blindfold 
mezire ~ optometry 
mitan - iris 
mouri pou (twou) ~ li to die in 
vain 
move ~ shady/suspicious 
character; evildoer, culprit, villain; 
spy; evil eye; tension, mistrust; 
scowl, frown 
nan yon ti bat ~, nan bat ~ in the 
blink of an eye 
nannan ~, nwa ~ pupil (of eye) 
pa di (ni) ~ wouj (ni) ~ ble/v£t to 
say nothing at all 
pa gen - illiterate 
pa gen - li not to have one's 
glasses 
pa gen - (pa gen z6r£y) to be 
inarticulate, be incapable of 
expressing oneself 
pa konn - bourik, pa konn ~ 
pete klere (nan fty patat) to be 
illiterate, be ignorant 
pete ~ to blind, dazzle 
plim ~, pwal ~, pw£l ~ eyelash 
po - eyelid 
pdch ~ eyesocket 
pran ~ to foresee the future 
(Voodoo) 
pwal ~, pw£l ~ see plim ~ 
san bat - without batting an eye, 
unhesitatingly 
tansyon nan ~ glaucoma 
tenyen ~ to wink 
ti ~ person with small eyes; 
squint-eyed; Chink, Jap (pej. for 
an Asian) 
tou ~, twou ~ pupil (of eye); lens 
(of eye); eye 
touye ~ to wink 
touye ~ (li) sou to overlook, turn a 
blind eye to, close one's eyes to (a 
given situation) 
v616 ~ gade to steal a look at 
voye ~ (gade) to glance, look 
(around), take a good look; to keep 
an eye on, watch, guard 
voye - sou to keep an eye on, 
watch over 
vwal nan ~ blurred vision 
w£ ~ li to see s.o. in person 
yon ~ louvri yon ~ f&men 
vigilant, watchful, wary 
Je prop.n. nickname for Jera 
\ b n. series, set; see j£dlo 
j£b n. sheaf; bouquet, spray (of 
flowers) 
Jfcbfcprop.n. Gerber (baby food) 
jebede, jeb&de, jebete, j£lb&d£ n. 
fool; gibberish, nonsense talk; 
nothing; v. to blunder; to talk 
nonsense/gibberish 
fb ~ to act like an idiot 
pa konn ~ nan fby malanga not 
to know a darn thing, be entirely 
ignorant 
pa w£ ~ nan/sou not to know the 
first thing about 
pa w£ ~ sou papye to be illiterate 
jebichfct see zebich£t 
j&bil n. gerbil 
372 
jebisy£ - j£n 
jebisyfc see zebisyfc 
jeble n. blue jay (bird) 
jebourik n. ox-eye bean (vine) 
jechaldt see echaldt 
jedaza n. gambling 
jededam n. checkers (game); cf. 
damye 
Jedeyon prop.n. [Bible] Gideon 
jedi n. Thursday 
~ Asansyon Ascension Day (40 
days after Easter) 
- sen Maundy Thursday 
(Thursday before Easter) 
j£dlo, j&do n. mechanical fountain; 
fountain, spray 
Jef&sonn (Toma)prop.n. Jefferson 
(Thomas) - third president of the 
USA, 1801-1809 
jefd, j£fd, jenfd, zefd n. effort, 
attempt; aggressiveness 
ib (de) ~ to strive, try hard 
ib ~ ak to resist 
gen ~ to be aggressive or 
intimidating 
\bio\b see bib\b 
Jefra (Fab-Nikola) prop.n. Geffrard 
(Fabre-Nicolas) (1806-1878) -
president of Haiti, 1859-1867 
Jefteprop.n. [Bible] Jephthah 
jejay v. to talk nonsense 
]b]b see d\kdjb 
jekl& adj. discerning, sharp; n. 
awakening 
rb\ ~ illusion 
jekon n. screw tree 
jekwa adj. haughty, arrogant 
jekwazandye n. profession of faith 
p&di ~ li to be disrespectful; to not 
be smart enough 
jelant£t n. var. of freshwater fish 
jelatin n. gelatin; adj. plastic 
j£lb£d£ see jebede 
jele n. jelly; v. to congeal; to freeze 
(over/up); adj. frozen; cold 
~ petwdl petroleum jelly 
Jele (plaj)prop.n. Getee Beach 
(near Les Cayes, Dept. South) 
Jelefre: 
depi tan ~ since long long ago 
peyi ~ Africa (name used in some 
Voodoo chants); dwelling place of 
the Voodoo spirits 
jelo n. jello 
jfcm, jenm n. germ; bacillus; sprout, 
shoot (of plant); sperm, ejaculate; 
ovum; gem, precious stone; see 
j&men 
~ gason sperm, ejaculate 
~ maladi germ 
~ SIDA HIV positive 
- yo dakd fertilization 
kouzen sou - second cousin; 
distant cousin 
jemanikprop.n./adj. Germanic 
jemekwa n. conceited ass 
j£men, j&me v. to germinate, sprout 
j&men, j£m: 
kouzen ~ first cousin 
j&m&n: 
kouzin - first cousin (f.) 
jemi v. to groan, moan, whimper, 
wail 
j&minasyon n. germination 
jeminatif adj. germinal 
jemisman n. groaning, moaning, 
whimpering, wailing 
jemo n. Gemini (zodiac) 
j&mwa n. seed tray 
Jemz, Djenmsprop.n. James; cf. 
Jak 
jen, jwen, jyen n, June 
j&n, jenn n. bother, trouble; fast, 
fasting; faith meeting, revival; 
embarrassment; see jenn 
373 
J£n -jennen 
ft - to fast 
~jan young man 
mete ~ to rejuvenate 
san - indecent(ly) 
J£n prop.n. Genoa (Italy) 
jenan adj. bothersome, irritating, 
annoying 
jene v. to fast 
jeneral, jenneral, jennral, jenral 
adj. general; n. general (milit); 
very self-assured little boy; var. of 
duck 
an - generally, in general 
~ dekouvfct, ~ divizyon, ~ lame, ~ 
silans officers of certain collective 
work groups 
jeneralis: 
dokte ~ general (medical) 
practitioner 
jeneralite n. generality 
jeneralize v. to generalize; to 
become widespread 
jeneralman adv. generally, in 
general 
jenerasyon, jennerasyon n. 
generation; relatives 
jeneraft, jeneratris n. generator 
jeneratif adj. generative (gram.) 
jenere v. to generate; adj. generous 
jenerezman adv. generously 
jenerik adj. generic 
jen&s see jenn&s 
jenetik n. genetics; adj. genetic 
jenetikman adv. genetically 
jenetisyen n. geneticist 
Jenfcv prop.n. Geneva (Switzerland) 
jenevriye n. juniper (shrub) 
jenewopin. [Fr.] generals (milit); 
pi.adj. [Fr.] general 
jenewozite, jennewozite n. 
generosity 
Jen&zprop.n. [Bible] Genesis 
Jenezar&tprop.n. [Bible] Gennesaret 
j&nfi see jennfi 
jenfd see jefd 
jeng, lajeng n. jungle 
jenga n. nervous energy; nastiness; 
see zenga 
jeni n. genius; engineering 
jenifleksyon, jounoufleksyon n. 
genuflection 
jenik see ijenik 
jenipaye n. genipap tree 
Jenipayeprop.n. Genipailler (3rd 
communal section of Milot, Dept. 
North; 5th communal section of 
Cornillon, Dept. West) 
jenital adj. genital 
j£njan see jennjan 
jenjanbr£t, janjanbr£t n. 
gingerbread 
jenjanm n. ginger; adj. invigorating 
~ mawon Bengal root 
jenjer&l, jenjeral n. ginger ale 
jenm see j£m 
jenn, j£n adj. young; new, 
inexperienced; medium-sized; n. 
shame, embarrassment; gene; see 
fin 
ft - to act timidly, be shy; to 
pretend to be young 
jennan adj. embarrassing 
jennen v. to bother, annoy, disturb; 
to embarrass; to hinder, hamper, 
get in the way of; to constrict, 
inhibit (movement etc.); to 
burden (oneself); to crowd, 
grow too closely together; to 
be in a jam; to corner; refl. to 
constrain, restrain (oneself); 
adj. embarrassed, ill at ease, 
awkward; shy, uncomfortable; 
inhibited; cramped, constricted, 
tight; narrow; penniless, broke, in 
374 
jenneral- jerends 
financial difficulties; cornered 
~ pye to be in the way, be a 
hindrance 
pa ~ ou make yourself at home; 
don't bother 
jenneral see jeneral 
jennerasyon see jenerasyon 
jennfcs, jen&s n. youth, adolescence; 
(young people's) choral group; 
prostitute 
maladi ~ venereal disease 
jennewozite see jenewozite 
jennfi, j£nfi f.n. teenage girl; young 
lady 
jennjan, j&njan m.n. young man; 
lad; teen-ager, adolescent; 
playboy, womanizer, player 
ft ~ to put on airs (male) 
~ gwo po var. of mango 
pran pdz ~ to act not in keeping 
with one's age (man) 
jennman n. need, want; discomfort; 
stricture 
jennmoun n. young person; teen­
ager, adolescent 
jennonm, jenndm, jendm, jendm, 
jenonm n. young man; man 
jennou see jenou 
jennouyfc n. knee pad 
jennpa, jinpa, zinpa n. genipap tree 
jennral see jeneral 
jennyal see jenyal 
jendm, j£ndm, jenonm see 
jennonm 
jenosid n. genocide 
jenou, jennou, jinou, jounou n. 
knee 
bouftt ~, kakdn ~ kneecap, patella 
(de) ~ ft kneeling 
leve ~ to arise from kneeling 
mete ~ aft, mete a ~, mete ~ ft to 
kneel 
zo ~ kneecap, patella 
jenoufleksyon, jinoufleksyon n. 
genuflexion; bow 
jenouft adj. kneeling 
jenouyfc n. knee brace 
jenral see jeneral 
jent, ftjent n. junta 
jentlemenn n. [Eng.] gentleman 
jenyal (pronounced: je-nyal), 
jennyal adj. inspired, brilliant, of 
genius 
jepete n. blind person 
~ klere imbecile, idiot 
jepye n. ankle; tarsus 
Jeraprop.n. Gerard; Gerard (7th 
communal section of Grand-
Goave, Dept. West) 
Jeralprop.n. Gerald 
jeran (lakou) n. caretaker, 
custodian, overseer; janitor, 
custodian; gardener 
jerans n. supervision, management 
jerknydm n. geranium (plant) 
jere v. to direct, manage, administer 
jeremi n. var. of mango 
Jeremiprop.n. Jeremy, J&*6mie 
- founded 1756 (administrative 
center of Dept. Grand'Anse); 
Jeremiah [Bible] 
plas ~ Place J&r&nie (square near 
end of rue Capois with fountain, 
basketball courts etc., PaP) 
waf ~ J6r£mie wharf/dock/pier (in 
La Saline area, PaP) 
Jeremyenprop.n., Jeremy&n/ 
prop.n. Jeremian 
Jeren, Maton prop.n. Gerin, Mathon 
(communal section of Barad&res, 
Dept. Grand'Anse) 
jerends, jerennds, jerenons, 
jonnons, jonds, jdnds n, devil, 
demon 
375 
jeretyen - Jewdm 
jeretyen n. savings, reserve, nest 
egg; carry over (in arithmetic); 
auxiliary, addition; (illegal) 
commission, graft, rake-off 
ft ~ to put aside, save 
jeretyenzen: 
ft - to carry over (in arithmetic); 
to cheat 
Jeriko prop.n. [Bible] Jericho 
Jerizalem prop.n. Jerusalem 
j&s n. gesture, movement; deed, act 
~ good deed 
ft ~ to put on airs (girl, woman); 
to gesticulate 
ft ~, pale ak ~ to sign, use sign 
language (for deaf) 
ft move - to make an obscene 
(hand) gesture 
taye ~ li to put on airs (girl, 
woman) 
Jesifraprop.n. Joe Blow, no matter 
who 
jeswi n. pretentious person 
~ jete ~ ranmase pretentiousness, 
false intellectualism 
jesyon, jestyon n. management, 
administration 
konsfcy ~ board of directors, 
administrative council 
jesyonnfc, jesyonfc n. administrator 
jfct see dj£t 
jete v. to throw, fling, toss, hurl; to 
discard, throw away, dump, throw 
out, jettison; to overthrow; to bud, 
sprout (banana, plantain); to exude 
(pus etc.); reft, to take off (for), 
leave (for), rush off (to), rush 
away 
~ aft to kill; to do a lot, 
accomplish much 
~ dlo to consult a Voodoo priest/ 
priestess, employ supernatural 
means; to sprinkle water on 
ground to welcome guest or 
Voodoo spirit; to bail out (water) 
~ dlo sou t£t (yon moun) to calm 
(s.o.) down 
~ fatra to litter 
~ fty to lose its leaves (tree) 
~ giyon sou to hex 
~ kd li nan to rush into 
- o u ! beat it! scram! 
~ pitit, ~ timoun to abort, have an 
abortion; abortion 
- twa (de)gout dlo pou to pay 
homage to (Voodoo) 
~ \b to pass worms, vomit worms 
- yon dlo to urinate (fam.) 
j£ftd, j£ftt: 
~ pitit abortionist 
jeton n. [Fr.] token (for telephone 
etc.); gambling chip 
Jfttrid f.prop.n. Gertrude 
Jetsemane, Jetsemani prop.n. 
[Bible] Gethsemane 
jevandfczakredi v. to sell on credit 
Jfcvfcprop.n. town in Dept. 
Artibonite 
jevousali Mari! interj. hail Mary! 
irel.) 
j£vrin n. strength 
bay ~, gen ~, pote ~, pran ~ to 
gain strength, strengthen 
jfcvrine v. to gain strength, 
strengthen 
jewdf see jiwdf 
jewograf see jeyograf 
jewografi see jeyografi 
jewografik see jeyografik 
Jewdjisee Jeydji 
jewoldg, jeyoldg n. geologist 
jewoloji, jeyoloji n. geology 
jewolojik, jeyolojik adj. geological 
Jewdm prop.n. Jerome 
376 
jewometri - jigridi 
jewometri see jeyometri 
jewometrik see jeyometrik 
jewopolitik adj. geopolitical 
Jewova see Jeyova 
jeyan n./adj. giant 
jeyo- prefix geo-
jeyograf, jewograf n. geographer 
jeyografi, jewografi n. geography 
jeyografik, jewografik adj. 
geographical 
Jey6ji, Jew6jiprop.n. Georgia 
(USA; Republic of Georgia) 
jeyol6g see jewoldg 
jeyoloji see jewoloji 
jeyolojik see jewolojik 
jeyometri, jewometri n. geometry 
jeyometrik, jewometrik adj. 
geometrical 
Jeyova, Jewova prop.n. Jehovah 
Jezab&lprop.n. [Bible] Jezebel 
jeze n. jersey (sweater); jersey 
(fabric) 
Jeziprop.n. Jesus; see tijezi 
~ Mari Joz&f! Jesus Christ! 
{interj.) 
ti ~ nan po krab hypocrite; coy 
jezikri n. sandal (usu. leather, 
without heel strap) 
Jezikri(s)prop.n. Jesus Christ 
Jezwitprop.n./adj. Jesuit 
ji n. juice; sap; (letter) j 
i b rann ~ to make (s.o.) work 
hard; to exploit 
gen tout ~ 1 sou li to be full of vim 
and vigor 
~ bouyon (san ma) (clear) broth 
pran premye ~ to deflower, break 
the hymen 
rann - to sweat blood, work hard 
jib£n n, cartridge belt, cartridge 
pouch 
jibile n. jubilee, special rejoicing 
Jibileprop.n. Jubile (disadvantaged 
area of Gonaives, Dept. 
Artibonite) 
jibis n. opera hat, top hat; game, 
quarry 
r b d kou ~ in top form, in (great) 
shape, fit 
jibon n. gibbon 
Jibralta prop.n. Gibraltar 
jibye, zibye n. game, quarry, hunted 
animal; worthless person, bum 
Jid prop.n. [Bible] Jude 
jida n. hypocrite; adj. hypocritical; 
seejouda 
~ karesan deceitful, deceptive 
person 
Jida, Jouda prop.n. [Bible] Judah; 
Judas 
~ Eskarydt/Eskaydt/Iskarydt 
Judas Iscariot 
jidnyikprop.adj. Judaic 
jidayis n. hypocrite, traitor 
Jidayisprop.n. Judaism 
jide see ede 
Jideprop.n. [Bible] Judaea 
jidisyfc n. judiciary; adj. judicial 
Jiditprop.n. Judith 
jido n. judo 
jidoka n. judoka, judo expert 
jif n. [Fr.] slap; var. of bleach 
jiflay, jiflaj n. [Fr] slapping 
jifle v. [Fr] to slap 
jifray see jofray 
jig see zig 
jigo n. hind leg, loin, shank (lamb, 
goat etc.) 
jigote, djigote v. to wriggle, squirm; 
to convulse, have a seizure or 
fit; to try to catch oneself (from 
tripping or falling); to regain one's 
equilibrium 
jigridi see majigridi 
377 
JU-Jis 
jij n. judge 
~ denstriksyon/entriksyon/ 
lenstriksyon examining 
magistrate 
~ dep^ justice of the peace 
~ dep£ m6n self-appointed judge 
~ detouch line judge (soccer) 
~ natir&l proper or appropriate 
judge 
Jij prop.n. [Bible] Judges 
jijev. to judge 
~ sou tapi wouj ak (yon moun) to 
have a showdown/argument with 
(s.o.) 
jijib n. jujube, Chinese date 
jijinen v. to wriggle, squirm, twist 
and turn 
jijiri n. [N.] sesame; cf. wowoli 
jijirit n. children's game played with 
a flattened bottle top 
jijman n. judgment, ruling, verdict, 
sentence, court decision; trial 
~ pa defo judgment by default, 
judgment in (s.o.'s) absence 
Jilprop.n. Jules, Julius 
Jilbfcprop.n. Gilbert 
jilbr£t n. worries, hardships 
simen/grennen ~ to cause worries/ 
hardships 
jile, \\\b n. vest 
~ (pou) pa(re) bal bullet-proof 
vest 
~ sovtaj life jacket, life vest, life 
preserver 
jitet n. razor blade 
jili n. var. of mango 
Jiliyisprop.n. Julius 
Jilyen prop.n. Julian 
Jily£t/prop.n. Juliette 
jiman n. mare 
jim£l f.n. twin(s) (of same sex); cf. 
ma rasa 
jimlaj n. twinning (of towns etc.) 
jimle adj. twinned (of towns etc.) 
jimnas n. gymnast 
jimnastik n. gymnastics, calisthenics 
jim(nazydm) n. gym(nasium) 
jimo n. twin(s) (of same sex); cf. 
marasa 
fo - fraternal twin(s) 
vre ~ identical twin(s) 
Jina prop.n. Gina (bottled soft drink) 
bwat ~ condom 
jinekolog n. gynecologist; 
obstetrician 
jinekoloji n. gynecology 
jinou see jenou 
jinoufleksyon see jenoufleksyon 
jinpa see jennpa 
jiny6 n. [Eng.] junior; junior varsity 
Jinydprop.n. [Eng.] Junior 
jip n. skirt 
bout ~ short apron 
mini ~ miniskirt 
Jipitbprop.n. Jupiter 
jipon (long) n. petticoat, underskirt, 
slip 
bout ~, demi ~ half slip 
gran ~ bragger, big talker, boaster, 
show-off; influential 
jips n. gypsum; cf. boksit 
Jira prop.n. the Jura (Mountains -
France) 
Jiradoprop.n. Girardo (section of 
Petion-Ville) 
jiraf n. giraffe 
jire v. to swear, vow (cf. semante); 
n. juror; jury 
jiri, jire n. jury 
jiridik adj. judicial 
jiridikman adv. judicially 
jiridiksyon n. jurisdiction, territory 
jiris n. jurist 
jis adj. just, fair, equitable; right, 
378 
jiska - Jn 
correct, apt; righteous; tight, 
narrow; adv. exactly; just, only; 
barely enough; prep./conj. until, 
till; as far as, up to, down to 
~ leson moral (of story) 
ton be ~ to hit the mark 
jiska, jisk, jiskanlatandan, 
jiskapre, jiska van, jizka prep. 
until, till; unto 
- se jou [Fr.] up to now 
jiskaprezan, jiskadat, jiskasete, 
jiskasete, jiskasitfc adv. up to the 
present time, (up) until now 
jiskaske, jiskaseke see jouskaske 
jiske, jouske prep, until, till, as far 
as 
- la that far; until then 
jiskensi adv. (up) until now, up to 
now 
jiskibd?, jiskot? interr. to what 
point?, how far? 
jiskile? interr. until when?, how 
long? 
jiskisi(t) adv. until now, up to the 
present, so far 
jiskobou adv. right to the end, to the 
bitter end 
ranpli ~ filled to bursting 
jiskoboutis n. extremist, hard-liner 
jiskodan see ame 
jiskot? see jiskibd? 
jiskounyeya, jiskounye a adv. (up) 
until now 
jistan, jiste, joustan prep, until 
jistans, joustans n. profoundness, 
depth 
jistekd see jistokd 
jisteman adv. exactly, precisely; 
interj. that's right! 
Jistenprop.n. Justin 
jist&s n. exactness, accuracy, 
precision 
de ~ narrowly, by a narrow margin 
jistifikasyon n. justification 
jistifye v. to justify 
Jistinyen (lopital)prop.n. Justinien 
hospital (main hospital of Cape 
Haitian, Dept. North) 
jistis see lajistis 
bay/ft t b t li ~ to take the law into 
one's own hands 
~ popile vigilante justice 
rann ~ nan ti gode the wheels of 
justice grind slowly 
vann ~ nan ti gode to sell justice 
bribe by bribe 
jistis dep£ n court of a justice of the 
peace 
jistisye n. justice-giver 
jistokd, jistekd n. very tight-fitting 
clothes; adj. tight-fitting; tight, 
narrow; oppressive, confining 
jitan, djipsi n. Gypsy 
jitim adj. right, just, legitimate; 
interj. right! correct! 
jivenil: 
delenkans ~ juvenile delinquency 
jivinite: 
retire ~ to deflower, break the 
hymen 
jiw&t n. marionette, puppet; gesture, 
movement, turn; weathervane 
jiwdf, jewdf n. clove(s) (spice) 
fo ~ bayberry tree, bay-rum tree 
grenn ~, klou ~ t b t ~ (a single) 
clove 
jiwomou see joumou 
jiwon n. [Fr.] lap, bosom (fig.) 
jiwond&l see iwond£l 
jiwoumou see joumou 
jiy£, jiye, jwiy£ n. July 
jizka see jiska 
jizye see zizye 
Jn abbrev. Jan, Jean 
379 
Joab - jolye 
Joab see Jowab 
Joas see Jowas 
job see djdb 
J6bprop.n. [Bible] Job 
jdb£ see djdbe 
Jddani prop.n. Jordan (country; cf. 
Jouden) 
Jdd&nyenprop.n./adj., Jdd&ny£n 
f.prop.n. Jordanian 
jddi a, jodi a, jodi, jddi, jodijou, 
jodiya, jodya adv. today; 
nowadays, now; adj. present-day 
pa pou jddi ni denmen not about 
to happen 
se jddi for a long time; a long time 
ago 
se pa jodi... this is not the first 
time...; for a long time 
jdf n. look, glimpse, peek 
bay ~ to show off; to entice, 
allure, attract; to let (s.o.) have a 
peek at 
pran ~ to copy, imitate 
pran (yon) ~ to glance; to look 
with envy 
jofe v. to entice, allure, attract 
jdfi n. needlefish 
jofray, jifray n. look, glimpse, peek 
- j£kld very quick look 
jofre v. to peek at, glance at 
Jdg, Mataddprop.n. Jorgue, 
Matador (5th communal section of 
Les Irois, Dept. Grand'Anse) 
jdgin n. jogging 
joj n. small graduated vial 
Jdj, Jdyprop.n. George; George 
(22-23 September 1998 hurricane) 
abitasyon ~ Habitation Georges 
- site of kidnapping of Toussaint 
Louverture by French, June 
7, 1802 (near Gonaives, Dept. 
Artibonite) 
bds ~ shoeshine boy/man (fam.)\ 
cf chany 
Jdj a see Jdji 
jdje, joje v. to measure; to price, 
determine the price of; adj. 
graduated (scale, tube etc.) 
jojeklib n. shellflower 
Jdji prop.n. (Republic of) Georgia 
Jdji, Jdja, Jdjyaprop.n. Georgia 
(USA) 
Jojo m.prop.n. nickname for Joz£f; 
f.prop.n. nickname for Majori 
Jdjtawnprop.n. Georgetown 
(Guyana; Cayman Islands) 
jdk see djdk 
joke n. jockey 
jok£ n. joker (cards); joker, cut-up 
(person) 
jdkma n. dimwit, dummy; var. of 
poultry disease 
joko n. imbecile 
- jdkma lout, clunk, cluck; shy 
suitor or lover 
jokris n. sucker; simpleton, fool 
jdlfi n. var. of fish 
joli adj. beautiful (stronger adj. than 
btl) 
Joli prop.n. Joly (4th communal 
section of Pilate, Dept. North) 
larivyfc ~ Joly river (at Arcahaie, 
Dept. West) 
Jolikfc (Oblen)prop.n. Jolicoeur 
(Aubelin) - celebrated Haitian 
journalist and art expert, model for 
Petit Pierre in Graham Greene's 
Comedians 
Jolitwouprop.n. Joli-Trou (8th 
communal section of Grande-
Rivi&re-du-Nord, Dept. North) 
jdljdl n. Antillean palm swift (bird) 
jdldt adj. sweet, dainty, darling 
jolye n. jailer 
380 
jdma - jou 
jdma: 
ft ~ to show off, strut, put on airs 
jomon, jomou, jdmou see joumou 
j6monad n. pumpkin puree 
jon n. cattail, rush, reed; papyrus; 
baton (of drum major etc.) 
gran ~ cattail (tall marsh plant) 
- ke tail 
~ panyol var. of reed 
~ rara metal baton 
jwe ~ to twirl a baton 
majd ~ drum major; baton twirler; 
headman, head honcho, big cheese 
jon, jonn adj. yellow; light-colored; 
yellowed, dingy (linen etc.); 
almost ripe; n./adj. mulatto (obs.)\ 
n. var. of yam 
~ abriko orange 
- ze egg yolk 
soup - pumpkin soup 
ftt - blond(e) 
t i ~ var. of bird 
Jonas prop.n. [Bible] Jonah 
Jonatanprop.n. [Bible] Jonathan 
jdnd£f, jdnb£f n. var. of fruit 
(lacuma domingensis) 
jongle v. to juggle 
joni v. to become yellow 
jonis, j6nis see lajdnis 
jonisman n. yellowing 
~ mdftl/letal blight affecting 
coconut trees 
jonjdl n. flesh from genital region of 
pig; aphrodisiac (food) 
jonjon n. var. of bird 
Jonkiprop.n. nickname for Jan 
Klod 
jonksyon: 
ft ~ ak to join together with 
jonn see j6n 
jonnis see lajdnis 
jonnons, jonds, j6n6s see jerends 
jonnose v. to exorcize 
jonze n. marmalade tree; egg yolk 
Joram prop.n. [Bible] Joram, 
Jehoram 
joritis see janritis 
jou n. day; daylight; opening; 
occasion; hemstitch; cheek [Fr.] 
an ~! aim! (in preparation for 
firing gun) 
bay ~ to provide an opportunity or 
occasion 
chak de ~ every other day, every 
two days 
chak ~ each day, everyday, daily 
chak ~ Bondye mete every God-
given day 
chak ~ gen ~ every single day, day 
by day 
(de) ~ an ~ from day to day; 
gradually, steadily 
depi de twa ~ recently 
devan ~ early-morning konbit 
67-v.) 
gran ~, gwo ~ broad daylight 
~ ale/pase ~ vini/tounen the days 
go by 
~ an ~ from day to day 
~ ftt, ~ ferye holiday 
~ gra see gra 
— a on that day 
~ kase daybreak 
~ kft broad daylight 
~ kon nwit day and night 
~ n£t broad daylight 
- repo sabbath 
~ tann interval days, waiting 
period (between applications of 
insecticide etc.) 
~ va ~ vyen, ~ ale ~ vini time goes 
by; there will come a day, our turn 
(for revenge) will come 
ki ~ ka ~ when will the day come 
381 
joubabye- jouktan 
kou li - at dawn, at daybreak 
li pral ~ dawn is about to break 
nan - ki te on (the day of) 
nan p wen ~ never 
plen ~ broad daylight 
poko ~ pa li one's day to die has 
not yet arrived 
pou de ~ short-lived, come and go 
san ~ likely to; about to; almost; 
in no time 
twa ~ twa nwit a (fairly) long 
time 
(yon) ~ swa (one) evening 
joubabye n. gobbler, turkey 
jouda n. gossiper, newsmonger; 
gossip, slander; traitor; adj. 
gossipy; curious, inquisitive; 
meddlesome; see jida 
ft ~ to gossip, slander, talk behind 
s.o.'s back; to sneak a glance, peep 
at; to be snoopy, be a busybody 
~ p6t peephole 
Jouda, Jida prop.n. [Bible] Judah; 
Judas 
~ Eskarydt/Eskaydt/Iskarydt 
Judas Iscariot 
joud£l n. Caribbean coot (bird) 
Jouden (larivyfc)prop.n. river 
Jordan (cf. Jddani) 
Joudit prop.n. [Apocrypha] Judith 
joudlan n. New Year's Day 
konnfts ~ ill-fated or short-lived 
venture 
soup ~ pumpkin soup (rich soup 
composed of meat, tropical 
pumpkin and other vegetables, 
served traditionally on New Year's 
Day) 
ti - new garment worn on New 
Year's Day; one's "Sunday best"; 
person who dresses up for no 
particular reason 
w& ~ anvan Now&l to be in bad 
shape 
joug n. [Fr] yoke; cf. jouk 
joujou n. toy; joker, comic, clown 
ft ~ to act stupidly 
~ lakomedi joker, comic, clown 
pase nan ~ to play around, joke 
around 
jouk n. yoke; roost, perch; post, 
picket, stake; prep./conj. until, till, 
up to, as far as, all the way (to); 
adv. even 
pran - to roost, perch 
joukaftkile, joukamentnan adv. 
(up) until now 
joukaprezan adv. up to now, (up) 
until now 
joukase n. dawn 
joukaske, joukaste see jouskaset£ 
jouke v. to roost, perch; to hang 
up, fasten; to hobble, fetter, tie, 
restrain (animal); to yoke, harness; 
to leave an animal to graze; to be 
tied up (with work etc.); to jostle 
and turn in all directions a casket 
so as to confuse the soul of the 
deceased (to prevent its return to 
haunt the family); to fuck hard; 
adj. embedded 
- bwa to go to sleep (bird) 
- gason to prevent a man from 
straying to other women (Voodoo) 
joukensi, jouskensi adv. up to now, 
(up) until now 
joukjanm n. var. of med. plant 
joukjodiya adv. up until today 
joukjou see joukoujou 
joukft conj. until 
joukoujou, joukjou n. battery of 
gourd rattles carried on a pole; 
adv. on the very day 
jouktan conj. until, till 
382 
jouman - Jowas 
jouman n. abuse, tongue-lashing, 
berating, insult; swearing, cussing; 
abusive language 
bwa ~ (same as ~); stigma, 
blemish; reproach, taint, stain 
lave ak ~ to shower with insults 
machann ~ s.o. who cusses a blue 
streak, foul-mouthed person 
joumou, jiwomou, j iwoumou, 
jomon, jomou, jdmou, 
jouwoumon, jouwoumou n. 
pumpkin 
soup ~, soup Lendepandans 
pumpkin soup (rich soup 
composed of meat, tropical 
pumpkin and other vegetables 
served traditionally on New Year's 
Day) 
jounal n. newspaper; magazine; 
journal, diary; log, logbook 
~ p£son£l diary 
jounalis n. journalist, reporter; 
journalism 
~ fotograf photo-journalist 
jounalistik adj. journalistic, 
newspaper 
jounalye adj. daily, everyday; n. day 
laborer 
jounesee jounen 
jounelman adv. next time 
jounen, joune n. day, daytime, the 
whole day; work day; day's work 
(usu. early morning until noon or 
early afternoon); outing; picnic; cf. 
lajounen 
fb ~ an to spend all day (doing 
s.thg.) 
gran ~, gwo ~ (in) broad daylight 
~ bare type of konbit (q.v.) 
~ jodi a nowadays; today, this 
very day 
tout lasent ~ all day long, all the 
live-long day 
vann - to be a day worker, be paid 
by the day 
jounou see jenou 
jounoufleksyon see jenifleksyon 
joupa, ajoupa, kay jaden n. (usu. 
one-room) hut (with thatched roof, 
unplastered lattice-work walls, and 
dirt floor) 
jouranjou, jouwanjou adv. from 
day to day 
joure v. to insult, swear at, cuss 
out; to swear, curse; to scold, 
admonish; n. dispute 
~ moun to tell people off 
jous prep./conj. until, till; adv. even 
jouskas&tfc, as t i , joukaske, 
joukast&, jouskaprezan, 
jouskounya adv. up to now, (up) 
until now 
jouskaske, jiskaseke, jiskaske, 
joukaske, jouska conj. until, till 
- li pa konn ankd more than flesh 
and blood can bear, unendurable 
jouske see j iske 
jouskensi see joukensi 
jouskile conj. until when 
jouskodan see ame 
jouskounya see jouskas£t£ 
joustan see j istan 
joustans see j istans 
jout n. joust, match, battle 
joute see ajoute 
jouwanjou see jouranjou 
jouwoumou, jouwoumon see 
joumou 
jovyal adj. jovial, cheerful 
Jowab, Joab prop.n. [Bible] Joab 
Jowanfcsbou(g), Joyanesbfcg prop.n. 
Johannesburg (South Africa) 
Jowas, Joasprop.n. [Bible] Joash, 
Jehoash, Josiah 
383 
Jow&l - jwenn 
Jow£lprop.n. Joel 
J6y see Jdj 
Jozafaprop.n. [Bible] Jehoshaphat 
joz£f: 
fty ~ var. of plant 
Joz£fprop.n. Joseph 
Joz&f (J&smen)prop.n. Joseph 
(Jasmin) - Haitian painter and 
sculptor (terra cotta clay sculptures 
at Holy Trinity Episcopal 
Cathedral, PaP), b. 1923 
Jozy&n, Yan f.prop.n. Josiane 
Jozyasprop.n. [Bible] Josiah 
Jozyeprop.n. [Bible] Joshua 
jral see jal 
jwa n. joy, happiness; player; 
gambler 
jwal see jal 
jwaye adj., jwayfczf.adj. joyous, 
merry, glad 
Jwaye Nwfcl! Merry Christmas! 
jwazo see zwazo 
jwe v. to play; to act (on stage); to 
gamble, bet; to wiggle; to joke 
around; to deceive, fool, hoax 
ap ~ to be kidding 
- ak to gamble with, risk 
~ ak kdd sakit to be reckless, act 
foolishly 
~ aza to gamble 
~ kat sou tab to deal openly and 
honestly 
~ lakomedi to put on an act 
~ lang li to use double talk, 
mislead, deceive 
~ mal to play it stupidly, not to 
play one's cards right, not to play 
it smart 
~ nan bab to be disrespectful 
towards 
~ nan ftt (yon moun) to 
influence, prejudice (s.o.) 
~ sbk to play without electronic 
amplification (music) 
~ sou to count on, rely on; to bet 
on, wager 
p a - ! no kidding! 
pa vie - de pwent sis not to give 
s.o. a chance (to win) 
jw£ n., jw&z f.n. player; gambler 
- koken crook 
jwen n. crack, split, opening; chance, 
possibility; joint (plumbing; 
carpentry); link, linkage; joint, 
marijuana cigarette (fam.); see jen 
bay - to permit, give an 
opportunity to 
pa kite/lese yon - ni mwayen to 
leave no way out 
jwenn v. to find, find out, locate, 
discover; to obtain, receive, get; to 
join, meet with, catch up with; to 
regain (health) 
byen - (ak) byen kontre (to be) 
armed and ready; two beings 
meant for each other 
ft - to get for, bring for, obtain, 
procure; to facilitate 
~ ak to come across/upon, dig up, 
come up with (idea, solution); to 
have to answer to, have to deal 
with; to catch up with (s.o.); to 
meet with; to quarrel/fight with 
- ak (yon moun) to tell (s.o.) off, 
give (s.o.) a piece of one's mind 
- ak zo grann li to get into 
trouble, come to no-good end; to 
get what one deserves 
- boul to come out first, be 
victorious 
- bout, - long& to find an 
explanation for, get to the bottom 
of; to deal with, cope with 
- bout (yon moun) to know how 
384 
jwentay - jyen 
to approach or deal (with s.o.), 
know how to get along (with s.o.); 
to call one's bluff; to do (s.o.) in 
~ mete sou sa in addition to that 
~ pou kdb li to get one's money's 
worth, get what one was asking 
for, suffer the consequences of 
one's actions 
se byen ~ byen kontre to be 
armed and ready 
vin ~ mwen come here to me 
jwentay n. assembling, joining 
together; grouting 
~ Leta wheels of State, 
administrative machinery 
jwente v. to grout 
~ ak to join with 
jwenti n. joint (of bones); crack, 
split, chink 
douft ~ arthritis 
ft ~ ak to join together with 
~ dw&t knuckle 
~ pye ankle-joint 
jw£t n. toy, plaything; game, 
entertainment; go, turn (in 
a game); sexual pleasure(s); 
gambling; teasing, kidding, joke, 
jest; prank, practical joke 
an ~ kiddingly, in jest; make-
believe 
an ~ konsa in this manner, in 
that way, thus; one thing leads to 
another 
ft - to be kidding 
ft ~ ak yon moun not to take s.o. 
seriously 
ft ti ~ to have sex 
~ aza, ~ daza gambling 
- boul soccer game 
~chat konnen rat konnen see chat 
~ la gate, ~ make san, ~ la 
mangonmen to go sour, turn ugly 
~ manje tk making mud pies 
(children's game) 
- md r£d life and death struggle; 
strict, unbending; merciless, 
unforgiving 
~ pa konprann pretending not to 
understand 
~ pa ou your turn 
- pasyans puzzle 
~ pok£ pitiless struggle 
~ pou ~, - (pa) ou it's your turn/ 
move 
- poul ak mangous cat and mouse 
game 
- timoun child's play, piece of 
cake, easy task 
~ zo dice game 
nan ~ to be kidding; at risk 
non - nickname 
pa nan ~ not to be kidding, be 
serious; to be strict 
pase nan ~ to make fun of, 
ridicule 
se pa ~ it's serious business 
sou ~ to be kidding 
jwfcz see jw£ 
jwi v. to enjoy, enjoy oneself; to 
reach orgasm 
jwif n. Jew, Jewish person; effigy; 
scarecrow; miser; mannequin 
for Good Friday (before Easter); 
bigeye (fish); adj. Jewish 
~ eran wanderer; bearded Carnival 
figure 
Var. of fish are: ~ nw£, - pentle, 
~ woz 
jwisans, jwistans n. enjoyment, 
pleasure; revelry 
jwisfc n. high liver, pleasure-seeker 
jwiy& see jiy& 
jye see\e 
jyen see jen 
385 
k - kabann 
K 
k {pronounced: ka) 
k-7 see kaset 
k sh form ki 
ka n. (letter) k; quarter, fourth; quart 
(measure, container); problem, 
trouble, jam, fix; case, instance, 
situation, circumstance; death, 
misfortune; lawsuit; railway car; 
var. of drum (same as tenbal, q.v.)\ 
conj. [Fr] for; sh.form kapab; see 
kay; motoka 
ala de ~! what problems! 
an ~ pa ka if by chance, just in 
case, on the off-chance (that) 
byen pran ~ to welcome 
demi ~ half (of a rum bottle) 
e ~ quarter past (hour) 
ft ~ to pay attention to, give 
importance to, take seriously 
ib ~ de to make a point of, stress; 
to value, give importance to 
~ db quarter hour, fifteen minutes 
~ ijan emergency 
~ ~ ~ chattering of teeth, trembling 
of knees etc. 
~ machandiz railway freight car 
~ madan Vikt6 John, toilet 
~ p£di hopeless case, basket case 
~ presan, ~ prese emergency 
~ tan, kadetan quarter 
(basketball) 
mwen ~ quarter to (hour) 
pa ib pet ~ to pay little attention to 
pa ~ pa la indispensable person, 
key person 
pa pran ~ to slight; to scorn, 
disdain 
pran ~ (yon moun) to pay 
attention to (s.o.); to take care of 
(s.o.); stick up for (s.o.), defend 
(s.o.) 
se ~ it may be, it can be 
s e ~ . . . osinon it's either... or 
si an ~ pa ~ if by chance, just in 
case, on the off-chance (that) 
kab n. (steel or fiber) cable; 
cable(gram); cable (television); 
tie, bond, security; feint, fake 
(in sports); sudden turn to avoid 
encountering s.o.; skform kapab 
~ bousft, ~ djonpe jumper cables 
£s ~ s-hook 
~ fren bicycle brake cable 
~ kouran electric cable 
~ mileaj odometer 
~ vifts bicycle gear-changing 
cable 
kaba v. to finish, finish off, put an 
end to; to use up, consume; adj. 
sold out; n. var. of bird 
- ras destroyer; destructive 
kabal n. uproar, commotion, hubbub 
kabale v. to be noisy or rowdy 
kabale n., kabalezf.n. loudmouth, 
rowdy person; adj. noisy, 
boisterous 
kabalistik adj. cabalistic, occult 
kabanen v. to fall down 
kabann n. bed; bird-trap (also 
karabann) 
bato ~ sleigh bed (var. of 19th-
century carved wooden bed) 
bwa ~ bed planks 
chofe ~ to stay in bed (late) 
douft ~ morning soreness from 
bad bed 
~ an ft, ~ bwa, ~ gdl, ~ manclftt, 
~ pik&t, ~ planch, ~ ti poto 
387 
kabannen - kabodja k6 
uncomfortable bed/bunk/pallet 
~ b6ks box-spring mattress 
~ Choukoun small metal-frame 
bed; former famous night club in 
Potion-Ville (Dept. West) 
~ (de) etaj bunk bed 
~ nouris flower-bed used as 
nursery for young plants 
~ senp, ~ yon plas single bed 
~ wouftt gurney, wheeled 
stretcher 
monte ~ to go to bed 
pran ~ to fall sick; to be sick; to 
be/become bed-ridden 
pye ~ footboard (of bed); stirrups 
(for pelvic exam) 
ranje ~ to make the bed; to plan 
for the future 
ranje/pare ~ anvan softy kouche 
to plan for the future, take the 
necessary steps 
ftt ~ headboard (of bed); key or 
valuable person 
kabannen v. to remain in bed; adj. 
bed-ridden 
kabap see kapab 
kabaras adj. destructive 
kabare n. tray; serving platter; 
night club 
Kabare prop. n. Cabaret (1st 
communal section of Jean-Rabel, 
Dept. North-West) 
larivyfc ~ Cabaret river (west of 
Port-de-Paix, Dept. North-West) 
Kabare, Kabarfc, Divalyevil prop.n. 
Cabaret (town formerly named 
Duvalier-Ville, Dept. West) 
Kabareten, Kabaretyen prop.n., 
Kabareftn, Kabaretyen /.prop.n. 
inhabitant of Cabaret (Dept. West) 
Kabaril, Sevin prop.n. Cabaryl 
(commercial insecticide) 
kabasik see kalbasi 
kabes n. head; intelligence; 
imagination; skill 
de ~ double win (lottery number 
which has won twice; dominoes); 
jackpot 
ft de ~ to hit the jackpot; to lose 
out; to break up, dissolve 
kabestan n. windlass, capstan 
kab&ste, kabeste v. to break in, 
train (horse); to correct a horse; to 
discipline; to slap, hit (on head) 
kabi n. carbon powder used in 
welding torches 
kabich n. large loaf of bread/cassava 
kabicha n. nap, snooze; v. to nap, 
take a nap, doze, snooze; to use 
cunning, use trickery 
ft yon ~ to take a nap 
kabin n. cabin, berth, small room; 
booth; cockpit (airplane); helm 
(boat) 
~ telef6n, ~ piblik, ~ telefonik 
public telephone booth 
kabine, kabuft n. stool, excrement; 
toilet; v. to have a bowel 
movement 
kabuft n. office (of lawyer, 
surveyor etc.); cabinet (group of 
government ministers) 
~ (d)enstriksyon office of the 
district attorney 
kabin&t n. cabinet, closet; small 
room; cupboard 
~ twaftt bathroom 
kabiran n. fuel 
kabiraft n. carburetor 
kable v. to cable 
kabo n. tadpole 
kabdch (ftt), kabds (ftt) n. head, 
noggin, noodle, bean (fam.) 
kabodja kd v. to dance excitedly 
388 
kabdn - kabwa 
kabdn n. carbon; axle-grease 
~ monoksid carbon monoxide 
papye ~ carbon (paper) 
kabonat n. carbonate 
kabonik adj. carbonic 
kabonize v. to carbonize, reduce to 
ashes 
kabds n. bump, bruise; pod, bean; 
see kabdch 
kabose see kolboso 
kabotaj, gabotaj, gabotay, kabotay 
n. coastal trade, coastal navigation; 
coastal vessel 
kabotfc, gabot£ n. coastal vessel 
Kaboulprop.n. Kabul (Afghanistan) 
kabouya, gabouya, gabouyi, 
kaboulaw, kaboulay, kabouyay 
n. brawl, row, dispute; uproar, 
commotion, hubbub 
leve ~, pete - to raise a storm, 
start an uproar 
kabouye v. to confuse, mess up; to 
turn into a shambles; to brawl, 
dispute 
kaboyidrat n. carbohydrate 
kabral adj. brave, courageous; n. 
courageous person 
Kabral prop.n. Cabral (1st 
communal section of Thornonde, 
Dept. Center) 
kabray n. feint, fake (sports) 
kabre v. to dodge, avoid; to rear up, 
tilt up; to fake, feint (sports) 
~ sou dbyb to rear up (horse etc.) 
Kabre prop.n. Cabr6 (4th communal 
section of Petit-Go§ve, Dept. 
West) 
kabrfct see kabw&t 
kabr&tman see kabwetman 
kabr&tmann see kabwetye 
kabrina see kaprina 
kabrit n. goat; filefish, triggerfish; 
s.o. who drinks very little water 
belye ~ especially large male goat 
bouk ~ billy goat 
bwa ~ var. of tree 
chef-, mbt ~ goatherder 
de ~ Tomazo/Tonmazo (menm 
plim menm plimay) birds of a 
feather, alike 
fem&l ~ female goat who has not 
yet produced kids; cf. manman ~ 
~ antre nan jaden to be the 
first concerned; to be the butt of 
a joke; to have the fly/front of 
one's trousers open; to have one's 
trousers ride up one's rear end 
~ ch&v long-haired goat 
~ de pye, ~ san kdn (euphemism 
for) human sacrificial victim 
~ la pa kaka de grenn ankd not 
to be able to produce anything 
anymore 
~ ras youn, ~ ras de, ~ ras twa 
goat which usu. produces only 
one/two/three kids 
~ san kdn human sacrificial victim 
~ Tomazo/Tonmazo birds of a 
feather, alike; Voodoo "backslider" 
(term applied by Voodooists to s.o. 
who has turned to using Voodoo 
for purposes of evil); member of a 
group of evildoers 
mal ~ billy goat 
manman ~ nanny goat (who has 
produced kids) 
manman ~, renn ~ lead goat (m. 
or f.) in a goat herd 
ras ~ family where incest is 
practiced; inbred 
ti ~ kid, young goat 
zaf& ~ pa zaf& mouton it's none of 
my business, it's not my problem 
kabwa see kabw£t 
389 
kabwatye - kad 
kabwatye see kabwetye 
kabwfct, chawa, kabr£t, kabwa n. 
oxcart; carriage; (child's) wagon 
or cart; wagon (for selling drinks, 
ice cream); (movable) stand 
mennen ~ to rule the roost, 
dominate 
(nan) d£yd - at the tail end of 
things, bad off 
ke ~ la tail end, butt end 
kabwfctman, kabretman n. cartage, 
transporting 
kabwetye, kabrfctmann, kabwatye, 
kabwfctmann n. wagon-maker; 
itinerant soft-drink or ice-cream 
seller 
kabye see krabye 
kach n. cash; foreskin, prepuce; adj. 
steady; adv. sure, surely, assuredly, 
exactly; see kachkach 
bagay ~ sure thing, cinch 
~ nen dust mask 
~ san manke senk every last cent 
koupe ~, wete ~ to circumcise 
sa se ~ that's for sure 
tounen ~ to turn into cash, be a 
source of income 
kachaboumbe see katchaboumbe 
kache v. to hide, hide out; to cover, 
conceal; adj. undercover (agent 
etc.); hidden, secret; n. hiding; 
tablet (of aspirin) 
~ anba pay to suppress 
information 
pa ~ mo nan bouch li not to be 
short on words, be long-winded 
kacheman see kachiman 
kachepeche, kachepete n. coat to 
hide shabby clothes; cover, mask, 
subterfuge 
kachet n. hiding-place 
an ~ in hiding; in secret, secretly 
kachibo see kachimbo 
kachiman, kacheman n. custard-
apple; var. of mango 
dlo grenn ~ var. strong home­
made insecticide 
~ granbwa wild soursop, 
blackbark, black mahoe 
~ kan£l sweetsop, sugar-apple tree 
- k£b£f, ~ ty£b&k custard apple 
tree, bullock-heart tree 
~ lachin cherimoya 
~ mawon waterwood tree 
Other varieties of custard-apple: ~ 
bouton, ~ panni 
kachimbo, bwa katim, kachibo, 
kachim, kachimo, katchim, 
katchimbo n. clay (smoking) pipe 
kachkach, kachkou n. hiding place, 
secret place; trap door; hide-and-
seek; hidden agenda 
~ liben (sere liben), ~ kikola, ~ 
liben san sere kras, ~ li byen, 
~ manba sere liben hide-and-
seek in the water; hide-and-seek 
(with an object); beating around 
the bush, delaying tactics; 
underhanded dealings, deceit, 
trickery 
kachmi n./adj. cashmere 
Kachmiprop.n. Kashmir 
kacho n. cell, dungeon; prison 
kachdp see katchdp 
kachotri n. secrecy, mystery; 
secretiveness, furtiveness 
kachoumbonmbe see 
katchaboumbe 
kachte v. to seal, close; to draw 
back, withdraw, retire 
kad n. frame (bicycle, kite, 
machinery etc.); stand; cot; 
gurney; lawn chair; trained 
personnel, management (staff); 
390 
kadach - kadre 
class, rank; sphere, scope, range, 
framework 
- chinwa Chinese chard (var. of 
beet) 
- mwayen trained person 
~ pike/pitche uncomfortable bed/ 
bunk/pallet 
rete nan ~ ou! behave yourself! 
kadach n. small cactus; (land) deed 
kadafa n. witches' conclave 
kadans, lakadans n. rhythm, 
cadence, beat; game, situation 
~ ranpa var. of dance music of 
1960's 
kadansay n. moving in rhythm; 
shaking, moving 
kadanse v. to move in rhythm; to 
shake, move 
- desann to recede, sink, topple 
(hillside, mountainside) 
kadarik n. packet, sachet 
kadas n. cadaster, survey (of 
landholdings); birth certificate (TV.) 
kadase, kakaye, kakeye, kodase, 
kddase, kodasye v. to cackle, 
cluck (bird or person); to prattle; 
n. cackle, cackling, cluck 
kadastre v. to survey and register 
(land) 
kadav n. corpse, cadaver, dead body; 
one's body, one's self 
kite kote ~ la ye a pou vin kriye 
kote s&k&y la not to take care of 
the matter at hand, do everything 
except what one is supposed to do 
kd ~ visible physical body (in 
contrast to gwo bonnanj and ti 
bonnanj, q.v. - Voodoo) 
sou ~ mwen pou 1 pase over my 
dead body 
kad£ n. moment; quarter of an hour; 
short period of time; second child 
born in family; cadet (milit.) 
e ~ a? how are you doing lately? 
yon ti ~ (in) just a moment 
kadejak n. rape; violence 
ft ~ sou to rape; to violate 
kadejake n. rapist 
kaderik n. (N.) cooking pot; cf. 
bonm 
ftt ~ domineering husband 
kad&t n. cadet 
kadetan, ka tan n. quarter 
(basketball) 
kadigan n. cardigan 
kadik adj. [Fr.] null and void 
kadin adj. multi-colored 
kadinal n. cardinal (ecc); cardinal 
(bird); squirrelfish; adj. cardinal 
(number) 
kadino n. squirrelfish 
~ bwa bwa reef squirrelfish 
(nan) kat pwen ~ (in the) four 
cardinal points; in all directions 
Kadiyakprop.n. Cadillac (luxury 
automobile) 
kadjak see kadyak 
kadmydm n. cadmium 
kadna n. padlock 
~ sekr£ combination lock 
kadnase v. to padlock 
- bouch (yon moun) to impose 
silence (on s.o.) 
kado n. gift, present; tip, gratuity; 
white spot in fingernail 
fb - to give away 
Kadonezyen, Kadonezyfcn see 
Chaddnezyen, Chaddnezyfcn 
kadran n. dial, face; quadrant 
(math.); tiny Roman monetary unit 
equivalent to one-tenth of a denier 
[Bible] 
- softy sundial 
kadre v. to match, measure up to; to 
391 
kadreman - kafe 
sit with dignity, sit (up) straight; 
adj. well-off (financially) 
~ ak to be consistent with 
kadreman see ankadreman 
kadri n. quadrille (dance) 
kadril n. var. of mango 
kadriy n. quadrille (dance) 
kadriyaj, kadriyay n. grid 
kadriye v. to draw a grid; to cover, 
control (milit.); see papye ~ 
kadyak, kadjak adj. cardiac, heart 
kadyogram n. electrocardiogram 
kadyoldg n. cardiologist 
kadyoloji n. cardiology 
kadyovaskift adj. [Fr.] 
cardiovascular 
kafe n. coffee; brothel, whorehouse; 
cafe, bar; light breakfast; years (of 
age) (sh. form rekdt ~) 
bw£ (yon tas) ~ annft ak (yon 
moun) to get into a fight with 
(s.o.); to give a hard time to (s.o.), 
make (s.o.) suffer 
dlo ~ weak coffee 
ft ~ to brew coffee 
grenn - coffee bean 
gwo - strong coffee 
~ a pa balanse sou balans an not 
to get along together (persons) 
~ ak s£l see ~ sale 
~ an pay coffee berry 
~ (an) poud, poud ~ ground 
coffee; instant coffee 
~ chwa, ~ tchoka fresh coffee 
bean that is ground before being 
dried 
~ fd, - ki gen f6s, ~ nwa, ~ pwfcs 
strong coffee 
~ j6n allophylus tree 
~ karakoli superior type of coffee 
bean 
~ kft, ~ dou(s), ~ enpe enpe, ~ 
ftb, ~ lej£, ~ likid, - mens, - pa 
fd, ~ pa plen, ~ pal weak coffee 
~ kdk coffee dried and kept in its 
original pulp 
- lanmd coffee used to moisten 
headband (supposedly to avoid 
fainting at funerals, cf. ~ sale) 
~ lave specially prepared Haitian 
export coffee; same as ~ pach 
- li koule ak ma (nan gr£g man 
Tata) (s)he is in trouble 
~ mawon (granbwa) strongbark 
tree, roble tree, pigeonwood tree 
~ natir£l traditional or average 
Haitian coffee 
~ n£g, - plant stinkweed 
~ nwa black coffee, strong coffee 
~ oft coffee with milk or cream 
~ pach coffee removed from its 
pulp 
- pay, ~ fad, ~ fay, - pa f6, - pa 
pw&s, ~ palpal, - tw6 lej£ very 
weak coffee 
~ plant see ~ n£g 
~ pw£s strong coffee 
~ rat coffee beans fallen on the 
ground; badly paid or menial job 
~ sale, ~ ak s&l salted coffee 
(supposedly to avoid fainting at 
funerals, cf ~ lanmd) 
~ seriz coffee bean 
~ tchoka see ~ chwa 
~ triyay, ftt ~ broken coffee bean 
(after grinding) 
kite ~ koule ak ma to throw out 
the baby with the bath water 
koule ~ to brew coffee 
ma ~ coffee grounds 
pay - very weak coffee 
peze ~ yo nan menm balans, 
peze - li ak to hit it off well with, 
get along well (together); to be 
392 
Kafendl - kajou 
birds of a feather, be two peas in a 
pod, be alike 
poud ~ little bit of money 
poud ~, ~ an poud ground coffee; 
instant coffee 
rekdt ~ years (of age) 
ftt ~ see ~ triyay 
ti ~ allophylus tree 
Other var. of coffee: arabika 
(katayi, katira, ti ~ mawon, 
tipika), kanefora, wobista 
Kafendl prop.n. brand of aspirin 
kafeterya n. cafeteria; well-known 
police station on Boulevard Jean-
Jacques Dessalines (PaP) 
kafetyfc, kafetclft, kafity£, kafty£ 
n. coffee pot; coffee-maker; 
percolator 
kafey£ adj. coffee-producing 
kafeyin n. caffeine 
kafitye see kafety& 
kafou, kalfou n. crossroads, 
junction, intersection (sacred to 
Voodoo spirits); street corner 
~ kat (chemen) quandary, 
dilemma 
~ tengendeng place or crossroads 
where magic reigns 
- tenten ridiculousness 
move ~ bad situation 
nan ~ s&t chemen in a quandary, 
in a dilemma 
Kafou, Kalfou prop.n. Carrefour 
(disadvantaged community 
immediately west of PaP); see 
Legba 
Kafouchada prop.n. Carrefour-
Chada (immediately north-east of 
PaP, Dept. West) 
Kafouchal, Jaken prop.n. 
Carrefour-Charles, Jacquin (1st 
communal section of Roseaux, 
Dept. Grand'Anse) 
Kafouftyprop.n. Carrefour-Feuilles 
(middle-class area of PaP) 
Kafoukanonpro/?./?. Carrefour-
Canon (3rd communal section of 
Chantal, Dept. South) 
kafoungi n. dish made of spicy 
cornmeal etc. 
Kafouwa, Kafouryenprop.n., 
Kafouwaz, Kafouryen f.prop.n. 
inhabitant of Carrefour (Dept. 
West) 
kafouyay, kafouyaj n. confusion, 
pandemonium 
kaftyfc see kafetyfc 
kage v. to lean back, recline (one's 
chair); to be sitting, be stationed; 
to haul in (sails); n. swig (usu. of 
alcohol) 
kagezon n. cargo, shipload 
kago n. cargo; snail 
kago, kagochip n. cargo ship 
kagou adj. sad, down, depressed, 
dejected, ailing 
maladi li ~ var. of poultry disease 
kagoul n. hood, cowl 
kagoula n. cagoulards ("hooded 
ones") - terrorist group employed 
by Francois Duvalier, predecessors 
of the Volontaires de la S6curit6 
Nationale (Tonton Makout) 
kagoule adj. covered with a hood or 
cowl 
kahink kahank n. tuberculosis 
kaj n. large cage (for lions, tigers etc.) 
kajolay n. cajoling, wheedling 
kajole v. to coax, cajole, wheedle 
kaj oft n. seducer 
kajou, akajou n. mahogany 
~ Venezyela Venezuelan 
mahogany, Honduras mahogany 
nwa ~ cashew nut 
393 
Kajouboule - kaka 
ponm ~ cashew apple 
siye ~ to take charge 
siye ~ ak to have dealings with 
Kajouboule l^Akajoubrile V 
prop.n. Acajou-Brule l e r (1st 
communal section of Cerca-la-
Source, Dept. Center) 
Kajouboule 2* Akajoubrile 2 e 
prop.n. Acajou-Brule 2 e (2nd 
communal section of Cerca-la-
Source, Dept. Center) 
kaka, kiki n. shit, dung, manure; 
droppings (bird etc.); v. to shit, 
crap; to shit up, mess up 
bay ~ poul pou b£, bay ~ poul 
blanch pou ze to deceive 
di - te gen zo (pise te gen mw£l) 
to say no matter what, tell tall tales 
enjenyfc - person who cleans 
privies or outhouses (cf. bayakou) 
estr£ ~ piece of shit (person) 
ft yon ~ to do s.thg. dumb 
ft (yon moun) - to disappoint 
(s.o.); to deceive (s.o.) 
ft (yon moun) ~ dife to give (s.o.) 
a hard time, make (s.o.) suffer 
gen - to need to take a dump 
gen ~ nan ftt empty-headed, shit-
for-brains 
~ aran worthless, insignificant 
~ b& tough shit, tough luck, out of 
luck 
~ b&f var. of cookie 
~ b&f (anwo 1 clftch anba 1 
mouye) changeable, capricious, 
not to be trusted 
~ biznaw trifle, nonsense, triviality 
~ chat secret doings, hidden 
undercurrents; stupidity, silliness 
~ dan tartar 
~ dlo silt, mud, slime 
~ dyab asafetida; var. of mango; 
very black-skinned and very ugly 
~ garyon tobacco scraps; trifle, 
triviality 
~ jako yellowish green 
- je sleep, eye matter; eye 
discharge; conjunctival discharge 
~ kabrit bit by bit 
~ kalbas pulp of a calabash or 
gourd; shit-for-brains, empty-
headed 
- kleren drunk, lush 
- kdk coconut fritter 
~ lach to shit in one's pants, be 
extremely frightened; to shit 
around, act like an idiot 
~ lasi wax residue (from candle) 
~ li ft branch to be scared shitless 
~ li moute to get damn mad 
~ nan nat shit, turd, worthless 
person 
- nen booger, (dried) snot 
~ pit waste from sisal production 
- poul var. of mango; see 
kakapoul 
~ rat trifle, triviality; small sugar 
grains used to adorn cake; tough 
shit! (that's really nothing!) 
~ rat d£y£ bw£t! something 
stinks! something is fishy/ 
suspicious!; bullshit! nonsense! 
- san savon child of unknown 
father; child not recognized by 
father 
~ tabak not to get a damn thing, 
come out empty-handed 
- ti grenn to be shit out of luck, 
not to have a hope 
~ z6r&y earwax, cerumen; wax 
build-up (in ear) 
maladi - blanch, maladi ~ j6n, 
maladi - j6n v£t, maladi ~ san, 
maladi ~ v£t various var. of 
394 
kakade - kal 
poultry disease 
mete ~ chat deyd to reveal a 
secret, go public with 
nou ~ we're in deep shit 
pa ~ ankd cock-a-doodle-do 
(crowing of rooster) 
pa - poul d£ye bw&t no small 
affair, a big deal 
pase nan ~ to make fun of, give 
(s.o.) shit 
pran ~ je pou linfct, pran ~ poul 
pou ze/b£ to be fooled 
pran yon ~ san savon to become 
pregnant without being married to 
or living with the father 
se ~ m ~! I'm in deep shit! I'm 
really in a bad way! 
se pa ~ kdk, papa! this one's a 
real bitch, man! (it's not easy!) 
kakade v. to bullshit; to fart around, 
shit around 
kakad& see kakatwfc 
kakafoni see kakofoni 
kakakaka onomat. sound of 
trembling 
kakalanga n. rooster 
kakan n. triangle put around neck of 
goats or pigs (to prevent passing 
through fences etc.) 
gran ~ large domestic animal (ox, 
horse, donkey, mule); big shot, VIP 
kakapoul n. periwinkle, myrtle 
(herb); var. of mango 
kakarat see ka ta rak 
kakar&l n. liquid excrement; diarrhea 
kakas n. carcass; frame, skeleton; 
frame of a kite; stripped remains 
of car or truck 
Kakas prop.n. Carcasse (7th 
communal section of Les Irois, 
Dept. Grand'Anse) 
kakatafya n. boozer, sot, drunkard 
kakatri n. nonsense; foolishness, 
silliness, stupidity 
kakatw£, kakad& n. person who 
defecates on himself; person of 
very little importance; filthy brat; 
cockatoo (bird) 
kakaw&t n. [Fr] peanut; cf. pistach 
kakawo n. cocoa; adj. very stingy, 
miserly 
~ bobo wild cocoa 
kakaye, kakeye see kadase 
kaki n./adj. khaki 
kakinen see takinen 
kakis v. to face serious problems 
kakit v. to lose out, be defeated 
if am) 
kako n. small stinging insect (usu. 
found in latrines etc.); sly and 
cunning man; prop.n. Caco, 
former guerilla fighters (northern 
Haiti); see karako 
~ gri Spanish grunt (fish) 
~ sal var. of mango 
kakoft f.n. woman both Voodoo 
priestess and midwife 
kakofoni, kakafoni n. discordant 
sounds, cacophony 
Kakdk, K&nkbk prop.n. small 
island near Cayes 
kakdn, kakonn n. var. of med. vine; 
var. of mango 
~ jenou kneecap, patella 
~ mawon, ~ pwazon, ~ zonbi var. 
of vine 
~ pye, zo ~ ankle; tarsus 
kakt& see karakt& 
kaktis n. cactus 
kal n. bit, piece; covering (bark, 
skin, shell); whipping, beating, 
thrashing, spanking; defeat; break, 
relief (from illness); bilge, hold (of 
ship); slipway (for boats or ships); 
395 
Kal - kalbas 
dandruff; scab, scale; scale (fish, 
snake); callus, bunion; wedge; 
crust (of pie etc.); flake, chip (of 
paint); cochineal (insect); armored 
scale (insect); adj. calm, quiet, 
peaceful; contr. ki + ale 
ft ~ to be flaking (paint); to 
be(come) scaly (skin) 
~ bwa bark (of tree); wood 
shavings 
~ nen booger, (dried) snot 
~ nwa angelica (herb); velvet seed 
(shrub) 
~ ze eggshell 
ti - small bit, small piece; small 
crumb 
ti ~ (pa) ti ~ bit by bit 
Kal prop.n. Carl, Karl 
kalabiyen n. var. of dance 
kalabds n. sickle, pruning knife 
kalabous n. dungeon, cell; cacao 
bean 
kalabouse v. to toss into, push into; 
to put away, imprison 
kaladya, kaladja n. party, spree, 
frolic 
~ (k6 li) to party, carouse 
kalaj, kalay n. tile flooring, brick 
pavement; grotto, cave 
kalalawop: 
danse - to dance and jump while 
turning in a circle 
kalalou n. okra; adj. slippery 
an ~ weak, puny 
foure dw&t nan ~ to become 
active, get involved 
glise kou - to be slippery as ice 
~ gonbo okra 
~ je optic fluid; eye 
~ pran nan vyann things are 
beginning, things are getting 
started 
kalamin n. calamine 
kalamite n. calamity, catastrophe 
pase - to suffer 
kalanba! interj. wow! gosh! 
kalanbfc n. smegma; idiot 
kalanbouk n. hollowed-out calabash 
used as peasant lunchbasket 
kalanderik, kalandrik n. mythical 
bird 
fre kon ze ~ fresh as a daisy 
kalandriye n. calendar 
kalanmdekalanm n. masturbation 
kalanmplanm adv. in an orderly 
fashion; swiftly, rapidly, fast; paid 
in full (money) 
kalap (ti) n. (onomat.) flip-flops 
(sandals) 
kalapata n. var. of malanga fritter 
(similar to akra, q.v.) 
kalaw(o)! interj. heck! darn! 
kalay see kalaj 
kalayib see karayib 
kalbas n. calabash, gourd; calabash 
tree, gourd tree; ritual Voodoo 
dance 
~ dous var. of calabash 
~ gran djdl/bouch big talker, big 
mouth; out-spoken, plain-spoken, 
blunt 
~ kouran dishcloth gourd (plant) 
~ mawon, ~ zonbi wild calabash, 
black calabash 
~ pete to break water (in 
childbirth) 
~ ftt head, noggin, noodle, bean 
(fan.) 
nan bon ti - in a neat little 
package 
pale nan ~ to talk in riddles 
tchdk ~ shit-for-brains 
ti ~ hydrocele 
voye al pran ti ~ to do s.o. in, beat 
396 
kalbasi - kalepliche 
s.o.'s brains out 
kalbasi, kabasik, kalbasik n. sweet 
cup (passionflower); var. of small 
edible calabash; (spinning-) top 
made of calabash (toy) 
kalbenday, kalbendaj n. idleness, 
loafing; leisure; lethargy, sloth; 
enticement 
kalbende, kalblende v. to loaf, 
linger, do nothing, waste time; to 
entice, allure; to wither (hopes, 
aspirations); to retract, withdraw 
(statement) 
kalbend£ n. crook, cheat, swindler 
kalbose see kolboso 
kalboso see kolboso 
kalbwa n. bark (of tree); wood 
shavings 
Kalde prop.n. [Apocrypha] Chaldea 
kale v. to beat, beat up; to beat, 
defeat; to abuse; to peel, shell, 
hull; to bare, expose; to skin, 
scrape; to shuck, husk (corn); 
to hatch; to shell out, fork over 
(money); to make or produce 
abundantly; to breed, reproduce; 
to stall, stop, conk out; to roll back 
downhill; to floor or pave with 
tiles or bricks; adj. intelligent, 
good at; stripped bare (hills etc.) 
~ (bannann, kokoye ets.) pou po 
to work for nothing 
~ bounda/bouda stupidity, 
silliness; to joke, kid around 
~ dekale to jerk off, masturbate 
~ dbyb do to speak ill of, criticize 
~ gran li tou gran to be very old 
~ janm to be dressed sexily 
~ je to keep one's eyes peeled, 
keep a sharp look-out; to be 
on the alert, be aware; to stare, 
glare, look (at s.o.) defiantly or 
insistently; to turn eyelids inside 
out (children playing) 
~ k6 sexy woman; show-off, 
exhibitionist; skimpy revealing 
clothing; seductive 
~ kd li to show off; to act sexily, 
be seductive 
~ k6 li sou to be disrespectful 
toward, be rude or impertinent 
toward 
~ kdk/kokoye pou po to do s.thg. 
totally without benefit to oneself, 
be stupid 
~ li lajan li to give s.o. his/her 
money 
~ pistach voye nan bouch to do 
easily, do with no effort 
~ pitit (kou rat) to have kids left 
and right, breed like flies 
~ pwdp to beat soundly, trounce, 
get the best of (in a game) 
~ santi to sit and do nothing 
~ sou to spread, multiply 
~ t b t (yon moun) to shave 
s.o.'s head; to pillage, plunder; 
to exploit, abuse (s.o.), take 
advantage of (s.o.) 
lajan a p ~ m m y money is getting 
me into trouble 
lajan 1 ap ~ 1 to be right and yet 
to lose 
kalfc t b t n. exploiter 
Katebprop.n. [Bible] Caleb; 
Calebite 
kalechot n. soccer shorts 
kaledou v. to admit defeat, say "uncle" 
kalekdf.n. sexy w o m a n ; / ^ ' . 
seductive 
kalen n. former monetary unit worth 
one-fourth of a piaster 
kalenda, kalennda see kalinda 
kalepliche v. to roll back, push back 
397 
kalew£s - kalkile 
kalewfcs v. to loaf, be lazy, goof off; 
to drag out, prolong; n. loafer 
ft - to loaf around, be lazy 
kalfetre reft, to shut oneself up 
kalfou see kafou 
Kalfou see Kafou 
kalib n. caliber, size, capacity; 
importance 
gran ~ first-rate 
gwo ~ high caliber (gun); big shot 
(person) 
li ~ it works O.K. 
kalida see kalinda 
kalifikasyon n. qualification; name, 
title 
kalifikatif n. qualities, talents, 
capabilities; qualifier (gram.) 
Kalifoni prop.n. California (USA) 
kalifdnyenprop.n./adj. Californian 
kalifye v. to qualify; to label, 
describe; adj. qualified, competent, 
reliable 
~ (de/kdm) to describe as, call, 
label 
Kaligila prop.n. Caligula (Roman 
emperor) 
kaligraf n. calligrapher, person 
skilled in penmanship 
kaligraii n. calligraphy 
kaligrafye v. to write with fine 
handwriting 
Kalikit obs.prop.n. Haitian of 
Lebanese or Syrian origin (region 
of Jer^mie esp.) 
kaliko n. calico (fabric); 
irresponsible person; happy-go-
lucky; adj. very flexible; foggy 
~ sal dirty affair 
kalimany61 n. old-fashioned dance 
kalinftt n. straw (for drinking - cf. 
chalimo); pipe (for smoking); 
cigarette holder; cigar holder; pipe 
stem 
Kalimktprop.n. Calumette (3rd 
communal section of Belle-Anse, 
Dept. South-East) 
kalinda, kalenda, kalennda, 
kalida n. nocturnal dances before 
Revolution (probably serving 
to conceal outlawed Voodoo 
ceremonies); candidate 
bay ~, bat ~, ft ~ to make merry, 
play, frolic 
ft chat pa la rat bay - when the 
cat's away the mice will play 
kalipe fren n. brake caliper 
kalipso n. calypso (var. of dance) 
kaliptis see ekaliptis 
kalis n. chalice 
an chat ~ stealthily, sneakily, 
furtively 
kalitatif adj. qualitative 
kalite, kalte n. kind, sort, type, class, 
variety; quality, attribute; quantity; 
var. of mango 
kalke n. limestone; plaque (on 
tooth); adj. chalky, calcareous 
kalkil n. arithmetic, math; 
computation, calculation; 
reflection, thought, deliberation; 
worries, problems 
~ entegral calculus 
pase moso ~ to unwind, relieve 
tension, soothe one's nerves 
pouse ~ to reflect, meditate 
kalkilasyon n. calculation, 
reckoning, plan; worries, thoughts, 
reflections 
kalkilaft, kalkilatris n. calculator, 
adding machine 
kalkile, katchoule, katyoule v. 
(occ. refl.) to think (over), reflect, 
consider; to calculate, compute, 
figure out; to estimate; to be 
398 
Kalkita - Kamat 
obsessed 
Kalkita prop. n. Calcutta (India) 
kalm n./adj. calm; n. respite, let-up 
kalma v. to calm (down), ease up; 
to dance very closely and slowly; 
adj. calm; n. calm; respite, let-up 
kalman n. tranquilizer (med.)\ 
sedative; painkiller, pain pill; 
bromide; adj. soothing 
kalmannan n. sugarmill activated 
by ox, donkey etc. 
kalmanson, kalmason n. snail; slug; 
core of a boil 
kalme v. to calm down, quiet down, 
cool off; to ease, relieve 
kalmeman adv. calmly, quietly 
kalmeza n. type of old dance 
kalmi, akalmi n. calm, peace; lull, 
slack period; calm spell, lull 
(in wind); inactivity (trading, 
commerce etc.); dead calm; v. to 
grow calm, lull, abate 
kaldj, kaldch, kal6y n. cage (for 
birds, chickens, rabbits etc.) 
kalonftl n. trouble, mess; calomel 
(powerful sometimes dangerous 
purgative) 
nan ~ ak to be kidding around 
with 
kalomni, kalonmni n. calumny, 
slander; misrepresentation, false 
charge 
kalomnye see kalomye 
kalomyaft n. slanderer, mudslinger 
kalomye, kalomnye, kalonmnye v. 
to slander, smear, malign 
kalonmni see kalomi 
kalonnad, kalonad n. cannonade, 
barrage, shelling 
~ w6ch stoning, lapidation 
kalonnen v. to stone, pelt; to storm, 
attack; to swear at, revile 
~ lannft to do s.thg. in vain, do 
s.thg. for nothing 
kalori n. calorie 
kalorifik adj. calorific 
Kaldsprop.n. Carlos 
kaldt n. slap, blow, hit (on face, head 
or ears); skullcap, calotte 
~ marasa, ~ jimo simultaneous 
blows to the ears often resulting in 
permanent deafness 
kalote v. to slap (on face, head or ears) 
kalou n. penis 
kaloy see kaldj 
kalsitran adj. picky, fussy, 
uncooperative, choosy, overly 
critical; see rekalsitran 
kalson n. (male's) boxer shorts 
~ wouj, kanson wouj Hispaniolan 
trogon (bird) 
ti - see bwakalson 
kalsy6m n. calcium 
kalte see kalite 
kalv& n. calvary; suffering, trial, 
tribulation 
ft monte ~ pa do to give (s.o.) a 
very hard time, put (s.o.) through 
hell 
moute (yon) ~ to suffer intensely 
pase ~ to have a hard time, suffer 
KalvSprop.n. Calvaire 
(disadvantaged area of Cape 
Haitian) 
kalvinis n. Calvinism; Calvinist 
kam n. cam (mack) 
Kamagwdy, Kamageyprop.n. 
CamagUey (Cuba) 
kamarad see kanmarad 
kamaradr i see kanmaradr i 
kamariya n. clique, cabale 
Kamat prop.n. Camathe (2nd 
communal section of Saint-
Michel-de-l'Attalaye, Dept. 
399 
Kame - kan 
Artibonite) 
Kame prop.n. Camay (soap) 
Kam&: 
mdn - Mount Carmel 
kameleyon n. chameleon (cf. 
aganman); opportunist; turncoat 
kameleyonne v. to turn coat, be a 
traitor 
kamelya n.bot. camellia 
kanftmdekanftm see kanmenm 
Kamenprop.n. Carmen 
Kanftp acron. CAMEP -
Santral M etwopoliten Dlo 
Pwdp (Centrale Autonome 
M&ropolitaine d'Eau Potable) PaP 
drinking-water company 
kamera n. movie/television camera 
~ videyo camcorder 
kameramann n. cameraman 
Kamewoun, Kamwounprop.n. 
Cameroon 
Kamewoun^ prop.n./adj., 
Kamewounfcz/prop. n. 
Cameroonian 
Kami prop.n. Camille 
Kami (Albfc)prop.n. Camus (Albert) 
-French writer (1913-1960) 
Kami (Wousan) prop.n. Camille 
(Roussan) - Haitian poet and 
journalist (1915-1961) 
kaminizye, kaminize: 
koupe ~ children's game where 
they agree to hand over s.thg. to 
one another 
kamizdl, kanmizdl n. undershirt; 
small baby's upper garment; 
patient's gown; camisole 
kamo n. bad news 
~ lannft var. of very small salt­
water fish 
kamoken n. subversive, dissident, 
anti-government rebel; quinine 
kamomin, kamomi n.bot. camomile 
- peyi cudweed 
kamouflay, kamouflaj n. 
camouflage; bluff, subterfuge 
kamoufle v. to camouflage, conceal 
kamoule v. to deceive, cheat, fool 
kamwazi see kanmwezi 
Kamwoun see Kamewoun 
kamyon n. truck; truckload; 
any large vehicle for public 
transportation 
~ baskil dump truck 
~ blende armored truck (for 
transporting funds) 
~ bwat, - bak, ~ bw£t truck with 
wooden sides 
~ fatra garbage truck 
~ gad armored personnel carrier 
~ ponpye fire engine 
~ rem 6k tow truck 
~ siftn tanker truck 
kondi - an to take charge 
mal ~ carsickness, motion 
sickness 
kamyonn&t, kamyonfct n. van, 
station wagon (used for public 
transportation); pick-up truck 
dbyb - poor, underdeveloped 
kenbe dfcyfc - to keep behind the 
times, hold back 
kan n. camp, tent city; faction, 
clique, side; cage, goal area 
(soccer); edge, narrow side (board, 
building etc.); pi. n. years; adv./ 
conj. when 
ale nan ~ to camp, go camping 
ft ~ to take/choose sides, ally 
oneself, join forces with; to be 
goalkeeper; to camp, go camping 
ft - li apa to set oneself apart, go 
on one's own way 
ft ~ sou do (yon moun) to gang 
400 
kan - kanbya 
up against (s.o.) 
ft yon de ~ to choose teams 
~ daplikasyon training camp 
~ nftm, ~ menm see kanmenm 
- nan pwen var. of mango 
~ ou pran ou konnen trick, deceit 
leve ~ to depart, leave, go away 
pran ~ to station, settle 
sou ~ edgewise 
kkn see kanisft 
Kknprop.n. Cannes (France) 
kana see kanna 
Kanaprop.n. [Bible] Cana 
Kanada, Okanada prop.n. Canada 
Kanado- prefix Canadian-
Kanadyen prop.n./adj., Kanadyfcn 
f.prop.n. Canadian 
kanaj n. [Fr] carnage, slaughter, 
massacre 
kanal see kannal 
Kanal (Bwawon)prop.n. Canal 
(Boisrond) - president of Haiti, 
1876-1879 
kanale see kannale 
kanalizasyon see kannalizasyon 
kanalize see kannalize 
kanape, kannape n. sofa, couch 
kanapfcch n. fishing-pole 
Kanapevfcprop.n. Canap6-Vert 
(wealthy residential area of PaP; 
important PaP hospital) 
Kanaranprop.n. [Bible] Canaan 
kanari see kannari 
Kanari (Zile)prop.n. Canary Islands 
Kanasyon prop.n. Carnation 
(evaporated milk) 
kanaval, kannaval n. Carnival, 
Mardi Gras - three days: dimanch 
gra, lendi gra, madi gra, (period, 
events); see madigra 
boule ~ ceremony following 
Carnival period where masks etc. 
are burned (PaP) 
boule papye ~ same as above 
(Jacmel) 
yon - a lot of, a great number of 
kanavafts adj. carnivalesque 
Kanbera prop.n. Canberra 
(Australia) 
kanbis n. money-changer 
~ rache pw&l dishonest money­
changer 
kanbiz n. buffet (at party, marriage 
etc.); feast; food and drink served 
after konbit; place where cooking 
is done for great dinners; store­
room 
clftf ~ person in charge of food 
and drink; person in charge of 
offerings and ritual accessories in 
a Voodoo temple; caterer; leader, 
born leader 
kanbizye n. store-room keeper; 
person in charge of food and drink 
kanbo, ganbo: 
ti ~ bamboo stampers used as a 
substitute for drums 
Kanbdj, Kanb6dj , Kanpoucheya 
prop.n. Cambodia, Kampuchea 
Kanbdjyenprop.n./adj., Kanbdjyfcn 
f.prop.n. Cambodian, Kampuchean 
kanbral adj. bowlegged 
kanbre adj. bowed, arched; 
bowlegged 
kanbri n. instep 
kanbrik n, cambric (fabric) 
kanbriyolaj, kanbriyolay n. [Fr] 
burglary 
kanbriyole v. [Fr] to burglarize; cf. 
kase (kay) 
kanbriyoft n. [Fr] burglar; cf 
kasedkay 
kanbya n. method of cutting up 
sugar cane at mill; adj. deformed, 
401 
kanbyenmem - kankannen 
twisted; adv. affectedly 
kanbyenmem adv. even though 
kandelab, kandelam n. candelabra; 
candelabra cactus (used as hedge 
or barrier); cf pengwen, rak£t 
Var.: ~ etranje, ~ mawon 
kandelon n. var. of hardwood 
kandeya see kanneya 
Kandiprop.n. Candy - early Mulatto 
leader of Haitian Revolution 
kandida n. candidate; applicant 
poze ~ to declare one's (political) 
candidacy 
kandidati n. candidacy 
depo ~ declaration of (political) 
candidacy 
kandjanwoun, kandjanhoun, 
kandjanwou, kandyanwou n. 
feast, celebration, dancing 
kandoule v. to soak 
kandoundou n. var. of spider which 
produces a white web 
kandyo, kandjo n. (obs.) 
whippersnapper (pej.)\ traitor 
kan£ n. report card (school) grade 
results; accounting, reprimand, 
censure; small notebook, 
datebook, record book, address 
book 
bay ~ li to reveal the facts on s.o.; 
to dismiss s.o., get rid of s.o. 
jwenn ~ li, pran ~ (li) to have 
one's past revealed; to get what 
is coming to s.o., get what one 
deserves 
~ ch£k, ~ (d)bank checkbook 
~ depay passbook 
vann ~ to sell grades; to promote 
(a student) for a bribe 
kanefora n. var. of coffee 
kan&l see kanneJ 
kan£t n. bobbin, spool of sewing 
machine 
kanf n. camphor; var. of mango 
kanfeti, kanti conj. even (if) 
kanfre adj. camphorated 
kanfriye n. camphor tree 
kanga n. var. of dance 
kangannen see kankannen 
kangouwou n. kangaroo 
kangrenn, gangrenn, kangr£n, 
lakangr&n, lakangrenn n. 
gangrene; corruption 
kangrennen, gangrennen v. to 
become gangrenous; to corrupt 
kanhi-kanhan adv. so-so, poorly, 
slowly; onomat. repeated coughing 
kani see kanni 
kanibal, kannibal nJadj. cannibal 
kanich n. poodle 
kanif, gannif, kannif n. pocketknife, 
penknife 
kanik, boul kanik, kannik n. round 
seed used for playing marbles; 
playing marble (in general) 
kanil n. needle (of syringe); cannula 
kanin n. canine tooth; cf dan chen, 
dan je 
kaniste, k&n, kannisti n. [N.] 
canister, tin can; tin-canfiil 
(informal unit of measure - called 
mamit in most of Haiti); canister 
kanivo, kanivd, kannivo n. (street) 
gutter; carnivore; adj. carnivorous 
Kanj prop.n. Cange (Dept. Center) 
kank n. dummy, dimwit; canker; 
special necklace used in Voodoo 
kankan n. gossip; adj. turned up 
(nose) 
kankannay n. carbonization, 
charring 
kankannen, kangannen, 
krankannen, krankrannen v. to 
char, burn severely, consume; to 
402 
kank&s - kannal 
scald 
kankes, krankes n. crankcase 
(mack); see kannk&s 
kankindjo n. albino (fam.) 
Kankdk Vprop.n. Camp-Coq l e 
(5th communal section of Limb6, 
Dept. North); see Kakdk 
Kankdk 2Cprop.n. Camp-Coq 2 e 
(communal section, Dept. North) 
kankou see tankou 
kankrannen see kankannen 
Kanlwizprop.n. Camp-Louise 
(communal section of Acul-du-
Nord, Dept. North) 
kanm n. cam (mack) 
kanmarad, kamarad n. companion, 
comrade; friend, buddy 
pa ~ not of (s.o.'s) rank or class 
kanmaradri, kamaradr i n. 
comradeship, fellowship, intimacy 
kanmenm, kanftmdekam&m, 
kanmem, kanmenmdekanmenm, 
kantmenm adv. nevertheless, 
nonetheless, somehow, in any 
case, anyway, all the same 
kanmizdl see kamizol 
kanmwezi, kamwazi adj. crimson 
kann(sik), kannasik n. sugarcane 
dlo ~ sugarcane juice 
~ grate, ~ mad£ dumb cane (herb) 
~ kale stripped sugarcane; 
worthless 
~ kannw&l, ~ kannal var. of 
sugarcane used for medicinal 
purposes 
~ kiftl booze, moonshine, liquor; 
boozer, drunkard 
- majd var. of low-grade 
sugarcane 
~ peyi/Dayiti var. of sugarcane 
found esp. or only in Haiti 
~ wozo wild ginger 
~ zannanna esp. sweet var. of 
sugarcane 
ne - joint (of sugarcane); section 
between two sugarcane joints 
siwo ~ molasses 
ven ~ sugarcane juice 
Other var. of sugarcane are: 
~ anana, ~ blan(ch), ~ dlo, ~ 
kongo, ~ madan blan, ~ mawon, 
~ pewoji, ~ sisan, ~ towo 
kanna, kana n. duck; harvestfish 
ft pat ~ to wade 
~ bwa decoy; spy 
~ nwa ring-necked duck 
~ plonjon West Indian ruddy duck 
~ sas&l blue-winged teal 
~ sifft West Indian tree duck 
~ souche shoveller (bird) 
~ ftt blan Bahamas pintail (bird) 
~ ftt nwa lesser scoop duck 
~ z£l blan baldpate, American 
wigeon (bird) 
~ zonbi masked duck 
mache kdm ~ to stagger, sway, 
teeter 
nich ~ pothole 
san nich ~ completely flat 
ftt ~ (pa ale sou tab) that's 
unacceptable/no good 
ti ~ duckling 
Other var. of ducks: gwo ~ mawon 
blan, ~ blan, ~ dlo, ~ fran, ~ 
mawon, ~ pile 
kannaj see kannay 
kannal, kanal n. canal, channel; 
groove; television channel; ditch; 
tract, duct; penis, urethra; vagina 
~ brile gonorrhea 
~ dan cavity 
~ d£y& anal groove, crease 
between buttocks 
~ di Van, ~ Divan Windward 
403 
kannale - kanndt 
Passage 
~ fi vagina 
~ 1£ respiratory system 
~ manje esophagus 
~ met central irrigation canal 
~ nivo contour ditch 
~ pipi urethra; urinary tract 
~ pou vale esophagus 
~ r£ldo exterior depression along 
backbone 
~ tande ear canal 
~ ze Fallopian tube(s) 
manman ~ central irrigation canal 
yon ~ a flow of, a huge amount of 
kannale, kanale v. to channel; to 
rush forward, go rapidly; to head 
toward 
~ ale to forge ahead, push forward 
~ (file) desann (ale) to rush down, 
head down (toward) 
~ dbyb to follow in the wake of; to 
chase after 
~ monte/moute to rush up 
kannalizasyon, kanalizasyon 
n. (irrigation) channeling, 
canalization, piping; water-mains; 
drainage 
kannalize, kanalize v. to channel; to 
support, back, promote 
kannannan, annannan(t) n. 
dummy; adj. mentally retarded; 
dumb, stupid, idiotic; lifeless, 
listless, apathetic 
rann ~ to stun, daze 
kannannanman adv. stupidly, 
idiotically 
kannannantri n. stupidity, 
dumbness 
kannape see kanape 
kannari, kanari n. large 
earthenware vessel for storing 
water; canary (bird); digger wasp 
b6s ~ potter 
kase ~ breaking of a consecrated 
jar at funeral rite (Voodoo) (N.) 
kannasik see kann 
kannaval see kanaval 
kannay, kannaj n. immature adult, 
big cry-baby; scum, trash, low-
life; cradle-robber; din, racket 
tonton ~ dirty old man 
kann&l, kan£l n. cinnamon; var. of 
mango; adj. red-brown, russet 
~ pwavre canella, wild cinnamon 
tree 
kanneya, kandeya n. var. of 
freshwater fish 
kanni, kani n. mildew, mold; v. 
to mildew, mold; adj. moldy, 
mildewed, musty 
~ fil var. plant blight 
~ poud dry mold 
kannibal see kanibal 
kannif see kanif 
kannik see kanik 
kanniste see kaniste 
kannivo see kanivo 
kannkes n. cask; see kankes 
kraze ~, pete ~ to destroy; to beat 
up 
kannkifel n. booze, moonshine, 
liquor 
kan no n. cannon; artillery; whiz, 
ace, champ; adj. outstanding, 
remarkable 
kout ~ fart 
rete de twa kout - toujou the old 
fart still has a lot of life left in him 
sou ~ in the line of fire, threatened 
Kanno, Kanndt see Kano; Rivye 
Kano 
kanndt, kandt n. (any) small boat, 
rowboat, canoe; var. of insect 
~ sovtay/sovetaj/sovtaj, ~ (bd) 
404 
kanndtaj - kanpe 
lifeboat 
~ pwason fishing boat 
kanndtaj, kanndtay n. rowing; 
canoeing 
kannotye n. boatman 
kannft, kanft n. Canter truck; boat 
(used to flee Haiti); v. to flee Haiti 
by boat (illegally) 
kannteris, kannftmann n. 
boatpeople, refugees; cf. botpipel 
kanny£t, kanyel n. pinuela (plant) 
kannyon n. canyon 
Kannzas, Kennzasprop.n. Kansas 
(USA) 
Kano, Kanno, Kanndt (larivyfc) 
prop.n. Canot river (near 
MaTssade, Depts. Artibonite and 
Center); see Rivye Kano 
kanon n. shank (of animal); barrel 
(of gun); canon (rel.) 
kanonik adj. canonical 
kanonize, kanonnize v. to canonize 
kandt see kanndt 
Kanpan (fd)prop.n. Fort Campan 
(fortress ruins near Leogane, Dept. 
West) 
kanpay, kanpany {pronounced: 
kan-pan-y) n. campaign; (rural) 
country, rural area, countryside 
ft ~, mennen ~ to campaign, seek 
election; to lobby 
kanpe v. to stand, stand up, get up; 
to stand still, remain standing; 
to stand (s.thg.) up, place s.thg. 
upright; to raise, erect; to have 
an erection; to start up, set up, 
initiate; to stop; to fire, dismiss, 
lay off; adj. standing; upright, 
on end; in good shape; severe, 
extreme; jobless, unemployed; n. 
stop, rest, break; work stoppage; 
stand-in (demonstration) 
byen ~ attractive, healthy, just 
right 
byen ~ sou to fit well (clothes) 
ft yon ~ to make a stop; to cease 
temporarily; to relax, take a break 
~ ak (yon moun) to support, back 
up, sustain (s.o.) 
~ an kwa kont to obstruct, 
diametrically oppose 
~ diskite to discuss, confer 
~ djanm to stand solidly, resist 
~ dou to calm down 
~ gade to stand around and do 
nothing 
~ kin to stand firmly, stand 
defiantly; to have a firm erection; 
see kanpekin 
~ kin nan to be an integral part of, 
be dug in 
~ koute, ~ koze to discuss, confer 
~ la! stop! 
~ Iwen see kanpelwen 
~ pale to discuss, confer 
~ poze var. of small straw bag 
~ r£d to stand at attention, stand 
without moving 
~ sou to hold firmly to, be 
adamant; to hold off on, not to 
rush into 
~ sou bit to insist 
~ sou pay to be flat broke, be 
penniless; to be an illusion, be 
based on nothing 
~ sou (pwent) pye (li) to be in 
good shape; to be on the alert 
~ sou ftt lalwa to be above the 
law, be immune from judicial 
prosecution 
~ sou/nan wout to stall, go dead, 
conk out; to be interrupted, stop in 
mid-stream 
~ sou yon bit to take a definite 
405 
kanpe - kanson 
stand/position 
~ tande to discuss, confer 
~ tann to stand still, not progress, 
stagnate 
~ travay work stoppage, short-
term strike, sit-down strike 
leve ~ to stand up; eager beaver 
mete ~ to place upright; to set up, 
establish 
mwen ~! I refuse! I won't go 
along with it! 
nen ~ turned-up nose 
pa ~ impotent 
pa ~ sou anyen to have no firm/ 
solid basis; to be flat broke, be 
penniless 
ret(e) ~ to stagnate 
kanpe n. camper (person); cf. kanpis 
kanpech n. logwood, campeche 
~ mawon cat's-claw, black bead 
(shrub) 
kanpekin n. aphrodisiac, beverage 
which (reputedly) restores virility; 
see kanpe kin 
kanpelwen n. var. of plant; foul-
smelling liquid (used as spell to 
keep away people or evil spirits); 
liquid ammonia; moth balls; exile 
mete (nan) ~, bay yon ~, voye 
nan ~ to keep at a distance; to 
exile 
pran yon - to decide to go into 
exile 
Kanperen prop.n. Camp-Perrin 
(Dept. South) 
Kanperinwaprop.n., Kanperinwaz 
f prop.n. inhabitant of Camp-
Perrin (Dept. South) 
kanping n. camping; campground 
Kanpindd£prop.n., Kanpindd&z 
f.prop.n. inhabitant ofPlaine-du-
Nord (Dept. North) 
kanpis n. camper (person); campus 
[Eng.] 
kanpman n. posture, presence, 
appearance; camping 
kanpo n. peace, tranquility, peace 
of mind; break, time-out, rest, 
respite; interj. stop! 
Ban m ~ m! Leave me alone! 
Scram! 
bay ~ to relieve, take over for 
kanponnay see kraponnay 
kanponnen see kraponnen 
Kanpoucheya prop.n. Kampuchea 
kanpous n. [Eng.] campus; cf 
kanpis 
kanse n. cancer; tumor; Cancer 
(zodiac) 
kanskany^t see kaskayfct 
kanson, konson n. trousers, pants, 
slacks 
anvan pipirit mete ~ li very early, 
before dawn 
bout ~ shorts, cutoffs 
desann ~ li to mess up; to curse at, 
swear at 
gason ~ man of courage, real man, 
he-man 
gen/mete - li nan tay li to 
measure up to, be competent in; 
to be a man of courage, be firm or 
resolute 
gran ~ big shot 
grandi ~ to brag, show off 
~ ft tough, iron-flsted; unbending 
(person); sweet potato weevil; var. 
of med. plant 
Kanson Fb Iron Pants (fam. name 
for Paul Magloire - president of 
Haiti 1950-56) 
~ wouj, kalson wouj Hispaniolan 
trogon (bird) 
manche ~ ft 1, mete ~ ft/asye sou 
406 
kansonnen - kanzo 
li to get tough 
mete ~ li to make up one's mind 
mete ~ li nan tay li see gen ~ li 
nan tay li 
mete ~ li pou b£l twal see pote ~ 
mete menm janm ~ to be the 
same, be two peas in a pod 
pa bay chen - to take no guff, 
accept no nonsense 
pa pote ~ li pou bel twal to be a 
man of courage, be a real man, be 
a he-man 
pon ~ fly (of trousers); cf brag£t 
pote/mete ~ li pou b&l tw&l to 
be useless, be incapable; to be 
henpecked 
pran ~ an to wear the pants, 
dominate 
pye ~ pants leg 
soutni ~ li to act like a man of 
courage, be firm or steadfast 
ftt ~ shorts, cutoffs 
ti ~ small wooden switch or rod; 
see bwakalson 
kansonnen v. to sprinkle consecrated 
water during a service in honor of 
the spirits of the dead (Voodoo) 
kanta (pou) prep, as for, concerning 
kantaloup n. cantaloupe 
kantamwa, kantamwen n. 
pretentious person, bragger, show-
off; bragging, showing-off 
chante ~, pale - to sing one's own 
praises 
kanft see kannft 
Kantenprop.n. Quantin, Quentin 
(6th communal section of Les 
Coteaux, Dept. South) 
kanti see kanfeti 
kantifye v. to quantify 
kantik n. hymn 
ann kite ~ pran (la)priy& let's get 
down to business, let's get to it, 
let's cut to the chase 
Kantik de Kantik, Kantik 
Salomon prop.n. [Bible] Song of 
Songs, Song of Solomon 
kantik^ n. hymnist; hymnal singer 
kantin n. cafeteria, dining-hall; 
canteen, mess kit; soup kitchen; 
free lunch program; rack for 
carrying food 
kantite, lakantite n. amount; 
supply; quantity; number (of), pile 
(of), heap (of), lot (of) 
yon bann kantite a great number 
of,... galore 
yon kantite many, much, a lot of 
kantmenm see kanmenm 
kanton n. district, area, 
neighborhood 
kantonnen, kantone v. to camp, 
station, settle 
kantonnman n.milit. cantonment 
kantonnye, kantonye n. road-
worker 
k&nva n. embroidery sampler 
kanyan(k), kanyen(k) adj. feeble, 
lazy, indolent; sickly, worn-out, 
exhausted; rumpled, disheveled, 
unkempt 
~ ~ nonchalantly, lazily, indolently 
k&ny£l see kanny£t 
kanyouk n. adult man who does not 
live with a woman 
kanzo n. initiatory fire ordeal 
to reach the second degree of 
Voodoo; s.o. who can touch fire 
without being burned; Voodooist 
whose protective spirit has been 
"tamed" or controlled; Voodooist 
who has passed the ordeal of 
fire; v. to initiate into the kanzo 
rank; adj. fire-resistant, fireproof 
407 
kap - kapisin 
(person); not afraid of fire 
kap n. kite; dandruff; direction; 
cape, promontory (geography); 
caper (cul.)\ carp (fish); var. of 
med. plant; cradle cap; valve cap; 
onomat. sound of s.thg. breaking; 
skform kapab; contr. ki + ap 
bay ~ la fil to give free rein to, 
release from restraints 
chanje ~ to change direction 
ft ~ to flake off dandruff 
ft ti ~ nan ftt yon moun to caress 
s.o.'s hair 
file - to fly a kite 
- li pran van to take off, succeed 
~ san lanpa san ke directionless 
kite; uncontrollable kite 
kk li kase - one's heart misses a 
beat (from excitement etc.) 
mete - sou, ft ~ pou to head 
toward, go in the direction of 
moute ~, monte - to fly a kite 
pase ~ to pass the hurdle, round 
the cape 
p£di ~ li to be out of line; to lose 
one's self-respect 
pran ~ li to find one's direction 
van ~ trade wind 
Var. of Haitian kites are: 
avyon, balon, vwayajfc, drapo, 
estrater£s, fize, gran manj£, senk 
bwa(k6k), softy 
kapab, bwakle, bwaple n. Florida 
boxwood, coffee colubrina, snake-
bark {usedfor washing) 
kapab, ka, kab, kabap, kap v. to 
be able, can; may, might, liable 
to; it may be that; adj. capable, 
competent 
ft sa li - to do one's best 
~ sa perhaps, maybe, it might well 
be 
~ w£ sa ou ft to be able to see the 
results of one's work, make visible 
progress 
n£g ki pa ~ w£ fi skirt-chaser 
pa ~ ankd not to be able to stand it 
any longer 
se sa yo pa ~ yo pa ft to do 
everything possible/imaginable 
Kapaddsprop.n. [Bible] Cappadocia 
Kap Anriprop.n. Cap-Henry (name 
of Cap-Hai'tien during reign of 
King Henry Christophe, 1811-
1820) 
kapasite n. volume; full measure; 
strength, power; asset(s), capacity; 
potential; means; aptitude, talent, 
intelligence, capability, ability 
kapat n. woven saddlebag; cf. 
sakpay 
Kapat (masif)prop.n. Carpathian 
(Mountains) 
kapay n. large straw bag; straw mat 
Kapayisyen see Okap 
kapbap adv. freely, without 
restriction 
kapboum onomat. sound of vehicle 
starting 
k ape contr. ki + ape 
Kap£nawdmprop.n. [Bible] 
Capernaum 
kap&t n. wall-to-wall carpet; section 
of carpet; wig (fam.; cf perik) 
Kap Franswa, Kap Fransfc prop.n. 
Cap-Fran£ois, Cap-Fran$ais (name 
of Cap-Hai'tien during Colonial 
period) 
kapi n. rural section chief (same as 
clftf seksyon) 
kapichon n. hood, cowl; screw-on 
bottle top 
kapift n. capillary 
kapisin n. garden nasturtium, Indian 
408 
kapital - kapre 
cress (plant) 
kapital n. capital city; capital, 
investment; repository of Voodoo 
spirits such as sacred trees, caves, 
cliffs, unusual natural formations 
(N.); adj. capital, important; cf. 
lakapital 
ft ~ politik to make political 
capital, make political gains 
kapitalis n. capitalism; inhabitant of 
capital city; nJadj. capitalist; rich; 
adj. capitalistic 
kapitalizasyon n. capitalization 
kapitalize sou v. to capitalize on, 
grow rich on 
kapitenn see kaptenn 
kapitilasyon n. [Fr.] capitulation, 
surrender 
kapitile v. [Fr.] to capitulate, 
surrender 
kapito: 
set peche ~ (the) seven deadly sins 
kapitdl n. capitol 
kapitonnaj, kapitonnay n. padding, 
stuffing; interior upholstery on 
vehicle roof 
kapitonnen v. to stuff, pad 
kapiye n. maidenhair, Venus hair 
(fern) 
kaplata, kaprelata n. magic Voodoo 
protection; particularly effective 
Voodoo priest or sorcerer 
Kaplata prop.n. legendary seer 
kaplin: 
bei ~, chapo ~ fancy hat 
Kaploprop.n. sub-category of 
Voodoo spirits 
kapo n. cover; rural section chief 
(same as chef seksyon); sh. form 
kaporal 
~ arye, ~ deye trunk lid (of 
vehicle) 
~ mote hood (of vehicle) 
~ wou hubcap 
kap6k n. kapok 
kapon n. coward, weakling; scaredy-
cat, fraidy-cat, chicken; adj. 
scared, fearful; cowardly 
~ twdp pou 1 siye not to be up to 
doing s.thg. 
kaponay, kaponnaj , kaponnay n. 
see kraponnay 
kaponnen see kraponnen 
kaponye n. coward 
kaporal, kapo n. corporal; large 
marble (games) 
aktim ~ military rank between 
private and corporal 
kaporalis adj. authoritarian, 
repressive 
kaporalize v. to regiment, regulate 
kapdt n. roof (of vehicle); condom, 
rubber; var. of tree; way of tying a 
scarf; hairstyle 
~ pou fanm, ~ pou fi diaphragm 
kapdtay, kap6tman n. overthrow; 
overturning (vehicle); capsizing 
kapote v. to overthrow; to overturn, 
turn over; to turn over on its side; 
to capsize; to end, be over; to go 
to, go by (a place); adv. more than 
se ~ ak chavire it's the same thing 
Kapotiy, Kapotiprop.n. Capotille 
(Dept. North-East) 
larivye ~ Capotille River 
(bordering on Dept. North-East 
and the Dominican Republic) 
Kapotiy an prop.n,, Kapotiy kn 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of Capotille 
(Dept. North-East) 
kapotman see kapotay 
kapout adj. [German] finished off, 
done in 
kapre n. goatweed (plant) 
409 
kaprelata - karakole 
kaprelata see kaplata 
kaprelata n. maker of Voodoo 
charms 
kaprikdn n. Capricorn (zodiac) 
kaprina, kabrina n. prostitute 
kapris n. whim, caprice; fad; 
capricious act; crepe jasmin 
(shrub) 
kaprisye n./adj., kaprisy£zf.n./adj. 
capricious, whimsical 
kapsil n. capsule 
kaptaj, kaptay n. capping (of 
spring) 
Kaptanprop.n. Captan (var. of 
fungicide) 
kapte v. to cap (spring); to catch, 
pipe (water); to get hold of; to 
rivet (s.o.'s attention); to tune in 
(radio station, T.V.); to lure, attract 
kapte n. captor 
kaptenn, kapitfcn, kapitenn n. 
captain; var. of tree with stinging 
leaves; hogfish 
- distri rural deputy sheriff, 
assistant to a ohbi seksyon (q.v.) 
kapti n. capture, seizure; capture 
(of intruding domestic animal); 
captivity 
kaptif n. captive, prisoner 
kaptire v. to capture, seize, catch 
kaptive v. to captivate; cf chame 
kaptivite n. captivity 
Kapvfcprop.n. Cape Verde Islands 
Kapvfcdyen prop.n./adj., 
Kapv£dy£nf.prop.n. Cape 
Verdean 
Kapwa prop.n./adj., Kapwaz 
f.prop.n. Capois;/«. Capoise; n. 
(resident of) Cape Haitian 
Kapwa (ri)prop.n. rue Capois 
(Champs-de-Mars area of PaP) 
Kapwa(-Lam6/Lanm6) prop.n. 
Capois/Cappois/Cappoix 
(Francois), Capoix-la-Mort (hero 
of Battle of Vertieres, died 1806) 
Kapwoujpro/?.«. Cap-Rouge (Dept. 
South-East) 
kapya v. to cut weeds with a 
machete 
kara n. carat, karat 
dizwit ~ 18-carat gold, of great 
value 
karabach£ n. carouser; playboy, 
playgirl 
karabann, kabann n. bird-trap 
karabela, karab^I n. denim 
karabin n. carbine, rifle 
karabinen v. to shoot at (with gun); 
adj. angry, enraged, violent 
karabiyen, karabinyen n. 
carabineer, carbineer, rifleman; 
couples dance from early 
nineteenth century considered 
forerunner of merengue 
karaf n. carafe, decanter 
Karakasprop.n. Caracas 
(Venezuela) 
karako, kako, krako n. "Mother 
Hubbard," woman's typical 
peasant dress (with high waistline 
and fiill skirt); nightgown 
~ ib person with supernatural 
powers 
~ pendeng sly, deceitful 
Karak6I: 
~ (Bannann) Caracol (3rd 
communal section of Grande-
Rivtere-du-Nord, Dept. North 
- near supposed site of first 
European settlement in the New 
World, December 1492) 
~ (Pwason) Caracol (Dept. North-
East) 
karakole v. to romp, frolic, prance 
410 
karakol i - karapas 
about 
karakole n. cocuyo tree, mastic tree 
karakoli n. superior type of coffee 
bean 
Karakoli prop.n. Caracolie (section 
of Jeremie, Dept. Grand'Anse) 
Karakdlwa, Karakole prop.n., 
Karakdlwaz, Karakotezf.prop.n. 
inhabitant of Caracol (Dept. 
North-East; Dept. North) 
karakt&, kakt&, krakte n. 
character, personality, disposition, 
temperament; mood, humor; 
character, graphic symbol; 
butterfly bush; see ranmase ~ 
gonfle ~ li sou to bristle at, fiime 
at, rage at 
gwo ~ uppercase, capital letter, 
caps 
- d£zonm, ~ lezonm/l£z6m 
butterfly flower, bullhoof flower 
- gra bold type (printing) 
~ pwot^j hot pad 
kenbe ~ ak to hold up one's head 
against, defy 
lage - li to weaken, give in, lose 
one's resolve 
mare ~ sou to be annoyed at, 
frown at, show anger at 
move ~ bad-tempered 
pa antre nan ~ li to not be to 
one's liking; to vex, annoy; to 
insult 
ranmase - (li), pran ~ (li) to 
become serious (about s.thg.), 
become strong or resolute; to 
become highly offended, become 
hurt and angry 
ranmase ~ li ak to draw back 
from (s.o.), become reserved 
toward (s.o.) 
rantre nan ~ li to fit in with one's 
wishes/thoughts; to be to one's 
liking 
san ~ immodest 
ti - lowercase (letter) 
karakterist ik n. [Fr.] characteristic, 
quality, (typical) feature; (cf. 
mak); adj. characteristic 
karakterizasyon n. [Fr.] 
characterization 
karakterize v. [Fr.] to characterize 
karamel n. caramel 
karanbol n. carom (marbles) 
karanbole v. to rebound, ricochet, 
bounce back 
karanbouk see kayanbouk 
karang n. louse (pi: lice); common 
jack (fish); crevalle jack (fish) 
- aplim African pompano (fish) 
~ makwdk horse-eye jack (fish) 
~ ton blue runner (fish) 
Other var. of ~ (fish) are: ~ gwo 
je, ~ gwo tfct, ~ jomou, ~ ke j6n, 
- pisket 
karanklou n. vulture 
karann num. forty (preceding de, 
twa, kat, senk, sis, s£t); n. var. of 
fish; see karant 
karanndiseyas! interj. yes indeed! 
very definitely!; n. condition 
consisting of several types of 
venereal diseases at the same time 
karannkat n. (any type of) revolver 
karans n. deficiency, lack, shortage 
karant num. forty; see karann 
karant&n n. forties, approximately 
forty; quarantine 
mete an ~ to quarantine 
karanteyen num. forty-one 
karanty&m adj. fortieth 
karapas, karapat n. carapace, shell, 
hide; (blood-sucking) tick; pain in 
the ass, nuisance, pest 
411 
karata - kar£t 
karata n. var. of sisal (pit) 
karate n. karate 
karateka n. karate expert, martial 
artist 
karaftl see karetel 
karavaclft n. lush, drunkard 
karav&n n. caravan 
karav£I n. caravel (ship) 
karayib, chou karayib, kalayib n. 
taro (plant) 
Karayib prop.n. Caribbean; Carib 
Indian 
karayibeyen, karibeyen prop.n./ 
adj. Caribbean 
kare n. square; public square; var. of 
popular two-step dance; penalty 
zone (sports); metal sheet on 
(wooden) boat to make fire; office 
(room); type of konbit (q.v.); v. to 
square (up); to place a bet; to put/ 
place face to face, face off, line 
up (for battle), be ready to fight, 
oppose (in combat); to fix up s.o. 
with, make a match (between man 
and woman); to put in starting 
position (cockfight); to hand over, 
give back; to remain, not yield; 
to begin, become involved in, get 
into; adj. square; frank, candid, 
straightforward; adv. frankly, 
plainly, squarely, directly; see 
karebare 
ftk ~, fenk ~ to have just started 
(doing s.thg.) 
~ banda li to strut, show off 
~ ftt to continue to be done 
~ kd to stand one's ground; 
to strut, put on airs; to make 
room, give way; to settle down 
comfortably 
~ kou ba/brik savon straight as an 
arrow, straightforward, forthright 
~ lajan to place a bet; to ante up 
~ nan yon ciftz to sit up straight 
~ pwoftj hotpad 
- zepdl ak to put/place face to 
face, face off, line up (for battle), 
be ready to fight, oppose (in 
combat) 
tranche ~ to cube 
kar& n. person who sets off two 
cocks to fight (cockfighting) 
karebare adv. straightforwardly, 
assuredly, openly; bluntly; one 
way or another, no matter what, 
come what may 
karem, karenm n. Lent; period 
when fishermen are forced into 
inactivity 
kareman adv. openly, frankly, 
squarely, directly, categorically, 
straight-forwardly; bluntly 
karen, karenn n. hull (of ship) 
mete an ~ to careen (for repairing 
ship) 
karenay, karenaj n. dry dock; 
Lenten period; period when 
fishermen are forced into inactivity 
Karenay, Karenaj prop.n. Care'nage 
(waterfront area of Cape Haitian) 
karenm see karem 
karenn n. hull (boat) 
karenn en v. to careen, turn a ship on 
its side for repairs 
kares n. caress, stroking 
bay ~, ft ti ~ to caress, stroke 
karesan adj. caressing, affectionate; 
caring; charming 
karese v. to caress, fondle, pet, 
stroke, show affection 
kar&t n. tortoise-shell turtle, 
hawksbill turtle, sea turtle; adj. 
temporarily submissive 
mare yon ~, leve yon - to do the 
412 
karetfcl - kasav 
impossible, perform a miracle 
karetel, karat&l n. [Span.] road 
kareti n. expectations, aspirations 
kari n. cavity; caries; decay (tooth, 
gum); curry 
kari, ekari n. breadth of shoulders, 
back and shoulders 
karibeyen see karayibeyen 
karibou n. caribou 
karikati n. caricature 
karikatiris n. caricaturist 
Karikdm acron. Mache Komen 
Karayib CARICOM (Caribbean 
Community/Caribbean Common 
Market) - whose 15 members (Jan. 
2004) are: Antiga e Babouda, 
Ayiti, Baamas, Babad, Beliz, 
Dominik, Giy&n, Grenad, 
Jamayik, Monsera, Senkit e 
Nevis, Sentlisi, Senvensan ak 
Grenadin, Sirinam, Trinidad e 
Tobago 
Karis prop.n. Carice (Dept. North-
East) 
karis(m) n. charisma 
karismatik adj. charismatic 
Karisyenprop.n., Karisy&n 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of Carice 
(Dept. North-East) 
kariti n. build, breadth of chest and 
shoulders 
kariyon, kariyonn n. carillon; 
chime(s); peal (of bells); jingling 
noise, clatter 
kariyonnen, karyonnen v. to ring, 
chime, peal; to jingle, clatter; to 
proclaim loudly 
karyadd n. cockfight supervisor; 
friendly go-between in a love 
relationship 
karyann n.geol. agglomerate, 
conglomerate; stone quarry; rocky 
terrain; cf. kwaryann 
karye v. to decay; to be decayed 
kary£ n. career; quarry, stone-pit 
de ~ experienced; professional 
karyeris n. careerist (pej.) 
Kary&sprop.n. Carries (8th 
communal section of Cabaret, 
Dept. West) 
karyoka, kayoka n. (woman's) 
sandal 
karydl n. large jeep 
karyonnen see kariyonnen 
kas n. hardhat; helmet; headphones 
for a walkman; plaster cast; 
seashell; cassia (plant); caste; 
exclusiveness 
ch£ch kou yon ~, kd ~, mdg kou 
~ emaciated 
~ ble United Nations peacekeeper 
~ fetid, ~ nanm stinking weed 
~ soud& welding helmet 
~ \b Green Beret (US elite 
military group) 
m&g kou ~ skinny, bony 
Var. of cassia plant: baton ~, 
~ abitan, ~ dous, ~ mawon, ~ 
panydl, ~ Syam, ~ woz, ~ zabitan 
kasab see kasav 
kasaj see kasay 
kasan adj. breakable 
Kasasyon: 
ale nan ~ to appeal to a higher 
court 
Kou ~, Koudap£l, Lakou ~, 
Tribinal - Supreme Court of 
Appeals 
kasav, kasab n. cassava flatbread 
(made from grated manioc root) 
~ dous sweet cassava 
~ wayal cassava bread spread with 
peanut butter 
mete men nan pat ~, pran nan 
413 
kasavri - kase 
pat ~ to seize, grab, arrest (s.o.) 
pen ~ cassava pudding 
kasavri n. cassava mill 
kasay, kasaj n. breaking, chipping 
Kasaydl prop.n. legendary seer 
di yon moun sa ~ te di b£f la to 
read s.o. the riot act 
kase v. to break, fracture; to chip, 
break off; to fold, bend; to turn 
up, roll up (sleeves etc.); to hem; 
to break up (relationship); to 
burglarize, break into; to start, 
begin; to break, change (bill, 
money); to dissolve; to injure; to 
pick, harvest (crop etc.); to fire, 
dismiss (s.o.); to lose weight, 
slim down; to stop developing 
or growing; to turn, branch off; 
to reach an agreement; to cancel, 
annul, overturn (judgment etc.); 
to bow while bending the knees 
(Voodoo); n. deferential curtsy 
(Voodoo); break in drum rhythm 
(Voodoo); niche, indentation, 
crevice; hem; trouser cuffs; 
purging cassia, Indian laburnum; 
adj. thin, scrawny 
ft yon ~ to leave, head out; to lose 
weight (pej.) 
ft yon ~ chavire to head toward 
~ boujon to nip in the bud, 
prevent from starting 
~ (yon) bouyon to bring to a boil 
(cooking) 
~ bra to discourage, depress 
~ chavire to head toward; assault, 
charge, attack 
~ chavire d£y£ to sink behind 
~ dan to beat up 
~ de bout done in, washed up 
- double to do again, come back 
for the same thing; to work two 
full shifts in a day (full morning 
and full afternoon shifts) 
~ fache to break off relations 
~ ft to turn down the heat, dispirit, 
dampen, discourage 
- ft yon moun to quiet s.o. down, 
calm s.o. down 
~ fty (kouvri sa) to sweep under 
the carpet, conceal, cover up; to 
forget, forgive; cover-up 
~ kay to break in, burglarize 
~ kdd to cast off, set sail (ship) 
~ kdd (lonbrit) to break the 
ties, cut off relations; to kick the 
bucket, die 
- kdd li to try hard, break one's 
neck trying 
~ kou to do away with, kill 
~ kou gade to look hard at 
~ kou (ti) short nap or dozing off 
~ koub to turn a corner, take a 
curve; curve 
~ lezo to break water (in 
childbirth); to make a debut 
- lezo nan bouch to suffer from 
disjointed teeth and jaws after 
childbirth 
~ manch to roll up one's sleeve(s) 
~ mete nan men to knock the 
socks off, beat the pants off, 
overwhelm 
~ moso bay to share with 
- o u ! I dare you! 
~ pari to agree on a bet 
- pou grandi to gain height and 
lose weight (growing child) 
~ pye to stumble 
~ raj, ~ raz wild olive tree 
~ rale mennen vini to attract (by 
a Voodoo spell); terrible, ? ^ful 
(disease etc.) 
~ (yon) randevou to make an 
414 
kas£ - Kastera fis 
appointment or date 
~ ren to break the back of, wear 
down; to fire, lay off; to dilute 
with water (rum etc.) 
~ sa! cut it! scram! 
~ s£k primavera (plant) 
- sou to fold back; to fold under, 
pull down; to lean back on 
~ t£ to leave land, shove off (boat); 
to turn over the soil, plow 
~ t&t to make a (sudden) turn; to 
make a big effort; to break s.o.'s 
head; puzzle 
~ t&t sou to (make a) turn to (left, 
right) 
~ t£t tounen to make a U-turn, 
head back in the opposite 
direction; to make an abrupt 
change; retreat 
- ti bwa nan zdrey to flirt; to 
court, woo 
~ yon randevou to make an 
appointment or date 
~ zo var. of plant 
~ zdt£y to stub one's toe 
lapli a ~ the rain is approaching 
nan ~ kole pyese by trial and error 
pa ka ~ (yon) ze to be speechless; 
to be timid; to be powerless 
kas£ n. wild and reckless person 
kas&dgr£v n. strike-breaker 
kas£dkay n. burglar, robber 
kas&dpen: 
~ nan pdch skinflint, tightwad, 
cheapskate 
Kas£k, Kaz&k acron. (Kons£y 
Administrasyon Seksyon 
Kominal) [three-member] 
administrative council of a 
commune or district (of which 
there were 133 in 1998); member 
of same; cf. As£k 
bra ~, £d ~, polis ~ unofficial law 
enforcement agent 
kaserach n. cogwood, greenheart, 
Jamaica laurel (tree - same as 
bwawoz) 
kas£t, k-7 n. (audio) cassette, tape 
apar&y ~ cassette player 
woulo ~ cassette tape 
kasetofdn n. tape deck 
kasi n. break, crack 
kasik n. cacique, Taino ruler (pre-
Columbian period) 
- Anri cacique Henry (leader of 
Taino resistance against Spanish in 
early 16th century) 
sou ~ local cacique, regional ruler 
(pre-Columbian period) 
kasika n, one of the five Taino 
kingdoms of pre-Columbian Haiti 
kasis n. cassis 
kaskad n. cascade, waterfall 
kaskade n. fast driver, speeder; 
daredevil 
kaskari n. seaside balsam, cascarilla 
(shrub) 
kaskayet, kanskanyet, kaskany&t, 
kastayfct, kastenyfct n. castanet(s) 
kasket n. cap (hat) 
gwo ~ chinwa bigwig, big shot, 
VIP 
kaskou n. daredevil; rough-rider; 
death-trap 
pran ~ to lose (cockfight esp.) 
Kasotey see Kaysotey 
kasoute n. stew 
Kaspy&n (lanm&) prop.n. Caspian 
Sea 
kast n. [Fr] caste, class, standing 
kastay&t, kasteny&t see kaskayet 
Kastera fis (Jdj)prop.n. Castera 
fils (Georges) - Haitian-language 
writer, author of Biswit Leta 
415 
kasftt - kat 
kasftt n. cap (hat); hard question; 
headache (fig.) 
~ chinwa puzzle 
kasteyann, kastiyann, kateyann 
prop.n./adj. Castilian; Spanish 
kast6 n. beaver; beaver hat; 
breakaxe tree, ironwood tree 
kastdl see kastwdl 
kastole n. var. of cassava (prepared 
in a cooking-pot rather than on a 
griddle) 
kastonnad n. brown-sugar candy 
kastonnen v. to train (horse); to cut 
muscle near base of horse's tail 
(in order for it to stand out); see 
kastwonnen 
Kastriprop.n. Castries (Saint Lucia) 
kststris prop. n./adj. Castroite 
(follower of or pertaining to Fidel 
Castro) 
Kastwo (Fidfcl)prop.n. Castro 
(Fidel) - premier of Cuba, born 
1927 
kastwdl, kastol, kasw61 n. saucepan, 
pan; cooking pot 
- vap£ double-boiler 
kastwonnen, kastw6nen v. to give 
an unusual shape to (e.g., a hat) 
kasvfcprop.n. Green Beret (US elite 
military group) 
kaswdl see kastwdl 
kasya see akasya 
kat num. four; n. card; playing-card; 
admission ticket; name badge; 
map; menu; permit; coarse-grained 
sandpaper; see lakat 
achte ~ pelouz, pran ~ pelouz to 
be only an on-looker, not play an 
active role 
bat ~ to shuffle cards; to tell s.o.'s 
fortune, read cards 
bay ~ to hang around, drift about, 
loiter 
bay ~ blanch to give free rein, 
give a free hand 
bay yon ~ wouj to disqualify 
(sports) 
bay yon kout ~, ft kout ~ to tell 
s.o.'s fortune, read cards 
chanje ~ to renew one's 
parishioner's card 
ft kout ~ to read cards 
fty ~ playing-card 
~ anbakeman boarding pass 
(airport) 
~ ap&l (telephone) calling card 
~ blanch carte blanche, free rein; 
complete authority 
~ bon sa bon excellent 
~ chemen lasante road-to-health 
chart 
~ didantite tax office identity card 
- figi picture playing-cards (i.e., 
jacks, queens, kings) 
~ fouch uncomfortable bed/bunk/ 
pallet 
~ fwa quadruple 
~ j6n penalty (sports) 
~ j we playing-card(s) 
~ kare var. of dance 
~ la bat anba p&nye it's an 
underhanded deal 
~ legliz parishioner's church card 
(obs.) 
~ mache market card (showing 
merchant's fee has been paid) 
~ make conspicuous, noticeable; 
notorious; standout; retired thief 
(fan.) 
~ mare katdz things are 
beginning, things are getting 
started 
~ pa ~ four by four(-wheel drive 
vehicle) 
416 
Kat - kataplanm 
~ panno dump, unpleasing house 
~ pay low card 
~ pelouz cheap ticket (for sporting 
event) 
~ pik&t, - pike, ~ pik& 
uncomfortable bed/bunk/pallet 
~ pou kenz var. of roll (bread) 
~ pou moute abd boarding pass 
(airport) 
~ pwofesyon&l business card 
~ sable coarse-grained sandpaper 
~ tan common time, four-four 
time (music) 
~ ti poto, ~ pye uncomfortable 
bed/bunk/pallet 
~ vaksen immunization record 
~ ve e ach see kat-ve-e-ach 
~ v£t U.S. residency card 
~ vizit calling card 
koupe ~ to take one card (in card 
game) 
kout ~ round, session (playing 
cards); agreement, bargain, deal; 
event, occurrence, situation 
mele ~ to create confusion 
move kout - bad fix, bad situation 
nan kout ~ therefore 
pase ~ to foretell the future; to 
have one's fortune told 
p&di ~ (marenn) li, p&di ~ 
jeyografi li to lose one's bearings, 
be disoriented; to be foolish/ 
dumb/crazy 
po ~ low card 
pran yon - dis kdb epi mete 
chwal ou nan pak! sit down and 
be quiet! 
se menm kout - it's all the same 
ti —je, ti chit —je Chapman's 
ground warbler (bird) 
tire ~ to play cards; to read cards, 
tell s.o.'s fortune 
z£l ~ playing-card 
Kat prop.n. nickname for Katrin 
kata n. head cold; smallest of the 
three Rada or batri maskawon 
drums (Voodoo) - same as boula; 
var. of rhythmic beat on side of 
bamboo flute (vaksin), drum or 
cymbal in konpa dirfck; v. to be 
done for, be finished, be washed 
up; to beat kata rhythm; adj. 
sickly, puny, stunted; retarded, 
slightly mentally defective; see 
bizoton 
bat ~ to beat hard (heart, drum 
etc.) 
pa tande ~ (yon moun) not to 
hear any news about (s.o.) 
Kata prop.n. Qatar 
katab n. (filing) folder 
katabou n. smallest of the three 
Kongo rite drums (Voodoo) - same 
as ti kongo 
katach, katrach n, AIDS (acquired 
immune deficiency syndrome) 
katafal(k) n. large quantity; 
catafalque; adj. much, many; huge 
yon - a bunch of, a lot of 
katak onomat. tick-tock 
katakat see ka tarak 
katalanprop.n./adj. Catalan 
katal6g n. catalog 
kataloge v. to catalog 
K&t&ldy prop.n. Catalonia 
katalyfc, katay£ n. player of the 
kata drum; person who marks the 
rhythm (Voodoo) 
katamaran n. catamaran (boat) 
katapil n. catapult 
katapila n. bulldozer 
kataplanm n. idler, loafer; adj. lazy, 
idle 
pa ~ d&y£ bw&t no small affair, a 
417 
kataplas - katolik 
big deal; cf. pa kaka poul d&yfc 
bw£t 
kataplas n. mustard plaster 
katapoli n. sandpaper (N.) 
katarak, kakarat, katakat, katarat 
n. cataract; waterfall, cascade 
Kataryenprop.n./adj., Kataryfcn 
f.prop.n. Qatari 
katastw6f n. catastrophe 
katastwofik adj. catastrophic 
kataft, kateft n. catheter 
kataw onomat. crash! (lightning); cf. 
lakataw 
katawout n. [Eng.] cut-out (design 
work; mach.) 
katayS see katalye 
katayi n. var. of arabika coffee 
katchaboumbe, kachaboumbe, 
kachoumbonmbe, 
katchouboum, katchouboumbe, 
katchoumbonmbe, 
katyouboumbe onomat. boom!; 
plunk! (sound of stone falling into 
water); n. big noise; confused 
situation; trouble, fix, mess, 
turmoil 
katchapika n. dagger 
katche see katye 
katchemen n. dogberry, marlberry 
(shrub or small tree) 
katchim, katchimbo see kachimbo 
katch6p, kachdp, kfctchdp n. 
ketchup 
katchouboumbe see katchaboumbe 
katchoule v. to hobble along, walk 
slowly; see kalkile 
katchoupin n. nuisance, pain in the 
ass; ass, buttocks 
kaft n. quarter (one of four periods 
of playing time in certain sports) 
~ enferyfc oil pan (mach.) 
Kate (Djimi) prop.n. Carter (Jimmy) 
- president of USA, 1977-1981 
katech&z n. ecc. catechetics 
katechis n. catechism; catechist; 
catechism class; person in charge 
of catechism class 
katedral, katredal n. cathedral 
yon ~ a huge amount of 
kategori n. category, class, group 
kategorik adj. outspoken; 
categorical, unequivocal 
kategorikman adv. categorically, 
unequivocally 
kategorizasyon n. categorization 
kategorize v. to categorize 
kaftl n. board, council; coalition 
katen n. var. of breadfruit tree 
kaftn, ftn n. quaternion 
(combination of four numbers in 
lottery, bingo etc.) 
kateft see kataft 
kateyann see kasteyann 
katfil n. high-quality cloth 
Katiprop.n. Cathy, Kathy, Katie 
(nickname for Katrin) 
sikldn ~ Katy (disastrous 
hurricane, October 1965) 
katimini: 
an ~ underhandedly; secretly 
katira n. var. of arabika coffee 
katiye adj. spread open 
katjesee je 
katkat see tikatkat 
katlas: 
ft ~ to make a big win (four aces) 
Katmandouprop.n. Kathmandu 
(Nepal) 
Kat6 (Silvyo) prop.n. Cator (Sylvio) 
- Haiti's legendary Olympic track 
star 
estad Silvyo ~ Sylvio Cator 
stadium - main stadium of PaP 
katolik n./adj. Roman Catholic; adj. 
418 
katolisis - kav 
good 
~ fran, ~ levanjil Roman Catholic 
who does not practice Voodoo 
pa - not entirely dependable; 
shady, fishy, dubious 
katolisis n. Roman Catholicism 
katon n. carton; cardboard, 
pasteboard; story, version, 
account; penalty (soccer) 
asy£t ~ paper plate 
bay ~ to call a penalty (sports) 
bay (yon) ~ wouj to disqualify 
(sports) 
~ bouri fiberglass 
~ jon penalty in soccer (two ~ j6n 
= ~ wouj) 
~ wouj disqualification (sports) 
pa nan - to be out of the game, be 
out of it 
pran ~ to receive a penalty 
(sports) 
se menm - an it all amounts to the 
same thing 
katouch n. cartridge 
Katoum prop.n. Khartoum (Sudan) 
katdz num. fourteen 
lag£ ~ World War I 
katdzan n. fourteen years 
katdzy£m adj. fourteenth; n. ace in 
some card games 
katpakat n. 4 x 4, four-wheel drive 
vehicle 
katpostal n. postcard 
katpoukenz n. var. of roll (bread) 
katrach see katach 
katran n. four years 
katr£ n. four o'clock 
katredal see katedral 
katr&dtan n. four hours 
katreven num. eighty 
katrevendis num. ninety 
katrevendizy£m adj. ninetieth 
katreven onz num. ninety-one 
katreventy£m adj. eightieth 
Katrin prop.n. Catherine, Katherine 
katriy£m adj. fourth; n. ninth grade 
katriy&mman adv. fourthly 
katsan num. four hundred; any 
inordinately large number or 
amount 
kat-ve-e-ach (4VEH) acron. 
Vwa Evanjelik Dayiti (4 Voix 
Evang^lique d'Haiti) - Evangelical 
Voice of Haiti (Protestant radio 
station in Vaudreuil, Dept. North; 
founded 2 June 1950) 
katwon n. (obs.) quadroon, man 
with one White parent and one 
Mulatto parent 
katwdn f.n. (obs.) quadroon, woman 
with one White parent and one 
Mulatto parent 
katyapika n. large knife or long 
dagger 
katye, katche n. subdivision of a 
"commune" (same as a seksyon); 
neighborhood, area, district, 
community; quarter (of the moon); 
buccaneer palm tree; see lalin 
- j e n e r a l (staff) headquarters 
pa bay (yon moun) - to give 
(s.o.) no quarter, be unrelenting 
katyenftt n. quartermaster; person 
who divides or distributes (food, 
clothes etc.) 
ib ~ to divide, give out, distribute 
Katyemoren prop.n. Quartier-Morin 
-founded 1675 (Dept. North) 
katydkd see kwachydkd 
katyouboumbe see katchaboumbe 
katyoule see kalkile 
kav n. tomb, vault, mausoleum; 
cave, cavern, grotto; basement, 
cellar, storage area; var. of hawk 
419 
Kavajaft - kawdt 
Kavajaft prop.n., Kavajaftz 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of Cerca-
Carvajal (Dept. Center) 
kavalkad n. stampede; cavalcade, 
procession 
kavalri n. cavalry 
kavalye n. horseman, rider; dance 
partner (male) 
bon - good horseback rider; 
person who always arrives in time 
for a meal 
ft ~ pdlka to go it alone 
~ pdlka accomplice 
kavaly&zf.n. horsewoman; dance 
partner (woman) 
bon ~ see (bon) kavalye 
Kavayonprop.n. Cavaillon -
founded 1700 (Dept. South) 
Kavayon^prop.n., Kavayon&z 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of Cavaillon 
(Dept. South) 
kave refl. to be hidden, be concealed; 
v. to guzzle (down), drink heavily 
kav&n n. cavern 
kavite n. cavity 
kavo n. burial chamber, vault, tomb; 
grotto, cave; bank vault 
kavya n. caviar 
kaw n. crow, raven; sharp thunder; 
ugliness; onomat. whack! pow!; 
see kawdtchou 
clftch kon ~ dry as a bone 
~ fran white-necked crow 
ftd tankou ~ ugly as a mud fence, 
ugly as the devil 
ti - palm crow 
kawann n. hawk's-bill turtle 
Kawannprop.n. (La) Cahouane 
(Dept. South) 
kawntiw. [Eng.] county 
kawo, kawdt n, carreau (measure 
of surface area 3.19 acres, or 1.29 
hectares, or 125 meters x 125 
meters); diamond (cards); flatiron; 
tile, tile floor; window pane; 
square, grid (of checkerboard etc.); 
chaos [Fr.] 
a ~ checkered 
~ bous, ~ chabon, ~ gous flatiron 
heated with charcoal 
~ ft, ~ dife flatiron that must be 
heated on a fire 
~ (a) letrisite, ~ kouran electric 
flatiron 
~ (a) men flatiron 
kouri ~ sou to iron 
kraze yon de ~ to dance tightly 
embraced 
Kawo (chenn)prop.n. Cahos 
mountain range (Dept. Artibonite) 
Kawodstti prop.n. Carreau-Datty 
(2nd communal section of Bassin-
Bleu, Dept. North-West) 
Kawbl prop.n. Carol(e) 
Kawolin prop.n. Carolina; Caroline 
~ Akawo traditional children's song 
~ di Nd North Carolina (USA) 
- di Sid South Carolina (USA) 
kawolis n. carolus (gold coin) 
Kawonaboprop.n. Caonabo 
(cacique of Maguana, leader of 
early opposition against Spanish 
—died 1496) 
kawds n. coach, carriage 
Kawdsprop.n. Carrosse (3rd 
communal section of Vallieres, 
Dept. North-East) 
kawosi, kawosri n. bus (open at 
sides) with cross seats; chassis, 
body (of car etc.) 
kawdt n. carrot; var. of mango; see 
kawo 
~ blan parsnip 
~ chantne red cored chantenay 
420 
kawotay - kay 
carrot 
- d&nv£s Danvers half-long carrot 
kwit ~ la to bring to a close 
kawotay, kawotaj n. bumping, 
jolting, jerking; obstacles or holes 
in road; squaring off of land into 
regular plots 
chaje ~ bumpy (road etc.) 
kawotchou, kaw, kawotyou, 
kawouchou, kawoutchou nJ 
adj. rubber; n. tire, wheel; life 
preserver; garden hose; catheter; 
siphon 
bay (yon moun) - to necklace -
see lebren 
doub ~ var. of sandal 
~ (bdk) enema tube 
- derechany, ~ derechanj, ~ 
rechany spare tire 
~ devan front tire 
- d£y£ rear tire 
~ flanbe see lebren 
~ winchil windshield-wiper blade 
leve p&n ~ to repair a flat tire 
p&n ~ flat tire, puncture 
pye ~ cryptostegia (plant) 
kawdtchoumann, kawotyoumann 
n. tire repairman 
kawote v. to divide (land) into 
quadrants for irrigation; to jolt, be 
jerked about; to tile; adj. bumpy, 
full of potholes, eroded (road); 
grided, squared (graft paper) 
kawoftn, kawoten n. carotene 
kawotid n. carotid (artery) 
kawotik adj. chaotic 
kawotman n. bumping, jolting, 
jerking 
kawotyou, kawouchou see 
kawdtchou 
kawotyoumann see 
kawdtchoumann 
kawoule n. Mardi Gras mask 
representing the devil (Saint-Marc 
esp.) 
kawousel n. idleness, loafing; merry-
go-round; commotion, movement; 
carousel (for airport baggage) 
ft ~ to lay off the job, stop 
working 
kawoutchou see kawdtchou 
kay n. bobwhite (bird) 
kay, ka n. house, hut, dwelling; 
building, structure; office, shop; 
quail; game played with small 
round black seeds (wari); var. of 
mango; prep, at the home of; in 
the case of; in the establishment/ 
business/factory/office of; adj. 
domestic, home-grown, home­
made; cf. lakay 
anba ~ basement 
anndan ~ private, behind the 
scenes, off the record 
bay ~ to leave the house, clear out 
bds ~ construction foreman; 
general contractor 
d£y& - rump, buttocks 
ft ~ to construct, build; to spend a 
long time (before returning) 
ftm ~ house rent 
gwo ~ mansion 
~ an blok cinder-block house 
~ an de etaj/etay two-story house; 
cf. chanmdt 
~ (an) do chwal, ~ a(n) chwal, 
- an do kochon, ~ an koulwa, 
~ (an) nen kochon, ~ bouch 
kochon, ~ do bef, - djdl kochon, 
- kouvri ameriken, ~ kouvri 
an pye debou, - (kouvri) de bd 
house with two-sided roof 
- an galeri/galri house with porch 
or verandah 
421 
Kay - kaye 
~ an koup (kare), ~ an piyon, 
~ antableman, ~ gran b6 piyon 
house with roof slanting in four 
directions 
~ an kwazman house with three 
gables 
~ (an) mi house with stone or 
cement walls 
~ an mi lontan house of former 
colonial master 
~ anba ~, ~ andedan ~ bed 
~ aft tiny hovel or shanty, 
"glorified chicken coop" 
~ balkon two-story house 
~ bas one-story house 
~ b&t barn 
~ blanch place of isolation (room, 
house etc.) for TB patients 
~ boule remains of burned-down 
house (obs.) 
~ (an) chanmdt two-story house 
- chato mansion 
~ depo Voodoo temple 
- eskalye two-story house 
~ ftm rented house 
~ gwo manman brothel 
~jaden seejoupa 
~ lwa, ~ lofis Voodoo temple 
~ madan Vikt6 John, crapper 
(toilet) 
~ manbo Voodoo temple 
(complex); cf. ounfd 
~ mi house with stone or cement 
walls 
~ misft inner sanctuary of Voodoo 
temple complex containing altar 
(same as badji) 
~ mobil trailer, mobile home 
[Eng.] 
~ oungan Voodoo temple 
(complex); cf. ounfd 
~ pay thatched-roof house 
~ sen Voodoo temple 
~ softy building usable only in 
absence of rain (because of bad 
roof) 
~ sou wou trailer, mobile home 
~ tach thatched-roof house 
~ ft mud-walled house 
~ tdl tin-roofed house 
~ wdch cave, grotto 
kwen - good old house 
(expression of endearment) 
lave ~ ft to do useless things, 
work in vain 
li ~ p& pou li mouri san batize to 
die of starvation in a land of plenty 
mete (yon moun) nan ~ to take to 
live with, cohabit 
moun ~ one of us (s.o. considered 
a member of the family); extended 
household (essentially those eating 
from same family kitchen); regular 
customer 
pitit ~ close family friend, 
household intimate; member of a 
given Voodoo temple 
py£s ~ rented room 
ftt-roof 
ti ~ outhouse 
yon ~ a lot of, much 
Kay see Okay 
kaya v. to splash around (in water) 
kaya (mawon), akaya n. 
spiderflower (shrub) 
~ dou var. of spiderflower 
kayak see gayak 
Kayaloprop.n. small island near 
Cayes (Dept. South) 
kayanbouk, karanbouk n. 
calabash bowl with large mouth; 
warehouse, storehouse 
kaye n. notebook, exercise book; 
curdled milk; v. to curdle; to 
422 
kayen - kaz 
coagulate, jell, clot; to freeze over, 
freeze up; to be in full force, be in 
full swing; to put into full force; 
adj. filled, congested; chronic 
(disease); see poul 
- doieyans, - reklamasyon, -
revandikasyon list of complaints 
kayen: 
- kd li to keep a low profile, make 
oneself inconspicuous 
- - h i d d e n ; deceitfully, 
underhandedly 
Kayen prop.n. [Bible] Cain 
Kayen prop.n., Kayen f.prop.n. 
Cayan, inhabitant of (Aux/Les) 
Cayes (Dept. South) 
kayenkaya adv. slowly, haltingly; cf. 
kanyan(k) 
Kayenn, Kayenprop.n. Cayenne 
(French Guiana) 
kayif n. caliph, calif 
Kayikdsprop.n. Caicos Island 
(Turks and Caicos Islands) 
kayiman, kayman n. caiman 
(tropical American alligator) 
- fran stinkwood tree 
Kayiman (zile) prop.n. 
Cayman Islands; see Bwa ~; 
Twoukayiman 
Kayimelyen, Kayjakmelyen, 
Kaymeieprop.n., Kayimelyen, 
Kayjakmelyen, Kaymelen 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of Cayes-
Jacmel (Dept. South-East) 
kayimit, kaymit n. star-apple; adj. 
hard-hearted 
- mawon satin leaf tree 
- vyeiet var. of star-apple 
ti - wild kaimit 
Kayimit, Kaymit (zile) prop.n. 
Cayemit(t)es (islands off northern 
coast of south peninsula facing 
Pestel, Dept. Grand'Anse); see 
Janbelin 
Grann - Grande-Cayemit(t)e (45 
km 2) 
Ti - Petite-Cayemit(t)e 
Kayjakm&l, Okayjakmeiprop.n. 
Cayes-Jacmel (Dept. South-East) 
Kayjakmelyen, Kayjakmelyen see 
Kayimelyen, Kayimelyen 
kayman see kayiman 
Kaymeie, Kaymelen see 
Kayimelyen, Kayimelyen 
kaymit see kayimit 
Kaymit see Kayimit 
Kay Moustikprop.n. Caye-&-
Moustique (island off coast of 
Aquin, immediately west of 
Grande Caye - Dept. South) 
kayo n. clot; adj. resistant, durable 
kayobanbi n. sugar cane cutter 
returned from the Dominican 
Republic or Cuba 
kayoka see karyoka 
Kayolobds prop. n. Cayo Lobos 
(Bahamas) 
Kayonabitch jprop./?. Kyona Beach 
(Dept. West) 
Kayonn, Kaydnprop.n. Cayonne 
(southeast port village of Tortuga 
Island, Dept. North-West) 
kayonnen v. to chime, ring 
kaypon n. ironwood tree 
Kaysoiey, Kasoiey, K-Soieyprop.n. 
disadvantaged area of Gonaives 
(Dept. Artibonite) 
kaz, lakaz n. hut, cabin, small 
house; division, compartment; 
cage (for animals); square 
(chessboard, graph); pigeonhole, 
box (for mail) 
grann - slave owner's house 
(during French colonial period) 
423 
kazak - ke 
~ an&g slave quarters (during 
French colonial period) 
kazak n. new born's clothes, 
swaddling clothes, baby dress or 
gown 
chanje ~, boukante ~, vire ~ to 
change coats, change sides, change 
(political) allegiance 
remete ~ to revert to pattern 
Kazakstan/?rop.tt. Kazakhstan 
Kazal, prop.n. Casale (4th 
communal section of Cabaret, 
Dept. West) 
kaz&nye n./adj. stay-at-home, 
homebody 
kaze v. to hire (s.o.); to find a job for 
(s.o.), place 
kaz£ n. member of a kasek (q.v.) 
Kaz&k see Kas&k 
kaz£n n. military headquarters, 
police station, barracks 
Kaz&n Desalinprop.n. Casernes 
Dessalines (Dessalines Barracks 
next to National Palace, PaP) 
kaz&nen, kaz&ne v. to settle in, 
establish oneself; to be stationed 
(milit); to hide, hole up 
kazimi n./adj. cashmere 
Kazimiprop.n. Casimir (8th 
communal section of Ravine-
Gros-Morne, Dept. Artibonite) 
kazimodo n. Quasimodo, Low 
Sunday, Sunday following Easter 
kazinet n. var. of cloth; adj. durable, 
lasting 
kazino n. (gambling) casino; casino 
(card game) 
Kazoprop.n. Cazeau (Dept. West) 
Kaztach (chenn)prop.n. Casetaches 
mountain range (western extreme 
of Dept. Grand'Anse) 
kazwarina n. var. of tree 
kazw£l n. coward; casuistry, 
sophistry; adj. cowardly; shy, 
timid, bashful; girl-shy; spiritless, 
dull, listless, weak; casual 
(clothes) 
kazye n. office, booth; compartment; 
locker; post office box; small 
separate plot of land; rack, 
whatnot 
~ jidisyfc police/criminal record 
ke n. tail, end; tail, ass; ejaculation; 
tail of kite; line, queue; tail fin, 
caudal fin (of fish); v. let, may 
(command);pron. [Fr] that; [Fr.] 
which; [Fr] whom; conj. [Fr.] 
that; [Fr] than, in comparison with 
baton ~, bwa ~ tail, rear end 
dfcnye ~ (at the) tail end 
fini an ~ de pwason to come 
to an abrupt end; to end anti-
climactically 
~ chemiz shirttail 
~ chwal ponytail (hairstyle) 
Ke Ddse Quai d'Orsay (French 
Foreign Office) 
~ fann vented (coat or jacket) 
~ kamyonn&t last place, tail end 
(fig-) 
~ whether... or 
~ kdb wad of money; see ti ~ kdb 
~ koche/kochi/kwochi var. of 
insect similar to scorpion 
~.. . -/li pa whether or not 
- lanmori tails, formal tuxedo 
- makak tough critter 
- makak la la pi rfcd, r£d kou 
- makak tightly screwed on, 
irremovable; we're in there 
solid(ly), things are better than 
ever 
- mdfl& tailpipe, exhaust pipe 
~ se whether it be, or 
424 
kb-kk 
- w6b train (of dress) 
kou ~ makak on tight, tightly 
attached 
mete ~ li anba vant li to put 
one's tail between one's legs, be 
submissive 
redi ~ (yon moun) to harass; to 
make (s.o.) slave away 
ti ~ kdb little bit of money 
k b n. heart; heart (cards); heart, 
center, core (of matter or 
substance); stomach; courage, 
endurance; choir; chorus; refrain; 
adv. o'clock 
a ~ sincerely, at heart, to heart 
ak de ~ reluctantly, unwillingly 
ak tout ~ li sincerely 
anba ~ epigastric; epigastrium 
bat pa ~ to learn by rote 
memorization 
bay ~ tounen to nauseate, disgust 
bon - kind-hearted 
bri (nan) ~ heart murmur 
dokte ~ cardiologist 
doute anba ~ chest pain 
fb ~ to have heart trouble 
fb ~ di to harden (one's) heart 
fb ~ kase to scare, disturb 
fby ~ monkey's-hand, colt's-foot 
(herb); cf. kol&t adam 
gen gwo ~ sou bisket to be deeply 
concerned 
gen ~ tireless, indefatigable; to be 
courageous; to have a heart, be 
sensitive to others' problems 
gen ~ di to be strict, be severe 
gen ~ fbb pou to have pity on 
gen ~ nan men to be generous or 
neighborly 
gen ~ sere to be sad or depressed; 
to be anxious 
gwo ~ heavy heart 
- ap rete/rache heart-rending 
~ boule heartburn, indigestion 
~ cho heartburn, acidic stomach; 
impatient 
~ di hardhearted, callous, 
insensitive 
~ fb mal to pity, be sorry for; 
sorrow, regrets 
~ fbb weak heart; nausea 
~ frfct cool-headed, calm, 
unflappable 
~ grenn jealous; sad, 
downhearted, depressed 
~ kal calm; fearless 
- kase shocked, startled, stunned; 
concerned, moved; shock, fear; 
concern 
interj. to call chickens 
~ kildt hard, tough, resistant object 
~ kdde see ~ tdde 
~ kontan happiness, gladness, 
satisfaction; peace; joy; happy, 
glad, satisfied 
~ li anfle to be angry 
~ li desann anba pye 1 to be 
scared stiff, be scared out of one's 
wits 
~ li kase to be moved, be stirred, 
experience an emotion 
~ li fb li mal his/her heart aches 
~ li fb venn to be jealous 
~ li konn bat to have a high heart 
rate at times 
- li moute bwa worried, anxious, 
alarmed 
- li pa anplas to be anxious, be 
apprehensive 
- li sote to be afraid, be alarmed 
- li van afraid; impatient, restless 
- mare see - sere 
~ nan men soft-hearted; 
generosity; sensitivity 
425 
kb - keksyone 
~ nwa yacca tree 
- nw&, - nwa evil, hateful 
- pa kontan depressed, down; 
unhappiness, discontent 
~ p£di s.o. who has lost all hope 
- pile heartburn 
- plen upset stomach, nausea; 
nauseated; disgust 
- pdpdz carefree; without fear; 
indifferent; peacefully, quietly, 
leisurely 
- poze peace of mind; untroubled, 
tranquil, calm 
- sansib, ~ sansiv sympathy; 
compassion; sympathetic, caring, 
compassionate 
~ senyen var. of plant 
~ sere, - mare sadness, 
depression; anxiety, worry; 
anxious, worried 
~ si heartburn 
- sote shock, fright, alarm; 
anxiety; shocked, stunned; 
startled, scared 
~ sou bisk^t anxiety, worry; 
anxious, worried 
~ soufwa worried, anxious 
~ tdde, ~ kdde great physical 
suffering 
~ tounen nausea 
- venn jealous 
kenbe ~, pran ~ to take heart; not 
to be afraid; to endure, tolerate 
kenbe nan ~ li to keep a secret; to 
bear a grudge 
kenbe (yon moun) nan/sou - to 
bear a grudge (against s.o.) 
kriz ~ heart attack 
mal anba ~ epigastric distress 
maladi ~ heart disease 
mare - li to steel oneself, resign 
oneself 
mare ~ (pou ft yon bagay) to do 
(s.thg.) in spite of oneself 
nan fon ~ deep in one's heart; 
inwardly 
pa ~ by heart, from memory 
plenn nan ~ to suffer in silence 
pran ~see k e n b e -
san - insensitive, heartless 
san - sote without flinching; 
fearlessly; brazenly 
siwo - kontan anti-depressant 
syrup 
Kb acron. CARE (Cooperative for 
American Relief Everywhere) 
Kebekprop.n. Quebec 
Kebekwaprop.n./adj., Kebekwaz 
f.prop.n. Quebecer; prop.adj. 
Quebec 
kechat, ketchat n. chenille plant 
(herb) 
k&d see tybd 
kedleza n. piper (bot.) 
kedpwason: 
fini an ~ to end indecisively, finish 
up in the air 
kedrat see kerat 
kedwon n. tail strap (of saddle) 
kb\\bk kbhbk n./onomat. (sound of) 
dry coughing 
k£k, k£lke adj. some, a few, several, 
any 
bon ~, se pa - quite a few 
- nan some of 
k£kch6y see kichdy 
kbkb see rbkb 
Kbkbtprop.n. Cathy, Kathy, Katie 
(nickname for Katrin) 
k£kfwa adv. sometimes; a few times 
k£kilanswa, k£kleswa see k&keswa 
Kekds see Ziltik 
keksyon see kfcsyon 
keksyone see k£syonnen 
426 
keksyonfc - kenbe 
keksyonfc, keksyonne, kesyon&, 
kesyonn£ n. questionnaire 
keksyonman, keksyonnman see 
kesyonnman 
keksyonne, keksyonnen see 
k£syonnen 
k&ktan adv. sometime 
kcl: 
ft-to curl one's hair 
kelanswa see k&lkeswa 
kelekeke, k£ftk&k£ n. good-for-
nothing (person) 
kelele: 
ft - to be obsequious, be servile 
kelenbe n. var. of plant 
kelke see kbk 
k&lkenanswa see k&lkeswa 
k£lkepa adv. somewhere 
kelkeswa, kfckilanswa, k&kleswa, 
kelanswa, k^lkanswa, 
kfclkelanswa, k&lkenanswa, 
kfclkilanswa, k&lswa adv. at any 
rate; whatever, whichever; no 
matter what, whatever may be 
- moun who(m)ever 
k£lkonk adj. any, whatever; of no 
importance 
k£lswa see kelkeswa 
K£lt&n, Dikofdlprop.n. Kelthane 
(commercial insecticide) 
k£nfts n. fair, bazaar, festival 
k£n onomat. sound of breaking 
kenbe, tchebe, tchenbe, tyenbe v. 
to hold, support, sustain; to keep, 
store; to endure, persist, keep 
going, keep at; to make out, get 
along; to keep down, retain (food 
etc.); to restrain; to hold back, 
refrain from; to watch out for; to 
contain; to capture, take, catch, 
get, grab, seize, clutch, grip; to 
catch in the act, catch red-handed; 
to hang onto, hold on(to); to need 
to urinate/ defecate 
ba li (sa) - to fool s.o., deceive 
s.o. 
bay - to constrain, limit one's 
powers; to pawn, hock 
~ ak to keep up with 
- aft to keep down, subjugate 
- cho to pressure, harass 
- di to be strict 
- dlo to hold back tears, keep from 
crying 
~ ftm (pa lage) to hang in there, 
not lose hope 
- kk to endure, persist; to contain 
oneself, hold back; to be patient 
- kin to hold firmly, hold tight 
- kd to watch one's step, be 
careful, pay attention 
- k6 li to sit up straight 
~ kd 1 mal to have bad posture 
- kontak to keep in touch 
~ kout to pressure, harass 
- l a ! hold on there! 
- lamen nan lesak to catch red-
handed 
- men to make do, hang in there; 
entry-level or temporary job 
- men nan men to work together, 
join together 
- men nan sak to catch red-
handed 
- nan gdj&t, - nan gagann to 
throttle, stififle, silence 
- nan kb li to keep a secret; to 
resent, bear a grudge 
- nan kou to hold by the neck, get 
a stranglehold on 
- nan (pla) men to catch red-
handed 
- nan ftt to retain, remember 
- ndt to keep a record 
427 
kenedi - kente 
~ pa lage! Hang in there! Keep the 
faith! Don't get discouraged! 
~ pawdl to keep one's word 
~ pou to stand in for, substitute for 
~ pou li pa to try not to do (s.thg.) 
~ pye to do (s.thg.) regularly, go 
regularly to 
~ r&l to wail; to try not to cry 
~ san souf to get a stranglehold on 
- sipdte to endure, bear up 
~ sou k£ to resent 
~ souf to hold one's breath 
~ ftt (ak) to rebel; to oppose; to 
hang on to one's position; to resist, 
be stubborn 
~ t6t to hold tight, be strict/firm 
~ wo to attach importance to 
~ yon lekdl to direct a school 
~ (yon moun) nan/sou kb to bear 
a grudge (against s.o.) 
~ z£l chemiz (yon moun) to hold 
(s.o.) back 
~ zdr&y li an twonp£t to listen up, 
listen closely 
M ap ~! I'm hanging in there! I'm 
OK! 
pa ban m sa ~! Don't make me 
swallow that! How stupid do you 
think I am! 
pa ka - untenable 
ti - kb snack 
yon lwa ~ li a Voodoo spirit is 
making him/her sick 
kenedi, kennedi n. imported clothes, 
second-hand clothes 
ale nan - to buy imported/second­
hand clothes; to resort to buying 
same 
Kenedi (Djak)prop.n. Kennedy 
(Jack) - president of US A, 1961 -
1963 
kenenpdt see nenpdt 
ken£p, gen&p, kenfct, kennfcp n. 
Spanish lime 
mal ~ sterility (in man or woman) 
kenge n. challenger 
mare ~ to roll up, tuck up (dress, 
skirt); to tie one's waist (with belt 
etc.); to resign oneself 
kenhenk kenhenk n. tuberculosis 
kenkay n. hardware, odds and ends, 
assorted items (for sale) 
kenkayri n. variety store; hardware 
store 
kenken, kenkeng n. finely ground 
corn; adv. abundantly 
ft ~ to be plentiful or numerous, 
abound; to swarm 
kenkenal adj. quinquennial, five-
year 
kenkina peyi n. princewood tree 
kenn n. [Eng.] small gas can; soft-
drink can; cf. bwat 
kennedi see kenedi 
kennenpdtsee nenpdt 
kenn&p see kenep 
Kennftki, Kenftkiprop.n. 
Kentucky (USA) 
Kennzas see Kannzas 
kenpdt see nenpdt 
kens&l: 
ft ~ to be one and the same 
Kenskbf prop.n. Kenscoff (Dept. 
West) 
Kenskb\\t prop.n. inhabitant of 
Kenscoff (Dept. West) 
Kenstonn, Kenston, Kinstonn 
prop.n. Kingston (Jamaica) 
kent n. persistent or hacking cough; 
var. of mango 
Kent (larivy&)prop.n. Quinte river 
(north of Henche, Dept. Center) 
kente v. to have a sequence of five 
cards (game); to excel, succeed 
428 
Kenteki - kbt 
brilliantly, shine 
Kenftki see Kennteki 
Kentenprop.n. communal section of 
Dept. South 
Kenya (pronounced: Ke-nya), 
Okenya (pronounced: Oke-nya) 
prop.n. Kenya 
kenz num. fifteen 
~ pou ~ children's game 
kenzan n. fifteen years 
kenz£n, kenzenn n. two weeks; 
approximately fifteen 
kenzy£m adj. fifteenth 
k£p n. paper cup; onomat. clop 
(sound of footsteps); sound of 
breaking or snapping (tree etc.) 
KEP acron. Kons£y Elektoral 
Pwovizwa/P&manan (Conseil 
Electoral Provisoire/Permanent) 
Provisional/Permanent Electoral 
Council 
kepi n. kepi (military cap); 
workman's cap (with visor) 
k£plen n. upset stomach, nausea; 
disgust 
kerat, kedrat n. achyranthes (med. 
herb); horsetail (plant) 
keratit n. keratitis 
kerfcl n. [Fr.] quarrel, dispute; cf. 
chire pit 
kbs n. case, crate, container; safe, 
cash-box; cash register; chest, 
cabinet; treasury; fund; cashier's 
office, pay-desk; piggy-bank; 
snare drum 
gwds ~ bass drum 
~ depany, - depay savings bank; 
credit union 
~ popile savings and loan 
association 
kesedjo kesekwann, kosedjo 
kosekwfct adv. and so on and 
so forth; this and that; a lot of 
nonsense 
k£senya (pronounced: k&se-nya) n. 
var. of plant 
keseswa conj. whether, be it 
~ . , . ~ (whether) it be . . . or 
keskelefrekan n. insolence, 
impertinence 
fb peye ~ to make (s.o.) pay for 
his/her insolence or impertinence; 
to punish 
k£skeseksa: 
an - in question, in doubt 
keson n. barrel; box 
kestb n. treasurer (for Parliament) 
kestyon [Fr.] see k&syon 
kestyonnen, kestyone [Fr.] see 
k&syonnen 
kesye n., kesyfc f.n. cashier, (grocery) 
checker, (bank) teller 
~ otomatik ATM, automatic teller 
machine 
k&syon, keksyon, kestyon, kesyon 
n. question; subject, matter, affair, 
story 
poze yon ~ to ask a question 
kesyone, kesyonnen see kesyonnen 
kesyonfc, kesyonn£ see keksyon& 
kesyonnen, keksyone, keksyonne, 
keksyonnen, kestyone, kesyone, 
kesyonnen v. to question, ask 
questions 
k&syonnman, keksyonman, 
keksyonnman n. questioning, 
interrogation 
kbtl interj. wow!; heck! shucks! 
~ ~ ~ interj. to call chickens 
k&t, lak£t n. collection, donation, 
offering (Catholic church esp.) 
fb ~ to take up a/the collection 
~ zoban begging; collection to pay 
for funeral of pauper 
429 
ketay - kikeseswa 
ketay, ketaj n. collection-taking, 
offering 
ketchat see kechat 
kfctchdp see katch6p 
kete v. to take up the collection/ 
offering (church); to be a 
groomsman or bridesmaid 
keft n. usher, person who takes up 
collection (church); groomsman 
ft - to be a groomsman 
keftzf.n. bridesmaid 
ft - to be a bridesmaid 
Keti, Ketlinprop.n. Katie, Cathy, 
Kathy (nickname for Katrin) 
ketzoban n. thorough search 
kevouzfct interj. [Fr] which you are, 
such as you are 
kewozin, kewozfcn n. kerosene 
k£y n. picking, harvesting 
kkykt n. picking, gathering (esp. 
coffee beans) 
keyi, kouyi v. to pick, harvest, 
gather; to gather, pluck (flowers); 
to grab, nab, catch (s.o.) 
kg abbrev. kilogram (2.2 pounds) 
ki n. keel (of boat) 
ki, k pron. which, what; that, who 
a - ft? (at) what time? when? 
~ bd? where? which direction? 
- ft? how come? how is it that? 
~ jan? how? how come? what? 
~... - some ... some/others 
ha! ha! ha! (laughter) 
~ kote? where? which direction? 
~ ft?, ~16? when? 
~ moun (-)? who? whom? 
(~) sa? what? 
kib n. cube; bouillon cube; ice cube; 
adj. cubic 
- glas ice cube 
- magi soup cube, bouillon cube 
Kiba prop.n. Cuba 
Kibenprop.n./adj., Kib£n, Kibenn 
f.prop.n. Cuban 
kibi n. fried meat and wheat 
kibik adj. cubic 
kibitis n. ulna 
kibd adv. where, which direction 
kibdd n. [Eng.] keyboard (piano, 
computer etc.) 
kibddis n. keyboard player 
kich n. quiche 
kichdy, k£kch6y, kijdy n. something 
kid prop.n. Kurd; prop.adj. Kurdish 
kidan n. toothpick 
kidi adv. which is to say 
kididonk see kidonk 
kidiplis conj. moreover 
kidire, kidira conj. let alone, even 
more so 
kidnape v. to kidnap, abduct; to 
hijack 
kidnape n. kidnapper, abductor; 
hijacker 
kidnapin(g) n. kidnapping, 
abduction 
ft ~ sou to kidnap 
kidonk, kididonk conj. thus, 
therefore, consequently, so; adv. 
alias, otherwise named, aka; which 
is to say, meaning 
kifason adv. how; cf. kijan 
kift, kiftla adv. how come; so that, 
consequently; so, thus 
kifkif adj. same, comparable; adv. 
equally, evenly, fifty-fifty; tit for 
tat 
Kigistan prop.n. Kyrgyzstan 
kijan adv. how, how come, what 
kijodi adv. a long time ago 
kijdy see kich6y 
kikan adv. [N.] when 
kikeseswa, kikseswa pron. whoever, 
whomever 
430 
kiki - kilt 
kiki see kaka 
kikiliflit n. var. of bird 
kikilik n. cock, dick (penis) 
kikinan v. to bother, annoy 
kikit n. high thin-heeled shoe; var. of 
small bird 
talon ~ spiked heel, stiletto heel 
Kikit prop.n. Voodoo spirit of the 
Gede family 
Kiklikskan prop.n. Ku Klux Klan 
(USA) 
kikonk pron. anyone, anybody, 
whoever 
kikote adv. where 
kikseswa see kikeseswa 
kil n. "kill" (in volleyball: when ball 
is struck violently to the ground); 
see kilt 
kilakyel, kilakel pron. which 
(implies contempt); so what! 
~ de... who cares about... 
kilas n. breech (of gun) 
kilbit see lakilbit 
kilbitay n. stumbling 
kilbite v. to stumble, tumble, trip, 
fall; to stagger, totter; to knock 
over, upset, overthrow 
Kilbite prop.n. Culbute (one of 
six forts built by Dessalines 
surrounding Haiti's first capital, 
Marchand, Dept. Artibonite) 
kildesak n. cul-de-sac, dead-end, 
blind alley 
Kildesak, Kilsak (Pten), 
Plenkildesak, Plennkildesak 
prop.n. Cul-de-Sac (plain 
extending eastward from PaP to 
the Dominican border, defined 
on the north by the Matheux 
mountain range and the Trou-
d'Eau mountains, on the south 
by the La Selle mountain range), 
Dept. West 
kile v. to spike, slam (ball directly to 
ground on opponents' side of net, 
in volleyball) 
kite adv. when 
Kilebwa (zile)prop.n. Culebra 
(Island) - immediately east of 
Puerto Rico 
kilenbe n. S. taro (same as chou 
karayib) 
kites, kiy&s pron. which one; which; 
who, whom 
pa konn ~ se ~ not to know who is 
who 
kiteski?, kiy£ski? interr. pron. who? 
kilfo adj. necessary 
kilikiki: 
mete ~ pou to create problems for 
kilin& adj. [Fr] culinary 
kilmik n. argument, squabble, spat 
kilminan: 
~ nan culminating in, resulting in 
[Fr.] 
kite adv. when 
kilogram, kilo n. kilogram 
yon - sigar£t a carton of cigarettes 
kilom&t n. kilometer 
~ kare square kilometer 
kilot n. (pair of) panties; diaper 
(for weighing child from hanging 
scale) 
~ tanga bikini panties 
kilowat n. kilowatt 
kilowatt n. kilowatt-hour 
kilpabilite n. guilt 
Kilsak see Kildesak 
kilt, kil n. cult; worship; worship 
service 
gran ~ main worship service 
~ dem6 sect of evil doers who 
disinter the dead to make magic 
charms 
431 
kilti - Kiribati 
kilti n. culture, folklore; crop; 
agriculture, farming, cultivation, 
planting, gardening; cf. lakilti 
~ fizik physical education, 
physical training 
~ lat£ agriculture, farming 
kiltir&l adj. cultural 
kiltirelman adv. culturally 
kiltiv see lakiltiv 
kiltivab adj. arable, cultivable 
kiltivaft n. farmer 
kiltive v. to farm; to cultivate, grow 
kim, tchim n. foam, lather, suds, 
froth; contraceptive foam 
ft ~, bay ~ to foam, lather, froth 
kimanga, kiman n. ritual alcoholic 
liquid used esp. in Voodoo Petwo 
services - usu. vaporized from 
mouth 
kimannye adv. how 
kimen, tchimen v. to foam, froth, 
lather; to bring to a boil (cut.); to 
foam at mouth; to bubble 
maladi ~ epilepsy 
kimilatif adj. cumulative 
kimono n. kimono 
kimoun interr. pron. who, whom 
kimwa n. skimmer (ladle for 
skimming liquids) 
kin n. relatively large plastic water 
vessel (from Hebrew word 
designating quantity of water able 
to be carried by a young girl, i.e., 
about five gallons); winnings; 
adj. persistent, steady; adv. firmly, 
persistently, steadily 
yon ~ a bunch of, a lot of 
Kin (Maten Lift, Jinyd)prop.n. 
King (Martin Luther, Junior) - US 
civil rights leader, 1929-1968 
Maten ~ (avni) Avenue Martin 
King (PaP); see Nazon 
kina, kinan,/?r<m [N.] own 
kina (before li/ou/yo) his own, 
her own, its own / your own / their 
own 
kinan (before mwen/nou) my 
own/our own, your (pi.) own 
kinalaganach, alaganach adj./adv. 
firm, hard, persistent(ly), with 
perseverance 
kinan see kina 
Kinchasaprop.n. Kinshasa 
(Democratic Republic of the 
Congo, Congo Kinshasa, ex-Zaire) 
kindegadenn, kind&gatenn, 
kinftgadenn n. nursery school, 
kindergarten 
kinenpdt see nenpdt 
king adv. firmly, persistently, 
steadily 
Kingkong prop.n. King Kong 
zo ~ s.o. or s.thg. which can cause 
a major problem; see lonje dw£t 
Kingstawn prop.n. Kingstown (St. 
Vincent and the Grenadines) 
kinin n. quinine 
~ peyi Gale-of-wind (med. plant) 
Kinstonn see Kenstonn 
kinftgadenn see kindegadenn 
kipay see ekipay 
kipe see tchwipe 
kipidite n. cupidity, covetousness 
Kipidoprop.n. Cupid 
kipin adj. [Eng.] peace-keeping 
kipiz&(t) conj. furthermore, 
moreover 
kipyfc see koupyfc 
kiraj n. cleaning-out, clearing-out 
kiras n. shield, armor 
Kir aso prop.n. Curasao 
kire n. parish priest 
kir&t n. curet 
Kiribati prop.n. Kiribati 
432 
kirikildm - kite 
kirikildm, korikouldm, 
kourikouldm n. curriculum 
~ vite curriculum vitae, CV 
kiriy£i n. group, bunch 
yon ~ much, many, a large amount 
of 
kiriyezman see kiryezman 
kirye adj., kiryezf.adj. curious, 
nosey, inquisitive 
f£ - to be curious, be nosey, be 
inquisitive 
kiryezman, kiriyezman adv. 
curiously; with curiosity 
kiryozite, kiydzite n. curiosity, 
inquisitiveness 
kis n. cyst; sty 
kisa intern pron. what 
kisasa, kisakw&t n. what's-his-
name, what's-her-name, whatever 
kise conj. namely, which is 
kis£ n. cursor (computer) 
Kiskzy*prop.n. Quisqueya 
(additional Indian name for Haiti) 
kit n. Hispaniolan honey-creeper 
(bird); adj. free, quit, rid (of); even 
if..., but perhaps... 
~. . . ~ whether... (or) whether, 
either... or 
interj. to call chickens 
nou ~ we are even 
kita n. family of Voodoo spirits of 
the Zandd "nation"; var. of Petwo 
dance characterized by rapid 
shoulder movement (Voodoo) 
danse ~ to shimmer (rising heat 
waves) 
pa ~ pa nago no progress, no 
headway; (a) step neither forward 
nor backward 
kitate see tal£ 
kitans n. quittance, receipt 
kitap kitap onomat. ticktock 
(ticking of clock) 
kitay, kitaj n. separation (in 
common-law marriage); abortion 
(euphemism); dilatation and 
curettage, "D and C" 
kite v. to leave, abandon; to leave 
alone; to let, permit, allow; to 
resign, quit; to yield, cede, give 
in; to drop out (school etc.); 
to separate, divorce; to stop, 
quit, give up (doing s.thg.); to 
disappear, die; see te 
~ ale to free; to dismiss, fire 
- bay to hand over (to) 
~ dekote to leave aside, omit 
~ deyfc to surpass, exceed 
~ dbyb yon moun to start after s.o. 
~ kantik pran priy£, ~ koze pran 
pawdl, ~ pawdl pran kantik 
to get to the point, get down to 
business, stop beating around the 
bush; to change the subject 
~ kouri rantre nan to run off into 
~ nan men (yon moun) to entrust 
(s.o.) with 
~ pase to overlook, excuse 
~ (pou denmen) to postpone, 
leave for later 
~ pou (yon moun) to concede, 
give in 
~ sa to drop; to calm down; to die; 
never mind 
~ sa pa gen kont! lay off it or 
else! 
~ sdt to get tired of, get enough of 
~ sou kote to leave aside; to put 
on the sidelines 
~1& to take off, lift off (airplane; 
enterprise) 
~ ton be to drop 
~ yon may to give a break to, give 
a breather to, leave alone 
433 
kites - klame 
kraze yon ~ sa to throw in the 
towel, give up 
kites, kiteks n. fingernail polish 
kitikantan adv. from time to time; 
frequently; for nothing, for no 
reason at all 
kitip n. cotton swab, Q-tip 
kitkit n. var. of small bird 
~ cry of mother hen calling 
her chicks 
talon - see kikit 
Kitoprop.n. Quito (Ecuador) 
kiv n. vat 
kivatet n. scalp 
kivedi, kivledi conj. [Fr.] which 
means, which is to say 
kiv£t n. wash-basin, pan; basin 
(geol.)\ depression in ground (for 
planting) 
kiviv: 
sou ~ on the alert 
kivledi see kivedi 
kiw onomat. pow! 
Kiwfcsprop.n. Key West (Florida) 
kiwi n. kiwi fruit 
Kiwoprop.n. Kiros (Roman Catholic 
youth group active esp. in literacy 
training and reforestation) 
kiy n. bowling pin; keel (of boat) 
kiyankiyan, kyankyan v. to limp 
kiy&, kouy£, kwiyfc n. spoon; 
spoonful 
do ~ (te) very stingy, miserly 
gwo gwo ~ large spoon used for 
stirring cooking-pot 
gwo ~, ~ soup tablespoon, 
everyday spoon (most often used 
for eating by peasant community) 
gwo ~ ra, gwo ~ san tiyon level 
tablespoonful 
kenbe/kondi ~ li kout to behave 
oneself; to be wary (of s.o.) 
kenbe ~ li long ak li to keep ones 
distance (from s.o.) 
~ bwa (pa p& chate) adventurer, 
risk taker, daredevil; courageous 
~ pa ~ one spoonful at a time 
~ plen spoonful 
~ soup see gwo ~ 
~ tab tablespoon 
~ te teaspoon 
ti ~, ~ kafe teaspoon; coffee spoon 
ti ~ ra(z), ti ~ san tiyon level 
teaspoonful 
kiyere n. spoonful 
kiy£s see kites 
kiy&ski? see kiteski? 
kiydzite see kiryozite 
kizin, koujin, kwizin, lakizin, 
lakoujin, lakwizin n. kitchen; 
cooking-shed 
batri ~ kitchen utensils, 
kitchenware 
met ~ chef 
kizinye, kwizinye v. [Fr.] to cook 
(cf. te manje); n. (male) cook 
kizinyfc, kouziy&, kwiziny£ f.n. cook 
kiziny&z, kouziy£z, kwiziny£zf.n. 
cook 
kizon adv. where 
kk abbrev. kopi konfom certified 
copy; see kaka 
klak n. claque, paid applauders 
chapo ~ opera-hat 
klake v. to crack (one's knuckles); 
to snap (one's fingers); to chatter 
(teeth) 
klaksonn n. (car) horn 
san ~ unexpected, sudden; 
unexpectedly, suddenly 
klaksonnen v. to honk, honk at 
klante, laklante n. clamor, outcry 
~ piblik public notoriety; public 
outcry 
434 
klanfty - kle 
klanfty nJadj. albino 
Klanfty, Klkmby prop.n. albino 
Voodoo spirit 
klamidya n. clamydia 
klan n. clan, clique 
klandesten adj. clandestine 
klandestinman adv. clandestinely 
klanps n. (large metal) clamp 
~ kab cable clamp 
~ pou tiyo metal strap 
wdz ~ hose clamp (hardwear) 
klanpse v. to clamp 
klap onomat. to express sudden 
action 
ft — to chatter (teeth in fear or 
cold) 
ti ~ ~ ti ~ ~ sound of crutches on 
pavement 
klapote v. to splash, ripple, lap; to 
play in water 
klapye n. rabbit hutch, rabbit warren 
klarifikasyon n. clarification 
klarifye v. to clarify, elucidate 
klarinfct n. clarinet 
klaryonnen v. to peal, chime, 
resound 
klas n. class; grade, level in school; 
classroom; studies; social class; 
type; degree of solemnity in 
Roman Catholic church service; 
see laklas 
chanje ~, moute ~ to be 
promoted, pass (in school) 
ft gwo ~ to be very educated 
grann ~ top of the scale, choice, 
select 
gwo ~ upper grades, more 
advanced classes 
ti ~ elementary-school classes 
klase v. to classify, sort; to rank; 
to put (s.o.) in his/her place, put 
down; to file; to withdraw, take 
out; adj. settled, concluded 
klas& n. file folder; ring binder, 
notebook binder; card holder; 
filing cabinet 
klasifikasyon n. classification 
klasifye v. to classify 
klasik adj. classic, classical; 
traditional; n. classics 
klasman n. classification; filing; 
alphabetical order 
klate see kftte 
klavsen n. harpsichord 
klavye n. keyboard (piano, organ 
etc.; typewriter; computer) 
klaw onomat. clack, flap (flag in 
wind) 
kle n. key; bottle opener, can opener 
(i.e., any tool used to open s.thg.); 
wrench; key, clef (music); adj. key, 
important 
anba - under lock and key, locked 
up; in jail 
bay ~ kou to strangle 
~ a j is tab, ~ angftz monkey 
wrench, adjustable wrench 
~ ankwa four-branched wrench 
~ boufty corkscrew 
~ bwat can opener 
~ £1 Allen wrench 
~ kola bottle opener 
~ kou neckhold (wrestling); hard 
job 
~ machin ignition key (vehicle) 
~ mamit can opener 
~ paspatou master key 
~ plat wrench 
~ tiyo pipe wrench 
~ wou lug wrench 
pase ~ to lock (up); to unlock; 
to start up a motor; to consult a 
Voodoo priest(ess) 
pran ~ kay to take matters into 
435 
kft - Klib Mediftrane 
one's own hands 
kft adj. clear, plain, definite, 
distinct, obvious, evident; 
explicit; plausible; bright; light 
(color); light-skinned, mulatto; 
weak (coffee, tea etc.); sheer, 
transparent; awake, open (eyes); 
adv. clearly; n. mesh, grid 
ft ~ to dawn, grow light 
~ kou dlo k6k/kokoye, ~ kou dlo 
lapli, ~ kou dlo (ti)sous, ~ kou 
dlo nan sous, - kou dlo wdch, ~ 
kou dlo w6z bell-clear, clear as a 
bell 
pa - in bad shape 
kftb see klib 
kftje n. clergy; clergyman 
kftk n. election clerk 
kleko n. mixture of kleren (q.v.) and 
a cola drink 
kleman adv. clearly, openly, overtly; 
distinctly 
Kftnfty see Klanfty 
klendfcy n. [Fr.] wink 
nan yon ~ in a flash, in the 
twinkling of an eye 
klenklen adv. many 
Klenntonn see Klitonn 
klerasyon n. explanation, 
elucidation 
klere v. to shine, shine on; to glow, 
sparkle; to flash, light (up), 
illuminate, give off light; to 
enlighten, inform; to polish; adj. 
bright, shiny, flashy; n. beam, shaft 
of light; luster 
~ je to enlighten, inform 
~ je gade to stare at, observe 
attentively 
~ je li to keep one's eyes open, 
claim one's rights 
~ je sou to stare menacingly 
~ kou dan zonbi to shine brightly 
kleren, leren n. cheap unrefined 
white rum, raw rum 
kaka ~ drunk, lush 
~ blan straight raw rum (without 
any infusion) 
~ pote alaftt to be drunk 
(~) t ranpe, ~ konpoze raw rum 
infused with herbs etc. 
Other var. of kleren: ~ anme, 
~ asosi, ~ atiyayo, ~ dous, ~ 
kann£l, ~ kri , ~ lakay, - nazon, ~ 
sowo, ~ zo devan 
klerenmann, klerennye n. drunkard, 
alcoholic, boozer, old sot 
klesi, kftsi see ekftsi 
kftsin: 
kft kou ~ clear as a bell 
kftsisman, ekftsisman n. 
clarification 
klete v. to lock; to lock up, put in jail 
klete, klate n. brightness, gleam, 
light; clearness, clarity 
Kftvo prop.n. Clervaux (Haitian 
Revolutionary leader) 
klevwa n. window blinds, Venetian 
blinds 
kftvwayan adj. clairvoyant; sharp, 
discerning 
klevwayans, lakftvwayans n. 
clairvoyance 
klewon n. bugle; see kdn& 
klewonnen, kftwonnen, kftyonnen 
v. to proclaim, herald, shout (news 
etc.) 
Kleyo (siklon)prop.n. Cleo 
(disastrous hurricane, August 
1964) 
Kleyopat//?ro/?./?. Cleopatra 
klezon see klwazon 
klib, kftb n. (social) club 
Klib Mediftraneprop.n. Club 
436 
kliche - klostra 
Med(iterranee) (Dept. Artibonite) 
kliche n. clich6; negative 
(photography) 
klik n. clique, coterie, clan 
klike v. to click (on) (computer) 
klima n. climate 
klimatik adj. climatic(al) 
klimatizasyon n. [Fr.] air-
conditioning 
klimatize v. [Fr] to air-condition 
klimatiz£ n. [Fr] air-conditioner 
klimatolojis n. climatologist 
klin adj. clean; neat; perfect; v. to 
clean, wash; adv. perfectly 
~ ddddy very clean, sparkling 
mete ~ to clean, wash; to neaten up 
klinay, klinaj n. if am.) cleaning up, 
straightening up 
Klineksprop.n. Kleenex (facial 
tissue) 
Klini (mache)prop.n. Cluny market 
(main market of Cape Haitian, 
Dept. North) 
klinik n. clinic 
klins n. var. of mango 
klip onomat. to express a sudden 
stop 
klip£ n. clipper (ship; plane) 
klips n. paper clip; (metal) staple 
klipse v. to staple 
klipsfc n. stapler 
klis see klisay 
klis, eklis n. splinter, sliver; partial 
crown; inlay (tooth) 
klisay, klis, klisad, klisaj n. 
wattling, lattice 
klisbwa n. splinter (in ringer etc.) 
klise v. to wattle, do the wicker-work 
(for a house) 
klist£ see krist£ 
Klitonn (Bil), Klenntonnprop.n. 
Clinton (Bill) - president of USA, 
1993-2001 
klitoris n. clitoris 
klivaj n. split, separation 
kliyan, klyan n. customer, client, 
shopper 
kliyantel, kliyantelis, klyantfcl n. 
clientele; cf. pratik 
kliyantelis n. commercial favoritism 
kliyotan n. turn signal indicator 
(mach.) 
kid n. chlorine 
kldch n. bell 
de ~ testicles 
kloche n. bell-tower, belfry; steeple, 
spire 
Kloche prop.n. Clocher (communal 
section of Carrefour, Dept. West) 
kloch&t n. bellflower (bot.) 
Kldd, Klod prop.n. Claude; 
Claudius 
klod&n n. var. of insecticide 
Klod£tf.prop.n. Claudette 
Klodin, Jaksilprop.n. Claudine, 
Jacquesil (2nd communal section 
of Caracol, Dept. North-East) 
kl6din£t n. type of hair style 
kl6k n. pimple, small bump 
klokanten n. var. of mollusk 
kloke v. to cluck 
klonaj n. cloning 
klopiklopan adv. limpingly, 
haltingly 
kloramfenik61 n. chloramphenicol 
klorat n. chlorate; gun powder; 
fireworks (fig.) 
lage yon ~ sou to give spectacular 
expression to 
klori n. chloride 
kloridrik adj. hydrochloric 
klorin n. chlorine 
klostra, kloska n. decorative or 
ornamental cinder-block 
437 
kldtch - k6 
kldtch n. clutch (auto) 
dis ~ clutch disk 
plet ~ clutch plate 
kloti n. fence; enclosure [Fr.]; 
closing (of a ceremony etc.) 
~ sikldn wire fencing (to keep out 
animals but unaffected by storm 
winds) 
~ vif hedge 
klotire v. to enclose, wall in, fence 
in (field etc.); to end, terminate, 
conclude (session) 
klou n. (metal) nail; boil, pimple; sty 
(eyes) 
~ beton masonry nail 
~ bdk£t, ~ bl6k£t, ~ bwdtet , ~ 
dezyfcm tack, carpet nail 
- gagit, ~ djag, - djagit, ~ dyagit, 
~ gagwit, ~ san ftt, ~ talon shoe 
nail, cobbler's nail 
~ jiwdf (a single) clove (spice) 
~ nan je sty 
~ wons nail staple (hardwear) 
mete ~ sou apse/maklouklou to 
put salt on a wound, make matters 
worse, add insult to injury 
pa gen yon ~ penniless, flat broke 
san peye yon ~ without paying a 
cent 
Other var. of nails: ~ bak, ~ de 
pous, ~ de pous edmi, ~ demi 
pous, ~ nimewo de, ~ nimewo en, 
~ premye, ~ sapat, ~ sis, - twa, ~ 
twa pous 
kloumgldt adj. greedy 
kloun n. clown 
kloup! see vloup! 
klou ray n. nailing (down), tacking 
(down) 
kloure, klouwe, klwe v. to nail, nail 
down, nail shut; to be stuck at 
(home etc.) 
~ sou yon kwa to crucify 
soulye - shoes that are tacked 
(rather than sewn) 
kloutap kloutap, kloutoup kloutap 
onomat.: 
ale — to bump along, rumble 
along (car etc.) 
klouwe see kloure 
klowak n. cloaca, sewer, latrine 
klowofil n. chlorophyl 
klowofdm n. chloroform 
Klowofds, Dipter£ks prop.n. 
Chlorofos (commercial 
insecticide) 
klowokin, klowoken n. chloroquine 
klowdks, klowds n. clorox, bleach 
Klowomisetin n. Chloromycetin 
kldz n. clause (contract etc.) 
kldz&ttt. [Eng.] closet 
klwazon, klezon, klozon, kwazon n. 
partition, interior wall; temporary 
wall 
klwazonnen v. to partition (off) 
klwe see kloure 
klyan see kliyan 
klyanftl see kliyantel 
km abbrev. kilometer 
~ 2 square kilometer 
Knft Wouj prop.n. Khmer Rouge 
KNG acron. Kons£y Nasyonal 
Gouvfcnman (National Council 
of Government) - ruling junta 
of Haiti, 1986-1987 (facetiously 
defined as Ka Nou Grav Our 
situation is grave) 
ko adv. already; prefix co-
pa ~ see poko 
pa... ~ not... soon 
pa te ~ has not yet, had not yet; cf. 
patko 
k6 n. body; corpse; organization; 
main portion or section; corps; 
438 
k d - k d 
corn, callus; bunion; reflexive 
pron. self 
andedan ~ moun viscera 
bat ~ to fidget, squirm 
bay ~ van to put on light clothing; 
to take it easy 
brase ~ li to squirm, toss and turn 
dlo ~ sweat 
e (vye) ~ a? how goes it? 
fb dlo ~ li benyen ~ li to threaten, 
make s.o. really sweat 
fb ~ to team up, join forces; to 
bond 
fb ~ li bel to doll up, dress 
(oneself) up for a special occasion 
fb ~ li piti to humble 
oneself, lower oneself; to be 
inconspicuous, be unobtrusive 
fb ~ li piti devan presyon to give 
in to pressure 
fb yon sb\ ~ to come together, 
unite 
fb (yon sb\) ~ sou do (yon moun) 
to gang up against (s.o.) 
femen ~ li to be homebound 
frbt ~ li to withdraw, retreat 
gen ~ dous to feel lethargic 
gen nan ~ li to be able to do s.thg. 
(of which one was thought to be 
incapable) 
Gran ~ Haitian Senate (fam.) 
gwo ~ heavy-set, stocky, hefty 
kale ~ li to show off; to act sexily, 
be seductive 
~ a - wrestling; hand-to-hand 
combat (milit) 
~ a pa bon I'm not feeling well 
~ akable, ~ dezole see ~ kraz 
~ bwa tree trunk 
~ donb honor guard 
~ drapo flag corps, flag-bearers 
(Voodoo esp.) 
- e am body and soul, 
wholeheartedly 
~ fanmi household members 
~ gason penis 
~ kadav visible physical body (in 
contrast to gwo bonnanj and ti 
bonnanj, q.v. - Voodoo) 
~ kay household 
cry of a fighting cock 
~ kons& French horn 
~ kras dirty or filthy person 
~ kraz, ~ kraze exhaustion, 
weariness, lassitude, extreme 
fatigue; general weakness, 
malaise; lethargic person; worn 
out, exhausted; listless, apathetic, 
lethargic 
~ labouyi flabby body; lethargy 
~ lage weakness; lethargy; 
apathetic or lethargic person; 
listless, apathetic, lethargic 
Kd Lap& see Piskd Ayiti 
~ lenge puny, sickly 
~ li ap desann see vye ~ li ap 
desann 
~ li grate to be itching for a fight; 
to be restless 
~ likid weak, frail; indecisive; 
lethargic 
~ 16ja lethargic person 
~ 16k6 flabby body; lethargy 
~ mezon household members 
~ mizik musical group 
~ md paralyzed 
~ mdl weary, tired 
~ mou mollusk 
~ moun human body, anatomy 
~ mouri, ~ nan mdn indolent, 
lethargic, dawdling 
~ pa bon sick, ill; broke, penniless 
~ pyebwa tree trunk 
~ rbd see kbrbd 
439 
kd - kdb 
~ san ftt strange monster 
~ touni naked, nude; cf. toutouni 
~ zo skeleton, wasted, wizened 
konprann ~ li to know one's 
place, know one's (lower) social 
standing; to behave oneself 
kont ~ li completely; enough; very 
kraze ~ li to exhaust oneself, tire 
oneself out 
lache - li to relax 
lage ~ nan to devote oneself to 
lonje ~ to stretch out, recline, 
relax 
louvri ~ li to have sex (woman) 
(maladi) ~ r£d tetanus, lockjaw 
mete ~ deyd to head out, go out 
mete - li tou piti to be self-
effacing; to be discreet 
mete ~ li yon kote to scram, get 
lost 
mini ~ skinny, spare, emaciated 
nan ~ (yon moun) to be on (s.o.'s) 
back, be nagging at (s.o.), be 
harping at (s.o.); to be hitting on 
(s.o.), be after (s.o.) sexually 
pa bat ~ ou! take it easy, don't 
worry! don't fidget! 
pa konn ki kote pou mete ~ li not 
to know which way to turn; to be 
thrilled, be extremely excited 
pou ~ li alone, by oneself, by itself 
rale ~ to get out of the way, move, 
stand aside 
rale ~ li to pull out of s.thg., 
withdraw 
rale ~ ou! oh come on now! that 
can't be so!; scram! clear out! get 
lost! 
rele sou ~ li to pull oneself 
together 
rete nan ~ yon moun to nag 
san ~ sickly; puny; light, 
insubstantial 
ti ~ penis 
twdp pou ~ li impertinent, show-
off 
vye ~ li ap desann to be going 
downhill, be nearing the end, be 
nearing death 
wete ~ ou! scram! get out of my 
way! 
kdb n. (fam.) Haitian cent (1/100 of 
a gourde); (fam.) dough, money, 
cash; see degouden; ke 
bay ~ to finance, back up 
bay - anba to bribe 
ft ~ to make or earn money; to 
win money 
kenz ~ kole of one piece, 
undivided whole 
~ kay rent (money) 
~ maledve, ~ sal dirty/dishonest 
money 
~ (pa) anba bribe 
~ travay pay, wage, salary, 
earning 
~ wouj U.S. penny 
manman ~ principal, main sum 
of money (as opposed to enters -
interest) 
mete ~ deyd to spend money 
pa gen senk ~ penniless, destitute 
pa peye senk ~ (kwiv) not to pay 
a red cent 
pa pou senk ~ not for a mere 
pittance, not for nothing 
pa yon grenn ~ nwfc, pa senk ~ 
not a red cent 
san senk ~ penniless, destitute 
senk ~ (Tonton Nd), senk ~ kwiv, 
senk ~ wouj "one red cent," 
formerly equivalent of one cent 
U.S., penny 
ti ~ small bronze coin worth one-
440 
kobaba! - kochon 
half a Haitian cent (obs.); a little 
bit of money 
yon bbl ~ a lot of money 
yon bon ~ a fairly large amount of 
money 
yon ~ some money 
yon bbl ~ a lot of money 
yon ~ pw£s a fat wallet, a wad of 
money 
yon moso nan ~ la partial 
payment 
kobaba! kobebe! kdb£be! interj. 
wow! 
kobal n. cobalt 
kobannza adj. thin, feeble, 
emaciated 
kobay n. guinea pig 
~ Bizango victim of an evil secret 
society 
kobebe!, kdb£b&! see kobaba! 
kdbey n. church collection plate or 
basket; basket 
kobiya, kdbya n. hearse 
~ ipomobil horse-drawn hearse 
kobo adj. dented 
kobo n. crow, raven 
kdbdy n. cowboy; reckless 
individual; Western (film); joker, 
character; comic strip; bachelor 
apartment, bachelor pad 
ib ~ to act up, act irresponsibly 
vire an ~ to become a farce, turn 
into a joke 
kobra n. cobra 
kdbya see kdbiya 
koche n. coachman (for a bogi, q.v.; 
cf. bdsmann) 
kdche, kwdche v. to skin; to flay; to 
butcher; to scratch, scrape, abrade; 
to beat (in a game); to beat up; n. 
scratch, slight cut, abrasion 
~ do to degrade, demean, 
disparage 
kdch& n. skinner 
kocheni, kochini n. cochinel (ent.) 
koch£t, kdch&t n. crochet; see 
kwoch&t 
i b ~ to crochet 
kochi see kwochi 
Kochiprop.n. Crochus (1st 
communal section of Thomazeau, 
Dept. West) 
kochini see kocheni 
kochma n. nightmare 
kochni n. var. of noxious insect 
kochon, kdchon n. pig, hog, swine; 
pork; slob, dirty person; var. of 
plantain; adj. dirty, indecent; 
v. to be unable to make a move 
(checkers); to prevent from 
making a move (checkers) 
bwa ~ hogbush; pistol, revolver 
(fam.) 
ib ~ to mess up, act like a pig 
femel ~ sow 
- barak large male pig; wild boar 
~ blan large imported pig 
~ chanpw&l see ~ gri 
~ djdl long, ~ kreydl, 
~ planch traditional dark Haitian 
Pig 
~ gra var. of fish 
~ gran ras large imported pig 
~ grate white person (pej.) 
~ gri, ~ chanpwfcl, ~ san pw£l/ 
pwal secret society of evildoers; 
member of same; (euphemism 
for) human sacrificial victim - cf. 
kabrit san kdn 
~ grim£l light-skinned imported 
Pig 
~ kamyon person riding on top 
of truck; helper on a truck (cf. bbi 
chenn) 
441 
kochondenn - kdd 
~ kreydl see ~ djdl long 
~ manje santiman li (nan po 
bannann) to have no self-respect 
~ mawon wild boar; joker, jerk, 
irresponsible person 
~ planch see ~ djdl long 
~ san pwfcl/pwal see ~ gri 
~ sent Antwan worthless person 
manman ~ sow, female pig 
mb ~ sow who has not yet 
produced piglets; cf. tiri 
moun ~ fb chen bay tete 
scoundrel, fraud, sneak 
pak ~ pigpen, pigsty 
pase sa - Lagonav pa pase to 
have a miserable time 
pwal ~ bristle 
pye ~ pistol, revolver (fam.) 
ti ~ piglet; woodlouse 
vyann ~ pork 
kochondenn,kochondeng, 
kdchondeng, kdchondenn 
n. guinea-pig; small insect 
resembling a guinea-pig 
Kochongra prop. n. Cochon-Gras 
(3rd communal section of Jacmel, 
Dept. South-East) 
kochonnen v. to dirty up, foul up 
kochonnri, kochonste n. filth, 
dirtiness 
kochonnye n. agent responsible for 
removing pigs from PaP streets 
(obs.) 
kochonste: 
mete ~ nan tbt yon moun to 
influence s.o., give s.o. bad 
guidance or direction 
kochte, kwochte v. to hook, latch 
(door, window); to dock; to sail 
into (port); to walk close together 
- kd (li) kote to stick close to 
kdd n. rope; code, cipher; code, body 
of laws; cord of wood (4' x 4' x 
8'); string (of musical instrument) 
anba ~ under arrest; done for, 
finished; to have been cheated, 
have been had 
anba ~ venteyen kout ne tied 
hand and foot, hog-tied 
bay ~ to fly a kite 
bay yon kout - to tie together 
(sisal etc.) 
bfct ~ any type of four-footed 
animal (that can be led by a rope) 
bout ~ length of rope, piece of 
rope; organized agricultural work 
group 
fb ~ r£d to refuse to negotiate, 
refuse to discuss 
gen ~ tbt li to be independent 
kenbe ~ tbt yon moun to 
influence s.o., give s.o. guidance 
or direction 
~ das£ access code, country code 
(telephone) 
~ detik code of ethics 
~ fanmi extended family 
~ la kase to kick the bucket, die 
~ lage loose living, dissoluteness 
~ lapds, zip ~ [Eng.] zip code 
~ lonbrit, - lonbrik umbilical 
cord; roots, origins 
~ mal taye see kontmaltaye 
~ ne knotted cord used as Voodoo 
charm 
~ ne koulan hangman's rope 
~ postal zip code 
~ rad clothes line 
~ tbt halter rope (for restraining 
animals by neck) - cf. likou; 
orientation 
- vokal, - vwa vocal cords; larynx 
~ vyolon var. of vine (same as 
lyann vyolon) 
442 
koda - kddonnfct 
koupe ~ lonbrit li ak to be really 
attached to, be really into; to have 
a natural propensity for 
kout ~ arrest 
mare ~ to tie the tubes, perform a 
tubal ligation; to fasten bracelets 
etc. to ward off evil (Voodoo) 
mare ~ lonbrit ak to become 
attached to, become at one with 
mete anba ~ to tie down; to 
handcuff, arrest 
mete ~ nan kou to arrest 
nan ~ under arrest 
pa gen ~ ki kapab mare dyab la 
there's no taming the devil 
pran ~ t b t li to get a hold or grip 
on oneself 
reprann ~ t b t li to regain one's 
composure 
retire ~ sakit (yon moun) nan 
k6se li to cut off friendship, no 
longer be friends 
sote ~ to jump or skip rope 
ti ~ string 
tire - to pull strings, exert 
influence or pressure; to engage in 
a tug of war 
koda adj. guilty; at fault; wrong 
kddaj see kdday 
kodak n. camera 
kout ~ snapshot 
kodake v. to film, photograph; to 
record, capture 
kddamoni n. French horn 
kodas n. beginner, novice; emigrant; 
boot; adj. inexperienced; immature 
kodase, kddase, kodasye see 
kadase 
kdday, kddaj n. ropes, rigging 
kode v. to encode; adj. coded 
kdde v. to writhe, double up (in 
pain); to squirm, wriggle; to twist, 
knot; to tie up, attach; to make 
rope or twine; to weave; to braid, 
plait; adj. scrawny 
kddenn, koden, kodenn n. turkey 
(bird); wanderer; adj. cowardly 
bonbon ~ nightshade (plant) - cf. 
lanman 
kodeyin n. codeine 
Kddft see Kdtdeft 
kodifikasyon n. codification 
kodifye v. to codify 
kddijeni n. corps of engineers 
kddinasyon n. coordination 
kddinatS, kddonaft, kddon&, 
kowddinat£, kowddonaft, 
kdwddonatS kddinatris, 
kddonatris, kowddonat&z, 
kowddonatris f.n. coordinator 
kddiwdy n. corduroy 
kddjal see kddyal 
kodjay see koudjay 
kodjo adj. cheap, junky, ugly; 
unkempt; deformed, misshapen 
kddjdm, kddjonm, kddydm adj. 
pretty, nice, pleasing 
- ak in accord with, in harmony 
with 
pa - devious, evasive, slippery; 
not in good shape; not good-
tasting, not quite right 
pawdl ~ words that make sense 
kddmaltaye see kontmaltaye 
kddo n. string, line 
kdddk n. var. of mango 
kddon see kddwon 
kddonatfc, kddonatris see kddinaft 
kddone v. to coordinate; n. [Fr.] 
one's address, telephone number 
etc. 
kddone see kddinatfc 
kddonnSt, kddonet n. braid, strand 
(hair); adj. braided 
443 
kddonnri - kdk 
kddonnri n. shoe making and/or 
repairing shop 
kddonye, bds kddonye, kddonnye, 
kodonny£, n. shoemaker, shoe 
repairman, cobbler; shoemaking, 
shoe repairing 
~ san fil bumbler, s.o. who does 
shoddy work 
kddftt see kdd tbt 
kddwon, kddon n. strip, band; cord; 
umbilical cord; cordon; girdle 
Oca); tassel; type of konbit (q.v.); 
guama tree 
~ maldydk cloth belt worn to 
ward off evil spirits 
~ penitans cloth belt worn as 
penitence (usu. Voodoo) 
~ sekirite police line 
~ ve cloth belt usu. worn in tribute 
to Ezili Freda (Voodoo) 
kddyal, kddjal adj. cordial, hearty, 
warm; cordial (liqueur) 
kddyalman adv. cordially, heartily, 
warmly 
kddydm see kddjdm 
k6f n. chest (body; furniture); wall 
safe, coffer; safe deposit box; 
trunk (car); gun butt; trunkfish 
~ dbyb trunk (car) 
~ fizi gun butt 
— sound of coughing 
~ kdt rib cage 
- l a t r i n seat of latrine 
~ lestonmak chest, thorax, rib 
cage 
lestonmak li se ~ he/she is the 
soul of discretion 
mete nan ~ lestonmak li to really 
get at s.o., dress down, hit hard; to 
malign, speak ill of s.o. 
se sou ~ lestonmak mwen over 
my dead body; it's within me 
ti ~ devan glove compartment 
(car) 
kofi n. down or pubic hair on some 
infants 
kdfkdf onomat. sound made by a 
sick chicken 
kofray, kofraj n. framing for 
concrete work; scaffolding; 
battering, mauling 
kofre, kdfre, kofwe v. to corner, hem 
in; to beat up badly; to overwork; 
to overwhelm; to do (s.o.) in; 
to be crushed; to curl up, bunch 
up; to collapse, be exhausted; to 
assemble (wooden) cement forms 
(construction work) 
kofr& n. ruffian, tough, thug 
kdfr£ n. small (usu. hand-painted) 
wooden jewelry box 
kdfrefd n. safe, strong box, wall-safe 
koho see koyo 
kdhdn n. patience, strength, courage; 
backbone 
kdhdt see kdwdt 
kok n. cocaine (fam.) 
kdk n. rooster, cock; coconut; cock, 
dick (penis); hull (of boat); bully, 
tough guy; cocaine (fam.) 
an raj e ~ graje completely crazy 
anvan ~ chante before the cock 
crows, before dawn 
bon ~ macho guy 
chante - sou to lord over, 
dominate 
fe gran ~ to act big, be the big 
man 
file - to engage in cockfighting 
fo - dildo; political opportunist 
(esp. in Lavalas movement) 
gwo gwo ~ angle var. of large 
fighting cock 
gwo ~ peyi large plain cock 
444 
k 6 k - k d k 
jw£t ~, ~ batay children's game 
played using seeds from sandbox 
tree 
kale ~ pou po to do s.thg. for 
nothing, waste one's time 
~ a ~ children's game played with 
small pebbles 
- ajante, ~ a wo ma, ~ awouma 
slate-colored cock 
~ annega good fighting cock 
~ batay fighting cock; born 
fighter; quarrelsome, pugnacious; 
see jw£t ~ 
~ bate heavily-feathered cock 
~ bendezw&l, beneze, ~ benezw&l, 
benndezw&l see benezwfcl 
~ blan snowy egret (bird) 
~ b61 featherless fighting cock 
~ chango (red) cardinal flower 
~ chante see %k\ ~ (ki) chante 
~ deras good fighting cock 
- dezim, ~ dzim Indian fighting 
cock; especially good fighting 
cock (cf. ~ gim) 
~ djougan poor-quality cock 
~ do pela, ~ do pelaw fighting 
cock with no feathers on back 
~ dominiken see ~ pany61 
~ franse var. of fighting cock 
~ gag&, ~ gagen fighting cock 
~ gagim, gadjim cowardly 
fighting cock; unattractive cock 
~ gate cock useless for fighting 
~ gay veteran or very experienced 
fighting cock 
~ gim Indian fighting cock; 
especially good fighting cock (cf. 
~ dezim, - d z i m ) 
~ golwa first-class fighting cock 
(supposedly of French origin) 
~ graje candy made from grated 
coconut; see an raj e ~ graje 
~ gwo grenn cock useless for 
fighting 
~ j&m, ~ jim fighting cock 
~ kagou sickly cock or person 
~ kalite first-class fighting cock; 
(male) swinger, ladies' man 
~ kannel cinnamon-colored cock 
~ katye local hero; folk hero 
~ kazwfcl fighting cock or person 
lacking in spunk 
~ konbatan fighting cock 
~ kouri, ~ kreydl cock useless for 
fighting 
~ kriyad6 experienced old 
fighting cock 
~ lakou macho man, Don Juan 
~ lannwit yellow-crowned night 
heron (bird) 
~ li pa chante to be impotent 
~ 16 sacrificial rooster (Voodoo) 
~ manni var. of fighting cock 
~ md see kw6km6 
~ m61 listless or lackluster person; 
see k6km61 
~ ole ideally ripe coconut 
~ pa bat no sale 
~ pa chante to be impotent 
~ pany61, ~ dominiken large 
fighting cock; large coconut; 
coward 
~ papou var. of cock with many 
head feathers 
~ pela, ~ pelaw fighting cock with 
no feathers on back 
~ peyi, ~ paysad plain cock (as 
opposed to a ~ kalite) 
~ ploum rooster that refuses to 
engage in cockfight 
~ pye kaka girl-shy man, guy who 
gets nowhere with women; lazy 
useless guy 
~ pye sal lazy useless guy 
445 
K6k Chante - kokiyay 
~ rache coconut cut into thin 
strips 
~ ras first-class fighter, worthy 
opponent (person or cock) 
~ rbd hard-on, erect penis 
~ san bbk (person with) two front 
teeth missing 
~ savann cock useless for fighting; 
vagrant, good-for-nothing; 
Hispaniolan thick-knee (bird) 
~ sinis, ~ sennis gray fighting 
cock 
~ sourit var. of med. shrub 
~ touyfc fighting cock which has 
secret tactic 
~ woutchado experienced old 
fighting cock 
~ zenga large fighting cock 
~ zepol&t cock with black and 
green wings 
konp& ~ dude, dandy, man about 
town 
maj6 ~ greater Antillean bullfinch 
(bird) 
pa vie pou ~ bat ~ nou not to be 
outdone 
po (ti) ~, po tbt ~ foreskin, 
prepuce 
pou ti - for a song, for a small 
amount of money 
sb\ ~ ki bbk the only one that 
counts 
sb\ ~ (ki) chante only voice to 
be heard, king of the barnyard, 
ruler of the roost; dominant, 
commanding 
swen ~ pou (yon 16t moun) bat to 
serve (s.o. else's) needs 
tbt ~ glans penis; dickhead, 
bonehead, meathead 
ti ~ greater Antillean bullfinch 
(bird); (tough) little guy; var. of 
noxious insect (same as sikadfcl) 
vdld~ var. of bird 
Other terms for fighting cocks: ~ 
boule, ~ gri, ~ nwa, ~ pentad, ~ 
plima, ~ tonn, ~ wouj 
K6k Chante (mdn)prop.n. Mount 
Coq-Chante' (Dept. South-East) 
koka n. coca; hickey, "love bite" on 
neck etc.; prop.n. Coke, Coca-
Cola 
fdm ~ well-shaped or sexy body 
(woman) 
kokad n. hair ribbon, bow; rosette 
Koka(-Kola)/?ro/?.«. Coca-Cola 
kokanba n. var. of croton (bot.) 
kokayin n. cocaine 
kokayinoman n. cocaine addict 
Kokazprop.n. Caucasus 
koke see kwoke 
kokeliko n. cordia, geiger tree 
koken n. scoundrel, cheat, swindler, 
crook; cheat(ing), crooked 
deal(ing); adj. crooked, dishonest 
fe ~ to cheat, deceive 
leve ~, pete - to protest, revolt; to 
cheat 
nan - ak in cahoots with 
kokenn, kokenn adj. huge, 
enormous, gigantic; good-looking, 
striking; outstanding 
kokennchenn, kdkennchenn adj. 
huge, enormous, gigantic 
kdk&t adj. coquettish, elegant, natty; 
see kwok&t 
koki see kokiyay 
antre nan ~ li to withdraw into 
one's shell, lie low, disappear from 
the scene 
- sen jak scallop 
kokinay n. dishonesty, fraud, 
trickery 
kokiyay, koki, kokiy [N.], kokiyaj 
446 
Kokiyo - kdkdt6 
n. seashell 
antre nan - li to be submissive 
jete ~ to practice divination using 
seashells 
Kokiyo prop.n. (disadvantaged area 
of northeast PaP) 
kokiyoko, kdkkoukouyoukou see 
koukouyoukou 
kokleyfc n. scurvy grass 
koklich, kdklich n. whooping 
cough, pertussis; chronic cough 
kokliko n. poppy (plant) 
kdkmd see kwdkmd 
k6km61 n. winter cherry, alkekengi 
(plant); bastard lignum-vitae tree; 
see kdk m61 
koko n. pussy (fam. for vagina); 
coconut (N.)\ n./adj. dumb-ass 
~ makak see kokomakak 
~ poul tube anemone, cerianthis 
~ rat see kokorat 
~ tet anba asshole, dummy 
kout ~ cupping glass (folk 
remedy) 
pa di ~ pi di kalbas not to say a 
word 
ti ~ var. of plant 
Koko (plaj)prop.n. Coco Beach 
(near Cape Haitian, Dept. North) 
kokdb adj. clumsy, awkward; n. 
dupe, sucker 
kokobay, kokobaj n. crippling, 
paralyzing 
kokobe v. to cripple; to wither, 
become useless; n. cripple, invalid; 
adj. paralyzed, crippled, disabled, 
handicapped 
ti ~ kdb measly bit of money, 
paultry sum 
Kokobitchprop.n. Coco Beach 
(Dept. North) 
kdkdday, akdday n. friendship, 
close relationship; association, 
involvement; complicity; 
gossiping 
kdkddaye v. to form a friendship or 
close relationship 
kokodil n. crocodile 
kokodjaka n. junk, stuff 
kdkdkouddk interj. cry made by 
alarmed chickens 
kokolo adj. ungainly, misshapen 
kokolobe n. scarecrow; cf jwif 
kdkdm see zdkdp 
kokomakak, kokonmakak n. club, 
stick, bat; dwarf coconut tree 
ch&f ~ local atache (q.v.) leader 
kokon n. cocoon 
kokonad n. dish made of coconut, 
butter, dark-brown sugar and 
cinnamon 
kokon&t, kdkdndt, konkonn£t n. 
coconut cookie 
kokonm see konkonm 
kokonmakak see kokomakak 
kokopov n. clay (smoking) pipe 
kokorat n. wood louse; pilferer; 
no-count person, worthless 
person; street urchin, homeless 
waif; spoiled leftover food; adj. 
insignificant 
~ ti chim& worthless street urchin, 
little bum 
kokoriko see koukouyoukou 
kdkdt n. genitals (female) (N.) 
kdkdt, koukout n. sweetheart, 
honey, dear 
Kokot/Pdpdt ak Figawo n. Romeo 
and Juliet; inseparable friends 
kokoti n. manioc residue (which 
does not pass through strainer) 
(N.) 
kdkdtminit n.. pressure cooker 
k6kdtd n. wishy-washy person; 
447 
kdkdw6s - k o l a s y o n 
stingy or tight-fisted person; adj. 
stingy; namby-pamby; lifeless, 
nonchalant 
kdkdw6s, k6Idwds n. skull, cranium 
( z o ) ~ tbt head, noggin, noodle, 
bean (fam.) 
k d k d y n. bunion; callus, corn - cf 
z d b d y ; imbecile, idiot; failure, 
flop, bum (person) 
( d o u s ) ~ coconut candy 
k o k o y e , k d k d y e n. coconut; 
tightwad, cheapskate; var. of 
sexually suggestive dance; adj. 
stingy, tight 
c h e m i z - palm thatch 
d o u s ~ coconut candy 
k a l e ~ p o u p o to do s.thg. for 
nothing/in vain 
~ n a n p y e large calf muscle 
m o l e ~ soft coconut meat 
n a n n a n ~ coconut meat 
t a c h ~ palm thatch 
Var. of coconut: ~ D a m y e n , ~ 
e n d i j £ n , ~ i b r i d , ~ k o u t 
K o k o y e ( D i c h e n n / D e c h ^ n ) 
prop.n. Cocoyer (Duchene) (5th 
communal section of Anse-a-Veau, 
Dept. Grand'Anse) 
k d k d y d k d see k o u k o u y o u k o u 
k d k p i t n. [Eng.] cockpit (airplane) 
k6kraz, k6kraze see k6 k r a z 
kokrfc l n. var. of insect 
k o k s i d y d z n. coccidiosis 
koks in fc l , k o k s i n d l n. ladybug 
k d k s i s n. coccyx 
k d k t £ l n. cocktail; any mixed 
alcoholic drink (other than rum); 
cocktail party, reception 
~ molot6v Molotov cocktail 
t i ~ p e y i traditional Haitian drink 
composed of k l e r e n (4.v.) rum and 
lime juice 
k d k w i z e see k o n k w i z i 
k d l n. (neck)tie; collar; glue, paste; 
difficult question, sticker; Colt 
(revolver); cervix; (telephone) call 
[Eng.]; see l a k d l 
a r £ t ~ tie-clasp, tie-pin 
~ b w a carpenter's wood glue 
~ m a t r i s cervix 
~ s i k to call in sick [Eng.] 
p a g e n ~ n a n k o u n i v e s s o u do 
not to be stiff and formal 
k o l a n. cola; (very sweet) soft drink 
soda pop; yellowtail snapper 
(fish); limpkin (bird) 
( b o u f t y ) ~ soft drink bottle, pop 
bottle (used as measure) 
~ B d d e former Haitian soft drink 
~ d i s , ~ k e n z cheap soft drinks 
- J a n n i n i former Haitian soft 
drink 
k o l a b o r a s y o n n. collaboration 
k o l a b o ( r a t £ ) n., k o l a b o r a t r i s fn. 
collaborator, colleague, co-worker 
k o l a b o r e v. to collaborate, work 
jointly 
Ko laddprop .n . Colladere (Dept. 
Center) 
k o l a j n. [Fr] collage (art) 
K o l a m a n n see K d l m a n n 
k o l a n adj. sticky; tiresome, 
annoying, obtrusive (person); 
stubborn (fever); n. leotard, tights 
k o l a n g & t ! k d l a n g e t ! k o l a n g i t ! 
k o l a n g i t ! interj. shit! 
~ m a n m a n o u ! motherfucker! 
flick you! go fuck yourself! 
k o l a s o n n , k o l a z o n n n. pick-me-up 
(food etc.) 
k o l a s o t , k o u l a s d t n. cuckoo 
k o l a s y o n , k o r a s y o n n. light meal, 
light refreshment; breakfast 
d e z y £ m ~ noonday meal 
448 
kolasyonnen - kdft 
kolasyonnen v. to have or eat 
breakfast 
kolazonn see kalasonn 
kolboso, kabose, kalbose, kalboso, 
kdlboso n. dent; v. to dent; to 
bulge out of shape; to clobber, 
bash, hit; adj. dented, bent 
kole n. collar; skirmish, scuffle; v. 
to glue, paste; to stick (to), cling 
(to); to coagulate; to be stuck (in 
mud etc.); to get stuck (on exam 
etc.); to unite, attach; to connect, 
juxtapose; to put; adj. sticky, 
gluey; close to (one another), 
growing too close together (plants 
etc.); clinging, tight (clothes) 
diri ak pwa ~, diri ~, diri ~ 
ak pwa rice and beans (cooked 
together) 
fey ti ~ var. of med. plant 
gwo ~ high-powered 
~ ak next to; to adhere to 
~ ansanm to get together, unite 
~ dan to dig in, become 
established or entrenched 
~ debou gutsy, brave 
~ gaz to step on the gas, speed up 
- - t ouch ing , adjoining; back-to-
back 
~ ftt bannann sou to soil, dirty 
~ ii pran one thing leads 
necessarily to another 
~ li pran pa ~ li pran whatever 
one does the outcome will be the 
same 
~ mabouya dancing intertwined 
and swaying the hips 
~ moustach to have a male 
homosexual relationship 
~ nan bounda/dengonnAfty£ to 
tail, pursue 
~ nan kd/deng (yon moun) to put 
pressure on (s.o.), keep after (s.o.), 
nag; to haunt, obsess 
~ pyese to sew together, piece 
together; piecemeal, makeshift; 
imperfect, temporary, ragtag 
~ sere to tighten; tight; to close 
ranks, huddle together 
~ sou to become too familiar; to 
try to get into s.o.'s good graces 
~ ftt to work together, join forces, 
cooperate; to neck, kiss 
~ ftt li aft to fall down 
~ zepdl, pote ~ to cooperate, 
work together; cooperation; joint 
endeavor 
pa - joker, clown 
(tou) - ak (right) next to, adjacent 
to, adjoining 
koft: 
- boyo maker of rubber sandals or 
shoes 
kdft, koft n. rage, fury, anger, wrath 
an - to be angry (over long 
period) 
ft (yon) - to get angry, be angry 
(momentarily); to rage, storm, 
have a fit of anger; to have 
repressed anger 
ft - sou/kont to get mad/angry at 
ft yon sel ~, ft yon kout - to go 
into a violent rage, throw a fit 
- anndan restrained anger 
- krapo false anger 
- moute nan ftt to become 
enraged 
- pase kong mad as hell 
koute - li to give way to anger, act 
impulsively 
moute - (yon moun) to anger 
(s.o.) 
pase - li to blow off steam, relieve 
one's anger 
449 
kdftg - Kolinapogon 
pete yon s£l ~ to have a temper 
tantrum, blow one's stack 
pran/ft - s£vi wont, pran/ft 
lawont s£vi ~ to use anger as a 
cover for one's shame or guilt; to 
find an alibi or pretext; to be nervy 
or bold; (often explained as a 
vicious cycle of shame and anger) 
kdftg n. colleague 
koftj, kofty n. private elementary 
and/or secondary school 
kolejyal adj. collegial 
kolejyalite n. [Fr] collegiality 
kolejyen n., kolejyfcn fn. private 
school student 
kdftk n. collect (telephone call) 
koleksyon n. collection (stamps, 
coins etc.) 
koleksyone, koleksyonn£ n. 
collector 
koleksyonnen, koleksyone v. to 
collect; to gather, pick up 
kolekte v. to collect; see konekte 
kolekft n. tax collector; collector 
(art, stamps etc.) 
kolektif nJadj. collective 
kolektivis n. collectivism; n./adj. 
collectivist 
kolektivite, lakolektivite n. 
community 
~ teritoryal local governing 
structure (designed by 1987 
Constitution to decentralize 
government) 
kolektivman adv. collectively 
kolen n. straw chair which has 
developed hole in middle 
kolepyese n. patch-up job, repairing 
kolera, fyfcv kolera n. cholera 
kolerat, kdlerat n. var. of plant 
kolerin see kolorin 
kolestewdl n. cholesterol 
koftt, kdftt n. collar; chest; 
gullet, neck area; slope, side (of 
mountain); stem of fruit; hilt; 
collection, offering (of money); 
burlap; var. of mango 
gran ~, gwo ~ big shot, VIP, 
bigwig; haughty 
~ adam, fty ~, ~ Notredam, zeb-
monkey's-hand, colt's-foot (herb) 
~ deboutonnen (with a) plunging 
neckline 
~ debraye openly, without fear 
mete men nan ~ (yon moun) to 
seize, grab, arrest (s.o.) 
moute ~ to be haughty, show 
haughtiness 
nan ~ on one's back, annoying, a 
nuisance 
sak ~ burlap bag 
Koftt (larivy£)prop.n. Colette river 
(at Fort-Libert<§, Dept. North-East) 
kofty see koftj 
koleyopft n. beetle 
kdlfot n. epoxy (glue) 
kolgat n. toothpaste; prop.n. Colgate 
koli n. parcel, package 
kolib&t n. silliness, nonsense, 
foolishness; fool, idiot 
pa nan ~ ak not to be too familiar 
with, not to be too close to 
kolibri, kolobri, kolobrik, kolobrit 
n. hummingbird 
ft - to take out the riches, exploit 
~ fran Hispaniolan tody (bird) 
~ mdn narrow-billed tody (bird) 
kolidd see koridd 
kolik n. menstrual cramps; 
abdominal pains; colic; stomach 
ache 
kolimate n. gunsight 
kolin n. hill; valley 
Kolinapogon prop.n. communal 
450 
Kolin D£ch£n - kolonn 
section of Dept. South 
Kolin D£ch£n/Dech£n, Bodari 
prop.n. Colline-des-Chaines, 
Bodarie (1st communal section of 
Grand-Gosier, Dept. South-East) 
Kolin Gob&, Gob£prop.n. Colline 
Gobert (1st communal section of 
Plaisance, Dept. North) 
Kolin Mango prop.n. Collmie-&-
Mongons (12th communal section 
of Aquin, Dept. South) 
kolinfc: 
lak ~ (artificial) fish pond, fish 
reserve 
kolize n. coliseum 
kolizyon n. head-on collision 
fb ~ to collide 
kdlkdl n. prairie lily, blazing star 
(plant); nuisance, pest 
kolkr^m n. [Eng.] cold cream 
Kdlmann, Kdlamann prop.n. 
Coleman (gas) lamp 
kolmate v. to seal off, plug 
kdlmatris n. cervix 
kdlmdzd adj. weak, flabby 
kolo n. rural section chief (same as 
chef seksyon); tough guy; see 
kolon&l 
kolobri, kolobrik, kolobrit see 
kolibri 
kolochdt, polochdt n. polo shirt 
kdldk n. colloquium, symposium, 
conference; impudent reply; 
quarrel 
kolokent f.n. loose woman; adj. 
greedy; n. var. of edible gourd 
k6I6kd adj. underhanded 
kolokoto: 
pa pip ~ nothing at all 
kdldk6tdk onomat. cry of a parrot; 
see tdldkdtdk 
kololaw! interj. wow! (usu. neg.) 
kolomi see ekonomi 
kolon adj. greedy, stingy; n. colonist, 
settler; colon (med.) 
~ kreydl Mulatto elite (pej.) 
~ nbg Black elite, Black ruling 
class 
ti ~ traitor 
Kolon (Kristdf)prop.n. Columbus 
(Christopher) (1451-1506) 
koldn see kolonn 
kolonb see kolonm 
Kolonbiprop.n. Colombia 
kolonbye, kdlonbye n. food storage 
bin set on stilts; granary, grain 
storage hut 
Kolonbye see Savan£t 
Kolonbyenprop.nJadj., Kolonby&n 
fprop.n. Colombian 
kolonfcl, kolo, kowonfcl n. colonel 
koloni, kolonni n. colony; cf. 
lakoloni 
yon ~ many, a bunch of 
kolonis n. (newspaper) columnist 
kolonizasyon, lakolonizasyon n. 
colonization 
kolonizate, kolonnizat& n. 
colonizer 
kolonize, kolonnize v. to colonize 
kolonm, kolonb n. dove; cf. pijon 
kolonmi n. var. of peasant dance; see 
ekonomi 
kolonn, koldn n. column, pillar; 
newspaper column; group, throng; 
squad (milit.)\ same as konbit 
(q.v.)\ strolling group of nocturnal 
evildoers (members of a secret 
society) 
fb ~ to assemble, come together 
fil ~ type of string 
- v£tebral spinal column 
senky&m ~ fifth column, spy 
yon - a bunch of, a big number of 
451 
kolonnad - kdman 
kolonnad n. colonnade 
kolonni see koloni 
kolonnizati see kolonizatS 
kolonnize see kolonize 
kolonyal, kolonnyal adj. colonial 
kolonyalis, kolonnyalis n. 
colonialism; nJadj. colonialist 
kolora: 
jwe yon ~ to make a whistling 
sound by blowing into one's hands 
kolorad n. Guiana chestnut tree, 
provision tree 
Koloradoprop.n. Colorado (USA) 
koloran n. coloring (substance) 
kolorasyon n. coloration, coloring 
kolore v. to color, dye 
kolorektal adj. colorectal 
kolorin, kolerin n. dysentery 
kolorye v. to color, apply color 
kdl6s n. colossus, giant; adj. giant, 
gigantic 
gason ~ big, strapping guy 
Koldsprop.n. [Bible] Colossae 
kolosal adj. colossal, gigantic 
kolostwdm n. colostrum, foremilk 
Kolosyenprop.n. [Bible] Colossians 
kdldwdch n. barnacle, shell-fish; 
hard substance; hard person (to 
cope or deal with) 
t b t ~ hardheaded, stubborn, 
obstinate 
kdldwds see kdkdwds 
koldy n. cologne 
Koldy prop.n. Cologne (Germany) 
kolozo (ti) n. var. of freshwater fish 
kdlpdtay n. gossip 
kdlpote v. to gossip; to peddle, hawk 
kdlpdtfc n. gossip (person); itinerant 
peddler 
kdlsik v. [Eng.] to call in sick 
kdlslo n. [Eng.] coleslaw 
kdlta n. coal tar; v. to control, get a 
hold on 
kdltaye, kdltare v. to tar; to mix 
with coal tar 
kdlte v. to button up; to wear a tie; 
adj. having a high neckline; well-
dressed 
~ ak to get in touch with; to 
embrace; to come face to face with 
kolvfct n. culvert, conduit, sewer 
kolye n. necklace; dog collar; wild/ 
black tamarind tree 
desant ~ final ceremony of kanzo 
initiation when necklaces are 
placed on the \ b \ b (q. v.) of one's 
special Voodoo spirit 
~ doub West Indian killdeer (bird) 
~ doub fran, zekolye rufous-
naped plover (bird) 
~ doub janm j6n semi-palmated 
plover (bird) 
~ grenn bead 
~ p b Lebren see Lebren 
kdm, konm conj. since, because, 
inasmuch as; when; as, like; n. 
roof trussing, roof timbers 
- de fbt as a matter of fact 
~ ki dire see kdmkidire 
~ kwa see kdmkwa 
~ nou dizon as we say; we agree 
then 
~ sadwa, ~ sadwat£t see 
kdmsadwa 
~ si (dire), ~ si ryennetd see 
kdmsi 
koma, konma n. coma; top-hat; 
derby hat; mastic, wild olive 
~ wouj bustic (tree) 
komabo!, komakoulout!, 
konmabo!, konmabisto!, 
koumabo!, kounmabi!, 
kounmabo! interj. wow! 
kdman see kouman 
452 
komandan - komesyal 
komandan, konmandan, 
koumandan n. slave overseer; 
commander; commandant, army 
chief of a region; rural section 
chief (same as clftf seksyon) 
~ laplas, ~ plas la local 
commander; see laplas 
kdmande, konmande, koumande 
v. to command, lead, control; to 
order, direct; to order (goods); 
n. chives sauted in vegetable oil 
which is added to bean pur6e; adj. 
poisoned 
kdmand£, konmandfc n. boss, 
chief; slave overseer (also a slave 
himself); adj. bossy, overbearing 
kdmandite v. [Fr.] to finance 
kdmandift n. silent partner; 
conspirator, person ultimately 
responsible (pej.) 
kdmandman see kdmannman 
kdmando n. commando; commando 
force 
kdmanman! see koumanman! 
kdmann, konmann n. order (for 
goods etc.); controls, lever(s) 
ft ~ to order 
kdmannman, kdmandman, 
konmandman, koumandman, 
koumannman, lakdmandman n. 
command, order; commandment 
kdmansan see konmansan 
kdmanse see konmanse 
kdmansman see konmansman 
kdmantaft n. commentator 
kdmante v. to comment 
kdmanft n. commentary, comment 
komatiboulout!, kdmapiston!, 
komastipoulout!, 
kdmatimdlnftk!, 
komatchouboulout!, 
komatyouboulout! interj. wow! 
kdmdeftt adv. as a matter of fact 
kdme see konnft 
komedi, kdmedi, konmedi, 
koumedi n. comedy; funny 
character, strange person 
ala ~ what a mess 
M pa nan ~ ak ou I'm not just 
kidding around 
komedyen, kdmedyen, konmedyen 
n. comedian, actor; affected or 
artificial person 
kdnftlftk! interj. wow! my gosh! 
gee! 
komemorasyon n. commemoration 
komemoratif adj. commemorative 
komemore, konmemore v. to 
commemorate 
komen, kdmen see konmen 
komenyon see konminyon 
komeray, komeraj , kdmeray n. 
piece of gossip; gossiping; cf. zen 
kdmes, konfts, konnfts n. business, 
trade, commerce; wares, goods, 
merchandise; bad attitude, 
gruffhess; good attitude; conj. 
because of, due to 
ft ~ to engage in trade, do business 
~ ale vini, ~ do ale do vini, ~ 
vayevyen, ~ vire men, ~ vire 
tounen back to back buying and 
selling, back to back trading 
ti ~ small marketing activities, 
selling on street; street vendors 
kdnftsan, konftsan, konnftsan, 
komeskz n. businessman, 
merchant, trader, retailer 
konftsant, kdmesant see 
konnftsant 
komese v. to trade, deal 
konftskz see konm^sant 
komdsyal, konnftsyal adj. 
commercial 
453 
kontesyalizasyon - komodite 
kontesyalizasyon n. 
commercialization 
kontesyalize v. to commercialize 
kontet, kdntet, konntet n. comet; v. 
to commit (sin, error etc.) 
kometan see konmetan 
komi, k6mi see konmi 
komik adj. funny, comic, comical; n. 
funny person; cartoon 
te ~ to clown around 
komilfo adj. proper; adv. properly 
Komilfoprop.n. Comme II Faut 
(brand of Haitian cigarettes, since 
1965) 
~ \bt mentholated brand (of 
above) 
~ wouj regular brand (of above) 
komilis see kominis 
komin n. commune, administrative 
subdivision of an awondisman 
(q.v.)\ cf. lakomin 
kominal, konminal adj. municipal; 
communal 
kominikasyon, konminikasyon n. 
communication 
kominikate n. communicator 
kominikatif adj. communicative 
kominike, konminike v. to 
communicate; n. communique, 
bulletin, official announcement 
~ ak to contact 
kominis, komilis, konminis n. 
Communism; nJadj. Communist 
kominote, konminote n. 
community; community center; 
civic group 
kominote, konminote adj. 
community 
gwoupman ~ community-action 
group 
kdminyen, kominye, k6minye, 
kominyen, konminyen v. to 
receive communion 
kominyon, kdminyon see 
konminyon 
komisarya, komisariya, 
konmisarya n. commissionership; 
office of the commissioner 
~ polis police station 
komis£, kdmisfc see konmisfc 
komisyon, konmisyon n. 
commission, special committee; 
purchase; provisions, food(stuffs), 
supplies; message; errand; (sales) 
commission; genitals (female) 
te ~ to do/run errands 
~ kominal town council, city 
council 
komisyon^, komisyonne, 
konmisyonn& n. messenger, 
errand boy; commissioner, 
representative 
komisyonnen, konmisyonnen v. to 
commission 
komite, konmite n. committee; 
council, board; deacon 
~ administrasyon board of 
directors, governing board, 
administrative committee 
~ katye neighborhood defense and 
clean-up group 
komizik n. orchestra, band 
kdmkidire, komkidire, 
k6mkwadire, k6msidire conj. so 
to speak, as though, supposedly, as 
if to say 
kdmkwa conj. as if, as though 
komkwadire see kdmkidire 
Komd, Kdmdprop.n. Comoro 
Islands 
komdd, kdmdd, konmdd n. latrine, 
toilet; outhouse, privy; dresser, 
chest of drawers; adj. convenient 
komodite, konmodite n. 
454 
komoky&l - konbat 
commodity; convenience 
komoky£l, konoky&l n. nonsense, 
bullshit 
zentelektyel ~ bullshit artist 
Kdmdnwels, Komonnw&lprop.n. 
(British) Commonwealth 
kdmoran n. cormorant (bird) 
kdmsadwa, kdmsadwaftt, sadwa, 
sadwatet adv. properly, correctly 
kdmsi, konmsi, konsi conj. as if, as 
though 
ft ~ to pretend, make believe 
~ (dire) it is as if, it is like 
~ ~ so-so, ordinary, fair to middling 
~ ryenneft as if nothing were 
wrong, as if there were no big deal 
kdmsidire see kdmkidire 
kdmsiryenneft adv. [Fr] as though 
nothing had happened 
kdmye n. guava, guayabo tree 
K6myeprop.n. Cormiers (9th 
communal section of Grande-
Rivftre-du-Nord, Dept. North; 
12th communal section of 
Leogane, Dept. West) 
Kdmye (plaj)prop.n. Cormier 
(Beach) (Dept. North) 
k on contr. kou + yon 
kon n. idiot; adv. as soon as; adv./ 
conj. when; as...as (ex.: piti ~ li 
piti as small as he is); prep, like 
kon, kou prep, like, as; conj. when 
kdn, konn n. horn; (animal's) horn; 
callus; stem of fruit; shoe-horn; 
cone (math); drum peg; dice 
game; var. of mango; see konn 
bay kout - to gore 
chay ~ very heavy load 
frape ~ see kole ~ 
gen - to be difficult, be hard 
gen ~ lan to have the floor, have 
the opportunity to speak 
kenbe - to monopolize 
(conversation etc.) 
kole ~, frape ~, kontre ~ to lock 
horns, engage in a fight 
~ ap pouse nan ftt li to become 
enraged 
- j e n o u kneecap, patella; cf. zo 
jenou 
- kabrit cryptostegia (weed from 
which it was hoped to produce 
latex for rubber); bejuco vine 
- lanbi conch shell 
- siye toothless, impotent 
- tdde aging; old person 
pase - to pass the microphone to, 
give the floor to 
plis - pase b^f more form than 
substance 
pran - to announce 
pran - lan to take the floor; to 
take over, continue to operate 
s.thg. 
siye - ak to lock horns with, 
oppose 
yon s£l ~ unicorn 
kdnabw&y n. var. of hardwood 
KONAJEK acron. Konsdy 
Nasyonal Aksyon Janklodis 
(Jean-Claude National Action 
Council) - political and esp. 
economic council of Jean-Claude 
Duvalier, c. 1971-1986 
Konakriprop.n. Conakry (Guinea) 
KONATEL acron. Konsfcy 
Nasyonal Telekominikasyon 
(Conseil National des 
T616communications) National 
Telecommunications Council 
kdnay n. loud or deafening noise 
konba n. combat, struggle, strife 
konbat v. to combat, fight (off), 
struggle (against), oppose 
455 
konbatan - kondi 
konbatan n. fighter, combatant; adj. 
combative 
~ pou lib£te freedom fighter 
konbatif adj. combative; fighting 
konbativite n. combativeness 
konbe see konben 
konbfclann n. illegally tapped 
electricity; trick (for theft of 
electricity, setting back odometer 
reading, inserting water into 
gasoline etc.); confidence trick 
(esp. when changing money on 
street); cheat, scammer; hose 
te - to make do, use makeshift 
device 
konben, konbe, konbyen adv. how 
much, how many; so many; n. a 
great number of 
~ fwa again and again, repeatedly 
konbi see konbit 
k6nbif n. [Eng.] corned beef 
konbin n. scheme, trick 
konbinaj see konkibinay 
konbine, konbinen v. to combine, 
put together, join together 
konbinezon n. combination; plot, 
scheme, device; agreement, 
compromise; creature of disparate 
parts (Voodoo) 
fe ~, mare yon ~ to scheme, plot; 
to arrange, fix up 
konbistib n. [Fr.] fuel 
konbit, konbi, koumbit, kounbit 
n. cooperative peasant work team 
for clearing land and harvesting, 
community work fest, work-bee 
(cf. American "barn-raising"); 
working together; intrigue 
moute - d£y£/sou to scheme, 
intrigue; to slander, speak ill of 
konble v. to fill up, fill (back) in; to 
fill (vacancy); to be filled (with); 
to pile up, heap up; to crowd 
together; to crowd around, close 
in on, press around (s.o.); to 
overwhelm 
~ defisi a to make good or make 
up the deficit 
~ lanme (woch) to attempt an 
impossible or meaningless task 
konbyen see konben 
kondanab adj. reprehensible, 
blameworthy 
kondanasyon see kondannasyon 
kondane see kondannen 
kondannasyon, kondanasyon n. 
condemnation 
~ amd death sentence 
kondannen, kondane, kondanen 
n. guilty party; convict; v. to 
condemn, sentence, convict; to 
condemn, judge unfit for use 
~ d£yd do li to condemn in 
absentia 
kondansasyon n. condensation 
kondansate see kondans& 
kondanse v. to condense; to 
evaporate; n. resume, summary 
kondans&, kondansate n. condenser 
Kondeprop.n. Conde' (4th 
communal section of Les Coteaux, 
Dept. South) 
kondesandans n. condescension 
kondi, kondwi v. to lead, guide, 
escort, take care of; to drive, steer 
(vehicle); to pilot (boat, plane); to 
pipe, channel, funnel (water etc.); 
to behave 
~ bak li dwat to keep to the 
straight and narrow (path), behave 
oneself 
~ kamyon an to take charge 
~ maryaj to act as witness at a 
wedding 
456 
kondikft - k6n£t 
~ mennen (ale) to lead; to channel 
(water) 
~ tbt li to be on one's own 
~ tbt li byen/mal to behave well/ 
badly 
kondikft n. leader; herdsman 
(who leads cattle to market - cf. 
mawoule); driver (cf. choffc); 
(electrical) conductor; guiding 
Voodoo spirit (for a seer) 
kondiktivite n. conductivity 
kondipilwen n. large loaf of bread 
kondisip n. classmate, schoolmate; 
fellow participant 
kondisyon n. condition, state; 
condition, restriction, provision; 
agreement, terms 
fb ~ ak to agree on terms/price 
Minisft Kondisyon Fanm (ak 
Dwa Fanm) Ministry of Women's 
Affairs 
pase ~ to agree on, make a deal; to 
set up guidelines 
kondisyone, kondisyonne v. to 
restrict, set guidelines for; adj. in 
good condition/shape 
kondisyon^, kondisyonn£ n, hair 
conditioner 
kondisyon£l n. conditional tense 
(gram.); adj. conditional 
kondisydnman n. conditioning, 
preparing, shaping up 
kondit, kondwit n. conduct, 
behavior; conduit, pipeline, flue, 
duct; penis; maintenance of a 
sacred lamp (Voodoo) 
kondd n. condor (bird) 
konddleyans, kondoleyans n. (myI 
our) condolences, sympathy 
kondon n. condom; cf. kapot 
kondwi see kondi 
kondwit see kondit 
kdn£, kone, kdne n. cone (for ice 
cream); paper cup; funnel; musical 
instrument of various sizes made 
of hammered zinc ending in a 
flared bell and sounding only one 
note; headphones, earphones; 
small bag (for sugar etc.); corner 
kick (soccer); see konen 
voye ~ to send off, get rid of 
Kone Aylann prop.n. Coney Island 
(New York) 
koneksyon, konneksyon n. 
connection 
koneksyone, koneksyonne v. to 
network, establish relationships 
konekte, kolekte, konnekte v. to 
connect, plug in; to insert (IV tube 
etc.) 
Konektik&t see Konetik£t 
kdnen, kdne v. to buzz, tingle, ring 
(ears); to sound or blow a conch 
shell or horn; to noise about, make 
known 
konesan, konnesan adj. [Fr] 
knowing 
konesans, konnesans, lakonesans 
n. knowledge; common sense; 
skill; consciousness; acquaintance, 
person one knows; intuition; 
clairvoyance, occult power, extra­
sensory perception 
fb ~ to meet, get to know 
gen bon konesans to be alert 
gen - to be conscious 
p&di ~ to faint, pass out 
pran ~ to read, peruse 
reprann - to come to, regain 
consciousness 
san - unconscious 
konese, kon&se, konnes& n. 
connoisseur, expert 
kdn&t, konn£t n, earphones, headset; 
457 
Konetik£t - konfyans 
cone (ice cream); paper cup; 
cornet; bell (of trumpet, horn, 
old-fashioned record-player); 
funnel; receiver (of old-fashioned 
telephone); grinder spout (mack) 
Konetik^t, Kon£tikfct, Konektitet 
prop.n. Connecticut (USA) 
kdn&y n. crow 
Kdn&y (Pye)prop.n. Corneille 
(Pierre) - French dramatist (1606-
1684) 
konfederasyon n. (con)federation 
konfeksyone v. to make (clothes) 
konferans n. lecture; conference 
konferansye n., konferansy£z/ft. 
lecturer, speaker; spokesperson 
konfere v. to confer, grant, award 
konfese v. to confess 
konfes£ n. confessor 
konfesyon, lakonfesyon n. 
confession 
konfesyonal n. confessional 
konfeti n. confetti 
konfi n. preserves, crystallized or 
candied fruit; pickled vegetable; 
home-made spiced vinegar; v. to 
preserve (fruits); to pickle; to soak 
(leather) 
konfidans n. confidence, personal 
secret 
konfidansyalite n. confidentiality 
konfidansyel adj. confidential 
konfidansy&lman adv. confidentially 
konfimasyon, lakonfimasyon n. 
confirmation 
konfimen, konfime v. to confirm, 
ratify, corroborate; to confirm, 
administer the sacrement of 
confirmation; to be confirmed, 
receive the sacrement of 
confirmation 
konfiske v. to confiscate 
konfisri n. candy factory 
konfiteyo n. (rel.) confession of guilt 
konfi ti n. jam, preserves 
~ mango chutney 
konfiyans see konfyans 
konfizyon n. confusion 
kdnfleks n. dry cereal; corn flakes 
konfli n. conflict, dispute 
konfd n. comfort; toilet; cashbox 
~ moden indoor plumbing; flush 
toilet 
konfdm adj. straight, in good order 
~ ak true to, in keeping with 
~ e dif6m in good and due form 
rann ~ to adapt, adjust 
konfdme, konfomen v. to conform, 
adhere 
konfdmeman ak adv. in accordance 
with 
konfdmite n. conformity, agreement 
konfonn v. to confuse, mistake one 
thing for another; to confuse, mix 
(s.o.) up 
konfonte see konfwonte 
konfdtab adj. comfortable 
konfdtableman adv. comfortably 
konfdte v. to comfort 
konf6t& n. comforter (to cover bed) 
konfrfc n. colleague, fellow member 
konfr£ri, konfreri n. brotherhood 
(in organization or group) 
konfwontasyon n. confrontation, 
strife, conflict 
konfwonte, konfonte v. to confront, 
face 
konfyan adj. confident 
konfyans, konfiyans, lakonfyans 
n. confidence, trust, faith; close 
friend; intimate associate of a 
Voodoo priest; caretaker of a 
Voodoo temple 
fe ~ to trust, believe in 
458 
konfye - kdnichon 
ft ftt ~ to be self-confident, trust 
oneself 
ft (yon moun) ~ to have 
confidence in (s.o.), to trust (s.o.) 
gen ~ to be confident 
gen ~ nan to rely upon, count upon 
konfye v. to confide in; to have 
confidence in, trust; to entrust 
konfydl n. accomplice, partner; 
henchman 
konfyolo n. shady dealing, schemes, 
intrigues, conspiracy 
ft (yon) ~ to conspire against 
nan ~ ak in cahoots with 
kong n. conger eel (very large eel); 
adj. mean, vicious 
~ mor&l spotted moray (eel) 
~ zbb American eel 
move kou ~, kdft pase ~ mad as 
hell 
kongla n. limpkin (bird) 
kongo n. migrant cane cutter; hick, 
yokel, hayseed; air-head, space-
cadet, out of it, naive person; 
Voodoo dance of minimal foot 
movement but with sudden violent 
turns 
abiye tankou ~ belizfc to be 
dressed in a weird or ugly fashion 
dam - woman responsible for 
food and drink in konbit (q.v.) 
~ fran older form of Kongo rite 
dance (Voodoo) 
~ pay&t sexually suggestive dance 
where men and women form 
separate lines (Voodoo) 
laye ~ to live it up 
n&g ~ old fogey 
pwa ~ pigeon pea 
sosyete ~ type of konbit (q.v.) 
ti ~ small double-headed 
cylindrical drum - smallest of the 
three Kongo rite drums (Voodoo) 
Kongo prop.n. important Voodoo 
rite: group or "nation" (nanchon) 
of Voodoo spirits, now usu. 
combined with Petwo services; 
Congo (river) 
~ Belj/B&j Belgian Congo (former 
name of the below, 1908-1960) 
Repiblik Demokratik ~ (Zayi) 
(People's Republic of the) Congo; 
Congo-Kinshasa (formerly Zaire) 
Kongolk prop.nJadj., Kongoftz 
f.prop.n. Congolese 
kongolo n. migrant cane cutter 
(pej.); cf. kongo 
kongdld see gongolo 
kongrfc n. convention, meeting 
(political, scientific etc.); congress 
kongreganis adj. church-related 
Kongreganis see Kongregasyonis 
kongregasyon n. congregation, 
assembly; religious order 
Kongregasyonis, Kongreganis 
prop.n. Congregationalist;prop. 
adj. Congregational 
kongresis n. participant at a (formal) 
conference 
kongr&smann n. [Eng.] 
congressman 
kongreswoumann, 
kongrkswomann f.n. [Eng.] 
congresswoman 
kongr&syon&l adj. (US) 
congressional 
kongri adj. cooked with beans (rice, 
cornmeal or millet) 
koni adj. well-known, famous 
ensi ~ thus known; so-called 
kdnich adj. dried up, shriveled up 
kdnichon, konnichon n. pickle; 
shrimp, runt; chat-tanager (bird); 
hollow cow horn used as container 
459 
koniftet - konkdkte 
for starting a fire (obs.) 
koniftet, kdniftet n. partisan, 
supporter 
konik, konnik n. chronicle, report 
(press); adj. chronic; conic(al) 
(shaped) 
konivans see konnivans 
kdniye v. to sound (a horn) 
Kdniyon, Granbwaprop.n. 
Cornillon (Dept. West) 
Kdniyonfcprop.n., K6niyon&z 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of Cornillon 
(Dept. West) 
konje n. day off; vacation; leave, 
time off 
jou ~ holiday 
konjedye v. [Fr] to fire, dismiss, lay 
off 
konjekti n. [Fr.] conjecture 
konjektivit see konjonktivit 
konjelasyon n. [Fr.] freezing 
konj elat£ n. freezer 
konjele see konjle 
konjesyon n. congestion, crowding; 
accumulation 
~ nan s£vo, ~ serebral stroke, 
cerebro-vascular accident (CVA) 
konjesyonnen adj. congested 
konjigal adj. conjugal 
konjige v. to conjugate; to combine 
(efforts) 
konjigezon n. conjugation 
konjire v. to ward off; to expel, 
banish, cast out 
konjle, konjele, konjile v. to (deep-) 
freeze 
konjonksyon n. conjunction 
konjonkti n. state of affairs, 
situation, circumstances 
konjonktiv n. conjunctiva 
konjonktivit, konjektivit n. 
(epidemic hemorrhagic) 
conjunctivitis, pinkeye 
konjwen(t) n. [Fr] spouse; adj. 
joint, combined 
konjwentaman adv. jointly 
konkakaf n. regional competition 
(soccer) 
konkase v. to crush, grind 
konkase n. crusher (for breaking up 
stones etc.) 
konkav adj. concave 
konkeran n. conqueror 
konkeri v. to conquer 
konket n. conquest, triumph 
te ~ to acquire, conquer 
konki adj. conquered, subjugated 
konkibin f.n. [Fr] concubine, 
mistress 
konkibinay, konbinaj n. 
cohabitation, living together 
(without formal marriage); state 
of having more than one non-legal 
(female) spouse 
konkipisans n. concupiscence 
konkiran n. competitor, rival 
konkirans n. competition, rivalry 
te ~ to compete; to emulate, rival 
konkiranse v. to compete, offer 
competition 
konkistadd n. (Span.) conquistador 
konklav n. conclave 
konkli v. to conclude, infer 
konklizyon n. conclusion 
konkdd see lakonkdd 
konkdda n. concordat 
konkodans n. agreement (gram)\ 
concordance (Bible etc.) 
konkdday n. affiliation; friendship, 
relationship 
konkode v. to agree, tally 
konkddman n. agreement 
konkdkte, konkote v. to concoct, 
conspire, plot 
460 
konkdktfc - konmfcsant 
konkdkft n. concocter, conspirator, 
schemer, plotter 
konkon n. var. of bread 
konkonbwet, konkonbr&t n. 
quarrels, discord; intrigue, 
machinations 
konkonm, kokonm n. cucumber; 
pickle (cf. k6nichon); swelling or 
bump on head, hematoma; hump 
(of hunchback - cf. bds) same as 
graj (percussion instrument), q.v. 
depi/te/Id ti ~ t ap goumen ak 
berej£n from time immemorial, 
since God made little green apples 
gwo ~ vegetable pear 
- ke rat gherkin 
~ machw£ cheek (of face) 
~ zonbi Jimson weed, thorn apple, 
datura stramonium 
ti ~ gherkin 
Other var. of cucumber are: ~ 
epine, ~ kedrat, ~ paloma, ~ 
sovaj, ~ triyonf, ~ viktwa 
konkonn£t see kokon£t 
konkote see konkdkte 
konkou n. contest, competition; 
assistance, help, support, 
cooperation 
bay ~, pote ~ to help, assist 
konkouran adj. concurrent 
konkre, konkrfc adj. concrete, 
tangible, convincing 
konkretizasyon n. concretization, 
realization 
konkretize v. to give concrete 
expression to 
konkr£tman adv. concretely 
konkwizi, kdkwize, konkwize v. 
to curl up one's body (esp. when 
cold) 
konm n. roofing, ceiling; see kdm 
konma n. derby hat; top hat; see 
koma 
konmabo!, konmabisto! see 
komabo! 
konman see kouman 
konmandan see komandan 
konmande see kdmande 
konmandfc see kdmandfc 
konmandman see komannman 
konmando n. (milit.) commando 
konmanman! see koumanman! 
konmann see kdmann 
konmansan, komansan: 
an ~ pa beginning with 
konmanse, kdmanse, koumanse v. 
to begin, start, commence 
pou ~ to begin with, at first 
konmansman, kdmansman, 
koumansman n. beginning, start 
konme, k6me, mak6m, makom^, 
makome, makonmef.n. honey, 
dear (friendly term used when 
addressing a woman); "sis"; (title 
used by parents when addressing 
their child's godmother, or by 
godmother to child's mother; title 
used by godfather to godmother; 
title used by best man to maid of 
honor); sissy, effeminate male 
(ti) - girl, young woman 
konmedi see komedi 
konmedyen see komedyen 
konmemore see komemore 
konmen, komen, komen adj. 
common, usual, ordinary, 
everyday 
konmenyon see konminyon 
konmeray n. association, friendship 
konm&s see kdm&s 
konmesan see kdm£san 
konmesant, komesant, kdm&sant, 
kom&s&zf.n. merchant, seller, 
retailer 
461 
konmese - konnen 
konntese v. to trade, be involved in 
buying and selling 
konntesyal see kontesyal 
konntet see kontet 
konmetan, kdmetan n. backer, 
sponsor, patron 
konmi, komi, k6mi n. salesclerk, 
salesperson 
- grefye assistant to the clerk of 
the court 
konminal see kominal 
konminezon n. plot, scheme, 
conspiracy; combination 
konminikasyon see kominikasyon 
konminike see kominike 
konminis see kominis 
konminote see kominote 
konminote see kominote 
konminyen see kdminyen 
konminyon, komenyon 
{pronounced, kome-nyon), 
kominyon, kominyon, 
konmenyon {pronounced, konme-
nyon) n. communion; reception 
after communion ceremony 
~ (fratenfcl) fellowship 
konmisarya see komisarya 
konmis£, komis£, kdmisfc n. 
prosecuting attorney 
~ gouv&nman prosecuting 
attorney 
~ polis police chief 
Konmise (mdn)prop.n. Mont-des-
Commissaires (Dept. South-East) 
konmisyon see komisyon 
konmisyonn& see komisyone 
konmisyonnen see komisyonnen 
konmite see komite 
konmdd see komdd 
konmodite see komodite 
konmsi see kdmsi 
konn aux. to be in the habit of, 
usually do s.thg., do s.thg. 
regularly or often; (it) sometimes 
happens (that); sh.form konnen; 
see kdn 
~ dlo to know how to swim 
~ te usual 
~ gou djdl/bouch li to know what 
one likes, know one's taste 
~ moun savoir-faire 
~ viv to have good manners, be 
courteous 
pa ~ kote pou li mete kd li, pa ~ 
kijan pou li vann machandiz li a 
not to know which way to turn 
pa ~ moun oaf, lout; ungrateful; 
without pity 
pa - non chen li, pa ~ pye li ak 
tet li to be totally clueless, not to 
know from Adam 
konneksyon see koneksyon 
konnekte see konekte 
konnen v. to know, know how; to be 
familiar with, acquainted with; to 
recognize; to understand, assume; 
to believe, think; to busy (oneself) 
with (s.thg.); to have sexual 
intercourse with; n. knowledge, 
understanding; see konn 
chache ~ to inquire; to investigate 
te ~ to let know, warn, inform; to 
reveal; to declare, announce 
te ~ lavi to deflower, break the 
hymen 
te kou li ~ to do whatever one can, 
do one's best 
te sa li ~ to do what one thinks is 
best; to do it one's own way 
te sa li pa ~ to do no matter what, 
take desperate measures 
jis mwen pa - to the limit, all the 
way 
~ gou bouch li to know what one 
462 
konnesan - konpansasyon 
wants 
~ moun to have good manners, be 
courteous 
~ p&z to be able to evaluate 
~ p£z li to know one's worth 
- pou to know one has to (do 
s.thg.) 
~ sou bout dw£t to know cold, 
know thoroughly 
~ yon leson kou dlo to know a 
lesson inside out/ thoroughly 
pa ~ ignorance 
pa ~ non chen li not to know what 
one is talking about 
pa ~ si li monte si li desann not 
to know whether one is coming or 
going 
pou pa di si m te ~ not to have to 
say if only I'd known, have later 
regrets 
Sa k ~ you never can tell; who 
knows? 
san ~ involuntarily; naively 
se ou k ~ it's up to you 
tou - ought to know 
konnesan see konesan 
konnesans see konesans 
konnese see konese 
konn&t see k6n£t 
konnfou n. kung fu (similar to 
karate) 
konngout, kontgout n. medicine 
dropper, eye dropper 
pa ~ drop by drop 
konni adj. well-known 
konnichon see kdnichon 
konnik see konik, kwonik 
konnivans, konivans n. connivance, 
complicity 
konnsansis, konnsennsis, 
konnsensis see konsansis 
konnten& see konten& 
konntri adj. country (music) 
konnya, konnye a, konnyeya see 
kounye a 
konoky&l see komokyfcl 
konomi see ekonomi 
konomize see ekonomize 
kdndsd n. connoisseur, good judge 
(of) 
konotasyon n. [Fr] connotation 
konpa n. beat, rhythm; var. of 
dance rhythm (begun in 1950's); 
main current, main stream (fig.); 
compass; see Liyawona 
blayi ~, frape ~, gaye ~, jwe ~, 
lage ~, make ~, mate ~, mete ~, 
simaye ~, simen ~, sonnen ~, vide 
~, voye ~, woule ~ to mark time or 
rhythm 
danse ~ a to keep up, maintain the 
pace 
kenbe (sou) ~ to have a regular 
heart-beat or pulse; to conduct 
oneself well; to hold one's ground 
~ dirfck var. of music and dance 
patterned on merengue from 
Dominican Republic 
mete (yon moun) sou - li to set 
(s.o.) on the right track, bring 
(s.o.) to his/her senses 
pa ka kenbe ~ not to be able to 
keep up (the pace) 
pa kenbe ~ li to let oneself go, 
become sloppy 
pa sou ~ irregular 
p&di ~ to be irregular (pulse) 
p&di ~ li to be disoriented, lose 
one's way 
konpak adj. compact 
- dis compact disk 
konpanni see konpayi 
konpansasyon n. compensation; cf. 
dedonmajman 
463 
konpanse -konpleksifye 
konpanse v. to compensate for, 
make up for 
konpany see konpay 
konpanyen (pronounced: kon-pan-
yen) n. company, guests 
konpanyi see konpayi 
konparab adj. comparable 
konparatif adj. comparative 
konparativman adv. comparatively 
konpare v. to compare 
konpar&t n. var. of sweet roll 
(specialty of Jerernie); v. to appear, 
present oneself (in court etc.) 
fe li ~ to summon, cite 
konparezon n. comparison 
konparisyon n. (jur.) (court) 
appearance 
manda ~ notice to appear (jur.) 
konpasyon n. compassion 
konpasyonnen adj. compassionate 
konpati v. to sympathize 
konpatiman n. compartment 
~ a gan [Fr.], ti ~ devan glove 
compartment (car); cf. ti k6f 
devan 
konpatriydt n. compatriot 
konpay, konpany n. friend, 
companion 
ft ~ to pal up with 
konpayfc(l) n. buddy, comrade; adj. 
accompanying, helping 
konpayi, konpanni, konpanyi, 
kopanni, lakonpanyi n. company, 
companionship; company, 
guest(s); company, business firm, 
corporation; placenta, afterbirth 
(S.) 
konpayon n. companion, escort 
konpayonnay n. companionship, 
friendship 
konpayonnaye v. to become 
companions 
konp£, kope, monkonp£ m.n. 
buddy, man, friend, guy; old 
friend (friendly term used when 
addressing a man); (title used by 
parents when addressing their 
child's godfather, or by godfather 
to child's father; title used by 
godmother to godfather; title used 
by maid of honor to best man) 
~ kdk dude, dandy, man about 
town 
ti ~ boy, young man 
konp£d n. var. of Voodoo charm 
konperaj n. plotting, scheming 
konpetan adj. competent, capable, 
qualified; competent, empowered 
(jur.) 
konpetans, kontans n. competence; 
competence, empowerment (jur)\ 
strength, endurance 
konpetif see konpetitif 
konpetisyon n. competition, contest 
(cf konkou); rivalry 
ft ~ to compete 
- Tato ak Tiray£ head-on 
competition (from two competing 
Aux Cayes Carnival groups) 
konpetift n. competitor 
konpetitif, konpetif adj. competitive 
konpi see kowonpi 
konpilasyon n. compilation 
konpile v. to compile; to accumulate 
konpift, konpyouft n. computer 
~ pdtatif laptop (computer) 
operate ~ data entry operator 
konpft n. outfit, suit (of clothes); 
adj. complete, total 
konpftks nJadj. complex 
konplekse adj. full of complexes, 
inhibited, mixed-up; stuck up, 
snobbish, arrogant 
konpleksifye v. to develop 
complexes; to complicate 
464 
konpleksite - konprann 
konpleksite n. complexity, intricacy 
konpleman n. complement, 
supplement, addition; 
complement, object (gram.) 
konplenn v. to complain 
konplent n. complaint 
konpfts adj. complex (number) 
(math.) 
konpftt adj. complete, total 
konplete v. to complete 
konpfttman adv. completely, 
absolutely, wholly 
konplezans n. complacency; 
(excessive) tolerance; cf. sitirans 
konplikasyon n. complication; side 
effects 
konplike v. to complicate, make 
difficult; adj. complicated, 
elaborate, involved, complex 
konpliman n. congratulations; 
praise, compliment 
ft ~ to congratulate; to praise, 
compliment 
konplimante v. to congratulate; to 
praise, compliment 
konplis n. accomplice; complicity 
konplisite n. complicity 
konplo n. (political) conspiracy, 
plot; hoax 
ft ~, mare ~ (sou) to conspire, 
hatch a plot, scheme (against) 
konplotay, konplotaj n. plotting, 
scheming; plot, scheme, intrigue, 
conspiracy 
konplote v. to conspire, plot 
konploft n., konplotez f.n. 
conspirator 
konpos n. compost heap, mulch pit 
konpdt, ponpot n. compote 
(cooking) 
konpdte refl. to behave, act 
~ li tankou ze fele to act with 
extreme caution or reserve 
~ mal to misbehave 
konpdtman n. behavior, conduct 
move ~ misbehavior 
konpdz v. to compromise, negotiate; 
to mix, prepare (drink, medicine) 
konpozan n. component 
konpoze v. to take an exam; to mix, 
prepare (drink, medicine); to 
compose, prepare; to compose, 
write (song); to dial (telephone); 
n. mixture, blend, preparation, 
compound; home-made liquor 
~ de to be composed of, be 
constituted by 
konpoz& n. composer; song-writer 
konpozisyon n. exam(ination), test; 
final exams; composition, creation 
(music etc.); composition; potion, 
preparation; alcoholic drink 
infused with herbs, fruit, bark, 
roots etc. (cf tranpe) 
ft ~ to take an examination or test 
konpozift n. composer 
konpradd n. comprador, middleman, 
commercial intermediary 
konprann v. to understand, 
comprehend; to believe, think; 
to assume; n. understanding, 
comprehension; intelligence; 
consideration 
bon ~ common sense, 
understanding, intelligence 
ft - to claim, declare 
gen bon ~ wise 
gen ~ to be responsible, be 
reliable; to be considerate 
- kd li to know one's place, know 
one's (lower) social standing; to 
behave oneself 
~ konnen intimate talk or 
expressions shared by two persons 
465 
konpr&s - konsekrasyon 
and understood only by them 
- mal to misunderstand 
pa ~ pretending not to know, bluff, 
deceit 
pa ~ ni pye ni tbt not to 
understand beans, not understand 
anything 
rive ~ to realize 
san ~ thoughtless, irresponsible; 
inconsiderate; thoughtlessly, 
irresponsibly 
konpr£s n. compress (med.); pad 
mete ~ to be ailing; to be in 
sorrow 
konprese v. to compress; to press 
konpresfc n. compressor; see mato 
~; woulo ~ 
konpresif adj. compressive 
konpresyon n. changing to a lower 
gear (in car etc.); compression; 
down-sizing (in company, 
industry) 
konpreyansib adj. comprehensible, 
understandable 
konpreyansif adj. understanding, 
indulgent, sympathetic; 
comprehensive 
konpreyansyon n. comprehension, 
understanding; considerateness 
gen - to be considerate 
konprime n. pill, capsule, tablet 
konpwom&t v. to compromise; to 
implicate, endanger 
konpwomi n. compromise; v. to 
compromise 
konpwomisyon n. dishonest 
compromise, shady deal 
konpyouti see konpift 
konresponn see koresponn 
konsa, kousa adv. like that, 
like this, in that way, so, thus; 
approximately, around, more or 
less, about; likewise; at that time 
then 
~ ~ gradually, little by little; in 
that manner; ordinary, everyday, 
run-of-the-mill; so-so; evasively; 
irresponsibly; lightly, haphazardly 
pa — not just any old way 
konsakrasyon n. consecration, 
dedication 
konsakre v. to consecrate, dedicate; 
adj. holy 
konsansis, konnsansis, 
konnsennsis, konnsensis, 
konsensis n. consensus 
konsanti v. to consent, concur 
konsantman, konsantiman n. 
approval, consent 
konsantrasyon n. concentration; 
density 
kan - concentration camp 
konsantre v. to concentrate, be 
intent upon; to be concentrated, be 
centered, be based; n. concentrate; 
adj. tense 
konsantrik adj. concentric 
kons£tt. concert;//?, colleague 
de ~ ak in cooperation with, in 
conjunction with 
konsekan adj. important; influential; 
respectable; serious-minded, 
determined; responsible; 
consistent, rational; profound; 
consequential 
pa ~ consequently, thus 
konsekans n. consequence, result; 
importance 
an ~ as a consequence, 
consequently 
konsekitif adj. [Fr.] consecutive 
konsekrasyon, lakonsekrasyon n. 
consecration, dedication 
~ lakominyon (entire) communion 
466 
konsenan - konsiyen 
service; spectacular 
konsenan prep, concerning, 
regarding, about 
kons&ie, kons£nen v. to concern, 
be of importance to, relate to, be 
of interest to, affect; n. person in 
question, person referred to 
konsensis see konsansis 
kons£p(t) n. concept 
konsfcpsyon n. conception, outlook; 
consent, approval; conception, 
fertilization 
~ gran lakou broad-mindedness 
konsepft n. conceiver, originator 
konsesyon n. concession; 
compromise; large quantity 
kons&tasyon n. dialogue, exchange 
of ideas 
konsfcte v. to consult, exchange ideas 
kons£to n. concerto 
konsdv n. preserves; preserve (for 
trees etc.) 
nan ~ canned 
konsevasyon n. conservation 
kons£vasyonis n. conservationist 
kons£vat£ nJadj., kons&vatrisf.n./ 
adj. conservative 
kons£vatwa n. conservatory; adj. 
protective (jur.) 
kons£ve v. to preserve, retain, 
conserve, keep, put aside, store 
konsevwa v. [Fr] to conceive, 
imagine 
kons£y n. advice, counsel, tip; 
council; meeting 
~ administrasyon, ~ jesyon board 
of directors, governing board, 
administrative council 
~ kominote community council 
konseyans see konsyans 
konseye v. to advise, counsel; n. 
adviser, counselor; rural section 
chief (same as ch£f seksyon) 
~ minisipal councilman (U.S.) 
konsey£ n. adviser, counselor 
konsi see k6msi 
~ konsa so so 
konsiderab adj. considerable, 
significant, great 
konsiderableman, konsiderabman 
adv. considerably, significantly, 
appreciably 
konsiderasyon n. consideration 
konsidere v. to consider, think about, 
examine; to regard, esteem 
konsil n. consul 
konsila n. consulate 
konsilfc adj. consular 
konsilmann n. [Eng.] councilman 
konsiltan n. consultant 
konsiltasyon n. consultation; 
medical examination, check up 
konsiltatif adj. consultative 
konsilte v. to consult; to have a 
medical check-up; to examine (a 
patient); to auscultate 
konsilyan adj. conciliatory 
konsilyasyon n. conciliation; 
balancing of accounts (finances) 
konsilyatfc n. conciliator 
konsilye v. to conciliate, reconcile 
konsimanda n. plot, scheme 
konsistan adj. substantial, firm, 
solid; adv. firmly, solidly 
konsistans n. consistency 
konsisyon n. concession 
konsitwayen n. fellow-citizen 
konsiy n. orders, instructions (usu. 
milit.); keeping-in, staying-in 
(school punishment) 
konsiyasyon n. consignment 
konsiyat& n, consignee, forwarding 
agent 
konsiyen v. to consign, place in 
467 
konsolasyon - konsyans 
consignment; to record; to keep in, 
confine 
~ pdt li to refuse admittance 
konsolasyon, konsdl n. consolation, 
comfort 
konsolatfc n. consoler, comforter 
konsole v. to console, comfort; refl. 
to resign oneself 
konsolidasyon n. consolidation 
Pwos£ Konsolidasyon 
Consolidation Trial (concerning 
corruption involved in 
restructuring Haitian debt to 
France, 1903-1904) 
konsolide v. to consolidate 
konsomasyon n. consumption, 
utilization 
konsomatfe n. consumer 
konsome n. bouillon; consomm6; 
broth; see konsonmen 
konson see kanson 
konsdn n. consonant 
konsonmen, konsome v. to burn up, 
consume; to consume, eat, drink; 
n. consommi, bouillon, broth; 
adj. consummate, outstanding, 
exceptional, great; well-cooked 
konsonmsyon n. consumption, 
pulmonary tuberculosis 
konsdsydm n. consortium 
konsoud: 
gran - consound (plant) 
konspirasyon, lakonspirasyon 
n. conspiracy 
konspiratfc n. conspirator 
konspire v. to conspire, plot 
konsta n. observation; certified 
report; appraisal, verification 
konstaman adv. constantly 
konstan adj. constant 
konstans n. constancy 
konstant n. [Fr.] constant, 
permanent feature 
Konstan tindp prop.n. 
Constantinople 
konstatasyon n. [Fr.] observation 
konstate v. to observe, state; to 
witness; to verify, ascertain; to 
appraise (a loss) 
konstelasyon n. constellation 
konstfcnasyon n. [Fr] consternation 
konst&ne v. to dismay, dishearten 
konstipasyon n. constipation 
konstipe adj. constipated (cf. sere); 
all dressed up, dolled up; v. to 
constipate 
konstitisyon, lakonstitisyon n. 
constitution 
konstitisyonalis n. defender 
of the Constitution; n./adj. 
constitutionalist 
konstitisyon£l, konstitisyonn£l adj. 
constitutional 
konstitisyonelman adv. 
constitutionally, according to the 
constitution 
konstititif adj. constituent 
konstitiyan, konstityan adj. 
constituent; n. member of 
constitutional assembly 
asanble ~ constitutional assembly 
konstitye, konstitiye v. to constitute 
konstri see konstwi 
konstriksyon n. construction; 
compression, reduction 
konstrikft n. maker, builder, 
constructor 
konstriktif adj. constructive 
konstwi, konstri v. to construct, build 
konsyan adj. conscious, aware; 
conscientious; fair-minded 
konsyans, konseyans n. conscience, 
consciousness 
degaje/defoule/vide ~ li to clear 
468 
konsyansye - kontajye 
one's conscience 
gen ~, pran ~ to realize, become 
aware (of) 
priz ~ realization, awareness 
konsyansye adj. [Fr.] conscientious 
konsyantizan adj. consciousness-
raising 
konsyantizasyon n. consciousness-
raising, sensitizing; awareness; 
motivation 
konsyantize v. to make (s.o.) aware, 
sensitize; to motivate; to lead to 
revolt 
konsyfcj n. [Fr] super(intendent), 
apartment-house manager 
kont n. tale, story; folktale; 
riddle; lie, falsehood; account, 
explanation; reckoning; (bank) 
account; account, tab; dispute, 
row, quarrel, feud; provocation, 
incitement, instigation; count 
(title); adv. enough; a lot of, plenty 
of; adj. opposed (to), hostile 
(toward); prep, against; prefix 
counter-
bay ~ to account for; to relate 
tales/stories [does not mean to lie] 
chache ~ to pick on (s.o.); to look 
for trouble, pick a fight; to be very 
aggressive 
chache ~ troublemaker 
fb ~ to quarrel, argue, clash 
fb ~ sou to lie (about), accuse 
wrongly; to tattle on, be a tattletale 
fb yon ~ ak to quarrel/fight with 
fbzb ~ rumor-monger, gossiper 
gen ~ ak to be at odds with 
~ amiral rear admiral 
~ an bank bank account 
~ at£m certificate of deposit 
~ chante story told with musical 
interludes 
~ fiini once and for all 
- gout see konngout 
~ kd, ~ li one's fill, one's heart's 
content, plenty, enough 
~ kouran checking account 
~ maltaye see kontmaltaye 
~ randi report, account 
leve ~ to oppose, protest 
leve yon ~ to start an argument 
manje ~ li to eat one's fill 
mennen ~ to start a fight, create 
trouble 
mbt ~ master storyteller 
mete ~ to start a fight, create 
trouble 
o ~ on (s.o.'s) responsibility 
pa fb de (2) ~ not to hesitate 
pa ~ on the other hand 
pou ~ li alone, on one's own; 
voluntarily 
pran an ~ to take into account 
rann ~ to account for, explain; to 
give an account or explanation; to 
find out; to realize 
rann li - to realize 
sou ~ in the care of, under the 
responsibility of, under the 
protection of, under the guidance 
of, dependent upon; to have a chip 
on one's shoulder 
teni ~ (de) to take into account 
tire ~ to tell/recite stories; to 
propose riddles 
kontab n. accountant, bookkeeper 
espb ~ (bank) auditor 
kontabilize, kontablize v. to post, 
enter into a ledger (bookkeeping) 
kontabilite, kontablite n. 
accounting 
fb ~ to study accounting 
kontaj see kontay 
kontajye adj., kontajy£zf.adj. 
469 
kontajyon - kontinyd 
contagious 
kontajyon n. [Fr.] contagion 
kontak n. contact, touch; sexual 
intercourse; distributor point, 
points (mack); associate, 
collaborator 
gen ~, pran ~ to have sexual 
intercourse; to be sexually active 
lantiy ~, lin£t ~, v£ ~ contact 
lenses 
rantre an ~ ak to make contact 
with 
kontakte v. to contact, get in touch 
with 
kontaminasyon n. contamination, 
pollution; contagion 
kontaminen, kontamine v. to 
contaminate, pollute; to be 
contaminated; adj. contagious 
kontan adj. happy, content, glad; 
satisfied (with); nJadj. cash 
an ~ counting, including 
kontanplasyon n. contemplation 
kontanple v. to contemplate, gaze at 
kontanporen nJadj. [Fr.] 
contemporary 
kontans see konpetans 
kontansye/7. [Fr] dispute; litigation; 
adj. contentious 
Biwo ~ elektoral Electoral 
Appeals Office 
kontansyon n. [Eng.] contention, 
dispute 
kontante v. to content, satisfy; to be 
satisfied 
kontantman, lakontantman n. 
contentment, happiness, gladness, 
joy; satisfaction 
kontarebou n. [Fr] countdown 
kontay, kontaj n. counting 
konte v. to count; to calculate, 
reckon, figure out; to expect to, 
hope to; to be important, count; 
to include; to tell (tales, dubious 
news); n. [Eng.] county 
byen - mal kalkile penny wise 
pound foolish, short-sighted 
~ sou to depend on, count on, rely 
on 
~ sou tafya bay to count on s.o. 
else to do your work for you 
~ vanyans wishes for the New 
Year made during a special 
Christmas Eve ceremony (Voodoo) 
~ ze nan vant poul to count one's 
chickens before they hatch 
pa ka ~ incalculable 
san ~ countless, boundless, in 
great quantity 
konte n. meter (electric, water etc.); 
timer; storyteller 
~ vites speedometer 
konteks n. context, setting 
konten&, konnten£ n. container; 
container ship 
kontenjan n. contingent 
kontes f.n. countess 
kontestasyon n. contention, dispute 
konteste v. to contest, challenge, 
dispute 
kontgout see konngout 
konti, konte n. [Eng.] county 
kontimas: 
kondane pa ~ to condemn in 
absentia (jur.) 
kontinan n. continent 
kontinans n. continence 
kontinantal adj. continental 
kontinite see kontinyite 
kontinyasyon n. continuation 
kontinyate n. successor 
kontinye, kontinwe v. to continue, 
proceed, go on (with), extend 
kontiny&l adj. continual, unceasing 
470 
kontinyelman - kontrekare 
kontinyelman adv. continually, 
continuously; cf. san rete 
kontinyite, kontinite, kontinwite n. 
continuity 
kontizyon n. bruise, contusion 
kontmaltaye, kddmaltaye, 
kdtmaltaye n. scam, shady 
deal; shaky compromise; hasty 
settlement 
kontni/r [Fr.] contents, ingredients 
kontdsyon n. contortion, twisting 
kontdsyone v. to contort, twist 
kontou n. contour; circumference, 
perimeter 
kontoune v. [Fr] to bypass, 
circumvent 
kontpwazon n. antidote, antivenin 
kontra n. contract; testament [Bible] 
~ ak Bizango pact with the devil, 
evil covenant 
~ ke s£volan cloth or paper at 
bottom of kite 
~ t&t s£volan cross strings at top 
of kite 
kouche ~, pase ~ , siyen ~ to 
have marriage banns published; 
to finalize an agreement, sign a 
contract 
travay sou ~ see t ravay sou 
kouray (li) 
kontradans n. contredance, peasant 
square dance, figure dances 
directed by a caller (colonial 
period esp.) 
kontradiksyon n. contradiction 
kontradikte n. contradictor, 
opponent 
kontradiktwa adj. contradictory 
kontraksyon n. contraction 
(birthing; grammar) 
kontrakte v. to contract, enter into; 
to settle a deal, draw up a contract; 
to shrink, contract 
kontrakte n. contractor (cf. b6s 
mason); [jur] contracting party 
kontrandi n. report, account 
kontraryan adj. annoying, 
bothersome 
kontrarye, kontraye v. to upset, 
annoy; to get upset; to hinder, 
impede, hamper, thwart, block; not 
to menstruate, be amenorrheic 
kontraryete, kontraryezon, 
kontrayete n. disappointment, 
setback; vexation, hindrance; see 
zingdekontraryete 
kontras n. [Fr] contrast 
kontraseptif nJadj. contraceptive 
kontravansyon n. infraction; fine; 
traffic ticket; troubles, difficulties 
kontraye see kontrarye 
kontrayete see kontraryete 
kontrayman n. obstacle, hindrance 
kontre v. to meet, run into, 
encounter; n. backwoods 
kontr& nJadj. contrary, opposite; 
adj. unfavorable 
kontrebandye n. smuggler (of 
persons or of goods), contrabandist 
kontrebann n. smuggling; 
contraband; organized theft 
ale nan ~ to flee Haiti by boat 
(illegally) 
fb ~ to smuggle 
kontrebas n. stringed bass, double 
bass 
kontrebason n. contrabassoon 
kontredans n. quadrille, square 
dance 
kontredi v. to contradict 
kontreffc v. to counterfeit, imitate, 
copy (without authorization); to 
mimic, ape; to feign; to deform 
kontrekare v. to oppose, thwart, 
471 
kontrek£ - konv£ti 
cross, counteract 
kontrekfc: 
a ~ grudgingly, reluctantly 
kontrekou n. repercussions, backfire 
kontremach n. riser (of staircase) 
kontremak n. ticket stub 
kontrfrnan (ak) adv. contrary (to) 
kontrenftt n. builder; foreman 
kontrenn v. [Fr.] to constrain, coerce 
kontrent n. constraint, restraint 
kontreplake adj. veneered 
kontreprfcv n. check, verification 
kontrepwa n. counterweight 
kontresans n. wrong sense, mistake, 
misinterpretation; wrong way, 
wrong side 
kontretan n. hitch, snag, difficulty; 
adj. produced out of season, 
premature; ill-timed 
kontribisyon n. taxes; tax office, 
internal revenue service; pledge; 
contribution 
ajan ~tax collector 
biwo ~ tax office 
kontribiyab, kontribyab, 
kontriyab n. tax-payer 
kontribyan n. contributor 
kontribye v. to contribute 
kontriyab see kontribiyab 
kontwa n. counter 
~ dacha trading post (usu. for 
procuring slaves) 
kontw6d n. counter-order, 
countermand 
kontw61 n. control; check, 
inspection, verification; 
supervision, jurisdiction 
ft ~ to do a follow-up 
ft yon move ~ to miscount 
- jou apre r£g rhythm method 
(contraception) 
~ vifts cruise control (mach.) 
kontwole v. to control; to supervise, 
oversee; to verify, check (out), 
inspect, examine, review; to count, 
calculate, compute 
kontwoft n. inspector, supervisor; 
ticket-collector, fare-collector (bus 
etc.); tax-collector; comptroller; 
auditor 
~ ayeryen air-traffic controller 
kontwdft n., kontwdftzf.n. 
show-off, boaster; kidder, joker; 
meddler, busybody; informer, spy; 
adj. headstrong, defiant 
kontwov£s n. controversy 
konvalesans n. convalescence 
konvansyon n. annual church 
assembly; convention, conference; 
agreement, contract, covenant; 
convention, accepted practice 
pase ~ to enter into an agreement, 
make a deal 
konvansyon&l adj. conventional, 
usual, customary 
konv^jan adj. converging 
konv&jans n. convergence 
konv£je v. to converge 
konv£ks adj. convex 
konvenab see konvnab 
konvenabman see konvnabman 
konveni see konvni 
konvenk v. to convince, persuade 
konvenkan adj. convincing, 
persuasive 
konvenki adj. [Fr.] convinced 
konvfcsasyon n. conversation; cf. 
koze 
konv£se v. to converse, talk; cf. koze 
konv£syon n. conversion 
konvfcti v. to convert (to 
Protestantism); to convert (from 
one measure to another); n. 
convert (from Catholicism to 
472 
konv£tisd - kdpy&z 
Protestantism) 
konv£tis£ n. converter; transformer 
(mack) 
konviksyon n. conviction, strong 
belief; assurance; dedication, 
commitment 
konvnab, konvenab adj. suitable, 
proper, appropriate, apt, fitting; 
convenient 
konvnabman, konvenabman adv. 
suitably, properly, appropriately 
konvnans n. [Fr.] decency, manners 
konvni, konveni v. to lit, suit; to be 
convenient; to agree upon/on 
konvokasyon n. summons; 
convocation 
konvoke v. to summon (before a 
court); to convoke, convene 
konvwa, konvre, konvwe, konvw&, 
konwa n. convoy; group of 
evildoers 
konvwate v. to covet, lust after 
konvwatiz n. covetousness, lust 
konvwe, konvwfc see konvwa 
konwa see konvwa 
konw& see kouwfc 
konwonp, konwonpi see kowonpi 
konya see kounyeya 
konyak see koyak 
konyapis f.n. nympho(maniac); n. 
macho man, womanizer 
konyay n. fucking, screwing 
kony£ a see kounyeya 
konyen, konye v. to fuck, screw 
konyon see kouyon 
konze n. traitor, quisling (after 
Jean-Baptiste Conze, betrayer 
of Charlemagne P6ralte); adj. 
traitorous 
kd 6k onomat. caw (sound of crow) 
kdp onomat. sound to express 
sudden action 
kopal n. copal (resin) 
kopanni see konpayi 
kdp£ see konpe 
kopemat n. wood preservative 
kopen n. pal, buddy, friend; 
boyfriend; dude; adj. dressed-up, 
affected, fancy, hip 
Ko^nnagprop.n. Copenhagen 
(Denmark) 
kopenyay {pronounced: ko-pen-
yay), kopenyaj n. camaraderie, 
comradeship, close friendship 
kopenyaye {pronounced: ko-pen-
ya-ye) v. to become pals/buddies 
koperan see kowoperan 
koperasyon, kowoperasyon n. 
cooperation, solidarity 
koperatif, koperativ, kowoperatif, 
kowoperativ nJadj. cooperative 
(society) 
kopere see kowopere 
kopi n. copy, duplicate; copying 
ft ~ to practice penmanship 
~ kopan haltingly or not at all 
kopin f.n. girlfriend; adj. dressed-up, 
coquettish, fancy 
kopo n. chip, wood-shaving 
kdporasyon n. [Eng.] corporate 
body; corporation 
kdpor&I adj. corporal, bodily, 
physical 
kopra n. copra 
kopye v. to copy, imitate; to cheat; 
adj. copious, ample, abundant; n. 
purslane 
~ sou to copy from, cheat; to 
model after 
kdpy&z: 
dekoupe/detaye - to cut up or 
divide up large portions of 
dekoupe ~ ak to be on very 
friendly terms with 
473 
koradjift - kdrfckteman 
koradjift n. coadjutor, assistant to 
the bishop 
koral n. choir, choral group; chorus; 
adj. choral 
koralen n. var. of small boat (for 
coral reefs); cloddish shoes, 
clodhoppers 
koralisyon n. coalition 
Koralyen, Koralyfcn see Korayfc, 
Korayte 
koramin n. digitalis 
Koran prop.n. (rel.) Koran 
koranik adj. {rel.) Koranic 
korasyon see kolasyon 
koray n. support, backing; coral; 
coral vine, Mexican creeper 
Koray prop.n. Corail (Dept. 
Grand'Anse; Dept. West; 3rd 
communal section of Gros-Morne, 
Dept. Artibonite) 
Koray Anriprop.n. Corail-Henri 
(8th communal section of Saint-
Louis-du-Sud, Dept. South) 
Korayfc, Koralyen, Korayen 
prop.n., Koray^z, Koralyen, 
Korayen f.prop.n. inhabitant of 
Corail (Dept. Grand'Anse; Dept. 
West; Dept. Artibonite) 
Koray Lamdtprop.n. Corail-
Lamothe (4th communal section of 
Belle-Anse, Dept. South-East) 
Koray Pdmagoprop.n. Corail-Port-
Margot (3rd communal section of 
Port-Margot, Dept. North) 
Koray Sdl/Soulprop.n. Corail-Soult 
(1st communal section of Marigot, 
Dept. South-East) 
Koray T6prop.n. Corail-Thor (13th 
communal section of Carrefour, 
Dept. West) 
kore v. to prop up, prop open, 
support, back, reinforce, secure, 
strengthen, hold in place; to block, 
wedge; to put in a stake; to lean 
against; to defeat, overcome; adj. 
stuffed (with food) 
~ bannann li to have backing, 
have independent support 
~ mwen mwen (ap) ~ ou scratch 
my back and I'll scratch yours 
~ nanm ~ satan alone, helpless 
~ toude bd really stuffed (from 
eating) 
Kore, Lakoreprop.n. Korea 
~ di N6 North Korea 
~ di Sid South Korea 
korfc n. supporter, backer; cf. 
fanatik, sip6t& 
kdr£d n. lockjaw, tetanus; 
inflexibility, rigidity; adj. stiff, 
awkward; dull, inelegant; 
senseless, stupid; half-hearted; 
outmoded; inadequate 
koregraf, koregraffc n. 
choreographer 
koregrafi n. choreography 
korejidd n. [Span.] stickler, rigid or 
unbending person 
kdr&k adj. proper, correct; fine, in 
good shape (physically); real, quite 
a; well organized; adv. properly, 
correctly; really, truly, quite 
mete li ~ to be ready (for s.thg.); 
to fill one's stomach 
korekipye n. teammate 
koreksyon n. correction; grading 
(exams etc.); punishment; 
spanking; whipping 
bay ~ to spank, whip 
koreksyon£l, koreksyonnel see 
tribinal 
korekt£ n. grader, corrector 
kdr&kteman, kdrekteman, 
kdr&teman adv. correctly, 
474 
korektdm - kosmoloji 
properly; seriously 
korektdm n, key for grading 
(papers, exams etc.) 
korensidans n. coincidence 
korenside v. to coincide 
Korentprop.n. [Bible] Corinth; 
Corinthians; prop.n./adj. 
Corinthian 
Korfcsprop.n. communal section 
of Saint-Michel (-de-PAttalaye) 
(Dept. Artibonite) 
korespondan n. correspondent; 
pen pal; landlady of student 
boardinghouse 
an ~ boarder 
korespondans n. correspondence; 
exchange of letters 
an ~ board and lodging 
korespondant/rc. pen pal 
koresponn, konresponn v. to 
correspond (to); to confront (s.o.); 
to rival, match (in ability); to do 
in, fix, punish 
~ ak to punish; to be owed an 
explanation from; to give (s.o.) 
apiece of one's mind, settle an 
account; to confront; to deal 
with, face up to; to mirror (s.o.'s 
movements) 
kdrfcteman see kdr&kteman 
Koreyenprop.n./adj., Korey£n 
f.prop.n. Korean 
Kori see Lobi 
koridd, kolidd, kdridd n. 
passageway, narrow alley, back 
alley; miserable neighborhood; 
hall(way) - cf. koulwa; gorge, 
mountain pass 
- twa vandr£s sere dan tough 
going, difficult situation 
lespri ~ narrow-mindedness; one-
track mind (usu. sex) 
Koridonprop.n. Coridon (Dept. 
Artibonite) 
korije v. to correct; to grade, mark; 
to alter, do alterations (clothes); to 
discipline, punish, chastise 
korikouldm see kirikildm 
kdripsyon, koripsyon, lakoripsyon 
n. corruption; perversion 
kdripte, koriptfc n. corrupter, 
perverter; adj. corruptive 
koriptib adj. corruptible 
koris n. [Eng.] chorus; cf. kb 
koryann n. coriander (herb) 
kdryas adj. hard, tough; stale (bread 
etc.) 
kds n. twisted roll 
Kdsprop.n. Cosse (3rd communal 
section of Les Anglais, Dept. 
South); Kos [Bible] (Greek island) 
kds, kwds n. bark (of tree); rifle 
stock, gun butt, revolver grip; 
crosier (of bishop) 
z&b ~ var. of plant 
kdsaj, kdsay, kdse n. blouse 
nan ~ li to or within (s.o.) 
rantre nan ~ to become too 
familiar or intimate 
wete nan ~ to pay s.o. off; to keep 
s.o. at a distance 
kdse, kos& n. corset 
kds£ n. corsair, privateer, pirate 
kosedjo kosekwfct see kesedjo 
kesekwann 
kosinis n. cosine (math.) 
kdskds (t£t) n. scalp 
bay ~ (t£t) to hit s.o. on the head 
kosmetik n. cosmetics; adj. cosmetic 
operasyon ~ plastic surgery 
kosmetoloji n. cosmetology 
kosmetolojis n. cosmetologist 
kosmik adj. cosmic 
kosmoloji n. cosmology 
475 
kosmondt - kote 
kosmondt n. cosmonaut 
kosmopolit adj. cosmopolitan, 
sophisticated, worldly 
kosmds n. cosmos, outerspace 
kdsmdtcho n. idler, loafer, slacker 
kos61 see kowosdl 
kosou n. puppet carried around by 
rara bands 
Kosovo prop.n. Kosovo 
Kostarika prop.n. Costa Rica 
Kostariken prop.nJadj., Kostarik£n 
f.prop.n. Costa Rican 
koste see akoste 
kostim, kdstim n. suit (clothing); 
tuxedo 
~ deben swimsuit, bathing suit 
kostim e, kostim en v. to wear suit 
or jacket; to wear a costume or 
disguise 
kosto adj. strong, sturdy 
kosyan n. quotient (math.) 
kosyon, kosydnman, kosyonnman 
n. guarantee, security; bail 
kosyon nen, kosyone v. to sponsor 
(s.o.); to pay bail for 
kot? interr. adv. where? 
kdt n. rib; cutlet, chop; coast, shore; 
short apron; rag; rags used for 
mattress; sanitary napkin, kotex; 
quoted value, standing, rating 
[Fr.]; adj. ragged, shabby, tattered 
bd~side (of body) 
ft ~ kabann to lie around and do 
nothing 
~ a ~ side by side, shoulder to 
shoulder, elbow to elbow 
~ fanmi entire family; relatives 
~ kabann see kdtkabann 
~! ~! ~! cluck! cluck! cluck! 
(sound made by chicken) 
~ w6b short apron 
tout ~ ras yo all one's possessions 
kota n. quota 
Kotakadenprop.n. Cote des 
Arcadins (Dept. West) 
kdtakdt adv. side by side, shoulder 
to shoulder, elbow to elbow 
kotch, kdtch n. [Eng.] coach, 
trainer; cf. antrenfc 
Kdtdeft, Kddft, Kotdeft, K6tfe 
prop.n. Cotes-de-Fer -founded 
1843, Dept. South-East; 3rd 
communal section of Anse-a-
Foleur, Dept. North-West; 1st 
communal section of Mole-
Saint-Nicolas, Dept. North­
west; disadvantaged section of 
J£reinie, Dept. Grand'Anse); see 
Fonlagranj 
larivyfc ~ C6tes-de-Fer River 
(Depts. South-East and South) 
Kotdefere, Kotdeftr£z see 
Kotiferib, Kotifer£z 
Kotdelanftprop.n. C6tes-de-l'Enfer 
(fam. name of C6tes-de-Fer before 
1843, see Kdtdeft) 
K6t Divwa, Kotdivwaprop.n. Cote 
d'lvoire, Ivory Coast 
kote n. place, spot; area, region; 
position, location; side; aspect; 
prep, near, close to, beside, by, 
next to; at the place of; to/at the 
home of, to/at the office of; adv. 
where, wherever; when 
a ~ aside, beside, by, next to 
de ~ aside 
fds ~ ambivalence; bias, prejudice 
ki ~? where? which direction? 
ki ~ li moun? where is (s)he 
from? 
konnen - pou bay/mete ftt to 
know what to do 
~ ki moun ou vini? Whom did 
you come to see? 
476 
kote - koton 
~1 la (TV.) next to him/her/it; at his/ 
her place, at his/her house 
~ ou ye such as you are 
~ yon moun gade (not to know) 
which way to turn, be bad off 
~ sotey goat's chicory (weed) 
lot ~ on the other side; elsewhere 
mete li yon ~ to put away, jail 
mete sou ~ to put aside, save; to 
set aside, disregard 
nenpdt (ki) ~ anywhere, wherever 
pa gen ~ pou de bann danse/ 
pou de kdk goumen not to have 
enough space to turn around in 
pran (bd) ~ to take after, resemble 
(temperament) 
sou ~ aside, beside, by, next to; 
apart; illegally, surreptitiously; 
secondary, on the side (job etc.); 
illicit lover 
sou ~ (lan)me seashore, 
waterfront 
tout ~ everywhere 
yon ~ someplace, somewhere 
kot£ n. cautery, cauterization 
kdtej, kdtey n. cortege, procession, 
retinue 
yon ~ a large quantity of (people) 
koteks n. sanitary napkin 
kdtte n. seaside cliff 
Kbtibsee Kdtdete 
Kotfere, Kotferez see Kotifer£, 
Kotiferfcz 
Kotxbmama prop.n. cacique 
of Higuey (kingdom of pre-
Columbian Haiti) 
kotidyen adj. daily 
KotiferS, Kotdeterfc, Kotfer£, 
Kotifewaprop.n., Kotifer&z, 
Kotdeter&z, Kotferez, Kotifewaz 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of Cotes-de-
Fer (Dept. South-East) 
kotizasyon n. contribution, share, 
pledge; money collection/donation 
kotize v. to contribute, pledge; to pay 
one's share, share expenses 
k6tiz6n n. cortisone 
kotkabann n. rags used for mattress; 
lazybones, loafer 
an ~ in rags, in tatters 
kdtkdte v. to crow, caw 
kdtle v. to cope, make ends meet 
Kotteprop.n., Kottezf.prop.n. 
inhabitant of Les Coteaux (Dept. 
South) 
kdttet n. rib (animal, human); cutlet, 
chop 
Kdttetprop.n. Cotelette (3rd 
communal section of Sainte-
Suzanne, Dept. North-East) 
kdtmaltaye see kontmaltaye 
koto see kote 
Koto, Lakdt, Okotoprop.n. Les 
Coteaux (Dept. South) 
kdtdf n. interior, inside; chest (of 
body) 
dechaje ~ lestonmak li to get 
s.thg. off one's chest, clear one's 
conscience 
koton n. cotton; var. of mango; adj. 
frizzy, kinky 
bat yon move ~ to have a hard 
time of it, suffer greatly 
depi nan ~ (since) long ago; far 
away 
file yon move ~ to be about to get 
into trouble, be looking for trouble 
~ mawon mahoe tree 
~ rat screw tree 
~ swa giant milkweed (plant) 
~ wat cotton for dressing wound; 
cotton stuffing (for furniture etc.) 
Other var. of cotton are: - flo, ~ 
mapou, ~ mawod&m, ~ sovay, ~ 
477 
kotonad - kou 
vole, ~ vyoftt 
kotonad, kotonnad n. cotton fabric 
k6tonye n. person who works with 
cotton (not a cotton-picker) 
kdtouni adj. naked, nude (cf. 
toutouni) 
kotpa n. financial share 
kotri n. co-wife, woman who shares 
same man with another woman; cf. 
matldt 
kotwaye v. to run alongside, border 
on 
kotye adj. coastal 
gad ~, gadk6t coast guard 
kou n. neck; blow, strike, hit; shock; 
time, occasion; turn (in order); 
drink; court (of justice); course, 
class; move (game); adv. as soon 
as; conj. when; as well as, as... as 
(ex.: piti ~ li piti as small as he is); 
prep, like; see kout 
a ~ si for sure 
an ~ underway, in process, 
pending 
banbou - throat, gullet, esophagus 
bay - to strike, hit; to teach 
(b£l) ~ manman ou! 
motherfucker! 
bon ~ see bonkou 
bwa ~ neck 
(d£nye) ~ ki (pou) touye koukou 
a the final blow, the last straw, the 
straw that broke the camel's back 
d£y& ~ nape (of neck); cf nwakou 
ft de ~ to try out 
ft ~ doub to deal a double blow 
ft li - to disappoint, deceive, 
surprise 
ft move ~ to injure, harm, abuse 
ft yon ~ to try one's luck; to be 
successful, make a hit 
gwo ~ goiter 
jis nan - up to one's neck, deeply 
involved 
kenbe nan ~ to hold by the throat, 
throttle 
~ boufty var. of mango 
~ chat long neck 
- dapfcl court of appeals, appellate 
court 
~ des& initial try, first attempt 
Kou Kasasyon see Kasasyon 
Kou Kldks Klann, Kou Klouks 
Klan Ku Klux Klan 
~. . . - both... and 
~ Legba see chaje 
~ legede long neck 
~ manman vant cervix 
~ masyal court-martial 
~ moute well prepared plan or 
assault 
~ nou ye la a in these times, these 
days; see kounyeya 
~ pa konprann unexpected blow, 
unforeseen trick, trap 
~ pa ou your turn 
~ pa pran invulnerability 
~ pou ~ revenge, vengeance 
~ r£d see kour&d 
~ rete nan kabann crick (in neck) 
- sa a this time 
- sa k ap pati in great quantity 
Kou (siperyfc) de Kont (ak 
Kontansye administratif), 
Koud£kont, Lakoudfckont, 
Lakou Siperyfc Dfckont High 
Court of Claims, Haitian General 
Accounting Office 
~ siprann, ~ souprann surprise 
attack, unexpected blow; 
unexpected event; shock 
~ sou ~ rapidly, in immediate 
succession 
~ souprann see ~ siprann 
478 
koub - kouche 
~ touye killing blow, final blow 
~ vire stiff neck; killing of 
sacrificial bird by wringing neck 
(Voodoo); pip (poultry disease) 
maladi ~ kase pip (poultry 
disease) 
nwa ~ nape (of neck); neck bone, 
cervical spine 
pran ~ to be hit, suffer loss 
se ~ ou pran ou konnen you'll 
find out only when it happens to 
you; unpredictable 
sou le ~ outright; instantly; at the 
time [Fr.] 
ti kase ~ short nap or dozing off 
ti ~ ti ~ little by little, gradually 
yon bon ti ~ a good little bit of 
yon grenn ~, yon s£l ~ all at once, 
all of a sudden 
koub n. curve, bend (in road); arch; 
adj. curved 
ft ~, kase ~ to turn a corner, take 
a curve 
ft (yon) - sfck to take a sharp turn 
~ elektrik elbow (mech.) 
Koub (ri) prop.n. rue Courbe 
(downtown PaP) 
koubabi! koubaba! interj. what the 
heck! 
koubann n. intrigue, scheme, shady 
dealings 
koubari n. locust tree 
koubati n, pain in lower back, 
lumbago 
koube v. to bend, bow; to consent, 
comply, acquiesce; to slouch; adj. 
vaulted, arched; bent over, stooped 
over (with age) 
~ devan to bow (low) 
~ fwon to bow one's head (in 
veneration) 
~ ftt bese to kowtow, grovel, bow 
and scrape 
koub&t, lakoubfct n. low bow; 
bowing and scraping; adj. 
submissive 
ft ~ to bow and scrape to s.o., 
kowtow 
koubi v. to stoop, bend over; to bend 
koubin n. scheme, trick 
r&s ~ second-hand goods 
koubdt n. short/little/stunted person 
koubouyon n. herbal broth for 
cooking fish; chowder 
kouch n. layer, level; coat (of paint); 
childbirth, delivery; baker's plank 
ft movez ~ to miscarry 
fos ~, mov&z ~ miscarriage 
pen sou ~ to be in good shape, 
well off 
kouchadd n. lethargic or slow 
animal 
kouchan: 
le ~ west 
softy ~ setting sun; west 
kouche v. to lie down, recline; to 
go to bed, retire; to set (sun); to 
dispose horizontally; to consecrate 
(an object) - Voodoo; to be 
initiated (Voodoo); adj. bedridden; 
lying down; horizontal; n. 
ceremony marking the beginning 
of a Voodoo initiation; ritual 
seclusion for novices undergoing 
Voodoo initiation; consecration of 
Voodoo objects; see kontra 
~ (ak) to make love (with) 
~ ak poul to go to bed early 
~ an kwa to vehemently oppose 
~ deyd, ~ sou to sleep with s.o. 
other than one's spouse 
~ kote 1! you've made your bed 
and now lie in it! 
~ kote li jwenn to sleep with/have 
479 
kouchet - kouj 
sex with just anyone 
~ lide to set down one's thoughts, 
write 
~ lopital to be hospitalized 
~ plat aft to be totally subservient 
~ softy sunset 
~ sou do to lie on one's back, lie 
face up 
~ sou do ap gade ftt zdfty to be 
dead and buried 
~ sou do nan lespas to do 
absolutely nothing 
- sou papye to write down 
~ sou vant to lie on one's stomach, 
lie face down 
~ ftt anke to sleep head to toe, 
sleep facing in opposite directions 
~ toupatou to sleep around, be 
sexually indiscriminate 
mete ~ to put to bed; to lodge, put 
up 
kouclftt n. diaper; bunk bed 
kouchkouch, kouskous n. couscous 
koud v. to sew (in, on, up); to stitch 
(up), suture; n. elbow; bend (in 
pipes etc.); see kout 
bay ~ to have made (clothes) 
byen ~ sou to fit well (clothes) 
frape ~ bra to hit one's funny 
bone 
je ~, ~ bra, zo ~ elbow 
~ a ~ shoulder to shoulder, side by 
side 
~ ak fil blan open, evident, 
transparent 
~ jenou kneecap, patella; cf. zo 
jenou 
~ lanp, ~ poud, ~ zb Voodoo hex 
kou t - e lbow jab 
pwoftj ~ elbow pad 
koudabra n. elbow 
kou dam n. gunshot 
koudanvwa n. opening shot, 
opening remarks, introduction 
Koudapel see Kasasyon 
koudasiz see lakoudasiz 
koudb£f/t deliberately allowing 
one's livestock to graze on s.o. 
else's land 
koudbwa see poudbwa 
koude n. cubit (length from elbow to 
tip of middle finger) 
koude n. chill; evil spell transmitted 
by air; silver morning-glory (vine) 
koudebwa see koutbwa 
koudegras n. deathblow 
Koud&kont see Kou (sipery£) de 
Kont 
koudeta n. coup (d'6tat), 
government overthrow 
bay ~ to overthrow the/a 
government or regime 
koudetayis, koudetamann n. 
government overthrower, political 
schemer 
koud£y, koutfty n. glimpse, glance, 
peek 
ft yon (ti) ~ to glimpse, glance 
nan yon ~ in the blink of an eye, 
in an instant 
koudfoud n. love at first sight 
koud jay, kodjay, koudyaj, 
koudyay n. var. of dance popular 
during the first years after Haitian 
Independence; big celebration, 
large noisy festivities; feast, 
banquet; big Voodoo ceremony 
koudmen see koutmen 
koudoung n. drumbeat 
koudtrafalga n. catastrophe 
koudyaj, koudyay see koudjay 
koufran n. free kick (soccer) 
kouj, kouy n. var. of gourd or 
pumpkin 
480 
koujfct- koule 
koujet/7. [Fr] zucchini, summer 
squash 
kouj in see kizin 
Koujdl (larivye)prop.n. Courjolle 
River (immediately south of 
Arcahaie, Dept. West) 
kouk n. [Eng.] cook 
koukiz/?. [Eng.] cookie 
koukou n. Hispaniolan burrowing 
owl; ugly person 
bay ~ pou tdt to deceive, trick 
d£nye kou ki pou touye ~ a the 
last straw (that breaks the camel's 
back), the final blow 
Depi kite ~ te sansib pou frize/tot 
kon sa? Since when has the big 
shot cared about the little guy? 
koukou j see koukouy 
koukouloukou, kouloukoulou 
(onomat.) n. gobbler, male turkey 
koukouman, koukounan see 
akoukouman 
an ~ withdrawn upon oneself, 
retracted upon oneself (physically) 
koukoun n. woman's genitals (fam.) 
koukourenn n. var. of water bird 
koukout n. var. of owl-like bird; see 
kdkdt 
koukouwouj, koukouwouy n. 
chase, (hot) pursuit 
bat ~ d£y£, ft ~ d&y£/sou, ft yon 
- sou, lage (yon) ~ d&yfc, rele ~ 
to organize a round-up to catch 
s.o., go all-out after (s.o.); to chase 
away 
ft ~ "coming ready or not" (in 
playing hide-and-seek) 
koukouy, koukouj, krikri , kwikwi, 
kwikwiy n. firefly, lightning bug; 
var. of plant 
lespri ~, chak ~ klere pou je li 
selfishness, self-interest 
limy£ - faint glimmer of light 
w£ - to see bright spots in front of 
one's eyes (from weakness, fatigue 
etc.) 
koukouyoukou, kokiyoko, 
kdkkoukouyoukou, kokoriko, 
k6kdydk6 onomat. cock-a-doodle-
doo (crowing of rooster) 
koukwi n. var. of plant 
koul adj. cool, loose, hip (fam.) 
kouladd n. (cloth) coffee filter 
koulan see ne koulan 
koulang&t! koulangit! koulankit! 
interj. shit! 
~ manman ou! motherfucker! 
fuck you! go fuck yourself! 
koulant n. fitweed, stinkweed 
koulasdt see kolasdt 
koulay n. lies, bluff, deception 
koule v. to sink; to scuttle; to drown; 
to flow, stream; to guzzle, swig; to 
glide; to slither; to pour; to pour, 
lay (concrete); to leak, discharge, 
run; to drip; to strain, filter, sift; to 
dodge (a blow); to fail, flunk; to 
cause to fail; to knock down, bring 
down (s.o. else's kite on purpose); 
to dive; to fall to the ground while 
still unripe (fruit); adj. leaky; 
runny (nose; faucet) 
~ antre to slip into, sneak into 
~ antre anba to slip/slide in/under 
~ ba see chaje 
~ ba (ak) to hang heavy (with), be 
weighed down (with) 
~ beton to have the shits, have the 
runs 
~ bweson to guzzle (down), drink 
heavily 
- chache to play hide-and-go-seek 
in the water (cf kachkach liben); 
to dive underwater to retrieve an 
481 
koulfc - koulya 
object 
- desann to flow down, roll down; 
to sink down; to go straight down; 
to set (sun) 
~ desann sdti to flow out 
~ dlo to water (mouth) 
~ dous to have it easy, have an 
easy time 
~ kafe to filter coffee; to brew 
coffee 
- kafe ti nbg ak ma not to take 
good care of 
~ kafe ti nbg san ma to take good 
care of 
~ lwil to flow smoothly 
~ pran kap, ~ pran ke, ~ kraze 
(various methods) to down s.o. 
else's kite 
~ sdti to flow out 
~ swa to flow smoothly or evenly 
~ tbt to pour water on s.o.'s head 
(as medical treatment); to drown 
~ tbt li to calm down, cool it 
~ tonbe to spill 
~ (yon) beton to play very 
defensively (soccer) 
koul&, lakoul& n. color; 
pigmentation; diver; adj. colored 
(paper etc.) 
bay ~ to color 
fb wb sbt ~ lakansy&l to put (s.o.) 
through all kinds of suffering 
~ k\b light skin 
pfcdi ~ discolored, faded 
pesonaj tout ~ wishy-washy or 
changeable person (politician esp.) 
wb tout ~ to go through all kinds 
of suffering 
kouleba, koulegba adv. to capacity; 
see chaje 
koul&v n. snake, serpent; coil (of a 
still) 
~ dlo eel 
~ flanbo red-eyed snake 
- (la)madlenn, ~ maden, -
madl&n, ~ madlin var. of small 
green snake 
~ nouris var. of large snake 
~ son&t rattlesnake 
vale yon - to swallow an affront; 
to swallow a lot of baloney, be 
taken in 
23 other var. of snakes: 
~ andomi/lan/nan ddmi, -
bankdt, - ble, ~ bwa, ~ chwal, 
~ dagou, ~ dagwe, ~ de ftt, ~ 
doman, ~ flanboyant, ~ haso, 
~ kouya, ~ lyann, ~ nwa, ~ 
pentpent, ~ sann, ~ savann, ~ 
souladd, ~ t£, ~ vaftd/vaftt, ~ ve, 
~ v£t, ~ wouj 
koulewou n. batter for fritters etc. 
kouii n. Hunsonian curlew (bird) 
koulibet n. blabbering, drivel 
koulin, manchet koulin n. long 
narrow machete 
~ do spine, backbone 
koulis n. groove, slot; hem (of 
clothing); drawstring; wings (of 
theater) 
sou/an/nan ~ surreptitiously 
koulouk nan n. dick, cock (penis) 
kouloukoulou see koukouloukou 
kouloulou v. to warble, coo 
koulout (ti) n. tightwad, skinflint, 
miser; rogue, scoundrel; weewee, 
little boy's penis 
kouloutan (ti) adj. stingy, miserly; 
sneaky, deceitful 
koulouwou n. round scad (fish) 
koulwa n. hall, hallway, corridor, 
passageway; aisle; gorge, 
mountain pass 
koulya, koulyeya, koulye (a) see 
482 
koumabo! - Koup Madigra 
kounyeya 
koumabo! see komabo! 
koumakwisboulit! see 
koumatiboulout! 
kouman, koman, konman conj. 
how 
~ ft how come 
koumandan see komandan 
koumande see kdmande 
koumandman, koumannman see 
k6mannman 
koumanman! komanman! 
konmanman! interj. whaaat! 
wow! 
~ou! fuck you! 
koumanse see konmanse 
koumansman see konmansman 
koumasyal n. court-martial 
koumatiboulout! 
koumakwisboulit! koumapiston! 
koumatchouboulout! interj. 
wow! 
koumba: 
ti ~ var. of Voodoo dance 
koumbe see baton koumbe 
koumbit see konbit 
koumedi see komedi 
kounftlgw£w! interj. wow! 
Koumora (kolin)prop.n. [Book of 
Mormon] hill of Cumorah 
koun n. var. of dance; adj. smelly; 
interj. ugh!; contr. kou + yon 
kounabe, kounab£ n. hovel, shanty, 
shack; organized agricultural work 
group 
kounan adj. bow-legged (outward 
curvature); n. buddy, pal 
kounaye, ounaye n. Voodoo spirit 
(same as lwa) 
kounbit see konbit 
kounde n. bag with flap and 
shoulder strap; ass (anus) 
kounmabi!, kounmabo! see 
komabo! 
Kounoubwa (gwdt)prop.n. 
Counoubois grottoes, near Camp-
Perrin, Dept. South 
kounouk n. hovel, shanty, shack; 
kitchen 
kounouye (la) a, kounouyeya see 
kounyeya 
kountedi n. var. of mango 
kounyeya, konnya, konnye a, 
konnyeya, konya, kony£ a, 
koulya, koulye a, koulyeya, 
kounouye (la) a, kounouyeya, 
kounya (a), kounye (la a), 
kounye a adv. now; nowadays, 
presently, at present 
~ la a right now 
koup n. couple; croup, rump; cutting 
(down); tailoring, cut; style; 
(man's) haircut; cut (playing 
cards); goblet, chalice; trophy, 
cup; onomat. to express sudden 
action 
an ~ pointed (roof) 
kay an ~ (kare) house with roof 
slanting in four directions 
~ boulon bolt cutter 
- solid hard-cover (book) 
~ dimonn world cup (sports) 
~ gdj dangerous back alley 
~ kouti dressmaking, sewing 
~ papye letter opener 
~ tiyo pipe cutter 
~ v&, ~ vit glass cutter 
leson ~ sewing class 
monte nan ~ to ride behind 
Koup David prop.n. Coupe-^-David 
(communal section of Acul-du-
Nord, Dept. North) 
Koup Madigra prop.n. Coupe-
Mardi-Gras (3rd communal 
483 
koupab - kouple 
section of Saut-d'Eau, Dept. 
Center) 
koupab adj. guilty; n. guilt; guilty 
person 
Koupalenbe (mdn)prop.n. Mount 
Coupe-a-Limbe (Dept. North) 
koupay, koupaj n. cutting; 
disconnecting; skirt-chasing, 
womanizing 
koupe v. to cut; to cut down; to 
cut off, interrupt; to intersect; to 
cross, cross over; to disconnect, 
unplug; to amputate; to dilute; to 
abridge, shorten; to mow; to cut 
(deck of cards); to make a trick, 
trump (cards); to whack, hit; to 
perform an episiotomy; to screw 
(vulg.); n. cut, laceration; incision; 
amputation; screwing (vulg.); adj. 
sharp 
- an tranch to slice 
~ asosye to become partners 
~ bout bout to cut into sections 
~ bwa kwochi to do s.thg. bad or 
dishonest 
~ chemen to take a shortcut 
~ de bra (de pye) (yon moun) 
to make/render (s.o.) helpless; to 
wear (s.o.) out 
- de (2) pou pyese youn to be bad 
off 
~ devan to prepare the terrain 
~ dwbt delicious, tasty, finger-
licking good 
~ fache to break off friendship, cut 
off relations 
- fache (sbk) radical departure, 
clean break 
- fouk tight-fitting pants 
- grangou snack 
~ je cut-throat; see ~ kout je 
~ je bay to wink knowingly at 
~ kloure cheap, junky; badly 
made; deformed, misshapen; go 
for it! do it! 
~ kou to kill 
~ kout je to give a dirty or 
haughty look; to snub 
~ lalw£t to silence (s.o.) 
~ lang delicious, tasty 
~ lavi to kill 
~ m sa! stop it! 
~ pye never again to set foot 
someplace, stop going to 
~ rache to work havoc upon, 
wreck, batter; to pillage, rob; to do 
whatever one wants 
~ rache nan to be an enthusiastic 
follower of 
~ sbk to discontinue abruptly 
- sou mari li to deceive one's 
husband 
~ souf li to throttle, kill 
~ swaf li to quench one's thirst 
~ tbt to behead 
~ tbt li to commit suicide 
~ tbt mete kd to look exactly alike 
~ van to break wind, fart 
~ yon kout je to glare at, give a 
dirty look 
~ zbb anba pye to supplant, crowd 
out 
koupfc n. cutter (person) 
koup&dgdj n. cutthroat, gangster, 
murderer; price-gouger, profiteer 
koupedkann n. cane-cutter 
koupedpoch, koupedsakit n. 
swindler, robber, thief 
koupi n. clipping (from newspaper); 
see akoupi; chita 
~ m chaje ou food bought in street 
kouplay, kouplaj n. copulation, 
mating (animals) 
kouple v. to couple (with), mate 
484 
koupl& - kour£d 
(animals) 
koupte, kouple n. stanza, verse; 
hinge, joint 
koupleman n. copulation, mating 
(animals) 
Koupoprop.n. Coupeau (18th 
communal section of Carrefour, 
Dept. West) 
koupon n. remnant (cloth); coupon 
(1/10 of a lottery ticket); coupon 
(discount); order form, order blank 
~ alimanft (US) food stamp 
Koupon prop.n. Coupon (Dept. 
Artibonite) 
koupye, poupye n. purslane (plant) 
- kaya var. of purslane 
koupy£, kipyfc, kwoupyfc n. crupper 
(leather strap passing under tail of 
donkey etc.) 
koupyon, kripyon, kwoupyon 
n. rump, hindquarters (animal); 
coccyx; adj. asinine, stupid, 
ineffectual 
zo ~ sacrum 
kouraj see kouray 
kouraje adj., kourajfczf.adj. 
courageous, brave 
kourajezman adv. courageously 
kouraman adv. fluently, flawlessly 
kou ran n. current, flow, stream; 
tide; small stream, brook; electric 
current, electricity; electric shock; 
adj. present, current; usual, 
ordinary, everyday; fluent; running 
(water); readily available; adv. 
fluently 
bay ~, mete ~ to electrify 
~ db draft, current of air 
~ dlo waterfall 
~ kontini direct current 
nan gran ~ in the big time, in 
important circles 
pran (nan) ~ to get an electric 
shock 
swiv (yon) move ~ to follow the 
wrong path, be on the wrong track 
ti ~ dlo stream, brook 
kourand£ n. draft, breeze; shortage 
of funds 
pdch li gen ~ to be broke, be 
penniless 
kourant n. course (of hour, day, 
month etc.); prep, around, about 
kourape see kwape 
kouratela n. rough-leaf tree 
kouray, kouraj , lekouraj n. 
strength, power, force, might, 
energy; effort; courage, mettle, 
will-power, determination, mettle, 
endurance 
bay ~ to console, comfort; to 
embolden 
bay (kd, tbt) li ~ to delude oneself 
gen ~ to be strong 
mete tout ~ sou li to summon up 
all one's strength 
pran ~ li ak de men to get up 
one's courage 
san ~ lethargic 
se ~ yon moun ki pou rete li nan 
travay one can work as much as 
one is up to 
travay sou ~, selon ~ li, sou 
~ (li) piecework, work paid 
for according to the number of 
products turned out 
koure, (kochon) koure n. boar; 
male pig 
ti koure smallest of the three 
Rada drums (Voodoo) - same as 
boula 
kour£ n. runner (person) 
kour£d n. skinflint, tightwad; adj. 
stingy, scrimping 
485 
kouri - kousen 
ft ~ to rebel; to be reluctant; to be 
stingy 
kouri v. to run, run away; to 
rush, hurry, go fast; to speed, 
drive fast; to flow, circulate; n. 
collective panic or hysteria, riot; 
predicament, mess, jam; diarrhea 
bouch li ~ dlo to salivate, water 
~ ak (yon moun) to arrest (s.o.) 
~ ale to run off 
~ ale ~ vini see ~ moute ~ desann 
~ antre nan to dash in(to) 
~ bri (deyd) to spread rumors 
~ desann to run down, flow down 
(hill etc.); to rush out; to flood 
~ dbyk to go after, run after, chase, 
pursue; to chase away 
~ dlo to water (mouth), salivate 
~ ft (sou) to iron; to do rapidly 
~ ft wonn to run around 
~ ft men to close quickly 
~ fonse antre to rush into 
~ (grenpe) moute to run/rush up, 
take off 
~ kanpe to suddenly stand up 
- kite to run out of, flee; 
uncomfortable bed^unk/pallet 
- machin twdp to drive too fast 
- moute (anwo) to run up, 
scamper up; to rush upstairs 
~ moute desann, ~ moute ~ 
desann, ~ ale ~ vini to run up 
and down, run about; to circulate 
(rumors esp.); running about; 
panic, confusion 
~ pase flonn to run like the wind, 
run like lightning 
~ plan to check plans or drawings 
for accuracy 
- ponpe whatever, regardless 
~ pou to flee from 
~ pou lapli tonbe nan larivy£/ 
lavalas to go from bad to worse 
~ pwason davril to look for s.thg. 
which is not there 
~ rant re to run back in 
~ s£t jou anvan djab to run away 
from a problem well before it 
becomes crucial 
~ sote to skip, jump forward 
~ sdti to run out, go out quickly, 
flee 
~ sou to charge at, make a rush 
for; to be almost, be about to, be 
close to, be nearly 
~ sou ftt to rush in 
~ sove (poul li) to run away, run 
off 
~ travfcse to run through 
~ tren to run around, go back and 
forth; to work long and hard hours 
~ tribinal to go to court, sue 
~ vini to run in, rush over 
~ yon chwal to gallop 
ti ~ (hair) braids 
kourikouldm see kirikildm 
kou rye n. mail 
~ elektwonik, koury&l E-mail, 
electronic mail 
kouryele v. to E-mail 
kous n. race, competition, contest; 
errand; journey, trip 
ft (yon) ~ to compete in a race 
~ apye foot race; foot-racing, track 
~ (a) reft relay race 
~ kouri foot race, road race 
~ san, ~ desan ets. hundred meter 
race, two hundred meter race etc. 
pati/pete yon ~ kouri to take off 
running 
tout ~ at full speed 
kousa see konsa 
kousen n. cushion, pad 
~ elektrik heating pad 
486 
kousi - kout 
~ machin car seat 
~ t^t headrest 
kousi see rakousi 
~ kousa, ~ konsa so so 
kousikwi n. short-circuit (mack) 
kousinen v. to cushion; to feather 
(nest) 
kouskouri n. run, dash 
kouskous see kouchkouch 
kousye: 
gran ~ central irrigation canal 
kout n. thrust, stroke, move; blow, 
hit, lunge; shot, gulp (of alcohol 
etc.); shot (of gun); bolt, flash 
(of lightning); sound; crust; 
scab; adj. short; brief, concise; 
onomat. chickee! chickee! (to call 
chickens); see kou 
anba ~ brid unwillingly 
bay ~ men to lend a helping hand 
bay ~ mi to fool, trick 
bay ~ ftt to nod off, doze off 
bay yon - kouto to stab, knife 
bay yon ~ zepdl to give a hand, 
help 
d£nye ~ bwa last straw 
ft k&k ~ p£l to shovel (pej.) 
ft ~ dwfet sou to point the finger 
at, accuse, blame 
ft ~ zo to play to win 
ft yon ~ to do (s.thg.); to take a 
turn at being or doing (s.thg.) 
ft yon ~ nftt to make a master 
stroke, be highly successful 
ft yon ~ prezidan to have a try at 
running for president, throw one's 
hat into the presidential arena 
ft yon ~ pye nan to drop in on, 
look in on, pay a visit to 
ft yon ~ volan to make a sudden 
turn, swerve (in vehicle) 
ft yon ~ zepon to hit hard 
~ ba see koutba 
~ bagfct drumbeat; wave of a 
(magic) wand 
~ bale (quick) sweep; cleaning 
out, clearing out (lit. and fig.) 
~ baton beating, thrashing 
~ bfck peck 
~ boul dishonest trick 
~ boufty bottle-throwing 
~ bwa see koutbwa 
~ cham philter, love potion 
- chapo tip(ping) of the hat, 
salute; compliment; crush, fancy 
~ dan see koutdan 
~ defans bumper blow (of vehicle) 
~ djak uplift, gain, advance 
~ dwfct (secret) denunciation, 
squealing, ratting 
~ ft ironing; blow 
~ fill phone call 
~ fift dragnet, police raid 
~ fizi gunfire, gunshot 
~ flach quick look, glance; review, 
summary 
~ foud bolt of lightning 
~ fouk low blow; deceit, 
deception, lie 
- foule short and fat; roly-poly 
person; pip-squeak, small fly, 
half-pint 
~ fw£t whiplash 
~ gidon sudden change of 
direction 
~\tsee koutje 
- kat round, session (playing 
cards); agreement, bargain, deal; 
event, occurrence, situation 
~ ke ~ whatever the cost, 
regardless, one way or another 
- kldch warning sign 
~ kdd arrest 
~ kodak snapshot 
487 
koutan - koutbwa 
~ kdn goring 
~koud elbow jab 
~ kouto slash, cut, stab 
~ lanbi warning signal 
~ lang see koutlang 
~ laso attack, charge, onslaught 
~ ft chill 
~ limyfc see limyfc 
~ loray clap of thunder 
~ makak clubbing, beating 
- men see koutmen 
~ mi cheating, trickery 
~ m6, ~ nanm hex, curse 
~ nen booger, (dried) snot 
~ pa konprann trick, deceit 
~ pati shove, push out 
~ penso sketch, outline 
~ peny see koutpeny 
~ pitit see pitit (bay kout ~) 
~ plim literary effect; short article 
- ponp shortchanging with only 
a partial gallon of gasoline; 
contaminated gasoline (mixed 
with another liquid) 
~ ponya see koutponya 
~ poud use of magical powder to 
harm s.o. (Voodoo) 
~ pous see koutpous 
~ pwen see koutpwen 
~ pye see koutpye 
- pyete see koutpyete 
- pyout see koutpyout 
~ rach hatchet blow; swift cutting 
blow 
- rbl outcry; shout, cry, yell 
~ revolvfc pistol shot 
~ san see koutsan 
~ softy, - s61 see koutsofty 
~ tan severe weather, severe storm 
~ tanbou drumbeat 
~ telefdn telephone call 
~ ftt nod (when dozing); header 
(soccer) 
~ teyat dramatic rum of events 
~ tdchon clearing off 
~ van gust, flurry (of wind) 
~ volan sudden turn, swerve 
~ wdch rock-throwing; stoning 
~ zam gunfire, gunshot 
~ zbl see koutzel 
~ zo see koutzo 
~ zong pinch, squeeze; pinch, 
small bit, smidgin 
menm - baton/bwa same old 
thing 
pran ~ ba to be deceived, betaken 
in 
pran ~ (boul) to get hit; to be 
cheated 
pran - kouto to be knifed/stabbed 
pran nan yon ~ pa konprann to 
catch unawares, take by surprise 
pran yon ~ zepon to take a hard 
hit 
ti ~ shorty (man or woman) 
vin ~ to shorten, shrink 
yon ~ dlo cho yon ~ dlo frfct two-
faced person, hypocrite; traitor 
- cf. konze 
koutan adj. obedient 
pa ~ disobedient, stubborn 
koutay, koutaj n. shady enterprise, 
scam; rake-off, graft 
koutayfc n. middleman, intermediary, 
broker; scam-artist, double-dealer, 
grafter 
koutba n. deception, low blow, dirty 
trick 
bay ~ to play a dirty trick; to 
deceive, fool, take advantage of; to 
break one's word or promise 
pran ~ to be deceived, be taken 
koutbate n. deceiver 
koutbwa, koudebwa n. hit, blow; 
488 
kou ten a - koutpwen 
bad situation 
bay ~ to club 
koutcha, koutya n. style, manner, 
culture; see sankoutcha 
koutche see koutye 
koutdan n. bite 
bay ~, fe ~ to bite; to take a bite, 
eat 
koutdemfct n. master stroke, brilliant 
maneuver 
koute v. to listen (to); to listen, obey; 
to cost; n. listening; adj. costly 
- anbachal to eavesdrop 
- byen to listen carefully 
~ kbib li to give way to anger, act 
impulsively 
~ ibt xvbg to cost a (small) fortune, 
cost an arm and leg 
pa - san ou calm down, cool it; 
swallow your pride 
koutfoule n. pip-squeak, small fry, 
half-pint; roly-poly person; adj. 
short and fat 
kouti n. sewing, needlework, 
dressmaking; seam; stitch, suture 
(sewing; wound); binding; scar; 
sewing class; making, creation, 
formation 
~ dbyb perineum 
mete nan ~ to make to order, 
make to one's own specifications 
nan ~ in the works, in preparation 
koutim n. custom(s), practice, habit 
koutimas see kontimas 
koutimye see dwa ~ 
koutiryfc, koutiry£z, koutiy&z see 
koutriy&z 
koutize v. to woo, pay court to, court 
koutje n. glance, look; scornful look 
bay ~ to wink 
fb yon - to take a glance 
koupe yon - to give (s.o.) a dirty 
look 
- twaze disdainful stare 
koutkekout adv. whatever the cost, 
regardless, one way or another 
koutlang n. slander; backbiting 
bay ~, fb ~ to speak ill of, slander 
kouttey see koud&y 
koutmen, koudmen n. assistance, 
help, hand 
bay ~ to help, assist 
kouto n. knife; operation 
bay yon kout ~ to stab 
bout ~ squat, stubby (person) 
~ bouche cleaver 
~ (koupe) de bd (li koupe 
janbon/bonbon li koupe pwazon/ 
li file toude bd), ~ de dan, ~ de 
lang, ~ de lanm two-faced person, 
hypocrite; traitor; double-edged 
knife 
~ digo billhook, pruning knife 
(large long knife used esp. in 
slaughtering livestock) 
~ famasi, - fanmasi, - fonmasi 
see ~ de bd 
~ inivesel utility knife 
- operasyon scalpel 
~ tire hostility 
mete - (sou) to operate (on) 
koutoup koutap adv. haltingly, with 
difficulty 
koutpeny {pronounced, kout-pen-y) 
n. hairdo; combing (of hair) 
koutponya n. loan-sharking, loan 
(at exhorbitant interest), usury; 
infringement, transgression, 
infraction (fig.) 
anba gwo ~ heavily into debt (at a 
usurious rate of interest) 
koutpous n. assistance, help 
koutpwen n. punch, jab, fist blow 
b a y - t o punch, jab 
489 
koutpye - kouw£ 
~ bannann crushing blow, knock­
out blow 
koutpye n. kick 
bay ~ to kick 
de - just two steps away, a stone's 
throw, no distance at all 
de ~ pou ti Da to use and then 
discard s.o. 
ft yon ~ to pay a little visit (to), 
drop by 
Yo ban m yon ti ~ mwen vin 
tonbe la a mwen bay ti manti sa 
a traditional ending for Haitian 
folktales 
koutpyete v. to kick, kick around 
koutriy&z, koutiryfc, koutiry&z, 
koutiyez, koutriyfc f.n. 
dressmaker, seamstress 
koutsan n. rage, extreme anger; 
stroke, cardio-vascular accident 
(CVA); seizure 
koutsofty, kouts61 n. crush, fancy 
(on a woman); sunburn 
gen yon ~ to fancy, be sweet on 
koutwa adj. courteous 
koutwazi n. courtesy, politeness, 
courteousness; donation, gift 
koutya see koutcha; sankoutcha 
koutye, koutche n. agent, broker, 
middleman, contractor; real-estate 
agent 
koutzel n. wing-beat, flap (of the 
wings) 
koutzo n. throw of the dice 
ft ~, koupe ~ to shoot dice; to 
make a move (dominoes) 
~ towo blatant lie 
kouvan n. convent 
kouve v. to hatch, sit on eggs; 
to smoulder; n. brood, hatch; 
offspring 
kouv£ n. place setting; silverware 
~s&k see manje s£k 
ranje ~, mete ~ to set the table 
sy£l ~ overcast sky 
kouv&t n. lid 
~ enferye oil pan (mach.) 
kouv£ti n. cover; blanket; lid, top; 
roofing; toilet seat lid; press 
coverage; surveillance; cover, 
disguise, subterfuge 
ft ~ to serve as a look-out, 
exercise surveillance 
~ kay roof 
~ priz (electric) wall outlet plate 
~ solid hard-cover (book) 
- switch/bouton switch plate 
~ twaftt toilet lid 
~ twou rigdl manhole cover 
~ vejetal plant covering (ecology) 
~ z6r£y gill cover (of fish) 
kouvez n. incubator 
kouvezon n. brooding-time, 
brooding, sitting on eggs (chickens 
etc.) 
kouvre n. roofer 
kouvrefe n. curfew 
bay - to set/establish a curfew 
kouvreli n. bedspread 
~ matlase comforter, quilt 
kouvrepla n. plastic or metal dish-
cover 
kouvri v. to cover, hide; to cover up, 
fill up; to cover, include; to report 
on, cover (journalism); to coat; to 
mate (animals); adj. overcast (sky) 
~ ak kouch to coat, cover (paint 
etc.) 
~ kay to roof 
~ pou to cover for, make up for 
kouwa n. strap; fanbelt (mach.)', 
v-belt (mach.) 
kouwapre see kwape 
kouw&, konw£, kw£ conj./prep, like, 
490 
kouwdn - kowddinaft 
just like, similar to, same as, such 
as 
pou - 1 ye la a as for now, at 
present, as the situation now 
stands 
kouwdn, kouwonn n. crown; 
wreath; crown (of tooth); corona 
- di kris crown of thorns (plant) 
Kouwdn (Kola) prop.n. Couronne 
Cola (pop. soft drink) 
kouwonnen, kouwone, kouwdnen, 
kouwounen v. to crown; to circle, 
encircle 
kouwonnman n. coronation, 
crowning 
kouy see kouj 
kouyadinaj, kouyadinay n. 
stupidity 
kouyak n. var. of plantain 
kouyan n. close friend; person who 
hobbles or limps 
kouyanbiz n. shady connections, 
illegitimate dealings 
kouyan(k)-kouyan(k) adv. so-so, 
tolerably, neither very good nor 
very bad; hobbling, limping 
kouyann n. pal, buddy 
kouyfc see kiy£ 
ft yon ~ to have a first try; to let 
s.o. else have a try 
kouyezon n. harvest 
kouyi see keyi 
kouyon, konyon n. jerk, fool, 
dummy 
kouyonnad n. foolishness 
kouyonnen v. to deceive 
kouzen n. var. of prickly plant 
- gwon&g crown of thorns (plant) 
Other var. are: gran ~, ~ pikan, ~ 
v a n , - w o u j , t i -
kouzen n.} kouzin f.n. cousin; friend 
(in direct address) 
- j&m(en) first cousin 
- souj^m(en) second cousin; 
distant cousin 
wa pa kouzen li to be very proud 
Kouzen prop.n. affectionate name 
for Azaka (q.v.) 
kouzi: 
bouch ~! don't breathe a word!, 
mum's the word! 
Kouzin fprop.n. consort of Azaka 
(Voodoo) 
kouzin£t n. little cousin 
kouziyfc see kizinyfc 
kouziy&z see kizinyfcz 
kdve n. group work (usually 
followed by distribution of food); 
drudgery, chore, unpleasant task; 
(obs.) forced labor (on roads esp.) 
ft - to perform a hard unpleasant 
task 
Kdvintonn (Jdj)prop.n. Corvington 
(Georges) - Haitian historian, 
author of a multi-volume PaP au 
Cours des Ans 
kow! onomat. bang!; pow!; crack! 
(of whip); sound of knocking 
kowabite v. to cohabit, live together; 
cf. plase 
kowadjift n. suffragan, coadjutor 
(ecc.) 
kowala n. koala 
kowalisyon, kwalisyon n. coalition 
Kowasi see Kwowasi 
kowensidans, koyensidans, 
kwensidans n. coincidence 
Kowet, Kow£tprop.n. Kuwait 
Kowetyenprop.n./adj., Kowety£n 
fprop.n. Kuwaiti 
kowezyon, koyezyon n. cohesion 
kowddinasyon n. coordination 
kowddinaft, kowddonaft, 
kdwddonaft, kowddonaftz, 
491 
kowddone - koze 
kowddonatris see kddinaft 
kowddone, kowddonnen v. to 
coordinate; n. coordinate (math.); 
one's address, phone number etc. 
[Fr.] 
kowolfc n. corollary, consequence, 
result 
kowdm n. quorum 
kdwdn n. strength, endurance, 
stamina 
kowon£l see kolon^l 
kowonpi, konpi, konwonp, 
konwonpi, kowonp, kdwonp, 
kdwonpi, kwonpi v. to corrupt, 
lead astray; to bribe; adj. corrupt; 
stagnant 
kowoperan, koperan n. foreign 
volunteer worker 
kowoperasyon see koperasyon 
kowoperatif, kowoperativ see 
koperatif 
kowopere, kopere v. to cooperate 
kowopte v. to coopt 
Kowdsprop.n. Corosse (communal 
section of Vallieres, Dept. North-
East) 
kdwds n. royal palm tree, coyol tree; 
adj. hard-hearted 
kowosif adj. corrosive 
kowosdl, kosdl, kdwdsdl n. soursop, 
corossol; southern puffer (fish); 
var. of mango 
dlo grenn ~ var. strong home­
made insecticide 
~ granbwa wild soursop, 
blackbark, black mahoe 
~ mawon pond apple tree, monkey 
apple tree, corkwood tree 
~ zonbi mountain soursop (small 
tree) 
po ~ goose bumps, goose pimples, 
goose flesh 
Var. of soursop: ~ chen, ~ dyab 
kdwdt, kdhdt n. cohort, troop; 
(Protestant) prayer group 
kowozyon n. corrosion 
kdy n. coil; onomat. sound of a 
heavy metallic blow 
koyak, konyak (pronounced: ko-
nyak) n. cognac 
ib ~ to kick with the heel (soccer) 
koyefisyan n. coefficient (math.) 
koyensidans see kowensidans 
koyerans n. [Fr] coherence, 
consistency 
koyezyon see kowezyon 
koyibe v. to fail, go under, be 
washed up; to thwart, prevent; to 
eliminate, put out of action 
koyo, koho n. henpecked husband; 
stay-at-home, recluse; man 
incapable of success with women; 
adj. inane, simple, mindless 
kdydt n. coyote 
kdz, koz n. cause, reason; motive; 
case, lawsuit; offense; v. to 
perpetrate; to be responsible for, 
cause 
pouki ~ why 
pou ~ because of, for the reason of 
pran ~ pou to side with, favor 
koze v. to talk, chat, converse; 
to flirt; to court; to cause; 
n. conversation, chat, talk, 
discussion; gossip, rumor, tale; 
subject, concern, business; 
question, issue; matter, problem, 
affair; details, circumstances 
Ala (de) ~ (ou tande)! What a 
ridiculous thing! Just listen to that! 
Amazing! 
ib ~ mache to make conversation/ 
talk 
gwo - "big deal" 
492 
kozfc - krabouye 
Kenbe ~ nou! Keep it to yourself! 
Don't spread the word! 
- mande ch&z, ~ pran ch£z the 
situation calls for reflection 
~ nan bouch, - mete la idle talk, 
hollow words 
~ nan zdrey private conversation 
~ piman bouk heated discussion 
~ tablati nonsense, bullshit 
pa kenbe - sou lestonmak li not 
to be able to keep a secret 
pa nan ~ not to participate, stay 
out of 
premye ~ introduction, preface, 
foreword 
se pa de ~ ki pa pale there was an 
awful lot of talk/gossip 
sou - sa a concerning, talking 
about 
vini sou yon ~ to mention, bring 
up a subject 
vye ~ bullshit, nonsense 
koz&, kbzb adj. chatty, talkative; n. 
talker, conversationalist; big talker 
koz£t n. (little) chat 
koz&z n. loveseat 
kdzman, kozman n. chat, 
conversation, discussion; gossip, 
idle talk; subject, heading 
gwo - principal subject, main 
heading; "big deal" 
premye - introduction, 
presentation 
ti ~ anba tonnfcl private little chat 
kozri n. talk, (informal) discussion 
Kr. abbrev. see Kris 
krab n. crab; yaws; yaws lesion; 
losing combination in dice etc. 
bay ~ pou tb to sell one's 
birthright for a pot of cabbage 
- anbara, ~ arenyen, ~ aryen, ~ 
banbara tarantula 
~ bwa land crab 
- ch&ch, ~ dlo var. of yaws 
~ kd li to weasel out (of an 
obligation); to sneak in; to take it 
easy, be cautious; to squeeze (into 
corner etc.) 
~ la pa mbg business is brisk, 
sales are good 
~ loray var. of crab 
- malz6r£y, ~ mazdr£y rock crab 
(inedible) 
~ mou var. of yaws 
~ sirik saltwater crab 
~ \bt var. of yaws 
~ wont var. of crab 
~ zaren, ~ zaryen, ~ zouba, ~ 
zoumba tarantula 
~ zoumba, - zouba large purplish 
crab with many appendages 
pa ... ni - ni krik nothing at all 
krabd n. nonsense; friend, social 
equal, peer; adj. meaningless 
mwen pa ~ ou! I'm no friend of 
yours! 
ti - small rickety child; 
insignificant person 
krabinaj , grabinay, krabinay n. 
scraps, debris, rubble; insignificant 
person; beating, battering; 
smashing, crushing 
~ bwa kindling (wood) 
Krabinay prop.n. violent Voodoo 
Petwo spirit 
krabin£ n. smasher, crusher 
krabinen v. to smash up, crush, 
break; to beat up, do in 
~ dwa anba pye to trample on 
(s.o.'s) rights 
krabiyan n. var. of dance 
krabiye, kabye n. Voodoo dance to 
chase away unwelcome spirits 
krabouye v. to crush, smash 
493 
krabye- kranponnen 
krabye, kabye n. heron; very thin 
person; crab seller 
gwo ~ blan egret 
~ ble little blue heron 
~ gad b&f, vaftt ibis 
~ gri gray heron 
~ vant blan Louisiana heron 
ti - mang lannft least bittern 
ti ~ rivyfc West Indian green heron 
Var. of heron: ~ dlo, ~ rivy£ 
kracha n. sputum 
krache v. to spit; to spit up, cough 
up; to drizzle, sprinkle, rain 
lightly; n. saliva; spit, spittle; tiny 
bit; small drop; drizzle, sprinkle, 
light rain 
anvan ~ s&k/ch&ch quickly, right 
away 
~ ante twa fwa to combat a magic 
spell 
~ dife to spit fire, heat up; to put a 
hex on, curse, jinx 
~ nan bouch/djdl yon moun 
to be of a common mind, be in 
complete harmony; to say to s.o. 
in confidence 
~ rim sputum, spit(tle) 
~ yon bagay (bay) to give back 
s.thg. 
~ (yon moun) to resemble (s.o.) 
exactly 
tou ~ ak exactly like 
krachin n. light sprinkle, very light 
rain 
krachwa n. spittoon, cuspidor 
kraf(t) n. cream cheese 
krak interj. traditional acceptance to 
listen to a story (cf. krik); n. lie, 
tall story, tall tale; crack, fissure; 
crotch; crack cocaine; onomat. 
crack! (sound of snapping or 
breaking) 
(pou) ti krik ti ~ at the slightest 
provocation, for the slightest 
reason 
Krakaraypro/?./?. Cracaraille (3rd 
communal section of Ranquitte, 
Dept. North) 
krake v. to crack, split; to chatter; to 
creak; to crack up, have a nervous 
breakdown 
- gason to brazenly seduce 
krake n. story-teller; fibber, liar 
krak&z n. [Eng.] cracker 
krakhed n. [Eng.] crackhead, crack 
addict 
krako see karako 
krakra n. boatbill (heron) 
krakft see karakft 
kramwazi adj. crimson 
kran n. guts, courage, backbone; 
peg; notch 
mete ~! hang in there! go for it! 
kr&n, krannft t , kr&nftt n. (interior 
of the) brain 
zo ~ skull 
krangle n. Haitian language heavily 
influenced by American English 
krankan: 
boule ft ~ to char, bum 
completely 
krankannen see kankannen 
krank£s see kank&s 
krankrannen see kankannen 
krann adj. proud, brave, strong; adv. 
firmly 
krannberi>7. [Eng.] cranberry 
krannft t see krkn 
kranp, lakranp n. cramp; ache, pain 
kranpon n. spike, cleat, stud (for 
sole of shoe etc.); clamp; spur 
kranponnay see kraponnay 
kranponnen v. to grip, cling to, hold 
on to; to spur; to have cramps or 
494 
kr&nftt - kraze 
pains 
kr&nftt see kr&n 
krap n. cartilage, gristle; one of 
the two possible outcomes in 
rudimentary form of dice, cf. ftp 
zo ~ cartilage, gristle 
krapday n. small bit of money; 
small portion or piece 
krapil n. bad lot, dishonest person 
krapo n. frog; toad 
jalouzi ~ groundless or 
unwarranted jealousy 
~ b£f, ~ boga, ~ bonga var. of 
large toad 
~ lannft Southern puffer (fish) 
krapodin n. crouch, squat; adj. 
crouching, squatting 
kraponnay, kanponnay, 
kaponay, kaponnaj, kaponnay, 
kranponnay, kraponaj , 
kraponay, kraponnaj n. threats, 
intimidation, scare tactics; 
deception 
pran nan ~ to be deceived 
kraponnen, kanponnen, kaponnen 
v. to scare off, frighten, threaten, 
intimidate; to be afraid, get scared, 
be intimidated; to take s.o. in, fool, 
deceive; adj. nervous; intimidated 
kras n. dirt, filth, grime, scum; 
crumb; stinginess; squalor; 
skinflint, tightwad; adj. no, none; 
tiny, small; stingy 
d£nye ~ every last bit 
ft - to be stingy or tight 
~ boufty sediment, lees, dregs 
- dan tartar (on teeth); plaque 
~ lafimen, ~ nwa soot 
- moun nobody, not a soul 
~ vant last-born child 
pa ~ not at all; nothing, none at all 
pa sere ~ not to mince words 
pa ti ~ very much 
pa vie - not to want just crumbs 
san ~ innocently, purely, frankly 
san kite - without hiding anything 
ti ~ (a) tiny bit, (a) very little 
ti - pa ti - bit by bit, little by little 
krasmoun pron. nobody, not a soul 
kraste n. dirt, filth; stinginess, 
avarice 
kraft n. crater 
kravat n. [Fr] (neck)tie; cf. kdl 
kravate v. to put on a (neck)tie 
krawkraw onomat. creaking of new 
shoes; see kwdtkwdt 
KraychU prop.n. Chrysler 
kraz see kd ~ 
kraze n. fragment, crumb, bit, scrap; 
pittance; small amount of money; 
v. to crush, squash, flatten; to 
break, smash, shatter, demolish, 
destroy; to run over, run down 
(with car etc.); to deplete; to do 
(s.thg.) with pleasure or gusto, 
really go at s.thg.; to enjoy, join 
in; to ban, close down; to disrupt; 
to chew; to mash; to break a 
bill, make change; to fuck; adj. 
battered, beat up; shabby, run 
down; broke, penniless; exhausted 
- ak dan to grind with the teeth 
~ anba dan to chew 
~ anba wdch, ~ ak kout wdch to 
stone, throw stones at 
~ b£t (li) to study hard 
~ brize to do anything, act in 
whatever way; to vandalize; 
turmoil, agitation; rampage 
~ bwa to run away, go into hiding 
~ eskanp (figi) to beat up, rough up 
~ grenn, grenn ~ ball-buster, 
rough, tough 
~ kaldj to smash, break up 
495 
krazfc z&b - kr&m 
~ kite to dump, toss out, throw out 
~ kite sa see ~ (yon) kite sa 
~ kd li to exert oneself greatly, 
force oneself 
~ manje to chew 
~ mouch to swat flies 
~ panno to have a very stiff penile 
erection 
~ plat aft to flatten to the ground, 
demolish, smash 
~ pyese to patch up haphazardly 
~ raje, - rak to run away, go into 
hiding, take to the woods 
~ ray to tear apart, splinter, split 
~ ft to turn over the soil, plow 
~ tonne! to finish, be at an end 
~ yon de kawo to dance tightly 
embraced 
- yon d6mi to be sleeping soundly 
~ yon je dou ak to make cow eyes 
at, bat one's eyelashes at 
~ (yon) kite sa to forget about 
that, change or drop the subject; 
to throw in the towel, say to heck 
with that 
~ yon manje to savor one's food 
~ zo to oppress; oppression, 
persecution; cruel, oppressive, 
destructive 
pa ka ~ yon foumi not to be able 
to kill a fly, gentle 
ti ~ small bit of change/money; 
skinny 
yon ~ kite sa (n.) see ~ yon kite 
sa 
kraz£ z£b f.n. loose woman 
krazed peyi n. exploiter; traitor 
kre adj. hollow; n. position in game 
of knucklebones (osft); tail {cf. 
ke); see lakre 
kr£ see kw& 
krebete adj. scrawny, weak (child); 
n. novice, beginner, inexperienced 
person; var. of small freshwater 
fish 
krfcch n. crdche, Nativity scene; day 
nursery; crib, manger 
kredi n. credit; adv. on credit 
achte ~ to buy on credit 
bay ~ to attribute 
ft - to credit, give credit to; to 
borrow from 
jwenn ~ to buy on credit; to get a 
loan 
koze ~ nonsense, rubbish, baloney 
rann ~ to sell on credit; to give a 
loan 
kredib adj. credible, believable; 
trustworthy 
kredibilite n. credibility 
kredil adj. credulous, believing 
kredite v. to credit (to an account) 
kredo n. creed, belief, credo 
krefran n./adj. (fam.) "French-fried 
Creole" 
kr£k n. clitoris; occ. vagina; see M\ 
~ tib£t silliness, nonsense, kidding 
around 
kreke v. to stand still; to tread water 
kr&m, krenm n. cream; cream 
(color); ice cream; rich topsoil; 
pick, finest, best part; lotion, 
ointment; contraceptive foam, 
spermicide 
bw& ~ to eat ice cream 
~ alaglas ice cream 
~ angftz (egg) custard 
~ bat, ~ fwete whipped cream 
~ blan ze meringue 
~ fr£ch cr£me fraiche [Fr. - no 
American equivalent] 
~ fwonmaj, fwonmaj ~ cream 
cheese; cf. kraf(t) 
- gason great guy 
496 
kremas - kr&tmakrfct 
- karantel custard tart, "flan" 
~ \bt cream (liquid) 
~ (pou) bab shaving cream 
~ pou siraj/siray (floor etc.) wax/ 
polish 
~ prez£vatif contraceptive cream 
- si sour cream 
~ tb rich topsoil 
~ ti kawdl var. of ice cream 
moulen ~ ice-cream freezer 
kremas n. eggnog (composed of 
rum, milk, coconut and sugar) 
kreme v. to add cream 
krem£(z) adj. creamy 
Kr£mlen prop.n. Kremlin (Moscow) 
kremdl adj. imaginary; weak, 
wishy-washy; slow, apathetic 
koze ~ nonsense, rubbish, baloney 
M pa nan koze ~ ak ou! Don't 
mess with me! Don't bother me! 
kren n. morassweed (aquatic herb); 
horse hair; var. of straw (used as 
mattress-stuffing) 
krenm see kr£m 
krenmen v. to form cream 
krenn v. to fear; see grenn 
krent, lakrent n. fear, dread 
gen ~ (pou) to fear, be scared (of) 
krentif n. fear, awe, respect; adj. 
fearful 
gen ~ pou to fear 
krentitid n. fear 
krentyen see kretyen 
krenyfc (pronounced: kre-ny&), 
krenyen, kreye, krey£, kriny£, 
kriy£ n. mane 
~ pwason dorsal fin; cf. zb\ do 
kr&p n. crepe (fabric); cr£pe; thin 
pancake;see kr£t 
- kreydl pancake dipped in salt 
water and rolled with peanuts and 
watercress 
kr£pe see gr£pe 
krepi v. to roughcast (a wall); adj. 
frizzy, woolly, fuzzy (hair) 
krepin n. grille, filter; funnel 
~ lavabo sink drain 
krepisay, krepisaj n. roughcasting 
(a wall) 
krepiskil n. [Fr] twilight, dusk; cf. 
bren, labrin 
kreps61 n. crepe rubber; worn-out 
shoe 
kreson, kresan n. watercress 
Var. are: ~ danwa, ~ dlo, ~ frans, 
~ savann, ~ sovay 
kr£t, kr£k, krbp n. crest, comb 
(of rooster or chicken); woman's 
genitals 
gwo ~, lang ~, tbt ~ clitoris 
~ doub multi-tufted comb (of 
rooster) 
~ mazoumbi, - sitwon short thick 
round comb or tuft (of rooster) 
~ zeng having almost no crest 
Krfct, Lakr&tprop.n. Crete 
Krfctapen prop.n. Crete-^-Pins (1st 
communal section of Marmelade, 
Dept. Artibonite) 
Krfctapyewo, Kr£tapy£wo see 
Lakr£t 
Krfctbrileprop.n. Crete-Brtitee (4th 
communal section of Mirebalais, 
Dept. Center) 
kretchen see kretyen 
kreten n. fool, idiot, moron, 
imbecile, dumbbell, dunce 
kretik see kritik 
kretinaj, kretinay n. idiocy, 
imbecility 
kr&tkdk n. Indian heliotrope (plant) 
~ senp cockscomb (plant) 
krfctkr£t see kw£tkw£t 
krfctmakr£t: 
497 
kretonn - kreyolizan 
an ~ in cahoots, in league, in 
conspiracy 
kretonn, kretdn n. cretonne (heavy 
cotton material); var. of plant 
Kretwaprop.n., Kretwazf.prop.n. 
Cretan, inhabitant of Crete 
kretyen, krentyen, kretchen, 
kriken, kritchen, krityen n./adj. 
kretyfcn f.n. Christian 
kretyen vivan human being 
krety&nte, kretyennte n. 
Christendom 
krfcv: 
~ kb heart-breaking 
krevant n. drudgery, backbreaking 
work 
krevas n. hole (in road); crevice, 
split, crack, fissure 
gen ~ to be chapped (lips) 
kreve v. to split, break open; to 
puncture, pierce, burst; to put 
out (eyes); to deflower, break the 
hymen; to lose her virginity; adj. 
almost cooked; dying 
krev£t n. (salt-water) shrimp 
kr£y n. cluster; (set of objects 
connected by a) string; see 
makr&y 
kreyan: 
an ~ in/while/by creating 
kreyans n. credit (financial) 
let (de) ~ (diplomatic) credentials 
kreyansye n. creditor 
kreyasyon, lakreyasyon n. creation; 
recreation period 
kreyatfc n. creator 
kreyati n. creature 
kreyatif adj. creative 
kreyativite n. creativity 
kreye v. to create 
kreye, krey£ see kreny£ 
kreyofil n. creolophile 
kreydl n. Haitian (Creole) (fang); 
Creole; shoot, sprout (plant); off­
shoot, child; product, fruit of one's 
labors; adj. Creole; domestic, 
native, indigenous, native to Haiti 
esklav ~ see nbg ~ 
gwo ~ see ~ rbk 
~ bawdk Haitian (Creole) of the 
North of Haiti; backwoods Haitian 
(Creole) (lang.) 
~ baz authentic Haitian language 
(without large amount of evident 
Gallicisms) 
~ fen well articulated Haitian 
(Creole) (lang.) 
~ franse "French-fried Creole," 
Frenchified Haitian (lang.), citified 
Haitian (lang.) 
~ lou Haitian (Creole) spoken 
indistinctly or with a foreign 
accent 
~ pw£s "authentic" Haitian 
(Creole) (lang.) 
~ r£k, gwo ~ unrefined Haitian 
(Creole) (lang.) 
~ swa refined Haitian (Creole) 
(lang.) 
nbg ~, esklav ~ slave born in 
Saint-Domingue (rather than in 
Africa) 
pale/simen ~ kou rat (nan mayi) 
to speak Haitian (Creole) fluently 
pete ~ to sprout (esp. sugarcane) 
soup ~ pumpkin soup 
kreyofil nJadj. creophile 
kreyofdb nJadj. creophobe 
kreyolin n. var. of disinfectant; var. 
of worm medicine for animals 
kreyolis n. creolist; adj. Creole-
speaking 
kreyolis, kreyoldg n. creolist 
kreyolizan n. Haitian speaker; 
498 
kreyolizasyon - kriptosejya 
defender or supporter of the 
Haitian language 
kreyolizasyon n. creolizing 
kreyolize v. to creolize 
kreyolofdn n./adj. Creolophone; adj. 
Creole-speaking 
Kreyolofoni prop. n. Creole-
speaking world 
kreyoldg see kreyolis 
kreyololoji n. Creolology 
kreyon n. pencil; stem, vertical shaft 
supporting bicycle handlebars 
~ k£ mou overly soft lead pencil 
~ koulfc, ~ desen crayon; colored 
pencil 
~ min lead pencil 
~ sousi eyebrow pencil 
pase ~ sou to forgive 
Kreyon prop. n. Creon 
Kr£z (larivyfc)prop.n. Creuse River 
(emptying into Lake Azuey, Dept. 
West) 
kreza adj. spoiled (person) 
krez£ n. var. cast-iron cooking pot 
krezi glou n. [Eng.] crazy glue 
kri n. cry, yell, shout, scream; adj. 
raw, uncooked; unripe; smelly; 
adv. instantaneously 
d&nye ~ latest fashion 
~ dalam warning cry 
~ deg£ war cry 
mouri ~ to die suddenly 
krib, krip n. sieve, screen (for 
sand); adj. crunchy; gristly; not 
fully cooked or of bad quality 
(potatoes etc.) 
kribich n. (freshwater) crayfish, 
crawfish; adj. fickle, changeable 
~ chode person with very light 
skin (pej.) 
krible v. to riddle, overwhelm (with 
bullets etc.) 
krich n. (earthenware) pitcher or jug 
bds ~, f£z£ ~ potter 
krichon n. tray with holes for 
holding pitchers 
kridoub see gradoub 
kriiiw onomat. sound of screeching 
of brakes 
krik n. peep, small sound; traditional 
offer to tell a story (cf. krak); see 
topi 
pa di ~ not to say/utter a word 
pou (nenpdt) ti - ti krak at the 
slightest provocation, for the 
slightest reason 
tout ~ everywhere, all over 
krike n. sprocket (mach.) 
kriken see kretyen 
krikfct, trik£t n. cicada; cricket 
(insect); adj. small, thin 
gwo ~ grasshopper 
~ v£t locust 
krikri see koukouy 
krikrit: 
zo ~ gristle 
krim n. (serious) crime 
kriminalite n. criminality 
kriminalize v. to engage in criminal 
activity; to declare (an activity) 
criminal 
kriminel n. criminal, felon, 
lawbreaker; adj. guilty, criminal 
kriminen v. to incriminate 
krimizou adj. skinny 
krinolin see krenyfc 
kriny& see krenyfc 
krip adj. gristly, crunchy; onomat. 
sound of screeching halt; see krib 
zo ~ cartilage, gristle 
kripkrip onomat. crunch-crunch 
(when eating crisp food) 
kripton n. krypton 
kriptosejya n. cryptostegia (plant); 
499 
kripya - kriyit 
cf kdn kabrit 
kripya, kripyan adj. stingy 
kripyay, kripyaj n. stinginess 
kripyon see koupyon 
kris: 
~ marin bay cedar tree 
Kris prop.n. Christ 
anvan ~, anv. ~ B.C., before 
Christ 
apre ~, ap. ~ A.D., anno Domini, 
after Christ 
krisalid, krizalid n. chrysalis, pupa 
krisboul, krisboulanm, krisboulit 
see tonn£ ~ 
krisentdm see krizanftm 
krisifi n. crucifix 
ti ~ nan po krab hypocrite; coy 
krisifiksyon n. crucifixion 
krisifye v. to crucify 
Krisifyen, Krisyen prop.n., 
Krisifyfcn, Krisyen f.prop.n. 
inhabitant of Croix-des-Bouquets 
(Dept. West) 
krismarin n. var. of plant that grows 
near seashore 
krispe v. to tense up, become 
strained; to give (s.o.) a headache 
krispen n. var. tree 
kristal nJadj. crystal; n. glassware 
kou ~ crystalline 
kristalen adj. crystalline, crystal-
clear 
kristalize v. to crystallize 
kristase n. crustacean, shell-fish 
krist£, klist£ n. enema 
bay - to drive s.o. crazy, bother, 
annoy 
Kristdf (Anri)prop.n. Christophe 
(Henry) (1767-1820) - president of 
Northern Haiti, 1807-1811, king of 
Northern Haiti, 1811-1820 
kristyanis see krisyanis 
Kriswa, Akasya, Kristwa prop.n. 
Christ-Roi (middle-class area of 
PaP) 
krisyal adj. crucial 
Krisyanprop.n. Christian (nameof 
person; for religion, see kretyen) 
krisyanis, kristyanis prop.n. 
Christianity 
krisyanize v. to Christianize, spread 
Christianity 
Krisyen, Krisy&n see Krisifyen, 
Krisifyen 
kritchen see kretyen 
krit£ n. criterion; pi. criteria 
kritik, kretik n. critic; criticism; 
adj. grave, critical 
fb ~ sou (do) yon moun to 
criticize, slander s.o. 
kritike v. to criticize 
kritik^ n. critic 
kri tkri t n. guts, innards, insides; 
(small) detail 
krityen see kretyen 
kriyadd n. chronic weeper; breeder 
and trainer of fighting cocks 
kriye v. to cry, weep, sob, wail; to 
whine; to peep; to creak, squeak; 
to croak; n. tear(s), weeping 
fb ~ nan yon s b \ grenn je to 
severely mistreat 
~ de ran dlo, ~ matyfc, ~ san to 
weep bitterly 
- onz patou to offer to fight all 
comers 
~ pike to cry one's heart out 
~ san nan pye to plead, beg, 
beseech 
~ vi to shed crocodile/false tears 
kriy£ n. weeper, wailer, whiner; see 
krenye 
kriy£l adj. cruel 
kriyit n. small cricket 
500 
kriyolin - kwachy6kd 
kriyolin see krinolin 
kriyote n. cruelty 
kriz n. crisis; hysteria, emotional 
crisis, fit; fit of anger; fainting 
spell; convulsions, seizure, spasm; 
eclampsia; epilepsy 
ft - to have a fit of anger 
~ de rvb emotional crisis 
~ fwa liver problem 
- k£, ~ kadyak heart attack 
gen ~, pran ~, tonbe ~ to become 
hysterical 
krizalid see krisalid 
krizanftm, krisentdm n. 
chrysanthemum, mum 
krizokal, krizo n. costume jewelry, 
fake jewelry; adj. sham, fake 
krizolit n. chrysolite 
krizonftl, krizomelid n. var. of 
noxious insect 
krizopraz n. [Bible] chrysoprase 
(var. of quartz) 
K-Softy see Kaysofty 
kwa n. cross, crucifix; burden, 
misery, misfortunes, suffering, 
torment; x (to mark a correct 
answer); see (a ~) bon 
an ~ crosswise, crossways 
ft ~ to sign/put one's x, be unable 
to write 
ft ~ (aft) to solemnly swear 
ft ~ bo(bo) li to swear or promise 
(not to do s.thg. again) 
ft ~ nan bounda bourik to be 
totally ignorant 
ft ~ poul to take an empty oath 
(which one has no intention of 
keeping) 
ft ~ sou batisft li to send to glory, 
do away with, kill 
ft ~ (sou/ak bouch), ft ~ sou djdl 
gdch to promise to remain silent; 
to swear not to do s.thg. 
kouche/kanpe an ~ kont to 
obstruct, diametrically oppose 
~ are, ~ arestasyon, ~ Gede 
Loray, ~ Gede Nimbo, ~ Gede 
Zando, ~ Limba various buried 
magic charms which form a 
barrier to protect one's home 
against evil spirits 
~ digo cross drawn with indigo as 
a Voodoo charm 
~ ~ sacred calabash rattle used in 
Petwo and Kongo rites (Voodoo) -
same as tchatcha 
~ ~ ~! ha ha ha! (laughter) 
lage yon ~ madouft sou to make 
(s.o.) bear a cross (of suffering) 
men defi ~ manman ou men ~ 
papa ou (si ou kapab vin pile 1) 1 
challenge you, I dare you 
mete an ~ to obstruct, hinder, 
impede, thwart 
mete yon ~ sou to put s.thg. 
behind, erase from one's mind 
pase yon - sou to annul, rescind, 
cancel 
pote ~ to bear a heavy burden, 
suffer 
san - [Fr.] without which, 
otherwise 
Se ~ pa m! It's the cross I have to 
bear! 
kwabi v. to eat voraciously 
Kwabosal, Kwadbosal, 
Kwad£bosal/?rop./?. Croix-des-
Bossales (populous commercial 
area of PaP) 
kwachaf n. universal joint, universal 
coupling (mack); drive shaft 
(mack) 
kwachy6k6, katydk6, kwachok6, 
kwatchdkd, kwatchw6ko, 
501 
Kwadbosal - kwasans 
kwatchydkd, kwatyokd, 
ponchyankd, pwatchj6ko, 
pwatchwdkd, pwaty6k6 n. 
kwashiorkor 
Kwadbosal, Kwadebosal see 
Kwabosal 
Kyt2i&khox\\Lbprop.n. Croix-des-
Bouquets (Dept. West) 
Kwademisyon, Kwamisyonpro/?./?. 
Croix-des-Missions (immediately 
northeast of PaP) 
Kwad£preprop.n. Croix-Desprez 
(wealthy residential area of PaP) 
kwadi n. reciprocal work team (cf. 
konbit); crowd 
kwadratik adj. quadratic (math.) 
kwadrilate nJadj. quadrilateral 
(math.) 
kwaf, kw£f n. caul (fetal membrane 
covering head of new-born infant) 
fbt ak/an ~ to be born under 
a lucky star; to be able to see 
invisible beings 
kwafe v. to comb or take care of 
one's hair; to put on a hat; to head, 
be at the head of 
~ Sent Katrin to remain an old 
maid 
kwaft n. barber, hair-dresser 
kay ~ barbershop 
kwaffcz n. dressing-table, vanity; 
dresser (furniture);/??, beautician, 
hairdresser 
kwafi n. hairstyle, coiffure 
salon - beauty parlor 
kwak conj. although; n. var. food 
made with flour; several var. of 
birds 
~ blanch var. of bird 
~ dlo stilt (bird) 
! ha ha ha! (laughter) 
Kwakatchemenprop.n. Croix 
Quatre Chemins (major crossroad 
at entrance to Cayes - Dept. South) 
kwakdlo n. stilt (bird) 
kwake, kwak conj. although 
- sa nevertheless 
Kwakou (Masiyon)prop.n. Coicou 
(Massillon) - Haitian poetb. 1867, 
executed 1908 
kwaksa conj. in spite of that 
kwakseswa (pa)pron. [Fr] nothing 
at all 
kwakwa see tchatcha(tcha) 
Kwalalenpi prop.n. Kuala Lumpur 
(Malaysia) 
kwalisyon see kowalisyon 
Kwamisyon see Kwademisyon 
kwann, kwenn n. pork rind 
ke se ~ ke se dyo either one or the 
other 
- figi cheek 
~ janm fatty part of thigh 
~ nan pwa a tasty delicacy, best 
morsel, best part, crowning touch 
~ t b t scalp 
kwanna see pikankwennan 
kwanne n. old person 
kwapay n. chasing away, rebuffing, 
repelling 
kwape, kourape, kouwapre v. to 
chase away, rebuff, repel; to reject 
completely; to overcome, stop, 
prevent; to run after; to catch 
(s.o.), bring (s.o.) back 
kwaryann n. quarry; cf. karyann 
kwasan n. croissant (cut.) 
kwasans n. puberty; period, 
menstruation; increase, growth, 
development 
fb ~ to reach puberty, start 
menstruating 
p&di ~ to stop menstruating 
(temporarily or permanently) 
502 
Kwasi - kwendak 
Kwasi see Kwowasi 
kwasiyen v. to trace ritualistically 
the sign of the cross on a person, 
animal or object (Voodoo) 
kwat (kol£t) n. var. of bird 
kwatchdkd, kwatchwdkd, 
kwatchydkd, kwatydkd see 
kwachy6k6 
kwatyo n. quartet 
Kwa Wouj prop.n. Red Cross 
kwayan n. believer; unbaptized 
member of Protestant church 
kwayans n. belief, faith; conviction, 
creed 
vye ~ superstition 
kwazad n. crusade, campaign 
kwaze v. to meet by chance, bump 
into; to cross; to pass in opposite 
directions; to intersect; to cross 
out, erase; to mate, couple 
(animals); to be fertilized; n. cross 
(of breeds); adj. crossed, folded; 
alternate (rhymes) 
~ ak to meet by chance, bump into 
~ (de) bra (li), ~ lebra, rete bra 
~, (rete chita) ~ pye, ~ men li to 
remain idle/passive/inactive, do 
nothing, take no action 
~ (de) pye (li) sou (kdtdf 
lestonmak li) to get a lock-hold 
on (wrestling); to crush, oppress; 
to cause indigestion, upset (one's 
stomach) 
~ ib to cross swords, enter into 
conflict 
~ lepe to honor 
~ lewit term used in square dances 
for four couples 
~ lewit ak to come to an 
agreement with, collaborate with 
~ men li see ~ (de) bra (li) 
~ moustach to have (male) 
homosexual relationship 
~ pony£t sou to beat up 
~ rantre sdti to pass each other 
going back and forth 
Kwaze prop.n. Crusaders (youth 
organization of Roman Catholic 
church) 
kwaz& n. cruiser 
kwazman n. crossing, intersection; 
crossing (races, plants etc.); 
cross-breeding; fertilization; 
passing (when heading in opposite 
directions); crossing of telephone 
conversations (with another party 
on line); adj. crossbred 
ib ~ to pass in opposite directions 
kwazon see klwazon 
kwazyfc n. cruise; cruise ship; cruiser 
kwe kwe kwe! interj. ha ha ha! 
(laughter) 
kwbl kw£! kw£! onomat. clucking of 
chicken 
kw&, krb v. to believe; to trust; to 
think, suppose; see kouw£ 
ib ~ to give the impression, claim, 
assert 
lb ou pa ~ when you least expect it 
pa nan ni ~ ni pet&t to be certain, 
be sure 
rete - to keep on believing, 
continue to believe; to be 
convinced, firmly believe 
kwbi see kwaf 
kwelekwekwe n. nonsense; onomat. 
sound of noisy activity 
kwen n. corner, angle 
kat - kadino in all directions 
~ ak rakwen every nook and 
cranny 
~ ri block (of city/town) 
kwenda n. quarrel, dispute 
kwendak n. small bit, small piece 
503 
kwend&k - kwiy&z 
kwendak f.n. attractive young 
woman; interj. hell! 
kwenk onomat. quack (sound of a 
duck) 
pa di ~ not to let out a peep, say 
nothing 
kwenkay n. house (fam.) 
kwenkwen adj. shy, retiring; 
onomat. quack! quack! (cry of 
duck) 
kwenn see kwann 
kwenna see pikankwennan 
kwennda n. reel of yarn or thread, 
skein; tangle, web 
kwense v. to pressure, corner, trap; to 
be cornered, be trapped, be stuck; 
to arrest; to squeeze; to crowd 
(in); to be broke or penniless; adj. 
pinched; cramped, confined 
~ kd li to squeeze into (a small 
space) 
kwensidans kowensidans, 
koyensidans n. coincidence 
kwenskwens n. contention, strife, 
dispute, argument; nonsense, 
ridiculous talk 
di ~ kabrit mdde wdch to say any 
old thing, talk nonsense 
kwente adj. timid, shy, bashful 
kweti n. var. of cloth 
kwfctkwfct, kr£tkr£t n. thrush 
~ fran Hispaniolan thrush 
~ nd var. of thrush 
~ nwa Swales' thrush 
kw£tmakw£t adj. demonic, diabolic 
kwi onomat. chirp (cry of bird) 
kwi, tchwi n. calabash bowl or 
dish, gourd bowl; beggar's bowl; 
leather, hide; leather razor strop 
grate - li (1 a kreve) to be looking 
for trouble 
~ bwa wooden bowl 
~ lacharite beggar's bowl 
mennen ~ to go begging 
(po) ~ tbt scalp 
pran ~ to go begging 
kwik: 
di ~, reponn ~ to say a word, open 
one's mouth, make a peep 
pa di ~ to not say a word, not 
make a peep 
kwikwi, kwikwiy see koukouy 
Kwins, Kwinzprop.n. Queens (New 
York) 
kwip: 
pa di ~ not to let out a peep, not to 
say anything 
kwipe see tchwipe 
kwis n. thigh; lap; genital area (of 
woman) 
fant ~, mitan ~ crotch; crotch of 
pants 
~ kole bowlegged 
zo ~ thighbone, femur 
kwison n. cooking, roasting, baking 
kwit, tchwit v. to cook, boil; to 
bake; adj. cooked, well-done; 
completely frozen (ice etc.) 
byen ~ well-done (cooked meat) 
~ li nan ji li to stew in one's own 
juices, suffer the consequences of 
one's deeds 
~ nan imbued with, indoctrinated 
with 
~ nan fou to bake 
~ nan san embedded in one's 
character/habits 
~ nan vap£, ~ ala vapfc to steam 
manke ~ undercooked 
mwatye ~ half-baked, dumb 
kwiv n. copper; brass; bronze; (U.S.) 
penny; see k6b 
kwiyfc see kiy£ 
kwiy&z n. var. of plantain 
504 
kwizin - kwoke 
kwizin see kizin 
kwizinye see kizinye 
kwizinye, kwizinyfc see kiziny£ 
kwizinyez see kiziny&z 
Kwoasi see Kwowasi 
kwobo adj. bent, bulging out of 
shape 
kw6bdt v. to bend (nails etc.) 
kwoch n. eighth note (music) 
de ~ sixteenth note (music) 
kat ~ sixty-fourth note (music) 
twa ~ thirty-second note (music) 
kwdch adj. strange, odd, peculiar 
kwoch& n. bracket (mack); square 
bracket (punct); hook (boxing); 
crocheting; fang (serpent, spider); 
quarter note (music) 
kw6che see kdche 
kwochSt, koch£t, kdch£t, kwdch£t 
n. (door or window) latch, hook; 
tripping, making s.o. fall; low 
blow, foul (sports), hook (boxing); 
dirty trick 
bay (moun) ~ to play a dirty trick 
(on s.o.) 
fe ~ to crochet 
jw&t ~ hazardous or fatal game 
kwochi, kochi v. to bend; n. 
crookedness, dishonesty; adj. 
curved, bent; bent over, stooped; 
unsuitable, inappropriate, 
improper; crooked, dishonest; 
tricky; adv. crookedly; awkwardly 
fe chemen ~, fb wout ~, pase ~ to 
take a roundabout way; to be used 
dishonestly 
fe - to be crooked, be dishonest 
koupe bwa ~ to do s.thg. bad or 
dishonest 
~ k6 li to lean over 
mache ~ to limp 
pale ~ to voice opposition, dissent, 
criticize; to speak incorrectly, use 
bad grammar 
pase ~ see fb chemen ~ 
tande ~ to misunderstand; to 
misquote 
Kwochi Vprop.n. Crochu 1 e (9th 
communal section of Croix-des-
Bouquets, Dept. West) 
Kwochi 2 e prop.n. Crochu 2 e 
(communal section of Croix-des-
Bouquets, Dept. West) 
kwochte see kochte 
kwdk n. forked branch; hook; 
clothes hook; triangular wooden 
collar for goats etc.; shackle; 
difficulty, encumbrance, hitch; 
dirty trick; fang; false sandalwood 
tree, hog plum tree; chaff; clipping 
(sports) 
bay yon moun yon ~ to trip s.o.; 
to clip s.o. (soccer) 
~ chen, ~ achen inkberry (plant) 
~ dan tooth (pej.); canine tooth; 
fang 
- madanm grilled cheese 
sandwich 
~ manto/chapo coat hook 
~ msye grilled ham and cheese 
sandwich 
- md see kwdkmd 
~ sour it snowberry (shrub) 
ti ~ clasp 
kwdkanjanm, kwdkajanm n. 
tripping (s.o.); dirty trick, foul play 
kwokay n. walking with arm around 
s.o.'s shoulders and/or neck 
kwoke, koke v. to hang up, hook up; 
to stick, fasten, attach, perch; to be 
stuck or caught; to secure, fasten 
(door, window); to hang (until 
dead); to hug, embrace; to fuck 
[/V.]; refl. to hang oneself, commit 
505 
kwok&t - kyout 
suicide 
~ chdt li to challenge (s.o.) 
~ makout li kote ponyfct li ka 
rive to live within one's means; to 
know one's limits 
~ makout li pi wo to get ahead in 
life, advance financially/socially/ 
politically 
~ makout li tw6 wo to bite off 
more than one can chew 
~ nan gdj£t/gagann to stick in the 
craw, force upon 
~ nan kosay yon moun to hang 
out/around with s.o. 
~ tbt li nan to ensconce oneself in 
kwok£t, kbkbt n. croquette (cul.); 
adj. vain, pretentious; dressed up 
kw6kmo, kdkmd n. undertaker; 
undertaker's assistant; grave-
digger; apathetic or lethargic 
person 
kwoko (ginen) n. African oil palm 
tree 
kwokodil n. crocodile 
lanm de ~ crocodile tears, 
insincere display of grief 
kwdkdtd adj. stingy 
kwdkwo n. grunt (fish) 
ti ~ bactris palm tree 
Kwom, Kwdm prop.n. Krome 
detention center (near Miami, 
Florida, where many Haitian 
"boat-people" were/are interned) 
kwdm n. chromium 
kwome v. to chromee 
kwomozdm n. chromosome 
kwonik, konik, konnik, kwonnik 
n. chronicle, report (press); adj. 
chronic 
Kwonik prop.n. Chronicles {Bible) 
kwonik& n. columnist 
kwonoloji n. chronology 
kwonolojik adj. chronological 
kwonomfct n. chronometer; timer 
kwonometraj n. time-keeping 
(sports) 
kwonometre v. to time (exactly) 
kwonpi see kowonpi 
kwds see kds 
kwdsba n. crossbar 
kwdt adj. kinky (hair); uncombed, 
ill-kempt, dirty (hair) 
— ribet ribet (croaking offrog) 
kwote adj. unkempt, slovenly, dirty 
kwdtkwdt, krawkraw onomat. 
croak of frog or toad 
kwoton n. croton (shrub, herb) 
kwoub n. var. of water bird 
kwoup n. rump (of horse etc.); 
croup, respiratory difficulty with 
harsh cough 
kwoupi v. to stagnate, rot, wallow; 
see akoupi 
kwoupy& see koupyfc 
kwoupyon see koupyon 
kwout n. crust; crumb; rind; grated 
breadcrumbs; scab; booger, (dried 
snot 
~ j6n calculus (on teeth) 
Kwowasi, Kowasi, Kwasi, Kwoasi 
prop.n. Croatia 
kwowatprop.n./adj. Croat 
kyankyan see kiyankiyan 
ky£d see ty£d 
kyetid n, [Fr.] tranquility, peace (of 
mind); cf. kb poze 
Ky£vprop.n. Kiev (Ukraine) 
kyds n. bandstand, kiosk 
~ Oksid Janti Occide Jeanty 
bandstand on Champs-de-Mars 
(PaP) 
kyoule see tchoule 
kyout adj. [Eng.] cute 
506 
1 - labenediksyon 
L 
I (pronounced: sh.form li (pron.) 
~onsh.form \byon 
la definite article the (following 
words ending in a consonant other 
than -m, -n or -ng); n. lard; bacon; 
A (music); art; adj. alive; present; 
adv. there, here; presently; then; 
in existence; interj. whoa! contr. li 
+ a, l a 
ki ~ deja (political) incumbent 
- a right here 
~ kochon lard 
- menm immediately, on the spot 
~ pou ~ right away, immediately 
- pou tout kou on the spot, ready 
(to take advantage of any dubious 
undertaking) 
- pou toutan forever 
~ yo in this area, around here, 
around there 
li ~ toujou! bless you! (after s.o. 
sneezes) 
m~I 'm OK 
ou pa ka ~ you can't make it, you 
won't succeed 
Laav&n, Lahav&nprop.n. Havana 
(Cuba) 
Lab, Nanbwaprop.n. L'Arbre, 
Nan-Bois (communal section of 
Anse-Rouge, Dept. Artibonite) 
laba adv. there, over there; down 
there; abroad 
ale ou ~! go to (hell)! 
~ a over there 
pi - further 
labab see bab 
fb ~ to shave (face); to bluff, 
fake (s.o.) out, pull the wool over 
(s.o.'s) eyes 
lababonm n. cannon-ball tree 
Labadiprop.n. Labadie (Dept. 
North); Labady (3rd communal 
section of Petite-Rivi&re-de-
1'Artibonite, Dept. Artibonite) 
labalenn, labaten n. whale 
Labalenn prop.n. Voodoo marine 
spirit 
labank n. bank (financial 
institution); see bank 
Labank prop.n. National Bank of 
Haiti 
labanye n. banner, standard 
anba ~ under the sponsorship of 
pote - to be victorious; to excel 
ranmase ~ to take up the cause 
labapen n. breadfruit with seeds (cf. 
lamveritab seedless breadfruit) 
~ djaka/dyaka var. of breadfruit 
with seeds 
labaras n. possessions 
Labastfeprop.n. La Basseterre 
(Tortuga Island, Dept. North-West) 
labatwa, abatwa n. slaughterhouse, 
abattoir 
labdenw&l see abdenwfcl 
labe see abe 
~ blan, - fran boxwood 
~ wouj horsebush 
lab£ n. bay 
labega see bega 
lab£l n. beautiful woman, beauty 
~ Dayiti var. of mango 
~ ekip the whole gang 
~ epdk the good old days 
Lab&ljik, B&ljikprop.n. Belgium 
lab£lte see b&lte 
lab^lvi n. (the) good life 
labenediksyon, labenedisite n. 
507 
lab&t - labren 
blessing, benediction; grace, 
prayer of thanks; approval 
lab£t n. var. of card game 
labi n. [Fr] clothing 
Labibprop.n. Bible 
pran pou yon pawdl ~ to accept 
as Gospel truth 
labich n. var. of mango 
Labich prop.n. La Biche (2nd 
communal section of C6tes-de-
Fer, Dept. South-East) 
labim n. abyss; bog, muddy area 
labirent n. maze, labyrinth 
labitasyon see bitasyon 
labitid n. habit, custom; see abitid 
gen ~ to be used to 
labitr&, abitr£ n. arbitrariness, 
arbitrary nature 
lablanch&t f.n. woman with very 
light skin (pej.) 
labliye n. stand for bed or sleeping 
mat 
labo see labo(ratwa) 
Labddprop.n. La Borde (3rd 
communal section of Cayes, Dept. 
South) 
letan ~ La Borde Pond (near 
Camp-Perrin, Dept. South) 
laboka n. [Span.] mouth 
Labolivi see Bolivi 
labondans see abondans 
labonte see bonte 
laboranten n., laborantin f.n (med.) 
laboratory technician 
labo(ratwa) n. lab(oratory); in 
certain contexts, veiled reference 
to: U.S. Central Intelligence 
Agency and Pentagon 
h&boriprop.n. Laborie 
(disadvantaged area of Cape 
Haitian) 
laborye adj., labory&z fadj. hard­
working 
labote see bote 
labou n. mud 
benyen nan ~ to be destitute, be 
utterly without means 
boul ~ clump of mud 
R ~ to make a mess 
~ kochon Florida plum, Guiana 
plum (shrub or small tree, same as 
bwakdtftt) 
labouchi see bouchi 
labouchri see bouchri 
laboujwazi see boujwazi 
Labouk (fd) prop.n. Fort La 
Bourque, Fort La Bouque (fortress 
ruins on coast near Fort-Liberte, 
Dept. North-East) 
Laboulprop.n. La Boule (wealthy 
residential district situated above 
Potion-Ville, Dept. West) 
laboulin n. diarrhea 
labouldk see bouldk 
labou raj n. plowing 
labou re v. to plow 
labout: 
jous ~ through and through, 
totally, completely 
labouyi n. hot cereal, oatmeal (com 
or wheat flour plus milk, coconut 
milk or water and sugar); weak or 
flabby person 
~ lanmidon popular remedy 
against diarrhea 
~ (twd) cho hot potato, too hot to 
handle 
~ vide without principles, without 
standards 
Labranl prop.n. La Branle (4th 
communal section of GonaTves, 
Dept. Artibonite; Dept. South-
East) 
labren, labren, labrenn, labrin see 
508 
Labretay - lade 
bren 
Labretay see Bretay 
labrin, labrim n. nightfall, dusk; 
mist 
labrinfct see brinfct 
labriz see briz 
labsent see lapsent 
labsolisyon, labsout see absolisyon 
labveritab see lamveritab 
Iabvwayajfc n. traveler's-tree 
labya n. labia 
gwo - labia majora 
pete ~ to do in 
ti - labia minora 
labyd: 
vire ~ to drive (s.o.) nuts, drive 
(s.o.) crazy 
labyennseyans see byenseyans 
labyenveni: 
swaye ~ [Fr] to be welcome 
swete ~ to welcome 
lach n. coward, weakling; prop.n. 
Noah's Ark; Holy Ark (containing 
the Ten Commandments); adj. 
cowardly; loose, slack; v. to have 
loose stools 
fe ~ to back down, give up 
lachandte, chandte, lakandle n. 
Candlemas (February 2) 
Lachanm prop.n. Legislative Palace; 
(Haitian) National Assembly; 
(Haitian) Chamber of Deputies; 
U.S. House of Representatives 
lachans see chans 
Lachap£lprop.n. La Chapelle (Dept. 
Artibonite) 
lacharit n. money, offering, charity; 
see charit 
lacharite see charite 
lachas n. hunting, hunt; v. to hunt; 
see chas 
ale ~, fb ~ to go hunting 
lachay: 
bat ~ to (drum) beat the charge 
lache v. to loosen, make loose, relax; 
to release, let go of, unleash, 
untie; to loosen one's bowels; to 
be incontinent (stools); to fart; to 
subside, go away (fever, headache 
etc.) 
~ k6 li to relax 
~ may to offer no resistance 
~ men to give up, let go, throw in 
the towel 
pa janm ~ (li) yon may to 
never let go, never give (s.o.) a 
moment's rest 
lach^ n. flesh, (human) body; adj. 
earthly, physical, nonspiritual 
fb kdmfcs ~ to engage in 
prostitution 
lachev£k see achev&k 
Lachikdtprop.n. Lachicotte (1st 
communal section of Petite-
Rivi£re-de-PArtibonite, Dept. 
Artibonite) 
lachimi, chimi n. chemistry 
Lachin see Chin 
~ Popilfc mainland China 
lachip&l n. archipelago 
lacho n. lime (calcium oxide) 
dlo ~ whitewash 
~ tenyen slaked lime 
~ vif quicklime 
wdch - limestone 
lachodin see chodin 
lachoz, lachdy n. sage (bot.)\ salvia, 
pluchea (herb or shrub); see choz 
lachte n. cowardice, cowardliness; 
lowness 
ladan, ladann adv. in it, inside it; 
adj. included; adv./prep. inside, 
within; prep, into; among 
lade v. to lard (cul.) 
509 
lade - ladous 
lad£, ad£ n. intense heat; ardor, 
fervor, earnestness 
ladebandad see debandad 
ladebat: 
i b ~ to barely get by, struggle 
financially 
nan ~ struggling financially 
ladefans n. defense; see defans 
ladefansiv: 
sou ~ [Fr.] on the defensive 
ladekadans see dekadans 
ladekonpozisyon see 
dekonpozisyon 
ladekouv£t n. discovery 
ladelivrans, delivrans n. 
deliverance, salvation, liberation 
lademann n. engagement or 
marriage proposal 
sou ~ at the request of 
lademokrasi see demokrasi 
ladennye, ladenny&, lad&nye, 
lad£ny£ n. last trick (at cards etc.) 
i b ~ sou/ak to plunder, pilfer; to 
finish off, do in, kill 
ladeprim n. blues, doldrums, 
depression 
Ladesalinygn, Desaliny&n prop.n. 
the Dessalinienne (Haitian 
national anthem) - words by Justin 
Lherisson, music by Nicolas 
Geffrard, 1904 
ladesant, desann, desant, ladesann 
n. descent; slope; stay, sojourn; 
shelter, lodging 
bay (ib) ~ to put (s.o.) up for the 
night 
ib ~ to stay (at), spend the night 
at, stay temporarily (with); to strip 
(s.o.) clean, rob 
pran ~ to head down 
ladesizyon see desizyon 
ladetant see detant 
ladetr&s see detr£s 
moun ~ sad-sack, pitiful person 
(physically) 
ladezinyon see dezinyon 
ladezolasyon see dezolasyon 
ladiferans see diferans 
ladig n. dike, small dam 
ladiktati see diktati 
ladilijans n. diligence, 
conscientiousness 
ladiltd see adilte 
ladim, dim n. tithe 
bay/ft ladim to tithe 
ladire n. duration 
ladireksyon n. management staff; 
see direksyon 
ladisiplin see disiplin 
ladivinez see madivin&z 
ladivinite see divinite 
ladivizyon n. division; split, schism 
jeneral ~ major general 
ladiyite see diyite 
ladjabl&s, djabl&s, dyabl&s, 
ladyabl&s f.n. she-devil, fury, devil 
of a woman; giant of a woman; 
var. of insect 
ladministrasyon see 
administrasyon 
ladmirasyon see admirasyon 
ladoba n. problems, worries, 
difficulties; catastrophe, 
cataclysm; to topple over 
ib ~ to walk hunched over 
Ladominik see Dominik 
Ladominikani see Dominikani 
ladotyen see dotyen 
ladoudous, ladousdous n. 
sweetness; sweet caress 
ladoul£ see doute 
ladous: 
~ ki vyen cry of street-vendor 
of mangoes and Spanish limes 
510 
ladousdous - Lafrans 
(ken£p); 'land of milk and honey' 
ladousdous see ladoudous 
ladousfc, douse n. sweetness, 
smoothness, softness, gentleness, 
kindness 
ladrapa n. drum rhythm played 
when s.o. dies 
ladrfcs, adr£s n. skill, agility, 
ingenuity, adroitness, knack, know 
how; tact; cunning, guile 
ladvesite see adv&site 
ladwann n. customs, duty, tax, tariff; 
customs office 
ladwat n. (political) right, 
conservatives 
ladwati, dwati n. righteousness, 
integrity; skill, tact 
ladyabfts see ladjabfts 
Lafag see Lafay 
Lafaj see Tiwowoz 
Lafanj prop.n. Lafange (see Ti 
Ovara) 
lafanmi n. immediate family; 
relative(s) 
~ pitit kay lawful family 
Lafanmi Se Laviprop.n. home for 
street boys founded by Jean-
Bertrand Aristide (PaP) 
lafas n. pride, self-respect, face 
Lafay, Chamwaz, Lafag prop.n. 
Lafagne, Chamoise (6th 
communal section of Saint-Louis-
du-Nord, Dept. North-West) 
lafebfts see febfts 
lafeksyon see afeksyon 
lafen n. end, ending; famine, hunger 
lafendimonn n. end of the world 
Laftryfc see Sitad&l 
lafty n. newspaper 
lafilozofi n. philosophy 
lafimen n. smoke; vapor, steam 
bay ~ to smoke out (bees etc.) 
depi - t ap goumen ak galata/ 
fetay kay since long long ago, 
since time immemorial 
ft ~, voye ~ to emit smoke, vapor 
or steam 
kras ~ soot 
mete ~, espire ~, pouse (yon) ~, 
rale ~, respire ~ to take a puff, 
blow smoke (cigarette etc.) 
Lafito prop. n. 9th communal section 
of l'Arcahaie (Dept. West) 
lafliksyon, afliksyon n. affliction; 
sadness 
laflit see lafwit 
Laflorid, Florid, Florida prop.n. 
Florida (USA) 
lafoli see foli 
lafdm: 
pou ~ for show 
Lafon prop.n. La Fond (Dept. 
South-East) 
Lafonftn (Jan)prop.n. La Fontaine 
(Jean de) - French fabulist, 1621 -
1695 
lafontenn see fontenn 
lafds see fds 
Lafos&tprop.n. La Fossette 
(disadvantaged area of Cape 
Haitian) 
lafdt see fdt 
lafoud n. lightning 
lafoul see foul 
lafoura adj. inquisitive, nosey 
lafranchiz see franchiz 
Lafrankofoni see Frankofoni 
lafrans: 
ft ~ to strut about; to sit and 
converse in a stilted or snobbish 
fashion; to kid, joke; to flirt 
Lafrans, Frans prop. n. France 
meye pou Lafrans that's all to the 
good 
511 
l a f r i c h - l a g e 
l a f r i c h n. cool(ness), fresh(ness) (of 
air) 
~ a k6 at peace with oneself 
l a f r e c h i , f r e c h i n. (usu. high-class) 
prostitute; freshness, coolness 
l a f r e c h i see r a f r e c h i 
l a f r i l n. var. of poultry disease 
l a f r e y i see f r e y i 
L a f r i k , Afrikprop.n. Africa 
~ G i n e n see G i n e n 
~ S a n t r a l Central Africa; Central 
African Republic 
n a n ~ to be a practicing Voodooist 
L a f r i k d i n d prop.n. North Africa 
L a f r i k d i s i d prop.n. South Africa 
l a f w a n. faith; trust, confidence 
~ d i n y e , ~ p a s e last time 
l a f w e r a d n. indigestion, upset 
stomach, diarrhea 
l a f w i t , l a f l i t : 
p r a n ~ to escape, run away 
l a f y a n t n. dung, droppings (of cattle, 
birds) 
- p o u o u ! shit on you! 
l a f y i v , f y i b , f y i v , l a f y i b n. fever 
b a y ~ to excite 
g w o - bad fever 
~ a p r e a k o u c h m a n , - k a b a n n 
postpartum fever, puerperal fever 
~ c h a b o n n e z anthrax 
~ c h o , ~ c h w a l high fever 
~ d e n g dengue fever 
~ e p a t i k hepatitis 
- e s k a l a t i n scarlet fever, scarlatina 
~ fol i hysteria, emotional upset or 
crisis 
- f r i t , ~ f r i s o n , ~ n a n s a n , ~ 
t r a n b l e fever and chills; malaria; 
sensitivity to cold; general malaise 
~ g r i p flu 
- j6n yellow fever; jaundice; 
hepatitis 
~ k a b a n n see ~ a p r e akouchman 
~ l a s e z o n hayfever 
~ l i t (mother's) fever while 
nursing infant 
~ m a l a r y a malaria 
- m a l t a brucellosis, undulant 
fever, Malta fever 
~ m a r e n g w e n , ~ m a y a l a malaria 
~ n a n s a n see ~ f r i t 
~ n a n z o rheumatic fever 
~ n o u r i s mastitis 
~ p a l i d i s malaria 
~ p e t e n a n b o u c h to have oral 
blisters 
~ r i m a t is rheumatic fever 
~ s a n f r i t chills 
- s i v o brain fever 
~ s e z i s m a n hysteria, emotional 
upset or crisis 
~ s e z o n hayfever 
~ s i z i malaria 
~ t i f o typhus 
~ t i f o y i d , ~ t i f r e y i s typhoid fever 
- t r a n b l e see ~ f r i t 
l a g a , g a n. train station 
l a g a d n. army, guard; presidential 
guard 
fi ~ to keep watch 
m o u t e ~ to stand guard 
v y e ~ retired thief (fam.) 
l a g a l , g a l n. scabies; mange 
l a g a l r i : 
p o u ~ for show (only), for 
appearances' sake 
l a g a n : 
a n - from the start, right in the 
beginning 
l a g a y n. dissoluteness; setting out 
two roosters to battle 
l a g a z i l f.n. woman with long hau­
l a g e v. to untie, undo, loosen; to 
drop; to exhale; to release, let go; 
512 
lage - lage 
to release, free (prisoner); to fall 
off, drop off; to dump; to jilt; to 
open up (nasal passages etc.); to 
drop (s.o.) off, give a ride to (s.o.); 
to let (s.o.) down, desert, give up, 
abandon, forsake (s.o.; a cause); 
to leave, go away; to drop out, 
call it quits; to dismiss, let out, be 
over (school, church etc.); to lead 
a dissolute life, go to pot; to pom-
out (drop by drop); to get soft; adj. 
limp, floppy 
~ a t e to drop (on the ground) 
~ brid kenbe k e to go from bad to 
worse, mess up; var. of children's 
game 
- chay sou to lay blame upon 
~ chenwouj d£y£ to go after, 
harass, rage against 
~ de bra balanse/pandye to be 
left helpless 
~ (de gidon) dfcyfc to pursue (s.o.), 
go after, persecute 
- de gidon nan (kd) to go at s.thg. 
whole-heartedly; to harass 
~ dfye to pursue, go after 
~ envitasyon to send out 
invitations 
- k e li to cheer (s.o.) up, gladden, 
console 
~ k6 li to let oneself go; to sit 
back, lie back; to throw oneself 
down (on bed etc.) 
- k6 li ate to fall down 
~ k d li bay to live on s.o., live at 
s.o. else's expense 
- k6 (li) desann sdti to get down 
out of, get down from 
~ k d (li) nan to dive into (esp. 
food, drink) 
~ k d li nan mera to fall into a 
trap, get into trouble, get into a 
mess 
~ kd (li) sou to depend upon; to 
flop (down); to slouch 
~ kd nan to devote oneself to 
~ kdd, ~ may la to give some 
slack, let go 
~ kdn to hand over the mike, yield 
the floor 
~ kous to run 
~ lank to anchor, moor 
~ nan to be addicted to 
~ nan bouzen to end up as a 
prostitute 
- nan fanm to start chasing 
women 
- nan gason to start sleeping 
around (woman) 
~ nan kd to go hard at, charge 
into, crack down on 
~ nan lari to leave homeless 
~ nan lavi to be on one's own 
~ nan vakabon to become a bum, 
act like a bum 
~ nan won (tenten) to make fun 
of, mock 
~ sa to discontinue, resign; to die 
~ san pran souf to go after 
relentlessly 
~ sdti to release from; to be 
released from 
~ sou deye to leave (s.o.) bad off, 
put in dire straits 
~ sou do to place blame upon 
~ souf to exhale 
~ yon dlo to take a piss 
~ yon kwa madouie sou to make 
(s.o.) bear a cross (of suffering) 
san ~ unceasingly, without let-up 
lage, ge n. war 
fe ~ to wage war, be at war 
- k a t d z W o r l d W a r l 
mdd ~ warfare 
513 
lagerizon - lahat 
lagerizon see gerizon 
lagete n. gaiety, joy 
Lagiy see Langi 
Lagiy&n see Giy&n Franse 
laglas n. ice; see glas 
laglwa see glwa 
lago (bouehe), ~ (kache), ~ 
kachkach, ~ (kft) n. tag (game); 
hide-and-(go-)seek 
ft - (~ ti sangle) to play hide-and-
(go-)seek 
ft (moun) ft - to play fast and 
loose (with promises, one's word 
etc.); to make a fool (of s.o.) 
manman/papa nan ~ person who 
hides s.o. else's eyes in playing 
hide-and-(go-)seek 
lagdch, lagoch adj. leftist 
Lag6j (larivye)prop.n. La Gorge 
river (at Mole-Saint-Nicolas, Dept. 
North-West) 
lagojannis n. pocketknife 
lagon n. lagoon; stagnant water, 
marsh, pond; swamp mud 
~ diri rice paddy 
ma ~ mudpuddle 
Lagon prop.n. Lagon (3rd 
communal section of Terre-Neuve, 
Dept. Artibonite) 
Lagonav, Lagonnav prop.n. La 
Gon&ve Island - 684 km 2 (Dept. 
West) 
al ~ to lose one's virility 
ban m van pou m al ~! leave me 
alone! get off my case!; tell me 
more, keep on talking 
chache van pou ale ~ to look for 
a way out, look for an excuse or 
alibi 
lagoni, agoni, agonni, lagonni n. 
agony, extreme suffering, anguish; 
agony, death throes; v. to be in the 
throes of death 
Lagore (zile) prop.n. Gor6e Island 
(slave-holding station off coast of 
Dakar, Senegal) 
Lagoslinprop.n. La Gosseline(4th 
communal section of Jacmel, 
Dept. South-East) 
Lagoslin, Goslin (larivyfc)prop.n. 
La Gosseline river (near Jacmel, 
Dept. South-East) 
lagoum n. phlegm; bad cold; mucus 
in horse's mouth 
lagoumandiz see goumandiz 
lagraba n. destitution, misery 
sou - destitute 
lagranft see granft 
Lagrandans (larivy£)prop.n. La 
Grand'Anse river (immediately 
east of J6r£mie, Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
lagrandyab see dyab 
Lagrann Bretay see Grann Bretay 
lagrann pisans n. (fam.) "the great 
power," USA 
lagrannpout n. loose woman, 
prostitute 
lagrannt i see granft 
lagranz& f.n. witch; cf lougawou 
lagras n. mercy, pardon; grace; 
favor; last rites, extreme unction 
lagraftl n. jellyfish; rash; see graftl 
lagrfcl, gr£l n. hail, hailstone 
Lagrenad see Grenad 
Lagr&s, Gr&sprop.n. Greece 
lagrikilti see agrikilti 
lagrip see grip 
~ deng dengue fever 
Lagwadloup see Gwadloup 
lagwfcz£ adj. unruly, rowdy 
bourik ~ coarse dirty person 
lagw6t see gwdt 
lahat see larat 
514 
Lahavan - laji 
Lahav&n see Laavan 
Lahayprop.n. La Haye (2nd 
communal section of Savanette, 
Dept. Center) 
La H£, Lahiprop.n. The Hague 
(Netherlands) 
lahin, layin n. [Fr] hate, hatred; cf. 
rayisman 
laj adj. large-sized (clothes) 
ekstra ~ extra-large (clothes) 
laj, lay n. age; adj. wide, broad, 
ample, large; roomy; generous; 
loose, baggy; adv. wide, widely; 
see lay 
antre nan ~ to begin menopause; 
to be getting old 
gen bil ~ to reach the golden years 
konmanse antre nan ~, we ~ ap 
rive sou li to be getting along in 
years 
lajalouzi n. jealousy, envy 
Lajamayik, Jamayik prop.n. 
Jamaica 
lajan n. money, currency; pay; adj. 
silver 
achte ~ kontan to pay cash; to 
corrupt; to take over, take control 
bay ~ to be lucrative 
bay ~ anba (tab) to bribe 
fb ~ to earn, make money 
fo ~ counterfeit money 
gen ~ jouk nan dan to be loaded, 
be filthy rich 
k o u t ~ , - a n b a bribe 
~ ameriken 1 ye (achte y ap 
achte) sure thing, sure bet 
~ anba tab bribe; cf. kdb anba 
~ chada 'easy come easy go,' 
money that comes and goes fast 
- chango money that has to be 
paid back 
~ fb coin 
~ kontan, ~ kach, ~ likid cash; 
directly, easily, without opposition 
- m ap bat/kale mwen my own 
kind turns against me 
~ nan men cash 
~ papye bank note, bill 
~ prete loan 
manman - principal, main sum 
of money (as opposed to enter i -
interest); capital (money) 
mete - deyd to spend 
mete - fb pitit to invest; to earn 
interest 
Ou pa jwenn - a t i Money doesn't 
grow on trees 
papye ~ bank note, bill 
pitit ~ interest earned 
pran ~ kontan to take over 
completely, take without 
opposition 
pran pou ~ kontan to accept as 
(necessarily) true 
remit ~ to refund, reimburse 
siyen ~ to be made of money, be 
very wealthy 
yon - a sum of money 
Lajantin, Ajantin prop.n. Argentina 
lajantri n. silverware 
laji n. width, breadth 
gran ~ blabbermouth 
twa pye de ~ three feet wide 
lajelis see lanjelis 
lajenis n. youth, adolescence; 
organized church youth group; see 
jennis 
Zile de Lajenis Isla de la 
Juventud/Isle of Pines, Cuba 
lajeng see jeng 
laj is n. generosity 
laji, elaji v. to enlarge, widen, 
broaden, expand, extend; to 
515 
l a j i l - l a k e 
stretch; to spread out 
lajil n. clay 
lajisman n. (social) standing, 
position, importance; see ajisman 
lajistis, jistis n. justice; justice, 
fairness; righteousness; court, 
tribunal 
ale ~ pou to make a formal 
complaint; to bring to justice, 
prosecute 
mennen ~, rele ~ to sue, take to 
court 
lajman adv. greatly, considerably, 
amply, widely 
lajdnis, jonis, jonis, jonnis, lajonis, 
lajonnis n. jaundice; yellow fever; 
hepatitis 
lajounen n. day; daytime; workday 
gwo ~ the whole day; in broad 
daylight 
~ jodi today, this very day 
~ kou lannwit, ni ~ ni lannwit 
day and night, around the clock 
lajwa n. joy, happiness; ruminant 
stomach (cow etc.) 
grenn ~ anti-depressant pill 
~ deviv joie de vivre, carefree 
enjoyment of life 
lak n. lake; flshbait; trap (esp. for 
fish) 
~ atifisyei, ~ koline (artificial) fish 
pond, fish reserve 
pran nan ~ to catch (with bait), 
get trapped; to trick, trap 
lakadans see kadans 
balanse - to shake, undulate, 
dance 
bat sou - to beat in rhythm 
lakado n. small black flea-like bug 
lakal, kal n. bilge, hold (of ship) 
lakalmi n. calm, peace; lull; slack 
period; inactivity (trading, 
commerce etc.); dead calm (at sea) 
lakandie see lachandie 
lakangrenn, lakangr&n see 
kangrenn 
~ danlopra! unthinkable! 
lakanpany see bat 
lakanpay n. (rural) country, rural 
area, countryside 
lakansy&I, akansy&l n. rainbow; var. 
of mango 
b o n n e t ~ pot of gold at the end of 
the rainbow 
w e s e t k o u i e ~ to go through all 
kinds of suffering 
lakantite see kantite 
lakapital n. Port-au-Prince; capital 
city; cf. kapital 
lakat: 
pedi ~ to lose one's bearings; 
to lose one's composure; to be 
(somewhat) crazy 
tou ~ mentally deficient 
lakataw n. thunder and lightning 
(storm); adj. thunderous 
Lakatedralprop.n. BasiliqueNotre-
Dame (principal Roman Catholic 
cathedral of PaP) 
lakay n. home; homeboy, buddy; 
adv. at home; in one's own 
country; prep, in the case of, in 
the person of, within one's self; 
c / k a y 
- pa bon the cupboard is bare 
pran ~ to steal from one's own 
home 
L a k a y e , Ak^ybprop.n. PArcahaie 
(Dept. West) 
Lakayenn prop.n. La Cayenne (La 
Gon&ve Island 
Lakayiprop.n. [Bible] Achaea 
lakaz see kaz 
lake n. tail end, last person standing 
516 
lak&I - lakominyon 
in a line; worst student in a class; 
tail; v. to bait (a hook) 
ft - to wait in line 
lak£l see larezon 
Lakent (larivyi) prop.n. Quinte 
River (Dept. Artibonite) 
lak£s n. cash register; cashier's 
office, pay desk; cf k is 
lakit see ket 
lak&y see akiy 
lakikin-bekin: 
ft ~ to peck at 
lakil n. (used as part of many place 
names to indicate) impasse, dead 
end, cul-de-sac 
Lakil prop.n. L'Acul (4th communal 
section of Gros-Morne, Dept. 
Artibonite) 
Lakil (larivyi)prop.n. L'Acul river 
(Dept. South) 
Lakil(-di-Nd)prop.n. Acul-du-Nord 
(Dept. North) 
lakilbit, kilbit n. somersault; 
tumble, fall; gymnastics 
ft ~ to do gymnastics 
ft ~ pou to have great trouble 
(doing s.thg.) 
ft ~ (zonbi) to do a somersault 
mdn ~ stumbling block 
lakilti n. agriculture, farming; 
culture, folklore; cf. kilti 
lakiltiv, kiltiv n. farming 
lakimoj&n see lakrimojen 
lakizin, lakoujin, lakwizin n. 
kitchen; cooking, dishes, food 
ft ~ to cook 
laklami see k lami 
laklas n. social status; see klas 
lakftvwayans see kftvwayans 
Lako prop.n. var. of soft drink 
lakobat, akwobat, lakwobat n. 
acrobatics, gymnastics; acrobatic 
feat; trick flying 
fb ~ to do gymnastics; to perform 
stunts 
~ politik political scheming 
lak61 n. glue, paste; adj. chewy; see 
kol 
~ fdt glue; sticking point, snag, 
obstacle, hindrance 
pran nan ~ to get stuck, get 
trapped 
t a b l e t ~ chewy peanut-brittle; 
coconut brittle 
lakolektivite see kolektivite 
lakotet, lakdftt n. collection, 
offering (Protestant church esp.); 
cf. kotet 
fb ~ to take up the offering; to 
solicit funds 
lakdlfdt n. sticking point, snag, 
obstacle, hindrance 
Lakolinprop.n. La Colline (6th 
communal section of Aquin, Dept. 
South) 
lakolo n. var. of mango 
lakoloni n. colony; colonial times; 
adj. colonial 
~ an danje the situation is 
threatening 
~ pran dife all hell breaks loose 
tan ~ colonial times 
yon ~ many, a bunch of 
lakolonizasyon see kolonizasyon 
Lakomaprop.n. Lacoma (1st 
communal section of Jean-Rabel, 
Dept. North-West) 
lakomandman see kdmannman 
lakomedi n. comedy; cf. komedi 
j we ~ to put on an act 
pope ~ puppet 
lakomin n. city hall, town hall; cf. 
komin 
lakominyon, lakonminyon n. 
517 
lakon - Lakr^t 
communion; Holy Communion; 
fellowship 
lakon see akon 
lakdn: 
pran ~ to take the floor, begin to 
speak 
Lakdn prop.n. La Corne (6th 
communal section of Port-de-Paix, 
Dept. North-West) 
lakonesans see konesans 
ft - to meet, get to know 
lakonfesyon see konfesyon 
lakonfimasyon see konfimasyon 
lakonfyans see konfyans 
lakonkdd, konkdd n. concord, 
union, harmony 
Lakonm (larivyfc)prop.n. river near 
Corail (Dept. Grand'Anse) 
lakonminyon see lakominyon 
lakonpanyi see konpayi 
mesyedanm ~ ladies and 
gentlemen (formal greeting to a 
group); cf. lasosyete 
lakonsekrayon see konsekrasyon 
lakonspirasyon see konspirasyon 
lakonstitisyon see konstitisyon 
lakontantman see kontantman 
bat bravo ~ to clap for joy 
Lakore see Kore 
lakoripsyon see kdripsyon 
L&kbsprop.n. Corsica 
Lakosy&nprop.n. communal section 
of Dept. Center 
lakdt n. coastal area; relatives 
ft ~ to engage in (small) coastal 
trade; to sleep around (woman) 
Lakdt, Koto, Okotoprop.n. Les 
Coteaux (Dept. South) 
lakou n. yard, backyard, enclosure, 
courtyard; patio; family 
compound; group of houses; 
community, area; court, tribunal; 
(royal) court 
ft ~ to court 
~ d£y£ backyard 
~ foumi shantytown 
Lakou Kasasyon see Kasasyon 
~ pfttil see pletil 
lespri ~, konsepsyon gran ~ 
community spirit 
m e t ~ traditionally oldest male 
member of a community 
lakoubet see koub£t 
Lakoubreyaprop.n. La Cour 
Breyard (disadvantaged area of 
PaP) 
lakoudasiz, koudasiz n. criminal 
court 
Lakou-de-Kont, Lakoudekont see 
Kou (siperye) de Kont 
lakoujin see lakizin 
lakouft see kouft 
Lakoup prop.n. La Coupe (previous 
name of Pe'tion-Ville) 
lakoutim n. custom, practice, habit; 
adv. generally 
lakouwdn, lakouwonn n. crown 
lakdve n. (obs.) forced labor (on 
roads esp.) 
Lakow&nprop.n. La Cahouane 
(Dept. South) 
lakdz, lakoz n. cause, reason; v. to 
be responsible for, cause; cf. kdz 
lakranp see k ranp 
lakras n. dirt, filth, grime, scum; 
squalor; see kras 
lakre, lakr£ n. chalk 
bwa ~, baton ~ piece of chalk 
lakr&m: 
~ ochokola racially-mixed 
lakrent see krent 
lakrentif n. fear, awe, respect 
Lakret see Krbt 
(F6) ~ a Pyewo, (F6) - a Pyewo 
518 
lakreyasyon - lalin 
La-Crete-a-Pierrot (historic 
fort, 1802 battle site of Haitian 
Revolution, near Petite-Rivi&re-de-
PArtibonite in Dept. Artibonite) 
lakreyasyon see kreyasyon 
lakrimojen, lakimoj&n adj. 
lachrymal 
gaz ~ tear gas 
glann ~ lachrymal glands 
lakrimoni, akrimoni n. acrimony, 
acrimoniousness 
laksyon see aksyon 
laktyalite see aktyalite 
ft ~ to make the headlines, be all 
the talk 
lakwa n. cross, crucifix; misery, 
misfortune, suffering, torment; see 
kwa; sinakwa 
Bawon Lakwa see Bawon Sambi 
Lakwa Disid Southern Cross, 
Crux constellation 
Lakwa Wouj Red Cross 
Lakwa prop.n. La Croix (3rd 
communal section of Cerca-la-
Source, Dept. Center; Tortuga 
Island, Dept. North-West) 
Lakwa, Grankawoprop.n. 
La Croix, Grand Cahos (6th 
communal section of Petite-
Riviere-de-PArtibonite, Dept. 
Artibonite) 
lakwann!, laskwann! interj. darn 
you! 
lakwizin see lakizin 
lakwobat see lakobat 
lakwds n. lacrosse 
lakzatif n. laxative 
lalad v. to move forward slowly 
(esp. when playing marbles); to 
cool it, take it easy 
ft ~ bd wonn to hem and haw, 
beat around the bush 
lalam n. alarm, warning call 
lalede, laftd& n. ugliness; see ftd£ 
lalekti see lekti 
lalen see alen 
laftp see ftp 
laleson see leson 
ft ~ to teach 
Laliprop.n. Lalue (street in PaP, 
same as Avenue John Brown) 
kay mb ~ Les Soeurs de Lalue 
(well-known private girls' school 
on same street) 
lalibete see libfcte 
Lalibi, Libiprop.n. Libya 
lalimy£ see limyfc 
lalin n. moon; menstrual period; 
bigeye, glasseye (fish) 
dekou(d) ~, kasan(t) ~, ~ desann, 
~ (nan) dekou, ~ kasan, ~ kase, 
patans ~, patant ~, trez ~ waning 
moon 
d&nye katye ~ last quarter of the 
moon 
ft w£ ~ se fwonmaj to make (s.o.) 
believe the moon is made of blue 
cheese, bamboozle, dupe 
gwo ~, laplenn ~, ~ ansent, ~ 
antye, ~ kenz, ~ lan plenn, ~ 
mapou, pftn ~, plenn ~ full moon 
fet nan move ~ to be jinxed, be 
cursed 
~ ak soley children's game 
~ aplim lookdown (fish) 
~ balize the moon shines partially 
- demyfcl honeymoon 
~ kaba waning crescent moon 
~ (a) katdz the moon has just 
appeared over the mountains 
- kwasan, ~ montan waxing moon 
~ (lan) nouv^l, nouv^l - new 
moon (not yet visible) 
~ nan mwatye, mwatye ~ first 
519 
laline - Lama 
quarter of the moon; last quarter of 
the moon 
~ pa janm chanje katye time 
stands still, nothing changes 
~ premye dekou waning gibbous 
moon 
~ twa dekou last quarter of the 
moon 
nan ~ daydreaming; absent-
minded 
pran ~ pou fwonmaj to think the 
moon is made of green cheese, be 
naive, be duped 
premye katye - waxing crescent 
moon; first quarter of the moon 
renouv&l ~ waxing crescent moon 
swiv ~ to abstain periodically from 
sexual contact; to practice the 
rhythm method 
ti ~ waxing crescent moon; 
waning crescent moon 
we ~ li to menstruate 
laline see laniie 
laling, laliy, ling, liy n. (shared) taxi 
fe ~ to drive a cab; to watch one's 
figure 
sou tout laliy all the way down 
the line 
lalis n. list, roll 
Laljeri, Aljeriprop.n. Algeria 
Lalmay see Almay 
lalo n. bargain, good deal; magic 
spell; jute, corchorus (herb or 
undershrub); kale-like vegetable 
(usu. eaten with white rice -
specialty of Saint-Marc); see Fiyet 
Lalo 
mare ~ to manage, succeed; to 
conspire, hatch a plot, scheme 
(against); to arrange things (thanks 
to magic spell) 
ti ~ sida (herb or shrub) 
Lalo (Leyon)prop.n. Laleau (Leon) 
- Haitian statesman and writer, 
author of LeChoc(b. 1892) 
Lalomaprop.n. Lalomas (4th 
communal section of Saint-
Michel-de-l'Attalaye, Dept. 
Artibonite) 
lalou: 
ti ~ broomweed 
lalout n. Mardi Gras mannequin 
Lalowe, Lalweprop.n. Lalouere 
(4th communal section of Saint-
Marc, Dept. Artibonite) 
laldz n. var. dance 
lalwa n. law, rule, regulation; right, 
permission; aloe (bot.) 
fe ~ to command, dictate 
gen - bouch/djdl li to be free to 
say what one wishes 
lalwadi n. leader of Rara dances; 
Carnival-like Rara ceremony 
taking place the last three days of 
Holy Week 
Lalwe see Lalowe 
lalwet n. uvula 
anndan ~ vocal cords 
koupe ~ to silence s.o. forever 
~ boure large badly dressed 
woman 
~ teta chatterbox 
~ tonbe tonsillitis; acute 
respiratory distress 
Lalwizy&n see Lwizy&n 
lalyans see alyans 
lam n. homemade instrument 
used by twoubadou (q.v.); see 
lamveritab; lanm 
- opye standing at attention 
(milit.); attention! (milit.) 
lama n. lama; llama 
Lama (ri)prop.n. rue Lamarre 
(center PaP) 
520 
lamach - lame 
lamach n. walking 
leve ~ to set out (on foot); to set 
out on the march 
lamadel, anmadel, lanmadel n. 
unmarried middle-aged woman of 
means; peddler, vendor; herdsman 
(who leads cattle to market) - cf. 
mawoule 
ft ~ to stroll back and forth; to 
come and go 
kontre ak ~, kwaze ~ to have an 
unfortunate encounter 
~ mouch large female fly 
yon ~ a large quantity of 
lamadeien n. Magdalene; holy 
statue; cf madelenn 
lamaget n. var. of herb 
lamajorite see majorite 
lamama, lamaman n. dough, money 
lam&n, m&n, mann n. manna, divine 
or spiritual food 
Lamanchprop.n. La Manche (Dept. 
South) 
lamandye n. mountain almond tree 
Also: ~ gran fey, ~ ti fey 
lamanglez see damangiez 
Lamanit prop.n. [Book of Mormon] 
Lamanite 
lam an jay n. food (not pej.) 
lamannye: 
pwa ~ var. of bean 
lamantab adj. [Fr] lamentable, 
appalling, awful 
lamantasyon n. lamentation, 
wailing, weeping, complaining 
Lamantasyon prop.n. [Bible] 
Lamentations 
lamante v. to lament 
lamanten n. manatee, sea cow 
Lamantenprop.w. Lamentin 
(middle-class area near Carrefour -
Dept. West) 
lam&nyann n. booze, liquor 
lamare see mare 
lamarin, marin n. navy 
~ pa metye li not to be suited (for 
a given occupation), not be one's 
"thing" 
lamaryef.n. bride 
kriye/rele ~ (tw6) bei to rejoice, 
celebrate 
lamas n. people, masses; cf mas 
Lamaseyez see Maseyez 
Lamatin (Alfons de)prop.n. 
Lamartine (Alphonse de) - French 
poet and statesman, 1790-1869 
lamatine n. morning; (the) entire 
morning 
Lamatinik see Matinik 
Lamatinye (Lwi D6)prop.n. 
Lamartiniere (Louis Daure) - hero 
of the Haitian Revolution and 
commander at La Crete-^-Pierrot 
(1771-1802) 
~ (avni) avenue Lamartiniere 
(between Avenue Henry 
Christophe and Avenue Martin 
King, PaP) 
Lamatriye (larivye)prop.n. 
Lamatrie' River (Dept. North-East) 
lam ay 61 n. first prize 
fe ~, gen ~, pote ~, pran ~, 
ranpote ~ to be victorious, be the 
winner, win first prize 
lamaydt, lamayet n. Mardi Gras 
character; surprise box 
fe ~ to clown around 
lamayote v. to show off (oneself) 
lame, ame n. army, armed forces; 
group of 
~ anie airforce 
Lame Soufran see pike (fighters) 
yon ~ many, much 
lame n. elderly woman, old lady; 
521 
Lamedisali - lamoral 
mother; sea, ocean; same as 
manman vant 
Lamedisali prop.n. Salvation Army 
Lamediterane prop.n. 
Mediterranean 
lamedizans see medizans 
lamedsin, lametsin n. medical 
science; cf. metsin 
fb ~ to practice medicine 
lam£gr&, lamegre n. leanness, 
skinniness; skinny person; see 
mbgrb 
lam&gzo see m&gzo 
Lambkprop.n. Mecca; n. mecca 
lam&l n. cover glass (for 
microscope) 
lamemwa see memwa 
lamen see lanmen 
lamenchod n. game where one must 
guess who taps on one's hands 
behind one's back 
lamenfdt n. help, assistance 
Lameni see Ameni 
lam en m adv. immediately, instantly 
~ dezomenm komenm! same old 
thing! 
Iamenw6t n. upper hand, advantage 
lameri see meri 
Lamerikprop.n. America 
~ Dind North America 
~ Disid South America 
~ Latin Latin America 
~ Santral Central America 
lam&s, lanm&s n. mass (rel.)\ see 
m&s 
lam&si n. var. of large fish 
lametsin see lamedsin 
lametwopdl see metwopdl 
lametye, lanmetye n. dodder (plant); 
see metye 
lamezon, mezon n. house of former 
colonial master 
Lamezon Blanch prop.n. White 
House (Washington D.C.) 
lami n. friend (in direct address); 
myrrh 
lamidon see lanmidon 
lamil& see lanil& 
Lam in prop.n. Lamine (5th 
communal section of Capotille, 
Dept. North-East) 
lamine v. to laminate; cf. plastifye 
laming n. laminator 
laminwa n. rolling mill (for shaping 
metals) 
lamiral see anmiral 
lamisyon n. mission, missionary 
post; see misyon 
lamitye, amitye, anmitye, lanmitye 
n. buddy, friend; acquaintance; 
guy; friendship; dodder (plant) 
Lamitye (wout) prop.n. route 
de P Amiti6 (highway between 
Carrefour Dufort and Jacmel, 
Dept. West and South-East) 
lamiz n. (poetic) muse 
lamiz& see miz& 
lamizerikdd see miz&rikdd 
lamizik see mizik 
lam6 see lanm6 
lamdd, lanmod n. fashion, vogue; v. 
to be up-to-date, be with it 
Lamona see Mona 
lamoni see amoni 
Lamontay (Lakwa) prop.n. La 
Montagne (La Croix) (13th 
communal section of Jacmel, 
Dept. South-East; 4th communal 
section of Jean-Rabel, Dept. 
North-West) 
lamonte didrapo n. flag-raising 
ceremony 
lamoral see moral 
522 
l a m o u - l a n d m e n 
ft ~ to preach, moralize, harangue 
lamou see lanmou 
lamveritab, labveritab, lam, 
lanmveritab, veritab n. seedless 
breadfruit (cf. labapen breadfruit 
with seeds) 
bouftt ~ breadfruit cakes 
Var. of seedless breadfruit: ~ 
chaten, ~ gran f£y, ~ kayenn, ~ 
panydl 
lamwa see amwa 
lamwason see mwason 
dimanch ~, ftt ~ Feast of the 
Harvest (bazaar or auction in 
Protestant churches where crops 
are donated for profit to the church 
- first Sunday of February) 
lamwatye see mwatye 
lamye, zb\ lamye n. eaves, overhang 
(of roof); wooden rain or sun 
awning 
Lamy£lprop.n. La Mielle (3rd 
communal section of Cerca-la-
Source, Dept. Center) 
lan definite article (after words 
ending in sounds -m, -n, -ng and 
often words ending in a nasal 
sound plus a consonant) the; adj. 
slow; prep, in; see lant; nan 
lanachi, anachi n. anarchy 
lanalfabetis see analfabetis 
lanasyon see nasyon 
lanati n. nature, creation 
Lanativiteprop.n. La Navidad - first 
settlement by Europeans in New 
World, supposedly near Limonade 
Bord-de-Mer (Dept. North), 1492-
1493 
Lanavaz (zile), Navazprop.n. 
Navassa (4 km 2 island contested 
between Haiti [Dept. Grand'Anse] 
and the United States) 
l a n a v & t : 
ft ~ to travel back and forth, go 
back and forth; to commute 
l a n b a r a see a n b a r a 
l a n b e v. to lick, lap; to flatter, fawn 
~ p y e to bootlick, grovel 
l a n b ^ n. flatterer, obsequious person 
ft ~ to flatter, fawn 
l a n b i n. conch (seafood); conch 
(shell); conch-shell horn 
(associated with the call for 
freedom at the start of the Haitian 
Revolution, a symbol of liberation; 
still used to call people together in 
rural Haiti) 
g e n ( g w o ) ~ , ft c h w a ~ l a j a n to 
become overly greedy/ambitious/ 
presumptuous 
k o n ~ conch-shell horn 
k o u t - warning signal 
p o ~ conch-shell 
s o n n e n ~ ( r a s a n b l e m a n ) to sound 
the alarm, sound the rallying cry 
Lanbi (zile)prop.n. Lambi Island 
(small island off coast of Corail, 
Dept. Grand'Anse) 
l a n b i n e n see b a n b i n e n 
l a n b i s k a d see a n b i s k a d 
l a n b i s y o n see a n b i s y o n 
l a n b f t m see a n b f t m 
l a n b o u c h i n. gorge, mountain pass; 
see b o u c h i 
l a n d e m e n see l a n d m e n 
l a n d e m i l n. the year two thousand 
l a n d e n g see n a n d e n g 
l a n d i r a n s see a n d i r a n s 
l a n d j e , l a n d j & z see l a n g £ 
l a n d m e n , l a n d e m e n , l a n d e n m e n , 
l a n n m e n , l e l a n d m e n n. the next 
day, the following day 
p o u ~ m i y d for a brighter 
tomorrow, for better days 
523 
l andr fc t - l a n g £ 
landr£t, l a n d w a , landwat, n a n d w a t 
n. right side, outside, face 
(clothing, fabric); see lanvfc ~ 
m e t e ~, tounen ~, v i r e ~ to turn 
rightside out 
landwa n. place, spot, locale; cf. 
k o t e 
a ~ concerning, regarding [Fr.] 
landyfc, landy&z see l a n g £ 
l a n e see l a n n e 
lanegritid see negritid 
lan&j, n £ j n. snow; frost 
lanesans see n e s a n s 
lanfct, lannet n. Hispaniolan sparrow 
hawk 
lanfans n. childhood 
l a n f t n. hell 
L a n f t (mdn)prop.n. Mount l'Enfer 
(Dept. South-East) 
lanferize v. to demonize 
l a n g n. tongue; language; bolt (of 
lock) 
b a y k o u t ~ to slander, backbite 
chanje ~, v i r e ~ to change one's 
story or testimony; to change one's 
tune 
ft ~ b a t to cause talk, set tongues 
to wagging 
file ~ to whet the appetite 
file ~ b a y y o n m o u n to stick one's 
tongue out at s.o.; to make a face, 
grimace 
g e n d e ~ to be hypocritical 
g e n - to speak ill of, gossip 
g e n - s a l to be foulmouthed 
g r a n ~ big talker, boaster 
koupe ~ delicious, tasty 
k o u t ~ slander 
~ b £ f thin crisp cake; cocuisa 
(giant lily) 
~ c h a t see langchat 
~ li p a n a n p d c h li to have an 
answer for everything 
~ li p l e n b o u c h li t o b e speechless 
~ li r e l e 1 p a 1 to be eloquent 
~ li s d t i to be about to die 
~ li t w d p p o u li big mouth, 
blabber, gabbler 
~ l o n g tendency to gossip 
~ l o u tongue-tied; slurred speech 
~ v ip& spiteful gossip(er) 
m a l a d i ~ n w £ var. of poultry 
disease 
m d d e ~ delicious, tasty 
m o v e ~ slanderous, backbiting 
p a v i r e ~ li not to mince words 
p a l e s o u ~ to lisp 
p r a n ~ , s o u s e ~ to French kiss 
v i r e ~see c h a n j e ~ 
l a n g a c h a t see l a n g c h a t 
l a n g a j S n. gossiper, busybody 
l a n g a y , l a n g a j n. tone, expression, 
way of speaking within a given 
language; mystical ritual phrases, 
"tongues" (Voodoo; Pentecostals); 
unintelligible speech 
k i ~ s a a ! What foul talk!; I don't 
understand what you are trying to 
say 
~ d a k i , ~ k o d e parable, 
insinuation, innuendo 
~ G i n e n , p a l e ~ hermetic formulas 
derived from African languages 
(esp. Fon) recited in Voodoo 
ceremonies 
l a n g c h a t , l a n g a c h a t , l a n g i c h a t , 
l a n g l i c h a t , l a n g w i c h a t , l an r i cha t 
n. boneset, thoroughwort (plant) 
L a n g d d k / ? r o / ? . / 7 . Languedoc 
l a n g e v. to lick; cf. n i c h e 
l ang&, l a n d j e , l a n d y e n., l a n g e z , 
l a n d j & z , l a n d y ^ z f.n. big talker, 
big mouth; gossip(er), backbiter, 
slanderer; adj. catty, backbiting 
524 
lang^t - lanmen 
ft ~ to talk big; to backbite 
lang&t n. clitoris; see gbt 
ftt ~ clitoris 
Langi, Lagiy prop.n. Laguille (4th 
communal section of Dondon, 
Dept. North) 
langichat see langchat 
Langinen see Ginen 
Langlete, Angleteprop.n. England; 
United Kingdom 
langlichat see langchat 
Iangonyon v. to make some effort 
langous, langouch n. langouste 
langwas see angwas 
langwichat see langchat 
lani see lanni 
lanift, laline, lamile n. [Fr] ring 
finger 
lanivfcs& see anivbsb 
lanj, lany n, angel; spotted eagle ray 
(fish); see zanj 
~ gadyen guardian angel 
~ malfini manta ray, devilfish 
~ nwa Atlantic manta ray (fish) 
lanjelis, anjelis, lajelis, nanjelis n. 
dusk, twilight; angelus 
lanj fez: 
ft ~ to act indiscreetly 
lank n. ink; anchor 
jete ~, lage ~, mouye ~ to anchor, 
moor 
leve ~ to set sail; to depart, leave 
Lan Kanp&ch prop.n. Lan 
Campeche (special Voodoo site in 
Dept. North) 
lank£t see ank£t 
lankeft, lanket&z see anket£, anketez 
lankite see lantikite 
lanm, lam n. sea wave; (knife) 
blade; slat (of window blind); slide 
(microscope) 
- a koupe cutting disc 
~ de kwokodil see kwokodil 
~ grayndfc grinder disc 
~ jiftt, ~ razwa razor blade 
- si hacksaw blade 
~ si elektrik jigsaw blade 
tbt ~ crest of (sea) wave 
lanmad&l see lamad&l 
lanman, lanmanye, lanmanyen, 
manman laye n. nightshade 
(plant) 
manman ~, z^b aklo/akldk/aklou 
cape gooseberry, winter cherry, 
alkekengi 
Var: ~ anme/panydl, ~ dou, ~ 
fran 
lanmann see amann 
lanme n. sea, ocean; uterus, womb; 
var. of mango 
b6 - seaside, seashore 
bouch ~, kdl ~, kou ~, p6t ~ 
cervix 
gwo ~ ocean; rough sea 
~ a ap leve/moute the tide is 
coming in (high tide) 
~ a bbl (vwayaje)! there's the door 
- use it! beat it! take a powder! 
~ a desann/plat/rale the tide is 
out (low tide) 
~ tonbe prolapsed uterus 
mal - seasickness 
nan gran - out at sea; on the high 
seas 
lanmed!, mfcd!, nanm£d! interj. shit 
on you! 
lanmen, lamen n. handshake; adv. 
by the hand of, at the hand(s) of; 
see men 
bay ~ to shake hands; to join 
hands, work together 
bay ~ dezagreman to shake hands 
or work together although still in 
disagreement 
525 
lanm&s - Landmandi 
bay ~ f6t to lend a helping hand 
kontre ~ ak to join hands with, 
cooperate with 
- ale ~ vini reciprocity, fairplay; 
tit for tat, what goes around comes 
around 
leve ~ to swear an oath (of office), 
be sworn in 
pote/prete ~ fdt to give a helping 
hand 
sou ~ at hand, on hand, available 
lanm&s see lam^s 
lanmetye see lametye 
lanmidon, amidon, anmidon, 
lamidon n. starch; manioc flour; 
carbohydrate; var. of mango 
lanmil&t, anmihM, lonml&t, omil&, 
omle, omtet n. omelet 
~ ayisyen Haitian omelet (with 
water instead of milk) 
~ franse French omelet (with milk 
instead of water) 
lanmitye see lamitye 
lanmiz& seemizb 
lanmizerikdd see mizgrikdd 
lanmd, lamd n. death; funeral, wake 
ale nan ~ to pay one's last respects 
~ Bondye death from natural 
causes 
~ lezom death from unnatural 
causes 
~ sou li at death's door 
lanmdd see lamdd 
lanmori, mori n. cod(fish) 
ke ~ tails, formal tuxedo 
~ 1 sou gri he's got it made 
lanmou, anmou, lamou n. love, 
affection 
i b ~ to kiss, pet; to have sexual 
relations 
i b ~ dous pou dous to have sex 
(just) for the sake of sex (without 
emotional attachment) 
lanmouch n. silt, mud, slime 
lanmoure see anmoure 
lanmveritab see lamveritab 
lanmyann! interj. to hell with you! 
Lannbdginiprop.n. Lamborghini 
(luxury Italian car); any expensive 
car meant to impress 
lanne, ane, anne, lane, lannen/7. 
year; annually, yearly 
~ pase anwo two years ago 
... ~ sou tbt li . . . years of age; cf. 
rekdt kafe 
nouv£l - New Year 
twa ~ youn dbyk 16t three 
consecutive years 
lannet see lanfct 
lanni, ani, anni, lani, nanni n. 
anise; aniseed; dill weed; var. of 
mango 
~ \bt fennel (herb) 
Var. of anise: gwo ~, ~ fran (used 
in flavoring kleren), ~ mawon, ti 
lannmen see landmen 
Lannd prop.n. Dept. of the North; 
North of Haiti in general 
lannwit, lanwi, lanwit, nannwit 
n. night; adv. at night, during the 
night; adj. nocturnal 
E ~ la? Did you sleep well? 
gwo ~ (in the) dead of night 
~ mare at the start of night 
nan ~ . . . pou leve/louvri/ouv^/ 
rive..., pandan pou louvri 
during the night of... 
pase ~ lan blanch not to sleep all 
night 
se ~ ak lajounen it's as different 
as day from night, totally different 
lanolin n. lanolin 
Landmandi, Ndmandiprop.n. 
526 
lanonvyolans - lansman 
Normandy (France) 
lanonvyolans, nonvyolans n. non­
violence 
landt n. bill (telephone etc.) 
lanouriti see nouriti 
lanp n. lamp 
ft ti ~ to be all over the place, 
be numerous (allusion to Haiti's 
ubiquitous ~ fttgridap) 
gen (yon) lanp (k ap limen) 
(nan) d£y£ li to be out of control 
(perhaps because of a curse) 
- aladen Aladdin's lamp 
~ bdb£ch, ~ ftt bdb£ch, - (ftt) 
gridap small oil lamp (made from 
tin can and without glass chimney, 
or from half of a calabash gourd 
using castor oil and a cotton wick) 
~ cham, ~ chans, ~ travay magic 
lamp to obtain good fortune or 
gain vengeance 
~ eftn£l, ~ p&pety£I lamp formed 
by a wick floating in oil 
~ Kolmann Coleman (gas) lamp 
~ nwa, ~ dezas Voodoo lamp to 
bring vengeance on s.o. 
~ v&, ~ avfc, ~ silenn oil lamp 
(with glass chimney) 
lanpa n. lampas (disease of 
the palate in horses, pigs etc. 
preventing them from eating 
normally); bottom part of the 
frame of a kite (to which is 
attached the tail) 
ft ~ ak to go at slowly, not really 
apply oneself 
gen ~ to be a slow eater 
retire ~ nan lang li to be 
articulate; to speak eloquently 
lanpaftt see anftt 
lanpavfc n. oil lamp with glass 
chimney 
lanperfc, anper£, anpfcrfc, anpr£, 
lanpfcre, lanp£r&, lanpr£ n. 
emperor 
d£y& ~ in a wealthy neighborhood 
lanper&zf.n. empress 
lanpi, anpi n. empire 
lanpis n. (professional) lamp-lighter 
(obs.) 
lanplasman see anplasman 
Lanpousy& see Nanpousy& 
lanprfc see lanperfc 
lanpresman see anpresman 
lanpwen see nanpwen 
lanpyon n. Chinese lantern; metal 
candelabra carried at Carnival time 
lanrichat see langchat 
lans n. handle; lance, spear; small 
bay, cove 
~ grenad grenade launcher 
~ w6k£t rocket launcher 
lansan, ansan n. incense 
lansanm: 
nan - on the whole, in general 
lansanswa see ansanswa 
souke - pou to pay homage to, 
bow low to 
Lansavann see Lasavann 
Lansavo see Ansavo 
Lansdeno see Ansdeno 
lanse v. to throw, fling, hurl, pitch; to 
promote, launch; to lasso; to throb, 
sting; to abduct 
kontinye sou menm ~ a to forge 
ahead, keep going 
- mo ddd to order, command 
- yon ap&l to make an appeal 
lansfc n. thrower, pitcher (person) 
lanset n. var. of med. plant 
lans&yman see ans£yman 
lansgrenad n. grenade launcher 
lansman n. stinging, smarting, 
irritation; launching, starting up, 
527 
Lanswouj - laparad 
kick-off 
Lanswouj see Answouj 
lansye n. quadrille (dance); lancer; 
nozzleman (firefighter who directs 
hose on fire) 
lant, lan adj. slow; adv. slowly 
lantannman see antannman 
lantant, lantantman see antant 
lantanyen see latanyen 
lante n. slowness, sluggishness, 
indolence 
lantekris see antikris 
lanteman, lantman adv. slowly 
lant&man, ant&man n. funeral, 
burial 
lant&n see ant£n 
lantenwa see antonwa 
lantet see ant£t 
lanti, lantiy n. lentil 
Lantigang see Antigang 
lantikite, antikite, lankite n. 
antiquity 
lantikris see antikris 
lantinwa, lantinwfc see antonwa 
lantiraj, lantiray see lantouray 
lantiy n. lens; see lanti 
lantman see lanteman 
lantonwa see antonwa 
lantouray, antiraj, antiray, 
antouraj, antouray, lantiraj, 
lantiray, lantouraj n. fence, 
enclosure; hedge; circumference; 
perimeter (of house); 
surroundings; neighborhood; 
environment; entourage, 
companions 
lantoure see antoure 
lantre n. entrance, gate 
lantrede adj. middle-aged; cf. 
andezay 
lantremiz see antremiz 
lanv£, lenv£s n. reverse, wrong side 
(clothing, fabric); adj. inverse; 
reverse; adv. inside out; to the left 
(braiding, plaiting, knitting); .see je 
ib lestonmak vire ~ to cause an 
upset stomach 
~ landwat, ~ landr&t inside out; 
confusion; in confusion 
lestonmak li ap vire ~ he is 
ravenously hungry 
moun ~ landrfct confused or 
stupid person 
pa gen ni ~ ni landr£t, san - san 
landret pliable, flexible; without 
rhyme or reason 
po ~ light-skinned 
pye ~ knock-kneed 
san ~ san landret generous to a 
fault, ready to do anything for s.o. 
tounen ~, mete ~, vire ~ to turn 
inside out 
lanvi n. envy; longing, desire; 
craving of pregnant woman; see 
anvi 
pase yon ~ to satisfy a craving 
pote ~ to envy 
lanviwonnman, lanviwdnmansee 
anviwdnman 
lanviwonnmantal see 
anviwonnmantal 
lanwi, lanwit see lannwit 
lany see lanj 
lknyfc n. thong, lash, strap; halter (for 
horse etc.) 
Laolann see Lawolann 
1 ap contr. li + ap (he, she, it... -ing) 
lapalans n. (a lot of) empty talk, 
baloney, hot air 
Lapalestin see Palestin 
Lapannkdt see Pannkot 
lapanse n. thought; thinking 
laparad n. parade; see parad 
- lage disorder, license; things 
528 
laparans - lap£s6n 
really get started, all hell breaks 
loose 
laparans see aparans 
gade sou- tojudge by 
appearances, accept at face value 
laparatomi n. exploratory surgery; 
laparotomy 
laparfcs see parfcs 
laparey n. tack (saddle, bridle etc. 
for horse); apparatus; the same 
thing 
laparisyon: 
fe ~ to appear, emerge 
lapat n. paw; var. of glue or paste; 
see pat 
anba ~ under the control of, under 
the influence of 
mete ~ sou, poze ~ sou to abduct, 
grab, seize; to arrest 
lapataj, lapatay see pataj 
lapaftt n. string with three branches 
tied to the top of a kite 
lapati: 
pran ~ to take the side of 
lapatisipasyon see patisipasyon 
lapatitye, lapotitye n. pharmacist, 
druggist 
lapatri see patri 
w£ ~ angaje to be in dire straits, 
be in real trouble 
lapaw61 n. word, remark, statement; 
see pawdl 
bay ~ to let (s.o.) talk; to 
recognize (in parliamentary 
procedure) 
gen ~ to have the floor (in 
parliamentary procedure) 
koupe ~ (yon moun) to interrupt 
(s.o.) 
pedi ~ to become speechless; to be 
bewildered; to lose consciousness 
pran ~ to (begin to) speak, have 
the floor 
rete sou ~ to pay lip service only 
lapawoli, pawoli n. talk, discussion; 
way of speaking; figure of speech, 
idiomatic expression 
Lapazprop.n. La Paz (Bolivia) 
lape n. peace; v. to lap (up), drink 
(up); contr. li + ape (he, she, it... 
-ing) 
lapfc n. fear; peace 
~ !... linyon var onb ... respfc 
(q.v.) 
laptkh n. fishing 
al ~, fb ~ to fish, go fishing 
fb ~ nan dlo sal to be self-
defeating; to do s.thg. in vain 
~ soumarin spear-fishing 
lap&l see ap£l 
fb ~ to call roll 
~ Dfczantiy [Fr] (la perle des 
Antilles) "the pearl of the Antilles" 
(today often ironic name for Haiti) 
lapemanans see pfcmanans 
lapemisyon see p&misyon 
lapen n. rabbit 
lapenitans see penitans 
lapenn, lap£n n. grief, sorrow; pain, 
suffering; effort, trouble; conj. 
instead of 
fb ~ to distress, grieve, pain, hurt 
~ de md death penalty 
pou ~ as payment; as a result 
pran ~ to sympathize 
vo ~ to be worth the trouble 
lapepi see lapipi 
laper&z, laper&, laper£z n. fright, 
fear; anxiety; paranoia; phobia 
gen ~ to be scared, be frightened 
lapfcs n. pestilence, plague 
lap&sdn, lap&sonn n. person in 
question; the loved one; sometimes 
used in direct address when one 
529 
lapeti - lapds 
does not know the person s name 
lapeti n. appetite, desire; conj. 
instead of; if it were left up to 
lapib&l see laplib&l 
lapidasyon n. stoning (to death) 
lapide v. to stone to death 
lapipi, lapepi n. pip (disease of 
poultry) 
lapire n. puree 
bay ~ to have diarrhea 
laplaj see plaj 
laplanch: 
ft ~ to float (person) 
laplan&t see plan&t 
laplas, kdmandan jeneral laplas 
n. chief assistant/master of 
ceremonies/sergeant-at-arms to a 
Voodoo priest(ess); chief assistant 
to the head of certain collective 
work teams; see kdmandan ~ 
laplas(dam) n. town square, (public) 
square; see plas 
Laplatprop.n. La Plate (1st 
communal section of Bassin-Bleu, 
Dept. North-West) 
laplenn, lapftn, pftn, plenn n. 
plain, flatland; lowland 
Laplenn, Lapftn prop.n. La 
Plaine (4th communal section of 
Barad&res, Dept. Grand'Anse); La 
Plaine-du-Cul-de-Sac (Dept. West) 
Laplenndind, Lapftndindprop.n. 
La-Plaine-du-Nord (town, and site 
of special Voodoo ceremony 25 
July, Dept. North) 
Lapleyadprop.n. Pleiades; la 
Pleiade (famous group of 16th-
century French poets) 
lapli n. rain; adj. rainy 
ft ~ to rain 
ft - e lebotan, ft ~ ak botan to be 
all-powerful, rule the roost 
gen ~ it's raining 
gwo ~ driving rain, shower, 
downpour 
~ a tonbe red an kdft it's raining 
cats and dogs 
~ ap fwete driving or lashing rain 
~ moun mouri, ~ zonbi rain is 
falling while the sun is shining 
~ pa ~ (softy pa softy) come rain 
or shine, come what may 
~ tonbe to rain 
machann ~ rainmaker (Voodoo) 
sonje premye ~ ki ft mayi pouse 
to remember (and be grateful for) 
one's origins 
sdti nan ~ tonbe nan larivyfc to 
go from bad to worse 
laplibel, lapibel: 
pou ~ all the more; all the worse 
laplipa nJadj. most (of) 
pou ~ for the most part 
laplipaditan adv. [Fr] most of the 
time 
lapo n. rural section chief (same as 
ch^f seksyon) 
lapolis n. police (department); 
policeman; police station; rock 
beauty (fish); var. of mango 
ft ~ to serve as a policeman/guard 
lapolit&s see polites 
lapolitik n. politics 
Lapoldy, Poldy prop.n. Poland 
chaje kou lapoldy to be heavily 
laden 
laponyet n. masturbation 
bat ~, fe - to jerk off, masturbate 
lapopilas see popilas 
yon ~ a lot of, many 
lapdpdt see pdpdt 
lapds n. post office; mail service; 
mail; mail carrier; hole (in socks 
or stocking); adj. postal 
530 
laposesyon - Larabi 
pa ~ by mail 
voye pa ~ to mail 
laposesyon see lapwosesyon 
laposterite n. posterity 
Iapdt see p6t 
lapotik^ n. (obs.) apothecary 
lapotitye see lapatitye 
lapoud see poud 
jete ~ ozye to impress; to deceive 
lapoudriye n. powder magazine, 
powder keg 
lapoula adv. right away, immediately 
se - quick (service) 
lapouriti see pouriti 
lapousa n. loafer, idler, slacker 
lapousiye n. fruit-tree blight 
Lapousiy£, Lapousiny£prop.n. 
Pleiades 
gran pase ~ to be ancient, very 
old 
lapousy£ n. dust; see pousy£ 
metres ~ epilepsy 
lapdvrete see pdvrete 
lapratik n. practice, customary way; 
see pratik 
lapremidi, laprSmidi see apremidi 
lapremye see premye 
pou ~ fwa for the first time 
lapres n. press, media; see pres 
~ pale radio 
pran chemen ~ to go public 
lapresman see anpresman 
laprev see pr&v 
laprezidans see prezidans 
lapridans n. prudence, caution 
laprimati n. higher (Roman 
Catholic) clergy 
laprit!, lapwit! interj. heck! darn 
you! damn it! 
ale ~, ~ pou ou! go to hell! 
lapriye n. prayer; v. to pray 
lapsent, absent, apsent, labsent n. 
absinthe (liqueur) 
~ t i t blanch var. of absinthe used 
as med. 
Lapsent prop. n. [Bible] Wormwood 
(star in Revelation) 
lapsis n. [Fr.] slip of the tongue 
lapsolisyon see absolisyon 
Laptitans prop.n. La Petite-Anse 
(disadvantaged area of Cape 
Haitian) 
laptitbouch: 
fie ~ to nibble, eat like a bird 
laptdp n. laptop (computer) 
Lapwentprop.n. La Pointe (2nd 
communal section of Port-de-Paix, 
Dept. North-West) 
lapwit! see laprit! 
lapwoch&n fwa adv. [Fr] next time 
lapwofesi see pwofesi 
lapwomnad: 
fie ~ to go for a walk 
lapwdpte, lapwdptay n. cleanliness; 
sanitation; house-cleaning, 
cleaning-up 
lapwosesyon, laposesyon, posesyon 
n. (ecc.) procession 
lapwosperite see pwosperite 
lapwoteksyon see pwoteksyon 
lapwovidans see pwovidans 
Lapwovidans (lopital)prop.n. La 
Providence hospital (main hospital 
of GonaTves, Dept. Artibonite) 
lapya see tilapya 
lapye, apye n. beehive 
lapye see py& 
Lapy£ (mdn)prop.n. Pointe-la-
Pierre (difficult mountain pass 
northwest of Gonaives, Dept. 
Artibonite) 
lapyete, pyete n. piety; righteous 
living 
Larabi prop.n. Arabia; see Arabi 
531 
larad - lari 
larad n. harbor, anchorage 
laraj, laray n. rage, fury, madness; 
rabies; adj. very fashionable, in 
the latest style; wonderful; see raj 
se ~ it runs rampant; it's appalling, 
terrifying 
laras n. (black) race; see ras 
pa ~ inherent in one's family 
larat, lahat n. spleen; pancreas 
gonfle - to make (one) feel proud/ 
important 
~ li pete, ~ li pran chok ruptured 
spleen 
Larat prop. n. La Hatte (Dept. 
South-East; Ile-^-Vache; Dept. 
North-West) 
laravin see ravin 
Laravin(di)sid (larivyfc)prop.n. 
La Ravine-du-Sud river (between 
Cayes and Torbeck, Dept. South) 
laray see laraj 
laredevans see redevans 
larfcg n. rule, custom 
~ dwatfct standard procedure, due 
form 
se ~! that's the rule! that's the way 
it has to be! 
larejdl see lawouj61 
larekonesans see rekonesans 
larekonsilyasyon see 
rekonsilyasyon 
larel&v, relfcv n. relief; replacement, 
successor; shift (work) 
pran ~, ib ~ to relieve, take over 
larelijyon see relijyon 
larenjit n. [Fr.] laryngitis 
larenn, larfcn n. queen; hussy; see 
renn 
larepantans see repantans 
larepiblik see repiblik 
larepiyans see repiyans 
larepresyon see represyon 
lar£s n. remains 
laresanblans see resanblans 
laresfct n. receipts, takings, income 
laresponsabilte see reskonsabilite 
larestan n. remainder, rest 
laretr^t n. retreat; retirement 
- oflanbo, torchlight procession 
lareverans, laverans, reverans n. 
bow, curtsy; respect, courtesy; 
reverence 
i b ~ to bow in greeting; to show 
one's good manners 
tire ~ to bow in greeting 
lareyaksyon see reyaksyon 
lareyalite see reyalite 
Lareyinyon, Reyinyon prop.n. 
Reunion 
lareyisit see reyisit 
larezanne, larezannen see 
larezonnen 
larezirfcksyon see rezir£ksyon 
lareziyasyon see reziyasyon 
larezon n. reason, sanity; see rezon 
~ Deta national interest 
~ pou lakfcl the reason why 
larezonnen, larezanne, larezannen, 
larezone, larezonne n. New 
Year's Day; paying of respects on 
January 1 
swete ~ to wish (s.o.) a happy 
New Year 
lari n. street, road 
al w^/gade/chache kote ~/lavift 
kwen to get out, get away, look 
for some action; to scramble for a 
living 
bay ~ a to get off of the street 
i b bay - a to disperse (crowd etc.) 
ft/lage/rive/tonbe nan ~ to get 
out, be leaked (news); to be left 
homeless 
mete nan - to chase (s.o.) out of 
532 
larich&s - LastM 
a house, dislodge; to send out; 
to reveal, give away (secrets); to 
proclaim; to be known by all, lose 
one's privacy (pej.)\ to put forth 
nan tout ~ well known, public 
knowledge 
pe - to be ashamed to be seen in 
public 
pran ~ to go out; to leak 
(information); to come out into the 
open, become public knowledge; 
to go crazy; to demonstrate (for 
political cause), take to the streets; 
to be proclaimed 
lariches see riches 
larijdl see la wouj 61 
larim n. mucus, snot, phlegm 
de ran ~ runny nose 
larin see rin 
Larisi, Risiprop.n. Russia 
laritye see arityfc 
larive n. arrival 
larivyS, rivy£ n. river; stream, brook 
sdti ~ tonbe nan gwo basen to go 
from bad to worse; cf. kouri pou 
lapli tonbe nan larivy£ 
ti ~ stream, creek 
yon ~ a flow of, a lot of, many 
larize n. object of ridicule, laughing 
stock 
Larizona see Arizona 
larp see hap 
las n. ace (cards); ace, star; asthma; 
phlegm, mucus; adj. tired, worn 
out, exhausted 
lage p& ~ d&y&, fb p b ~ sou to go 
all out after, hound, pursue 
~ datou trump card 
~ koupe dis! that does it! never 
again! 
pe ~ nuisance, pest 
lasaf n. sugar-cane harvesting (in 
Dominican Republic) 
lasaj&s see saj£s 
lasal n. living room; cf sal 
Lasalin prop.n. La Saline 
(disadvantaged area on waterfront 
in northern section of PaP) 
lasanblan: 
fie ~ to pretend, fake 
lasanble n. assembly 
lasann n. var. of mango 
lasante n. health 
lasantin&l: 
fie (p6s) ~ to be on guard duty 
lasasen n. Mardi Gras mask 
suggestive of a Viking helmet 
(Saint-Marc esp.) 
Lasavann, Lansavann, Lasav&n 
prop.n. La Savane (disadvantaged 
area of Aux/Les Cayes; name 
during and long after colonial 
period of the present "Place des 
Heros de l'lnd^pendance," PaP) 
Lasavwa, Savwaprop.n. Savoy 
(France) 
lase v. to tie (shoes etc.); to lace (up); 
adj. exhausted 
lasechres see sechr&s 
Lasedra prop.n. Lac£dras (6th 
communal section of Saint-
Michel-de-l'Attalaye, Dept. 
Artibonite) 
laseksyon n. rural section chief 
(same as ch£f seksyon) 
las&l n. stool, bowel movement 
ale ~ to go to the bathroom, have a 
bowel movement 
LasiMprop.n. La Selle (2nd 
communal section of Saut-d'Eau, 
Dept. Center) 
m6n ~ highest mountain range 
in Haiti (2,680 meters), between 
Kenskoff and Jacmel, Depts. West 
533 
las£ldedo - Laskawobasyen 
and South-East 
las&ldedo n. bunk, bed 
sou ~ lying on one's back 
lasemen, lasemenn, lasenmenn 
n. weekday(s), workday(s); adv. 
weekly 
jou - weekday 
Las&n prop.n. Seine (French river) 
Lasfcn, Lasenn, Lasentsfcn n. Holy 
Communion (Protestant church); 
Lord's Supper, Last Supper 
lasena n. var. of tree similar to neem 
tree 
lasenal, asenal n. arsenal 
lasenik/?. arsenic 
Lasenjan, ftt Sen Jan Batisprop.n. 
Feast of St. John (24 June) 
lasenmenn see lasem&n 
Lasenn see Las&n 
Lasenntete (legliz)prop.n. Holiness 
Church 
Lasenreng, Lastrzng prop.n. La 
Seringue (4th communal section of 
Abricots, Dept. Grand'Anse) 
lasent adj. the blessed 
tout ~ jounen all the live-long 
day, all day long 
Lasents&n see Lasen 
Lasentvy&y, Lasentvydj prop.n. the 
Holy Virgin, the Virgin Mary 
Lasereng see Lasenreng 
lasfct n. shoelace, shoestring 
lasetitid see setitid 
lasezon, asezon adj. fickle, 
temperamental, changeable, 
undependable 
lasi n. wax; earwax, cerumen; 
sleep, eye matter, eye discharge; 
conjunctival discharge 
lasibab, laswibab, r&s bab, sibab, 
swibab n. leftover food, scraps; 
food (in general) 
sove yon ~ to eke out a living 
lasibsistans see sibsistans 
lasigal, sigal n. cicada (insect) 
lasigoy n. stork (bird) 
lasigwav see sigwann 
lasimdk n. strength, endurance 
lasini, asenik, asini, lasine, lasinen, 
lasnik, lazini (N.) n. arsenic; 
hemlock 
tounen - to become a pain or 
nuisance 
lasirans see asirans 
lasiren f.n. mermaid 
~ dyaman queen of beauty 
L a s i r e n / prop.n. Voodoo marine 
spirit - female consort of Agwe 
- Labaten traditional children's 
song 
Lasiri, Siriprop.n. Syria; Assyria 
lasisin, sisin n. nibbling; stinginess; 
dawdling, dillydallying; adj. slow, 
gradual 
ft ~ to nibble, eat like a bird; to 
make s.thg. good last a longtime; 
to tantalize 
lasisiy: 
ft ~ to tease 
lasistans, asistans n. assistance, 
help; audience, company, those 
present 
Lasistans prop.n. 1'Assistance (near 
Cape Haitian, Dept. North) 
Lasitadel (Laftry£)prop.n. the 
Citadel (Laferri&re) (Dept. North) 
Lasiv, Chomoprop.n. L'Assive, 
Chaumeau (3rd communal section 
of Moron, Dept. Grand'Anse) 
Laskawobas prop.n. Lascahobas 
(Dept. Center) 
Laskawobasyen prop.n., 
Laskawobasyen f.prop.n. 
inhabitant of Lascahobas (Dept. 
534 
laskwann! - latcha 
Center) 
laskwann! see lakwann! 
laskwendeng: 
meg kou taso ~ to be skin and 
bones, be emaciated 
lasnal, asnal n. endurance, fortitude; 
arsenal 
lasnik see lasini 
laso: 
a - ! charge! attack! 
Las6b6n see Sdbdn 
lasolisyon see solisyon 
lasosyete n. society; everybody; 
company, group, guests; members 
of a given Voodoo temple, Voodoo 
congregation; cf. sosyete 
~ ounfd Voodooists who have 
been initiated in the same temple 
~ soutyen group which helps run 
and finance a given Voodoo temple 
mesyedanm ~ ladies and 
gentlemen (formal greeting to a 
group) 
Iasoud(or£y) n. pretense not to hear 
ft ~ to pretend not to hear 
lasoufrans see soufrans 
lasous n. spring (of water) 
Lasousprop.n. La Source (6th 
communal section of Pointe-a-
Raquette, La Gonave Island; 3rd 
communal section of Jean-Rabel, 
Dept. North-West); see Sous Chod 
letan ~ La Source pond (Dept. 
Artibonite) 
laspik see aspik 
Lasplandidprop.n. La Splendid 
(brand of Haitian cigarettes, 1936-
1975) 
lastik see elastik 
laswaf: 
mouri ~ to die of thirst 
lasware see sware 
laswe n. sweat, perspiration 
Laswed, Lasyed, Sw£d, Sy£d 
prop.n. Sweden 
laswenay, laswennyay, laswenyaj, 
laswenyay, lasweyay see swenyay 
laswibab see lasibab 
Laswis, Swisprop.n. Switzerland 
laswit see swit 
lasyans n. science; knowledge, 
learning; see syans 
lasye see asye 
manje ~ to lead an impossible 
existence 
Lasyed see Laswfcd 
lasy&s, sy£s n. nap, snooze, siesta 
lat n. lath, slat 
lata: 
yon ~ a great deal of, much, many 
Latalay prop.n. L'Attalaye (8th 
communal section of Saint-
Michel-de-PAttalaye, Dept. 
Artibonite) 
Latamizprop.n. Thames (river) 
Latandri (larivy£) prop.n. La 
Tanderie river (north side of Saint-
Marc, Dept. Artibonite) 
Lat&nri prop.n. La Tannerie 
(disadvantaged area of Gonaives, 
Dept. Artibonite) 
latansyon see atansyon 
latantasyon see tantasyon 
latanyen, lantanyen, lat&nye, 
tanyen n. palm wicker 
- bale, ~ zonbi var. of palm 
(coccothrinax anomala) 
~ chapo Puerto Rican hat-palm 
~ kochon palm wicker used in 
broom-making 
~ lanme thatch palm 
latcha n. ass, buttocks; clitoris 
koupe ~ to finish (s.o.) off, do in 
~ ft, ~ mimi prostitute 
535 
l a t c h a k - l a t r a n b l a n n t i 
nan ~ li to be on s.o.'s ass, be after 
s.o. 
latchak, tchak n. diarrhea (in 
poultry) 
latche see tche 
ft ~ to flatter 
latchoulou n. diarrhea 
late v. to put in a lath or slat 
laft n. land, earth, soil, ground; 
world; cf ft 
~ kouvri dusk, twilight 
- pwomiz promised land 
sou ~ beni here below, under the 
sun; in the entire world 
travay ~ farming, farm work 
Laft prop.n. Earth (planet) 
lateknik n. technique, know-how, 
skill 
latenprop.n./adj. Latin 
lateng, lateny, teny n. ringworm; 
scabies; adj. dry (skin, lips) 
latenwa see antonwa 
lateral adj. lateral (math.) 
lateras see mango sou ~; teras 
laftr&, laterfc, ter£, ftrfc n. terror, 
panic 
laftt n. leader, chief, authority 
lafttopye see delafttopye 
lafttranble see t ranblemannft 
Latibolyfcprop.n. Latibolftre (Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
Latibonit, Atibonit, Atibonnit, 
Latibonnitprop.n. Artibonite 
(River; Dept.; Plain) 
Ba ~ Lower Artibonite (Saint-
Marc region) 
Wo ~ Upper Artibonite (GonaiVes 
region) 
Latiki, Tiki prop.n. Turkey 
latino ameriken, latinomeriken 
prop.n./adj. Latin-American 
latirani see tirani 
latis n. latticework 
latisisin n. nibble, tiny bite; see 
lasisin 
latiti n. airs, pretense, affectation; 
see titi 
latitid n. latitude; see atitid 
latitin n. capriciousness 
latiyri, atiyri n. artillery 
latolerans see tolerans 
latdltdl, latdtdy, tdltdl, tdytdy 
n. corn gruel (less liquid than 
akasan, q.v.) 
latonm see tonm 
Latonm (larivyfc)prop.n. LaTombt 
River - which forms the waterfall 
at Saut-d'Eau (Dept. Center) 
Lat6tiprop.n. Tortuga, LaTortue 
(193 km 2 island off north coast of 
Haiti, Dept. North-West, site of 
first French settlement, by French 
pirates, c. 1630) 
lat6tdt n. sucker, lollipop; breast 
(baby talk) 
latdtdy see latdltdl 
latou n. tower; adv. thereupon, 
immediately 
latoudin, latoudlin see toudlin 
latoumant see touman(t) 
latounay n. dizziness, giddiness 
(often connected with 
hyperthermia) 
latous see tous 
latousen n. light rain that comes and 
goes over a period of several days 
Latousen, ftt Tout Sen n. All 
Saints' Day (November 1) 
latradisyon see tradisyon 
latranblad, tranblad n. trembling; 
convulsions; cerebral palsy; see 
maladi tranble; tranblemanntf 
gen ~ to be shaky (person) 
l a t r a n b l a n n f t see t r a n b l e m a n n t e 
536 
latrankilite - lavarydl 
latrankilite see trankilite 
latransparans see t ransparans 
latrayizon see trayizon 
latrin n. latrine, toilet; privy, 
outhouse 
Latrinite, ftt Trinite, ftt Papa a ak 
Pitit la ak Lespri sen an prop.n. 
Trinity Sunday (Sunday after 
Pentecost) 
latristes see tristes 
latriye adj. much, many 
yon ~ (a) lot of, (a) bunch of 
Latvi, Letoniprop.n. Latvia 
latwonpans n. deceit, deception, 
trickery 
Latwoub prop.n. La Trouble (5th 
communal section of Plaisance, 
Dept. North) 
latwoublay n. trouble, confusion, 
chaos 
latya n. genitals; stamina 
latye see tche 
latyouloulout n. diarrhea 
lav n. larva, grub(worm); (volcanic) 
larva 
~ vit windshield wiper 
lavabo n. sink, washbasin; kitchen 
sink 
~ miral wall washbasin 
~ pye free-standing washbasin 
lavaj see lavay 
Laval prop.n. Lavalle (20th 
communal section of Carrefour, 
Dept. West) 
lavalas n. tropical downpour, 
torrential cleansing; flash flood, 
torrent; political concept and 
movement instituted by Jean-
Bertrand Aristide (circa 1990); 
partisan of same 
lavalaseman adv. in the manner 
or spirit of the lavalas political 
movement 
lavalasyen n. member of lavalas 
political movement; adj. 
pertaining to lavalas political 
movement 
lavaft n. value, worth; equivalent; 
adv. as much; see vaft 
Lavaleprop.n. La Valine (Tortuga 
Island, Dept. North-West) 
Lavale(-Jakm£l), Vale a prop.n. La 
Vall6e(-de-Jacmel) -founded 1910 
(Dept. South-East) 
Lavale(-Plezans)prop.n. La Vall6e(-
de-Plaisance) (Dept. Grand'Anse) 
lavaltay see valpay 
lavalwa see avalwa 
lavan: 
mache v£ ~ to advance, make 
progress 
Lavan prop.n. Advent 
lavandy&z, lavandy£/ n. 
washerwoman, laundress 
lavangad, avangad n. vanguard, 
advance guard 
lavani see avani 
lavanjans see vanjans 
lavann n. lavender 
- blanch wild ginger 
Lavano, Lavanno prop.n. Lavan(n) 
eau (12th communal section of 
Jacmel, Dept. South-East) 
lavansman see avansman 
lavant n. sale, selling; see vant 
nan ~, sou ~ for sale 
(papye) ~ bill of sale, title 
lavanti see avanti 
lavanv&y see avanv^y 
lavanyans n. strength, valor, courage 
lavapd see vap& 
lavaris, avaris n. avarice, greed; 
stinginess 
lavarydl see varydl 
537 
l a v a y - l a v i 
l a v a y , l a v a j n. washing, clean 
up; irrigation (of wound); mass 
dismissal, mass firing 
p r a n ~ to have an enema 
l a v e v. to wash, wash out; to 
wash away, devastate; to defeat 
resoundingly; to do laundry; to 
swear at, cuss out; to irrigate 
(wound); to develop film; to 
become dead drunk; n. washing 
- a k / a n b a jouman to shower with 
insults 
~ bouch li to brush one's teeth 
~ bouch s o u to cuss out, swear at 
~ bounda to take the hide off of, 
call names, cuss out 
~ figi to wash one's face; to wise 
up, enlighten 
~ j e to wash one's face; to wise up, 
enlighten; to have intercourse too 
soon after delivery 
~ l a n g s o u y o n m o u n to speak 
evil about s.o. 
~ lespri to brainwash 
~ m e n ( n a n ) to wash one's hands 
(of a given situation), accept no 
responsibility 
~ m e n n a n figi to slap 
~ m e n siye/souye a f t to be self-
defeating; to be a waste of time 
~ p a s e to wash and iron, do 
laundry 
~ r a d s a l n a n fanmi not to air 
one's dirty linen in public 
~ s e v o to brainwash 
- ftt part of Voodoo initiation: 
ritual washing of the head to 
baptize or strengthen the particular 
Voodoo spirit of a believer after 
first possession and to remove 
any unwanted other Voodoo 
spirit (sometimes termed simply 
"Voodoo baptism"); ritualistic 
poultice applied later on head of 
Voodoo initiate; to exonerate, 
excuse 
~ t e t li to brainwash; to become 
dead drunk 
l a v £ , l a v £ d , l a v £ t : 
~ m a c h i n person who washes can 
l a v £ d i see v £ d i 
l a v e r a n s see l a r e v e r a n s 
l a v e r i t e see v e r i t e 
l a v f y n. (the) day before; (the) 
evening or night before; (the) eve 
~ o s w a the night before, the 
previous evening 
l a v g l a s n. windshield washer 
l a v i , v i n. life, existence; lifetime; 
livelihood, living 
a l e d e y e y o n ~ m i y d to seek a 
better life, look for a brighter 
future 
b a y - to revive, revivify 
b a y y o n t i ~ to give (s.o.) a little 
s.thg. to live on 
c h a c h e k o t e - ft jwen/kwento 
scramble for a living 
c h a c h e / c l f t c h e ~ , dfeyfc - to make 
a living, seek a livelihood 
ft ~ m i y d to better one's lot 
g e n y e n ~ s o v to be saved, be still 
alive 
~ c h £ high cost of living, inflation 
~ d i hardship(s) 
- d i r a n see l a v i d i r a n 
~ g a s o n f i sexual relations 
- k i p a p j a n m fini a n everlasting 
life 
- m e n li to disclaim responsibility 
m a n d e y o n t i ~ to ask for (a little) 
charity 
m e n n e n g r a n ~ to live (life) in the 
fast lane, party, carouse 
538 
lavidiran - Lavyoftt 
move ~ bad living conditions 
nan move ~ bad off, having a 
hard/difficult life 
pase move ~ to experience 
trouble, live a hard life 
pou - diran life-long; eternally, 
forever 
lavidiran adj. life-long; adv. 
eternally, forever 
pou ~ life sentence 
laviji n. look-out, watch 
Laviji (F6)prop.n. Fort La Vigie 
(easternmost of the three forts 
overlooking Saint-Marc, Dept. 
Artibonite) 
laviktwa, viktwa n. victory, triumph 
gen ~, pote ~ to win, overcome 
Laviktwa prop.n. La Victoire (Dept. 
North) 
lavil n. city, town; n./adj. downtown 
Lavilprop.n. La Ville (6th 
communal section of Plaisance, 
Dept. North) 
lavilizasyon n. urbanization 
lavilize v. to urbanize 
lavilochan n. cemetery (euphemism 
used chiefly in songs and tales) 
Lavilokan, Lavil Okan see Vilokan 
lavimiyd n. change for the better 
lavit, lav vit n. windshield wiper 
laviwonn n. hurrying around, 
scurrying around; circling, 
spiraling, spinning around; see 
viwonn 
ft ~ to circle around; to roam 
around; to orbit 
laviwonndede, viwonndede n. 
whirling around on oneself; 
rotation, revolution, turning; 
roaming, wandering around; 
whirlwind (fig.) 
ft ~ to go around in circles 
Lavizit: 
mdn - Mount La Visite (2,171 
meters) near Marigot, Dept. South-
East 
zon ~, pak ~ La Visite National 
Park (in Depts. West and South-
East) 
lavman n. enema 
lavni see avni 
al w£/gade/chache kote - ft 
kwen to get out, get away, look 
for some action; to scramble for a 
living 
Lavddwdg, Lav61dw6g see 
Vdldwdg 
lavoka see zaboka 
lavolonte see volonte 
lavoum pou... interj. to hell with... 
ale ou ~! go to hell! 
Lavout, Montay Lavoutprop.n. 
Montagne-La-Voute (6th 
communal section of Jacmel, 
Dept. South-East) 
lav vit, lavit n. windshield wiper 
lavwa n. voice; public wash-place 
(for clothes) 
ft ~, leve ~ to raise one's voice; to 
protest 
gen ~ ochapit to have a say in 
things 
louvri ~ to open the way, clear the 
path 
pa gen ~ to have no say, have no 
influence 
lavwari n. garbage collection; street 
and road maintenance 
lavyasyon see avyasyon 
Lavyfcj (Mari), Lavy£y (Mari) 
prop.n. the Virgin (Mary) 
lavyey&s see vyey£s 
lavyolans see vyolans 
Lavyofttprop.n. La Violette 
539 
lavyon - lay 
(disadvantaged area of Cape 
Haitian) 
lavyon see avyon 
Iaw6g n. var. of poultry disease 
Lawog, Lawdkprop.n. Larogue (5th 
communal section of Cavaillon, 
Dept. South) 
Lawolann, Laolann, Olann, 
Peyiba, Wolann prop.n. 
Netherlands 
Lawomanaprop.n. La Romana 
(Dominican Republic) 
lawon n. thief, crook; traitor 
jete ~ sou to hex 
- dwat good crook 
~ gdch bad crook 
move ~ curse, hex, jinx 
lawondcM: 
fb ~ toutotou to go around in 
circles 
Lawonnprop.n. La Ronde (literary 
movement and journal, 1890-
1915) 
lawonn, lawdn n. round, circle; ring-
around-the-rosy (children's game) 
fb ~ to walk around continually (a 
given place); to come and go, go 
to and fro 
lawont, lawonte n. shame, 
embarrassment; see kdle 
gen ~ to be ashamed 
lawont&z n. shame, embarrassment; 
adj. ashamed; shameful 
lawonyad: 
fb ~ to patrol 
lawdt: 
gen ~ men pou to have the power 
(to do s.thg.) 
Lawdtprop.n. La Hotte (mountain 
range of the southern peninsula, 
forming the dividing line between 
Depts. Grand'Anse and South) 
lawotfc see wot& 
lawou: 
fb - to do a cartwheel 
Lawoudprop.n. La Roude (6th 
communal section of Jacmel, 
Dept. South-East) 
lawouj, lawouy, wouy n. rust; var. 
plant blight 
lawoujdl, larejdl, larijdl, wouj6h, 
measles 
~ alman, ti ~ German measles, 
rubella 
lawoul: 
fb ~ to play hooky, cut class 
lawoul&t, woul&t n. roulette; small 
rolling platform used by cripples 
mache sou - to be wary, be on 
guard 
lawou li n. rolling, pitching 
(boat etc.); dizziness, vertigo; 
professional ability or expertise; 
roulette 
~ k&, ~ lestonmak nausea 
~ t b t dizziness, vertigo 
lawout see wout 
bare - to block the way 
lawouy n. coal 
Lawouydn see Wouyonn 
lawouzay see wouzay 
lawouze, lawoze n. dew; mist 
bat ~ to get up very early 
b b t ~ early riser, early bird 
souk&d ~, souk£t ~ see 
souk&dlawouze 
Lawdy prop.n. La Hoye (3rd 
communal section of Lascahobas. 
Dept. Center) 
lawdz n. menstrual period 
lawozay, lawozaj n. irrigation 
lawoze see lawouze 
lay n. lye 
lay, laj n. garlic; see laj 
540 
layap - ft 
dan ~ clove of garlic 
layap: 
travay pou ~ to work for free, 
work for nothing 
laye n. winnowing tray, winnow; 
tray (for merchandise); swirling of 
skirt in a dance; v. to winnow; to 
spread, spread around; to lay out, 
display; to talk loudly 
- banda (li) to show off 
~ bounda, ~ dbyb to undulate the 
hips (esp. in dancing) 
~ kd (li) to stretch out (oneself); to 
establish (oneself) 
~ kongo var. of dance (Voodoo) 
~ pa to swirl around, dance around 
Lay£prop.n. La Haye (communal 
section of Savanette, Dept. Center) 
layfc gad n. rearguard 
layfcn see lahen 
layik adj. lay, secular; n. lay person 
layite, layte v. to spread out; to 
display; to settle down, become 
established; n. array, display 
~ kd li to have a good time, amuse 
oneself; to spread out (over), 
extend (over) 
layitman n. layout, arrangement, 
presentation 
layldn see nilon 
layo n. winnowing tray; var. of med. 
plant 
Laydsprop.n. Laos 
layte see layite 
layft n. [Eng.] car cigarette lighter 
hum prop.n. [Bible] Lazarus; 
Lazarre (1st communal section of 
Port-Salut, Dept. South) 
lazafra see zafra 
lazarfct n. lazaretto, quarantine 
station 
laze n. laser 
Lazi, Azi prop.n. Asia 
~ Deles East Asia 
-Dis ides Southeast Asia 
Ti ~ Asia Minor, Middle East 
lazil see azil 
Lazil, Nanpdlprop.n. L'Asile, Paul 
(Dept. Grand'Anse) 
Lazily en prop.n., Lazily £n f.prop.n. 
inhabitant of L'Asile (Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
lazini (N.)see lasini 
lazwit! interj. heck! dam you! damn 
it! 
le prep, every (habitual); on (date) 
ft ~ pa to pretend not to 
ft n. time (hour); time (moment); 
instant; season, period; clock, 
watch; air; behavior, attitude; 
appearance, looks; melody, tune; 
conj. when, while; prep, on, every 
(day of the week); at the time of 
a ~ on time, prompt, punctual 
anvan ~ early; premature 
bay ~ to make room, get out of 
the way; to leave, get lost; to tell 
the time; to give the impression, 
appear 
bon - at the right time 
chak ki ~? how often? 
depi ~ a since then, since that time 
ft ~ to dawdle, stall; to wait for the 
time to pass; to go for a walk; to 
put in hours (at a job) 
ft ~! scram! get out! 
ft yon bon ~ to be in good shape, 
look good 
gen b&l ~ ak to look kindly upon, 
have good relations with 
gen de ~ sometimes, at times 
gen - to seem, appear, look like 
gen - (ft yon bagay) to have time 
(to do s.thg.) 
541 
leba - ledvfcn 
gen ~ li to have one's good and 
bad moments 
kannal - windpipe, trachea 
Ki ~ ou genyen? What time do 
you have? What time is it? 
kout ~ evil air-borne spell 
~ ddmi bedtime 
~ endin, ~ endiy see lerending 
~ kondisyone air-conditioning 
~ konsa menm then; on such an 
occasion 
~ sa a then, at that (very) time; in 
those days 
li ~ li tan it's about time, it's high 
time 
li te ~ li te tan it was about time, it 
was long overdue 
menm ~ even when; right away, 
immediately 
menm - a right away, 
immediately; instantaneously 
mete sou ~ to set a clock/watch 
move ~ bad spirit 
nan ~ on the air (radio etc.) 
nan ~ nou ye la a in these times, 
these days 
nenpdt ~ whenever, anytime 
pa gen bbl ~ ak (yon moun) not 
to get along well with (s.o.) 
pran ~ to get a breath of fresh air; 
to catch a chill 
san ~ in no time; almost; almost 
ready to, about to; likely to; flat, 
humorless, lackluster 
sou bon ~ to be set on time 
(watch, clock) 
sou ~ on time 
yon ~ ank6 another time 
yon ~ konsa sometimes, once in a 
while, occasionally 
yon lot ~ later 
leba n. low-lying land 
Iebon, lebon, lebonn see depase~ 
lebon& n. happiness 
lebotan see lapli 
l&boujwa see boujwazi 
lebra, l£bra: 
bay ~ to give one's arm to; to help, 
assist; to go together 
bese ~ to let down one's defenses, 
give up the fight 
gen - to have means or influence 
lebren: 
(kolye) pb ~, kawdtchou flanbe 
necklacing, political lynching 
using a flaming tire placed around 
victim's neck 
bay ~ to necklace (same meaning) 
lebyfc: 
pa ~ [Fr.] from this angle, in this 
way 
lebyen n. charity, beneficence; good 
l&ch n. slice, bit, piece 
lech^l see ech&l 
lechfrit n. var. of cooking receptacle 
\bd adj. ugly; dishonest; n. aid, help, 
assistance 
ib - to misbehave 
~ kou chanwan, ~ kou kaw, ~ 
kou koukou, ~ pase makak ugly 
as a mud fence, ugly as the devil 
Ibdb, Ibdnb n. ugliness; ugly person 
ledesten see desten 
ledikasyon n. education, instruction; 
see edikasyon 
ledjab see dyab 
\bdm\ see l£nmi 
Xbdxvb see Xbdb 
ledoub n. double; see doub 
ledrapo n. [Fr] the flag 
\bdte n. ugliness; dishonest act 
ledven, I&dven, lelven, leven n. 
leaven; yeast 
ledv&n see nev£n 
542 
ledwa - ftjent 
ledwa n. law; see dwa 
ledyab see dyab 
lefet, left n. [Fr.] facts, situation; the 
fact (that) 
lefini, ldfini adv. afterwards; then; 
and also, in addition, moreover 
lefou: 
ft - to pretend to be crazy; to act 
crazy 
Lefrat prop.n. [Bible] Euphrates 
river 
leg, eg n. eagle 
legal adj. legal; proper; adv. legally; 
properly 
legalite n. legality 
legalizasyon n. legalization; 
authentication, certification (of 
signature etc.) 
legalize v. to legalize; to notarize 
legalman adv. legally; properly 
legasyon n. legation 
legayan n. winner 
Legba, Atibon Legba, Legba 
Pye Kase, IVftt Bitasyon, M£t 
Granchimen, M£t Kafou, Papa 
Legba prop.n. important Voodoo 
spirit: guardian of crossroads, of 
the barrier between the living and 
the dead, between the natural and 
the supernatural 
poto ~ same as poto mitan (q.v.) 
legede n. var. of small drum (&); see 
Gede 
baget ~ skinny, skin and bones 
janm ~ very skinny legs 
legen n. winnings (from a game) 
bay ~ to surrender, give up, admit 
defeat; to succumb, yield; to give 
(s.o.) praise or credit 
moun ki bay ~ quitter, shirker, 
slacker 
mwen ba ou ~! hats off! 
ti kd ~ puny, sickly 
legeft japwouv see japwouv 
legim n. vegetable; vegetable dish; 
prostitute 
legimin^z n. leguminous plant 
legla n. knell, tolling, death bell 
legliz n. church; licorice 
mache ~ to go to church regularly 
moun ~ (regular) churchgoer 
ti (kominote) ~ small discussion 
and activist group(s) associated 
with Roman Catholic church 
Legliz de Dye prop.n. Church of 
God 
Legliz di Kris prop.n. Church of 
Christ 
Legliz Jezikri pou Sen D£nye 
Jou yoprop.n. The Church of 
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 
(Mormon Church) 
Lfcgomye, L£gonmyeprop.n. Les 
Gommiers (4th communal section 
of Roseaux, Dept. Grand'Anse) 
legout: 
gen ~ to have a cold 
legoyis n. egotism; selfishness; see 
egoyis 
legzaktitid: 
Se ~ It's precisely that 
legzanp see egzanp 
legzil see egzil 
legzistans see egzistans 
lejann n. legend, tale; caption; adj. 
legendary 
lejansyen see lezansyen 
lej£, lej& adj. light (weight); mild, 
slight 
~ kou yon pay light as a feather 
pye ~ untrustworthy woman 
lej&man adv. slightly; lightly; 
somewhat 
ftj ent see jent 
543 
lej£te - lek61 
lejfcte n. carelessness, negligence 
Lejip, Ejip prop.n. Egypt 
lejis: 
medsen - medical examiner, 
forensic expert 
lejislasyon n. legislation 
lejislat& n. legislator 
lejislati n. legislature 
lejislatif adj. legislative; n. 
legislature 
lejitim adj. legitimate, lawful; 
normal; n. var. of med. plant; 
interj. right! you bet! 
Lejitim (Franswa Deni)prop.n. 
Legitime (Francois-Denis) -
president of Haiti, 1888-1889 
~ (ri) rue Legitime (adjoining 
Champs-de-Mars, PaP) 
lejitimite n. legitimacy 
lejitim man adv. legitimately 
lejou adv. the day when 
~ ak lannwit day and night 
lejyon n. legion 
Lejyon prop.n. Roman Catholic 
youth organization 
lejyon^, lejyonn£ n. member of 
an organized prayer group - cf. 
preceding entry; legionnaire 
leka conj. just in case 
pa ~ not the least bit 
Lekaristi, Ekaristiprop.n. 
Eucharist, Holy Communion 
Lekbprop.n. Cairo (Egypt) 
Ibke conj. when 
lekinds n. sudden sea wind 
accompanied by rain 
lekipaj, lekipay see ekipay 
lekiri see ekiri 
lekiviv adv. on the alert 
Lekte (Chal Viktd Em&nyel) 
prop.n. Leclerc (Charles-
Victor-Emmanuel, 1772-1802) 
- commander of French forces in 
Saint-Domingue, 1802 
leklerezon, leklerasyon n. 
enlightenment, understanding 
lekd: 
e - ? how are you doing? 
\bko v. to make noise 
l£kd, nbkb n. sudden drop-off (sea 
floor) 
lekdkdivilaj n. [Fr] ladykiller, 
Romeo 
lekdl n. school; school building 
fb ~ to teach 
fb ~ bisonyfc to play hooky (from 
school) 
fbm (l)ekdl rural school 
- asw£, ~ di swa night school 
~ bdtet, ~ biznis, ~ bdky£, ~ 
malatchong, "ti ~" second-rate 
school (where supposedly students 
have the same chance of passing 
national exams as of winning the 
national lottery!) 
~ di dimanch Sunday school 
- fr&, ~ m£, ~ pb Roman Catholic-
run school 
~ lage disorder, confusion; free-
for-all, all hell breaks loose; 
dissoluteness 
~ malatchong see ~ bblbt 
~ menaj& home economics 
~ ndmal teacher-training school, 
school of education 
Lekdl Ndmal Siperyfc Haiti's 
main teacher-training school, PaP 
~ peye private school 
~ prirn^ elementary school 
~ prive private school (usu. 
denominational) 
~ segonde high school 
mete ~ to found a school 
mete yon bagay ~ to pawn, 
544 
lekonomi - lemetik 
mortgage, hock (fam.) 
sou ~ studious 
ti ~ see ~ b61et 
lekonomi see ekonomi 
tekonsa adv. by then; by now; at 
those times 
Lekont (Sensinatis)prop.n. Leconte 
(Cincinnatus) - president of Haiti, 
1911-1912 
lekontre n. (the) contrary, (the) 
opposite; adv. on the contrary 
Lekds, Ekdsprop.n. Scotland 
lekou: 
sou ~ outright 
lekouraj see kouray 
lekriti see ekriti 
leksik n. vocabulary, lexicon 
leksikal adj. lexical 
leksikograf n. lexicographer 
leksikografi n. lexicography 
leksikol6g n. lexicologist 
leksikoloji n. lexicology 
Leksisprop.n. Lexus (luxury 
automobile) 
leksplwatasyon see eksplwatasyon lekte lekftz, lektris f.n. reader; 
see pr£t savann 
~ disk^t disk drive (computer) 
~ optik optical reader, scanner 
lekti, lalekti n. reading 
ft ~ to read; cf. li 
- sou bouch lip reading 
lektir£ n. learned person 
lektiryan adj. literate; intellectual 
lektrik see elektrik 
lektris see lekte 
lektrisite see elektrisite 
Lekwaft see Ekwat£ 
lekzanp see egzanp 
lekzekitif n. executive branch (of 
government) 
lekzil see egzil 
lelaj: 
pran - to take off, clear out, leave 
lelandmen see landmen 
lele n. singing (obs.) - term used 
only in songs of Ibo rite (Voodoo); 
var. of edible fruit (near Jer^mie) 
ftftm n. energy, force, strength 
leliks see liks 
lelit, elit n. elite, upper class, 
bourgeoisie 
gwo ~ very upper class, highest 
echelons of society 
lelmi see ftnmi 
lelon prep, alongside 
Lelouvprop.n. the Louvre museum 
(Paris) 
lelvaj, lelvay n. livestock raising, 
animal husbandry 
lelvasyon see levasyon 
lelven see ledven 
ftlye n. premises, scene, locale (jur.) 
lemaje n. middle finger 
lemaki: 
pran ~ [Fr] to go into hiding, flee; 
cf mawon 
lemal n. evil; see mal 
leman, eman, leman n, magnet; 
protective charm 
~ kach magnetic door catch/latch 
lemante v. to magnetize, attract 
lemarye n. bridegroom 
ftmarye n. bridal couple 
lematen, ftmaten adv. in the 
mornings 
tou ~ every morning 
L^mba n. Voodoo spirit; 
Petwo (q.v.) dance 
Lemfct: 
Dye ~ God the Master 
lemetik: 
mete ~ sou lepika to make matters 
worse 
545 
Lemit - lenftnal 
Lemit, Emit, L£mitprop.n. 
L'Ermite (5th communal section 
of Saint-Michel-de-1' Attalaye, 
Dept. Artibonite) 
lemo: 
yo bay ~ they have an 
understanding 
lem6, ftmd, lenmd pi. n. spirits of 
the dead (Voodoo) 
~ kenbe li (s)he is haunted/ 
tormented by the dead (of his/her 
family) - Voodoo 
priy& ~ Voodoo ceremony for the 
dead taking place on last evening 
of a novena 
Lemd, L&m6 (ftt)prop.n. Feast 
of the Dead, All Souls' Day 
(November 2) 
lemoman adv. at the moment, at the 
time when, just as 
lemond see lemonn 
lemoni see nemoni 
Lemoniteprop.n. Le Moniteur 
(official journal of the Republic of 
Haiti) 
lemonn, lemond n. world, universe; 
worldliness; mankind, people; 
non-Protestant 
lemonnantye n. the whole world, 
everyone 
lemonni see nemoni 
lemous see mous 
lemwa n. ego, self 
LemwcMprop.n. [Bible] Lemuel 
lemye adj./adv. best 
len n. linseed; pron. [Fr] one 
ftn see lenn 
Lena prop. n. Laina (evaporated 
milk) 
lenba n. magic charm, spell 
mare yon ~ to obtain magical 
powers; to prepare a magic charm 
lenbe n. extravagance, prodigality 
bay ~ to let oneself be taken 
advantage of 
pran ~ to have an easy success 
Lenbe prop.n. Limbe - founded 
1715 (Dept. North) 
Lenbeyenprop.n., Lenbey£n 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of Limbe 
(Dept. North) 
lenbout: 
~ alot from one end to the other; 
completely 
lench n. var. of fresh-water bamboo; 
lunch [Eng.] 
lenche n. [Eng.] to lynch 
Lend see Enn 
lendeks n. [Fr] index finger, 
forefinger 
lenden n. lindane 
lendepandans seeendepandans 
soup ~ pumpkin soup (served esp. 
on 1 January) 
Site Lendepandans City of 
Independence (fam. name for 
GonaTves, Dept. Artibonite) 
lendesi n. indecisiveness 
lendi n. Monday 
lendiferans see endiferans 
lendijans see endijans 
lendistri see endistri 
lendiyasyon see endiyasyon 
Lendonezi see Endonezi 
lene n. eldest child 
l£ne: 
sou ~ nervous, agitated 
lenesese n. essential(s), necessities 
ft ~ to take the necessary steps/ 
action 
lenfanjit, enfranjit, lenfranjit n. 
elephantiasis; lymphedema 
lenfatik adj. [Fr] lymphatic 
lenftnal adj. infernal, hellish; 
546 
lenfini - lepe 
diabolical, devilish 
lenfini n. infinity 
lenfinitif see alenfinitif 
lenfranjit see ienfanjit 
lengis see lengwis 
Lenglensouprop.n. dangerous 
blood-thirsty Voodoo spirit 
lengo n. curses, imprecations; ingot 
(rare) 
lengratitid see engratitid 
lengwis, lengis n. linguist 
lengwistik, lengistik n. linguistics; 
adj. linguistic 
leninis n./adj. Leninist; n. Leninism 
lenj n. sanitary napkin or pad (for 
women) 
lenjistis see enjistis 
lenkanasyon see enkanasyon 
lenkondit, lenkondite, lenkondwit 
see enkondit 
lenkyetid see enkyetid 
tenmi, edmi, £dmi, elmi, dlmi, 
enmi (pronounced: e-nmi), dnmi, 
ennmi, ftdmi, ftlmi, lenmi 
(pronounced: le-nmi), lennmi n. 
enemy, foe, adversary; nemesis; 
rival 
lenmd see lemo 
lenn, ten n. wool; blanket; groin 
bd ~ inguinal region 
fil~yarn 
gwo ~ hydrocele 
Lenn see Enn 
lennaldt adj. mutual, reciprocal; adv. 
vice versa 
lennmi see ftnmi 
lend see n6 
lenperyalis n. imperialism; n./adj. 
imperialist 
lenp£tinans see enpetinans 
lenpinite see enpinite 
lenpot, lenpos n. transom 
lenpotans see enpdtans 
lenpresyon see enpresyon 
lenprimri see enprimri 
lens&titid see ens&titid 
lenskripsyon see enskripsyon 
lensten see ensten 
lenstriksyon n. instruction, 
education 
lenstriman see enstriman 
lentanporalite n. timelessness 
lentanporfcl adj. timeless 
lentansyon see entansyon 
gen ~ to intend 
lentelijans see ent&lijans 
lenftmedye n. intermediary 
lentere see enters 
lenteresan: 
ft ~ to put on airs 
lenteryfc: 
de ~ from within (oneself) 
Lenteryfc: 
minis ~ minister of the Interior 
lento n. lintel 
lenvanft see envanft 
lenvfes see lanv& 
lenzaldt pron. one to the other 
ftp, laftp n. leprosy 
ftp, lep n. one of the two possible 
outcomes in rudimentary form of 
dice; double six (in dice); cf. krap 
lepa: 
kandanse - sou to march in time 
with, synchronize one's steps with 
make ~ sou plas to mark time 
(without advancing) 
lepandjfc adj. loafer, idler 
lepap, pap n. pope 
lepasan n. passerby; ftpasanpin. 
passersby 
lepase n. past, past times 
lepe see nepe 
kwaze ~ to honor 
547 
lepfc - lese 
lepfc n. old man, grandpa 
Lfcpckh see Op&ch 
lepeche see peche 
lepedan, p&dan n. loser 
lep£p n. masses, underclass, 
proletariat 
lepfct n. nothing (at all) 
lepika see lemetik 
lepit see epit 
lepitem n. special comb placed in 
hair to ward off headaches 
lepli n. rainy season 
leplisouvan adv. [Fr.] most often 
leplisposib adv. [Fr] the most 
possible 
lepdk see epdk 
lepoukwa n. (the) cause, (the) 
reason why 
lepous n. thumb; cf. gwopous 
lepouvant n. panic, fright 
lepouvwapin. existing authorities, 
(the) powers that be 
lepre n. leper 
lepr&v see epr£v 
leprezan n. present, present times 
leptidwa: 
pa leve - (pou ft yon bagay) not 
to lift a finger (to do s.thg.) 
lepwa: 
sou ~ de [Fr] under the weight of 
lepwogrfc see pwogrfc 
ftpye: 
mete ~ nan/sou to set foot in/on 
lera n. rogue, rascal, scamp 
ft ~ to be seldom seen, make 
oneself scarce 
leray: 
remete sou ~ to put back onto the 
rails, put back into motion 
lere, ftrfc see er£ 
lereglemanpin. rules, regulations, 
laws 
leren see kleren 
ftrending, le endin, ft endiy adv. 
late at night 
Lerison (Jisten)prop.n. Lherisson 
(Justin) - Haitian novelist, author 
of the words of the Haitian 
national anthem (1872-1907) 
leritay, leritaj see eritay 
fts n. east; ballast; leash, lead (for 
dog); adj. agile, nimble, spry 
ft ~ to relent, let up somewhat 
lesan: 
~ kannale moute nan ftt enraged 
enough to kill 
lesanpa: 
ft ~ to walk back and forth 
lesansytM n. the essential; see 
esansycM 
lesbyfrn, ftsby£n f.n. [Fr] lesbian 
(cf. madivin£z) 
lese v. [Fr] to let, permit, allow; 
to leave, go away from; to quit 
(doing), stop (doing); to abandon 
- ale carelessness, unconcern, 
neglectfulness 
~ frape playful pushing and 
shoving; free-for-all, brawl 
~ grennen, ~ ale unconcern, 
carelessness, easy-goingness; 
laissez-faire; negligence; anarchy; 
negligent person; let the chips 
fall where they may, come what 
may; whatever happens happens; 
permissive; careless 
~ konprann to indicate, point out 
- kw£ to imply 
~ m atd powder used in Voodoo-
inspired remedies 
- pase to overlook; see lesepase 
~ tonbe to drop; jump shot 
(basketball) 
Ou met ~! Forget it! It's OK now! 
548 
les£k - lestonmak 
lesek n. dry season 
lesen n. swarm 
lesen, lesen pin. Voodoo spirits; 
Christian saints 
~ lemd everyone without 
exception 
lesena, lesenna, s£n, senn n. senna 
Lesentespri see Sentespri 
Leseny£ see Seny£ 
lesepase n. pass, permit; v. to yield 
lesepsyon see alesepsyon 
Leseye see Sey& 
lesiv n. laundry, wash (load), 
washing; wash-house 
ale nan ~, (al) ft ~ to go do the 
laundry 
lesivyez, lesivez, lesivyfc, lesivy&y 
f.n. laundress, washerwoman 
lesklavaj, lesklavay see esklavay 
Lesko (Eli)prop.n. Lescot (Elie) -
president of Haiti, 1941 -1946 
ftt ~ Carnival figure 
leskotit n. (obs.) Haitian bauxite 
(named for President Elie Lescot) 
leson, laleson n. lesson; tutoring 
bay ~ to tutor; to best s.o. (games 
etc.) 
jis — moral 
Leson prop.n. Lesson (Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
lesov£ see sov£ 
lespas see espas 
Lespay, Espay prop.n. Spain 
lesperans see esperans 
lesplikasyon see esplikasyon 
lesplwatasyon see eksplwatasyon 
lespd see espd 
lespri, espri n. spirit, soul; intellect; 
intelligence; mind; wit; cleverness; 
Voodoo spirit (ex.: Ezili, Legba); 
spirits, alcohol; adj. intelligent, 
smart, bright, clever; cultured, 
educated 
bwat ~ mind 
~ bdne narrow-minded 
~ dou gentleness 
~ pati crazy; mad, furious 
~ sen holy spirit(s) 
Lespri Sen Holy Spirit, PJoly 
Ghost 
move ~ evil spirits, devils 
san ~ ignorant, dupe 
lespwa, ftspwa see espwa 
lestanp n. [Fr] stamp, image 
leste v. to ballast, provide with 
ballast; to stabilize 
Lesft (larivy£)prop.n. l'Estere 
(tributary of the Artibonite river, 
Dept. Artibonite) 
Lesft, Pon, Ponlesft prop.n. 
l'Estere, Pont, Pont-PEsftre (2nd 
communal section of l'Esftre, 
Dept. Artibonite) 
L&sft Dereprop.n. l'Esftre-D6re' 
(4th communal section of Baie-de-
Henne, Dept. North-West) 
Lfcstoni, Estoni prop.n. Estonia 
lestonmak, estomak, lestomak n. 
chest; heart 
bat ~ to boast 
gonfle/moute - li sou to strut, 
swagger, act disdainfully or 
arrogantly toward 
- boule heartburn, indigestion 
~ chaje nausea 
~ femal chest pain 
- glise blabbermouth, big mouth 
~ griyen (with a) plunging 
neckline 
- li se kdf he/she is the soul of 
discretion 
- louvri same as bisk&t tonbe 
~ ou deyd your breasts are 
exposed 
549 
lestrad - let 
~ plen revulsion (at food) 
~ sou djak upset stomach 
manyen - CPR, cardiopulmonary 
resuscitation 
pouse ~ to grow breasts 
remonte ~ to replenish one's 
strength 
lestrad n. platform, rostrum, dais 
lestwodine: 
a ~ extraordinarily 
leswa adv. in the evening(s) 
lesye n. axle 
lesy&l n. sky; heaven 
monte/moute ~ pa do to go 
through hell 
Lesyei n. Heaven 
let n. letter (alphabet; 
correspondence); epistle; milk; 
sap, fluid; latex; var. of mango 
bwe - pa konte vo to mind one's 
own business; to waste no time, 
get down to business 
gwo ~ capital letter 
~ ak manmei closely connected 
~ ak sitwon like oil and vinegar, 
incompatible 
~ an poud powdered milk 
~ bef cow's milk 
~ bwat pou tibebe baby formula 
~ chaje letter containing money 
~ chech, ~ pase mother's milk 
which has dried up 
~ degrese low-fat milk 
~ demann formal written proposal 
of cohabitation/marriage 
~ evapore see ~ vapore 
- famasi powdered milk 
~ gate, move ~ irreversibly 
spoiled or poisonous mother's 
milk 
~ jdn colostrum, foremilk 
~ Kanasyon Carnation 
(evaporated) milk 
~ kaye curd; buttermilk; cottage 
cheese 
~ kondanse evaporated milk 
~ kouri cursive writing, 
handwriting 
- (de) kreyans (diplomatic) 
credentials 
- m a l t e malted milk 
~ manman (w ap tete) inherent 
right, automatic privilege 
~ manyezi, ~ mayezi milk of 
magnesia 
~ mayi corn syrup 
- moute nan tet dried mother's 
milk accompanied by seizures 
~ pase see ~ chech 
~ pase nan san manman (the 
nursing) mother's milk turned sour 
~ poko soti nan nen to be still wet 
behind the ears 
~ rapd colostrum, foremilk 
~ san krem, ~ san gres skimmed 
milk, nonfat milk 
~ sezisman milk from emotionally 
upset mother 
~ si sour cream 
~ sikiie circular 
~ sinistre emergency relief milk 
(usu. powdered); powdered milk 
- tou louvri, - tou dekachte open 
letter (to newspaper editor) 
~ vapore/evapore evaporated milk 
move ~ see ~ gate 
nan - incipient, budding, 
maturing, developing 
poud ~ powdered milk 
poud pou ranplase ~ non-dairy 
creamer 
pwodwi ~ dairy products 
ti ~ lower-case letter; skim milk 
ti ~ fen advanced studies; fine 
550 
leta - levasyon 
print; subtleties 
leta n. state, government; 
government official(s), authorities; 
authority; court (of law); bully, 
ruffian; see eta 
al nan - to complain to the 
authorities; to take to court 
letaj n. second floor, second story 
letaj £ see etajfc 
letaj i see letfcji 
letan n. the time 
pou ~ e pou let&nite forever and 
ever 
letan, etan n. lake, pond, pool 
Letan Anous Etang Arnoux (near 
Miragoane, Dept. Grand'Anse) 
Letan Labdd La Borde Pond 
(near Camp-Perrin, Dept. South) 
Letan Somat, Azeyi, (lak) 
Azweyi, Azyeyi, Etansomat 
Etang-Saumatre, Lake Azuey 
(Dept. West) 
letandi n. [Fr.] expanse, area 
letanp see etanp 
letasivil see eta 
lete, ete n. summer 
letfcji, letaji n. lethargy, drowsiness, 
sluggishness 
letenfcb see tenfcb 
Letfcnfcl, Letennfclprop.n. God, the 
Lord 
devan ~, dfcyfc ~ really, truly, 
authentically 
letfcnite, et&nite, etrenite n. eternity 
letenwa see antonwa 
leti n. lettuce, head of lettuce 
~ (ki) ponmen head of lettuce 
~ mawon dandelion 
tfct-head of lettuce 
Var. of lettuce: gret leks 
swasannsis, mesa, tanya 
letid: 
a ~ under study, under 
consideration 
letikfct see etikfct 
tetil see ptetil 
leto, eto n. vise, clamp; press, crush 
(of a crowd) 
letdfsee etdf 
leton n. brass; cf. kwiv 
Letoni, Latviprop.n. Latvia 
letoudimonn n. around-the-world 
trip 
letouf, letoup n. fiber used for 
caulking 
letoutpdtoprens n. Port-au-Prince 
high society 
letranje adj. foreign (cf. blan); 
imported; n. foreigner; foreign 
power 
letre adj. literate; n, well-educated/ 
well-read person 
fen - literary connoisseur 
letrisite see elektrisite 
Letwarivy^ see Twarivyfc 
Letyopi see Etyopi 
ftv n. (good) works, ministry; lip 
gwo ~ labia majora 
ti ~ labia minora 
levan n. orient 
softy ~ rising sun; east 
levanjelizasyon n. evangelization 
levanjil n. Gospel; Protestant 
antre nan - to convert to 
Protestantism 
pran pou yon pawdl ~ to accept 
as Gospel truth 
preche - to evangelize 
levantay see evantay 
levasyon, elevasyon, elvasyon, 
lelvasyon n. upbringing, rearing; 
good manners; education, 
intellectual formation, culture 
bon ~ good manners, courtesy 
551 
leve - leve 
poud ~ baking powder; yeast 
powder 
leve v. to get up, arise; to wake up, 
awaken; to wake s.o., have s.o. get 
up; to resuscitate; to grow, sprout; 
to germinate; to protrude, stick 
out; to appear (boil etc.); to raise, 
lift, elevate; to rear, raise, educate, 
bring up; to pick up; to rise; to 
pick (a fight or quarrel); to build, 
rebuild; to transfer (from one job 
or position to another); to relieve, 
replace (s.o. on duty); to abolish; 
to have an official document 
drawn up (birth certificate, deed 
etc.); n. removal; sprouting; 
(intellectual) enlightenment 
lannft a ap ~ the tide is coming in 
~ ak poul to get up early 
~ an move san, ~ an fanchman, ~ 
an koft, - an malfwenzi, ~ fache, 
~ pa nan san, ~ sou move pye to 
get up in a bad mood, get up on 
the wrong side of the bed 
~ anba yon maladi to recover 
from a sickness 
- aft to get up off the ground; to 
get up off one's knees, stand up 
~ boukliye general outcry, hue 
and cry 
~ chen pou kouche to be really 
bad off, be gone to the dogs 
~ chita to sit up; to do sit-ups 
- danse see cho pase leve danse 
- ddmi nan to be continually in, 
be totally involved in 
~ ft to lift weights 
~ goumen to start a fight, pick a 
fight 
~ gr&v to end a strike 
- j w e n n to inherit 
~ kanpe (doubout) to stand up, 
get up, rise up, mobilize, revolt; 
organized protest; (political) 
uprising, insurrection, rebellion 
~ kanpe sdti to get up from 
~ k6 li frape aft to be furious, hit 
the ceiling 
~ koken to protest, revolt; to cheat 
~ kouri to run off, run away 
~ kont to oppose, protest 
~ lis to make (out) a list 
- m wo mete m ate dousman! 
pleae leave me alone! 
~ men sou to beat, hit 
~ moute file to burst forth 
- nan ddmi to wake, awaken 
~ nan kd li, ~ nan d£ye li to rise 
up against, go after 
~ non to be named after/for 
~ nds to go to church for the first 
time after marriage 
~ (yon) p&n to fix, repair; to solve 
a problem 
- pati to get up and leave, set off 
for 
~ pipirit chantan to get up/arise 
at the crack of dawn 
~ pou fi to have an erection 
~ pye to hurry; to get out of a jam, 
find a solution 
~ softy sunrise 
~ sdti to rise up out of 
- sou bon pye, ~ sou chans to get 
up in a good mood 
~ sou de (2) pye milift li to rise 
up (in opposition) 
~ talon li to clear out, leave 
~ yon kont to start an argument 
mal ~ to get up on the wrong side 
of the bed, get up in a bad mood 
pa ~ impotent 
pa ~ ni lou ni lej& to do nothing; 
to be lazy 
552 
leveche - L&zalp 
pou ~ to (expression of time) 
softy pa ~ the sun is not shining, it 
is cloudy 
leveche see eveche 
lev&dmd n. grave-robber 
levfck see evfck 
leven see ledven 
lev&n see nev&n 
lev&nman, levenman (pronounced: 
leve-nman), levennman n. 
happening, event; unusual 
occurrence; outcome; eccentric 
character 
levi n. yeast 
~ byfc brewers' yeast 
Levi prop.n. [Bible] Levi; Levite 
levid n. emptiness, vacuum 
ftvif: [Fr] 
sou ~ impromptu 
leviloz n. levulose, fructose 
Levinftsanprop.n. Levy-Mersan 
(1st communal section of Camp-
Perrin, Dept. South) 
levit, nevit n. (suit) coat, sports 
jacket, jacket 
Lwitik prop.n. [Bible] Leviticus 
ftvivan pin. the living, those alive 
levolisyon n. evolution; progress 
levyatan n. leviathan 
levye n. lever; gearshift (lever); 
forklift 
pase ~ to change gears 
Lewaprop.n. Leroy 
L£wa, Lewa n. Epiphany, Twelfth-
Night (6 January) 
lewopin. highlands 
Lewo- prefix Upper-
Lewog&n, Lewogann see Leyog&n 
Lewdp see Ewdp 
lewopa see leyopa 
Lewo Senmakprop.n. area in 
mountains above Saint-Marc 
(Robion, Courn61, Gouyavier etc.) 
lewouj (leble), se lewouj se lenwa 
(pronounced: le-nwa) n. shell 
game (game of chance) 
lewoulewa adv. here and there 
fty n. glance; peek 
ft yon ~ to glance; to peek 
move ~ evil eye 
pote ~ to keep an eye on, watch 
Leyaprop.n. [Bible] Leah 
ley&t n. layette 
Leyi prop.n. [Book of Mormon] Lehi 
Leyo (siklon)prop.n. Leo 
(hurricane, 24-25 August 1964) 
Leyog&n, Lewog&n, Lewogann, 
Leyogann, Yogann prop.n. 
L6ogane (Dept. West) - Taino 
name: Yaguana 
Pdtay ~ southern exit of PaP 
Leyoganfcprop.n., Leyogan&z/ 
prop.n. inhabitant ofL6og£ne 
(Dept. West) 
Leyonprop.n. L6on, March£ 
L6on (2nd communal section of 
Jeremie, Dept. Grand'Anse) 
leyopa, lewopa n. leopard; prop.n. 
former elite corps formed in 1971 
of the Armed Forces of Haiti; 
member of same 
Leyopdlprop.n. Leopold 
leyota n. leotard 
ftz n. scrap, sliver, slice, slip, strip; 
edge; gore, tapered piece of cloth 
used in making skirt etc.; see bz 
bay ~ to relax 
kite yon ~ to leave alone for a 
second 
pran ~ (k6 li) to take it easy, make 
oneself comfortable, relax 
leza n. var. of large lizard 
ftza pin. fine arts 
L&zalp, Zalpprop.n. Alps (Europe) 
553 
lezam - libera 
lezam, lezam pin. souls; see zam 
pran ~ to take up arms; to become 
incensed, get angry 
L&zangft see Zangle 
lezanj, I&zanj, lezany, l&zany see 
zanj 
ti ~ little angel, innocent child 
lezansyen, lejansyen, lezansetpin. 
ancestors, forebears 
L&zantiy see Antiy 
lezapremidi, l£zapr£midi adv. in 
the afternoons 
lezasistan pin. members of a given 
Voodoo temple 
\bzb n. air, airspace 
\bzb\ see soulezcM 
ftzengra pi. n. ingrates, ungrateful 
people; strangers 
L&zennprop.n. Indies; see Enn 
lezenvizib pi. n. fearsome invisible 
beings (Voodoo spirits as well as 
souls of the dead) 
Lezetazini (Damerik), Lezetazini 
prop.n. United States (of America) 
\bzbz n. advantages 
L&ziwa, Ziwaprop.n. Les Irois 
founded 1672 (Dept. Grand'Anse) 
lezo, Iwazo, lwezo n. amniotic fluid; 
bag of waters 
boul ~ bag of waters 
kase ~ to break water (in 
childbirth) 
kase ~ nan bouch to vomit at 
beginning of childbirth 
lezod, z6d n. order, command 
lezofaj see ezofaj 
l&zdm, lez6m, lezonm n. mankind, 
human race, humanity, men 
pa ~ impotent 
l&zonnpin. (radio) airwaves 
sou - on the air (radio etc.) 
lezdt, l&zdt, z6t plpron. (the) others 
tout ~ all the others 
Lezoto prop.n. Lesotho 
lezye: 
an voyan ~ [Fr] while looking 
around 
voye ~ sou to observe 
lezyon n. lesion 
li v. to read; n. reading; border, 
selvage 
~ blan white lily (flower) 
~ sou bouch to lip read 
pa konn ~ pa konn ekri illiteracy 
li, 1, yi (TV.)pron. he, she, it; his,her, 
its; (to) him, (to) her, (to) it; him, 
her, it; reflexive pron. himself, 
herself, itself 
~ menm himself, herself, itself 
~ nan tbt li to read to oneself 
pa ~ his, hers, its; not he, not she, 
not it, not him, not her 
lib adj. free; available; uncommitted; 
unoccupied; loose (morally); adv. 
freely; n. freedman 
ansyen ~ Black or Mulatto already 
free from slavery before 1793 
~ e lib£, lib& Wbb freely 
nan ~ for nothing 
nouvo ~ Black or Mulatto freed 
from slavery in 1793 
vant ~ diarrhea 
Libanprop.n. Lebanon 
Libaneprop.n./adj., Libanez 
f.prop.n. Lebanese 
libato n. sleigh bed (var. divan 
popular esp. during Napoleonic 
period) 
Iib& see lib 
libekalib adv. freely 
libele n. wording to explain a 
particular financial transaction 
liben see kachkach 
libera n. prayer for the dead 
554 
liberal - lido 
liberal n. liberal; adj. free-spirited, 
liberal 
liberalis n. liberalism 
liberalizasyon n. liberalization 
liberalize v. to liberalize 
liberasyon n. liberation, freedom; 
discharge, release (from prison 
etc.) 
liberate n. liberator 
libere v. to liberate, release, free, set 
free 
Liberya, Liberiyaprop.n. Liberia 
Lib£t, Bab£tprop.n. nickname for 
Elizabfct (q.v.) 
lib£te, lalibete n. liberty, freedom 
~ dekspresyon freedom of speech 
~ pwovizwa provisional release 
(jur.) 
lib&ten n. dissolute person; adj. 
dissolute, libertine 
lib&tinay, lib&tinaj n. dissoluteness, 
wantonness, libertinage 
fb ~ to act up, not obey the rules 
Hbewo n. substitute player 
(volleyball) 
Libi, Lalibiprop.n. Libya 
libidibi n. divi-divi (small tree) 
Libon (larivyfc)prop.n. Libon River 
(Dept. Center and Dominican 
Republic) 
libr£ n. bookseller 
librechanj n. free trade 
libreman adv. freely; cf. lib e Yibb 
libreri n. bookstore 
Librevilprop.n. Libreville (Gabon) 
libriy6m n. Librium (anti-anxiety 
drug) 
Libyenprop.n., Libyan f.prop.n. 
Libyan 
liche see niche 
lidantite see idantite 
lide, ide n. mind; idea, opinion, 
thought; intuition, instinct; 
mood, inclination, whim; hunch; 
intention, purpose 
bay ~ to suggest 
boukante ~, bouske ~, brase ~, 
debale ~, dekachte ~, depatcha ~, 
depldtonnen ~, detaye ~, detoufe 
~, devlope ~, layite ~, twoke ~ to 
discuss, trade ideas; to brainstorm; 
exchange of ideas; brainstorming 
session; (general) discussion, talks 
chanje ~ to change one's mind 
fb ~, gen ~ to think about, 
consider; to intend to, plan to 
gen ~ sou (yon moun) to be 
interested in (s.o.), be drawn to 
(s.o.) (usu. sexually) 
gwo ~ oversized ambition; overly 
ambitious, greedy 
jan - li di li freely, voluntarily, 
without coercion 
~ li di 1 to feel like (doing s.thg.); 
to have a whim or fancy; to have a 
hunch, suspect 
~ li frape sou to think about 
manke yon ti ~ to be a little bit 
short of, be a little bit less than 
mete ~ sou to be tempted by 
yon ti ~ pi lwen a little bit farther 
Mdb n. [Eng.] leader (political) 
lid^chip n. [Eng.] leadership 
lidekan n. camp bed, folding bed 
Lid£s (Emil)prop.n. Ltiders (Emile) 
Zaft ~ famous case involving 
supposed mistreatment of German 
citizen in Haiti and Germany's 
retribution, 1897 
lideyal nJadj. ideal 
Lidiprop.n. Lydia (ancient country 
of Asia Minor) 
lido n. dice game played using flat 
board and pawns 
555 
lig - limen 
lig n. league 
ligati (twonp) n. tubal ligation; see 
fill aligati 
ligote v. [Fr] to bind hand and foot 
lijen n. var. of edible plant 
lij&n, lijy£n, lijyenn see ijyen 
Likprop.n. Luke 
lik&n n. skylight; dormer window; 
transom 
likb n. liqueur 
likemya n. [Fr] leukemia 
likid n. liquid, fluid; adj. loose, fluid, 
flexible; liquid 
ale ~ to have diarrhea 
bay ~ to secrete 
santi ~ si to have an acidic belch 
or gastric reflux 
likidasyon n. liquidation, clearance 
sale 
likide v. to liquidate, sell off, sell at 
special low price 
likidifye v. to liquefy 
likidite n. liquidity (finances) 
Likneprop.n. Luckner 
HkoptS see elikdpft 
likou n. halter rope (for restraining 
animals by neck); cf. kdd tet 
Likr&n see Ikren 
liks, leliks n, luxury 
Liksprop.n. Lux (soap) 
Liksanbou, Liksenbou prop.n. 
Luxembourg 
hxktbxvstayn prop.n. Liechtenstein 
HI see zile 
~ Moris Mauritius 
Lil prop.n. Lille (France) 
lila n. lilac 
~ etranje var. of med. shrub 
Lilann, Ilannprop.n. Ireland 
Lilavach, Dilavach, Ilavach, 
Zileavachprop.n. (l')lle-&-
Vache(s) (island near Cayes, Dept. 
South) 
Lilavwaprop.n. Lilavois (Dept. 
West) 
lil&t n. small island, islet 
lili n. looniness, craziness; lily 
(flower) 
Lili prop.n. Lully (near Arcahaie, 
Dept. West) 
lilit n. weewee (penis of small boy) 
Lilyadprop.n. "The Iliad" (Homer?; 
Lily&n/prop.n. Lilian 
lim n. file (tool); nail file, emery 
board; whetstone; anthem 
~ kare, ~ kat fas square file 
- plat flat file 
~ triyang triangular file 
limaj see imaj 
limanite, imanite n. humanity, 
mankind 
limansite n. immensity 
limas n. slug (mollusk) 
lime see limen 
limedya: 
nan ~ in the immediate future 
limen, lime v. to light; to turn on, 
switch on (lamp); to light up 
(fire, cigarette etc.), ignite; to 
file (fingernails etc.); to wear 
threadbare; to spank (fig.)', adj. 
lighted, on; threadbare, frayed, 
worn(-out) 
~ balenn to consult a Voodoo 
priest; to put a hex on; to light a 
candle in (Roman Catholic) church 
- balenn/bouji/chand£l d£ye yon 
moun to put a hex on s.o. 
~ dbyb to spank 
~ dife to kindle/light a fire 
~ k6 li to act in a seductive manner 
(woman); to put oneself forward 
as a leader 
- lanp to light a lamp near the bed 
556 
limena - linet 
etc. of a deceased person after the 
burial 
~ lespri to stimulate the mind 
~ tenyen, ~ touye, mouri ~ to 
flicker, blink (light) 
tou ~ flaming; vehement; great, 
fantastic; loose woman 
limena, limenna: 
gwo ~ affluent woman merchant 
limewo see nimewo 
limewote see nimewote 
limidite see imidite 
limilite see imilite 
liminasyon n. burning of candles 
(cemetery, graves etc.) 
limin&ks (machin) n. var. of 
emergency lighting system 
liminen, liminye v. to light up; to 
light a candle and pray on the 
grave of s.o. or at the foot of statue 
of a saint; adj. luminous, shiny 
limin&z adj. luminous, luminescent 
limit n. boundary, limit, extent 
san ~ uncontrollable; limitless, 
boundless 
limitasyon n. limitation 
limite v. to limit; to restrict 
limn see im 
limojaj n. [Fr.] dismissal; exile to a 
distant post 
limon n. slime; pond scum; moss 
~ frans lemon 
~ lanme algae 
limonad, limonnad n. (weak) 
limeade; lemonade 
se ~ m ye ou ap bw& m you're 
trying to change the subject on 
me, you're trying to turn away my 
attention from the subject at hand 
Limonad, Limonnad prop.n. 
Limonade - founded 1678 (Dept. 
North) 
Limonadyen prop.n., Limonady&n 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of Limonade 
(Dept. North) 
limoralite see imoralite 
limouzin n. limousine 
limyfc, lalimyfc n. light; candles; light 
bulb; electric current; electricity; 
traffic light; headlight; glimpse; 
vision 
ft ~ sou, bay ~ sou to clarify, shed 
light on, get to the bottom of 
gwo ~ brights, high beams (car) 
kout ~ use of magical oil lamp to 
harm s.o. (Voodoo) 
~ bak back-up lights (car) 
~ devan headlight (car) 
~ dbyb tail light (car) 
~ dim dimmers (car) 
~ koukouy roadside reflector 
~ pakin parking light (car) 
~ plafon overhead light 
~ plak light above license plate 
~ siyal turn signal (car) 
~ softy sunshine 
~ wouj notorious person 
lopital Limye see Bdnfen 
prize ~ insight, eye-opener 
ti ~ lows (vehicle headlights) 
lin n. telephone line; see lalin; liy 
Linaf acron. (Lig Nasyonal 
Foutbdl) Haitian National Soccer 
League 
Lin^sko acron. l'UNESCO (United 
Nations Educational, Scientific 
and Cultural Organization) 
lin£t n. (pair of eye)glasses; hole 
(in pants); opening (in game of 
checkers); opening in traffic or 
barricade (through which a vehicle 
can pass) 
bwa ~, manch ~, monti ~ frames 
(of eyeglasses); pair of (eye) 
557 
lufttri - Lisyen 
glasses 
~ bifokal bifocal lens 
- nwa, ~ softy sunglasses, dark 
glasses 
- pwoftj protective goggles 
- sekirite safety goggles 
machann ~ optician 
lin£tri n. optical store, optician's 
service 
liney& adj. linear 
ling n. line; clothesline; (shared) 
taxi; string 
linikite n. iniquity 
Unite, inite n. unity; unit, group 
linivfc, inivfc n. universe 
liniv&site see iniv&site 
Linkdlprop.n. Lincoln (automobile) 
Linkdl (Abraram)prop.n. Lincoln 
(Abraham) - president of USA, 
1861-1865 
linondasyon see inondasyon 
linosans see inosans 
linotip n. linotype 
linotipis n. linotypist 
liny see liy 
linyen v. to court, woo, go after 
(opposite sex) 
linyon, inyon n. union, alliance 
Linyon Ewdp(eyen), Inyon 
Ew6p(eyen), Linyon Lew6p 
prop.n. European Union 
Linyon Sovyetikprop.n. Soviet 
Union 
linyorans see inyorans 
lipid n. lipid 
lipokrizi see ipokrizi 
Lirak, I rak prop.n. Iraq 
Liran, Iran prop.n. Iran 
lirik adj. lyric(al) 
Liryoblanko prop.n. Lirio Blanco 
(powdered milk) 
lis n. list, roll; menu; luster, shine, 
polish, gloss; lily; trail, trace, 
slime (of snail or slug); adj. 
smooth; glossy; polished 
~ datant waiting list 
~ manje menu 
sou ~ social rank or station; of 
one's friends 
lisans n. license, permit; driver's 
license; abuse of freedom; licence 
(Fr. university degree); v. to 
license, issue a permit 
bay ~ to license 
jwenn ~ li to be able to do as one 
pleases (pej.) 
pran ~ li to do as one pleases 
(pej.) 
lisansye n. [Fr] holder of a licence 
(Fr. university degree); v. [Fr.] to 
fire, dismiss, lay off; to license, 
authorize [Eng.] 
Lisbdn prop.n. Lisbon (Portugal) 
lise n. public high school; v. to 
smooth, smooth out or down; 
to uncurl, straighten (one's 
hair); to polish; adj. waved and 
brilliantined (hair) 
liseyen n. lisey&n f.n. public high 
school student 
Lisiprop.n. Lucy; Lycia [Bible] 
lisid adj. [Fr] lucid, clear-headed, 
sane 
lisidite n. [Fr] lucidity, clear­
headedness 
Lisifbprop.n. Lucifer 
lisiferize v. to demonize 
Lisft (larivy£) prop.n. Ilet River 
(Dept. South) 
listre v. to shine, polish; to glaze 
gloss 
listrin n. glossy cotton fabric 
listwa see istwa 
Lisyen prop.n. Lucian 
558 
lit - liyorans 
lit n. liter; struggle, fight; wrestling; 
see litlit 
~ kole sere neck-to-neck race, 
tight race 
Litali see Itali 
litani n. litany; refrain, same old 
story 
gran ~ big argument 
lite v. to wrestle; to struggle, strive, 
fight; to persevere 
lift n. wrestler, fighter; struggler 
Lift prop.n. Luther 
liten, louten n. ghost or soul of an 
unbaptized child 
~ a(k) bab hypocrite 
literaft n. writer (notpej. as in Fr.) 
literati n. literature 
liters adj. literary 
literyen prop, n./adj. Lutheran 
litij n. lawsuit; dispute (jur.) 
litiji n. liturgy 
litijik adj. liturgical 
litlit adv. easily, smoothly, without 
worrying, without problem; bit by 
bit 
litografi n. lithograph 
litoral n. [Fr] coastline 
Litwani, Lityani prop.n. Lithuania 
litydm n. lithium 
liv n. book; pound 
ft di ~ tb sou lestonmak (yon 
moun) when one is dead and 
buried/pushing up daisies/put to 
bed with a shovel 
~ gid guidebook 
~ lekdl textbook 
pike ~ divination based upon 
random choice of passage from a 
book 
po ~ book cover 
liv£, ive n. winter 
liv&nay, iv&nay n. wintertime, winter 
season; period of unemployment 
and inactivity 
livrab adj. ready for delivery 
livre v. to deliver, remit, hand 
over, give to; to throw oneself 
into, commit oneself to (an 
undertaking) 
~ tbt to confide in, reveal oneself 
~ yon batay to engage in a fight, 
wage a war 
\i\rb n. pamphlet; booklet 
livrezon n. delivery 
livwa see ivwa 
liwond£I see iwond£l 
liy, liny n. line, mark; cord, line; 
clothes line; clothes rack; line (of 
people); fishing line; measuring 
rope or string; stripe; strip; (traffic) 
lane; inclination, tendency, 
preference; courting, wooing; see 
laling 
ch£f ~ border guard 
ft - to line up; to wait in line; to 
court, woo 
~ aplon plumb line 
~ demakasyon boundary; 
demarcation line (milit.); foul line 
(sports) 
~ frans nylon cord 
~ lesiv clothesline 
liyann see lyann 
Liyawona, Konpa prop.n. [Book of 
Mormon] Liahona 
liye v. [Fr] to bind, fasten, connect, 
tie up; cf. mare 
liyen v. to go after, pursue; to tail 
(s.o.); to set a trap for; to court, 
woo; to flatter, butter up; to test 
out, check out; to line up, arrange; 
to wind (spinning top) 
liyit n. lignite 
liyorans see inyorans 
559 
Liz - lobo 
Liz/prop.n. Lise 
lizaj, lizay n. good manners, 
courtesy, politeness, etiquette, 
proper thing to do; use, usage; 
customs, habits; proper hygiene 
ft ~ to be a big drinker/user of 
coffee/tobacco etc.; to fulfill one's 
social, domestic or societal duties 
gen ~ to be well-bred, be 
courteous 
- (nan) kay housecleaning 
san ~ hick, hayseed; ill-bred, 
ill-mannered, rude, impolite; 
unconcerned, negligent, indifferent 
selon ~ usual, customary 
Mzb n. reader; cf. Iekt£ 
lizib adj. [Fr] legible 
lizin see izin 
Lizray£l see Izray£l 
lizre v. to border, edge (dress, 
tablecloth etc.) 
lizy£ n. edge, border, boundary, limit 
gran ~ ak foli grandfc 
extravagant, exaggerated, extreme 
~ vyann cheap cuts of meat 
rafrechi - to mark again property 
lines; to repair fences 
lo n. lot, pile; supply; group; portion; 
lottery prize 
ft ~ to assemble, put together 
gwo ~, premye ~ first prize in 
national lottery; jackpot 
16 n. gold; time; adj. golden; conj. 
when, while; prep, at the time of 
depi ~ a since then, since that time 
~ sa a then, at that time 
santim ~ U.S. cent, U.S. penny 
ftt ~ red-haired 
16b n. lobe 
Lobak (Frank)prop.n. Laubach 
(Frank) (1884-1970)-U.S. 
linguist who assisted Ormonde 
McConnell (Makonnd-g.v.) 
in establishing written form of 
Haitian language 
lobe v. to splash water noisily; to 
toss out, toss away; to pass ball 
over s.o.'s head (soccer) 
bat ~, koupe ~, tire ~, voye~to 
splash water noisily; dispute, row 
lobedyans n. authority, domination, 
command, influence, control 
sou ~, anba - under the direction 
of, under the command of, 
under the influence of, under the 
sponsorship of 
lob£j see obfcj 
Lobelisk prop.n. Obelisk in honor 
of Heroes of Independence 
(Gonaives, Dept. Artibonite) 
16b£y n. brawl, quarrel, row; noise; 
scandal; junk, trash 
manje - badly-cooked food 
pete yon ~ ak to have a quarrel/ 
fight with 
lobi see 16bi 
Lobi, Koriprop.n. Loby, Cory (3rd 
communal section of Tiburon, 
Dept. South) 
16bi, lobi n. [Eng.] lobby, entrance 
hall; lobby group, pressure group, 
special interest group 
ft ~ (pou) to lobby for [Eng.] 
16bidy£t, 16bidj£t«. throat 
vire ~ to torment, upset, stir up, 
agitate 
16biyis n. [Eng.] lobbyist 
lobiz, 16biz n. cannon; see ftt~ 
\ob\bsee objfc 
lobj£ktif, lobjektif n. objective, 
aim, goal 
lobligasyon see obligasyon 
lobo n. brawl, quarrel, row; noise; 
talented person 
560 
lobop - lokalize 
gwo ~ big shot, VIP 
lobop n. [rare] difficult time 
ldbdy n. large flat-bed truck 
\bbyh n. gall, bile 
pete ~ to kill 
16d n. order, discipline; command; 
order, sequence; religious order; 
lord (British title) 
antre nan ~ to return to normal 
bay ~ to order, command 
fe - rete ~ to restore law and order 
~ avoka Bar Association 
- di jou agenda; order of the day 
(milit.) 
mete an ~, mete (yon) ~ to 
establish order; to organize; to 
straighten up, tidy up 
pase (yon moun) ~ to order (s.o.), 
give orders (to s.o.) 
remete ~ to reestablish order 
sou ~ under the orders of 
lodas see odas 
lod£ n. front-end loader (mach.) 
lodfc, ldd£ see od£ 
lodeye v. to perfume, give out 
fragrance 
Lodiseprop.n. "The Odyssey" 
(Homer?) 
lddonans see 6donans 
lodyans see odyans 
lodyans£ see odyansfc 
LOEA see OEA 
16f n. offer, proposition, bid 
lofe v. to approach land, maneuver to 
land, luff (boat); to celebrate, have 
a good time 
lofeb, lof&m, loffcv see df&v 
ldfini see l&fini 
lofis n. pantry; sideboard (for 
glasses, plates etc.); church 
service(s); see ofis 
lofrann see ofrann 
lofre n. osprey (fish-eating hawk) 
ldg&y n. pride, arrogance, conceit; 
anger 
leve ~ yon moun to stir up s.o.'s 
pride or anger 
logo n. logo 
16j n. barley; box seat; Freemason 
lodge 
Sa k gen nan ~? What's going on? 
How's it going? 
Idja n. treat, delicacy, goodie; 
amaretto, syrupy drink with 
almond liquid base 
siwo ~ amaretto, syrupy drink 
using almond-base liquid; special 
treat; sweetie, darling 
loje v. to lodge; to house, provide 
lodging for 
mache nan ~ (yon moun) to agree 
with (s.o.) 
lojik n. logic; reasoning; adj. logical 
lojikman adv. logically 
lojistikw. logistics; adj. logistic(al) 
\o]isyb\n./adj. computer software 
lojman, ldjman n. housing, lodging, 
shelter 
pran ~ to move in 
san ~ homeless person 
16k n. rag(s), tatters; strong 
purgative; door lock; v. to lock; 
adj. locked 
lokal n. place, locale, premises; adj. 
local, domestic 
nan ~ li well-balanced, sensible, 
sane; in full control of oneself, in 
full command of one's senses 
pa nan ~ li crazy, insane; uneasy, 
uncomfortable 
lokalis adj. parochial, limited 
lokalite n. locality, area, 
neighborhood 
lokalize v. to locate, center 
561 
lokans - lonbrit 
lokans n. talkativeness, 
loquaciousness, garrulousness 
lokasyon n. rent; renting; location; 
adj. rental 
lokatfc n. tenant 
lokatif adj. rental 
enpo ~ property tax, real-estate tax 
ldkawout n. [Eng.] lockout (labor 
dispute) 
lokazyon see okazyon 
lokazyone see okazyonnen 
loke, foke, f6ke, loke adj. [Span.] 
crazy, loony, insane; loose, shaky 
ldke v. [Eng.] to lock 
ldk&tt. [Eng.] locker 
ldk&s see 6k£s 
lokipasyon see okipasyon 
Lokipasyon n. (period of) U.S. 
Occupation of Haiti (1915-34; 
1994-95) 
lokit£ n. [Fr.] speaker (of a given 
language) 
loko n. sacred tree (Voodoo); adj. 
[Span.] crazy, insane 
Loko prop.n. Voodoo spirit of 
vegetation and healing, guardian 
of sanctuaries 
lokobasiye, lokobasye, lokobaziye 
n. very calm person; adj. calm, 
level-headed 
lokobe: 
bat ~ to be dying; to keep afloat, 
keep going, persevere 
lokomotiv n. locomotive 
lokop£t n. gossip, scandal-monger; 
big-mouth or loud-mouth person 
Loksidan see Oksidan 
loksydl n. alcoholic drink 
lolin n. small amount of money 
lolit see Tilolit 
lolo, lola, lole v. to wheedle, cajole, 
sweet-talk; to entice, beguile, 
allure; to lull 
1616: 
bouch li koule ~ to water (mouth) 
1616j, 1616y n. mental stability, 
levelheadedness; see 616j 
fatige ~ (yon moun) to bug, 
bother, annoy (s.o.) 
marinen ~ (yon moun), chavire 
~ (yon moun) to disturb (s.o.) 
profoundly 
p£di - to lose one's senses; to 
become infatuated 
ti ~ simpleton, idiot; envious 
vire ~, detounen ~ to drive (s.o.) 
crazy; to make (s.o.) change his/ 
her mind, (overly) influence; to 
mislead, misinform, contuse; to 
lead astray 
yaya - li to get one's mind going, 
work one's mind 
16m n. man, mankind; corrupted 
man; see 6m 
lomaj see omaj 
lomeyans n. praise; literary genre 
embodying praise or glorification 
16n see lonn 
LONA acron. ON A (Office National 
d'Assurance-Vieillesse) Haitian 
Social Security System 
lonbraj see lonbray 
lonbraje adj. skeptical, wary, 
distrustful; skittish (horse etc.) 
lonbray, lonbraj, lonbway, onbwaj 
n. shade; shadow 
bay ~ to shade 
lonbrit, lonbrik, nonbrit n. navel, 
belly button; umbilical cord 
gwo ~, van nan ~ protruding 
umbilicus; umbilical hernia 
k6d ~ umbilical cord 
koupe k6d ~ li ak sizo manti to 
be a born liar 
562 
Lond - lonn 
~ pouri stinker, no-good guy 
se ak.. . yo koupe ~ li to really 
like have a taste for ... 
twou ~, tou ~, navel 
Lond see Lonn 
londje see longfc 
Londonn see Lonn 
Londonyen {pronounced: Lon-
do-nyen)prop.«., Londonyen 
fprop.n. Londoner 
lone, ldnfc see on& 
lonekte, lonetete see on£kte 
long adj. long; slow (in doing s.thg.) 
ft ~ to take a long time (to do 
s.thg.) 
ft pi ~ to lengthen 
~ kon zong by a hair's breadth 
longan n. unguent, ointment, salve; 
liniment 
longanis n. var. of large sausage 
Longaylann, Longayilannprop.n. 
Long Island (New York) 
longe, londje n. length; power, 
influence; ability 
b£l ~ very tall and thin (person) 
konnen - yon moun to know 
what (stuff) s.o. is made of, know 
the measure of s.o.'s worth 
~ donn wave length 
men ~ ever so long 
twa pye de ~ three feet long 
longman adv. at length 
longpleying adj. [Eng.] long-playing 
(record) 
longsay adj. great, major 
longvi see lonnvi 
Loni acron. United Nations 
lonje, alonje v. to lengthen, prolong, 
extend; to hold out, stretch out; to 
reach out; to border, run alongside; 
to knock down; to take a nap, lie 
down 
ft yon ti ~ to lie down a little 
while, take a little rest 
~ bay to present (to), hand over (to) 
~ bouch, - dydl to express anger 
or dissatisfaction, pout 
~ dwfct accusation(s), 
recrimination(s) 
~ dw£t li byen long sou to 
pointedly accuse, denounce 
~ dw&t sou to point at; to pinpoint; 
to accuse 
~ dw£t (sou zo Kingkong) to 
accuse (s.o.) of a crime, denounce; 
to look for trouble 
~ kd to stretch out, recline, relax 
~ kou to crane one's neck; to peep 
at 
~ men to reach, reach out 
- men bay to provide a helping 
hand to/for 
~ men pran to reach, stretch out 
one's hand (begging; supplication) 
~ pran to reach (for) 
~ vini to hand over 
~ yon kout (pwen ets.) to hit with 
(fist etc.) 
- (yon moun) lanmen to offer 
(s.o.) a helping hand 
lonjitid n. longitude 
lonm, onm n. shade; shadow; see 
16m 
lonmaren n. rosemary (fragrant 
shrub) 
lonmen see nonmen 
lonminasyon see nominasyon 
lonmftt see lanmiftt 
lonn, 16n, lonnay, on {pronounced: 
o-n), 6n, z6n n. aune, ell (45 
inches - for measuring cloth); 
wooden length for measuring an 
aune 
yon ~ a lot of, much 
563 
Lonn - Ldsannjeles 
Lonn, Lond, Londonn, Lonndonn 
prop.n. London (England) 
lonne see one 
lonn&kte see on£kte 
lonnen v. to measure cloth by the ell 
(by 45-inch lengths); to measure 
lonn£tete see on£kte 
lonnvi, longvi n. telescope, 
binoculars 
lontan adv. formerly, (from) long 
ago, in time past, in bygone days, 
for a long time; by far, by a long 
shot; considerably; adj. age-old, 
ancient; obsolete 
anvan ~ before long, soon 
ansyen ~, ~ nan Ginen long long 
ago, in olden days 
depi ~ since long ago 
- sa a long time ago 
lonyen v. to peer at, stare (at) 
lopilans see opilans 
lopin: 
ft ~ to roll over (vehicle) 
Lopino see Fonkochon 
lopinyon see opinyon 
lopital n. hospital 
Lopital Dechapel Albert 
Schweitzer Hospital 
(Deschapelles) 
Lopital Jeneral General Hospital of 
the State University of Haiti (PaP) 
mdn Lopital Morne l'Hopital 
(mountain above PaP) 
lopdtinite see opdtinite 
lopozisyon n. opposition (politics) 
lopresyon see opresyon 
lopyom see opydm 
loraliti see oraliti 
Loranprop.n. Laurent (7th 
communal section of Cayes, Dept. 
South) 
loratwa see ogatwa 
loray, loraj, zoray n. thunder, 
thunderstorm 
ft ~ to thunder 
kout ~ clap of thunder 
~ boule to be hit by lightning; 
criminal, bandit; vicious person 
~ kale brat, rascal; impossible 
woman; old experienced hand, 
veteran 
~ tonbe lightning bolt 
pitit ~ son of a bitch [N.] 
loreya n./adj., loreyat f.n. laureate 
(esp. student who scores the 
highest on official national exam); 
prize winner, high scorer 
lorezon see orezon 
lorigan n. oregano; marjoram 
lorijinalite see orijinalite 
lorikift, ekift, orikift n. [Fr.] little 
finger, pinky 
lorin: 
manman ~ large corpulent woman 
lorizon see orizon 
loryan n. east 
Loryan prop.n. Orient 
ldry&n n. squirrelfish 
lorye n. laurel 
chita sou ~ li to rest on one's 
laurels 
fty ~ bay leaf 
~ blan oleander (shrub) 
~ gran fey shinglewood tree 
~ j6n sweetwood tree 
~ pyan(t) black sweetwood tree 
~ sasafra sassafras tree 
~ woz oleander, rose laurel (shrub) 
Lorye prop.n. Laurier 
(disadvantaged area of Cape 
Haitian) 
ldryon n. lorgnette; monocle 
Ldsannjefts, Losanjeftsprop.n. Los 
Angeles (California) 
564 
loseyan - lou 
loseyan, oseyan n. ocean 
Loseyani see Oseyani 
ldske conj. [Fr.] when 
Ldspalisprop.n. Los Palis 
(commune of Cerca Carvajal, 
Dept. Center) 
lospis n. shelter (for elderly or sick) 
Lospozos, Losposprop.n. Los Posos 
(Dept. Center) 
lostal n. (any) alcoholic drink 
losti n. communion wafer, Host 
yon kdb ~ a little bit of money 
Lostrali see Ostrali 
lostwogo, ostwogo n. dumb oaf, 
blockhead; prop.n. Ostrogoth 
Losy&nprop.n. Lociane 
(2nd communal section of 
Thomassique, Dept. Center) 
losye n. tiny bit; snack 
ban m yon ti ~ give me a little 
help, give me a hand 
losyon n. cologne, perfume; 
mosquito repellent 
- labab after-shave lotion 
mete ~ nan nen chen to cast 
pearls before swine 
losyonnen v. to perfume; to wear 
perfume 
16t adj. other; another; next 
al sou ~ la to jump s.o. 
~ mwa next month 
~ senmenn next week 
tout ~ yo all the others 
yon ~ another 
youn konte sou ~ interdependence 
youn ou ~ either 
L6tprop.n. [Bible] Lot 
lota n. skin rash, heat rash; whitish 
spots (on black skin) 
lotantisite see otantisite 
16tb6 adv. (over) there, beyond; 
abroad; adj. foreign; prep, across, 
on the other side (of) 
~ a over there 
~ dlo, ~ lannft abroad, (from) 
overseas 
L6tb6 Kannalprop.n. L'Autre-
Bord-du-Canal (disadvantaged 
area of Gonaives, Dept. 
Artibonite) 
lote v. to allot, parcel out, divide up; 
to pile up; to involve (s.o.) 
loft, 16ft v. to be responsible for, be 
liable for; n. cause, reason why; 
see oft 
loftl, oftl n. altar; hotel 
~ kominal, ~ de vil [Fr] town hall 
~ (kote yo ft) moman "hot-
pillow" hotel/motel, "no-tell 
motel," hotel/motel renting rooms 
by the hour as well as for the night 
lotisman n. housing site, plot, lot 
16tjou, lotjou, lotrejou, 16trejou 
adv. (just) the other day, (just) 
recently; three days ago 
loto n. lotto, bingo 
16tograf see 6tograf 
lot6n, ot6n n. autumn, fall 
lotopsi see topsi 
lotorite see otorite 
lotrejou, 16trejou see 16tjou 
lotri n. lottery 
biyfc ~ milyon one in a million 
chances 
lotrich see otrich 
Lotrich see Otrich 
lou adj. heavy; difficult; important, 
big-shot; lukewarm; sultry 
(weather); impure (water); slow-
witted, clumsy, dull; fat, corpulent; 
heavily accented (speech); n. wolf 
lespri li ft ~ to be slow-witted/ 
dull/stupid 
~ pase yon pwa senkant to weigh 
565 
loubli - louv£ 
a ton 
men pa-generous 
(pa leve/ft) ni ~ ni Iej£ to do 
nothing 
peze ~ to weigh heavily, be of 
consequence 
loubli: 
nan ~ into oblivion 
Loubyana/?ro/?.«. Ljubljana 
(Slovenia) 
louch n. ladle, dipper; adj. 
suspicious 
~ fritay skimmer (cul.) 
louchet n. crow-bar; hole-digger 
Loud prop.n. Lourdes (France) 
loud£ n. heaviness, weight 
loudman adv. heavily 
loudo n. oaf, lout; slowpoke, 
straggler; adj. sluggish, lazy; 
clumsy, awkward 
louga n. relief, respite 
lougal, lougay n. look, glimpse, 
peek; tiny bit, snack; a little 
leeway 
bay (yon) ~ to let s.o. have a look 
at or a peek at; to give s.o. a break, 
let s.o. off 
ib yon ~ to have a look or a peek 
at 
lougawou n. vampire-like witch 
or warlock; creature believed 
human by day and vampire by 
night; prostitute (N.B. There is 
no werewolf tradition in Haitian 
folklore.) 
iby ~, iby frize, zbb ~ air plant, 
never-die, resurrection plant (herb) 
- used as protection against ~ 
~ lanm& longnose batfish 
lougay see lougal 
louk n. welt, swelling; hump (of 
hunchback - cf. bds) 
ib ~ to swell, form a welt 
Louki prop.n. traditional name for 
dogs 
Loukistray prop.n. Lucky Strike 
(brand of cigarettes) 
loukout fn. witch, sorceress; cf. 
lougawou 
louloup: 
~ manje apa ~ manje andjapa 
incremental refrain of children's 
song 
loulou(t) see youyou 
loulou(z) see djdl lolo 
louma n. var. of marble game 
loumpenn nJadj. lumpen, 
disfranchised, disadvantaged 
loup n. magnifying glass; crystalline 
lens (of eye) 
louper£ (abab) n. adult male 
loupin n. leap; loop-the-loop 
(airplane) 
ib (yon) - to leap; to loop-the-loop 
(airplane) 
lous n. bear; person in excellent 
physical condition; adj. [Eng.] 
loose 
~ blan, ~ pote polar bear 
ti ~ bear cub 
lous, ous n. bear 
Lous: 
Gwo ~ la the Big Dipper 
Ti ~ la the Little Dipper 
loustik n. joker, character 
lout n. otter 
loutcha: 
1 ap ~ he/she is getting by, 
managing, somehow making ends 
meet 
louten see liten 
cheve ~ dreadlocks 
~ ak bab hypocrite 
louv& see louvri 
566 
louvfcti - lwa 
louveti see ouv&ti 
Louv£ti see Tousen 
Site ~ Cit6-Louverture 
(disadvantaged area of PaP) 
louvetiryen adj. in the spirit 
of Toussaint Louverture, 
revolutionary 
louvoye v. to pitch (boat); to be 
sailing along fine 
louvri, louvfc, ouvri v. to open (up); 
to let out a hem, make larger 
(clothes); to unlock; to begin; to 
turn on (radio, TV etc.); to begin 
fighting (cock); adj. sore 
gran ~ wide-open 
- ak kou to beat, club 
~ bal sou to fire upon 
~ femen prostitute 
~ femen (je) to glance at; to wink; 
to blink 
~ janm to engage in sex (woman) 
~ je li to be watchful, be vigilant 
~ kd li to take up too much space; 
to open oneself to criticism; to act 
sexily (woman) 
~ ft to loosen/turn over soil 
- vant exposed, vulnerable (to 
exploitation) 
~ vant, ~ konsyans to pour out 
one's soul, open one's heart, get 
(s.thg.) off one's chest 
~ zam to open fire, shoot at 
~ zb\ li to open oneself up, to come 
out of oneself 
... pou ~ (sou) ... to (expression of 
time) 
tou - open, wide-open, open-
ended 
louvto n. cub scout 
louvwaye v. to hedge, beat around 
the bush, hem and haw, skirt the 
issue 
louwanj see lwanj 
louwanje see lwanj e 
louwe v. to praise (the Lord) 
Lovanaprop.n. traditional children's 
song 
loveye v. to tack, beat to windward 
(nautical); to sail along; to be 
loaded with (money, possessions 
etc.) 
ldyen v. to ogle, eye 
ldy&t n. lorgnette 
ldyon n. pince-nez (glasses) 
Loz&n, Lozann prop.n. Lausanne 
(Switzerland) 
lozanj n. lozenge, rhombus 
ldz&y, dz£y n. sorrel (bot.) 
pran ~ pou chou to take pinetrees 
for pineapples, be naive, be duped 
Var. are: ~ mawon, ~ sovaj 
lozye n. wicker 
lwa n. law, rule, regulation; Voodoo 
spirit; see lalwa 
aft ~ Voodoo religion 
ft sfcvis ~ to conduct a Voodoo 
ceremony 
gen ~ to be temporarily possessed 
by a Voodoo spirit (same as 
monte) 
gwo ~ any revered Voodoo spirit 
dating from at least the Haitian 
Revolution 
~ achte, ~ bfclfft any evil Voodoo 
spirit at the service of a bdkd (q.v.) 
~ blan any pure and undefiled 
Voodoo spirit 
~ bosal any violent unidentified 
Voodoo spirit 
~ djab any Voodoo spirit of the 
Petwo rite 
~ Ginen any Voodoo spirit who 
represents the authentic African 
tradition 
567 
lwa - Lwfcs 
~ je wouj any evil cannabilistic 
Petwo Voodoo spirit 
~ kad general or outline law 
~ kreydl any Voodoo spirit 
originating in New World 
~ (met)tet one's principal 
protective Voodoo spirit to whom 
is owed special allegiance 
~ nan kannari spirit of an 
ancestor rescued "from under the 
water" 
~ padon amnesty 
~ pi same as ~ Ginen 
~ pwen Voodoo spirit who 
provides special protection or 
powers 
~ rasin one's ancestral Voodoo 
spirit 
- sele chwal li to be possessed by 
Voodoo spirit 
- tet same as - (m£t)t£t 
~ zenga Voodoo spirit which is 
deaf or without ears 
maladi ~ supernatural illness 
manman ~ constitution 
mare ~ ceremony or act of 
restraining a troublesome Voodoo 
spirit 
mete ~ a deyd to promulgate a law 
pa w£ ki - pou li rele not to know 
which way to turn, not to know 
where to ask for help 
pran ~ to make one's heart beat 
faster; to get upset; to become 
possessed (Voodoo) 
ranvwa - sending a Voodoo spirit 
off into the woods or back to 
Africa 
rele ~ dance to invoke a specific 
Voodoo spirit 
sevi ~ to practice the Voodoo 
religion 
s&vis ~ Voodoo service, Voodoo 
ceremony 
tonbe ~ to be possessed by 
Voodoo spirit 
lwanj, louwanj, lwany n. praise; 
bragging 
bay ~, chante ~, fe ~ to praise 
fe - (pou) to brag (about), show 
off 
lwanje, louwanje v. to praise; to 
brag, show off 
lwanj bn. bragger; adj. boastful 
lwany see lwanj 
lwayal adj. loyal 
lwayay, lwayaj, lwaye, lweyaj, 
lweyay n. (weekly or monthly) 
rent 
lwayote n. loyalty 
lwazi n. [Fr.] leisure, spare time; 
recreation 
lwazivte n. idleness 
lwazo see lezo; zwazo 
Lwazoprop.n. Loiseau (1st southern 
communal section of Fort-Liberty 
Dept. North-East) 
lwe v. to rent, hire; to rent out, lease; 
to praise; n. renting 
~ lajan to borrow money with 
interest 
lwen adv. far, far away, far from, 
distant, remote; adj. absent-
minded; aloof, reserved, distant 
de ~ from afar 
de ~ ou de pre directly or 
indirectly 
~ ak quite far; far from 
— rarely, occasionally 
pi ~ farther, further 
lwes, wes n. west 
Lw&s: 
(depatman) Lw£s (Department of 
the) West 
568 
lweyaj - lye 
lweyaj, lweyay see lwayay 
lwezo see lezo 
Im prop.n. Louis, Lewis 
lwido n. Hispaniolan euphonian 
(bird) 
lwijanboje n. quarrelsome or 
rebellious person, bully; coarse or 
repulsive person; adj. violent 
lwil n. oil (cooking, lubricating etc.); 
lubricant; adj. smooth, flowing 
benyen nan ~, woule nan/sou 
~to be rolling in clover, have it 
made, be well-off 
bw£ - to lose out, break down, go 
under, bite the dust 
~ derisen castor oil 
- esansyfcl aromatic oils (made 
from vetiver, limes etc.) 
~ fren brake fluid 
~ fwa d(e) mori cod-liver oil 
- kizin cooking oil 
- konsantre var. strong home­
made insecticide 
- lou castor oil 
- pou dan oil of cloves 
~ satan booze, moonshine, liquor 
~ transmisyon transmission fluid 
mezi ~ dipstick 
nan ~ well-off, fortunate; without 
hitch, easily 
viv nan ~ to lead a life of luxury 
woule nan/sou ~ see benyen nan ~ 
lwile v. to oil, grease 
Lwiz/prop.n. Louise 
Lwizy&n, Lalwizy&nprop.n. 
Louisiana (USA) 
Lwizyan£prop.n./adj., Lwizyan&z 
f.prop.n. Louisianan 
lyan adj. flexible, pliable, resilient; 
lithe, supple, pliant 
ly&n see lyann 
Lyan kou prop.n. Liancourt (1st 
communal section of Verrettes, 
Dept. Artibonite) 
lyann, liyann, ly&n n. tropical vine, 
creeper; adj. supple, flexible 
~ bande var. of tropical vine 
which reputedly restores virility 
~ barik, ~ bonbon kddenn hoop 
withe (shrub) 
~ chat cat's-claw (shrub) 
- kw6k chen jujube tree 
~ lajan, ~ tonn&l silver morning-
glory (vine) 
~ mayi bundle of corn (corn on 
cob strung together and hung from 
tree for safe-keeping) 
nan ~ in hiding 
ponm ~ var. of passionfruit 
pran ~ to flee, go into hiding 
ti ~ ibo bejuco vine 
55 other var. of vine are: ~ aklou, 
~ b&f, ~ blan, ~ bon gason, ~ 
brilan, - bwan£f, ~ bwa patat, 
~ bwa zanmann, ~ chik, ~ dous, 
~ fonsw£l, ~ foumi, - franswaz, 
~ gen ftt, ~ grate, ~ grenn 
legliz/reglis, - grif chat, ~ j6n, 
~ kakdn, ~ kalson, ~ kare, ~ 
kayiman, ~ kdd, ~ konkonm, ~ 
koft, ~ kouftv/sfcpan, ~ krab, ~ 
lamitye, ~ legliz, ~ mang, ~ mebi, 
~ menge, - mimbi blanch, ~ mdl, 
~ m6n, ~ mdftl, ~ panye(n), ~ pat 
chwal, ~ p&si, - reglis, ~ savon, 
~ senjan, ~ si, ~ (s6) franswaz, ~ 
tafya, ~ tdchon, ~ towo, ~ tr&s, ~ 
v&, ~ vyolon, ~ wawa, ~ wouj, ~ 
zanmann, ~ zong chat, ~ zoren 
lyas n. bundle; sheaf, roll; wad (of 
money) 
lye n. place; league (3 statute miles 
or 4.83 kilometers); v. to bind, tie 
up; see ftlye 
569 
ly£j - Lyoto 
fb vizit de ~ to visit the scene of a 
crime 
~ ak to be connected to; to be 
close (in friendship) to 
~ dak&y (official) reception hall 
~ komen commonplace 
~ rankont meeting place 
~ verite beyond the grave, better 
world, just reward; just deserts 
(pej>) 
nan ki ~? how far away? 
\yb\ n. cork; cork-tree 
bouchon ~ cork (of bottle) 
lyen n. [Fr.] link, connection 
lyesen n. (ecc.) sanctuary 
lyetnan n. lieutenant 
sou - second-lieutenant 
ly£v n. hare; floater on fishnet 
Ly&v, Viyiprop.n. Li&vre, Vigny 
(3rd communal section of 
Petit-Trou-de-Nippes, Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
lyezon n. contact, link, connection; 
liaison, affair; (phonetic) liaison 
ft ~ to act as contact/liaison 
lyon n. lion; Leo (zodiac) 
manman ~ lioness 
ti ~ lion cub 
twou ~, f6s ~ lions' den 
Lyoto (J6j) prop.n. Liautaud 
(Georges) - considered originator 
of Haitian metal sculpture (born 
1899) 
570 
m - machal 
M 
m (pronounced: enm); abbrev. 
meter; sh. form mwen 
m3 cubic meter 
M. abbrev. msye 
ma n. puddle, pond; flagpole; mast, 
pole; pulp; residue, sediment; 
chaff, waste; adj. seedy; my (Fr. 
- used in certain fixed expressions 
such as ma clft s£); contr. mwen 
+ a 
ft ~ to become clogged up 
ft ~ tete to form a residue or 
sediment 
ft (yon moun) moute ~ swift (pa 
do/yon bd/nan gwo softy) to put 
s.o. through hell 
~ dlo puddle 
~ kafe coffee grounds 
~ labou mudpuddle; wallow (for 
Pigs) 
~ poto big hulk of a person 
~ swift greased pole; torment 
moute (yon) ~ swife (pa do/yon 
bd/nan gwo softy) to go through 
hell 
nan/an demi ~ at half mast (flag) 
san ~ clear (liquid) 
waft ~ seedy stool 
maaa onomat. moo (of cow) 
mab n. marble (stone); playing-
marble; game of marbles 
teke ~ to play marbles 
mabi n. mixed fruit beverage; var. 
of plant; adj. mixed-up, disturbed, 
troubled 
bwa ~ restless, always in 
movement 
mabdnnft [Fr] see mam£ 
mabouya, maboya n. lizard (smaller 
than aganman, larger than 
zandolit); lizardfish; refl. to move, 
become active; to swing one's 
hips; adj. fickle, changeable 
~ lannft sand diver (fish) 
Mabriydl, Mabry6Iprop.n. 
Mabriole (2nd communal section 
of Belle-Anse, Dept. South-East) 
mabyal adj. harsh; severe, stern, 
strict, exacting; austere; grumpy, 
surly, touchy, in a bad mood; 
bumpy, full of potholes (road) 
Mabyal prop.n. Marbial (5th 
communal section of Jacmel, 
Dept. South-East) 
mach n. gait, walk, way of 
walking; demeanor, behavior; 
step (of stairway); rung (of 
ladder); stairs; march, parade; 
action, undertaking; workings; 
functioning; progress; 
menstruation 
an ~ functioning, working, 
running 
annavan! ~! forward! march! 
ft ~ annaryfc/ary£ to back up, 
head back; to regress; cf ft bak 
~ anba pye step(s), stair(s) 
~ oflanbo torchlight procession 
~ patou loose woman, slut 
~ pye step(s), stair(s); running-
board (of car, truck); stepping 
stone (fig.) 
mete an ~ to start up (motor etc.) 
machacha n. var. of vine (which 
causes itching) 
machal n. blacksmith; marshal (in 
charge of parade or ceremony); 
police marshal [Eng.]\ see 
571 
Machal - mache 
marechal 
Machal (zile)prop.n. Marshall 
Islands (Northwest Pacific) 
machan: 
an ~ by/while walking 
Machan (Desalin)prop.n. 
Dessalines (town formerly called 
Marchand, in Dept. Artibonite; 
Haiti's first capital, under 
Dessalines, 1804-1806) 
Machanba prop.n. same as mache 
Kwabosal (q.v.) 
machanday, machandaj n. 
dealings^ schemes; bargaining 
inachande v. to bargain, haggle 
machandiz n. merchandise, goods, 
wares; freight; product, piece of 
merchandise 
Machanftprop.n. same as Mache 
Fb (q.v.) 
machann n. vendor, merchant, small 
retailer (m. or f); market woman; 
street vendor 
~ boutey, ~ ftt, ~ manftg tricky, 
deceptive, dishonest 
~ peyi, ~ p£p traitor, Benedict 
Arnold, Quisling; cf. konze 
- plezi prostitute 
~ pwonmennen itinerant vendor 
ti ~, ~ chita woman street vendor 
machannlet n. deceitful, crafty or 
sly person 
machaswiv n. procedure 
machaft n. s.o. always on the go; 
good-for-nothing, bum 
Machaft prop.n. Marchaterre 
(crossroads near Cayes, Dept. 
South - scene of 6 December 
1929 killing of Haitians by U.S. 
Marines) 
mache n. outdoor market, 
marketplace; walking; loud 
talking, noise (of group); v. to 
walk; to march; to travel; to 
function, operate, work, go, run 
(mack); to attend regularly or 
frequently; to go around (doing 
s.thg.); to work out, succeed, 
prosper; to progress; to spread 
(fire, disease); to chew, munch; 
to match, harmonize, go with; to 
consent, agree; to be unsteady or 
changing Gobs, residences etc.) 
bon ~ cheap, inexpensive 
ft ~ to shop; to propel, put into 
movement; to start up (mach.); to 
get (s.thg.) going 
ft ~ sou pwent pye li to frighten, 
intimidate 
ft yon ~ to take a walk, go for 
a walk; to talk loudly (group of 
people) 
ft yon ti ~ to take a little walk; to 
do a little shopping 
~ a pa tdti to move at a snail's 
pace 
~ ak to cooperate with; to 
frequent, hang around with; to 
bring; to harmonize with, match 
~ ak chapo anba bra one may die 
at any moment 
~ ak de po dbyb I to be completely 
broke 
~ ak k£ li anba pye li to be 
anxious or afraid 
~ ak sbkby li anba bra 1 to live 
dangerously 
~ ale to walk to 
~ ale vini to walk back and forth 
~ Anba same as mache Fe 
~ anba de to follow the same path; 
to be stupid; to be a thief 
~ an Fb same as mache Fe 
- anfdm to tow the line, do as 
572 
mache - mache 
expected 
~ ansanm to combine, go together, 
work together; to agree 
~ anwo open-air market formerly 
in front of the PaP cathedral 
~ anwo yon moun to approach 
s.o. with hostility 
~ aft outdoor market 
~ bouch to chew, munch 
~ Bwan£f Bois-Neuf market (PaP) 
~ bwete, ~ bwate to limp (along) 
~ bwdd£ to strut 
~ chache to go around looking for 
(s.thg.), seek out; go-getter 
- chanj currency exchange market 
~ cho to work well 
~ de... an... to go from... to ... 
- debd to stagger, sway 
~ depdtanpdt to go from door to 
door 
~ devan to precede 
~ devan d£y£ to walk backwards 
- dfcyfc to follow, be a follower/ 
disciple of 
~ di to go around saying 
~ dwat to live uprightly 
~ £s-£s to toe the line 
~ F£, ~ Valy£ Iron Market 
(principal public market of PaP) 
~ ft renmen to sleep around 
~ gade to window shop, look 
around, browse 
~ gaye to go about (doing s.thg.); 
to spread rapidly; to stagger, sway 
~ kanbya to limp 
~ kare to walk normally (without 
limping) 
~ Katedral same as ~ anwo (q.v.) 
~ Kay F£ main public market of 
Jacmel 
- kole ak to work well together with 
~ kontre to converge 
~ Kwabosal La Croix des 
Bossales market (important 
public market of PaP near the Iron 
Market and formerly a main slave 
marketplace under the French) 
~ kwochi to stumble 
~ labous stock market (finance) 
~ lib free trade 
~ lwen to have gotten around, 
have been places 
~ lwil to flow smoothly 
~ ~ li to continue to walk, walk on 
~ Makdonal/Ga/di P6 
MacDonald/Gare/du Port market 
(PaP) 
~ men nan lamen to work hand in 
hand, work well together 
~ mouri to come to a slow stop 
~ moute desann to go back and 
forth; to hem and haw, vacillate 
~ nan san (yon moun) to feel the 
effects of; to make (s.o.) feel good, 
perk (s.o.) up 
~ ni pye to walk barefoot 
~ opa to march (milit.) 
~ opa ak to keep in step with, 
follow the dictates of 
~ pa do to walk backwards 
~ pale to spread the word 
~ p6s li to get out of the way, clear 
out 
~ pou to court, go after, pursue 
- poul to fly the coop, slip away, 
take to one's heels 
~ pran yo to launch an offensive 
- prese to walk hurriedly, hasten; 
(sense of) urgency, pressure; 
turmoil, commotion, agitation 
~ pye at£ to walk barefoot 
~ pye kou pye d£y£ (yon moun) 
to tail, follow closely, pursue (s.o.) 
- ralanti to be in slow-motion 
573 
mache - machin 
~ rale to crawl along, limp along 
~ rive sou to walk over to 
~ siwo siwo to swish, mince, 
prance 
~ sou to come to meet; to 
approach with hostility; to 
disrespect; to disregard; to threaten 
~ sou bbk to limp along, go badly 
~ sou kat (ets.) mwa to be going 
on four (etc.) months 
- sou mach li, ~ sou pa to trot 
elegantly (horse) 
~ sou moun to show oneself, be 
seen in public 
~ sou piga pou pa pile si m te 
konnen to be extremely careful, 
be wary, be cautious 
~ sou pik£t to pay extreme 
attention, be very careful; to 
experience a dangerous situation 
- sou pwent pye li, - sou zdt&y 
li to tip-toe; to be cautious; to be 
fearful 
~ sou ren to limp 
~ sou tr&z/twa pou pa pile katdz/ 
kat to be extremely careful, be 
wary, be cautious 
~ sou z6t£y li see ~ sou pwent 
pye li 
~ swa to run smoothly (mach.) 
~ tankou kanna/krapo to stagger, 
sway 
~ tbt atb dbyb to follow blindly or 
subserviently 
~ tbt bese to be humiliated, be 
humbled 
~ tribiche to stagger, sway 
~ Valyfc Valli&res Market, Iron 
Market (principal public market 
of PaP) 
~ vil an vil to go from town to 
town 
~ vin jwenn to walk toward 
~ vini to advance 
~ yon jan rale to shuffle 
mete ~ prese nan kd yon moun to 
spur on s.o., rush s.o. 
pa ~ kole ak to be on the outs with 
(s.o.), be in disagreement with 
(s.o.) 
ti ~ short walk or stroll 
Main markets of PaP are: ~ 
BwanSf, - (an) Fb (~ Valy£), ~ 
Ipolit, - Kwabosal (~ Anba), -
Livana, ~ Makdonal/Ga/Gerit/ 
di P6, ~ Peyan, ~ Pds Machan, -
Salomon/Tinel, - Tet Bbf 
mach& f.n. my dear (used only in 
direct address) 
Machekannaprop.n. March6-
Canard (Dept. Center) 
macheskalye n. stairs, steps 
mac net n. walker (apparatus to aid 
in walking) 
machin n. generic term for any 
vehicle, electrical or mechanical 
device, such as a car, truck, 
machine, dentist's drill etc. 
gen twop ~ dbyb nos li to have 
influence or backing 
~ a ekri typewriter 
~ a fily&, tawo rod-threader 
~ a kalkile calculator 
~ a koud sewing-machine 
~ a lave washing-machine 
~ a pye treadle sewing machine 
~ a seche dryer 
~ a tape typewriter 
~ bwat, ~ bw£t truck with wooden 
sides 
- fatra garbage truck, dumptruck 
~ gazon lawn mower 
~ gwann machine gun; fast-
moving or working machine 
574 
machinal - madansara 
~ kous sports car, race car 
- lesiv washing-machine 
~ levye manual transmission, 
'straight stick' 
~ otomatik automatic 
transmission 
~ pepe imported used car 
~ pou ekri typewriter 
- tren locomotive 
pyes ~ spare part(s) (for vehicles) 
machinal adj. mechanical, automatic 
machinasyon n. machination, plot 
machinate n. magician, sorcerer 
machinen v. to plow, break up (soil); 
see machonnen 
machinis n. machinist 
machis(m) n. machismo 
machmalo n. marshmallow 
machdk&t, machouk£t n. 
blacksmith; bungler, klutz; 
incompetent, mediocrity; adj. 
shoddy; incompetent 
bds ~ general craftsman; bungler, 
tumbler 
machonnen, machinen v. to munch 
machpye n. step(s), stair(s); 
running-board (of car, truck); 
stepping stone (fig.) 
machw£, machwa n. jaw 
bann ~ strip of cloth used 
to mare ~ (see below); stupid 
depi sou prezidan bann ~ since 
the time of some long-dead 
president, since who knows when 
fe - gonfle to anger, upset 
gen ~ gonfle to be angry, be upset 
gwo - (won) big shot 
~ bouch muzzle, gag 
~ boude angry 
~ chat chubby cheeks 
~enfery£ lower jaw 
~ gonfle angry, upset 
~ mare angry; the game is over, 
the outcome is obvious 
~ r£d, ~ sere lockjaw, tetanus 
-siperyfc upper jaw 
~ won big shot 
m a l ~ mumps 
mare ~ to close the mouth of a 
dead person with strip of cloth tied 
around face 
z o ~ jawbone 
zo ~ anba mandible 
zo ~ anwo maxilla 
Madagaskaprop.n. Madagascar 
madam see madanm 
madan n. Mrs. (title) 
~ Blan var. of mango 
~ bray var. of very small fish 
~ Fransik largest var. of mango 
(in Haiti) 
~ Jan var. of plant (aspidosperma 
domingense); var. of mango 
~ Michel var. of grass (used esp. 
for grazing of livestock) 
~ Nayiz, ~ yas Jerusalem thorn 
(tree) 
~ sara see madansara 
- Viktd John, toilet, privy, latrine, 
outhouse 
madanm, madam n. (legal) wife; 
woman; ma'am, lady 
anvan ti ~ bat je in the blink of 
an eye 
- Fransik largest var. of mango 
(in Haiti) 
- kay legal wife 
- ploye shoddy goods, trash 
ti - "bottom," male homosexual 
(passive role) 
Madanm Jwaprop.n. Madame -
Joie (Dept. Center) 
madansara, mansara, manz& sara 
n. black and yellow-mantled 
575 
Mad£ - madoulfc 
weaver bird; (any) noisy bird 
destructive of crops; woman who 
transports and sells merchandise; 
ill-mannered or rowdy woman 
Mad£ (Zile) prop.n. Madeira Islands 
madebat n. effort, (hard) struggle; 
adj. slow-moving, plodding 
madfcgrate n. dumb cane (herb) 
madelenn, madel&n n. var. of med. 
plant 
madi n. Tuesday 
madichon n. curse, spell, hex, jinx, 
malediction; accursed person 
bay (yon) ~ to put a curse/hex/ 
jinx on 
bwat ~ li plen curse/pain/suffering 
one has brought on oneself 
wete ~ to exorcize 
madichonne n. sorcerer, 
necromancer, diabolist 
madichonnen v. to put a curse/hex 
on 
madigra n. Mardi Gras (period; 
events); person in Mardi Gras 
costume; clown, fool; masquerade 
party; sham, pretense, make-
believe; adj. ugly; see kanaval 
bann ~ informal musical group 
parading before and during Mardi 
Gras; bunch of jokers/idiots 
boule ~ ceremony on the Saturday 
before Easter 
foli ~ insanity or madness inflicted 
on s.o. who has stolen a Mardi 
Gras group's funds 
~ kdn Mardi Gras mask containing 
as many as seven horns 
~ mele ak bon mas, bon ~ ak 
move ~ all sorts of people (good 
and bad) 
~ sal very informal low-class 
Mardi Gras group 
papa ~ Mardi Gras mask or figure 
sanble yon ~ to look ridiculous 
madigrati , madigridi, madigriji 
see majigridi 
Madisonn Eskw£ Gadenn prop.n, 
Madison Square Garden (New 
York City) 
madivin n. lesbianism 
madivinfcz, ladivinez, madivin, 
madivin£g, madivinfcs f.n. lesbian 
madjigridji see majigridi 
madjdk see maldjdk 
madjoman! interj. the end! (term 
used in Petwo chants) 
Madl&n f.prop.n. Madeleine 
madlenn, madl&n n. var. of green 
snake; var. of plant 
madmwaz&l, matmwaz^l/w. young 
lady; miss (title); primary school 
teacher 
Madocht prop.n. [Bible] Mordecai 
madoda n. male homosexual 
(passive role), "bottom"; lesbian 
madodo n. male homosexual 
(insertive role), "top" 
madoken n. earthen cooking-pot 
madolo adj. heavy, oppressive, 
grievous 
madou n. lie, falsehood; object 
placed at bottom of container to 
falsify volume of contents; adj. 
unrealistic, untrustworthy 
madoubout adj. demanding, 
exacting, difficult 
madougou(n) n. hydrocele (med.)\ 
var. of yam 
madouka n. assistant to a Voodoo 
priest 
madou le n. abused or neglected 
person; adj. battered, dilapidated; 
ugly, misshapen 
sdk£y ~ cheap or badly built coffin 
576 
madras - Mago 
or object 
madras, madra n. kerchief, scarf; 
madras, light cotton fabric; var. of 
plant blight 
madre adj. sly, cunning, crafty; 
skillful; robust, well-built, strong; 
v. to beat, beat up 
Madrid prop.n. Madrid (Spain) 
madrinay, madrilay n. beating up, 
roughing up, mistreatment 
madrinen v. to beat up, rough up, 
mistreat 
madriye n. (wooden) beam; v. to 
hold up, strengthen, reinforce 
madydk see maid j 6k 
Madyou (Toma) prop.n. Madiou 
(Thomas) - Haitian historian, 
author of a multi-volume Histoire 
d'Haiti (1814-1884) 
mafi f.n. (my) daughter, girl (used 
only in direct address) 
maflore, maflori n. mature 
woman with very sporadic or no 
menstruation; v. to be amenorrheic 
Mafran (f6)prop.n. Fort Marfranc 
(fortress ruins near J6r6mie, Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
Mafran, Grannrivyfcprop.n. 
Marfranc, Grande-Riviere (7th 
communal section of Jer6mie, 
Dept. Grand'Anse) 
Mafwendeng see Vlengbendeng 
mafweze, mafreze, mafrezi, 
mafrize, mafwezi, m6freze, 
m6frize, m6fweze, mofwezi adj. 
physically retarded, puny, stunted, 
misshapen; wretched, miserable; v. 
to handicap, disadvantage, retard 
mafya n. mafia; shady character, sly 
fellow;/^, slut 
mafyolo n. criminal dealings, 
organized crime 
mafyoso, mafyozo n. mafioso, 
member of the Mafia 
magar&t n. var. of mango 
Magaretfprop.n. Margaret 
magarin n. margarine 
magazen n. store, shop; warehouse, 
depot; large trunk (for storage); fly 
(of trousers) 
gran ~ department store 
Magazen Leta (ri) rue du 
Magasin de l'Etat (downtown PaP) 
~ zo bag of bones, walking 
skeleton, very skinny person 
magazin n. magazine (publication; 
of gun) 
magazinen, magazine v. to go 
shopping 
magazinye n. warehouse guard 
magba n. var. of hair style 
Magdalaf.prop.n. [Bible] 
Magdalene 
magerit, magrit n. var. of shrub; 
daisy (pot) 
Other var. of daisy: ~ blan, ~ ble 
Magerit, Magrit fprop.n. 
Marguerite, Margaret 
magi n. soup cube, bouillon cube 
Magi f.prop.n. Maggy, nickname for 
Magarfct 
Maglwa (P6i Ej^n/Ejenn) 
("Kanson F£")prop.n. Magloire 
(Paul-Eugene) - president of Haiti, 
1950-1956 
Maglwa Anbwaz (avni) prop.n. 
avenue Magloire Ambroise 
(between Champs-de-Mars and 
Carrefour-Feuilles, PaP) 
magnezy6m see mayezy6m 
magnolya n. magnolia (tree) 
mago, magogo, magou n. wad (of 
money) 
Mago prop.n. Margot (1st communal 
577 
magotonm - majisyen 
section of Le Borgne, Dept. North; 
8th communal section of Pilate, 
Dept. North); f.prop.n. nickname 
for Magerit; see Pdmago 
magotonm n. scarecrow (cf. jwif) 
magou see mago; makou 
magouj see magouy 
magoul, magoul&t n. mug, kisser, 
face; double chin 
magouy, magouj, magouyaj, 
magouyay n. corruption, graft, 
schemes, intrigues; deceit, fraud, 
trickery, cheating; enigma, 
mystery; adj. corrupt, fraudulent, 
dishonest 
fb ~ to scheme, contrive 
magouya lanmfc n. bullhead (fish) 
magouyan see mangouyan 
magouyayman adv. deceitfully, 
fraudulently 
magouye v. to swindle, defraud; to 
scheme, intrigue, conspire 
magouy^ /?., magouy^z/w. grafter, 
crooked politician, schemer 
magre see malgre 
magregd n. specially tailored shirt; 
adj. disparate, ill-assorted, badly 
matched; see Makgreg6 
an ~ confused, entangled 
magrek6 adj. uncompromising, 
unyielding; complex, complicated 
magrigri n. magic love potion 
(Voodoo); see grigri 
magrit n. butterflyfish; see magerit 
Magrit, Magerit f.prop.n. Margaret, 
Marguerite 
Magwaprop.n. Magua (kingdom of 
pre-Columbian Haiti) 
Magwana/?ro/?.ft. Maguana 
(kingdom of pre-Columbian Haiti) 
maho see mawo 
maj n. margin, border, edge; wise 
man (Bible); (the) Magi; (profit) 
margin (finances) 
maj£ adj. greater, major; of age; 
mature, adult; n. major (scale etc. 
in music); slacker, shirker (at a 
konbit esp.); see lemaj£ 
~ gason strong guy 
majeste n. majesty 
maji nJadj. magic; n. evil magic, 
witchcraft; Voodoo dances during 
preparation of magic charms 
fb ~ to practice witchcraft 
retire - to dispel a Voodoo curse 
majigridi, jigridi, madigrati, 
madigridi, madigriji, 
madjigridji n. scribbling, 
doodling; terrible handwriting; 
graffiti; clowning around; 
nonsense, mess; caricature; 
jokester, clown; v. to scribble, 
doodle 
majik adj. magic(al), mystical 
majinalizasyon n. marginalization, 
shunting aside 
majinalize v. [Fr] to marginalize, 
edge out, place on the fringes 
maj is see majistra 
majiskil n./adj. capital (letter), 
uppercase (letter) 
majistra, maj is n. mayor; municipal 
council; member of municipal 
council; judge, magistrate; your 
honor (title) 
~ adjwen (one of two) deputy 
mayor(s) (in each commune) 
premye ~, ~ prensipal head 
mayor (in addition to two deputy 
mayors) 
majistral adj. masterful, brilliant 
majistrati n. magistracy, 
magistrature 
majisyen n. magician; sorcerer 
578 
majo- makalous 
maj6 n. major (milit.); longterm 
prisoner (who lords it over fellow 
prisoners); see kann; maydl 
~ dom chief of a bat&y (q.v.) 
~ grenn scrotum and testicles 
~ jon drum major, baton twirler; 
headman, head honcho, big cheese 
- kdk greater Antillean bullfinch 
(bird) 
~ kdn blower of conch (shell) to 
remind people of konbit 
~ rara leader of a bann ra ra (q.v.) 
- tanbou (head) drummer 
Majojo f.prop.n. nickname for 
Majori 
majdl, majd see may61 
majolen, majolenn n. marjoram 
(mint herb); double chin; dewlap 
majoral n. oxcart driver; cattle 
keeper 
majore v. to increase (price); to 
overcharge 
majorat f.n. drum majorette 
M&]OV\fprop.n. Marjorie 
majorite, lamajorite n. majority; 
cf. pifd 
majority adj. (in the) majority; 
pushy, self-assertive, obtrusive 
mak n. scar, mark, spot, bruise; 
imprint, trace, track; (commercial) 
brand, make; trademark; feature; 
scorecard; portion; size, cut; 
tattoo; var. dump truck (from 
Mach); adj. valuable 
kout ~ (commercial) brand, make 
~ anprent fingerprint(s); imprint 
~ fabrik brand; trademark; 
hallmark; (distinctive) 
characteristic 
~ kesyon question mark 
~ men handprint 
- pye footprint 
~ soulye shoeprint 
Mak prop.n. Mark 
makab adj. macabre, gruesome 
Makabe prop.n. [Apocrypha] 
Maccabeus; Maccabees 
makabi, makanbi n. bonefish; false 
sandalwood tree, hog plum tree 
makadanm n. macadam, pavement 
makaj see marekay 
Makajou (ri)prop.n. rue Macajoux 
(downtown PaP) 
makak n. monkey, ape; club, stick, 
bat; clubbing, beating, caning, 
flogging; sloppy dresser, poor 
dresser; adj. ridiculous, senseless, 
foolish, crazy 
anba - to be in trouble; to receive 
a beating 
fb ~ to clown around, act stupidly, 
make a monkey of oneself; to 
make faces 
gwo ~ gorilla 
je ~ beating, volley of blows 
ke ~ tough critter 
ke ~ la la pi r&d we're in there 
solid(ly), things are better than 
ever 
~ sale fool, monkey 
m a l ~ hangover 
pli ~ sound beating, thrashing 
vide ~ sou, woule anba ~ to beat 
harshly 
vye ~ old experienced hand 
makakre, makake v. to club, beat 
makakri n. foolishness, horseplay, 
monkeyshines; affectations, 
pretensions; exaggerated courtesy; 
protective Voodoo charms 
fb ~ to clown around, act stupidly, 
make a monkey of oneself 
makalous//?. soothsayer, seer; adj. 
thorny, difficult (magically); evil 
579 
makan - makiye 
makan adj. outstanding, significant, 
striking 
makanba adj. shapeless; misshapen, 
ugly 
makanbi see makabi 
makanda n. poison; evil Voodoo 
charm; awkward ugly person; 
same as lougawou (q.v.) 
makandal n. poison; poisoner; 
magician; charm, amulet 
(Voodoo); secret society of 
evildoers or member of same 
Makandal (Franswa)prop.n. 
Macandal (Francis) - pre-
Revolutionary leader against 
slavery, burned alive 1758; 
disadvantaged area of J£r£mie 
Makariprop.n. Macary (3rd 
communal section of Marigot, 
Dept. South-East) 
Makasya (larivyfc)prop.n. 
Macacia River (Dept. Center and 
Dominican Republic) 
makaw adj. miry, murky 
makawon adj. critical; complex, 
complicated; ugly; mean; vicious; 
fierce; severe; bad-tasting; awful, 
nasty, disgusting 
makawoni n. macaroni; noodle 
~ plat noodle 
makay see marekay 
Makaya: 
mdn ~ Mount Macaya (2,347 
meters), Depts. Grand'Anse and 
South 
pak ~ Macaya National Park 
(42 kilometers northwest of Les 
Cayes, Dept. South) 
makaye adj. overcast, cloudy (sky) 
Makdonal, Makdonnal (ga)prop.n. 
Macdonald station (former PaP 
railway station at Croix-des-
Bossales market; also in Saint-
Marc) 
make v. to mark, be marked; to 
indicate; to notice; to write down; 
to label; to nick, notch; to scratch; 
to stigmatize, blemish; to beat 
rhythm; to make life hard (for 
s.o.); to grapple (with), oppose 
(s.o.) (sports); to score point(s); to 
spot (menstrual blood); to tattoo; 
n. var. of freshwater fish 
~ (li) malviv to make life hard (for 
s.o.); to be indifferent (toward s.o.) 
~ pa to beat time (for marching 
soldiers); to keep in step 
~ pa an/sou plas, ~ lepa to mark 
time (without advancing) 
~ pwen/pyon to score points, 
make progress 
~ san to forebode evil 
~ (yon moun) to mark (for future 
retribution) 
make n. highlighter, marking pen; 
marker, indicator; (computer) 
mouse 
mak&t n. (scale) model, mock-up 
maket, sip&maket n. grocery store, 
supermarket 
ft - to buy groceries 
maketin n. [Eng.] marketing, 
commercialization 
Makgregb prop.n. MacGregor 
(expensive make of shoes); adj. 
fancy, sophisticated; see magregd 
maki n. marquis, marquess 
pran ~ to go into hiding, take to 
the hills, flee 
makiyaj, makiyay n. make-up, 
cosmetics 
makiye v. to apply make-up 
or cosmetics; to disguise; to 
camouflage; adj. disguised, 
580 
makiyon - makout 
camouflaged 
makiyon n. horse trainer; horse 
trader 
makiz n. frozen dessert of crackers, 
sugar, milk, butter etc. 
maklouklou, makouklou, 
makoukou, makoulou, 
malglouglou n. hydrocele (med); 
see klou 
makoklen n. self-sufficient bachelor; 
male homosexual 
makdkd n. unripe plantain; 
worthless or disgusting person 
makome, makdm, makdmfc, 
makonnft see konme 
gason - male homosexual 
makdn, makonn n. bunch, group; 
bundle, cluster, sheaf; team, herd, 
flock (of animals) 
mare ~ li ak to team up with, ally 
oneself with 
pa ~ in batches, in bunches 
yon - a bunch of, many 
mak6nay, makdnaj, makonnaj , 
makonnay n. entanglement, 
embroilment; intertwining, 
interlacing, connection 
makdnen, makonnen v. to bunch 
together, tie in bunches, tie 
together; to join together; to be 
tied to, be connected with; to 
correspond to; to tangle, entangle; 
to interweave; to grapple (with), 
tangle (with); to meet by chance, 
run into; to lock horns (of a pair 
of steers); to hitch up, harness 
(to wagon etc.); to be intense 
(rain, cold etc.); adj. complicated, 
involved, messy; entangled; 
connected; inextricable 
~ kdt lonbrit li to be intimately 
connected, be intertwined 
~ trip to tie in, make hang together 
makonm£ see makome 
makonn, makonm& see makdn 
makonnay see makdnay 
Makonn&l (dmonn) prop.n. 
McConnell (Ormonde) - Northern 
Irish Protestant missionary, 
founder of system for writing 
Haitian language which (with 
changes) would eventually 
become officially accepted 
makonnen see makdnen 
makos see dous makds 
makdt n. var. of graft, transplant 
(plant; tissue) 
makotay n. var. of grafting or 
transplanting 
makou, magou, matou n. tomcat; 
thief, crook 
makoubi adj. crooked, twisted 
(fingers etc.); coarse, crude, vulgar 
b£ t~ beast of burden 
makouklou, makoukou, makoulou 
see maklouklou 
makousiyen n. disreputable Voodoo 
priest 
makout n. straw bag with 
shoulder strap [usu. carried by 
a man; a woman usu. carries 
an alf6]; saddle-bag; criminal; 
sh.form Tonton Makout; adj. 
disagreeable; suspect; dirty, low-
down (person) 
kwoke ~ li pi wo to get ahead in 
life, advance financially/socially/ 
politically 
kwoke ~ li twd wo to bite off 
more than one can chew 
- lou influential Tonton Makout 
Tonton Makout bogeyman; 
familiar name for male member 
of the Duvalierist militia or 
581 
makouti - mal 
VSN (Volontaires de la Security 
Nationale); other names: milisyen, 
minisivil, minisyen, polis sivil, 
poto mitan; cf Fiy£t Lalo 
makouti n. small straw bag with 
shoulder strap; (cf. makout) 
makoutik adj. brutal, pitiless, 
merciless 
makoutis n. "macoutism" (State 
violence, corruption, arbitrary 
political rule); adj. "macoutist" 
makouto adj. pertaining to the 
Tonton Makout (see makout) 
makrame n. macrame 
makr&l n. "hot pillow" hotel, hotel 
serving as brothel; procuress, go-
between; pimp; mackerel 
ti ~ guy, fellow 
makr£y, kr£y: 
yon ~ a bunch of, a lot of 
makriyo n. mackerel 
Maksprop.n. Max; Marx 
maksim n. maxim 
maksimize, maksimalize v. [Fr] to 
maximize 
maksimdm nJadj. maximum 
maksis nJadj. Marxist; n. Marxism 
Makwafprop.n. Mare-a-CoifYe (5th 
communal section of Aquin, Dept. 
South) 
makwali, makwal n. crane (bird); 
bad-looking person; adj. cheap, 
junky, ugly; awkward, clumsy; 
unkempt; deformed, misshapen 
~ kalibofobo clod, oaf, klutz 
makw£t, makwe: 
bonbon ~ var. of cookie 
makwo n. pimp; mackerel; adj. macro-
makwowev n. microwave oven 
makyavel, makyavelik, matchavei, 
matchavelik, matyav&l, 
matyavelik adj. Machiavellian, 
cunning, diabolic 
Makyavel prop. n. Machiavelli 
mal n. evil; harm, hurt; wrong; 
wrong-doing; sickness, illness; 
ache, pain; trunk, footlocker; large 
suitcase; male; adj. bad; wrong; 
sick, in bad shape; male; huge, 
immense; clumsy, awkward; 
adv. badly, poorly, improperly; 
wrongly; contr. mwen + ale 
an ~ with malice, maliciously 
byen ak ~ right and wrong 
ft ~ to hurt, harm, injure; to ache, 
hurt; to be sore; to put a spell on, 
bewitch 
ft ftt li ~ to harm oneself; to 
attempt suicide; to commit suicide 
kay ~ "hot-pillow hotel" (where 
rooms are rented by the hour for 
amorous pursuits) 
~ an pi ~ from bad to worse, 
worse and worse 
~ an pwen in a bad way, sick 
~ avyon air sickness 
~ chabon anthrax 
~ chat thief, crook 
~ damou lovesickness 
~ dan toothache 
~ denft seasickness 
~ do backache 
~ fanm lesbian; cf. madivinez 
~ gdj sore throat 
- jwe not to play one's cards right, 
not to play it smart 
~ kamyon car sickness, motion 
sickness 
~ kou byen for better or for worse, 
whatever the situation 
~ kou miz£ in spite of extreme 
poverty 
- lanme seasickness 
~ machin car sickness, motion 
582 
malabou - maladi 
sickness 
~ machw£, ~ machwa lockjaw, 
tetanus 
~ makak hangover 
~ pou difficult to, hard to, 
embarrassing to, reluctant to; to 
have a hard time (doing s.thg.) 
~ pou fini to drag on, seem endless 
~ pou miz£ for better or for worse, 
whatever the situation 
- pou wont see malpouwont 
- ftt headache 
- zen large storage trunk (obs.) 
nan ~ nan ~ n&t to go from bad to 
worse 
pa pi ~ (pase sa) not too bad (at 
all) 
pale (yon moun) ~ to speak ill (of 
s.o.), slander 
pi - worse 
pi ~ an pi ~ from bad to worse, 
worse and worse 
pi - n£t worst 
pran li ~ to misunderstand s.thg.; 
to take s.thg. badly 
ti ~ see timal 
malabou n. mud puddle 
Ua^chi prop.n. [Bible] Malachi 
malachit n. malachite (copper ore) 
malad adj. sick, ill, ailing, diseased; 
sore; obsessed; n. sore, wound, 
injury; sick person, patient; invalid 
~ kouche sick in bed, bedridden 
- nan mantal mental incapacity 
~ pou mouri to be dying 
~ rantre s6ti outpatient 
mwen ft li ~ I tricked him/her, I 
bested him/her, I got him/her 
maladi n. sickness, ailment, illness, 
disease 
bay ~ to infect 
gwo ~ malignancy 
~ akoutimans chimik chemical 
dependency, drug habit 
~ anfle kwashiorkor 
- atrapan infectious/ 
communicable disease 
~ Bondye natural sickness (as 
opposed to supernatural) 
~ bon papa over-reliance on 
family or connections; over-
protectionism 
~ chabon anthrax 
~ clftch pellagra 
~ djondjon fungal infection 
~ doktfc sickness which can 
supposedly be cured by Western 
medicine; same as ~ Bondye 
~ dw£t long tuberculosis 
~ fi gynecology, ob/gyn 
- fini anwo de pye tuberculosis 
~ fwa cirrhosis of the liver 
~ gate vanyan! Don't worry -
you'll get better soon! 
~ gwo grenn hydrocele 
~ gwo kou goiter 
~ gwo vant kwashiorkor 
~ imajuft psychosomatic sickness 
~ je eye problem(s); 
ophthalmology 
~ jennks venereal disease 
~ kat ach see ach 
~ k£ heart trouble; cardiology 
~ kenhenk, - kenkenk 
tuberculosis; cf. kahink kahank 
~ kimen epilepsy 
- kd anfle kwashiorkor 
~ kd clftch marasmus 
~ kokobe polio 
~ kd r£d tetanus 
~ kriz fit, seizure 
~ (la)tranblad cerebral palsy; 
trembling; convulsions 
~ lezom, - majik, - moun, ~ 
583 
maladi - malatchong 
satan sickness caused by ill-will 
of another person or by a group of 
evildoers 
~ lwa supernatural sickness 
~ machw£ (sere) lockjaw, tetanus 
~maj ik see~lbzbm 
~ mal manje, ~ mal nouri 
malnutrition, malnourishment 
~ malouk sickness caused by evil 
spirit (Voodoo) 
~ manke manje malnutrition 
~ md sickness caused by spirit of 
dead person 
~ md timoun sickness caused by 
spirit of dead child 
~ moun see ~ ftzdm 
- Moyiz hemorrhoids 
~ natir£l, ~ peyi same as ~ 
Bondye 
~ nb nervous disorder 
~ pa tete tetanus 
~ paralezi sb\o cerebral palsy 
~ pfcdi/p&t memwa Alzheimer's 
disease 
~ po dermatology 
~ poumon, ~ pwatrin, ~ 
pwatrinfc, ~ pye clftch, ~ san 
fanmi tuberculosis 
~ satan see ~ lezdm 
- sik diabetes 
~ tebe tuberculosis 
~ ftt anfle meningitis 
-tbt siwo AIDS (c /S IDA) 
~ tbt vire dizziness, vertigo 
~ ti jar£t, ~ ti kay tuberculosis 
~ timoun pediatrics 
~ timoun anfle kwashiorkor 
~ tonbe epilepsy 
~ touse tuberculosis 
~ tranble Parkinson's disease 
move ~ tuberculosis; malignancy; 
contagious or fatal disease 
pase ~ to have been sick 
maladif adj. sickly, chronically ill 
maladr&s n. clumsiness, 
awkwardness; tactlessness 
maladwa(t) adj. awkward, clumsy 
maladwatman adv. awkwardly, 
clumsily 
malag&t n. allspice 
malagoch adj. awkward, clumsy 
malaka, maraka n. maraca {music) 
malaki adj. ill-gotten 
malakse v. to mix (cement) 
malakse n. cement mixer; (kitchen) 
mixer 
malaftz n. discomfort; adj. ill at 
ease, uncomfortable 
malanbo n. cheaply-made or ill-
fitting pair of pants 
malandouran, malandiran adj. 
short-tempered; violent; crude, ill-
bred; listless, apathetic 
malandren, malendren n. jerk, 
trash, bum, good-for-nothing, SOB 
malanga n. malanga, taro, dasheen; 
adj. inseparable 
fby - pape r (fam.) 
Var.: ~ blan(ch), ~ ft, - grate, 
~ j6n, ~ legliz, ~ mawon, ~ 
mazonbel, ~ wouj 
Malanga prop.n. Malanga (22nd 
communal section of Carrefour, 
Dept. West) 
malangi v. to stunt the growth of; 
to become stunted; adj. sickly, 
run-down 
malantandi n. misunderstanding 
malapri adj. discourteous; crude 
malarya n. malaria 
Malatchon see Malatyon 
malatchong, malatchonn, 
malatyon(g), malatyonn(g), 
malatyoun n. lucky number 
584 
Malatyon - malenftpretasyon 
(lottery); insecticide; junk, 
worthless object; adj. fake, phony, 
false, rigged, illusive, deceptive, 
unreal, misleading 
Malatyon, Malatchonprop.n. 
Malathion (commercial 
insecticide) 
Malawi prop.n. Malawi 
malbouch n. perleche, crack or sore 
at corner of mouth 
malbourik n. jackass, male donkey; 
adj. stupid; stubborn 
malchabon n. anthrax 
malchans n. bad luck; adv. 
unfortunately, unluckily 
jete ~ sou to put a curse/hex on 
malchanse adj. unlucky 
maldamou n. lovesickness 
maldan n. toothache 
maldanfan(s) n. labor (pains); adj. 
in bad shape; see anmaldanfan 
maldem£ n. seasickness 
maldevlope v. to be stunted; adj. 
underdeveloped 
maldezo n. rheumatism 
Maldiv (zile)prop.n. Maldives, 
Maldive Islands 
maldj6k, madjdk, madyok, 
maldydk n. evil spell, evil eye, 
hex 
chemiz ~, rad ~ shirt or clothing 
designed to ward off evil spirits 
grenn ~ seed (carried on one's 
person) for protection against evil 
spirits 
kolye ~ necklace worn for 
protection against evil spirits; 
strings of beads etc. attached to 
outside of an ason (q.v.) 
maldjdke, maldydke v. to hex, 
bewitch, cast a spell over; to cast/ 
give the evil eye 
maldo n. backache 
malddn n. misdeal; 
misunderstanding; bad luck, 
misfortune; bad season for crops; 
adj. unlucky 
maldydk see maldjdk 
maldydke see maldjdke 
male n. misfortune, calamity, woe, 
disaster; accident, mishap 
fe yon ~ sou to injure (s.o.) 
severely 
~ pa (konn) tonbe sou pyebwa/ 
wdch come what may 
~ pa mal with luck, by chance, 
"one never knows" 
~ pandye threat, imminent/ 
impending danger 
maledike see maledve 
malediksyon n. curse, hex, jinx 
lage/jete ~ sou to curse, hex, jinx 
malediksyonnen v. to curse, put a 
hex on, jinx 
maledve, maledike, malelve adj. ill-
bred, rude, impolite, ill-mannered, 
insolent, impertinent; crude 
malefik adj. malevolent, evil 
malefis n. evil spell; sorcery 
malelve see maledve 
malen adj. cunning, sly, wily, 
shrewd; clever; n. demon, devil; 
Satan 
Mal&n f.prop.n. Marlene 
malenchd see maldtchd 
malendren see malandren 
malenfdme adj. misinformed 
maleng, maling n. (infected) sore, 
(ulcerating weeping) lesion 
~ kabann bed sore 
malenge adj. covered with sores 
malentansyone adj. ill-willed, 
malicious, spiteful, with evil intent 
malentfcpretasyon n. 
585 
malenftprete - malkonpreyansyon 
misinterpretation 
malentiprete v. to misinterprets 
maientespri adj. diabolic, evil; n. 
evil spirit 
moute chwal ~ to do things the 
wrong way, never do things right 
malere adj. poor, unfortunate, 
destitute, indigent; n. poor or 
unfortunate man; peasant without 
land 
~ zaft pa bon down-and-outer 
maler&z, maftr£z f.n. poor woman, 
unfortunate woman 
malerezman, malrezman adv. 
unfortunately 
malesite see malsite 
maftt n. suitcase, luggage; 
footlocker, trunk 
fe ~ to pack one's suitcase 
malez n. discomfort, uneasiness 
maleze adj. difficult, troublesome, 
inconvenient 
Maleziprop.n. Malaysia 
malfekft, malftkft, malfeft n. 
lawbreaker, evildoer, wrongdoer, 
criminal 
malftt adj. badly made; deformed, 
misshapen 
malfezan n. dirty trick; evildoer, 
culprit; adj. wicked, bad, harmful; 
naughty, mischievous 
ft ~ to commit evil 
malfezans n. dirty trick; witchcraft, 
sorcery 
malfini n. hawk; exploiter; adj. 
predatory; v. to end badly (cf. fini 
mal) 
gwo ~ savann marsh hawk 
~ karanklou turkey vulture 
~ ke wouj West Indian redtailed 
hawk 
~ lannft osprey, fish hawk; spotted 
eagly ray (fish) 
- mouche Hispaniolan sharp-
shinned hawk 
ti - savann Ridgway's hawk 
malfdmasyon n. malformation 
malfdme adj. deformed, misshapen 
malfonksyon n. malfunction 
malfouti adj. badly dressed, shabby; 
ugly, misshapen; poorly made; n. 
wretch, contemptible person 
malfwendeng n. rascal, scoundrel 
(usu. semi-humorous) 
Malgachprop.n./adj. Malagasy, 
Madagascan 
Repiblik ~ Malagasy Republic 
malglouglou see maklouklou 
malgdj n. sore throat 
malgre, magreprep, in spite of, 
despite (the fact that), though; 
conj. although 
~ sa yet, nevertheless 
Mali prop. n. Mali 
malikong n. male homosexual; adj. 
fake, phony 
malimba, malinba see marimboula 
maling see maleng 
malis n. cunning, craftiness, slyness; 
malice; shrewd or cunning person; 
var. of plantain; see Timalis 
malisyds adj. evil; crafty, sly 
maljere v. to mismanage 
maljije v. to misjudge 
malkadi n. epilepsy; seizure 
resembling epilepsy 
kriz ~, kriz tonbe epileptic fit/ 
seizure 
tonbe ~ to have an epileptic fit 
malkalkile v. to miscalculate 
malkondwi v. to mistreat 
malkonprann v. to misunderstand 
malkonpreyansyon n. 
misunderstanding 
586 
malkontan - malpwopte 
malkontan adj. unhappy 
malkontwole v. to miscount 
malmachw&, malmachwa n. 
lockjaw, tetanus 
malmakak n. hangover 
an ~ sickly, in bad shape 
malman adv. not so well, rather 
badly, poorly, barely 
malmanje v. to eat poorly; n. 
malnutrition; adj. malnourished, 
undernourished 
malmaske m. person in Mardi Gras 
costume; clown, fool 
malmennay, malmennaj n. 
beating up, roughing up, abusing, 
mistreating 
malmennen v. to beat up, rough up, 
abuse, mistreat 
malmouton n. mumps 
malniri, malnitri see malnouri 
malnitrisyon n. malnutrition 
malnouri, malniri, malnitri v. to 
malnourish, undernourish; adj. 
malnourished, undernourished 
maloblijan adj. lazy, shiftless, 
unreliable 
malocho adj. gruff, boorish, loutish 
malodan n. toothache 
maloje see malozye 
malokipe adj. messy, sloppy, 
neglected 
malonfct, malonn&t, adj. dishonest, 
unscrupulous; disloyal 
ft ~ to rebuff, refuse to do s.o. a 
favor; to rebuke, reproach; to put 
down, deflate 
malon&tman, malonn^tman adv. 
dishonestly, fraudulently; rudely, 
impolitely 
malonmen n. euphorbia (cactus-like 
plant) 
malonn&kte, malonnekte, 
malonn&tete n. rudeness, affront 
malonn&t see malon&t 
malonnetete see malonnekte 
malonnetman see malon&tman 
malore see vamalore 
malotcho, malencho adj. unruly, 
rebellious; cf. entchd 
maloftt see maltfct 
malouk adj. repulsive, ugly, 
disgusting; deplorable; bad, 
serious, grave; quite difficult, 
tough; complex, complicated; 
difficult, unapproachable (person); 
coarse, harsh; badly made, sloppy, 
badly done 
malounvi see ayovi 
Malouyin see Malwin 
malozye, maloje, malzye n. 
(epidemic hemorrhagic) 
conjunctivitis, pinkeye; var. of 
poultry disease 
malpalan adj. disparaging, 
backbiting; slanderous; n. 
slanderer 
malpas n. postpartum tetanus; bad 
state of affairs, dangerous situation 
Malpas prop.n. Malpasse (east of 
Croix-des-Bouquets, Dept. West) 
- /J imani important border 
crossing 
malpeye v. to underpay 
malpopyete see malpwdpte 
malpouwont adj. shameful; 
shameless, unscrupulous, 
unethical; n. shameless person 
malpwi adj. badly brought up 
malpwononse v. to mispronounce 
malpwdp n. uncleanliness; 
shameless person; adj. messy, 
sloppy, dirty, unclean; cowardly; 
immoral; promiscuous 
malpwdpte, malpopyete, 
587 
malreprezante - mam it 
malpwdprete n. filth, dirt; 
excrement; immorality 
malreprezante v. to misrepresent 
malrezman see malerezman 
malsen, malzen adj. unhealthy, 
unwholesome 
malsite, malesite n. misery, abject 
poverty; squalor; misfortune, 
deprivation 
malsdti v. to mess up, foul up 
(project, undertaking etc.); adj. 
deformed, sickly 
malswen n. sickly person; careless 
person; ugly or slovenly man; 
dolphin, porpoise 
Malt prop.n. Malta 
Malta prop.n. Malta (popular malt-
based drink) 
maltaye adj. badly-made, badly 
resolved; ill-conceived 
kont ~ see kontmaltaye 
maltcho n. cruel evil person 
Malftprop.n./adj., Malftz/prop.n. 
Maltese; prop.n. Maltese (dog) 
malftt, maloftt n. headache 
maltretans n. mistreatment 
maltrete v. to abuse, mistreat, treat 
roughly, manhandle 
malvant n. stomach ache 
malvfcsasyon n. dishonest act, 
embezzlement, graft 
malvesite n. adversity, misfortune, 
misery 
malveyan, malvfcyan adj. wicked, 
malevolent; ill-willed, spiteful; n. 
rascal, scoundrel 
ft (yon moun) ~ to harm (s.o.) 
malveyans, malveyansite n. ill will, 
spite; malevolence, wickedness 
malvi adj. incurable 
malvini adj. puny, stunted; 
underdeveloped, undernourished 
~ sou to take a wrong approach to 
malviv n. ill will, hostility, enmity 
malvize v. to aim poorly 
Malwin, Faklann, Malouyin 
prop.n. Falkland Islands 
Malyen prop, n./adj., Maly&n 
f.prop.n. Malian 
malzen see malsen 
malzdr£y n. earache; adj. weak, 
sickly (animal); shoddy, run-down 
malzye see malozye 
mama see manman 
mamay see may may 
mamaz&l f.n. primary school teacher 
mame, mab6nnft [Fr] n. reverend 
mother (ecc.) 
Mamelad, Mamlad prop.n. 
Marmelade (Dept. Artibonite) 
chenn ~ Marmelade mountain 
range (Depts. Artibonite and 
North) 
Mamelade, Mameladyen, 
Mamlad^prop.n., Mameladez, 
Mameladydn, Mamladez 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of Marmelade 
(Dept. Artibonite) 
mamift, manmift n. mammal; adj. 
mammalian 
mamit, manmit n. tin can; tin-
canful (informal unit of measure); 
pot, kettle 
bay kout ~ to short-change, cheat 
(when measuring) 
fo ~, bout ~ false or dishonest 
measurement; deception, deceit; 
dishonest, deceptive, misleading, 
sham 
gwo - ak tout tiyon full to 
overflowing 
nan bon (jan) ti ~ in a neat little 
package; neatly, rightly, correctly; 
588 
mam lad - manch&t 
every last detail; from a reliable 
source 
mamlad n. marmalade 
Mamlad see Mamelad 
Mamladfc, Mamlad&z see 
Mameladfc, Mamelad&z 
mamogram n. mammogram; cf. 
egzamen tete 
Mamon prop.n. Mamont (7th 
communal section of Saint-
Michel-de-PAttalaye, Dept. 
Artibonite); Marmont (2nd 
communal section of Hinche, 
Dept. Center) 
mamote, mamonen, mamonnen, 
manmdte v. to mumble, mutter; to 
complain 
mamye n. pond apple tree, monkey 
apple tree, corkwood tree 
man title Mrs., Ms. 
~ sara see madansara 
mini see lam&n 
manadj£, manajfc n. [Eng.] manager 
Mmagwa prop.n. Managua 
(Nicaragua) 
Manaseprop.n. [Bible] Manasseh 
Manatann, Mannatann, 
Mannhatannprop.n. Manhattan 
(New York City) 
manati n. manatee 
manb see manm 
manba n. peanut butter; var. of dice 
game 
- pike/pirn ante spicy peanut 
butter 
manbo f.n. Voodoo priestess/healer/ 
seer 
demache ~, koutye ~ assistant 
who finds clients for a ~ for paid 
consultations 
~ achte uninspired and uninspiring 
Voodoo priestess 
~ kay assistant if.) to a Voodoo 
priest 
manbre adj. strong, robust, 
hefty, strapping; forceful; v. to 
strengthen, sustain 
manch n. handle; jack-handle (for 
changing tire); stick, pole; sleeve; 
arm (of chair); round (of voting) 
kase ~ to roll up one's sleeves 
kenbe nan ~ to control, dominate 
koupe ~ to shorten a sleeve 
~ linfct temples (of eyeglasses) 
~ long extensive, far-reaching, 
long-range 
~ pilon pestle 
~ pip pipe stem 
~ p6t doorknob, door handle 
~ raglan raglan sleeves (without 
shoulder seams - sleaves going 
right up to neck) 
~ telef6n telephone receiver 
~ vit window handle 
twou nan ~ clever, sly, crafty 
manche, anmanche, manchte v. to 
put a handle on; to grab (by the 
handle); to cite, evoke; to pick 
up (telephone receiver, musical 
instrument etc.); to have an 
erection; adj. armed and ready 
byen ~ to be well-hung, have a 
large penis 
~ (bwa) to seize, take, grab, pick 
up; to put on (as an affectation) 
~ plim li to take up one's pen, 
write 
~ pony&t li to roll up one's sleeves 
and get to work 
manch&t n. machete; (newspaper) 
headline; cuff; long narrow loaf of 
bread; penis; sand tilefish; Atlantic 
cutlass fish; var. of mango 
an grann ~ in headlines; in big 
589 
m a n c h o - M a n d e n g 
letters 
b6s b o u t ~ clumsy inexpert 
workman 
g w o ~ well hung, well endowed 
(penis) 
l a g e ~ s o u to hack (away) at, slash 
at 
~ d i g o sickle, pruning knife 
~ j a d e n machete 
~ k o u l i n (from "Collin's" 
trademark) long narrow machete 
n a n ~ to have one's work cut out 
for one 
r a l e ~, t i r e ~ to start fighting 
t i ~ var. of alcoholic drink 
m a n c h o n. one-armed person; king/ 
emperor penguin 
m a n c h o n n. mantle (for gas or 
Coleman lamp); bicycle handlebar 
grip(s) 
m a n c h t e see m + a n c h e 
m a n d a n. mandate, mission; term of 
office; money order 
b a y ~ to appoint, commission 
~ d a m n e subpoena (fur.) 
~ d a r £ , ~ a r e s t a s y o n arrest 
warrant 
~ d e p o remand (fur.) 
~ k o n p a r i s y o n notice to appear 
(fur.) 
m e t e ~ d&yfc, m e t e ~ d e y d to issue 
an arrest warrant 
m a n d a , m a n d a d a r & , m a n d a 
a r e s t a s y o n n. arrest warrant; 
summons 
m a n d a r e n n. mandarin, member 
of elite (pej.); Mandarin Chinese 
(lang.) 
m a n d a r i n n. tangerine 
m a n d a t e v. to authorize, empower 
m a n d a t e n. authorized agent; 
political representative; local 
political party organizer 
m a n d e v. to ask, request; to ask 
for; to beg; to need, require; to 
demand; to ask for s.o.'s hand 
(engagement, marriage); refl. to 
wonder 
li ~ p o u li f o u just about to go 
crazy 
~ a n p i l a k b o n m o s o to b e asking 
for an awful lot 
~ a n r a j e to be furious, have a 
temper tantrum; to drive (s.o.) 
crazy 
~ B o n d y e p a d o n ! God forbid! 
~ c h a r i t e to beg 
~ c h i t a to require reflection; to 
need a little rest 
~ e s k i z to apologize 
~ k o n s £ y to consult, ask advice 
~ k o n t to ask for an accounting or 
explanation 
~ l a c h a r i t e to beg 
~ m o u n to beg 
~ p a li to ask for one's share 
- p a d o n to apologize, ask 
forgiveness 
~ p a d o n p a p a to cry uncle, admit 
defeat 
~ p o n p e to be fit to be tied, be 
quite upset 
~ p o u to really want (to do s.thg.) 
~ tbt li to wonder 
~ w £ m d rage, fury 
~ y o n m o u n s a li m a n j e p a ~ li sa 
li p o t e watch out for this person, 
this is a dangerous person 
p a v i n ~ s a ( y o n m o u n ) p o t e pou 
v a n n not to pay any attention to 
(s.o.) 
t o n b e n a n ~ to be reduced to 
begging 
M a n d e n g prop.n. Mandingo 
590 
mandiran - mango 
mandiran see mandyan 
mandisite, mandyansite n. begging; 
misery, abject poverty 
mandiyan see mandyan 
mandjan see mandyan 
mandjannen see mandyannen 
mando: 
ti ~ meaningless refrain 
mandolin n. mandolin 
Mandouprop.n. Mandou (4th 
communal section of Anse-
d'Hainault, Dept. Grand'Anse) 
mandouran adj. inquisitive, curious 
mandragd n. mandrake (bot.) 
mandreng: 
an ~ shabby, torn 
mandrinen v. to beat up; to crush, 
smash 
mandyan, mandiran, mandiyan, 
mandjan n. beggar 
mandyanni n., mandyannez f.n. 
moocher, scrounger 
mandyannen, mandjannen v. to 
beg for, solicit 
mandyansite see mandisite 
Maneg (rivyi)prop.n. Man£gue 
River (near Cabaret, Dept. West) 
manej n. intrigue, trick 
manet, mannet n. lever 
~ fren brake lever 
~ lavit/lav vit/waypfc/ winchil 
windshield-wiper lever 
- siyal turn-signal lever 
~ vit£s gear lever 
manev, mannev n. unskilled 
laborer; (military) maneuver; 
trick, intrigue; action, workings, 
proceedings; v. to tinker with, try 
to find a way to do s.thg. 
fe ~ to perform unskilled labor; to 
tinker with 
gen ~ to be handy, useful (for 
fixing things) 
manevre, mannevre v. to maneuver 
manevriye n. maneuverer, schemer 
manezydm n. magnesium 
manfou adj. totally uncaring, not to 
give a damn 
manfouben, manfoubinis adj. 
irresponsible, careless, negligent; 
independable, unpredictable; 
carefree, happy-go-lucky; n. 
irresponsibility, carelessness, 
negligence 
mang n. white buttonwood tree; 
white mangrove tree; see mango 
~ blan white mangrove tree 
~ chandel red mangrove tree 
~ lanme var. of tree 
~ nwa black mangrove tree 
- tifty hopbush (shrub or small 
tree) 
~ wouj red mangrove tree 
manje ~ to live in misery, have it 
hard 
manganez n. manganese 
mangliye, manglye n. mangrove 
tree 
~ wouj var. of mangrove tree 
mango, mang (N.) n. mango 
konfiti ~ chutney 
~ de dw£t unclean mango (fallen 
on filthy spot of ground) 
~ (madan) Fransik largest and 
supposedly least stringy var. of 
mango in Haiti 
~ merilan var. of poor-quality 
mango 
~ misket totally rotten 
pa ~ sou lateras not an easy prey 
163 other var. of mango are: abriko 
dlo, adenn, akddd, ameli, 
answa, ary&l, aselwi, badjo, 
bata, batis, b£f, blan, bonbe, 
591 
mango - manifeste 
bonbon, bonkira, bosye, bourik, 
chale, clftl, chilpiti, datis, dega, 
d£zil, di, difonsfcl, disel, dite, 
diven, dlo (w6z), ddf, dosou, 
doudous, dyonn long, esmit, 
falfann, fanm blanch, fil, g£p, 
gra, grenn b£f, grenn kabrit, 
grenntoutou, gwopo, haden, hil, 
janmari , jennjan gwo po, jeremi/ 
miskfct, jili, kachiman, kadril, 
kaka djab, kaka poul, kako sal, 
kakon, kalite, kan nan pwen, 
kan£l, kanf, kawdt, kay, kent, 
klins, k6ddk, koftt, kdn, koton, 
kou bout£y, kountedi, kowosdl, 
label Dayiti, labich, lakansyfcl, 
lakolo, lanme, lanmidon, lanni, 
lapolis, lasann, ftt, madan 
Blan, madan Jan, magar&t, 
manclftt, manmye, mari woz, 
menvil, mesye Fransis, mi woz, 
mikay&l, mis, miska, monben, 
monsey&, moulat, mw£l, n6t, 
nimewo onz, odine, pa tout 
djdl, pak, panydl, paskal, pfc, 
penn sik, pit, po fen, po r&d, 
porye, potas, prin, remonsin, 
sann, sarafen, senmichel, sik, 
sir£t, s6s, ftmantin, tete, tete 
tifi/jennfi, tib£k, tibilon, tiblak, 
tibozo, tibwason, tifi, tiglise, 
tijoz^f, tiklo, tikouzin, tikoyo, 
tilodat, tilong, tiloran, timera, 
timiclftl, tipor£d, tipwav, tisik, 
tisya, tiwdz, tiyeme, tomi atkins, 
toutou, trebanten, tw6 dous, 
tyoub^f, vedin, vouz&t, vyann, 
vyoftt, won, wozali, yanm, yaya, 
yil, zabriko, ze, ze kodenn, zege, 
z^s, zonzon 
Mangon^s (Alb^)prop.n. Mangones 
(Albert) - Haitian architect, artist 
and sculptor (statue of the "Negre 
Marron" on the Champ-de-Mars, 
PaP), b. 1917 
mangonmen, mongonmen v. to 
complicate; to get worse; adj. 
complex, complicated, entangled, 
involved, jumbled, messed up; 
critical, grave 
mangous, gous n. mongoose; cf. 
woulong, zagouti 
mangousa, mangousan n. idle 
woman; badly-dressed person; 
thick meat and bean soup; adj. 
inelegant, graceless 
mangouyan, magouyan n. 
mongoose; nuisance, pain in the 
neck (person); adj. misshapen, 
ugly 
mangouyann adj. shimmying, 
wobbly (wheels) 
mangwen see marengwen 
mani, manni n. bad habit, mania; 
vice 
maniba see manouba 
Manich prop.n. Maniche (Dept. 
South) 
Manichwaprop.n., Manichwaz 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of Maniche 
(Dept. South) 
manif see manifestasyon 
manifakti n. factory, plant (cf. 
faktori); manufacturing 
manifes n. manifesto; customs 
manifest 
manifestan n. demonstrator, 
protestor 
manifestasyon, manif, 
maniftstasyon n. demonstration, 
rally, public protest; parade, 
display 
manifeste, maniftste v. to manifest, 
express; to demonstrate, protest, 
592 
manifoul - manje 
hold a political rally; to praise the 
Lord, be overpowered by the Holy 
Spirit 
manifoul n. intake manifold (mach.) 
Maniga (Lesli) prop.n. Manigat 
(Leslie) - president of Haiti, 1988 
manigans see mannigans 
maniganse see manniganse 
maniganse see manniganse 
manigat see manniget 
maniki n. manicure 
manimba, manimbila, 
manimboula see marimboula 
manipilab adj. manipulable, 
malleable 
manipilasyon n. manipulation 
manipilate n. manipulator, 
maneuverer, schemer 
manipile, mannipile v. to 
manipulate, contrive, scheme 
maniskri n. manuscript 
manitou n. big shot, big wheel, 
kingpin 
manivfcl, mannivfcl, mannouv&l n. 
crank, handle 
Maniy prop.n. Manila (Philippines) 
manjab adj. edible 
manjan: 
an ~ while/by eating 
manje n. food, nourishment; meal; 
feed (for animals); bait; feast; 
food and drink offering to Voodoo 
spirits; prey, victim; v. to eat; to 
gnaw at, chew up; to best, outdo, 
outstrip; to cover with caresses; 
to irritate, chafe; to wear down; 
to scuffle (shoes etc.); to eat at, 
perplex, torment; to eat away, 
erode, corrode; to mutilate; to kill, 
destroy (often by supernatural 
causes); to have (sexually); adj. 
worn, frayed 
bay - to feed; same as bay 
(tanbou) ~ 
bay - sou ftt li to be taken in, be 
fooled 
bay (tanbou) ~ to make a food 
and drink offering to Voodoo 
spirits 
ft ~ to cook; to raise crops or food 
ft ~ m\zb to persecute, impose 
suffering 
gran ~ noonday meal 
gwo ~ (cooked) adult food; solid 
food 
lis ~ menu 
mal ~ malnutrition 
~ ak kout baton to club, beat 
~ ak yon s£l grenn s£l to eat 
eagerly or voraciously 
- aftz sou to profit handsomely 
from 
~ asw£ supper, dinner, evening 
meal; to have supper 
~ avwa special unsalted food for 
dead (Voodoo) 
~ b£t feed, fodder 
~ bliye food forgotten to be served 
and which causes forgetfulness (cf. 
— bliye) 
~ boule burnt food; lousy food 
~ brase mixed food offering to a 
variety of Voodoo spirits 
~ clftch meal containing only 
carbohydrates 
~ chen dog-eat-dog (attitude) 
~ chody£ (cooked) adult food 
~ chwal gri to eat like a horse, 
make a pig of oneself 
~ dan to grind, gnash, or grit one's 
teeth 
~ depoze food offering to Voodoo 
spirits 
~ djak food offering to the Voodoo 
593 
manje - manje 
spirits consisting of various meats 
(except pork), poultry, fish and 
vegetables 
~ ddmi leftovers (food) 
~ dyd food and drink offering 
to Voodoo spirits involving no 
animal sacrifice 
~ fey to engage in homosexual 
practices (male or female) 
~ gason aphrodisiac 
~ gate food poisoning 
~ Ginen, - Lafrik food and drink 
offering to Rada Voodoo spirits 
~ je (yon moun) to milk, bleed, 
drain, exploit 
~ kdd to have a roving eye, be 
inclined to stray (sexually) 
~ konbit meal served after a 
konbit (q.v.) 
~ kont li to eat one's fill 
~ kouche leftovers (food) 
~ Lafrik same as ~ Ginen 
~ lanm& seafood 
~ lemd food and drink offering 
to appease spirits of the dead 
(Voodoo) 
~ lesen Voodoo ceremony 
~ lezanj same as ~ djak 
~ ldbfcy badly-cooked food 
~ lwa, ~ zanj ceremony of ritual 
food and drink offerings to 
nourish, pacify, thank one or more 
Voodoo spirits 
~ mang to find little or nothing to 
eat 
~ ~ bliye to be absent-minded; to 
be ungrateful; cf. ~ bliye 
~ marasa food dedicated to twins 
(Voodoo) 
~ maten breakfast; to eat breakfast 
~ melanj ambiguity 
- midi noonday meal, lunch 
~ miz£ to suffer greatly 
~ mo to slur (one's words) 
~ md same as ~ lemd 
~ moun to kill through sorcery; 
fatal illness or accident sent by 
evil Voodoo spirits 
- nan plizy£ jaden to eat at 
different places; to steal 
- nan yon s£l plat to be on the 
same page, agree 
~ nasyonal rice and beans 
- pase cheni tabak to eat s.o. out 
of house and home 
~ pase nwit leftovers (food) 
~ pdv ritual act of charity for dead 
and Voodoo spirits 
~ prizon to go to jail; to do time 
in jail 
~ prizonye, ~ lezanm former 
festive offerings of food and drink 
to prisoners by the PaP elite (ok) 
~ ranje (deliberately) poisoned 
food; food poisoning 
~ sik, kouvi s£k meal served 
without meat, vegetable or salad; 
same as ~ dyd 
~ s£l full meal 
~ sinistre emergency-relief food 
~ sote to eat only when one can 
(afford it) 
~ sou (yon moun) to eat in front 
of (s.o.); to take advantage of 
(s.o.); to defeat (s.o.) 
- tankou chwal gri to eat like a 
horse, eat copiously 
~ tcham food and drink offering 
involving no animal sacrifice in 
the Petwo rite (Voodoo) 
~ ftt food and drink offering to 
one's principal protective Voodoo 
spirit 
~ t i t kale to put away the food, eat 
594 
manje - manman 
wholeheartedly 
~ tdl to exaggerate greatly 
~ vant deboutonnen/plen, ~ tet 
kale to stuff oneself (with food) 
~ wawa to afflict, beset 
~ wonntonn to eat heartily 
~ woywoy badly-cooked food 
~ yanm see yanm 
- yon miray to be in extreme 
poverty 
~yon moun to cause s.o.'s death 
~ zanj same as ~ lwa (q.v.) 
~ z£b to graze 
- zong li to bite one's fingernails 
mwen ~ mwen bwe mwen rim en 
I've got it made, things are going 
great 
nan ~ bwe ak to be in cahoots 
with 
(yon moun ki) pa ~ anyen ki fret 
(s.o.) not to be pushed around, not 
to be taken advantage of 
manji n. eater 
gran ~ corrupt government 
official; fat cat, wealthy and highly 
privileged person; large bottle of 
soft drink "Couronne" (fam.) 
~ fey homosexual (male or female) 
~timoun same as lougawou (q.v.) 
manjed... n. eater of... 
~ foumi anteater 
~ te geophagist, earth eater 
manjedkdd f.n. promiscuous 
woman; bitch 
manjezon n. itching sensation (cf. 
demanjezon); pain 
manjwa n. trough, manger 
mank n. mistake, blunder; lack, 
shortage, deficiency; v. to lack 
bay ~ to forsake, fail 
~ dega lack of respect, disrespect 
~ ~ to make a mistake or error 
san ~ without fail, definitely; 
inevitably 
sou ~ faulty, deficient; habitually 
broke, without money; ready to 
take advantage of anything that 
comes along (pej.) 
mankan: 
an ~ lacking, missing 
manke awe. to nearly, almost, just 
about (do s.thg.), barely miss 
(doing s.thg.); v. to fail, miss; to 
miss, need (s.o., s.thg.); to lack; to 
be absent, be missing 
~ dega to be disrespectful 
~ kwit undercooked 
~ pawdl to fail to keep one's word 
~ sou not to be up to, not be able 
to handle 
- yon fey to have a screw loose, 
be a little crazy 
~ (yon moun) to wrong (s.o.); to 
be disrespectful toward (s.o.) 
pa ~ s6t to be quite stupid 
san ~ senk every last cent 
m&nken see mannken 
mankman n. lack, need; failure, 
omission, shortcoming 
manm n. member; limb (arm, 
leg); rib (of boat); strength; 
baptized member of Protestant 
denomination 
bay ~ to strengthen, give support 
to; to lend a helping hand, aid, 
assist 
gen ~ to be solid or strong 
~ initil deadwood, useless person 
~ mo paralyzed limb 
~ seksyon rural section chief 
(same as chef seksyon) 
pran ~ to regain strength; to put 
on weight 
manman n. mother; female; largest 
595 
manman - manniba 
of the three drums used in Rada 
and Kongo rites (Voodoo); larger 
of the two drums used in Petwo 
rite; adj. huge, enormous; main, 
major, principal, basic, essential; 
see sanmanman 
antre nan ~ yon moun to call s.o. 
a son-of-a-bitch, insult s.o. 
dbyb ~ minor, insignificant 
i y b \ ~ ou! kou ~ ou! to heck with 
you! 
g b t ~ ou! motherfucker! fuck you! 
go flick yourself! 
gwo ~ huge; madam, woman in 
charge of a brothel 
~ b b i cow; large fat woman 
~ b^f plenn! wow! man! 
~ chat accomplished thief 
(woman); cunning woman 
~ chwal mare (cf. j iman) 
~ i b y woman faith-and-herb 
healer, woman folk healer; cf 
ddktfc i b y 
~ g£p, ~ djfcp ortiga brava (bot.) 
~ kabrit nanny goat 
~ kodenn loose woman 
~ krab witch, sorceress; cf. 
lougawou 
~ lajan principal, main sum of 
money (as opposed to enters -
interest); capital (money) 
~ laye see lanman 
~ lwa constitution; see 
manmanlwa 
~ ~ maternal grandmother 
maternal great-grandmother 
- M a r i ! Heavens! 
~ penba see manpenba 
~ pitit common-law wife 
~ pitit (se) mare vant! watch out! 
prepare for the worst! 
~ poul hen; coward 
~ salop slut 
~ vant placenta, afterbirth 
~ wann stachys (mint) 
~ wonn var. of shrub 
nan ~ vant at the heart of, in the 
middle of 
san ~ see sanmanman 
vye ~ sleeping mat (cf nat; at£ 
miyo) 
vye ~ te pare pou Zepina e 
Zepina te pare pou vye ~ to be 
armed and ready 
manmanbila , bila n. magic charm 
necklace with pouch 
Manman Brijit see Brijit 
manmanlwa fn. (obs.) Voodoo 
priestess; n. constitution 
manmanpenba see manpenba 
manmay see maymay 
manm&I n. udder 
konte - b&f ki anfle to waste time 
pitit ala ~ all, without exception 
manmi f.n. mom, mommy 
manmift see mamife 
manmit fn. mommy (fam.); see 
mamit 
manmdte see mamdte 
manmye n. var. of mango 
manmz£l n. woman, lady; gal; she, 
her; miss; mistress, girlfriend (N.); 
the lady in question 
Manmz&l Brijit see Brijit 
mann see lam&n 
mannan see blan ~ 
mannanglez n. var. of bird 
Mannatann see Manatann 
mann&t see man&t 
mannev see man&v 
mannevre see manevre 
Mannhatann see Manatann 
manni see mani 
manniba see manouba 
596 
manniboula - manti 
manniboula see marimboula 
manniboule v. to work hard 
mannifoul, mannifdl n. exhaust 
manifold (mach.) 
mannigans, manigans, 
mannigansay n. intrigue, 
underhand dealing, maneuver 
mannigansayman, mannigetayman 
adv. underhandedly 
manniganse, maniganse, 
mannigete v. to scheme, plot, 
work underhandedly, finagle; to 
manage, administer 
manniganse, manigans^ n. schemer, 
plotter, finagler 
mannigansman n. leadership 
mannigfct, manig£t n. influence, 
connections, pull; intrigue, trick, 
stratagem; strategy; underhanded 
dealing; interj. bull, nonsense 
bay ~ to help (legally or not) 
ft ~ to use whatever resources at 
one's disposal; to scheme, plot 
~ bouzen ak jandam meaningless 
commotion 
mannigetay n. influence-peddling 
mannigetayman see 
mannigansayman 
mannigete see manniganse 
mannipile see manipile 
manniv&l see maniv&l 
mannken, m&nken n. model, 
mannequin; mannequin, dummy 
Mannoprop.n. nickname for 
Em&ny£l 
manndk, manok n. var. tobacco 
mannouba see manouba 
mannouvfcl see maniv£l 
mannyfc, m&ny£ n. manner, way, 
fashion, sort; manners, civility; see 
lamannyfe 
manny£l see m&ny£l 
mandkseg manndk 
manouba, maniba, manniba, 
mannouba n. var. of less 
resounding drum; var. of dance; 
see marimboula 
manpenba, manmanpenba, penba 
n. var. of drum; sly or malicious 
woman; largest of the cannon at 
the Citadel Laferrtere; one's main 
defense; adj. huge, enormous; 
main, principal, basic, essential; 
short and fat, squat (woman) 
mansara see madansara 
manseniye n. var. poisonous tree 
mansonj, mansony n. lie, falsehood 
mansonje adj. false, untrue; 
deceptive, illusory 
manstwe v. [Eng.] to menstruate (cf. 
we lalin li, regie) 
mansw£l, mansy&l nJadj. monthly 
mansyon n. mention 
mansyonnen, mansyone v. to 
mention 
mant n. mint; mint candy; 
peppermint 
~ k6k nakedwood tree 
mantal adj. mental 
mantalite n. mentality, attitude, 
spirit 
~ asiste, ~ restavfck welfare 
mentality 
mantalman adv. mentally 
mantfc n., manftz f.n. liar; adj. lying 
mantfcg n. lard; shortening 
manftz see mant£ 
manti n. mantilla (worn esp. by 
Protestant women in church) 
manti, mantd n. lie, falsehood; tale, 
story; v. to lie, tell lies; adj. false 
bay de ~ to make chit chat, engage 
in small talk 
bay ~, ft ~ to lie, deceive, tell lies 
597 
manto - m ap 
bay t e t (li) ~ to lie to oneself, not 
face up to reality 
~ kou chen to lie like crazy, "lie 
like a rug"; to be totally wrong 
pran ~ to be lied to, be deceived, 
be fooled 
r id ~, - wouj bold-faced lie, 
blatant lie 
san - frankly 
manto n. wrap, coat; overcoat 
- sen Jozef coleus (mint herb) 
mant6 n. liar; lie, falsehood; see 
manti 
mantole adj. mentholated 
manton, maton, mouton n. chin 
~ pou ~ face to face 
t i ~ receding chin 
m&nyak adj. fussy, finicky, 
capricious 
manye {pronounced, man-ye) , 
menye {pronounced, men-
y e ) , meye adv. rather, sort of, 
somewhat, more or less, a little; 
kind of, in some way; why 
don't you..., at least (to urge or 
encourage) 
m&nye n. masseur; bone-setter; see 
mannye 
m&nyei, mannyei n. book, manual; 
adj. manual 
manyen {pronounced, man-yen) v. 
to touch (physically), feel, handle; 
to handle, use, utilize; to touch up, 
improve, correct; to stroke, caress, 
fondle; to massage; to palpate 
(as by a healer); to set bones; to 
harm (by slander; by supernatural 
forces); n. palpation; see manye 
~ ak to deal with 
- i s i t ~ la to busy about, be active 
~ manm to rough up, beat up, 
abuse 
~ plim sou do to get one's hackles 
up, provoke, arouse, inflame 
~ san souflet to steal 
manyet see mayet 
manyetik see mayetik 
manyetis see mayetis 
manyetit see mayetit 
manyetize see mayetize 
manyetize see mayetize 
m&nyez f .n . masseuse; bone-setter 
manyezi see mayezi 
M&nyi (ri)prop.n. rue Magny (at 
Champs-de-Mars, PaP) 
manyifik see mayifik 
Mknyifika see Mayifika 
manymany n. handling; busybody; 
adj. meddlesome, meddling 
many ok {pronounced: man-ydk or 
ma-nydk) n. manioc 
dlo ~ (poisonous) manioc juice 
kouche ~ to prepare cassava 
flatbread from manioc 
~ anme/ame poisonous manioc 
(not yet prepared) 
~ dou(s), ~ matita sweet cassava 
rache ~ li (bay t e a blanch) to 
pull up stakes, clear out, leave; 
to make a fresh start; to complete 
one's task or mission 
Other var. of manioc are: ~ 
doubanke, ~ mdtyetas/matyotas, 
~ po diven, ~ sizan, ~ teta, - ti 
Kiba, ~ titoni 
Manzatpra/?./?. Manzate 
(commercial insecticide) 
manze n. miss (respectful title for 
older unmarried woman) 
~ sara see madansara 
manzei n. var. of fish 
maou see myaw 
m ap contr. mwen + ap (I... -ing); to 
indicate immediate future 
598 
m ape - marasa 
m ape contr. mwen + ape (I... -ing); 
to indicate immediate future 
mapotcho, mapotyo n. var. of small 
black river fish; fatso, fatty, blimp, 
butterball 
mapou n. ceiba, silk-cotton tree, 
kapok (large tree with magic and 
tutelary powers, according to 
Voodoo belief) 
fte ~ kapok 
- afriken, ~ zonbi baobab tree 
~ blan var. of tree (neobuchia 
paulinae) 
~ gri, ~ mawon pipewood tree; 
strongbark tree, roble tree, 
pigeonwood tree 
~ kd li to make oneself 
inconspicuous; to be cautious 
ti~jatropha tree 
Mapou prop.n. Mapou (4th 
communal section of Plaisance, 
Dept. North; 7th communal 
section of Belle-Anse, Dept. 
South-East) 
Mapou (Jan)prop.n. Mapou (Jan) 
[Jean-Marie Wilier Denis] -
Haitian-language dramatist and 
poet, author of DP M Kannte -
Dretpou Miyami Kannte, Anba 
Mapou a, (b. 1941) 
Mapou (larivyfc)prop.n. Mapou 
river (east of Cape Haitian, Dept. 
North) 
mapya, mapyang adj. clumsy, 
awkward; n. jerk, good-for-
nothing 
marabou n. dark-skinned Haitian 
with straight silky hair and 
Caucasian facial features (cf 
grimo) 
maraka see malaka 
Marakayibo prop.n. Maracaibo 
(Venezuela) 
Marakwafpro/?./?. Mare-^-Coiffe 
(communal section of Aquin, 
Dept. South) 
marande v. to join, tie up; to join 
together, connect with; to tangle 
up, entangle; to capture, grab; 
to suppress, repress, smother; to 
concoct, make up (story, lie); to 
arrange, organize 
Maranri prop.n. Mare-Henri (4th 
communal section of Cavaillon, 
Dept. South) 
maras n. stagnation, paralysis, 
slump (economy); dejection, 
depression; marasmus 
marasa, masa, mayasa (N.) n. 
twin(s); divine twins (Voodoo) 
manje ~ annual food offering to 
twins (Voodoo) 
~ blan twin(s) who died before 
being baptized (Voodoo) 
~ bwa twin not of same sex; 
Petwo twin(s) (Voodoo) 
~ Ginen twins of same sex; 
deceased twins (Voodoo) 
~ jiwo same as ~ blan 
- kat quadruplet(s) 
- ki pa sanble fraternal twin(s) 
~ kole Siamese or conjoint twin(s) 
- kreydl live human twin(s); 
twin(s) from nanchon (q.v.) 
originating in Haiti (rather than in 
Africa) - Voodoo 
~ senk quintuplet(s) 
~ tbt koupe identical 
twin(s) 
~ twa triplet(s) 
pla ~ two identical connecting 
bowls for feeding ~ (Voodoo) 
pla ~ twa same as above for 
feeding ~ twa 
599 
m a r a t o n - m a r e 
tanbou ~ two small drums 
attached together 
maraton, maratonn n. marathon; 
fund raiser (event) 
fe (yon) ~ to engage in or conduct 
a marathon 
mare n. marsh; tide; v. to attach, 
secure, fasten, tie, tie up, tie down; 
to strap, bind; to chain; to begin in 
earnest; to throw into high gear; to 
strap together; to weave (cf. tise); 
to beat, corner (games); to put a 
jinx on; to manipulate dishonestly, 
rig; to clench; to interlock one's 
middle fingers to prevent s.thg. 
from happening; adj. cloudy, 
overcast; in a fix, in trouble; 
clumsy, awkward 
bwa a ~ many things are involved; 
there are many activities 
~ ak to be connected to, be tied in 
with 
~ alo, ~ fwfct, - panzou (three 
names for same) children's game 
~ anba kdd to tie up, arrest 
~ asosye ak to form a partnership 
with, go into business with 
~ baka to reach an impasse 
~ batay (sou) to fight (over) 
~ bouch to get mad/angry 
~ bouch yon moun to silence s.o. 
~ bourik li ak to join forces with, 
work with, become associated 
with 
~ de pwen kach sou (yon moun) 
to outdo (s.o.) 
~ figi, ~ min to frown, show anger 
~ fwbt see ~ alo 
~ jame fache to swear undying 
friendship 
~ karakte see ~ min 
~ ke li to steel oneself, resign 
onself 
~ konplo to hatch a plot 
~ kou krab hog-tied 
~ kout to restrain, hobble, fetter 
~ machwi to get mad/angry 
~ makdn li ak to team up with 
~ m e n to hinder 
~ m i n (sou), ~ karakte to be 
annoyed (at), frown (at), express 
displeasure (at) 
~ mouchwa see ~ senti 
~ paket to pack one's bags, 
get ready; to get organized, get 
established, get it together; to take 
advantage of a situation; see paket 
~ paket ou! hold onto your hat! 
~ panzou see ~ alo 
~ pitit to prevent the normal 
development of a fetus (through 
evil magic) 
~ pli to wrinkle, be wrinkled 
~ pwen l i to make a fist 
~ pye to hinder 
~ ren to tighten one's belt 
~ ren l i , ~ zantray l i to resign 
oneself, steel oneself, show 
fortitude 
~ salan salt marsh, salt flats 
~ senti, ~ mouchwa to pull 
together all one's strength, 
summon all one's determination; 
belt-tightening, curtailment in 
spending 
- sere to grab firmly 
~ sosis underhanded deal 
~ sosis ak to hang around with, 
frequent 
~ sosis yo to work in cahoots 
~ tr ip to tie in, make hang together 
~ twa/kat/set min nan fwon li 
to be annoyed (at), frown (at), 
express displeasure (at) 
600 
mare - marimboula 
-vantto resign oneself; see ~ 
pitit 
~ yon aft to close a deal 
~ yon blokis to create a traffic jam 
- yon ti kdb to bring in a little 
cash, make a little money 
~zantray li see~ ren li 
pa ~ resourceful, enterprising 
pwen ~ with clenched fists 
tan ~ overcast sky 
mare, lamare n. tide 
mare n. binder, tier (person) 
marebas n. low tide 
marechal (seksyon), machal 
(seksyon) n. chief assistant 
to a chef seksyon (q.v.), chief 
rural deputy sheriff (same as a 
soukedlawouze) 
~ de kan (obs.) brigadier general 
~feran blacksmith [Fr.] 
mareche adj. vegetable-growing 
marekay, makaj, makay, marekaj , 
marikay n. swamp, marsh 
dlo ~ stagnant water 
marel n. hopscotch 
maren n. seaman, sailor; fisherman; 
adj. nautical 
marengwen, mangwen, 
mayengwen n. large mosquito; 
see tanbou ~ 
bay ~ kw6k to waste one's time, 
do useless things 
bay ~ van pou li vole to give s.o. 
an opportunity 
marenn f.n. godmother (cf 
nennenn); maid of honor (in 
wedding); backer, sponsor, patron, 
mentor 
fy£l~ ou! go to heck! 
- nds maid of honor (in wedding) 
maretet n. bandanna, kerchief, 
headscarf 
marewot n. high tide 
mari n. (legal) husband 
~ woz var. of mango 
Mari f.prop.n. Mary; see Lavy£j 
ou ap pale m de ~ bourik kite 
m pale ou de ~ chwal let me 
give you my side of the story, 
let me put things in their proper 
perspective 
ti ~ servant girl 
ti - pa monte ti ~ pa desann 
nothing changes 
ti ~ rantre li p ap s6ti what's 
given is given and not to be 
returned; there a policy of no-
return 
Maribawouprop.n. Maribahoux 
(Dept. North-East) 
Marigoprop.n. Marigot (Dept. 
South-East) 
Marigosyenprop.n., Marigosyen 
f prop.n. inhabitant of Marigot 
(Dept. South-East) 
marigouya n. passiflora (vine) 
marij&n, agwana, marigwana, 
mariwana, mayigwana, 
mayiwana n. marijuana; cf. pay 
Marij&nfprop.n. Marie-Jeanne 
- heroine of the siege of Crete-&-
Pierrot, 1802 
avni ~ avenue Marie-Jeanne 
(downtown PaP) 
marijann n. var. of freshwater fish 
marikay see marekay 
Marilann see Merilann 
marild: 
~ akasansiwo popular children's 
game played while swinging 
around 
marimba n. marimba; see 
marimboula 
marimboula, malimba, malinba, 
601 
marin - marye 
maniboula, manimba, 
manimbila, manimboula, 
manniboula, marimba n. musical 
instrument using three to seven 
curved steel bands of varied length 
mounted in a box 
marin n. Marine (soldier); U.S. 
Marine Corps; navy 
marinad n. marinade, croquettes, 
fritters (smooth mixture of flour, 
eggs, milk, spices deep-fried in 
vegetable oil); see nad 
kraze ~ no-count person, 
worthless person 
marinay n. agreement; connivance 
~ sosis to agree; to work in 
cahoots 
marinen v. to marinate (meat etc.); 
to stir, mix; to entangle; to plot, 
conspire; to embrace, hug; to 
envelop, consume; to reflect upon, 
meditate; to imagine, conjure up 
- 1616y (yon moun) to disturb 
(s.o.) profoundly 
~ yon konplo to hatch a plot 
marhftt f.n. (obs.) camp follower, 
prostitute (during Haitian 
Revolutionary period) 
Marin&t-Bwa-Ch£ch, Marinfct-
Pye-Ch£chprop.n. dreaded 
Voodoo Petwo spirit 
(la)trist£s ~ extremely sad 
marink6 n. U.S. Marine Corps 
marisaldp n. slut; dark-brown 
oilcloth 
maritim adj. maritime 
mariwana see marij&n 
mariya: 
jouk nan ~ to the bitter end 
MARNDR acron. Ministfc Agrikiiti, 
Resous Natirfcl ak Devldpmen 
Riral Ministry of Agriculture, 
Natural Resources and Rural 
Development 
maryaj , maryay n. wedding; 
marriage; mystic union with a 
Voodoo spirit 
kondi ~ la to officiate at a 
wedding 
kraze ~ to divorce, separate 
~ bay bous, - biznis, ~ de 
gouden, ~ enters, ~ rezidans 
marriage of convenience 
~ dlo di s&l marriage ceremony 
without the usual food and drink 
~ doub, ~ bdtet greatly increased 
lottery prize based upon two 
winning numbers 
~ mistfc mystical union with a 
Voodoo spirit 
~ pou dis man and woman 
dancing together in Mardi Gras 
celebration 
~ Rara occurrence of two Rara 
groups meeting and passing one 
another 
~ sivil civil marriage ceremony 
~ viza marriage arranged to obtain 
a visa 
maryal adj. (ecc.) Marian, of the 
Virgin Mary 
Maryaniprop.n. Mariani (outlying 
vicinity west of PaP) 
maryay see maryaj 
marye, maye v. to give in marriage, 
marry off; to match, go well 
together; to join together, couple, 
combine, connect; adj. married 
fizi ~, zam - to be engaged in 
armed combat 
jenn ~ young married couple 
~ ak to marry, get married to; to 
combine, merge with, join together 
with; to be inseparable; to be 
602 
maryela - masisi 
connected to, be associated with, 
join together with 
- legliz to have a church wedding 
~ nan kanaval to have a sexual 
fling during Carnival time 
- sivil to get married by a civil 
ceremony 
nouvo ~ newly wed(s) 
tanbou ~ the drums begin to beat 
maryela n. zinnia (flower) 
Maryen prop.n. Marien (kingdom of 
pre-Columbian Haiti) 
Maryon (larivy£)prop.n. Marion 
River (Dept. North-East) 
maryonnfct, maryon&t n. 
marionette, puppet; Carnival 
figure; cheerleader 
mas n. (solid) mass; lump; mask; 
March; masses, mob; slum 
dwellers; sledgehammer 
an ~ in great quantity 
bon ~ scarecrow (cf. jwif) 
boule ~ ceremony the Saturday 
before Easter 
fe ~ to ground (electricity) 
fe ~ ak to be a party to, be an 
accomplice (pej.) 
~ dekorasyon wooden or leather 
decoration mask 
yon ~ a lot of, many 
Mas prop.n. Mars 
masa see marasa 
Masachouset, Masachisfct prop.n. 
Massachusetts (USA) 
masaj see masay 
masak n. massacre, slaughter 
Masak (larivye)prop.n. Massacre 
River (bordering on the 
Dominican Republic, Dept. North-
East) 
masakray, masakraj n. massacring, 
butchering, mutilating 
masakre v. to massacre, slaughter; to 
butcher, kill cruelly; to mutilate; to 
mistreat 
masakre n. massacrer 
masay, masaj n. massage, rubdown 
bay ~, fb ~ to massage 
~ kont makak/baton beating 
pran ~ to be massaged 
masaye v. to massage 
mase v. to massage; to be massaged; 
to mass, gather, assemble 
~ ak kout baton to work over, 
beat 
mas& n. nun; sister (within a given 
faith); my sister (fam. term of 
address); masseur 
Masedwfcnprop.n. Macedonia 
masel: 
~ kdkdb clod, oaf, klutz 
Masfclprop.n. Marcel; f.prop.n. 
Marcelle 
masere v. [Fr] to macerate, steep, 
soak 
Mas£y prop.n. Marseille (France); 
Marseille (French hymnbook used 
extensively by pr£t savann, q.v.) 
Maseyanprop.n, Macean (1st 
communal section of Aquin, Dept. 
South) 
Masey&z, Lamaseyfczprop.n. la 
Marseillaise (French national 
anthem) 
masbzf.n. masseuse 
masif adj. massive, bulky; big, 
heavy; solid; shapeless; rough, 
brutal; n. massif, (section of a) 
mountain range 
masigw&l, mazizw&l n. male 
homosexual 
masikwfct n. ugly object 
masisi, sisi, sisib, sisil n. male 
homosexual, gay; homosexuality 
603 
masiv - Matadd 
ft ~, nan ~ to engage in 
homosexual acts 
~ fanm lesbian; cf madivhftz 
masiv adj. see masif 
masivman adv. massively, in great 
number 
maskara n. mascara 
maskarad n. masquerade; disguise, 
pretense; stupidity, foolishness; 
stupid or foolish person 
maskawon n. grotesque Carnival 
figure; sexually suggestive 
Carnival dance; v. to disguise; adj. 
coarse, crude, vulgar; see batri 
maskay n. hiding 
maske v. to mask, disguise; to 
wear a mask; to become cloudy 
(weather); adj. cloudy, overcast 
masketi, maskiti, maskreti, 
maskriti n. castor-oil plant 
lwil ~ castor-oil 
maskilen adj. masculine 
maskintep n. masking tape 
maskiti see masketi 
masko n. var. of popular dance 
maskdt n. mascot; effigy 
maskreti, maskriti see masketi 
Maslen (Frederik)prop.n. Marcelin 
(Fr£d£ric) - Haitian statesman and 
novelist (1848-1917) 
Maslinprop.n. Marceline (Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
masmedya n. (mass-)media 
masminen see maspinen 
masdk n. var. of plantain 
masoke v. to do odd jobs, putter 
masoko n. var. of vine; var. of yam 
mas6kd n. var. of small sickle; adj. 
misshapen, ill-formed 
mason n. mason, bricklayer; prop.n. 
Freemasonry; Freemason; prop. 
adj. Masonic 
bds - (cf. bds kay) mason; 
construction foreman; general 
contractor 
masonn n. mortar (mix); masonry, 
stonework; wattle daub; stucco 
masonnen v. to plaster, cement; to 
wall, wall up 
masonnri , masdnri n. masonry 
masoudi n. sexually suggestive 
dance for the spirits of the dead 
(Voodoo) 
maspinay, maspinaj n. beating, 
mauling; adj. violent, abusive, 
injurious 
maspinen, masminen v. to abuse, 
maul, batter; n. beating, mauling 
master 
dipldm ~ master's degree, M.A. 
(Master of Arts) 
~ fren brake master cylinder 
(mach.) 
~ klotch clutch master cylinder 
mastebek n. gossiper 
mastdfren n. master-brake (mach.) 
mastibasyon n. [Fr] masturbation 
mastik n. mastic, roof coating; putty 
~ t61 plastic roof cement 
mastike v. to mess up, ruin, spoil; to 
apply putty 
mastdk adj. ugly, badly built; 
coarse, crude, primitive 
maswife see ma 
masyal adj. martial, military 
mat adj. dull, lusterless, unpolished 
Mat, Mata fprop.n. Martha 
matadd, matadol n. demanding or 
difficult person; adj. killer 
~ sip£b rebellious person; hard-to-
please person 
Matadd prop.n. Matador (3rd 
communal section of Dondon, 
Dept. North); see Jdg 
604 
matant - Mati 
m a t a n t , t a n t , t a n t a n n , t a n t a n t , 
tantin f.n. aunt, auntie; 
affectionate title of address for 
elderly woman 
~ ~ great-aunt 
matata adj. mixed, assorted 
match n. athletic game or contest, 
ballgame 
- nil tied game 
~ tire k6d tug-of-war 
matchak n. mud; filth 
matchaka adj. complicated, tough; 
n. mixture 
matchason n. var. of Voodoo dance 
matchatcha n. skin problem caused 
by a kout poud (q.v.) 
matchavfcl, matchavelik see 
makyavel 
matche, matye v. to be opposed; to 
be equal, be comparable; to match 
up 
matclft see matyfc 
matchis adj. macho 
matcho, matchomann, matyo n. 
lady-killer, seducer, Don Juan; 
macho 
mate v. to lift, raise; to bounce; 
to subdue, overcome; to break 
(waves); to rear, prance (horse); 
adj. big-assed 
~ tanbou to play the drum 
Mate prop. n. Matheux mountain 
range (Depts. Artibonite and 
West); Matheux (communal 
section of Arcahaie, Dept. West) 
larivyfc ~ Matheux River (near 
Arcahaie, Dept. West) 
m a f t see a n m a t e 
Matelgatprqp./?. Matelgate 
(1st communal section of 
Thomassique, Dept. Center) 
matematik n. mathematics; 
arithmetic; adj. mathematical 
matematikman adv. mathematically 
matematisyen n. mathematician 
maten n. morning; large watchdog 
bon ~ early morning, before 
sunrise 
d i~A.M. 
gran ~ at dawn, at daybreak 
~ peche belted kingfisher (bird) 
Maten prop. n. Martin 
Maten (Lift) King (anvi)prop.n. 
avenue Martin (Luther) King 
(between rue Armand Holly and 
route de Delmas, PaP) 
maftn&l adj. maternal, motherly; n. 
kindergarten 
matenite n. motherhood, maternity; 
maternity hospital or ward 
matenten v. var. of edible plant 
materiyo see materyo 
materyalis nJadj. materialist; n. 
materialism 
materyalize v. [Fr] to materialize, 
take form 
matery&l n. material; adj. earthly, 
material, physical; coarse, crude, 
uncouth 
matery&lman adv. materially, 
physically 
materyo, materiyo, matriyo n. 
material(s); construction materials; 
sewing materials; ingredients; 
supplies 
magazen ~ hardware store 
matete n. residue, sediment 
mateyenn n. var. of plantain 
mati n. martyr; martyrdom, extreme 
suffering, torture 
ft pase ~ to abuse, mistreat 
pase ~ to suffer 
Mati (plas)prop.n. Place des 
Martyrs, Cape-Haitian (Dept. 
605 
m a t i k i l - m a t y a k 
North) 
m a t i k i l n. official document 
m a t i n a l adj. early-rising; early-
morning 
m a t i n e n. morning; (the) entire 
morning; matinee 
m a t i n e t n. child's goathide whip 
m a t i n i k n. var. of both Voodoo and 
secular dance; special Voodoo 
drum used for the spirit Z a k a ; var. 
of yam 
M a t i n i k , L a m a t i n i k prop.n. 
Martinique 
Matinikfcprop.n./adj., M a t i n i k & z 
f.prop.n. Martiniquan 
Mat inoprop .n . Martineau (3rd 
communal section of Plaisance, 
Dept. North; 1st communal 
section of La Chapelle, Dept. 
Artibonite; 2nd communal section 
of Cavaillon, Dept. South) 
M a t i r e n prop.n. Mathurin (2nd 
communal section of Saint-
Raphael, Dept. North) 
M a t i r i n (So)prop.n. Saut-Mathurine 
(waterfall near Camp-Perrin, Dept. 
South) 
m a t i r i t e n. maturity 
m a t i r i z a n s n., martyrdom, torture 
m a t i r i z e v. to martyr, torture; to 
bully, mistreat 
M a t i s a n p r o p . n . Martissant (8th 
communal section of PaP -
disadvantaged community 
immediately west of PaP, Dept. 
West) 
m a t i t a see m a n y d k d o u ( s ) 
m a t j o u k a n n n. spy, infiltrator, 
informer 
m a t l a n. mattress (made of cotton, 
foam rubber etc.; cf. p a y a s ) 
~ b d k s box mattress 
m a t l a s e v. to make mattresses; n. 
quilting 
m a t l a s y e n. mattress maker 
m a t l o n. sailor, seaman; rival (for the 
love of a woman); sailor suit 
m a t l d t f.n. co-wife, woman who 
shares same man with another 
woman; n. counterpart; rival, 
enemy; adj. shady, dubious 
m a t l o t a y n. common-law marriage 
n a n ~ a k to be involved with 
m a t m w a z & l see m a d m w a z & l 
m a t o n. hammer; gavel; see tbt ~ 
~ c h a p a n t claw hammer 
~ d e k o u v r a j roofing hammer 
~ k o n p r e s f c pneumatic drill, 
jackhammer 
~ m a s o n mason's hammer 
~ m e k a n i k ball peen hammer 
~ r a n b o u r f c upholstery hammer 
m a t o n n. ace marble player; ace, 
expert, hotshot; adj. sharp, skillful, 
smart; see m a n t o n 
M a t o n see J e r e n 
m a t o u see m a k o u 
m a t r a k a j n. clubbing, beating 
m a t r a k e v. to club 
m a t r i k i l n. matriculation 
m a t r i m o n y a l adj. marital 
m a t r i s n. womb, uterus; matrix 
a n t r e ~ , b o u c h ~ , k d l ~ , kou ~, 
p6t ~ cervix 
~ d e p l a s e inverted or tipped uterus 
~ p a s w a sterile 
t i b ~ Fallopian tube(s) 
m a t r i t e adj. ripe, mature 
m a t r i y o see m a t e r y o 
m a t w o n n. male nurse (esp. for 
birthing) 
m a t w d n f.n. government-trained 
midwife 
m a t y a k , m a t y a k a , m i t y a k n. mess, 
606 
Matyas - mawoule 
foul-up, confusion 
Matyas prop.n. [Bible] Matthias 
matyavil, matyavelik see 
makyavel 
matye see matche 
Maty e prop.n. Matthew 
matyi, matclft n. matter; material; 
subject; academic subject; 
discharge, pus, matter, exudate 
- fekal excrement, fecal matter 
- premye raw material(s) 
matyo see matcho 
mavangou see boufty ~ 
maw see myaw 
mawanaf.n. prostitute 
mawo, maho n. portia tree, bendy 
tree 
gwo ~ portia tree, seaside mahoe 
~ ble blue mahoe, mountain 
mahoe, Cuba bark 
- fran mahoe tree 
~ piman West Indies trema (shrub 
or small tree) 
mawoday n. shady dealing(s); 
pilfering 
mawode v. to pilfer, steal; to maraud 
(milit.); to cruise (taxi) 
mawodfc n. pilferer, petty thief 
mawodfcm, mawodin , mawodenm 
n. balsa tree 
mawogani n. mahogany; cf. kajou 
Mawdkprop.n. Morocco 
mawoka, mayoka n. grub, insect 
larva 
mawokenprop.n./adj., Mawokin 
f.prop.n. Moroccan 
mawokinye n. leather worker/ 
craftsman 
Mawonft(t)prop.n. Mohammed 
Mawometan n. Mohammedanism; 
nJadj. Muslim, Mohammedan 
mawon v. to flee, evade, escape, take 
to the hills; to hide, hide out; to 
stay away from, shy away from; 
adj. brown; wild, savage, unruly, 
untamed; runaway, escaped; false, 
fraudulent, bogus; n. maroon, 
escaped slave; hiding; flight, 
escape; chestnut; see Nig Mawon 
ale (nan) ~, tonbe nan - to go 
into hiding 
bal - stray bullet 
~ lekdl to play hooky 
mawonnay, mawonaj, mawonay, 
mawonnaj n. fleeing, hiding out; 
custom of forming community of 
escaped slaves; guerilla tactics; 
swindle, cunning theft 
ft ~ to go into hiding, flee; to lie 
low 
mawonnen, mawonyen 
(pronounced, ma-won-yen) 
v. to tie (up), attach; to tangle 
up, become entangled; to hug, 
embrace; to coil; to pick and 
choose; to thieve, pilfer 
mawonyi (pronounced, ma-won-
yb) n. looter, marauder; fugitive, 
runaway 
mawonyen see mawonnen 
Mawotyiprop.n. Mahotftre (7th 
communal section of Port-de-Paix, 
Dept. North-West; La Gonave 
Island, Dept. West; Dept. North-
East, Dept. South etc.) 
mawou see myaw 
Ma wouj prop.n. Mare-Rouge (2nd 
communal section of Tortuga 
Island, Dept. North-West; 2nd 
communal section of M61e-Saint-
Nicolas, Dept. North-West) 
mawoule n. herdsman (who leads 
cattle to market); person who 
loads and unloads trucks, boats 
607 
ma woz - mayi 
etc.; bum, vagrant, person who 
lives from hand to mouth; large 
stout woman 
mawdzf.n. cat 
Mawozoprop.n. Mare-Roseaux (6th 
communal section of Ganthier, 
Dept. West) 
may n. link (in chain; in knitting); 
brains, intelligence; good graces, 
favor 
bay yon ~, mete de ~ sou chenn 
to cut (s.o.) a little slack, give 
(s.o.) a break 
gen ~ to be slick, be sly, be crafty 
lache ~ to offer no resistance 
lage yon ~ to give (s.o.) a break, 
cut (s.o.) a little slack 
mete yon ~ nan to advance, 
promote, further 
pa janm lache (li) yon ~ to 
never let go, never give (s.o.) a 
moment's rest 
pase ~ sou not to give a direct 
response 
May prop.n. nickname for Mari 
~ B6y My Boy (evaporated/ 
powdered milk) 
Maya prop.n. Maya; prop. adj. 
Mayan 
Mayami, Miyamiprop.n. Miami 
(Florida) 
mayanprop.n./adj. Mayan 
mayanba, mayi anba n. slap on 
water with open hand; var. of dice 
game 
tire ~ to draw lots 
Mayans prop.n. Mayance (2nd 
communal section of Anse-a-
Foleur, Dept. North-West) 
mayas n. foot odor 
pye ~ smelly feet 
mayasa see marasa 
maydaw n. [N.] sorcery 
maye v. to (inter)knit, intertwine; see 
marye 
mayengwen see marengwen 
mayestwo n. conductor (musical 
group), choir director, maestro 
may£t, many&t n. mallet, bat; clout, 
blow; power, authority 
kenbe - to hold onto or retain 
office or authority 
pase ~ to hand over or confer 
authority 
pran - to take over, take office, 
assume authority 
Maydtprop.n. Mayette (Dept. 
South-East) 
mayetik, manyetik adj. magnetic 
bann ~ cassette tape 
mayetis, manyetis n. magic spell 
(Voodoo); magnetism 
mayetit, manyetit n. lodestone, 
magnetite 
mayetize, manyetize v. to hypnotize; 
to magnetize 
mayetize, manyetiz£ n. hypnotist; 
sorcerer 
mayeto n. magneto, esp. small 
generator (on bicycle) 
mayetofonn, mayetofdn n. tape 
recorder 
mayezi, manyezi n. magnesium; 
milk of magnesia 
mayezy6m, magnezydm n. 
magnesium 
mayi n. corn, maize; extremely rapid 
Voodoo dance 
anba ~ a in the hay (for love-
making) 
bliye premye grenn - ki te leve 
jaden an to forget one's origins, 
be ungrateful 
bougon - small ear of corn 
608 
mayi - mayi 
bwa ~, baton ~, bdk ~ corncob 
chay ~, kod ~, lyann ~, t r i s ~ 
bundle of corn (corn on cob strung 
together and hung from tree for 
safe-keeping) 
farin ~ corn starch 
fen ~ very finely-ground corn 
gen ~ nan djakout li to have the 
(necessary) goods on (s.o.) 
gwo ~ see ~ gwo bougon 
gwo ~ (moulen) see ~ moulen 
gwo 
jem ~ corn kernel 
jis/jouk/jous ~ mi until the cows 
come home, until kingdom come, 
till hell freezes over 
ki ~ corn kernel; very finely-
ground corn 
kdd ~, lyann ~ see chay ~ 
~ alizen hardy var. of corn 
ripening in six to ten weeks 
~ anba see mayanba 
~ angren grains of corn detached 
from cob 
~ ankr im creamed corn 
~ boukannen roasted ear of corn 
~ boule bab almost ripe corn 
~ bwa nwa, ~ diven see ~ katajen 
~ chandel var. of corn 
Mayi Gate PaP international 
airport 
- grennen see ~ angren 
~ griye roasted grains of corn; 
popcorn 
~ (gwo) bougon var. of corn 
ripening in five months 
~ (gwo) grenn, ~ gwo t i t 
coarsely-ground corn 
~ idayi var. of corn similar to ~ 
ti bourik but with larger thicker 
grains (from acron. of Institut 
de Developpement agricole et 
industriel) 
~ kase (an de) coarsely-ground 
corn 
- katajin reddish-colored corn 
ripening in three and a half to four 
months 
~ klay var. of corn ripening in four 
months 
~ kdneli large-eared corn requiring 
well-ploughed soil 
~ leta var. of corn similar to ~ 
kdneli 
~ li fini to be out of luck, be done 
for 
~ moulen cornmeal 
- moulen fasi toasted cornmeal 
around hamburger 
~ moulen gwo, gwo ~ (moulen) 
coarsely-ground cornmeal 
~ moulen kd li to weasel out (of 
an obligation); to sneak in; to take 
it easy, be cautious; to squeeze 
(into corner etc.) 
~ ole tender fresh corn 
~ p ip i t , - p i tp i t , ~ plapla, ~ 
pl ipl i t , ~ pli tpli t , ~ pwapwa, 
p i tp i t - popcorn 
~ peyi var. of domestic corn 
- pyonnye var. of corn 
~ senma(k) coarsely-ground 
cornmeal 
~ siz me var. of corn ripening in 
twelve weeks 
~ ti bouk var. of com ripening 
twice annually 
~ ti bourik var. of corn ripening in 
eleven weeks 
- v i t ripe corn 
moulen ~ corn grinder (mach.) 
pay ~, po ~ corn husk 
p i tp i t ~ popcorn 
pye ~ cornstalk 
609 
mayifik- mazora 
tbt ~ corn kernel 
tr£s ~ see chay ~ 
zepi ~ ear (of corn) 
mayifik, manyifik adj. magnificent, 
splendid, grand, terrific 
Mayifika, M&nyifika n. Magnificat 
mayigwana see marij&n 
mayild n. stick of candy; dizziness, 
wooziness; children's game where 
one pivots around 
danse ~, fe ~ to dance while 
twirling around 
Mayisadprop.n. MaYssade (Dept. 
Center) 
Mayisadyenprop.n., Mayisady£n 
f.prop.n. inhabitant ofMai'ssade 
(Dept. Center) 
mayitid n. magnitude (of earthquake 
esp.) 
mayiwana see marij&n 
mayizena n. var. of hot cereal (esp. 
for babies) 
Mayk£lprop.n. Michael 
maymay, mamay, man may, 
timamay, timanmay, timaymay 
n. brat; little kid, small fry 
mayo n. T-shirt (with sleeves), sport 
shirt, polo shirt 
Mayo prop.n. nickname for Mar i 
mayodeben, mayoben, mayodben 
n. bathing suit 
mayoka see mawoka 
maydl, maj6, majdl n. wattle (under 
bird's throat or chin); double chin; 
children's game played with a 
flattened bottle top (same as ralba 
or siye kole); see lamaydl 
fe ~ to be victorious, be the winner 
mare/leve yon ~ (twa chif) to 
make a big win 
(premye) ~ winning number (in 
lottery) 
may on n. link (of chain) 
mayonbe n. var. of fish 
mayon&z, mayonn£z n. mayonnaise 
May6t prop. n. Mayotte 
mayote v. to be wrapped in 
mayoyo n. simpleton; var. of dance; 
battery of bells or rattles mounted 
on a frame 
mazanbel see mazonb&l 
mazanbi n. var. of small straw bag 
mazanga n. var. of lougawou (q.v.) 
which digs up bodies in cemeteries 
mazango adj. evil, satanic 
mazann see mazon 
mazanza n. worthless person; 
lawbreaker, evildoer 
mazenflen n. person with potbelly or 
big gut; bum, no-count person 
mazenga n. cooperative peasant 
work team - same as konbit (q.v.) 
yon ~ a group of 
maz&t n. clod, bungler, klutz; adj. 
slipshod, clumsy, careless 
mazi n. ruins; shanty, hovel 
mazimaza adj. two-faced, 
hypocritical; n. opportunist 
mazizw&l see masigw£l 
mazon, mazann, mazdn, mazonn, 
mazoun n. Voodoo dance to chase 
away unwelcome spirits; chant 
used for same effect; rapid Voodoo 
drum rhythm 
foule ~ to pound 
woule ~ to beat rapidly 
mazonbel, mazanbel, mazob£l, 
mazoub&l, mazoumb&l, 
mazounb&l n. var. of root 
vegetable (similar to yam) 
Var.: ~ blan, ~ j6n 
mazonn see mazon 
mazonnen v. to deceive 
mazora n. toothless person; ugly 
610 
mazoubeT - Medeyin 
person; worthless person; ugly 
animal 
mazoubil see mazonbel 
mazoudi, bazoudi adj. small and 
skinny (animal) 
mazouka n. mazurka (music) 
mazoumbil, mazounbel see 
mazonb&l 
mazoun see mazon 
mazou(t) n. (fuel) oil 
mche see mesye 
mdam euphemism for bounda m 
me n. May; adv. here is, here are; 
conj. but, yet 
~ wi of course, certainly 
me n. nun, mother, sister (rel); sea, 
ocean; mayor [Fr.]; adv. at least 
(when urging or encouraging s.o.) 
antre nan ~, ft ~ to (study to) 
become a nun 
~ adjwen deputy mayor; cf. 
majistra 
~ balawou swordfish 
~ de fami(y) mother 
~ prensipal chief mayor; cf. 
majistra 
~ siperyi mother superior 
~ vant placenta, afterbirth 
~ vant tonbe inverted or tipped 
uterus 
pyis ~ master deed, collective 
deed 
meb n. piece of furniture; furniture; 
see byen 
mete ~ nan kouti to start teething 
meble v. to furnish, provide furniture 
- ftt li to shape/form one's mind, 
educate oneself 
~ bouch li to acquire a denture 
MEBSH acron. (Misyon Evanjelik 
Batis Sid Dayiti) Southern Baptist 
Evangelical Missions of Haiti 
mech n. wick, fuse; wick lamp; lock 
(of hair); drill; drill bit; lash (of 
whip) 
~ beton cement drill bit 
~ bwa wood drill bit 
~ friz var. drill bit 
~ pou fouye twou, ~ pou seri hole 
saw 
~ wouft router bit 
pouse yon ~ to take a dump, take a 
shit 
mechan, michan adj. mean, cruel, 
evil, wicked; naughty; big; grave, 
serious; persistent; difficult, hard; 
wonderful, exceptional; brave, 
enterprising; n. difficulties of life 
antre nan ~ to face hardship(s), 
face difficulties; now it's serious 
business, now begins the hard part 
gwo ~ huge 
mechanste n. meanness, 
wickedness, nastiness, badness; 
harm, evil; spite; trickery 
nftchi n. mechoui (Arab dish) 
mid n. turd; see lannftd! 
~ ba see metba 
~ pou ou! shit on you! 
~ vant see mi t (vant) 
pa . . . yon ~ not a single damn 
thing, nothing at all 
medam, medanm fpl n. women, 
ladies 
- pye leji women of easy virtue 
ti ~ young ladies, girls 
meday n. medal; medallion, pendant 
medaye v. to award a medal, 
decorate 
medba see metba 
meddam see metdam 
Medeyin prop.n. Medellin, 
Colombia (site of Liberation 
Theology meetings, 1968) 
611 
Medi - M&ki 
Mediprop.n. [Bible] Media 
medi kal adj. medical 
medikaman n. medicine, 
medication, pharmaceuticals 
Medikkprop.n. [Eng.] Medicare 
mediko- prefix medico-
meditasyon n. meditation; brief 
informal sermon 
medite v. to meditate (upon); to 
deliver a brief informal sermon 
Mediterane, Mediteraneprop.n./ 
adj. Mediterranean 
medizan n. slanderer; adj. 
slanderous, disparaging, 
backbiting 
~ mal palan hypocrite, backbiter, 
slanderer 
medjdk see medydk 
medizans, lamedizans n. slander, 
backbiting 
medd: 
R ~ to get nowhere with women, 
be a loser (with women) 
Medd prop.n. M6dor (6th communal 
section of Petite-Rivi&re-de-
FArtibonite, Dept. Artibonite) 
medsen, m&dsen, mesten, m&tsen n. 
[Fr] physician, doctor; cf ddkt£ 
~ fey (usu. ddkt£ fhy) faith-and-
herb healer, folk healer 
~ lejis medical examiner, forensic 
expert 
medsin n. medical science; see 
metsin 
~ chwal extremely strong 
medicine 
~ ent£n internal medicine 
~ fhy folk medicine 
medsiyen, see metsiyen 
medya n. media, news services; adv. 
immediately 
medyan adj. median (math.) 
medykn n. median (math.) 
medyasyon n. mediation, arbitration 
medyate v. to mediate 
medyate n. mediator 
medyatik adj. media 
medydk, medjdk adj. mediocre 
medyokrite n. mediocrity 
medydm n. medium (newspapers, 
radio, TV etc. - cf pi. medya); 
(spiritual) medium; adj. medium-
sized (clothes); medium (cooked 
meat) 
mefyan adj. mistrustful, suspicious 
mefyans n. mistrust, suspicion 
mefye v. [Fr] to mistrust, distrust, be 
suspicious of, beware of 
m£g adj. skinny, gaunt, lean, thin; 
meager; depleted (soil) 
~ kou kaw thin as a rail 
megafdn n. megaphone 
megawat n. megawatts 
mego n. [Fr.] cigarette butt; cf. pdy 
migr£, lamegrd, lam£gr£ n. skinny 
person; leanness; adj. lean, skinny 
megri, amegri v. to lose weight, slim 
down 
m£gzo, lamigzo n. skin and bones, 
walking skeleton 
Mfej prop.n. Roman Catholic youth 
organization 
M£jeprop.n. Merger (near Gressier, 
Dept. West) 
mekanik n. mechanics; mechanic; 
adj. mechanical 
aprann ~ to study auto repair 
mekanikman adv. mechanically; by 
mechanical means 
mekanis n. mechanism 
mekanisyen n. mechanic 
mekanize v. to mechanize 
m£ki n. mercury, quicksilver 
M&kiprop.n. Mercury 
612 
m&kiryel - melimelo 
mekiryil n. mercurial, mercury-
based product 
mekiwokdm see m£lkiwok6m 
mekonddleyans interj. my 
condolences 
mekontan adj. unhappy; n. 
malcontent 
mekontantman n. dissatisfaction, 
displeasure, discontent; 
unhappiness 
mekredi n. Wednesday 
~ d&sann, ~ lesann, - fesann, ~ 
sann Ash Wednesday 
pa janm rive pi devan pase ~ 
desann to get no further, not get 
very far 
mekreyan adj. misbelieving, 
unbelieving; n. non-believer; 
wretch, rascal 
Meksik, Omeksikprop.n. Mexico 
Meksikenprop.n./adj., Meksik£n 
fprop.n. Mexican 
Meksikoprop.n. Mexico City 
mekte see mikte 
nfel n. blackbird; whetstone, 
grindstone 
ki ~ mwen! who cares! 
~ djab Antillean grackle (bird) 
~ fran Hispaniolan grackle (bird) 
~ nd tawny-shouldered blackbird 
~ (pou) bwa saw blade 
~ tounen millstone 
melad n. honey-colored or roan 
horse 
meladd n. gossiper, gossip 
m£lan n. cobia (fish) 
melanj, melany n. mix, mixture, 
blend 
fe yon ~ to mix, blend 
Melanj Ritz Melange Ritz 
(earliest brand of Haitian 
cigarettes, 1934-1936) 
melanje v. to mix, blend; to dilute; to 
(en)tangle, mess up; to meddle, be 
nosey, interfere in other people's 
business; to confuse 
melankoli n. melancholy 
melany see melanj 
melas n. molasses; cheap beverage 
made from sugarcane (not kleren) 
melatris, milatris, minatris: 
ala ~, an ~ in a stiff or affected 
manner; throwing a playing top 
in the air and catching in palm of 
hand 
melba see metba; p£ch ~ 
mele v. to mix, blend; to mix, 
associate (with); to mix up, 
disarrange, confuse; to entangle, 
be tangled (up); to mingle; to 
interfere, meddle; to involve, be 
involved; to embarrass; to be in 
a tight spot, be in a bind; to be in 
trouble; to get (s.o.) into trouble; 
adj. confused, mixed up 
Ki - bounda (yon moun) Who 
gives a damn about (s.o.) 
K i ~ m ! , Ki t e ~ m ! What do I 
care! So what! 
Ki ~ m ak Who cares about 
~ ak to associate with, have 
dealings with; to be in trouble 
with; to be stuck with or trapped 
by 
- fon nan to be deeply involved in 
pa ~ to abstain, refrain; to be 
neutral; uninvolved 
pa ~ ak to have nothing to do with 
melimelo, meliyismeleyo n. mess, 
disorder; hodgepodge, assortment, 
odds and ends; eclectic mixture; 
junk shop, pawnshop; busybody 
tout - the whole shebang, 
"everything but the kitchen sink" 
613 
m e l i s - m e n 
m e l i s n. lemon balm herb 
~ m a w o n var. of herb 
m e l i t o n see m i l i t o n 
n f t l k i w o k d m , m & k i w o k d m n. 
mercurochrome 
m e l o d i n. melody 
m e l o j & n , m e l o n j & n n. var. of squash 
m e l o m & n , m e l o m a n n n. [Fr.] music 
lover 
m e l o n n. melon 
~ dlo watermelon 
~ f r a n s melon (similar to 
cantaloupe) 
~ l e s p a y honeydew melon 
M e l o n prop.n. Melon (11th 
communal section of Cayes, Dept. 
South) 
m e l o n j & n see m e l o j £ n 
Melormyhprop.n. Melonnftre 
(communal section of Chantal, 
Dept. South) 
m e l o v i v i n. slander, calumny 
m e l y a s i n n. long machete; var. of tree 
m e m e f.n. granny, grandma 
m e m m a n see m e n m m a n 
m e m o r a b adj. memorable 
m e m o r a n d d m n. memorandum 
m e m o r i z e v. [Eng.] to memorize; cf. 
a p r a n n p a k& 
m e m o r y a l n. memorial 
m e m w a , l a m e m w a , m e n m w a n. 
memory; report, paper, thesis 
~ p o u l short memory 
m e n n. hand; handful; manpower; 
hand, round (games); adv. here 
is, here are, there is, there are 
(pointing out); here you are, here 
you go; so much, so many, ever so 
(much), so far, that (far, big etc.); 
conj. but, yet; interj. well well! 
my!; souee! (for calling pigs); see 
l a n m e n 
a ~ by hand 
b a t ~ ankouraje c h e n to urge on, 
encourage; to create a commotion; 
to stir up trouble 
b a y k o u t ~ to give a hand, help 
d e ~ a n f t hold-up, robbery; 
praying; celebrating 
d e ~ d e p y e with just one's 
bare hands, with no material 
possessions 
d e ~ 1 r e l e 1 p a 1 to have good 
strong hands, be hard-working and 
energetic; to be resourceful 
d e ~ n a n ftt despairing, distraught 
d e ~ p a n n , d e ~ b a l a n , d e - vid 
empty-handed 
d e z y £ m ~ used, second-hand 
d i ~ li to assert oneself, show 
oneself, become evident 
d o - b a c k of hand 
ft ~ li to practice on, try one's 
hand at 
ft ~ l i j w e n n a k ~ y o n m o u n to 
bribe 
ft y o n - l e v e p o u to come to the 
assistance of, help 
ft y o n p a s e ~ n a n to do some 
repairing 
g e n b o n - to be a successful 
caretaker or manager 
g e n ~ to be skillful; to have a 
green thumb 
g e n ~ p o u to have a flair for 
k e n b e ~ n a n s a k to catch red-
handed 
k o n n e n ~ dwat li k o n n e n - g6ch 
li to be a great worker; to be 
resourceful 
l e v e ~ s o u to hit, strike (s.o.) 
l o n j e ~ b a y to assist, reach out to, 
help (financially) 
~ a l e ~ v i n i to give and to receive 
614 
men - men 
equally in return 
~ deft hand of iron, firmly, harshly 
~ g6ch left hand; evil Voodoo 
practices 
~ kontre solidarity, togetherness 
- koule extravagant, spendthrift; 
clumsy, butter-fingered 
~ kout stingy 
~ kwaze idle, inactive 
~ kwoupi stingy, grasping 
~ lej£ inclined to slap or hit (for 
little reason); overly generous (in 
serving food etc.) 
~ leve withdrawal, release (Jur.) 
~ li ~ mwen to have no dealings 
with, have no connection with; 
to be physically near s.o. but 
separated (by crowd etc.) 
~ li pran nan moulen to be caught 
in a trap 
~ li rele 1 pa 1 to be skillful, be 
handy 
~ long grasping, greedy, corrupt; 
thief 
- lou stingy, tight 
~ nan bouch amazed, astounded; 
saddened; sadness 
~ nan kou to be close to, have an 
"in" with 
~ nan machwfc greatly worried; 
desperate 
~ nan ~, ~ nan lamen hand in 
hand, together; from hand to hand; 
in person, directly 
~ nan ftt despairing, distraught 
~ ni! here it is! look! 
~ pa lou generous 
- pese spendthrift, big spender 
- p6k crippled, deformed or 
withered hand; clumsy, all thumbs 
~ sere stingy 
~ sou ranch disrespectful or 
defiant gesture 
~ tou however 
~ yon moun kontre ak ~ yon ldt 
to work together, be united 
~ wi of course, certainly 
~ woft ever so high 
mete de ~ nan kat6z to put one's 
hands on one's hips 
mete (de) ~ nan ftt to be 
surprised; to moan, groan, express 
pain 
mete ~ to start, begin (s.thg.); 
to get (down) to work; to grab, 
seize, arrest; to come to blows; to 
cooperate 
mete ~ alapat, mete ~ (li) nan pat 
la to get involved, take action 
mete ~ nan to participate in 
mete ~ nan bouch to be 
disconcerted, be bewildered, be 
perplexed 
mete ~ nan gagann/pat kasav/ 
koftt to seize, grab, arrest (s.o.) 
mete ~ nan ftt to despair, become 
distraught 
mete ~ sou to grab, seize, arrest 
mete ~ toutbon to really get into 
(s.thg.), put one's back into (s.thg.) 
nan ~ from (person); by the hand 
of, at the hand(s) of 
nan - li within one's grasp; from 
one's grasp; in one's hands, in 
one's charge 
pase ~ quick repair; to make a 
quick repair 
pase - nan bouch to snack 
pase ~ nan je to hide one's eyes, 
put on blinders 
pase ~ nan ftt yon moun to 
caress, cajole s.o. 
pase ~ pran to grab 
pase ~ sou to correct, discipline 
615 
Men - menmman 
pase nan ~ to pass through 
one's hands, have had in one's 
possession or grasp 
pla ~, plan ~, plat - palm (of 
hand) 
pran - (li) to get in line, shape up, 
pull oneself together 
pran - ou! be careful! 
pran nan ~ to believe; to grab, 
seize 
rete yon ~ devan yon ~ d£y£ to be 
totally destitute 
retounen ak - li to return empty-
handed 
sere ~ to wring one's hands 
sou ~ at hand, close to 
sou - li really with it, on top of 
things, really knowing what one 
is doing 
travay ak de ~ (of a Voodoo 
priest) to perform both good and 
evil 
voye ~ to greet; to beg 
voye ~ (bay) to wave (to/at) 
yon ~ devan yon ~ dey& totally 
destitute 
yon (ti) kenbe - somewhat menial 
job 
Men {pronounced: Me-n)prop.n. 
Maine (USA) 
MEN acron. Minisfe Edikasyon 
Nasyonal Ministry of National 
Education 
menaj see mennaj 
menaje v. to spare, protect, treat 
kindly; to save, economize; adj. 
household, domestic 
pa ~ bouch li to not mince words, 
state in no uncertain terms 
sant ~, lekdl ~ home economics 
training center 
menaj&, mennaj^ n., menaj£z f.n. 
housekeeper; cleaning woman; 
house maid 
menas, mennas n. threat, menace 
fe ~ to threaten 
menasan, mennasan adj. 
threatening 
menase, mennase v. to threaten, 
menace 
menay see mennaj 
mend&v n. manpower; work force; 
workers; honest price; labor cost 
men£ n. leader, conductor 
menenjit see mennenjit 
mengr£t, mengle, mengfet adj. 
scrawny, skinny 
meni n. menu 
menizye n. [Fr] cabinetmaker 
MENJS acron. (Minisft Edikasyon 
Nasyonal Jennes ak Espd) 
Ministry of National Education, of 
Youth and of Sports 
menm adv. even; exactly, precisely; 
very; in addition, further; pron. 
self; adj. same, identical, alike 
jodi a ~ on this very day 
~ ak same as 
~ ~ (for emphasis) 
~.. . ~ as soon as just a s i n 
the same way that... 
~ par&y identical 
~ sa ou tande a at that very time, 
right then 
pa ... - not at all 
se sa ~! exactly! it's exactly that! 
Menmfisprop.n. [Bible] Memphis 
menmiz: 
gen - sou, fe ~ sou to have power 
over, dominate, control 
menmki: 
~ menmka similar, exactly the 
same 
menmman, memman adv. likewise, 
616 
menmsi - mera 
similarly; equally 
- par£yman equally, the same as 
always, as usual; likewise 
menmsi conj. even if 
menmwa see memwa 
mennaj, menaj, menay, mennay 
n. boyfriend; girlfriend; fiancee); 
married couple, household; 
housework; pair (of animals) of 
each sex 
ft bon ~ to get along well together 
(man and woman) 
mennaj^ see menaje 
mennas see menas 
mennasan see menasan 
mennase see menase 
mennay see mennaj 
menn£ n. herdsman (who leads 
cattle to market - cf. mawoule) 
mennen v. to take, lead, bring; to 
drive 
byen ~ to succeed, prosper; to 
become wealthy; to live it up 
- ale to take away; to kill; to 
return, bring back 
~ bak (li) to run one's business, 
run one's affairs; to lead, conduct 
~ bay to bring to 
~ kont to start a fight, create 
trouble 
~ sdti to lead out, take out 
~ tounen to take back, bring back 
~ tounen bay to bring back for 
~ vini to bring forth; to bring 
along; to bring back, return; 
comings and goings 
~ yon avyon to fly an airplane 
~ zaft to conduct business 
mennenjit, menenjit n. meningitis 
menni! interj. here it is! look! 
mennonit, menonit n./adj. 
Mennonite 
menndt, mendt, minot n. handcuffs 
mennote see minote 
mennwit see minwi 
menonit see mennonit 
menopdz, menopoz n. menopause 
Mends (Solon)prop.n. M&ios 
(Solon) - Haitian statesman (1859-
1918) 
mendt see menndt 
menote see minote 
Menowaprop.n. Menorah 
mens adj. slim, thin, slender 
mensi v. to become thin 
Menskprop.n. Minsk (Belarus) 
mentfwa adv. [Fr] many a time, 
time and time again 
mentnan adv. [Fr] now 
mentnans n. maintenance, up-keep 
mentni v. to maintain, keep; to keep 
back, restrain; to stay, remain 
mentyen n. [Fr] preservation, 
upholding 
men vil n. var. of mango 
menwfct (pronounced: me-nw£t) n. 
old-fashioned dance, minuet 
menwi, menwit see minwi 
menwizye (pronounced: me-
nwizye), minizye n. carpenter 
meny£ see many£ 
mepri n. contempt, scorn 
mepriz n. mistake, error 
meprizab adj. contemptible, 
despicable 
meprizan adj. contemptuous, 
scornful, aloof 
meprize v. to despise, scorn, snub, 
look down on; to slight; to ignore 
mepriz^: 
~ p£p traitor, hypocrite 
mera n. trap, pitfall; poison; portion 
of a workday; corn kernel dipped 
in raw rum 
617 
mere - mesyedam 
pran nan (s6s) ~, lage k6 li nan ~ 
to fall into a trap, get into trouble, 
get into a mess 
mere adv. [N.] here is [used only by 
street vendors] 
mereng, merenge n. merengue, 
meringue (popular dance rhythm); 
meringue (cul.) - cf. krem blan ze 
konkou ~ Mardi Gras music 
competition 
~ kanaval, ~ koudjay fast-tempo 
merengue 
~ salon slow refined merengue 
mer£s n. dye (for leather) 
meri, lameri n. townhall, city hall 
meridyen n. meridian 
Meridyonal prop.n. inhabitant of the 
Dept. South 
meriken, Merik£n see ameriken, 
Ameriken 
merilan n. poor-quality mango; 
reject, waste; lackey, servant 
(pej); adj. cheap, poor quality 
fe ~ to be obsequious, servile 
Merilann, Marilann prop.n. 
Maryland (USA) 
merilyen n. lackey, servant 
Merinprop.n. (U.S.) Marine (milit) 
merisken see ameriken 
merit n. merit 
gen ~ to be deserving, be worthy 
merite v. to merit, deserve; to 
require, need; interj. you're 
welcome! don't mention it! 
meritwa adj. meritorious 
meriyann n. var. of fish 
m&ryon n. two-headed fishhook 
attached to metal drum (for 
catching sharks) 
m&s n. customs, habits, behavior; 
misbehavior, bad habits; mess; 
Mass (rel.) 
bon ~ good behavior 
gen ~ to have vices 
gran ~ High Mass 
~ bas Low Mass 
move ~ , ti ~ dissoluteness 
mesaj see mesay 
mesaje, mesaj& n., mesaj&zf.n. 
messenger, courier; envoy 
mesay, mesaj n. message; church 
sermon 
bay ~ to prophesy 
M£sed£sprop.n. Mercedes 
mesen& n./adj. mercenary; n. soldier 
of fortune 
mesi n. messiah 
Mesiprop.n. Messiah 
m£si n. thanks, appreciation; interj. 
thank you; stop here (on taptap, 
shared taxi etc.) 
pou ~ bokou/mouche without 
thanks, in vain, for nothing; 
disinterestedly; free of charge; cf. 
pou gremesi 
M£siprop.n. Mercy (9th communal 
section of Cayes, Dept. South) 
mesken n. warts (reg.); adj. petty, 
small 
meskinri n. [Fr] pettiness 
mesten see medsen 
mestik&n n. var. of flower 
mestiyen see metsiyen 
mesye, mche, misye, mousye, msye 
n. mister, Mr.; sir; gentleman, 
man, companion; husband; pron. 
he, his, him; cf. mouche 
~ Fransis var. of mango 
pa ~/pa madanm ent£l to not be 
known, have no standing 
(ti) - (young) man, guy 
mesyedam pin. ladies and 
gentlemen; people (even if only 
one man and one 'woman) 
618 
met - nftt 
~ lasosyete ladies and gentlemen 
(formal opening for speech) 
met see mete 
nftt n. master; school teacher, 
professor; expert; lawyer; title of 
respect esp. for lawyers, but also 
used occ. for judges, teachers, 
pastors, and prosperous men 
in general; owner; director or 
sponsor of a bann r a r a (q.v.) or 
rock group; meter; tape measure; 
aux. may (permission); conj. even 
if 
dft ~ clft m&tr£s, jant i - janti 
nfttrfcs (true/real) master, owner, 
proprietor 
Gran IVftt God, the Lord 
li te ~.. . even if he/she ...; 
whether; whatever 
~ abitasyon protective spirit of a 
given locality 
~ aft person in charge 
~ akoulis tape measure 
~ an bwa folding wooden tape 
measure 
- apanft surveyor's tape measure 
~ bann leader of rara band; 
headman, head honcho, big cheese 
~ bary£ see ~ gagfc 
~ Bitasyon see Legba 
~ boutik shopkeeper 
~ bwa Hispaniolan stygian owl; 
var. parasitical plant 
~ chante show-off, big talker 
~ chenn helper on a truck; cf. b£f 
chenn 
~ e senyfc lord and master 
~ gag&, ~ baryfc gatekeeper at 
cockfight arena 
~ gason see nfttagason 
~ Granchimen see Legba 
~ Janjak jack-of-all-trades; 
resourceful person 
~ jw£t lord and master; owner of 
premises where a game is being 
played; master of ceremonies 
~ Kafou see Legba 
~ kay householder; host 
~ ke controller, regulator, 
restrainer (can be a person, or an 
object such as a whip) 
~ k£syon authority, expert 
- k£syon debounda executioner, 
hangman 
~ kizin chef 
~ k6, ~ md next of kin (of the 
deceased) 
~ kont master story-teller; smooth 
talker 
~ koze master of ceremonies 
~ minwi evil spirit 
~ md see ~ kd 
~ dm, ~ twdm masterful or 
outstanding man 
- ounfd particular guardian spirit 
of a Voodoo temple 
- p&l mason 
~ peyi influential person 
~ pliyan folding ruler 
- priy& see pr&t savann 
- riban meter tape 
~ seremoni master of ceremonies 
~ Simityfc, ~ Senmityfc see Bawon 
Samdi 
- ft landowner 
- ftt one's principal protective 
Voodoo spirit 
- ftt li sovereign, autonomous 
~ travay boss, overseer 
~ twdm see ~ dm 
~ (vant), m&d vant placenta, 
afterbirth 
~ woulan tape measure 
ou te ~. . . even if you ...; whether; 
619 
metab - mete 
whatever 
rele ch£ - ch£ m&tr£s to belong to 
te ~. . . te ~. . . either ... or, whether 
... or whether 
yo te ~ sa yo te ye whoever 
they may be, all persons without 
exception 
metab adj. wearable (clothes) 
metafizik n. metaphysics; adj. 
metaphysical 
metafd n. [Fr.] metaphor 
metagason, mht gason n. con artist, 
con man, shrewd operator 
metal n. metal 
~ deplwaye expanded metal 
(mesh) 
metalik adj. metal, metallic 
metamdfoz n. [Fr] metamorphosis 
metamofoze v. [Fr] to 
metamorphose, transform 
met&n n. methane 
metba, medba v. to whelp, give 
birth (animals) 
metche see metye 
m£tdam, m&ddam adj. sly, cunning, 
shrewd; n. con artist, con man, 
smart operator; deception, cunning 
mete, met v. to lay, put, put in, 
insert; to put on, wear (clothes); to 
apply (ointment etc.); to set, place, 
lay; to take (time); to begin, start 
to; to appoint, name; let's say that 
(mete form only) 
~ apse sou klou see apse 
~ ak, ~ av£k to join together with, 
act in unison; to take sides with; to 
compare with; together with 
~ akl& to elucidate, define, spell 
out 
- akote to put aside, forget 
~ aleka to put on the sidelines, 
push aside 
~ an/nan to translate 
~ an gad to warn, caution 
~ an mach to set in motion, start 
up 
~ an reta to delay, make (s.o.) late 
~ ansanm to join together; to 
work together 
~ (ansanm) ak to take sides with, 
agree with, join with; to compare 
with 
~ apa to quarantine, isolate 
~ at£ to put down, deposit; to 
plant; to abandon, give up; to fire, 
lay off; to overthrow; to whelp, 
give birth (animals); to bet; to kill 
~ ba to whelp, give birth 
(animals); to put down, lay down 
~ ba lezam to lay down arms, stop 
fighting 
~ bout ak to put an end to, bring 
to a close 
~ dan to eat; to put teeth into 
~ de pye (yon moun) nan yon s£l 
grenn soulye to hinder, hamper, 
encumber 
~ debou to stand up 
~ dekote to put aside 
~ devan to use as a pretext 
~ d&yfc to set out after, pursue 
~ deyd to show, reveal; to make 
public; to stick out, extend; to 
expend, exert; to issue, bring out; 
to take out; to publish; to beat it, 
run away, leave; to dismiss, expel, 
kick out; to excrete; to spend 
(money), finance; to consult a 
Voodoo priest/priestess 
~ dife to set on fire; arson 
~ do (yon moun) aft to down, 
defeat, overcome (s.o.) 
~ j£n to rejuvenate 
- kanpe (sou de pye) to rise up; to 
620 
mete - mete 
set up, establish 
~ kd li deyd to leave; to make an 
effort; to consult a Voodoo priest/ 
priestess 
~ k6 li yon kote to stand aside, 
withdraw 
~ konfyans nan to believe in, trust 
~ kouche to put to bed 
~ la to keep on hand, keep on 
reserve; to save; to put back, 
return; on hand, on reserve 
~ ladan to include 
~ lajan deyd to disburse; to invest 
~ li a n kat to do all one can, do 
one's best 
~ li anba to take s.o. in, deceive; 
to give s.o. a ride 
~ li dwa(t) to straighten up (one's 
body) 
~ li kdrfck to be ready (for s.thg.); 
to fill one's stomach 
~ li sou sa to get involved 
~ m a f t leave me out (of it), 
don't include me, I'm not getting 
involved 
- men to start, begin (s.thg.); 
to get (down) to work; to grab, 
seize, arrest; to come to blows; to 
cooperate 
~ men alapat, ~ men nan pat to 
get involved, take action 
~ men nan to participate in 
~ men nan pat kasav, ~ men nan 
senti to grab, seize, overpower 
- men nan ftt to despair, become 
distraught 
~ men sou to grab, seize, arrest 
~ min sou to be annoyed (at), 
frown (at), express displeasure (at) 
~ moun sou li see ~ nanm sou li 
~ nan to include; to mislead; to 
induce 
- nan dbyb yon moun, ~ pou yon 
moun to light into s.o., tell s.o. 
off, rake s.o. over the coals 
~ nan ft to plant 
- nan ftt to think, believe, assume 
- nanm/moun sou li to be firm or 
resolute, act with vigor 
~ opye to put down, stamp out, do 
away with 
~ (ou) nan plas/po li to put 
(yourself) in s.o.'s shoes 
~ pase genyen to exaggerate 
~ paten nan pye to skate off, take 
off, clear out 
~ pitit aft to breed like flies, have 
kids left and right 
- po fig/mango anba pye/sou 
wout to set a trap 
~ pou yon moun see ~ nan dbyb 
yon moun 
~ rad to get dressed 
~ rete ak moun to place [a child] 
as a restav£k (q.v.) with s.o. 
~ so to affix a seal 
~ sou to add to, add on 
~ sou de pye to put into working 
condition 
~ sou do to accuse, hold 
responsible 
~ sou kb (yon moun) to pour out 
one's heart to (s.o.), tell (s.o.) all 
about s.thg. 
~ sou kote to put aside, save; to 
set aside, disregard; to marginalize 
~ sou li (ankd) moreover, in 
addition; what is even worse 
~ sou moun to socialize 
~ sou papye to write down 
~ sou pye to set up, organize, 
establish 
~ sou sa moreover, furthermore, in 
addition (to); what is even worse; 
621 
mete - metres 
to encourage, incite; to seduce 
~ sou ft to give birth to 
~ (ftt) ak to side with 
~ ftt anba to mix up, disrupt 
~ t b t ansanm to cooperate; to 
agree 
~ t b t li anplas to come to one's 
senses 
~ t b t pou to head toward, go in the 
direction of 
~ tout dan li deyd to grin from ear 
to ear, break out into a broad smile 
~ tout kaka chat deyd to let the 
cat out of the bag, spill the beans, 
reveal a secret 
~ tout kouray sou li to summon 
up all one's strength 
~ tout moun dakd to bring about 
an agreement or consensus 
~ yon bagay lekdl to pawn, hock 
~ (yon moun) aft to overcome, 
defeat (s.o.) 
~ (yon moun) kle to enlighten 
(s.o.), explain (to s.o.) 
~ (yon moun) nan plas li to 
rebuff, rebuke (s.o.) 
~ yon moun yon kote pou softy 
pa bat li to put behind bars, put 
away, lock up 
~ yon pwen ba nan to put an end 
to, finish off 
~ z b i nan pye to take flight, flee 
~ zor£y li an twonp£t to listen up, 
listen closely 
pa ~ to omit 
pa ~ dlo nan bouch li not to 
mince words 
san ~ san wete neither more nor 
less 
meft ansen n. producer (theater); 
director (cinema) 
metewoloji see meteyoloji 
metewolojik see meteyolojik 
meteyaj n. [Fr.] sharecropping, 
tenant farming 
meteye n. [Fr.] sharecropper; cf. 
demwatye 
Meteye (Twou) prop.n. major canal 
crossing Citi Soleil (q.v.) and 
leading to the sea 
meteyo n. weather report 
meteyo n. meteor 
meteyoldg, meteyolojis n. 
meteorologist, weather forecaster 
meteyoloji, metewoloji n. 
meteorology 
meteyolojik, metewolojik adj. 
meteorological, weather 
bilten ~ weather report 
meteyolojis see meteyoldg 
meteyorit n. meteorite 
metiftn n. methylene 
metis n. half-caste, half breed 
nfttjw£t adj. crafty, wily, artful; n 
unscrupulous person 
metke n. authority figure, mentor, 
feared or respected advisor 
meto: 
si a ~, siyameto hacksaw 
metdd n. method, way, procedure, 
process, system; elementary 
reader, primer (book) 
~ natir&l, - a lmanak rhythm 
method (birth control) 
metodis n./adj. Methodist 
metodoloji n. methodology 
meton see admeton 
Metouchela/?ro/?.«. [Bible] 
Methuselah 
nfttpwent adj. crafty, wily, sly, 
cunning; n. unscrupulous person 
metres, nfttrfcs f.n. mistress; 
proprietress, owner 
- kay lady of the house; hostess 
622 
Metros - mezi 
~ lekdl (woman) school teacher 
Metros, M£tr&s prop.n. title for 
Ezili (q.v.) 
metr&sdam f.n. sly crafty woman 
metri, m£tri v. to bruise 
metrik adj. metric; n. metrics 
(poetry) 
metriye adj. murderous; cf. fann 
fwa 
metriz n. mastery, control; master's 
degree 
metrize v. to master, control; to 
master, learn thoroughly; to 
overpower 
mfctsen see medsen 
metsin, medsin laxative, purgative; 
see lamedsin 
~ chwal potent medicine 
pran ~ sou kont pentad mawon 
to spend money one doesn't have, 
make plans based on wishes only 
metsiyen, medsiyen, mestiyen n. 
medicine plant (specific var.) 
~ barachen jatropha (bot.) 
Var.: gwo ~ , ~ beni 
metsosoprano n. mezzo-soprano 
metwo n. [Fr] subway 
metwononm n. metronome (music) 
metwopdl, lametwopol n. 
metropolis; mother country, 
colonizing country 
metwopoliten adj. metropolitan 
(usu. referring to PaP) 
metye, metche n. trade, occupation, 
profession; habit 
ale nan ~ to go to professional 
school 
- a tise weaving loom 
nan ~ (professional) homosexual 
pa di ~ li not to be one's thing, not 
be good at 
movant) n. placenta, afterbirth 
m£v&y n. marvel, wonder 
m&veye adj. wonderful, marvelous, 
splendid 
Mewdtprop.n. Mfrotte (near 
l'Arcahaie, Dept. West) 
mewou n. grouper (fish) 
meyakoulpa n. mea culpa, 
confession of guilt 
bat ~, ib (yon) ~ to confess one's 
guilt/mistakes 
Meyansprop.n. M£ance (Tortuga 
Island, Dept. North-West) 
meyb see miyd 
~ mache cheaper, less expensive 
Mey£prop.n. Meyer (immediately 
east of Jacmel, Dept. South-East) 
mbyb see manye 
m£zal6, mezalo interj. but then, 
however 
mezalyans n. misalliance, 
unfortunate union 
mezanfan, m&zanfan n. of address 
my children 
mezanj n. titmouse, chickadee 
mezanmi! interj. wow! man! good 
grief! (denoting surprise, shock, 
disbelief); n. of address my friends 
mezantant n. misunderstanding 
mezavanti n. misadventure, 
misfortune 
mezestime v. to underestimate, 
underrate, have little regard for 
mezi, mizi n. measurement; 
dimension; size (clothing); 
measure, quantity; measure, 
action, expedient; measure (music 
notation); two and one-half 
gallons [Bible]; adv. as much (as), 
as many (as); all (the), whole; 
enough; adj. every; many 
an ~ as long as; to be in a position 
(to do s.thg.) 
623 
mezire - midi 
an ~ . . . an ~ the more ... the more 
bay nan ti - to ration (out) 
- lajan ou ~ wanga ou you get 
what you pay for 
~ . . . ~ in the same way that, just 
as; in direct proportion to; the 
more... the more 
~ pye li his/her size; his/her 
(social) rank or status 
nan bon ti ~ well and clear; in full 
measure 
pran ~ to measure 
mezire, mizire v. to measure; to 
watch, keep an eye on; to try 
on (clothing); to measure up to, 
compare with 
byen ~ accurate 
- de (2) pou senk (5) to be 
everywhere, be widespread 
mezon n. [Fr.] house; commercial 
enterprise; see lamezon 
Mezon Blanch White House 
(Washington D.C.) 
~ (d)edisyon publishing house, 
publisher 
- finfcb funeral home, funeral parlor 
~ koines n. store 
mezondafe n. pawnshop 
mete nan ~, ale nan ~, pote nan ~ 
to pawn, hock 
Mezopotami/?r<9/?./?. [Bible] 
Mesopotamia 
Mgr abbrev. monseyfc 
(monseigneur) archbishop; bishop 
mi n. wall; blueberry; mulberry; E 
(music); losing chip (dominoes); 
adj. ripe; mature; worn-out, 
threadbare; false, fake (in games); 
middle (of month); mid; adv. here 
is, here are; see fig mi 
kay (an) - stone or concrete house 
~ fig ~ rezen wishy-washy, 
hesitant, vacillating, irresolute; 
wry, half-humorous 
~ sek dry-wall bench terrace, rock 
terracing (to prevent erosion) 
~ woz var. of mango 
vin ~ to ripen 
miba v. to whelp, give birth 
(animals) 
Mibalb prop.n. Mirebalais (Dept. 
Center) 
Mibalezyenprop.n., Mibalezyen 
/.prop.n. inhabitant of Mirebalais 
(Dept. Center) 
Mich m. or f.prop.n. nickname for 
Michel; see Fonmelon 
mich, mit n. soft part of bread 
michan see mechan 
Miche, Mikaprop.n, [Bible] Micah 
Michel prop.n. Michael 
Michel (Joj) prop.n. Michel 
(Georges) - contemporary Haitian 
historian 
mich£lmoren n. jack-of-all-trades, 
general utility man; social 
butterfly, social animal 
Michigan(n)prop.n. Michigan 
(USA) 
Michlin f.prop.n. Micheline 
mich mich v. to flicker 
Micho m.prop.n. nickname for 
Michel 
mid&leskoul n. [Eng.] middle 
school, junior high school 
midi n. noon, midday; break, time­
out 
a ~ sonan high noon, at noon 
sharp 
gwo ~ high noon; in broad 
daylight 
pare ~, pran ~ to take a lunch 
break 
624 
midonnen - milen& 
midonnen see anmidonnen 
mifig mirezen see mi 
migan, miganm n. very tiny bits, 
scattered remnants; ritualistic 
potion prepared with blood of 
sacrificed animals, sugar, spices 
etc. (Voodoo) 
ft ~ to be completely broken 
migannen v. to shatter, smash into 
tiny bits 
migfcl adj. complicated, difficult 
migran nJadj. migrant 
migrasyon n. migration 
migratwa adj. immigration 
migran, migrenn n. (any) serious 
headache; migraine 
mijonnen v. to plot, scheme 
mijote v. to simmer, cook slowly, 
stew; to plot, brew (fig.) 
Mika see Miche 
mikalaw: 
ft ~ to abound, be plentiful, teem 
with, overflow with, swarm with 
mikarfcm n. third Thursday of Lent 
mikayfcl n. var. of mango 
Mikklan] prop.n. Michelangelo 
mik£z n. mucous membrane 
Miki m.prop.n. nickname for Miciftl 
mikmak n. mixing together, 
jumbling; jumble, confusion; 
adj. disparate, ill-assorted, badly 
matched 
an ~ complex, complicated 
ft ~ to abound, be numerous; to 
blink 
mikmik adj. over-ripe, beginning to 
spoil; moist, sodden, mildewed 
miko see mikwo 
mikob see mikwdb 
mikoriz n. var. of useful bacteria on 
tree roots 
miks adj. coeducational, coed; 
mixed, joint (group) 
mikse v. to mix or combine sounds 
in recording 
mikte, mekte v. to moisten, dampen 
mikwo, miko prefix micro-; n. mike, 
microphone 
mikw6b, mikob n. microbe, germ, 
organism, bacteria 
mikwobyoloji n. microbiology 
mikwobyolojis n. microbiologist 
mikwoekonomik adj. small-scale 
mikwofich n. microfiche 
mikwofim n. microfilm 
mikwofdn n. microphone, mike 
mikwokas£t n. microcassette 
recorder; dictaphone 
Mikwoneziprop.n. Micronesia 
mikwosiyon n. long-playing 
(phonograph) record 
mikwosk6p n. microscope 
mikwoskdpik adj. microscopic 
mikwotchip n. microchip 
mikwowev, mikwowonn n. 
microwave (oven) 
mil num. (one) thousand; n. mile 
~ aft miles per hour 
~ e ~ thousands of 
~ kare, ~ 2 square mile 
milaj n. mileage 
milan num. one thousand years; n. 
kite (bird) 
milat, moulat m.n., milatrfcs, 
miyatr£s/>?. mulatto (light-
skinned, straight silky hair, 
Caucasian facial features) 
milatris see melatris 
mildyou n. mildew (plant disease) 
mile, mift, miftt n. mountain mullet 
(fish) 
milenfc, milenne, milennydm, 
mileny6m (pronounced, mi-le-
nydm), milyenydm (pronounced. 
625 
mi ftt - min 
mil-ye-nydm) n. millennium, 
thousand years 
miftt n. mule; sterile woman (pej.); 
see mile 
mileyaj n. mileage 
milfty n. millefeuille (pastry) 
miligram n. milligram 
mililit n. milliliter 
milim&t n. millimeter 
milis, minis n. militia; VSN (q.v.) 
milisyen, minisyen n. militiaman; 
member of the VSN (q.v.) 
militan nJadj., militant f.n. militant, 
political activist 
militans, militantis n. militancy; 
political activism 
militarizasyon n. militarization 
militarize v. to militarize 
milite v. to militate; to campaign, 
argue 
milife n./adj. military; n. soldier 
milifeman adv. militarily 
militon, meliton n. chayote squash 
Var.: ~ blan, ~ nwa, ~ swa 
Milo prop.n. Milot (site of Henry 
Christophe's palace of Sans-Souci, 
Dept. North); nickname for Emil 
Milosyenprop.n., Milosyfcn 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of Milot (Dept. 
North) 
milpat, milpye see anmilpye 
milti- prefix multi-
mil tikiltir&l adj. multicultural 
miltikold adj. multi-colored 
miltilateral adj. multilateral 
miltimedya n. multimedia 
miltimilyon£ n. multimillionaire 
miltinasyonal n. multinational 
corporation; adj. multinational 
miltip adj. multiple 
miltipatit adj. multipartite, 
multilateral 
miltiplikasyon n. multiplication 
miltiplikafe n. multiplier 
miltipliye, miltipliyen, miltiplyev. 
to multiply 
miltitid n. multitude 
milya num. billion 
milyade n. billionaire 
milyady&m adj. billionth 
milye n. thousand(s); milieu, 
surroundings, environment; center, 
middle 
mily£m adj. thousandth 
milyenydm see milen& 
milyon num. million 
~ ven oodles, lots and lots; 
unreasonable price 
milyonfc, milyonn£ n. millionaire 
milyonyfcm adj. millionth 
mim n. mime, miming 
mimi n. (pussy)cat (fam.); thief, 
crook (fam.) 
ft ~ ~ to see spots (in front of 
one's eyes) 
~ ak makou pussycat and tomcat, 
Romeo and Juliet; good friends 
~ (pouch) pussycat, kitty 
pote ~ bay makou to lead lambs 
to the slaughter 
ti ~ kitten 
mimire v. [Fr] to grumble, complain 
mimyografye v. to mimeograph 
min n. facial appearance, look, 
countenance; wrinkle, furrow; 
(pencil) lead, graphite; ink 
cartridge (for pen); mine, quarry; 
landmine, booby trap; unit of 
weight slightly heavier than a 
quarter of a pound [Bible]; adj. 
tough, steady, firm 
fe ~ to wrinkle (clothes) 
fouye ~ mining 
mare ~ (sou), mete ~ (sou), mare 
626 
minab - Miragwaift 
twa/kat/s£t ~ (byen mare) nan 
fwon li to be annoyed (at), frown 
(at), express displeasure (at) 
minab adj. wretched, pitiful; shabby, 
seedy 
minatris see melatris 
mine n. minor, adolescent; miner; 
minor scale (music); see tb ~ 
byen ~ inheritance 
ti ~ (pw&l pis) kid; young male 
virgin 
minen, mine v. to mine, dig; to 
wear down, weaken; to sap, drain, 
undermine, eat away; to ruin 
mineral nJadj. mineral 
Minesotaprop.n. Minnesota (USA) 
minewo n. mineral(s) 
mini n. miniskirt; prefix mini-
~ djaz rock group 
minibis n. minibus 
minijip n. miniskirt 
Minik prop.n. Munich 
minim adj. insignificant 
mini(mini)zwit adv. very very tiny 
minimize v. to minimize, lessen 
minimom n./adj. minimum; adv. at 
least, at the lowest (cost) 
minipye see anmilpye 
minis n. minister (government); 
clergyman; see milis 
~ finans, ~ kasasyon, ~ lage 
honorary titles for officers of 
certain collective work groups 
sis ~ de prezidan politicos, 
dignitaries, bigwigs 
minisipal adj. municipal 
minisipalite n. municipality; city 
hall, town hall 
minisivil n. (fam.) same as Tonton 
Makout (see makout) 
miniskil n./adj. small (letter), 
lowercase 
ministe n. ministry (government; 
church) 
ministery£l adj. ministerial 
minisyen see milisyen 
minisyon n. ammunition 
minit n. minute (time); original of 
official document 
minivann n. minivan (mach.) 
minizye see menwizye 
minorite n. (political or racial) 
minority 
minority adj. minority 
mindt see mennot 
minote, mennote, menote v. to 
handcuff; to shackle 
minotri n. flour-mill 
Minou prop.n. traditional name for 
cats 
minr£ n. (copper, iron etc.) ore 
minwi, mennwit, menwi, menwit, 
min wit n. midnight 
gwo ~ very late at night 
janbe - past midnight 
met ~ devil 
plen ~ late at night 
minyati adj. miniature 
minye adj. mining 
minydm n. red lead paint 
Mipana acron. MUPANAH Mize 
Panteyon Nasyonal Ayisyen 
(Mus^e du Pantheon National 
Harden) Museum of the Haitian 
National Pantheon - the official 
museum of the Haitian people 
mir n. [Bible] myrrh 
mira n. small konbit (q.v.) 
Miragw&n, Miragwann prop.n. 
Miragoane founded 1670 (Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
lak ~ Lake Miragoane (12 km 2) 
Miragwane, Miragwaneyen, 
prop.n., Miragwan£z, 
627 
miraj - mitasyon 
Miragwaney&n f.prop.n. 
inhabitant of Miragoane (Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
miraj n. mirage, illusion; see miray 
mirak n. miracle; adj. miraculous 
fb yon ~ to perform a miracle 
mirakilezman adv. miraculously 
miral n. mural; adj. wall 
miray, miraj n. wall, partition 
fb ~ to wall up 
miraye v. to enclose with a wall 
mirev. (obs.) to see 
miri v. [Fr] to ripen 
Miryam f.prop.n. Miriam 
mirye n. mulberry tree 
mis n. nurse; lady, miss; var. of 
mango 
ti ~ var. of corn 
mis, misk n. muscle; brawn; coccyx; 
adj. muscular (system) 
~ dbyb, zo ~ coccyx 
~ tonbe to have lower-back pain 
mis&k see mi sbk 
mis&l n. prayer book 
misil n. missile 
Misisipiprop.n. Mississippi (USA) 
Misiz title [Eng.] Mrs. 
misk see mis 
miska n. var. of mango; nutmeg 
miskad, maskadin, miska n. 
nutmeg 
degaje ~ li to be trying 
miskaden n. love potion 
miskadin see miskad 
misk&t, miske n. var. of good quality 
banana 
miskilati n. muscle structure, 
musculature 
miskilg adj. [Fr] muscular (system) 
miskle adj. muscular, strong, brawny 
Misoprop.n. Musseau (wealthy 
residential area of PaP) 
Misouri, Mizouriprop.n. Missouri 
(USA) 
mispipi n. var. of plantain 
mist£ n. mystery, secret, enigma; 
secrecy, mysterious ways; 
Voodoo spirit; guardian spirit, 
the Invisibles; [Eng.] mister, Mr.; 
spirit retribution; adj. mysterious, 
secret, unimaginable 
kay ~ inner sanctuary of Voodoo 
temple containing altar 
s&vi ~ to practice the Voodoo 
religion 
misterye adj. mysterious 
misteryezman adv. mysteriously 
mistifikasyon n. deception, trick 
mistifye v. to deceive, trick, fool 
mistik n. Voodoo; magic, 
supernatural; adj. supernatural, 
magical; imbued with supernatural 
powers; superstitious, credulous, 
obsessed 
fb ~ to employ supernatural 
powers 
mistikman adv. magically, 
supernaturally 
misye see mesye 
misyon n. mission, task, assignment; 
mission, missionary post; message 
misyon^, misyonn£ n. missionary 
mit n. moth; mite (insect); red 
stopper, rodwood, spiceberry 
(small tree or shrub); (bishop's) 
miter; myth (rare); see mich 
~ pwa bean weevil 
mitan n./adj. middle, center; n. half 
time (sports) 
mete nan ~ to interpose, intervene 
~ janm crotch 
- je iris 
nan ~ between, among; within 
mitasyon n. [Fr] mutation 
628 
mitfcn - miz£ 
mit£n n. mitten 
mitije v. to do carelessly, mess up 
mitile v. [Fr.] to mutilate 
mitin, miting n. political rally, mass-
gathering; meeting 
mitoloji n. mythology 
mitolojik adj. mythological 
mitonnen v. to simmer; to develop, 
evolve; to mash, squash; to harbor 
(hopes etc.); to beat up (s.o.) 
m it ray n. grapeshot; trouble 
mitrayad n. volley of shots; 
machine-gun fire 
mitrayaj n. machine-gun fire 
mitraye v. to machine-gun 
mitray&t n. submachine gun 
mitray&z n. machine gun 
Mitsoubichi, Mitsibichi prop.n. 
Mitsubishi 
mitwayen adj. adjoining, adjacent, 
neighboring 
mityak see matyak 
mity£I n. mutual, cooperative; adj. 
mutual 
Mivil (Ens)prop.n. Mirville (Ernst); 
pseudonym: Py& Banbou Haitian 
doctor, linguist, anthropologist and 
writer; author Tim-Tim, Deviz\ 
born 1940 
niwa n. mirror 
btM pase/kou ~ d&zanj/dkzany 
extraordinarily beautiful 
~ d£zany/l&zany bright shiny 
object 
klere kou - d£zanj/d&zany to 
shine brightly, glisten, glow 
miwate, miwaze v. to glisten, gleam 
miwomiba adj. midway; uneven, 
unequal; adv. unevenly, unequally 
fb ~ to have ups and downs 
san ~ without falter, without 
fluctuation 
miwon adj. fast, immediate 
Miyamiprop.n. Miami (Florida) 
miyan miyan v. to twinkle; to form a 
mishmash, be jumbled 
miyatrfcs see milatr^s 
miyfct, my&t n. crumb, tiny piece; 
scattered pieces 
fb ~ moso, fb ~ an ~ to be 
shattered (into many pieces) 
kraze ~ moso to shatter 
- an - bit by bit, little by little 
~ moso fragments, bits; in bits and 
pieces 
~ pen breadcrumb; cf. chapli 
ti ~ ankd by a hair's breadth 
miy6, meyb adj./adv. better 
miyon adj. sweet, cute, dainty 
miyonnay n. caressing, fondling; 
pampering, coddling 
miyonnen v. to caress, fondle; to 
pamper, coddle 
miz n. stake, bet 
mizadd n. slowpoke, dawdler, idler; 
adj. slow 
mizajou n. up-dating 
mizandisponibilite see disponibilite 
mizangad ru [Fr.] warning, caution 
mizanpaj n. make-up (typography) 
mizanplas n. setting up, formulation 
mizansen n. production (theater) 
mizapa adv. notwithstanding, 
putting aside 
mize v. to dawdle, linger, loiter, 
waste time, dillydally; to bet, 
stake; n. museum 
- botba to surrender, give in 
- Da Ayisyen Museum of Haitian 
Art (PaP) 
miz£, lamizfc, lanmizfc n. poverty, 
misery, suffering, hardship 
bat - to have a hard life; to be 
destitute 
629 
mizen - mo 
ft pase ~ to mistreat; to torture 
~ ki pa rete ak ~ absolute poverty 
pase ~, manje ~ to suffer 
hardship, have a hard time 
miz&n: 
ma ~ foremast 
vwal ~ foresail 
mizerab adjJn. miserable, wretched, 
pitiful; poor, destitute 
pov ~ poor devil, poor soul 
mizerere n. misery, suffering; adj. 
miserable 
miz£rikdd, lamizerikdd, 
lanmizerikdd, mizerik6d n. 
mercy, forgiveness 
gen - to be merciful 
ti ~ weewee (small boy's penis) 
mizi see mezi 
mizik, lamizik n. music, tune; band, 
orchestra, musical group 
~ angaje politically or socially 
concerned music 
~ apye strolling music group 
~ dansant commercial dance music 
~ de fon background music 
~ mobil carnival music group (on 
foot or on float) 
- rasin, ~ lakay roots music 
~ savant classical music 
~ sou machin music group on a 
float (carnival) 
~ tipik informal outdoor music 
mizikal adj. musical; n. musicale 
mizikalman adv. musically 
mizikoldg n. musicologist 
mizikoloji n. musicology 
mizilman nJadj. Muslim 
mizire see mezire 
mizisyen n. musician; Hispaniolan 
solitary (bird) 
~ Paft Nasyonal National Palace 
Band (music); PaP politician 
(pej.); neutral party; crass 
opportunist, self-server 
mizisy&n f.n. musician 
mizo n. muzzle, gag 
mete ~ to muzzle, gag 
mizopwen n. clarification 
ft yon ~ (ak yon kodak) to focus 
a lens 
Mizouri see Misouri 
mm abbrev. millimeter 
mon. word; dirty word; ache, pain 
an de ~ twa paw61 in/with few 
words, succinctly 
bay ~ to promise 
d£nye - final word, decision 
di ~ to curse, swear 
di yon ~ to have a say, take a hand 
in 
gwo ~ dirty word, foul word; foul 
language 
kase yon ~ to say a word 
make ~ to mark (well) s.o.'s 
words, remember 
manje ~ to slur 
~ antre headword 
~ depas password 
~ deplase uncalled-for or out of 
place remark; dirty word - cf gwo ~ 
~ ddd watchword, password 
~ kle keyword 
~ kontr&, ~ rev£ antonym 
~ kwaze crossword puzzle 
~ marasa, ~ tokay synonym 
- sans tokay synonym 
~ sekr£ password 
~ tokay homonym 
~ vedet headword 
pa kache - nan bouch not to 
hesitate to say 
md n. corpse, cadaver, dead person; 
spirit of a dead person, ghost; evil 
spirit; non-paying passenger; bit 
630 
md- mdde 
(of bridle); adj. lifeless, dead; dead 
(in marbles); numb; see lemd 
a ~ extremely; to death 
jou ~ yo All Souls' Day, Feast of 
the Dead (November 2) 
ki ~ ki touye/tiye lanperfc? what 
happened? 
leve ~ ceremony to call forth the 
dead spirits for a manje lemd 
(q.v.)- Voodoo 
m£t ~ next of kin (of the deceased) 
~ an vakans slated for death, 
walking dead; dimwit, nitwit, 
numbskull 
~ anba dlo spirits of the dead still 
below the waters 
~ Bondye death from natural 
causes 
- b r i d bit (of bridle) 
~ Ginen African ancestors 
(Voodoo) 
~ o ra, mdwora rat poison 
- rM, r£d ~ stone-cold dead; rigor 
mortis; out of the game (marbles) 
- touse tuberculosis 
~ vivan walking skeleton; dimwit, 
nitwit, numbskull 
ou w£ ~! that's incredible! you're 
exaggerating! 
penn de ~ , lap&n de ~ death 
penalty 
pou ~ a pa vin long so as not to 
have problems 
voye ~ (sou) to cast an evil spell 
(on) 
w£ ~ to rage, storm, fume; to 
exaggerate 
wete ~ nan dlo Voodoo ceremony 
transferring souls of the dead 
from under water where they have 
remained for at least a year and a 
day 
Moab see Mowab 
mobil adj. mobile, movable; restless; 
excitable; unstable, changeable; n. 
motive; itinerant group which sets 
up dance music equipment 
mobilizasyon n. mobilization; 
uprising, rebellion; uproar 
mobilize v. to mobilize 
mobilye n. furniture, furnishings 
mdbrid n. bridle 
Mod f.prop.n. Maude 
mdd n. manner, habit; means; 
customs, habits; style, fashion, 
mode, type; mood (gram.) 
~ lag£ warfare 
pase ~ to go out-of-style; antiquated 
modalite n. form, mode; condition, 
clause (jur.) 
modan n. toothache 
mddan n. var. of small fresh-water 
animal 
mddantr&t n. hypocrite; traitor; adj. 
worn-out, falling apart 
mdde v. to bite; to sting; to hurt, be 
painful; to succeed, be successful; 
to swallow hook and bait (fish); to 
be taken in, be deceived, be duped, 
swallow hook, line and sinker; n. 
bite, sting; see mddesoufle 
~ antr£t to be a hypocrite; to be a 
traitor; hypocrite; traitor 
~ dan to bite down 
~ dwet gwo pous li to kick 
oneself, rue the day, regret 
~ dwet k ap ba ou manje to 
bite the hand that feeds you, be 
ungrateful 
~ lage inconsistent or changeable 
(person); to be intermittent, come 
and go; to feel intermittent pain; to 
just make a start 
~ lang delicious, tasty 
631 
mod£I - Molas 
mod&l n. model, type, sample; 
pattern, design 
modele v. to model, pattern 
modem n. modem 
mod£n adj. modern 
mod&nite n. modernity 
mod£nizasyon n. modernization 
modenize v. to modernize, bring up 
to date 
modepas, modpas n. password 
moderasyon n. moderation 
moderate n., moderatris f.n. 
moderator, facilitator 
modere reft, to restrain, curb; to 
moderate, calm down, control 
(oneself); adj. gentle, moderate 
mod&s adj. modest, humble 
modesoufle n. hypocrite; traitor; v. 
to be hypocritical; to betray 
modesti n. modesty, humbleness 
modi v. to damn, curse, call down 
curses upon (s.o. or s.thg.); adj. 
accursed 
modifikasyon n. modification, 
alteration 
modifye v. to modify, alter 
modil n. module 
modis n. milliner; trend setter 
mddle v. [Fr] to shape, fashion, 
mold; to set a trend 
moddd n. watchword, password 
modon£ n. word of honor 
modpas see modepas 
modtet n. headache 
motem n. morpheme 
mdfin n. morphine 
mdfte n. muffler (vehicle) 
ke ~, tiyo ~ tailpipe, exhaust pipe 
manman ~ main muffler box 
mdfo- prefix morpho-
mdfoloji n. morphology 
mdfreze, mofrize, mdfweze, 
mofwezi see mafweze 
mdg n. morgue; funeral parlor, 
funeral home; [Eng.] (beer-)mug 
te piblisite pou - to do a 
dangerous feat, engage in a 
dangerous undertaking 
Mogadichou prop.n. Mogadishu 
(Somalia) 
Mohantedprop.n. Mohammed 
(founder of Islam, 5707-632) 
mdk n. (beer-)mug 
moka n. inferior type of coffee 
(from unripe coffee bean); adj. 
immature, not fully developed 
MokanSfprop.n. Moka-Neuf (5th 
communal section of Sainte-
Suzanne, Dept. North-East) 
mokasen n. moccasin 
moke v. to make fun of, mock, 
ridicule (cf. pase nan rizib); to 
use a calf to begin cow's flow of 
milk 
moke n. mocker, ridiculer, scoffer; 
heckler 
mdko, moko n. donkey; adj. one-
eared; deaf; very stubborn 
mdkdy, moko, mdkd n. coward; 
adj. flabby; indolent; dilapidated, 
rundown 
mokri n. mockery, ridicule 
mdksis adj. solemn, somber, 
gloomy, dejected; snobbish 
mdl adj. soft, tender; languid, 
indifferent; n. var. of freshwater 
fish 
~ kd li to lie low, make oneself 
inconspicuous; to be cautious 
- pou - 50-50, even-steven 
molas adj. listless, apathetic; 
decrepit, worn-out; soft 
Molas prop.n. Molas (6th communal 
section of Le Borgne, Dept. North) 
632 
Moldovi - Mdnabrile 
Moldoviprop.n. Moldova, Moldavia 
mole adj. soft-boiled (eggs) 
- kokoye soft coconut meat 
ti ~ var. of traditional dance (obs.) 
mote n. molar; cf. dan dbyb 
Mote prop.n., Molfcz fprop.n. 
inhabitant of Mole-Saint-Nicolas 
(Dept. North-West) 
molekil n. molecule 
moten n. mullen, high taper (herb) 
motes n. trouble, travail 
moleste v. to bother, annoy; to curse 
out; to fuss at 
mdtet n. calf (of leg) 
moletyfc n. gaiters, spats 
moli v. to soften, weaken 
molisk n. mollusk 
mdlkd see m61; mdl6k6y 
mdlmfck n. buddy, pal (fam.) 
fb ~ to abound, be plentiful, team 
with, overflow with, swarm with 
yon ~ a lot of 
Moldkprop.n. [Bible] Molech 
mdldkdy, mdlkd, mdldkd, mdldkdp, 
mdldkdsd, mdldld, mdydkd n. 
land turtle; adj. lethargic, sluggish 
Mdlsennikola, Omdlprop.n. Mole-
Saint-Nicolas - site of Christopher 
Columbus' first arrival in Haiti, 
December 5, 1492 (Dept. North­
west) 
mdltonn adj. tired, weak, languid; n. 
corduroy 
mdltonnen v. to distress, overwhelm 
molyann adj. lax, flabby, indolent, 
spineless; softening 
rete - to be nonplussed 
Mblyb prop.n. Moliere 
moman, monman n. moment, 
instant, second 
di ~ from the moment (when, 
that); as soon as 
(lotel kote yo fb) ~ "hot-pillow" 
hotel/motel, "no-tell motel," hotel/ 
motel renting rooms by the hour as 
well as for the night 
yon ~ a moment, awhile 
Momansprop.n. Momance (Dept. 
West) 
larivyfc - Momance river (between 
Leog&ie and Gressier, Dept. West) 
momi n. mummy 
mdmon n./adj. Mormon 
mon adj. [Fr] my (used in certain 
fixed expressions, e.g., mon 
kdmandan) 
mdn n. mountain, mount, small 
mountain; hill; mountainous or 
hilly region; countryside (pej.) 
bas ~ hill 
chaje - hilly 
do ~, ren - hillside 
jenn ~ hill 
~ lakilbit stumbling block 
- moute desann rolling hills 
~ sab dune 
monte/moute (yon) ~ pa do to go 
through a hard time 
moun ~, nbg ~ hillbilly, country 
hick; peasant 
pran - to take to the hills, flee 
tbt ~ summit, top of mountain 
ti ~ hill, hillock 
Mdn Chandbl prop.n. Morne-
Chandelle (14th communal section 
of Carrefour, Dept. West) 
Mona (kannal), Lamonaprop.n. 
Mona Passage (between the 
Dominican Republic and Puerto 
Rico) 
Mdnabato see Mdnbato 
Mdnabrile, Mdnbrile prop.n. 
Morne-^-Bruler (10th communal 
section of Jacmel, Dept. South-
633 
monachi - Mdnkalve 
East) 
monachi n. monarchy 
Monakoprop.n. Monaco 
monanfan n. [Fr] my child (used in 
direct address) 
monastfc, monnastfc n. monastery 
Mdnatifprop.n. Morne-&-Tuf 
(middle-class area of PaP) 
Mdnbato, Mdnabato prop.n. 
Morne-^-Bateau (1st communal 
section of Gressier, Dept. West) 
monben n. var. of tree; var. of 
mango 
grenn ~ var. of small sweet fruit 
gwo ~, ~ fran, ~ fri j6n hog plum 
tree 
~ bata bastard cedar (med) 
~ panydl golden apple tree 
Monben(kwochi), Monben(kochi) 
prop.n. Mombin-Crochu (Dept. 
North-East) 
Monbinwaprop.n., Monbinwaz 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of Mombin-
Crochu (Dept. North-East) 
monblan n. foreigner (pej.) 
Monbren (gwdt)prop.n. Mombrun 
grottoes (near Aquin, Dept. South) 
Mdnbrile see Mdnabrile 
Mdnchand&lprop.n. Morne-
Chandelle (23rd communal section 
of Gressier, Dept. West) 
monch£ m.n. my friend, old man 
(used only in direct address); 
interj. man! 
monden adj. worldly; n. non-
believer 
Mondong, Mongdong, Mongong, 
Mo\xdongprop.n. group or 
"nation" (nanchon) of Voodoo 
spirits; Voodoo dance rhythm 
mondyal adj. world, worldwide; n. 
international competition, world 
cup 
mondyalizasyon n. globalization; 
world-wide spread or application 
mondyalize v. to globalize 
mondye! interj. my goodness! 
mone see monnen 
Mdn&prop.n. Mornet (communal 
section of Acul-du-Nord, Dept. 
North) 
mdne nJadj. stillborn, dead at birth 
Mdnekilprop.n. Morne-Hercule 
(wealthy area of P&ion-Ville) 
monete adj. monetary 
monfis, monfi m.n. sonny, my child 
Monfdten prop.n. member of 
Grignon de Monfort (Roman 
Catholic order) 
monfre n. (rel.) brother; friar; my 
brother (fam. term of address) 
Mongdong see Mondong 
mongdlprop.n./adj. Mongol; n. 
person with Down's syndrome 
Mongoliprop.n. Mongolia 
Mongolyenprop.n./adj., Mongolyen 
f.prop.n. Mongolian 
Mongong see Mondong 
mongonmen see mangonmen 
moniman n. monument 
monimantal adj. monumental 
monit i , monnite n. assistant 
agricultural extension agent (cf. 
animate); monitor; teaching 
assistant; student aide; coach, 
sports instructor; Sunday school 
teacher; computer monitor [Eng.]; 
see Lemonift 
monitris f.n. monitor; health 
monitor; teaching assistant; 
student aide; coach, sports 
instructor; Sunday school teacher 
Mbnkalvbprop.n. Morne-Calvaire 
(area of Potion-Ville, Dept. West) 
634 
Monkantel - Montana 
Monkantelprop.n. [Bible] Mount 
Carmel 
monkonmon adj. dumb, stupid 
(Grand'Anse) 
monkonp£ see konpe 
Mdnlopitalprop.n. Morne-l'H6pital 
(7th communal section of PaP, 
Dept. West) 
monman see moman 
monn n. world; see lemonn 
Ty£ Monn Third World 
monnami n. [Fr] my friend 
monnaste see monaste 
monnen, mon& n. change (money); 
coin 
bay (yon moun) - py&s li to 
answer back, give tit for tat 
ib ~ to make change, get change 
for (money) 
gen - nan to have change for 
grenn ~ bit of small change, small 
amount of money 
jwenn ~ py£s li to get one's due, 
get one's just desserts, get one's 
comeuppance 
~ kouran common practice 
ti ~ (fen) small change (money); 
small sum of money 
monnift see monite 
monnonk n. uncle 
Monntana see Montana 
Monnwoprop.n. Monroe (James) -
president of USA, 1817-1825 
Pawdl ~ Monroe Doctrine (1823) 
monoleng adj. monolingual 
monoldg n. monologue 
monopdl n. monopoly 
monopoli n. Monopoly (game) 
monopolizate n. monopolizer 
monopolize v. to monopolize 
Mdnorelisprop.n. 3rd communal 
section of Port-de-Paix (Dept. 
North-West) 
monoteyis adj. monotheistic 
monotdn adj. monotonous 
monotoni n. monotony 
Monpanas prop.n. Montparnasse 
(Paris) 
monpfc n. father, reverend (in direct 
address); priest, cure' 
Mdnpele prop.n. Morne-Pelee (2nd 
communal section of Quartier-
Morin, Dept. North) 
monpwen n. son or daughter to 
whom a Voodoo priest(ess) 
transmits his/her secrets 
Monreyalprop.n. Montreal 
(Canada) 
monreyaleprop.nJadj., monreyal&z 
f.prop.n. Montrealer 
mons n. monster; freak; adj. huge 
Monsera/rop.H. Montserrat 
monseyfc, monseny& (pronounced: 
monse-ny£), mons£ye n. 
archbishop; bishop; var. of mango 
bag ~ episcopal ring 
Monseyfc Giyou (ri) rue 
Monseigneur Guilloux (between 
rue Pav£e and Roman Catholic 
cathedral, downtown PaP) 
monstre adj. monstrous; furious 
mont n. watch (timepiece) 
- braslfc, braste - wrist-watch 
montaj see montay 
Montalfc (ri)prop.n. rue Montalais 
(downtown PaP between Champs-
de-Mars and Roman Catholic 
cathedral) 
montan n. total, sum, amount; 
proceeds; total cost; upright (post); 
(taste) additive 
an - (while) going up 
Montana, Monntana prop.n. 
Montana (USA) 
635 
montany - moral 
montany, montay, moutany n. 
mountain; cf. mdn 
ti — hill 
montay, montaj n. assembling, 
putting together; assembly line; 
montage; set-up, plot, scheme 
i b ~ to scheme, plot 
Montay Lavout see Lavout 
Montay Nwa prop.n. Montagne-
Noire (wealthy district, 1 st 
communal section of Petion-Ville, 
Dept. West; 6th communal section 
of Bahon, Dept. North) 
Montay Terib/Tfcrib prop.n. 
Montagne-Terrible (4th communal 
section of Saut-d'Eau, Dept. 
Center) 
monte see moute 
Monte Kristiprop.n. Monte Christi 
(town in northwestern Dominican 
Republic) 
monte n. person who climbs (trees 
esp.); fitter (technician) 
Montenegwoprop.n. Montenegro 
Montevideyoprop.n. Montevideo 
(Uruguay) 
Mont&y (Mich&l de)prop.n. 
Montaigne (Michel de) - French 
essayist (1533-1592) 
monti n. mount (horse etc.); 
headstall and bit (of bridle); frame 
(eyeglasses); mounting, setting (of 
ring etc.) 
Montdganfcprop.n., Montdgan&z 
f prop.n. inhabitant of Mont-
Organist (Dept. North-East) 
Montdganizeprop.n. Mont-
Organise (Dept. North-East) 
montre, moutre v. to show, 
demonstrate, point out, indicate; to 
show how, teach, instruct 
~ kd li to act or dress sexily 
~ mal viv to give a cold shoulder to 
- nwa sou blan to show in writing 
- (yon moun) de fwa de konben 
li i b to set (s.o.) straight, teach 
(s.o.) a lesson 
montwaz see mdtwaz 
montwaze see mdtwaze 
monwa n. [Bible] Your Majesty 
(used only in direct address) 
Monwi (pronounced: Mon-wi) 
prop.n. Montrouis (8th communal 
section of Arcahaie, Dept. West; 
communal section of Saint-Marc, 
Dept. Artibonite) 
Mdn Wouj prop.n. Morne-Rouge 
(1st communal section of Plaine-
du-Nord, Dept. North - site of 
Bwa Kayiman, q.v.) 
Monwovyaprop.n. Monrovia 
(Liberia) 
mdnye n. rude person, lout, hick; 
mountaineer 
monyon n. stump (of arm, leg); dull 
knife 
mdp n. mop 
pase ~ to mop 
mdpyon n. pubic louse, crab; tick-
tack-toe 
- bayakou pubic louse, crab 
morad n. raid, foray 
moraji n. great pain; see emoraji 
moral n. morale, spirits; moral, 
advice; adj. moral 
bay ~ to cheer (s.o.) up, encourage 
(s.o.) 
ib ~ to preach 
kraze ~ to severely depress, 
devastate 
pfcdi ~ to become discouraged or 
depressed 
remonte ~ (yon moun) to 
reassure, cheer (s.o.) up 
636 
moralite - moto(siktet) 
moralite n. morality, morals, good 
conduct 
moralizate adj. moralizing, 
edifying, elevating 
moralize v. to lecture, moralize 
moralman adv. morally; mentally 
Moransi see Boulmye 
moratwa n. moratorium 
mdrfcd see md 
Moren (pon)prop.n. Morin Bridge 
(on Avenue Martin King, near tall 
Teleco building, PaP) 
mori see lanmori 
moribon adj. moribund, dying; n. 
dumb jerk, dummy 
morijinen v. to reprimand, take to task 
Morinwaprop.n., Morinwaz 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of Quartier-
Morin (Dept. North) 
Moris prop.n. Morris; Maurice 
il ~, HI ~, zile ~ Mauritius 
Morisoprop.n. Morisseau (4th 
communal section of L'Asile, 
Dept. Grand'Anse) 
Moriso Lewa (Feliks)prop.n. 
Morisseau-Leroy (F61ix) - Haitian 
writer, author of Dyakout (1912-
1998) 
Morisyen prop.n./adj., Morisyfcn 
f.prop.n. Mauritian 
Moritamprop.n. Mauritania 
mds n. walrus 
mosad adj. morose, glum, gloomy; 
sullen 
moske n. mosque 
moskobi n, nut, kook, screwball 
(insulting term for person 
considered crazy) 
Moskou prop.n. Moscow (Russia) 
moso, mdso n. piece, part; bite, bit, 
morsel, chunk; fraction; piece of 
music 
gwo ~ lump; ill-mannered and 
uncouth man; big shot, important 
man 
~ chwazi anthology 
~ fi inadequate woman 
~ pa ~, pa ti ~ piecemeal, bit by 
bit, piece by piece 
ti ~ ou pa jwenn li you almost 
missed seeing him/her 
yon ~ nan kdb la partial payment 
mdsovit n. slide (for microscope) 
mdtad&l n. mortadella; bologna 
mdtalite n. demise, decease; death; 
mortality rate 
motamo adv. word for word 
mote n. motor, engine 
doub ~ dish formed of fish, 
plantain and coconut (Jean-Rabel 
esp.) 
te ~ to overhaul an engine 
~ tounfc rotating motor 
motel n. motel 
mdtel adj. mortal, deadly, lethal, 
fatal 
mdtelman adv. mortally, fatally 
motet n. headache(s) 
mdtez n. mortise joint 
motif n. motive 
mdtifye v. to regret, be sorry; to be 
mortified, be humiliated 
motivasyon n. motivation 
motive v. to motivate 
motoka n. train pulled by motor 
(rather than by steam engine); 
former locomotive service 
between Saint-Marc and PaP 
motokilte n. rototiller 
mdtorat n. rat poison 
moto(siktet) n. motorcycle 
~ taksi motorcycle taxi (where 
passenger sits on seat behind 
driver) 
637 
motosiklis - moulen 
motosiklis n. motorcyclist 
mdtsezon n. off-season, slack season 
m6twaz, montwaz n. mortise, 
dovetail 
mdtwaze, montwaze, motwaze v. to 
mortise, dovetail 
mdtye n. mortar (for construction; 
for grinding; weapon) 
mbtyb adj. mortuary 
mou adj. soft, tender; languid, 
indifferent; limp, flaccid; boggy; 
onomat. moo (of cow) 
bay - to place s.o.'s (spinning-)top 
in a vulnerable position; to subdue, 
punish 
fb ~ to entice 
fb ~ bay to give oneself up to 
~ kou trip mealy, uncooked; 
sluggish, lethargic, snail-like 
mouch n. fly (insect); noise-making 
device attached to kite 
fb ~ to swarm with, teem with, be 
plentiful 
gwo ~ horsefly 
~ amyfcl bee (obs.) 
~ avfc blowfly, dung fly, large 
green fly 
~ blan(ch) whitefly (plant insect) 
~ chwal stable fly 
~ latrin black soldier fly 
~ pa ka vole strict law and order 
~ pa vole you could hear a pin 
drop 
~ plen bouch (yon moun) to have 
a bloody mouth (usu. from a blow) 
~ vant ble blow fly 
~ \b mango fruit fly, mango fly 
~ \bt common green lacewing 
(insect) 
pa kite menm ~ vole to exercise 
tight control 
pouse - to punish too lightly 
ti ~ fruit fly 
mouche n. man, companion; Mr., 
man (often pej.)\ husband; pron. 
he, his, him; v. to blow or wipe 
one's nose; see malfini ~; mesye 
gwo ~ big shot 
mouchwa, mouchw£ n. 
handkerchief; kerchief, bandanna, 
headscarf; neckerchief 
- foula kerchief, bandanna, 
headscarf 
~ ginen ceremonial scarf (Voodoo) 
~ kou small shawl 
~ pdch (pocket) handkerchief 
- te tiny piece of (farm)land 
~ tbt scarf 
mouda, mounda n. ass, buttocks; 
genitals (female); base, bottom 
(fam.); cf. bounda 
~ pldg "bottom," passive male 
homosexual; cf masisi 
Moudong see Mondong 
mouf&t n. skunk 
mouflon n. mountain sheep 
mouka n. kerchief; ice-cream 
vendor (obs.) 
moukmouk: 
fb ~ to be everywhere, exist in 
great quantity; to falter, waver 
(light) 
moul n. mold, form; mussel 
(seafood); sisal stripper (hand tool) 
s6t nan ~ well done, well made, 
well shaped 
moulat n. var. of mango; see milat 
moule v. to fit closely 
moulen n. mill; millstone, 
grindstone; grinder; v. to chew; to 
mill, grind; to ruminate, chew the 
cud; to shape, form 
bra/men li pran nan - to be 
caught in a trap 
638 
Moulen - moun 
byen ~ well shaped, well formed; 
well mixed; well adjusted, well 
adapted (person) 
mayi ~ cornmeal 
- ak moft wind turbine 
- declte garbage disposal 
~ kafe coffee mill/grinder 
~ mayi corn grinder (mach) 
~ pwav pepper grinder/mill 
- sou Mb Moulin-sur-Mer (beach 
resort and museum, Montrouis) 
~ van windmill 
tiwa ~ kneading-trough 
Moulen prop.n. Moulin (7th 
communal section of Gros-Morne, 
Dept. Artibonite) 
Moulin prop.n. Mouline (5th 
communal section of Corail, Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
moulhte n. fishing reel 
moulinen v. to grind, grind out 
moulinet n. twirl 
te ~ to twirl 
moulong see woulong 
moumou n. woman's very loose-
fitting or casual dress, shift 
moun n. person, human being, 
individual; inhabitant; people (of 
a place); partisan, follower; nice 
guy, nice person; people, one, 
they; family, friends; adj. human 
te ~ to gather, assemble (people); 
to attract notice 
te ~ vin ~ to educate, develop, 
broaden, shape 
te - wb li ~ pase ~ to show off, act 
superior 
gen ~ sou li toujou to still be 
alive, still be hanging in there 
gwo - important person, big shot; 
generous person 
~ k ap bese ki p ap ranmase 
anyen born loser, ne'er-do-well, 
incompetent 
~ k ap rele chen papa pou 
zo bootlicker, flatterer, abject 
follower 
Ki kote ou ~? Where are you 
from? Where were you born? 
ki ~ who, whom 
Kote ki moun ou vini? Whom did 
you come to see? 
li pi ~ he is privileged or superior 
mete sou ~ to socialize (s.o.) 
~ ate bon well-to-do person 
~ ate pa bon poor or destitute 
person, person down on his/her 
luck 
- andey6 hillbilly, country hick; 
peasant; country folk (pi.) 
~ antye man of courage, real man, 
he-man 
~ anwo lakay people back at 
home, the home folks 
~ b^f bat dummy, idiot 
- Bondye te ak de men heavenly 
creature, gorgeous being; God-
given talent 
Moun Bondye voye nan laclte 
Son of man [Bible] 
~ dey6 outsider, stranger 
~ fini loser, vagrant 
~ fou maniac, madman 
~ isit local people 
~ kay, ~ lakou one of us (s.o. 
considered a member of the 
family); extended household 
(essentially those eating from 
same family kitchen); regular 
customer 
~ ki gen pawdl person of one's 
word 
- ki kay ~ see timoun (ki rete ak 
moun) 
639 
moun - mouri 
~ ki pa pou le en (1) ni pou le de 
(2) unemployed (person) 
~ ki vini pran opportunist, 
exploiter, carpetbagger 
~ lari loud, rowdy or noisy person 
~ lontan ancestor 
~ ldtbd (dlo) foreigner 
~ machin (human) robot 
~ m6n hillbilly, country hick; 
peasant; country folk (pi.) 
~ mouch demanding person; 
extravagant person 
~ mouri daredevil; listless or 
apathetic person 
~ mouri! lucky devil! 
~ nan savann country hick, peasant 
~ pa true friend, buddy,"my man"; 
close relation, associate; partisan, 
follower; cronyism, favoritism; 
connections, pull 
~ pfcdi loser, vagrant 
~ touse tuberculosis victim 
~ toutbon upright and self-
respecting citizen 
~ tout ~ friendly, open 
~ vini outsider, stranger, 
newcomer 
~ yo family 
nan ~ sa a in this life, here below 
pa gen ~ nan li to be a walking 
skeleton, be thin as a rail 
pa ~ lacking in pride or self-
respect 
pa ~ ki rete ak ~ s.o. who acts 
independently, s.o. who does not 
depend on others 
pa nan - isit not to have one's feet 
on the ground, be lost; to be lost 
in thought, be daydreaming, be 
forgetful; comatose, unconscious 
pa nan ~ pa impartial 
p£sonn ~, p&sdn ~, pesonn ~ 
no one, nobody, anybody (neg.\ 
anyone (neg.) 
plis sou ~ to get/be uppity, self-
important 
se - ki ~, se pa yon - konsa 
konsa he's really somebody (of 
importance) 
se ~ ki rete ak ~ to be servile 
se yon ~ (s)he's a person of 
principle 
sou ~ in abundance; frequent; 
evident, visible; up-to-date, 
fashionable; impertinent, 
impudent; openly, publicly 
tout ~ everyone, everybody 
tout ~ se ~ we are all created equal 
yon ~ someone, somebody 
mounda see mouda 
mounen n. (small) change, coins 
mouno v. to be speechless, keep 
quiet 
mounpayis n. cronyism, favoritism; 
connections, pull 
mourab adj. mortal 
mouran adj. dying 
je ~ bedroom eyes 
mouray n. funeral, burial; death 
mouri v. to die; to diminish; to 
become numb, go to sleep, have 
pins and needles (arm, leg etc.); 
to numb, deaden; to stop (motor); 
to go out (light; fire); adj. dead, 
deceased, lifeless; numb; dead-
tired, worn-out, exhausted 
ale nan ~ to pay one's last respects 
bd ~, demi ~ partially paralyzed 
deja ~ li pa p& santi! the way 
things are now - who cares? 
konben ~ ki genyen you only live 
once 
~ an ti fe to die slowly or by inches 
- bon md to die a natural death 
640 
mouri - moutad&l 
~ fr£t to drop dead, die instantly 
- grangou to be very hungry; to 
starve 
~ kite to bequeath, leave or give 
by will; durable, sturdy, resistant, 
long-lasting, last a lifetime 
- k6 to keep quiet, calm down; to 
keep a low profile 
- kon v£/mouch/poul to die like 
flies (many die) 
- kri to die suddenly 
~ \bd to die a mysterious death; to 
die a violent death 
- leve to rise again from the dead; 
sensitive plant (herb) 
- limen to twinkle, flicker, 
sparkle; to flash, blink (electric 
light) 
~ nan bwa independable vehicle 
or animal 
~ nan fim lan to be done for, 
washed up, finished 
~ nan kanson to be impotent 
- nan pil to be lost/forgotten in 
the pile/crowd/rush, be put aside 
(for other projects) 
~ nan piti to die as a child 
~ nan pye travay to die in the line 
of duty, die at one's station 
~ nbt dead as a doornail 
~ pou to love, die for 
~ pou (twou/de/po) je li to die in 
vain 
~ poul li to calm down; to make 
oneself inconspicuous 
- rache anba kout manchfct to be 
hacked to death 
~ sou plas to die on the spot 
- tbt nwfc (je v&t), ~ tbt nbg to die 
a violent death 
~ toufe to suffocate to death 
~ touse to die of tuberculosis 
~ vif to die suddenly 
tonbe ~ rbd to drop dead 
Mouri: 
lanmfc - Dead Sea 
mouribon adj. moribund, dying 
mous n. froth, foam; (contraceptive) 
foam; mousse (cul.) 
fb ~ to froth, foam 
mous, lemous n. moss, lichen 
mousa, hounsa, ounsa adj. weak, 
wobbly; n. manioc flour for 
making dumplings 
mousanbe adj. faraway, remote, 
distant 
Mousanbe l eprop.n. Moussambe' l w 
(3rd communal section of Grand-
Goave, Dept. West) 
Mousanbe 2*prop.n. Moussambe^ 2 e 
(4th communal section of Grand-
Goave, Dept. West) 
Mousiyakprop.tt. Moussignac (1st 
communal section of Mirago&ne, 
Dept. Grand'Anse) 
mouskfct n. musket 
mouslin n. muslin (cf. syanm); 
chiffon; maidenhair fern 
~ swis organdy 
moustach n. mustache; whiskers 
(cat etc.) 
kole ~ (ak) to be in cahoots (with) 
moustang n. mustang 
moustik n. small mosquito, gnat (cf. 
bigay) 
~ tig var. of dangerous mosquito 
Moustik prop. n. Moustique (Dept. 
North-West); small island off coast 
of Corail (Dept. Grand'Anse) 
moustikfc n. mosquito net(ting); var. 
of pink-flowered vine 
mousye see mesye 
moutad n. mustard 
moutad&l n. bologna (sausage) 
641 
moutany - moute 
moutany see montany 
moute, monte v. to climb, ascend; 
to climb on, mount; to go up, rise; 
to increase in value; to carry up; 
to rise (bread); to boil over; to lift, 
raise; to board, get on; to ride; to 
take office, come into a position 
of authority; to erect, construct, 
set up, put up; to assemble, group, 
get together, organize; to establish; 
to attach (sewing); to pass, be 
promoted (school); to endow with 
evil or harmful magical power; 
to possess, temporarily take over 
one's mind and body (Voodoo); 
to fly (a kite); to wind (clock); to 
ruminate, chew the cud; to hoist 
(flag); to service, breed (animal); 
n. ascent, rise, increase; setting up, 
assembling; adj. poisoned 
fb (yon moun) ~ to get (s.o.) out 
of bed; to support, put forward, 
champion 
fb yon - a de to fight it out 
- a de small fight, quarrel, spat 
~ afam to ride sidesaddle (on 
horse etc.) 
~ alaso to assault, storm 
~ ale vini to go back up and down 
~ an chwal to take by storm, take 
over 
~ anwo, ~ ante to go upstairs 
~ apwal to ride bareback 
~ awdm to ride astride or 
straddling 
~ balkon to inflate, go up (prices) 
~ batri to prepare a charm 
(Voodoo) 
~ bbt afam to ride sidesaddle (on 
horse etc.) 
~ bon bourik to arrive on time; to 
arrive at a propitious time (for ex. 
in order to be able to eat) 
~ bwa to roost; to take up 
residence, settle down; to go sky-
high; to be hard to find 
~ chwal to ride a horse 
~ chwal li to possess, take over 
(Voodoo spirit believed to take 
temporary possession of s.o.'s 
mind and body) 
~ chwal malentespri to do things 
the wrong way, never do things 
right 
~ desann to go back and forth; to 
go up and down; to rise and fall; to 
walk up and down; to commute; to 
drift about, loaf about; coming and 
going, running around; coming(s) 
and going(s), activity 
~ dis£t ote/woft to go sky-high 
~ kabann to go to bed 
~ (yon) kalv£ to suffer intensely 
~ kap to fly a kite 
~ lesy£l pa do to go through hell 
~ mdn (pa do) to have a hard time 
~ mdn kalv& to suffer intensely 
~ mdn (Pilbowo) to go sky-high 
~ move bourik to arrive late (for a 
meal, for an appointment etc.) 
~ pase kite to outdistance 
~ pye mabi pa do to have a hard 
time, be up the creek without a 
paddle 
~ sdti to go up from 
~ sou chouk£t.. . pouse to have 
given birth and (thus) be due 
respect 
~ sou dlo to emerge, surface; to 
refloat 
~ sou do (yon moun) to backbite, 
talk behind (s.o.'s) back 
~ (sou) tab to sit down at the 
table; to be presentable 
642 
mouton - mov&zeta 
~ tb to rise, go up 
- tbt moun to influence; to agitate, 
incite 
~ tbt neg to go skyhigh (prices) 
~ towtow to scamper up 
- yon py£s to put on a play 
~ yon rev£y to set a clock 
(wi) pa ~ mdn "yes" does not 
necessarily mean "yes" 
yo pa wb si 1 ~ si 1 desann to 
disappear without a trace 
mouton n. sheep; mutton; see 
manton 
fem£l ~ ewe 
mal - mumps 
~ Bondye var. of spider 
sod ~ coitus interruptus; cf. voye 
dey6 
ti ~ lamb; acalypha (herb or shrub) 
Mouton see Geren 
moutre see montre 
mouvans n. [Fr.] sphere of 
influence, domain 
mouvman n. movement, motion; 
political turmoil 
fb ~ to move, be in motion; to 
thrash about, struggle (violently) 
fo ~ useless move or decision 
mouvmante v. to put into motion; 
to shake, agitate; to wriggle, twist 
and turn; adj. lively; restless; in 
turmoil 
mouyaj, mouyay n. anchoring; 
anchorage; moistening, dampening 
mouye v. to wet, get wet; to dampen, 
moisten; to anchor (boat); to hit 
or spank lightly; adj. wet, moist, 
damp, humid; (lying) at anchor, 
moored; (cow) about to calf 
- ak fwbt to whip 
~ goj> ~ bab to have/take a drink 
(alcohol) 
~ kanson to come in one's pants 
~ kildt to have a vaginal discharge 
- kdm kanna soaking wet 
~ lank to anchor, moor 
- lestonmak li to have/take a 
drink (alcohol) 
- t ranp to soak, drench; soaking 
wet 
~ (yon moun) pou vale 1 to entice, 
beguile, allure 
poul ~ coward, chicken 
mov: 
~ fby won mallow (plant) 
mov, mdv adj. purple; mauve 
mdv n. gull; snot, mucus 
~ bfck jdn herring gull 
~ tbt nwa laughing gull 
move adj., mov&zf.adj. bad; wrong; 
cross, irritable, ill-tempered; 
sullen, surly; angry; furious; 
stormy (sea); unpleasant; nasty, 
evil; untimely 
fb ~ to get angry, get mad 
~ kou (yon) kong (nan mazi) 
furious, mad as hell 
- pou dan ri angry for no 
(apparent) reason 
- sou to get angry at 
movejesee je 
moveste see mov&zte 
mov£z n. placenta, afterbirth; see 
move 
movezak n. evil behavior, 
wrongdoing, misdeed 
movezalfcn n. bad breath, halitosis 
movez£ n. evil spirit(s); same as 
lougawou (q.v.)\ bad guy, bastard; 
bitch 
movfczespri n. evil spirit 
chase ~ to exorcize 
mov&zeta: 
an ~ in a bad way, badly off 
643 
mov£z(kouch) - mwaye 
mov&z(kouch) n. miscarriage 
mov&zte, moveste n. bad attitude; 
misbehavior, misconduct; evil, 
wickedness 
Mowab, Moabprop.n. [Bible] Moab 
moun ~ Moabite 
Mo wo prop.n. Moreau (4th 
communal section of Torbeck, 
Dept. South) 
Mowo de Senmeri (Mederik) 
prop.n. Moreau de Saint-M&y 
(Met r i c ) , French historian (1750-
1819), author of a monumental 
Description de la Partie Frangaise 
de I'Isle Saint-Domingue 
Mo won prop.n. Moron (Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
Mowon&, Mowonyenprop.n., 
Mowonez, Mowonyen f.prop.n. 
inhabitant of Moron (Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
Mowonipro /m [Book of Mormon] 
Moroni 
Mowoniyaprop.n. [Book of 
Mormon] Moronihah 
m6wora, md o ra n. rat poison 
Moyiz prop.n. [Bible] Moses 
mdy6kd see mdldkdy 
Mozanbik, Mozanmbikprop.n. 
Mozambique 
mozanbiken prop.n./adj. 
Mozambican 
mozar&l n. mozzarella (cheese) 
mozayik n. tile, (ceramic) floor-
tile; tile floor; mosaic, decorative 
design; mosaic, medley; mosaic 
(virus disease of plants) 
poud ~ cement floor coloring 
Var. of mosaic (virus): ~ dore, ~ 
jon, ~ konmen 
mozole n. mausoleum 
Mozy a prop.n. [Book of Mormon] 
Mosiah 
MPP acron. Mouvman Peyizan 
Papay Peasant Movement of 
Papaye 
mren see mwen 
MSPP acron. Minisfe Sante Piblik 
ak Popilasyon Ministry of Public 
Health and Population 
MST acron. (maladi seksyeJman 
transmisib) STD (sexually 
transmitted diseases) 
MUPANAH see Mipana 
msye see mesye 
mwa n. month; period, menstruation; 
see retire twa 
de ~ Satan 
gen - to menstruate, have one's 
period 
16t ~ next month 
~ chafe summer 
mwad n. the month of 
~ jounen kout winter month(s) 
- j o u n e n long summermonth(s) 
mwal see mwel 
mw&n n. monk 
mwason, lamwason n. harvest; see 
lamwason 
mwasone v. [Fr] to harvest 
mwasonndz bat&z n. combine 
(agriculture) 
mwat adj. damp, clammy, muggy, 
sweaty 
mwatye, lamwatye, mwatche n. 
half; half-way (point); middle; 
one-fourth (of rum bottle); see 
demwatye 
achte a de - to pay half now and 
half later 
~ pou - in half 
ti ~ a little less than half, a little bit 
mwaw see myaw 
mwaye n. wheel hub 
644 
mwayen - myfcl 
mwayen n. way, means; middle-
sized Rada drum (Voodoo) - same 
as segon; adj. average, ordinary, 
medium(-sized); mild 
gen - to be of means, possess 
money and property 
manke ~ to lack the means (to pay) 
~ en fifth grade 
~ de sixth grade 
mwayfcn, mwayenn nJadj. average, 
mean; n. medium size 
klas - middle class 
mwayfcnman adv. on the average 
Mwayenn Oryan, Mwayen Oryan 
prop.n. (the) Middle East, Mideast 
Mwayennaj, Mwayenn Aj n. 
Middle Ages 
mwazi see mwezi 
mwazisi see mwezisi 
mwe obs. form of 1st person sing, 
pron. 
mwfck, mwik: 
— to blink 
pa di ~ to say nothing at all 
pa fe ~ not to do or say anything 
mw&l, mwal n. bone marrow; core; 
backbone; courage, strength; var. 
of mango 
jouk nan ~ to the bone, deeply 
manman ~, ~ fet brain 
~ bwa pith 
mwele v. to provide backbone, 
strengthen 
mwen pron. I, my, (to) me; prep. 
to, until, before (time); reflexive 
pron.; see mwens 
diz£ ~ (1) ka a quarter to ten 
~ menm myself 
~ ou if I were you 
pa ~ mine; not I, not me 
senkfc ~ dis ten minutes to five 
mwenn adj. the slightest, the least 
~ akasan (li mete) siwo at the 
slightest sign; at the slightest 
provocation 
mwens, mwen prep, minus, less 
mwenske adv. less than 
mwfct n. (sea) gull; interj. zip! zilch! 
(to indicate lack of response) 
mwetmw£t: 
fe - to exercise the buttocks or 
anal sphincter 
mwezi, mwazi adj. moldy, musty, 
mildewy; n. mold 
mwezisi, mwazisi n. mold, mildew 
mwik adj. musty, moldy; see mw£k 
~ mwak to blink 
mwikmwik, mwitmwit v. to 
twinkle; onomat. to express 
batting of the eyes 
mwit: 
~ mwat to blink 
Myanma prop.n. Myanmar, Burma; 
prop. adj. Myanmar, Burmese 
myann! interj. to hell with you! 
myas n. miasma 
myaw, maou, maw, mawou, 
mwaw, myaou, myaous, myawou 
onomat. meow (of cat); sound 
made to imply one is a thief 
mye adv. better 
fe ~ to recover, get better 
fe yon gran ~ to feel much better 
fe yon ti ~ to feel a little better 
pran ~ to feel better 
1 ~ [premye] first 
myfcl n. (honey) bee; manure (slang); 
adj. upset, irritated; fierce 
barik ~, bwat ~ beehive 
dan ~, pikan ~, pik^t ~ stinger of 
bee 
desen ~, bann ~, eskwad ~, grap 
~, lesen ~, sosyete ~ swarm of 
bees 
645 
myet - mydp 
elvaj/elvay ~ apiculture, bee­
keeping 
gato ~ honeycomb; beeswax 
leve yon - to win or make a lot of 
money 
~ bwa wild bee 
~ dou, ~ kay domesticated bee 
nich ~ beehive 
ouvriye ~ bee-keeper, apiculturist 
pay ~ empty honeycomb 
renn - queen bee 
siwo ~ honey 
tanbou ~ beehive 
tou/twou ~ alveolus, cell (of a 
honeycomb) 
woule siwo ~ to extract honey 
from honeycomb 
yon ~ a beehive 
my£t see miy&t 
myezale see alemye 
myezanmye adv. better and better 
myezfct n. greater welfare, improved 
standard 
my6p adj. nearsighted, myopic 
646 
n - nandenmen 
N 
n (pronounced: enn) sh.form nou; 
sometimes used for 1, li; n a contr. 
nou + a 
~... ke see nek 
na n. spikenard (aromatic plant); see 
nan 
nachon see nanchon 
nad n. nothing (object) 
~ marinad impotent; nothing at 
all, zilch; nothing changes 
nada n. (Span.) nothing 
Nadin see Flaman 
naftalin, naftalen n. mothballs 
nage v. to nag, harass; to annoy, 
make fun of 
Nago, Anagoprop.n. group or 
"nation" (nanchon) of Voodoo 
spirits 
- cho rapid and violent Voodoo 
dance 
~ gran kou Voodoo dance of 
greeting to Ogoun 
o chen ~! heck! 
pa fb yon pa - not to progress or 
change in any way 
yon pa - yon pa kita a step 
neither forward nor backward 
naj n. swimming 
naje v. to swim 
~ nan bdl grbs to live off the fat of 
the land 
~ nan fon deep-sea diving 
~ nan gwo dlo, ~ nan gran 
kouran to be well protected 
(thanks to Voodoo powers, or 
social and business connections) 
~ pou s6ti sink or swim 
~ zaviwon to row, paddle 
naj& n. swimmer 
najwa n. fin (of fish); flipper (of 
seal, whale etc.); flippers (for 
swimming) 
~ sou do dorsal fin 
nak n. mother-of-pearl 
nakaskol n. divi-divi (small tree) 
nakawout see n6kawout 
nakotik nJadj. narcotic 
Namibiprop.n. Namibia 
namonika see amonika 
nan: 
1 ~ one year 
nan, lan definite article [after 
words ending in sounds ~m, -n, 
or -ng] the; prep, in, into; within; 
to, towards; at, by, on; from, 
from within, out of; of; part of; 
between; among; through 
en ~ one year 
~ pami, ~ tout in, among 
nana: 
gran ~ aged spinster 
Nan Bannannprop.n. disadvantaged 
area of Cape Haitian (Dept. North) 
Nanbwa see Lab 
nanchon, nachon, nasyon n. group, 
category or "nation" of Voodoo 
spirits; persons initiated into 
Voodoo by same priest(ess) 
Ki ~ moun sa yo? What the heck 
kind of people are they? 
m pa menm konnen ~ ou I don't 
know you from Adam 
nandeng, dengwenn, landeng n. 
pain in the ass, nuisance, pest 
kole nan dengwenn/landeng (yon 
moun) to harass, hound (s.o.) 
ti ~ sweet-potato weevil 
nandenmen, nandemen adv. on the 
647 
nandomi - nannan 
next day, on the following day 
nanddmi adj. asleep; n. tripletail 
(fish) 
nandwat see landret 
Nanfi (Anri)prop.n. Namphy 
(Henri) - military ruler of Haiti, 
1986-1988 
Nanginen see Ginen 
Nangonmye see Gonmye 
nanj n. angel; see bonnanj 
Nanjakprop.n. Nan Jacques 
(Tortuga Island, Dept. North-West) 
nanjelis see lanjelis 
Nankafeprop.n. Nan-Caft (La 
Gonave Island, Dept. West) 
Nankanpfcch see Chanpi 
Nankatrevendisprop.n. Nan-
Quatre-Vingt-Dix (disadvantaged 
area of Cape Haitian) 
Nankoton prop.n. disadvantaged 
neighborhood of PaP, near Fort-
National 
nanm n. soul, spirit; strength, 
substance; vital force, spiritual 
essence, strength (of plants, trees, 
earth, sun etc., or of a person or 
object ritualistically consecrated); 
complete soul inc. gwo bonnanj 
(q.v.) and ti bonnanj (q.v.) -
Voodoo; immaterial creature either 
benevolent or malevolent; spirits 
or soul of the dead (Voodoo) 
gen - to be of substance, strength 
or size; to have backbone, have 
inner strength; to be daring; to 
be intelligent; to be of nutritional 
value 
gwo ~ same as move ~ (q.v.) 
mete ~ process of restoring a soul 
that has been taken from a body 
(Voodoo) 
mete - sou to act courageously; to 
stand up for oneself; to look alive, 
get active 
move ~ ghost of a lougawou (q.v.) 
wandering about at night; evil 
spirit (Voodoo) 
~ bout£y lush, drunkard 
~ byen t ranpe sturdy/resolute 
character 
~ kadav kd ordinary (human) 
shadow 
~ li sdti to be enthralled, be 
fascinated 
~ sdti sou li to lose control, go out 
of one's head 
~ zonbi soul of a dead person 
which has been captured by an 
undertaker (beny£) and sold to an 
unscrupulous Voodoo priest 
pa gen ~ to be mentally impaired, 
be crazy 
plase - consecration of a ritual 
object (Voodoo) 
pran ~ to charm, bewitch; to 
distract; to capture s.o.'s protective 
guardian angel through evil magic 
(Voodoo) 
retire ~ to remove the soul from 
a body 
san (gwo) ~ stupid, slow, lifeless, 
listless, apathetic 
wete ~ to intimidate, cow 
nanm&d! see lanmed! 
Nanna: 
bay ~ pou Siz&n to exchange 
s.thg. of small value for s.thg. of 
great value, cheat; to bluff, lie, 
fake 
pran ~ pou Sizan to be taken in, 
be deceived 
nannan n. interior, inner part, 
recesses, core, insides (of), heart 
of; innards; essence, substance; 
648 
Nannan - nasyonnal 
nucleus; courage, inner strength; 
gumption, spunk; pulp (of fruit); 
food (baby talk); clitoris; v. to eat 
(baby talk) 
gen ~ to have backbone, have 
inner strength 
~ je pupil (of eye) 
Nannan prop.n. nickname for 
F£nan (q.v.) 
nanni see lanni 
nannwit see lannwit 
Nanpalmisprop.n. 2nd communal 
section of Petite-Rivi£re(-de-
PArtibonite) (Dept. Artibonite) 
Nanpany prop.n. Nan Pagne 
(Tortuga Island, Dept. North-West) 
nanp&ch adv. nevertheless, all the 
same 
Nanpdl see Lazil 
Nanpousye, Lanpousy£prop.n. 
small community immediately east 
of Jer£mie (Dept. Grand'Anse) 
nanpwen, lanpwen adv. there is/are 
no, there is/are none 
~ bouch it's beyond words; it's 
amazing 
~ de there is no other 
~ kon sa unbeatable 
~ yo youn there is not a single one 
of them 
nansans prep, toward(s), in the 
direction of 
Nansavannprop.n. Nan Savane 
(disadvantaged area of [Aux/Les] 
Cayes) 
Nansous see Sous Donmaj 
Nansouvnans see Souvnans 
Nanvyefeprop.n. Nan Vieux-Fer 
(Tortuga Island, Dept. North-West) 
Nanzanmann prop.n. Nan-Amande 
(disadvantaged area of Cape 
Haitian) 
n ap contr. nou + ap (we ... -ing; 
you \pl.]... -ing) 
nap n. tablecloth; layer (gas, oil etc.) 
~ dlo underground water level 
- loftl altar cloth 
Nap prop.n. Naples (Italy) 
n ape contr. nou + ape (we ... -ing; 
you [pi]... -ing) 
napkin n. paper napkin 
Napoleyon prop.n. Napoleon 
napoleyonyen prop. adj. Napoleonic 
napon, napwon n. placemat; doily, 
small ornamental mat 
Naran prop.n. Narang (2nd 
communal section of MaYssade, 
Dept. Center) 
narasyon n. narration 
narat& n. narrator 
naratif adj. narrative 
narin n. nostril; cf. twou nen 
nas n. large bamboo or wicker 
screen; fyke, (bamboo or wicker) 
fish trap, net; (bamboo or wicker) 
fowl cage 
jete - li to try one's luck, give it a 
try 
nasis see arenyen 
Nasoprop.n. Nassau; Bahamas 
nasyon, lanasyon n. nation; group, 
people, nationality; see nanchon 
nasyonal, nasyonnal adj. national 
~ nasyono thoroughly patriotic 
nasyonalis, nasyonnalis n. 
nationalist, patriot; nationalism, 
patriotism; adj. nationalistic, 
patriotic 
nasyonalite, nasyonnalite n. 
nationality 
nasyonalizasyon n. nationalization 
nasyonalize v. to nationalize 
nasyonalman adv. nationally 
nasyonnal see nasyonal 
649 
nasyono - ne 
nasyono pi adj. [Fr.] national 
Nasyonzini/?rop.«. United Nations 
nat n. sleeping mat; matting 
chire ~ li to tear (s.o.) apart, 
disparage, malign; to do in, finish 
off; to kick out, chase away; to 
sleep with, have sex with 
~ tr£s sleeping mat made of palm 
leaves 
natal n. native; adj. native of, born 
(in, at); see natif ~ 
Natanayfclprop.n. [Bible] Nathanael 
natasyon n. [Fr] swimming 
nati n. nature, character, 
temperament 
~ (yon fi) vagina 
natif n./adj. native 
~ natal native(-born in Haiti), 
indigenous; home-made, 
homespun; authentic, genuine; 
birthplace 
natiralis n. naturalist 
natiralizasyon n. naturalization 
natiralize v. to naturalize, adapt; to 
be naturalized (as citizen) 
natir&l adj. natural, normal; 
illegitimate (child); smooth-riding 
(horse etc.); n. character, nature; 
naturalness, spontaneity 
jij ~ proper or appropriate judge 
nan ~ li in a good mood 
natirelman adv. naturally, of course 
nativite n. nativity 
naval adj. naval 
Navaz see Lanavaz 
nave, nav&, nav&t n. turnip 
nav&t n. bobbin (sewing machine); 
space shuttle; see nave 
fe ~ to run back and forth; to 
commute 
navigab adj. navigable 
navigasyon n. navigation, sailing 
navigate n. navigator; sailor 
navige v. to navigate, sail; to 
struggle, strive 
naw£ n. eye; eyesight 
de ~ pete blind; blindly 
w£ ak de ~ li to see with one's 
very own eyes 
Nawoum prop.n. [Bible] Nahum 
nay see nayt; nyaj 
nayif adj. naive 
nayilonn see nilon 
nayivte n. naivete" 
naykteb, nayklib, naytkleb n. night 
club 
naylon, naylonn see nilon 
nayt, nay: 
bat ~ to be a night owl; to stay out 
late 
Naywobiprop.n. Nairobi (Kenya) 
nazal adj. nasal 
nazalizasyon n. nasalization 
nazalize v. to nasalize 
N&z&rktprop.n. [Bible] Nazareth 
Nazar&t (legliz)prop.n. (Church of 
the) Nazarene 
Nazareyen prop.n./adj. Nazarene 
Nazi prop, n./adj. Nazi 
nazil: 
san - homeless person 
nazireyen, nazirit prop.n./adj. 
Nazirite 
Nazonprop.n. Nazon (middle-class 
area of PaP); name often used for 
portion of Avenue Martin King 
(PaP) 
ne n. knot (string; plant, wood etc.); 
node; ribbon; loop; knot (nautical 
measure); v. to be born 
bay yon - to make a knot 
~ gddyen see negddyen 
~ gdj£t, ~ gdj, ~ gdje, - lalwet 
Adam's apple 
650 
ne - n£g 
- kann knot or joint of sugarcane 
stalk 
~... ke see n£k 
~ koulan slip knot; (hangman's) 
noose 
~ pijon dorsal vein of penis 
n£ n. nerve; nerves, nervousness; 
prefix neuro-; adv. o'clock 
mete sou ~ to make nervous, set 
on edge 
~ ke only 
~ kwense pinched nerve 
sisftm ~ nervous system 
sou (ft) ~ on one's nerves, all 
keyed up 
tonbe ~ to have a seizure; to pass 
out 
yon ~ moute/pran li to be 
nervous; to become angry 
yon s£l ~ moute/pran li to 
become enraged, go into a rage 
neb£f n. bullwhip 
Nebikadnezaprop.n. [Bible] 
Nebuchadnezzar 
Nebraska prop.n. Nebraska (USA) 
neclftl, nechel n. ladder; scale 
se wete ~! that takes the cake! 
that's it! nothing more to be said! 
neT, nev num. nine; adj. new, recent; 
full of energy, lively, vibrant 
tou ~, ~ kdm - pwen brand-new; 
in fine shape 
Neii prop.n. [Book of Mormon] 
Nephi 
Nefit prop.n. [Book of Mormon] 
Nephite 
nefretik adj. nephritic 
nefrit n. nephritis 
nefsan num. nine hundred 
n£g n. man, male; Black man; friend, 
pal, guy, fellow; grouper (fish) 
gran ~ big shot, VIP; rich person; 
rebellious person 
gwo ~ "big man," big shot, VIP; 
big strong man; rebellious person; 
sturdy, robust, muscular; var. of 
latex-yielding plant 
~ akonpli, ~ brav, ~ byen 
chouke, - diy, ~ djanm, ~ donfc, 
~ enftg, ~ jis, ~ konfyans, ~ 
konsekan, ~ lwayal, ~ natif natal, 
~ natirel, ~ respekte, ~ senbdl, 
~ solid, ~ total courageous man, 
real man 
~ a konsidere man of importance 
- (anba) fty hick, clod, yokel 
~ boufty drunk, lush 
~ brenn intelligent man 
~ bwa see ~ m6n 
~ fasad hypocrite 
~ fen well-dressed man 
~ fd intelligent man 
~ gran djdl var. of fish 
- j6n var. offish 
~ kadinal var. of fish 
~ kay slave-owner, master, lord 
~ konpftt married man 
~ krab dunce, fool 
~ lavi dous exploiter 
~ lespri clever person; intellectual 
~ mawon escaped slave 
N£g Mawon, Mawon Enkoni 
(plas) Unknown Escaped Slave 
(Square) (memorial statue to 
Haiti's equivalent of the Unknown 
Soldier, across from National 
Palace, PaP) 
- mdn, ~ bwa hillbilly, country 
hick; peasant 
~ move zaft shady character, 
suspicious person 
~ nwa Black man 
~nw£ Negro (pej.) 
~ nwe ti zor£y ingrate, ungrateful 
651 
negasyon - nen 
or thankless wretch 
~ pa buddy, close personal friend 
~ p ap di ou no one is going to 
tell you 
~ sal tramp, bum 
~ san landmen ne'er-do-well, no-
account, loser 
~ save intellectual 
~ ftt, ~ s£vo intelligent man 
~ ti lespri, ~ ti vizyon dimwit 
- ti zdr&y average Haitian, Haitian 
Mr. Everyman 
- transit status seeker, upstart 
~ wouj red grouper (fish) 
ti ~ young man, man; little guy 
ti ~ wouj ak jdn var. of fish 
negasyon n. negation 
negatif n. (film) negative; adj. 
negative 
negativman adv. negatively, 
adversely 
n&g&s, n&gfc, neg&s n. woman; girl; 
Black woman, Negress 
ti ~ young woman, woman 
Neg£vprop.n. Negev, Negeb 
neglijab adj. negligible 
neglijan adj. negligent, lax, careless; 
sloppily dressed 
fe ~ to be careless, be negligent 
neglijans n. negligence, 
carelessness, neglect 
neglije v. to neglect; to omit, drop; to 
round off (numbers); n. negligee 
an ~ not dressed-up; in dirty 
clothes 
neg6dyen n. Gordian knot; insoluble 
problem; problem, rub 
negds n. [Fr] trade, commerce, 
business 
negosyab adj. negotiable 
negosyan n. wholesaler, wholesale 
dealer; trader, dealer 
negosyasyon, negosiyasyon n. 
negotiation 
negosyate, negosy£ n. negotiator 
negosye v. to negotiate; to 
compromise, make a deal 
negritid, lanegritid n. negritude 
(movement affirming validity of 
Black culture) 
negriye n. slave-trader; slave ship; 
adj. slave-trading 
n£j n. phyllanthus (plant); cocaine 
(fam.) 
n&j, lan&j n. snow; frost; 
condensation; icing, frosting (on 
cake etc.) 
fe ~ to snow 
n£k, neke, n£ke adv. only, just, as 
soon as; except, but 
neklesen n. metal triangle played in 
Voodoo ceremonies 
nekd see lekd 
nekout: 
mete zdr&y li an ~ to listen 
attentively 
nekta n. nectar 
nektarin n. nectarine 
Neland£, Ney£land£prop.n. 
Dutchman; prop.n./adj. Dutch 
Neland^z, Ney£land£z fn. Dutch 
woman 
nematdd n. nematode (worm that 
attacks tomatoes, plantains etc.) 
nemoni, lemoni, lemonni n. 
pneumonia 
~ atipik SARS (severe acute 
respiratory syndrome) 
nen n. nose; dwarf, midget; hood (of 
car); adj. nasal 
anndan ~ nasal passage(s) 
bd ~ (sides of) nostrils 
bouche ~ pou fe (yon bagay) to 
do (s.thg.) in spite of oneself 
652 
n e n - n e s e s f c m a n 
bwa ~ nose; nasal bone, bridge of 
nose 
do ~ nasal ridge 
gen ~ fen to have a keen sense of 
smell 
gen ~ (nan figi li) to have one's 
pride or self-respect, self-
respecting; honest, forthright 
louvri de z£l ~ li to flare one's 
nostrils 
mete ~ nan figi li to show pride or 
self-respect 
~ ak bouch ak right next to, 
adjoining 
~ bouche stopped-up nose; sinus 
congestion 
~ fen foresighted, cautious; lucky; 
intuitive; intuition 
- fr£t without self-respect 
~frfct! shame! 
~ kanpe turned-up nose 
~ koule runny nose 
~ krikrit straight pointed nose 
- long solenodon (insect-eating 
mammal resembling shrew) 
~ ou ap senyen your fly is open 
~ pou ~ face to face 
~ retwouse snub nose 
~ rigdl runny nose 
- soulye toe of shoe 
pa gen - nan figi shameless 
san ~ shameless; tiny, insignificant 
son ~ nasal sound, nasal vowel 
ti - dwarf, midget 
tou ~, twou ~ nostril 
twouse (z£l) ~ devan, twouse ~ 
li sou to turn up one's nose at, to 
show disdain for 
z£l ~ (sides of) nostrils; nose 
zo (bwa) - nose; nasal bone, 
bridge of nose 
Other terms used to describe the 
human nose: alonje, chankre, 
doubout, dwat, fen, file, gwo, 
kare, kolboso, kout, kraze, laj, 
long, plat, pwenti, ti 
nenf n. pupa, nymph (inactive stage 
of many insects) 
nenifa n. water lily 
nennenn, nenen, nennen f.n. 
godmother; cf. marenn 
nenpdt, kenenpot, kennenpdt, 
kenpot, kinenpot pron. anyone; 
whatever, whichever, no matter 
(what); just any; either (one); any 
- eki no matter who(m) 
- (ki) jan however, anyhow 
~ (ki) kote anywhere, wherever 
~ (ki) te whenever, anytime 
~ kites every one, all 
~ (ki) moun anyone, anybody; 
who(m)ever, no matter who(m) 
nenpdtkel adj. any 
nenpdtki, nenpoteki: 
p a - n o t just anyone 
Nepal prop.n. Nepal 
Nepateprop.n./adj., Nepatez 
f.prop.n. Nepalese 
nepe, epe, lepe n. sword 
- Damoktes sword of Damocles, 
inherent threat 
Neptinprop.n. Neptune 
Ner£tprop.n. Nfrette (section of 
P6tion-Ville) 
neryen, nfcryen adj. insignificant; n. 
insignificant or worthless person 
nesans, lanesans n. birth; nature, 
character, heredity 
ak ~, papye ~, prfcv - birth 
certificate; cf. batiste 
pran - to originate 
nesesib adj. necessary; n. essential(s), 
necessities 
neseseman adv. necessarily 
653 
nesesite - neyolojis 
nesesite n. necessity, must; need; 
utter poverty, deprivation; v. to 
necessitate (cf. bezwen) 
Nesleprop.n. Nestle (evaporated 
milk) 
nkspa? intern adv. [Fr] isn't it so? 
nestri, n&stri n. saddle-pad (straw, 
leather, cloth etc.) 
net n. neutral (mack); adj. neutral; 
neuter 
rann ~ to neutralize 
n£t adj. clean, tidy, neat; thorough; 
net; n. var. of mango; adv. quite, 
completely, thoroughly, entirely, 
really, absolutely, totally; through 
and through; without exception 
se sa ~ exactly; great, terrific 
n£tale, n&talkole adv. completely, 
thoroughly, totally, utterly 
netche, netye v. to clean, clean out; 
to skip out, take to one's heels; see 
netwaye 
~ bounda, ~ d£ye, ~ fif to spank; 
to beat up 
n£tman adv. clearly, distinctly 
netralite n. neutrality; cf san 
paspouki, san patipri 
netralize v. to neutralize 
netwayab adj. washable 
netwayaj, netwayay n. cleaning, 
washing; clean-up 
netwaye, netche, netye v. to clean; 
to wash, wash out; to wipe (off); 
to clean (an animal for cooking); 
to beat (sports); to thrash, whip; to 
tear (s.o.) apart, make a damning 
report concerning (s.o.) 
~ gdj li to clear one's throat 
~ te to clear off land 
netway£ lari n. street cleaner 
(person) 
netwon n. neutron 
netye see netche; netwaye 
nev see n£f 
Nevada prop.n. Nevada (USA) 
nevan n. nine years 
n£van see enn£van 
neve, nive n. nephew 
ti ~ great-nephew 
n£ve v. to get on (s.o.'s) nerves; see 
enn&ve 
- sou to be impatient with 
nev£ n. nine o'clock 
nevfcdtan n. nine hours 
nev£n, ev£n, ledv£n, lev£n, nevenn 
n. novena; nine-day mourning 
period 
fe ~, kondi ~, kouri ~, moute - to 
make a novena 
Nevis prop.n. Nevis (cf. Senkit) 
nevit see levit 
nevralji n. neuralgia 
nevy&m adj. ninth 
newoliberal see neyoliberal 
newolog n. neurologist 
newoloji n. neurology 
Newon prop.n. Nero 
newonn n. neuron 
neyan n. nothingness, emptiness 
neye, nwaye v. to drown; to overwater 
~ kou krapo Lagonav asleep in 
the deep, in a watery grave 
Ney&land£ see Nelandfc 
Ney&land£z see Neland&z 
Neyemiprop./?. [Bible] Nehemiah 
neyo- prefix neo-
neyokolonyal adj. neocolonial 
neyokolonyalis n. neocolonialism; 
n./adj. neocolonialist 
neyoliberal, newoliberal adj. 
neoliberal 
neyoliberalis n. neoliberalism; adj. 
neoliberal 
neyolojis n. neologism 
654 
neyon - Nimewode 
neyon n. neon 
ngan, ngangan, nganngan see 
oungan 
ngongdld see gongolo 
ni adj. naked, nude (cf. toutouni); 
bare; conj. nor (with pa); see li 
(pron.) 
- . . . - b o t h . . . and 
~... ~ (with pa) neither ... nor, 
either... or (with not) 
- kd naked, nude (cf. toutouni) 
Nibo see Gede Nibo 
nich n. nest; a lot of, many; 
doghouse; small altar or box 
containing articles for Voodoo 
worship 
~ foumi anthill 
~ kanna pothole 
~ lougawou comet; luminous trail 
in the sky left by a lougawou (q.v.) 
~ my£l (wild) beehive 
san ~ kanna completely flat 
yon ~ a good number of, a lot of 
niche, liche v. to lick, lap; to nest; 
to hide 
~ dbyb to brown-nose, kiss (s.o.'s) 
butt, flatter excessively 
~ dw£t finger-licking good, tasty, 
delicious; cf. koupe dw£t 
nich£ n. s.o. who licks his/her plate 
clean 
NIF acron. Nouvo Idantifikasyon 
Fiskal New Fiscal Identity card 
mgb n. (pej.) nigger 
nigo adj. foolish; n. fool, idiot 
nigrit n. inner strength, courage 
Nij£prop.n. Niger 
Nijeryaprop.n. Nigeria 
nijeryan prop.n./adj., Nijery&n 
f.prop.n. Nigerian 
nik see annik 
Nikaragwa prop.n. Nicaragua 
Nikaragwayen prop.n., 
Nikaragwayfcn fprop.n. 
Nicaraguan 
nik£l n. nickel (metal) 
niklay n. nickel-plating 
nikle adj. nickel-plated 
nikley& adj. nuclear 
nikd adj. nude, naked; cf. toutouni 
nikod&m n. ninny, simpleton, boob 
Nikod£m prop.n. [Bible] Nicodemus 
Nikola prop.n. Nicholas, Nicolas 
N\\Lo\ny\tprop.n. [Bible] Nicolaitan 
nikotin n. nicotine 
nil adj. worthless; useless, futile; 
null, void; tied (score) 
Nil (larivyfc) prop.n. Nile river 
nilon, layldn, nayilonn, naylon, 
naylonn n. nylon 
nim n. neem (tree) 
dlo ~, Iwil ~, poud ~ var. home­
made insecticides 
Nim a (Nono) prop.n. Numa (Nono) 
- Haitian-language dramatist, 
author of Jeneral Wodrig 
nimerasyon n. numeration; notation 
nimeratfc n. numerator (math.) 
nimerik adj. numerical 
nimewo, limewo n. number; 
lottery ticket; size (clothing, 
shoes); oddball, character; issue 
(of journal etc.); article (of 
constitution) 
bay ~ to number 
m konnen ~ 11 know his kind/ 
type (pej.) 
~ ddd number (in line) 
~ en "numero uno," head honcho, 
head person 
~ lwil oil weight 
- onz var. of mango 
~ pye li of one's equal social status 
Nimewode prop.n. Num6ro Deux 
655 
nimewote - Nddw&s 
(section of Jer&nie, Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
nimewote, limewote v. to number 
Niniprop.n. Nini 
se bouda - ! , se dada ~! so what! 
who cares! it doesn't amount to a 
hill of beans 
Ninivprop.n. [Bible] Nineveh 
ninja n. ninja, Japanese martial arts 
specialist 
Nip, Titwou, Titwoudenipprop.n. 
Petit-Trou-de-Nippes (Dept. 
Grand'Anse) 
nipye see anmilpye 
niri see nouri 
niriti see nouriti 
nitou conj. neither, nor, (not) either; 
moreover, furthermore, besides, 
indeed 
nitrat n. nitrate 
~ ajan silver nitrate 
nitrisyon n. nutrition 
nitrisyonis n. nutritionist 
nitriyan n. nutrient 
nitwojen n. nitrogen 
nivana n. Carnival figure 
nive see neve 
nivle v. to grade, level out, make level 
nivo adj. level; new, fresh; n. level 
(carpenter's tool); standard, 
criterion; grade, class (in school) 
[Fr.] 
a ~ see anivo 
fe ~ to level off 
kenbe - a to keep up the level, 
maintain the same level 
16t ~ outstanding, notable 
o ~ see onivo 
pa ~ uneven, unlevel 
piba ~ lanme below sea level 
piwo ~ lanm& above sea level 
nivre see annivre 
nivrdl: 
manje - to sap the foundations, 
destroy the base 
Niyagara (kaskad)prop.n. Niagara 
Falls 
nizans see nwizans 
no adj. odd, uneven (number) 
nd: 
an ~ golden, gold 
nd, lend n. north; adj. northern 
Nd prop.n. the North of Haiti 
(depatman) ~ (Department of the) 
North 
masif di - Massif du Nord, North 
mountain range 
~ Afriken North African, Maghreb 
~ Ameriken North American 
(Canada, USA, Mexico) 
Tonton ~ Pierre Nord Alexis 
(president of Haiti 1902-08) 
ndb n./adj. noble 
tet ~ bald 
noble v. to swear at (s.o.), curse; 
to sing (out); to call; to invoke 
(Voodoo) 
nobles n. nobility 
ndd see anndd 
aia ~ ala katdd bisexual 
ndde n. nor'easter (wind) 
Ndd£prop.n., Ndd&zf.prop.n. 
inhabitant of the Dept. North 
ndd&s n. northeast 
Ndd£s: 
(depatman) ~ prop.n. 
(Department of the) North-East 
Nddikiteprop.n., Nddikilezf.prop.n. 
inhabitant of Acul-du-Nord (Dept. 
North) 
nodil n. nodule (hot.) 
nodozite n. nodule, node 
Nddw£s, Ndtwfcs: 
(depatman) ~ prop.n. 
656 
Nddwezyen - non 
(Department of the) North-West 
Nddwezyen prop.n., Nddwezyfcn 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of the Dept. of 
the North-West 
Noe see Noye 
nofraj see nofray 
nofraje n. shipwreck victim 
nofray, nofraj, ofraj, ofray n. 
shipwreck (event) 
ih ~ to sink 
nogal n. walnut tree 
n6k see nonk 
ndkawout, nakawout n. knock-out 
(boxing); v. to knock out, knock 
down 
Nolwizyenprop.n., Ndlwizy£n 
f.prop.n. inhabitant of Saint-Louis-
du-Nord (Dept. North-West) 
ndm n. norm, standard 
noma n. noma 
nomad n. nomad; adj. nomadic 
ndmal adj. normal, natural; fitting, 
appropriate; adv. normally, 
naturally 
lekdl ~ teacher-training school, 
school of education 
pa nan ~ li not up to one's normal 
self, out-of-sorts 
pa ~ abnormal 
ndmalite n. normality, normalcy 
ndmalizasyon n. normalization; 
standardization 
ndmalize v. to normalize; to 
standardize 
ndmalman, ndmalteman adv. 
of course, certainly; normally; 
regularly 
ndmalyen n. student at teacher-
training school 
~ diplome licensed teacher 
ndmanprop.n./adj. Norman 
Ndmandi, Landmandiprop.n, 
Normandy (France) 
nome see nonmen 
nomeman adv. [Fr] by name 
Ndmil (Andre)prop.n. Normil 
(Andr£) - Haitian painter 
celebrated for his detailed 
humorous depictions of Haitian 
reality, b. 1934 
nominasyon, lonminasyon n. 
nomination; appointing, naming 
Nompennprop.n. Phnom Penh 
(Cambodia) 
non n. name; first name; price; noun; 
adv. no, not; then, now; prefix non-
; used either to reinforce or soften 
a request or order, almost the 
equivalent of "please"; skform 
nan + yon 
bay moun ~ to slander; to tease; 
to nickname 
bon ~ real name (as opposed to 
nickname); good reputation 
bon vye ~ nickname 
fo ~ pseudonym 
leve - to be named after/for 
~ badnay, ~ badnen nickname 
- batfcm Christian name; opening 
price (when bargaining) 
~ fabrik brand name 
~ fi(y) maiden name 
~ gate, ~ jw£t, - kachkach 
nickname 
~ kalite generic name 
~ mak brand name 
~oun! nah! nope! no! 
~ papa certainly not 
~ patikilye proper name 
~ pwen ritual Voodoo name 
~ pwdp proper noun 
~ vanyan ritual Voodoo name 
pa gen ~ to not be known, have no 
standing, have no credit rating 
657 
Nonb - nou 
pa konnen ~ (pou li bay) chen 
li not to know what one is talking 
about 
pote - li to live up to one's name 
sou ~ li on his/her bill or account; 
to be talking about him/her 
ti ~, vye ~ nickname 
yo di ou ~ ou di fdk to be overly 
insistent 
Nonb prop.n. [Bible] Numbers 
nonbre adj. [Fn] numerous 
nonbrit see lonbrit 
noni n. Jimson weed, thorn apple, 
datura stramonium (same as 
konkonm zonbi) 
nonk, ndk n. uncle; stupid man 
nonm n. man, guy; (common-law) 
husband; lover; number 
~ dey6 lover (of married women) 
yon bon ~ a good(ly) number of 
nonmen, lonmen, notne v. to name; 
to nominate; to cite, mention s.o.; 
to appoint 
~ non li to mention s.o. by name 
yon ~ a person named 
nonplis, nonpli neg. adv. (not) 
either, neither 
nons n. nuncio 
nonsan: 
ti ~ innocent little one 
nonsans n. [Fr.] nonsense 
nons&lman adv. not only 
nonsyati, nonsiyati n. nunciature 
nonvyolans see lanonvyolans 
Nbplant prop.n. Norplant 
(contraceptive patch) 
noran: 
van - northwest wind 
Nbrtprop.n., Ndr£zf.prop.n. 
inhabitant of the Dept. North-East 
nds n. wedding, marriage 
~ chen wedding ceremony without 
the usual food and drink 
- d6 golden anniversary, fiftieth 
anniversary 
nosan see inosan 
nosif adj. noxious, harmful 
nostalji n. homesickness; nostalgia 
nostaljik adj. homesick; nostalgic 
[Fr,] 
nosyon n. notion 
- de baz basic concept 
n6t n. note, short message; grade, 
evaluation; transcript; musical 
note 
bon ~ good reputation 
fe ~ to make the grade, succeed, 
progress 
move ~ bad reputation 
N6t Dam see Ndtredam 
~ deprfcs press release 
reive ~ transcript 
notab n. leading citizen, community 
elder, local dignitary, pillar of 
the community; rural section 
chief (same as cltef seksyon); 
work-period before sunrise; adj. 
remarkable, noticeable, notable 
notaman adv. notably 
notarye v. to certify, authenticate; to 
notarize 
note v. to note, notice, observe, 
remark; to record, jot down, make 
a note of 
note, ndte n. notary (public) 
notifye v. to notify, inform 
notis n. notice, warning, caution 
Ndtredam, N6t Dam prop.n. Notre-
Dame, Our Lady 
Ndtre-P£prop.n. Lord's Prayer 
notwa adj. notorious; well-known, 
acknowledged 
Ndtw&s see Nddw&s 
nou pron. we, our, (to) us; (to) you 
658 
Nouanmchayfc - Nowou 
(pi), your (pi); reflexive pron. 
~ l£de both of us; both of you 
~menm ourselves; yourselves 
~ youn each one of us; each one of 
you (pi.) 
pa ~ ours; yours (pi); not we, not 
us; not you (pi.) 
Nouanmchayfc see Nyouanpchi 
nouga n. nougat 
Nouhevennprop.n. New Haven 
(Connecticut) 
Noujeze, Nyoudj&ze, Nyouj&ze 
prop.n. New Jersey (USA) 
Noumeksiko see Nouvo Meksik 
nounoun (ti) n. sweetheart, darling 
nounous n. teddy bear 
nouri, niri v. to nourish; to feed; adj. 
thick, heavy, dense 
nouris n. nursing mother; wet-nurse; 
var. of small lizard; adj. being 
breast-fed 
gwo ~ nursing mother whose child 
has begun to walk 
ti ~ confinement or lying-in period 
(after giving birth); nursing mother 
whose child has not yet begun to 
walk 
ti ~ blanch mother of a newborn 
infant 
nourisan adj. nourishing, nutritious 
nourisman n. nourishment 
nouriti, lanouriti, niriti n. food, 
nourishment 
nouvfcl n. (piece of) news; rumor; 
short story;f.adj. new 
ban m ~ ou how are you? what's 
new? 
bay ~ to spread (the) news 
~ kout short news item, news in 
brief 
bay ~ to inform; to let (s.o.) know 
ki ~? what's new? 
pran ~ to hear (the) news, hear of; 
to hear from 
premye ~! what a piece of news! 
Nouv&l Kaledoniprop.n. New 
Caledonia 
Nouv£l 6leyan(s)prop.n. New 
Orleans (USA) 
Nouv£ltour£nprop.n. Nouvelle-
Touraine (1st communal section of 
Kenscoff, Dept. West) 
Nouv£l Zelannprop.n. New Zealand 
nouvelis n. [Fr] short-story writer 
nouvo adj. new; recent, modem 
de ~ [Fr.] again 
- ne [Fr] newborn 
Nouvo Angletiprop.n. New 
England (USA) 
Nouvo Meksik, Noumeksiko 
prop.n. New Mexico (USA) 
nouvone n. [Fr] new-bom; born-
again Christian 
nouvote n. [Fr] new model, new 
thing, novelty 
Nouwakchdtprop.n. Nouakchott 
(Mauritania) 
Nouwdk, Nouwakprop.n. Newark 
(New Jersey, USA) 
Nouydk, Nyouydkprop.n. New 
York (USA); United States of 
America (as generic term) 
novanm n. November 
N6vej prop.n. Norway 
N6vejyenprop.n./adj., N6vejy£n 
f.prop.n. Norwegian 
novis n. novice, beginner, rookie 
novisya n. novitiate 
now! interj. nah! nope! no! 
ndwa n. nor'wester (wind) 
N6waprop.n., Ndwazf.prop.n. 
inhabitant of the Dept. North-West 
Now£l see Nw&l 
Nowou prop.n. Nauru (Southwest 
659 
Noye - nyaj 
Pacific) 
Noye, Noeprop.n. [Bible] Noah 
noyo n. kernel, pit, seed; nucleus; 
core 
~ peyi piper elder (shrub or small 
tree) 
noyon see wonyon 
ndz: 
pa ~ to dare not 
noze n. nausea; cf. ke plen 
nwa n. nut; walnut; nut used for 
playing marbles; nuts (testicles); 
quarter note (music) 
ni an ~ ni an wouj not at all 
- brezil Brazil nut 
~ j e , ~ z y e pupil (of eye) 
~ kajou cashew nut 
~ kola cola nut, bichy nut 
~ kou nape (of neck); neck bone, 
cervical spine 
ti ~ nuts (testicles) 
nwa, nw& n./adj. black; n. Black 
masses, Black proletariat; dark, 
darkness 
fe nan - to lie low, go into hiding 
(li) fe ~ it is dark 
w£ tou ~ to be giddy or dizzy 
Nwa: 
lannte ~ Black Sea 
mdn ~ Black Mountains 
(mountain range running 
northwest to southeast with 
Central Plateau to the north and 
the Artibonite Plain to the south, 
Depts. Artibonite and Center); 
Morne Noir (mountain above 
P6tion-Ville - Dept. West) 
nwaj see nyaj 
nwaje see nyaje 
nwakou n. nape (of neck); neck 
bone, cervical spine 
Nwal see Nw£l 
nwaris n./adj. [Fr] noiriste; adj. 
black 
nwas£ n. darkness; fig. perdition 
nwasi, nw£si v. to blacken, darken, 
shade in 
mo ~ bold type (printing) 
nway see nyaj 
nwaye see neye; nyaje 
nwayo n. [Fr] core, nucleus, cell 
~ dijans emergency unit 
nwaz&t n. hazelnut 
nw& see n£g ~; nwa 
Nw£l, Now£l, Nwal n. Christmas 
kw& nan tonton ~ to be naive 
tonton ~, papa ~ Santa Claus 
nw£si see nwasi 
nwi v. to annoy, tease, bother, bug; to 
harm, hurt; n. night 
~ kd, ~ nich to be unable to stay 
quiet; to look for trouble 
~ sante (yon moun) to bug (s.o.), 
annoy, bother 
pa ~ m non, perik don't give me 
any trouble, pal; great! swell! 
nwit n. night 
gwo nan ~ in the middle of the 
night, in the darkness of the night 
nan ~ kou lajounen, ~ kou jou all 
day and all night 
nan ~ samdi pou ouve dimanch 
on the night of Saturday to Sunday 
~ blanch sleepless night 
pase ~ to spend the night 
pase (yon) ~ blanch to stay awake 
all night 
nwizans, nizans n. nuisance, problem 
nwizanse v. to irritate, harm, injure 
nwizib adj. annoying, bothersome, 
obnoxious; harmful, injurious 
fe ~ to misbehave, be annoying 
nyaj, nay, nwaj, nway, nyay, nywaj 
n. cloud; puff, billow (of smoke) 
660 
nyaje - nywaj 
ban m rale yon ~ give me a smoke 
espire ~, fe de ~, fe (yon) ~, 
pouse ~, pran ~, rale (yon) -
voye - to take a puff, blow smoke 
(cigarette etc.) 
fe ~ to be cloudy 
nyaje, nwaje, nwaye v. to smoke; 
adj. cloudy, overcast 
Nyameprop.n. Niamey (Niger) 
nyannyan see yanyan 
nyans n. nuance; gradation 
nyapad adv. there isn't, there aren't 
nyay see nyaj 
nye v. to renounce; to disown, 
repudiate, reject; to deny; to 
abandon 
ny£ adj. silly, foolish 
nyennyen see yenyen 
ny£s n. niece 
ti ~ great-niece; little niece 
ny&zf.n. silly, foolish 
ny£zay, nyezri n. silliness, foolishness 
nyeze v. to act silly, act foolish 
nyik see yik 
nyon (obs.) see yon 
Nyouanpchi, Nouanmchayfc, 
Nyouanmchiprop.n. New 
Hampshire (USA) 
Nyoudeliprop.n. New Delhi (India) 
Nyoudj&ze, Nyouj&ze see Nouj&ze 
Nyoutonn (Izarak)prop.n. 
Newton (Sir Isaac) - English 
mathematician and physicist, 
1642-1727 
nyouwann adj. brand-new, hot, all 
the rage 
Nyouydk see Nouydk 
nyouz n. [Eng.] news 
fe ~ to listen to the news (on radio 
etc.) 
ki ~? what's up? 
nywaj see nyaj 
661 
o - obsevasyon 
O 
o conj. or; interj. hey! oh! (surprise; 
disapproval); prep. [Fr] in (the), at 
(the), on (the), to (the), with (the); 
see wo 
fb ~ to grow a goatee 
o, 6 interj. hey! oh! (surprise; 
disapproval) 
6 conj. [Fr] however, but 
6,16 n. gold 
santim 6 U.S. cent, U.S. penny 
oaza adv. at random 
ob n. alb (ecc.) 
Obay prop.n. communal section of 
Dept. Center 
Obeprop.n. Aubert (3rd communal 
section of Port-de-Paix, Dept. 
North-West) 
obej, lob£j n. inn 
obejin, obiejin n. [Fr] eggplant; cf. 
berejfcn 
obelis n. obelisk (monument) 
Oben (Filome)prop.n. Obin 
(Philom£) - founder of Cape 
Haitian art movement ("Funeral 
of Charlemagne Pe^ralte"; 
"Crucifixion" and "Last Supper," 
Holy Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 
PaP), b. 1892 
Oben (Senek)prop.n. Obin 
(Sen£que) - Haitian painter ("Loge 
Haitienne"), 1893-1977 
ob&n n. windfall, bonanza 
obeyi v. to obey 
~ devan mist& to strike one's chest 
three times (Voodoo) 
obeyisan adj. obedient, docile 
obeyisans n. obedience, observance 
obkz adj. [Fr] obese, corpulent 
obis n. shell (ammunition) 
dbit n. orbit 
obj&, lobjfc n. object, purpose, goal 
objeksyon n. objection 
obj&ktif, objektif n. [Fr] objective, 
aim, goal; adj. objective, 
dispassionate 
objektivite n. objectivity 
objektivman adv. objectively, 
impartially 
Obla(t) ecc. prop.n. Oblate 
oblan dezye [Fr.]: 
gade ~ ~ to look (s.o.) straight in 
the face/eye 
obli see oubli 
obligasyon, lobligasyon n. obligation; 
duty; debt, liability 
obligatwa adj. obligatory, required, 
compulsory 
obligatwaman adv. obligatorily 
oblijan adj. obliging, civil, helpful; 
demanding, insistent 
oblije adj. obligatory; see blije 
oblik adj. oblique, slanting 
oblong adj. oblong 
obouk adv. to/toward the village 
obout prep, at the end of 
pouse (yon moun) ~ to push (s.o.) 
to the edge, push to desperation 
Oboy, B6y prop.n. Le Borgne -
founded 1783 (Dept. North) 
obsede v. to be obsessed, be haunted; 
to obsess, haunt 
obs£n adj. [Fr.] obscene 
obsenite n. [Fr] obscenity 
obsesyon n. obsession 
obs^vans n. observance 
obsevasyon, ops£vasyon n. 
observation; reprimand, reproach, 
remark 
663 
obs&vafe - odle 
fe ~ to reprimand, scold 
obs£vat£ n. observer; adj. observant 
obs£vatwa n. observatory 
obs&ve, ops£ve, opz£ve v. to 
observe, notice; to respect, obey 
(law); to reprimand, scold 
obstak n. obstacle, barrier 
obstetrik n. obstetrics 
obstetriko-jinekolojik adj. ob-gyn 
obstetrisyen n. obstetrician 
obtansyon n. obtaining 
obteni v. [Fr.] to obtain; cf. jwenn 
obti adj. obtuse (math.) 
obwa n. oboe 
ochan n. anthem; hymn; musical 
salute, special song or drum 
flourish to mark appearance of 
a Voodoo spirit or distinguished 
visitor 
bay ~, bat ~, pouse ~ to hail, 
salute 
ochapit see lavwa 
6d n. order, command; order, 
establishment 
mete an ~ to classify, arrange in 
order 
an ~ in order 
ddanje adv. out of danger; off the 
critical list 
odas, odasite, lodas n. daring, 
boldness, audacity, guts; 
impudence, insolence 
fe ~ to be bold, be daring; to be 
insolent, rude 
gen ~, manche ~ li to dare 
odasye adj., odasy&z f.adj. insolent, 
presumptious, shameless; bold, 
audacious, reckless 
ddbdd adj. outboard (motor) 
od£, lod£, hkfe, zodfc n. odor, scent; 
(bad) smell; perfume, fragrance 
pran ~ to smell 
odebi adv. in/at the beginning (of) 
odeli see odle 
od£nye: 
~ jou on the last day, the end of 
the world 
odepa adv. [Fr] from the start, at the 
outset 
odepann prep, at the expense of, 
dependent upon 
odetriman adv. to the detriment of 
od&v n. appetizer, hors d'oeuvre 
odeyid n. rags, old clothing 
Odibon (Jan Jak)prop.n. Audubon 
(Jean-Jacques/John James) -
painter of birds, born in Les 
Cayes, 1785-1851 
Odikapprop.n. Haut-du-Cap (near 
Cape Haitian) 
ddinal adj. ordinal (number) 
ddinasyon n, ordination 
ddinat£/7. [Fr] computer 
mikwo ~ personal computer 
ddin£ adj., ddin&zfadj. ordinary, 
usual, normal; cheap, common, 
ordinary; vulgar, coarse, obscene; 
plain, familiar, usual, banal; n. red­
neck, clod, lout; var. of mango 
6din&man adv. ordinarily, usually 
ddinez see 6din& 
odisyon n. audition; hearing (jur.) 
odit n. audit 
fe ~ to audit 
odife n. radio audience 
odife n., oditris f.n. listener; radio 
listener; auditor 
oditif adj. auditory 
oditorydm n. auditorium 
oditwa n. audience, listeners 
odj6 n. auger, snake, flexible metal 
wire for cleaning drains 
odkoldy, okoldy n. eau de Cologne 
odle, ddeli n. orderly (milit.) 
664 
ddonans - ofiks 
ddonans, lddonans, zddonans n. 
prescription (med); ordinance 
(rule); edict; court order, judicial 
ruling; authorization of payment; 
orderly (milit.); bodyguard 
ddone, ddonnen v. to order, 
command; to ordain, be ordained 
(priest etc.) 
ddonk conj. thus, so, then 
ddonnen see ddone 
odontoloji n. dentistry 
ddpdte, ddpote adj. considerable, 
powerful 
san ~ limitless 
Odsenmakprop.n. Haut-de-Saint-
Marc (Dept. Artibonite) 
ddsezon adj. produced out of season 
odsi, odsid, odsidmoun adj. 
arrogant, haughty, condescending; 
superior, high-class 
ODVA acron. (pronounced, o-de-
ve-a) (Oganis Devldpman Vale 
Latibonit/Organisation pour le 
De^veloppement de la Valine de 
1'Artibonite) Organization for the 
Development of the Artibonite 
Valley 
odyab: 
ale ~! go to the devil! 
odyans, lodyans n. talk, 
conversation; funny stories, jokes, 
banter; story-telling session; 
oration, speech (in the country); 
court hearing 
bay ~ to tell funny stories, banter, 
visit with 
kraze k£k ~ to chew the fat, shoot 
the breeze 
mare yon ~ to strike up a 
conversation 
odyanse v. to tell jokes or funny 
stories 
odyans^, lodyans^ n. entertaining 
person, joker, life of the party; 
raconteur, (accomplished) story­
teller; big windbag, big talker, s.o. 
who is all talk and no action 
odyansye see isye 
odyapazon adv. ready to fight, 
combative 
odyo adj. audio 
odyovizyd adj. audio-visual 
OEA, LOEA acron. Oganizasyon 
Eta Ameriken/Organization of 
American States, OAS 
6f n. offer, proposition, bid; v. [Eng.] 
to be off, have time off (from 
work) 
ofans n. offense, injury, wrong 
ofanse v. to offend; to sin against 
ofansiv n. offensive, attack, assault 
OFATMA acron. Ofis Asirans 
Aksidan Travay, Maladi ak 
Mafenite (Office d'Assurances, 
Accidents du Travail, Maladie et 
Maternity) Haitian government 
health insurance agency 
ofeb, dfeb see dfev 
dfelen, dflen n. (male) orphan 
Ofelen prop.n. Orphelin 
(disadvantaged area of PaP near 
Delmas 1 and 2) 
dfelin, dflin f.n. orphan 
dfelina n. orphanage 
ofet adv. in fact, actually 
ofetwa n. offertory 
dfev, lofeb, loftm, lofev, ofeb, dfeb 
n. goldsmith, jeweler 
gen grenn zanno pa 1 kay ~ to 
have a skeleton in one's closet, 
have a shameful hidden secret 
dfich n. oarfish; see grandy&l 
ofiks adv. at attention, standing 
straight 
665 
ofiramezi - Ogou(n) 
ofiramezi, filamezi, firamezi, 
firanmezi, ofiyamezi, ofyamezi 
adv. gradually, little by little, 
step by step; as; progressively, in 
succession 
ofis n. activities, undertakings; trade, 
occupation, profession; duties, 
job; use, function; (administration) 
office; pantry, galley 
ofiskan adj. offensive, offending, 
disgusting, shocking 
ofiske v. to offend, shock; to be 
offended, be shocked 
ofisyalize v. to make official, 
officialize 
ofisyan n. (rel.) officiant 
ofisye n. officer; rural section chief 
(same as ch£f seksyon) 
ofisy£l n./adj. official 
woule nan ~ to drive about in a 
(fancy) government car 
ofisy^lman adv. officially 
ofiyamezi see ofiramezi 
oflanbo: 
laretrfct ~, mach ~ torchlight 
procession 
often see dfelen 
dflin see dfelin 
ofon adv. really, actually, essentially, 
in reality 
ofondifon adv. fundamentally, 
essentially 
ofraj see nofray 
ofraje v. to wreck, demolish; to get 
hurt 
ofrann, lofrann n. offering 
ofray see nofray 
ofri v. to offer 
oftalmoloji n. ophtalmology 
ofyamezi see ofiramezi 
6g n. organ (music) 
ogadavou see gadavou 
kanpe ~ to stand at attention 
tounen ~ to come to attention, 
snap to attention (milit.) 
ogan n. rhythmic time-keeper, 
piece of iron struck with metal 
clapper to mark rhythm in Voodoo 
ceremonies 
dg&n n. organ (body); voice 
dganigram n. organization chart 
oganik adj. organic 
ogan is ^organization, agency; 
organism; organist; var. of small 
songbird 
dganizasyon n. organization 
oganizasyonel, dganizasyonnel adj. 
organizational 
oganizate n. organizer; adj. 
organizational 
dganize, dgannize v. to organize, 
arrange, put together 
ogantye n. player of ogan (q.v.) 
ogatwa, loratwa, oratwa, wogatwa 
n. private altar, home altar (box, 
stand or table with sacred objects) 
dg£y n. pride, arrogance, conceit; 
anger 
desann ~ to calm down 
f£ ~, gen ~, moute ~ to be 
prideful; to be agitated, be 
overwrought 
6g£ye, ogeye, dgeye adj. arrogant, 
haughty 
Ogis prop.n. Augustus 
Ogis (Tankr£d)prop.n. Auguste 
(Tancr&de) - president of Haiti, 
1912-1913 
Ogistenprop.n. Augustin 
ogmantasyon n. increase; pay raise 
ogmante v. to increase, augment; to 
raise (salary) 
Ogou(n), Ogou(n) Feray prop.n. 
Voodoo spirit of war, energy, 
666 
ogounen - Okebfck 
force, iron - even atomic energy 
- Badagri Voodoo spirit of 
lightning and storms 
~ Balindjo Voodoo sea spirit and 
captain of the ship of Agwe (q.v). 
Also: ~ Demannyfc, ~ ~ Feray 
ogounen, jagounen v. (obs.) to fight, 
battle 
ograba adj. very poor, destitute 
ogran: 
~ jame never on your life, never 
at all 
~ jou openly, publicly 
ograten adj. covered with bread 
crumbs and cheese 
ohan interj. uh-huh 
oho! interj. oho! 
OIM acron. Oganizasyon 
Ent&nasyonal pou Migrasyon 
International Organization for 
Migration 
6j see 16j 
Ojeprop.n. Og6 (3rd communal 
section of Dessalines, Dept. 
Artibonite) 
Oje (Vensan)prop.n. Og6 (Vincent) 
- Mulatto leader executed 
by French at start of Haitian 
Revolution, 1791 
6je adj./adv. offside 
6ji n. orgy 
ojis adv. exactly, precisely; actually, 
as a matter of fact 
ojoulejou adv. from day to day 
6k n. ocher, ochre 
oka conj. in case, if, in the event of, 
supposing (cf. sizoka); interj. O.K. 
okabine, okabennen, okabinen 
n. stool, excrement; v. to have a 
bowel movement 
- kote li manje to befoul one's nest 
Okadfcprop.n. Aux-Cadets (6th 
communal section of Petion-Ville, 
Dept. West) 
Okaj see Okay 
okake conj. in case that 
Okanada, Kanada prop.n. (to, in) 
Canada 
okanon: 
bayonnfct - with fixed bayonet 
Okap (Ayisyen), Kapayisyen 
prop.n. Cape Haitian, Cap-Haftien 
-founded 1670 (administrative 
center of Dept. North); northern 
region of Haiti 
Okay (Difon), Kay, Okaj prop.n. 
(Aux/Les) Cayes - founded 1720 
(administrative center of Dept. 
South); southern region of Haiti 
~ bw£ Jeremi sou to suffer 
the consequences of s.o. else's 
misdeeds, pay for s.o. else's 
actions 
Okayjakmfcl see Kayjakmfcl 
okazou conj. in case, if (it happens 
that) 
okazyon, lokazyon n. chance, 
occasion, opportunity; 
transportation; suitable juncture 
(person, means of transportation 
etc.) 
okazyonel, okazyonnel adj. [Fr] 
occasional, chance 
okazyonnen, lokazyone, okazyone, 
okazyonen v. to cause, bring 
about; to lead into, induce 
oke adv./interj. O.K., all right, 
agreed; well done 
bay ~ to approve 
~ do! okey-doke! all right! 
6ke, h6ki, oki n. hockey 
~ sou glas ice hockey 
Okebfck, Keb£k prop.n. (to, in) 
Quebec 
667 
okenn - okt 
okenn, ankenn, onkenn neg. adj. 
(not) any; pron. nothing, not one, 
none 
~ kote nowhere 
~ moun not a single person 
Okenya see Kenya 
dk&s, ldk&s n. orchestra 
6kestrasyon n. orchestration 
okestre v. to orchestrate 
ok£t n. short melodic-rhythmic 
pattern played on bamboo flute(s) 
dk£t, hdk£t, ik£t, wdk£t n. hiccup(s) 
oki see 6ke 
6kide n. orchid 
okilfc: 
tern wen ~ [Fr] eyewitness 
okipan n. occupier; squatter (on 
piece of land); occupant; adj. 
occupying 
okipasyon, lokipasyon n. 
occupation, work, business; 
task; care, attention, nursing; 
preoccupation, worry; utility, 
usefulness; impossible task 
assigned an evil spirit (Voodoo) 
okipe, ekipe v. to take care of, look 
after; to manage, tend; to pay 
attention to, take notice of; to 
occupy; to treat (water etc.); adj. 
busy; occupied, taken 
mal ~ slovenly, shabbily dressed; 
neglected 
~ aft pa ou mind your own 
business 
pa ~ ou! don't worry! never mind! 
pa ~ yon moun kou chen to 
totally ignore s.o. 
dkit n. orchitis, inflammation of the 
testicles 
Oklawomaprop.n. Oklahoma 
(USA) 
okte: 
tire ~, mete - to clarify, bring out 
into the open 
oklizyon entestinal n. intestinal 
obstruction 
okoloy see odkoldy 
okonmansman, okdmansman adv. 
in the beginning, at the very start 
okonngout adv. drop by drop 
okonple adv. completely, totally, in 
full force 
okontr£ conj. rather, on the contrary; 
in fact, as a matter of fact, even 
Okoto see Koto 
okou prep, during the course of 
okouran adj. informed, acquainted 
with, aware of, in the know 
mete (yon moun) ~ to inform 
(s.o.) of, let (s.o.) know 
Okozyasprop.n. [Bible] Ahaziah 
Oksfam acron. Oxfam (Oxford 
Committee for Famine Relief) 
Oksfdd prop.n. Oxford 
oksid n. oxide 
- (de) kabdn carbon monoxide 
Oksidan, Loksidan prop.n. 
Occident 
oksidantal adj. occidental, western 
oksidantalize v. to westernize 
oksidasyon n. oxydation 
okside v. to oxidize 
oksijfcn, oksijenn n. oxygen; oxygen 
tank 
oksijene see dlo oksijene 
oksilyfc n. paramedic, practical nurse, 
nurse's aide, public health nurse, 
auxiliary, aide, primary health 
worker; adj. auxiliary, ancillary; 
ecc. adj. suffragan 
Oksitan prop, n./adj. Proven9al 
oksiyi n. pinworm, threadworm, 
enterobius 
okt abbrev. oktdb 
668 
oktagon - omaksim6m 
oktag6n n. octagon 
oktdb, 6kt6b n. October 
okton n. door-keeper; sergeant-at-
arms; office messenger-boy 
61 n. [Eng.] hall; adv. [Eng.] all, tied 
score (sports) 
ola! hola! interj. stop it! hold it! 
mete ~ nan yon lag£ to declare a 
ceasefire 
mete (yon) ~, jete yon pon ~ to 
put a stop, end, stop; to veto 
olala! interj. wow! 
61alwa n./adj. outlaw 
mete ~ to outlaw 
oland£, wolandbprop.n. Dutchman; 
prop. adj. Dutch 
Olandez, Wolandfcz f.prop.n. 
Dutchwoman 
Olann, Laolann, Lawolann, 
Peyiba, Wolann prop.n. Holland, 
Netherlands 
Olanndo, Olando prop.n. Orlando 
(Florida) 
61d6p, hdlddp, w61d6p n. [Eng.] 
holdup 
61d6pay, h61d6pay, wdlddpay n. 
staging holdups 
olddpe, hdldope, w61dope v. to 
holdup 
61d6p£, hdlddpfc, w61d6p£ n. holdup 
man/woman/artist 
ole! interj. bravo! great! 
ole, wole adj. ripe, tender (coconut); 
young; weak, immature 
oft adj with milk or cream 
oft men! interj. hands up! 
ft/mete (yon moun) ~ to stick 
(s.o.) up, rob at gunpoint 
olenpikprop. adj. Olympic 
Olenpikprop.n. Olympique (var. of 
soft drink) 
61filft/i [Eng.] oil-filter 
Olideyinprop.n. (obs.) Holiday Inn, 
Plaza (Champs-de-Mars, PaP) 
olidmd n.ladv. (on one's) deathbed 
oligachi n. oligarchy 
oligachik adj. oligarchic(al) 
oligati see fil aligati 
oliv see zoliv 
Olivyeprop.n. Oliver 
Oliwoudprop.n. Hollywood 
olobaso n. leading citizen; cf. notab 
Oldfsonn prop.n. Grand Hotel 
Oloffson (PaP) 
616j, 1616J, ldldy n. clock 
61oje n. watch or clock repair 
person; horologist, watchmaker, 
clockmaker 
olojpalant n. masterclock (radio) 
olokos, holokds n. Holocaust 
ololoy interj. to express admiration; 
see wololoy 
olon, 61onprep. [Fr] along 
~ lanme seashore, waterfront 
~ ~ slowly, gradually 
dlray! dlrayt! interj. [Eng.]a\\ right! 
dlftg£t, wdlftgfct v. to scram, get 
lost, clear out; to chase out, evict 
olyana n. rubber sandal 
olye adv. instead of, rather than; n. 
toilet, outhouse; v. to go to the 
bathroom, defecate/urinate 
- (de) instead of, rather than 
6m, w6m n. man; see 16m 
monte chwal a ~to straddle a 
horse 
~ daft business man 
oma see wonma 
Omadftn, Wotmadftn prop.n. 
Haut-Madeleine (2nd southern 
communal section of Fort-Liberte:, 
Dept. North-East) 
omaj, lomaj n. homage, respect 
omaksim6m adv. to the maximum, 
669 
Oman - on£ 
to the fullest, to the hilt 
Oman prop.n. Oman 
omaren n. rosemary (fragrant shrub) 
6mdedwa, dmdelwa n. jurist 
dmdefas n. leadwort (plant) 
6m deta n. statesman 
Om&prop.n. Homer (Greek epic 
poet, about 850 B.C.) 
Omeksik see Meksik 
omeli n. homily, sermon 
omelitik n. homiletics 
omife see lanmilet 
omilye adv./prep. in the middle (of), 
among, between 
ominimdm adv. to/at a minimum 
omfe, omtet see lanmil&t 
Omni prop.n. [Book of Mormon] 
Omni 
omnipotan adj. omnipotent 
omnivd n. omnivorous creature; adj. 
omnivorous 
omoj&n adj. homogeneous, alike 
omojenize v. to homogenize 
Om61, Mdlsennikola prop.n. Mole-
Saint-Nicolas (Dept. North-West) 
omoman adv. (at) the moment, just 
as, right as 
dmdn see dmonn 
omonim n. homonym 
omonn adv. in the world 
dmonn, 6m6n n. hormone 
~ gason testosterone 
omonye (pronounced: omo-nye) n, 
chaplain 
omoplat n. shoulder blade, scapula 
omoseksyalite n. [Fr] 
homosexuality 
omoseksy&l n./adj. [Fr.] homosexual 
Omoustik, Womoustikprop.n. 
Moustique (Dept. North-West) 
OMS acron. Oganizasyon Mondyal 
(pou) Lasante WHO (World 
Health Organization) 
omwen, omwens adv. at least 
omwenn, omwend adv. at the 
slightest, at the least 
~ akasan - siwo at the slightest 
provocation - there will be 
retaliation 
on see yon 
~ - oink oink (grunt of pig) 
on (pronounced: o-n), 6n see lonn 
ONA acron. Otis Nasyonal Asirans 
Vyey£s (Haitian Social Security 
System) 
ONAK, ONAAK acron. ONAAC 
(Ofis Nasyonal Alfabetizasyon 
ak Aksyon Kominofe), Haitian 
adult literacy and community 
development program, 1969-86 
onbraje adj. skittish, nervous (horse, 
donkey) 
onbr&l n. parasol 
onbwaj see lonbray 
ond see onn 
Onda see Onnda 
ondile adj. wavy (hair) 
Ondiras, Onndirasprop.n. 
Honduras 
ondire, ondirfc v. [Fr] one would 
say, it seems as if, they say 
Ondiryenprop.n., Ondiryfcn 
f.prop.n. Honduran 
ondyanikon see oungenikonn 
6ne v. to ornament, decorate, adorn; 
adj. ornate 
on£, lon&, ldne, lonne, onn£ n. 
honor 
fe ~ to honor 
on£, on&lamezon, onn£ interj. 
anybody home? 
~? ... resp£! honor (to announce 
one's desire to enter a home)... 
respect (the reply to enter) 
670 
ONEK-onsi 
ONEK acron. ONEC (Ofis 
Nasyonal Edikasyon Kominot£), 
Haitian adult literacy program, 
1962-68 
on&kte, lon£kte, lon&tete, lonnetete, 
onfctete, onnekte, onn&tete 
n. honesty, integrity, probity; 
decency, propriety; helpfulness; 
good breeding; nice gesture or 
kindness (gift, favor, service) 
dneman n. ornament 
onet adv. in the neuter 
dnet, onn&t adj. honest, honorable, 
upright, proper, worthy; kind, 
generous; polite, well-mannered 
on£tete see on&kte 
onetman, onnetman adv. honestly, 
fairly 
onf6 see ounfd 
onfwa adv. once 
ONG acron. {pronounced. 
o-enn-je) Oganizasyon Non-
Gouv&nmantal NGO, Non-
Governmental Organization 
ongan see oungan 
ongfcnikon(n) see oungenikonn 
Ong Kong, Onn Kong prop.n. 
Hong Kong 
Ongriprop.n. Hungary 
Oni acron. 6ganizasyon 
Nasyonzini United Nations 
Organization 
oniks n. onyx (stone) 
dnitoloji n. ornithology 
onitolojis n. ornithologist 
onivo prep, on a level with, on/at the 
level of, on a par with 
mete ~ to level 
onjenikon see oungenikonn 
onka see (yon) ka 
onkenn see okenn 
onkoloji/?. [Fr] oncology 
onksyon, onsyon n. {rel.) unction, 
anointing 
estr£m ~ extreme unction, last rites 
onldt see (yon) 16t 
onm see lonm 
onmantal adj. [Fr] ornamental 
onn, ond n. wave (radio; weather) 
Onnda, Onda, Wonndaprop.n. 
Honda (automobile) 
Onndiras see Ondiras 
onn£ see on£ 
onnekte see onekte 
onn£t see onfct 
onn£tete see on&kte 
onn&tman see onetman 
Onn Kong see Ong Kong 
onnkout n./adj. short-wave 
onnlayn adv. [Eng.] on line 
(computer) 
onnondipe see onondip£ 
onnorab see onorab 
onnore see onore 
onnpepli adv. [Fr] extremely 
on6 adv. on the north, to(ward) the 
north 
onomatope n. onomatopoeia 
onon prep, in the name of, in place of 
onondipanmbabaranm n. sign of 
the cross (fam.) 
onondipe, onnondip£ n. sign of the 
cross 
ononm adv. in/at the number of 
onorab, onnorab adj. honorable 
onore, onnore v. to honor 
onorfc adj. honorary 
onorifik adj. honorary, ceremonial 
ONPEP acron. ONPEP (Ofis 
Nasyonal pou Patisipasyon ak 
Edikasyon Popilfc), Haitian adult 
literacy program, 1986-88 
ons n. ounce 
onsi see ounsi 
671 
onsyon - opotinite 
onsyon see onksyon 
Ontariyo, Ontaryo/?rop./?. Ontario 
(Canada) 
onz, wonz num. eleven 
~ k6 to move (about), stretch 
~ kd ou! move aside! 
~ patou victorious 
tankou gen ~ nan yon douzen 
average, like almost everybody 
else 
onzan n. eleven years 
onz£ n. eleven o'clock; potherb 
onzy£m adj. eleventh 
op! interj. ouf! 
OP abbrev. Oganizasyon Popite 
people's/popular movement or 
group 
opa adv. in step; adj. up-to-date; n. 
starting line (marbles) 
mete ~ to put into shape, bring up-
to-date 
mete yon moun ~ to set s.o. 
straight, tell s.o. a few plain truths; 
to bring s.o. into line 
opak adj. opaque 
Opakprop.n. Opaque (7th 
communal section of L^og&ne, 
Dept. West) 
opal n. opal 
opate n. loudspeaker 
Opalmis, Palmis, Wopalmisprop.n. 
Haut-Palmiste (Tortuga Island, 
Dept. North-West) 
oparavan adv. [Fr] previously, 
formerly 
Op£ch, L£p£ch, P£chprop.n. (Les) 
Perches (Dept. North-East) 
Op£lprop.n. Opel (vehicle) 
opera n. opera 
operasyon n. surgery; operation; 
tubal ligation; vasectomy; 
computation 
fe ~ to undergo surgery 
fe (yon moun) - to operate (on 
s.o.), perform surgery (on s.o.) 
tab ~ operating table; arithmetic 
tables 
operasyonalize v. [Fr.] to become or 
make operational 
operasyon£l adj. operational, 
functioning, performing 
operate n. operator, technician; 
telephone operator; projectionist; 
studio engineer; navigator 
~ machin a koud sewing-machine 
operator 
operatwa: 
bldk ~ surgical ward 
opere v. to undergo surgery; to 
operate on, perform surgery; to 
operate, be active 
Opiprop.n. Hopi Indian nation (USA) 
opik£ see pik6t (mete ~) 
opilan adj. opulent, wealthy 
opilans, lopilans n. opulence, 
wealth, luxury 
opine v. to express one's opinion 
opinyon, lopinyon n. opinion 
opipiritchantan adv. at the crack of 
dawn 
opitalizasyon n. hospitalization 
oplima adj. hairy 
oplis adv. at the most 
oplita adv. [Fr] at the latest 
opds adv. on duty 
oposdm n. [Eng.] (o)possum 
opotab n. (good) drinking-water 
opoten adj. [Fr] opportune, 
appropriate 
opotinis, pdtinis n. opportunist, 
profiteer; adj. opportunistic, self-
seeking 
opdtinite, lopdtinite n. opportunity, 
occasion; opportuneness 
672 
opoto - orfcg 
opoto adj. desperate, hopeless 
Opoto prop.n. Les Poteaux (Dept. 
Artibonite) 
opouvwa adv. in power, in office 
opozan n. opponent; adj. opposition 
opoze v. to oppose, thwart, hinder; 
adj. conflicting, opposing, 
contrary, contrasting 
opozisyon n. opposition; objection 
mete ~, fb ~ to oppose 
oprfc: 
~ pou lag& combat-ready, ready 
for a fight 
opre(d), opr£(d): 
ale ~ to go see 
vin ~ to come see 
oprentan adv. in the spring (season) 
oprese v. to oppress 
opresfc n. oppressor 
opresyon, lopresyon n. shortness of 
breath; asthma; hyperventilation; 
oppression, abuse 
oprime v. [Fr] to oppress; n. victim 
of oppression 
opsevasyon see obs&vasyon 
ops&ve see obsfcve 
opsyon n. option, decision, choice 
opti: 
~ maten, ~ pipirit at (the crack of) 
dawn 
optik n. optics; perspective; adj. 
optic, optical 
optimal adj. [Fr] optimal, optimum 
optimis n. optimist; adj. optimistic 
optiswen v. to be cared for, be well 
looked after 
optisyen n. optician 
optometris n. optometrist 
op wen adv. [Fr] at/to the point 
where 
opwendevi prep, from the point of 
view of, as for, concerning 
opwofi adv. to the advantage^enefit 
of 
opwdp adv. cleanly, honestly; 
properly 
mete ~ to clean up one's act; to 
make a final draft 
opye: 
mete ~ to put down, stamp out, do 
away with 
opydm, lopydm n. opium 
opz&ve see obs&ve 
orabfc adv. at a reduced price/rate 
oragoutan(g) see oranwoutan 
orak n. oracle 
oral adj. oral; n. oral (exam) 
oralanti adv. in slow motion 
oralite n. oral nature, characteristic 
of a language not often written 
oraliti, loraliti, oralti n. oraliture, 
oral literature; oral tradition 
oralman adv. orally 
oran adj. bold, fresh; adv. in a row; 
on the same level 
orandevou adj. present, at the 
arranged meeting place/time 
oranj adj. orange (color) 
oranjad n. orangeade 
Oranjeprop.n. Orangers (10th 
communal section of Croix-
des-Bouquets, Dept. West; 6th 
communal section of L^ogane, 
Dept. West; communal section of 
Bainet, Dept. South-East) 
oranwoutan, oragoutan(g), 
oranoutan n. orangutan 
orapd: 
vin ~ to make an official report 
orate n. orator, (born) speaker 
oratwa see ogatwa 
orb n. schedule, timetable; adj. 
hourly, time 
or£g n. var. of plant 
673 
Oregon - ospitalizan 
Oregon, Oregonnprop.n. Oregon 
(USA) 
orepo adv. at ease (milit.) 
Or^s ( M i c h e l ) p r o p . n . Oreste 
(Michel) - president of Haiti, 
1913-1914 
orespe!, orespe! interj. hats off! 
wow! (admiration); with all due 
respect, pardon me but 
orevwa interj. good-bye 
oreye see zdrye 
oreyet n. auricle (of heart) 
orezon, lorezon n. prayer; printed 
or handcopied prayers used as 
protective charm 
orib adj. horrible 
Orichaprop.n. Oricha (family of 
Voodoo spirits) 
oriflam n. [Fr] banner, standard; cf. 
b&nye 
orijin n. origin 
orijinal nJadj. original 
orijinalite, lorijinalite n. originality 
orijine v. to originate 
orijine adj. [Fr] native to, born in 
orijinei adj. primordial, original 
(sin) 
orikiie, e k i i e , lorikiie n. [Fr] little 
finger, pinky 
oriyante see oryante 
orizon, lorizon n. horizon 
orizontal adj. horizontal 
orizontalman adv. horizontally 
Oryanprop.n. Orient 
oryantal adj. oriental; eastern 
oryantasyon n. orientation 
oryante, oriyante v. to orient, direct 
(toward); to present offering etc. in 
the four directions of the compass 
(Voodoo) 
Oryonprop.n. Orion (constellation) 
ose see wose 
osekou! interj. help! 
apei ~ distress signal 
vini ~ to provide assistance 
osen adv. within (the heart of), in the 
midst of 
oseny n. small bell used in Voodoo 
ceremonies 
oserye adv. seriously 
osevis prep, in/at (the) service of, at 
the disposition of, available to 
oseyan, loseyan n. ocean 
Oseyani, Loseyani/?rop.«. Oceania 
osi adv. [Fr] also, too; enough, as 
(before an adj.) 
osibyen conj. [Fr] as well as 
osid adv. on the south, to(ward) the 
south 
osije, osijede prep, on the subject of, 
concerning, regarding 
osilontan adv. as long as (time) 
osinon, osnon, ousinon, ousnon 
conj. or, or else, or rather, if not, 
otherwise 
osito see sito 
ositoke conj. [Fr] as soon as 
ositou conj. thus, consequently 
osivit adv. so/as quickly 
Oskaprop.n. Oscar 
oskirite n. obscurity, darkness 
osie, zosie n. knuckle; knucklebones 
(children's game played with goat 
or pig knuckles) 
bat ~ to play knucklebones 
osman see ousman; wosman 
osmoz n. osmosis 
osnon see osinon 
os6: 
tiray ~ drawing or casting of lots 
tire ~ to draw or cast lots 
ospitalite n. hospitality 
ospitalizan adj. hospitable, 
welcoming 
674 
ospitalize - 6tograf 
ospitalize v. [Fr.] to hospitalize 
ospitalye adj. hospital 
ostak n. [N.] obstacle, hurdle, 
hindrance; misfortune 
ostanswa n. (ecc.) monstrance 
osteyopat n. osteopath 
osteyopati n. osteopathy 
osteyopatik adj. osteopathic 
ostil adj. [Fr.] hostile 
ostilite n, [Fr] hostility 
Ostrali, Lostraliprop.n. Australia 
ostralyen prop.n./adj. Australian 
ostre adj. cross, irritable; angry, mad 
ostwogo see lostwogo 
oswa, ouswa conj. or else, either, or 
rather; see yb ~ 
~either ... or 
osy£l adv. in heaven 
ot adj. [Fr] high, advanced 
otaj, otay n. hostage 
otan conj. as much as, so much as, 
as many as; interj. halt! stop (it)! 
hold it!; as you were! (milit.) 
~... ~ the more ... the more; as ... 
as 
pou - for all that 
sa pa vie di pou - that is not so 
much as to say 
OTAN acron. Oganizasyon Akd ant 
Peyi Atlantik Nd NATO (North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization) 
otanba adv. from top to bottom 
otande adv. [Fr.] as many as, as 
much as 
otank(e) adv. [Fr] as much as 
otanksa! interj. as much as that! is 
that all! 
otanp see tanp 
dtansya n. glory bower (vine); 
hydrangea (shrub) 
otantifikasyon n. authentication 
otantik n. Haitian of pure black 
ancestry; adj. truly Haitian; adj. 
[Fr] authentic, genuine, real; cf. 
natif natal 
otantikman adv. authentically 
otantisite, lotantisite n. authenticity 
Otawaprop.n. Ottawa (Canada) 
otay see otaj 
6tddg«. hotdog 
ote v. [Fr] to remove - cf. wete; see 
wote 
ote, \otb n. author; cause, agent, 
person responsible; see wote 
tire a otb ddm to shoot to kill 
otel, loftl n. hotel; altar 
~ devil [Fr], ~ kominal city hall, 
town hall 
otelye n. hotel-keeper; adj. hotel 
otes f.n. hostess 
~ (de \b) (airplane) stewardess, 
flight attendant 
otesi see wotesi 
otf6m, hotfdm n. top hat 
otit n. ear infection, otitis 
Otkou Jistis, Hotkou Jistis prop.n. 
High Court of Justice 
oto n. auto, car; prefix auto-; self-
otobis, bis n. bus (interurban) 
otobyografi, otobiyografi n. 
autobiography 
otobyografik adj. autobiographical 
dtoddks adj. orthodox 
legliz dtoddks Greek Orthodox 
church 
otofonik n. gramophone; old-style 
Carnival group using megaphone 
Otofonik prop.n. large street band of 
PaP active esp. during Carnival 
6tofonis n. speech therapist 
otog61 v. to score against oneself 
(sports) 
otograf n. autograph 
dtograf, Idtograf n. spelling, 
675 
otoklav - Ouganda 
orthography 
~ etimolojik spelling system for 
Haitian language based essentially 
on French spellings 
~ fonolojik, ~ ofisyel spelling 
system for Haitian language based 
essentially on its pronunciation 
otoklav n. autoclave 
otokolan n. self-adhesive sticker, 
"Post-it" 
otokrak n. autocrat 
otokrasi n. autocracy 
otokritik n. self-criticism, self-
examination 
otoktdn n. (rare) native, autochthon 
dtolan n. var. of dove 
otomatik adj. automatic 
otomatikman adv. automatically 
otomobil n. automobile, car 
otdn, lotdn n. autumn, fall 
otondm adj. autonomous; self-
sustaining, self-sufficient 
otonomi n. autonomy 
otonomize v. to grant autonomy; to 
develop a sense of independence 
6topedi n. orthopedics 
dtopedik adj. orthopedic 
dtopedis n. orthopedist 
otopsi see topsi 
otoritaris n. authoritarianism 
otorite, lotorite n. authority, power; 
any public official (esp. if armed) 
mete ~ li sou li to assume 
command, take charge 
otorite adj. authoritarian, 
overbearing 
otorizasyon n. authorization, 
permission; permit 
otorize v. to authorize, allow, 
empower 
otosine n. drive-in movie 
otoskdp n. otoscope 
otostdp n. hitchhiking; cf. woulib 
te ~ to hitchhike 
ototal adv. in all 
otou prep, around, surrounding; n. 
goshawk 
otoviz& see retwovize 
otowout n. freeway, expressway, 
turnpike 
otr& n. line on ground (when playing 
marbles) 
otrefwa adv. in the past, formerly 
otreman adv. otherwise 
otrich, lotrich n. ostrich 
Otrich, Lotrich prop.n. Austria 
Otrichyenprop.n., Otrichy&n 
f.prop.n, Austrian 
Ot Vdlta, Bikina Fasoprop.n. 
Upper Volta (former name of 
Burkina Faso) 
Otwou(dind), Twoudindprop.n. 
(Le) Trou-du-Nord (Dept. North-
East) 
ou conj. or 
ou, wpron. (to) you (sing.), your (of 
one person); reflexive pron.; conj. 
or; see yon 
~. . . ~ either ... or 
~ menm yourself 
~ poko la! that's not it! you're not 
close! 
pa ~ yours; not you 
oubli, obli n. oversight, omission; 
forgetfulness 
oubyen conj. or, or else, otherwise 
ouch interj. wow! (in admiration) 
oudyenikon see oungenikonn 
ouf! youf! interj. ouch!; expression 
of relief 
~ soulajman cry of relief 
oufd see ounfd 
ougan see oungan 
Ouganda, Ouganndaprop.n. 
676 
Ougandfc - ounsi 
Uganda 
Ougamte prop.n J adj. Ugandan 
ougeve see oungeve 
ouke see wouke 
oukelele n. ukelele 
Oulanbat6prop.n. Ulan Bator 
(Mongolia) 
oulet, oule see woufet 
oulo see woulo 
oum! interj. wow! and how! 
oun n. very stiff penile erection; see 
houn; yon 
~~nah! nope! no! 
ounaye see kounaye 
oundjannikon, oundjenikon, 
oundjennikon see oungenikonn 
ounf6, honfd, houfd, hounfo, onf6, 
oufo, wonf6, woufd, wounfd n. 
general Voodoo temple complex, 
Voodoo compound 
lasosyete ~ faithful of a given 
Voodoo temple 
oungan,djougan, dyougan, ganga, 
gangan, hougan, houngan, 
ngan, ngangan, nganngan, 
ongan, ougan, wongan, wougan, 
woungan n. Voodoo priest/healer/ 
seer 
demache ~, koutye ~ assistant 
who finds clients for a ~ for paid 
consultations 
~ achte uninspired and uninspiring 
Voodoo priest 
~ ason Voodoo priest who has 
passed through and paid for formal 
instruction and kanzo rites 
~ diplome Voodoo priest 
thoroughly versed in the true 
traditions of the religion 
~ fey see dokte fey 
~ Ginen Voodoo priest who has 
had only informal and intuitive 
initiation (cf. ~ makout and ~ 
tchatcha) 
~ kanzo formally initiated Voodoo 
priest 
- makout, ~ tchatcha Voodoo 
priest ordained directly instead of 
undergoing usual training (pej.)\ 
cf. ~ Ginen 
~ payfct Voodoo priest with only 
superficial knowledge of the 
religion 
~ pike-liv Voodoo priest directly 
inspired by the knowledgeable 
kongo spirits 
~ tchatcha same as ~ makout 
oungannize v. to serve as a Voodoo 
priest 
ounge see oungeve 
oungenikonn, adjanikon, 
adjenikon, adjennikon, 
andjenikonn, andjennikon, 
houndjenikon, houngenikon, 
houngenikonn, ondyanikon 
ong£nikon(n), onjenikon, 
oundjannikon, oundjenikon, 
oundjennikon, oundyenikon, 
oungenikon, ounjenikonn n. 
leader of chants and dances at 
Voodoo service; person in charge 
of offerings (Voodoo) 
~ katye m^t person in charge of 
offerings and ritual accessories in 
a Voodoo temple 
oungeve, houng£ve, ougeve, ounge, 
ounjeve n. large necklace inserted 
with varied stones (Voodoo); decor 
on an ason (q.v.) 
ounjenikonn see oungenikonn 
ounjeve see oungeve 
ounk see houn(k); hounk 
ounsa see mousa 
ounsi, honsi, hounsi, housi, onsi, 
677 
ount6 - Ouzbekistan 
ounsou, ousi, wansi, wonsi, 
wounsi, wousi n. Voodoo 
initiate (first or beginning degree 
of initiation); member of a 
particular Voodoo temple; Voodoo 
priest(ess)'s assistant 
- bosal novice, usu. uninitiated 
Voodoo participant possessed by 
spirit 
~ kanzo Voodooist who has 
undergone second degree of 
initiation rites; see kanzo 
~ temerfc highest degree of a 
Voodooist (without actually being 
apriest(ess) 
ount6, hount6 n. spirit of Voodoo 
drums; lwa (q.v.) possessing a 
Voodoo drummer; largest of the 
three Rada drums (Voodoo) -
same as manman; ritual Voodoo 
dance (N.)\ sacrificial goat in 
Voodoo (N.) 
ount6gri, hountdgi, hountdgri n. 
smallest of the three Rada drums 
of Voodoo (same as boula); 
drummer for same 
ounyd, hounyd, wouny6 n. person 
undergoing Voodoo initiation 
ceremony 
manman ~ woman who cares 
for the - during their period of 
seclusion 
ouououn! interj. to express 
admiration 
oup! interj. oops! (to indicate a 
mistake, or rapid action) 
ouragan n. [Fr] hurricane (cf 
sikl6n) 
Ouriprop.n. [Bible] Uri; Uriah 
Ourim prop.n. [Book of Mormon] 
Urim 
ous see lous 
ousi see ounsi 
ousinon, ousnon see osinon 
ousman, osman conj. or 
ouswa see oswa 
out, dawou(t), dout n. August 
outadi v. you/one would say 
outouprop.n./adj. Hutu 
outraj n. insult, abuse; injury, 
ravages 
oxvvb v. to open; to begin, open; 
to unwrap, unfold; to hang out 
(clothes); to display (merchandise 
on ground); to turn on (radio, 
TV); to thrash, beat up; to 
overwhelm (with blows, lies etc.); 
adj. impudent; open, frank; sore; 
lighted, on 
i b yon ~ to let out a hem, make 
looser (pants, skirt etc.) 
gran ~ wide open 
Ouvfcprop.n. Hoover (Herbert) -
president of USA, 1929-1933 
ouv&tay see ov&taym 
ouv£ti, louv&ti n. opening, starting 
up; hole, space, gap; opening 
(for door, window); new start, 
beginning; overture (music) 
ouv&tman adv. frankly, openly 
ouvrab adj. working, business (days 
or times) 
ouvray, ouvraj n. needlework, 
embroidery; book, work (Fr. - cf. 
liv) 
~ da work of art 
ouvrebwat n. [Fr] can opener 
ouvri see louvri 
ouvriye n. worker-bee 
ouvriye n., ouvriy&zf.n.worker, 
laborer; adj. working(-class) 
Ouwougway see Irigwe 
ouy! interj. ouch! 
Ouzbekistan prop.n. Uzbekistan 
678 
ouzi - Ozwal 
ouzi, wouzi, zouzi n. Uzi (compact 
submachine gun); (any) 
submachine gun 
oval adj. oval 
ovan n. awning; adv. in/with the 
wind 
ovasyon n. ovation, applause 
Ovazprop.n. communal section of 
Dept. West 
ov£ n. ovary 
ovfctaym, ouv£tay, ov£tay n. [Eng.] 
overtime 
fb ~ to work overtime 
ov£w61 n. overhaul, repairs; overalls 
(clothing) 
ovil n. ovule 
ovilasyon n. ovulation 
ovdl adv. in mid-flight, in mid-air 
Owayo see Oyo 
owoskop n. horoscope 
owwou! owwou! owwou! onomat. 
cooing of dove or pigeon 
oy! interj. aw! 
dyfilt£ n. oil filter (mach.) 
oyikou n. beer-like drink of Arawak 
Indians 
Oyo, Owayo prop.n. Ohio (USA) 
oyoyoy! woyoyoy! yoyoy! interj. 
oops! 
ozabwa adv. in a fix, in a bad way, in 
desperate shape 
ozalantou n. vicinity, area; 
surroundings; prep, surrounding, 
round about; in the vicinity of 
ozal6 conj. or 
ozana see ozanna 
Ozanana prop.n. imaginary place or 
country; traditional children's song 
ozanchd: 
vann nan ~ to auction off 
vant ~ auction 
Ozangle see Zangle 
ozanj see ozany 
ozanna, ozana interj. hosanna 
(praising God) 
Ozantiy see Antiy 
ozanviwon adv. surrounding, 
around, nearby; approximately; n. 
surrounding area, outlying area 
ozany, ozanj adj. delighted, thrilled; 
dead 
ozar&: 
mete - to place under arrest 
oze v. to dare; adj. daring 
Ozeprop.n. [Bible] Hosea 
ozekla: 
ri ~ to burst out laughing 
Ozend, Ozenn see Enn 
ozepav adv. in strict captivity 
Ozetazini (Amerik/Damerik), 
Etazini (Amerik/Damerik) 
prop.n. (in the, to the) United 
States (of America) 
bzby see ldzfcy 
ozod adv. acting under orders 
oz6n, ozonn n. ozone layer 
Ozwal Diran (ri) prop.n. rue 
Oswald Durand (between 
Boulevard Jean-Jacques 
Dessalines and Champs-de-Mars, 
PaP) - see also Diran (Ozwal) 
679