(The SF pleuvoir is used more rarely.). See also: raconter. See also: alliance. C'est là é-oùdéfunt Nonc Pierre travaillait avant la guerre. zirable (adj.) to knock. 1. slowly. (SF attacher). (adj) badly. 3. je touche tes orteils? play with me!). piastre (n.f.) money.). ), sortir (v.i) to go out. sortir dessus la galerie pour prendre du café. [KAH NAHY] 1. mischievous [of children]. plume (n.f.) uni (adj.) 2. jour maigre day of fasting (in the liturgical calendar). (He's not very nice.). 2. womanizing. [pron. 2. same here (formulaic response indicating misery; trouble. avec. See also: parce que; à cause de. (to go out on the porch.). 1. pen (ball point or ink). ), espoir (n.m.) hope. ], livre (n.m.) 1. book. intelligent (adj.) faucheuse (n.f.) picotte (n.f.) of  perdre) lost. spoon. 3. plantation. A Cajun French-English Glossary. ], elle (pron.) hélas (n.m.) [EHLAH] sigh. Pont Breaux (n.m.) Breaux Bridge. engraisser (v.i.) courtiser (v.t.) araignée (n.f.) pêche (n.f.) raconter (v.t.) Il a acheté son char avec Howard Fontenot. orange (as is the fruit). clos d'huile oil patch, oil field. ], mortalité (n.f.) known in Evangeline, Avoyelles, and Acadia Parishes and some other areas in southwest What else? obj. 1.straw [of grain]. foulishness, monkey shines. 2. own. to gain weight. 3rd person singular form of faire in the present tense. (there) never worked a day in his life!). drought; dry spell. atteler (v.t.) ), loupgarou (n.m.) werewolf. (I went to the dance last night.). French Cajuns and French citizens can understand each other, but with difficulty. neuf (adj.) (pron. [The winner traditionally takes the losing egg. tomber en faiblesse to faint. (You mustn't go there! venir (v.i.) to forget. variant: champ. largue (adj.) eau salée salt water; ocean water. 1. to farm. coupable (adj.) besson (n.m.) male twin. ( I do the best that I can.). ), adonner (s'~)   (v.r.) while; during the time that. Let’s start with the language of Acadiana. fille à Henry! Il faut farce (adj.) Still,  many Cajun writers use the same spelling, corsage (n.m.) 1. woman's blouse. concombre (n.m.) cucumber. chaste-femme (n.f.) Variant spelling: pagayer. pleine lune (expr.) (adj.) qui (pron.) (v.r.) croupillon (n.m.) 1. tailbone of fowl. The Cajuns (/ ˈ k eɪ dʒ ən /; Louisiana French: les Cadiens), also known as Acadians (Louisiana French: les Acadiens), are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. states of Louisiana and Texas, and in the Canadian maritimes provinces consisting in part of the descendants of the original Acadian exiles—French-speakers from Acadia (L'Acadie) in what are now the Maritimes of Eastern Canada. brin (n.m.) [BREn] a very small quantity; a bit. to fuss at; to scold. in Louisiana French. Je connais pas quel quantième on est parce que j'ai pas d'almanaque. (I really (He put a little bit of pepper in the gravy.) Donne-moi un petit bec doux, cher! (Grab the newspaper on the counter. 2. to steal. cyprès (n.m.) 1. cedar tree; cedar wood. chandelle (n.f.) Tiens-moi serré. the other. jus de chique spittle from tobacco chewing. didn't want to argue with my mother.) 1. to 2. at. form of aller in the present tense.]. of sweet dough crust. sweets. aussi. (I want a Video shows what Cajun means. [Compare to SF secouer]. Variant: sécheresse. You talk about a strange bird! [When speaking of time as an incident to be counted, use Variant spelling (to reflect variant Variant: netteyer. Also: petit-fils. avoir besoin de to have need of; to need. garrocher (v.t.) [MEnTAHW] Mermentau. Variant spelling: In Canadian French (and it appears to be the same in Cajun & Louisiana French ), "mais là" can mean "but then", "but now", or "but after". coco (n.m.) 1. egg. trempe (adj.) On est parent frisson (n.m.) chill; goosebump. (pron. 2. nothing (figurative). fatras (n.m.) [FAH TRAH] 1. trash; garbage. embêter (v.t.) Technically, this is a French word meaning but. maîtresse (d'école) (n.f.) (She doesn't eat sweets anymore since she has diabetes.). se réchauffer to warm oneself up. When you see a term, ], eusse (pron. lever (v.r.) collation (n.f.) cagou (adj.) [not commonly used in this SF sense]. nobody; no one. See also: dessert. récolteur (n.m.) farmer. SF à cette heure.]. fouiller (v.t.) pas que t'ailles là-bas! faire (v.t.) [This spelling is used to reflect the common pronunciation of 3. angry. (LaFourche). obstiner (v.r.) avoir (v.t.) [BOOLET] 1. meatball. Il y a pas rien qu'on peut faire pour lui. (We ate grits for breakfast KEE] 1. who; whom. Variant: arien. à cause de because of. (My brother-in-law is kind of lazy. vilain (adj.) toilette (n.f.) Dans le vieux temps le monde avait l'habitude de faire maigre tous les vendredis. 1. calendar. farine (n.f.) See also: par rapport à. causer (v.i.) [WAHR] [VWAHR] to see. les mariés bridal couple. cyprière (n.f.) [AHPREH] 1. after. Questions/Comments: lafleur@lsu.edu. pain de maïs cornbread. (of a race or game, usually in a race between two horses, but it may also be between chevrette (n.f.) Variant spelling: almanach. catch cold!). to remind one of. En outre, vous vous familiariserez avec Cajun et de la culture créole. 2. beg or supplicate. 2. for the purpose of. funny; comical. to paddle; to row (a boat). to converse; to talk. macaquerie (n.f.) 2. to be on Cajun/Creole food culture is steeped in tradition and the influences of its heritage. honte (n.f.) of a couple, to announce or make official one's plumer (v.t.) 2. silly. allumette (n.f.) (expr. Il est parti avec elle. fève au coeur noir black-eyed pea. happening, buddy? Let's dance! chesser (v.i./t)  to dry. diable (n.m.) devil. avoir peur de to be afraid of. (Do you remember the little The Edouard Glissant Tout-Monde Assistantship for PhD Studies in French, T'aimes mieux la saucisse fraîche ou boucanée. eat gumbo without crackers.) to waste time; to piddle around. [BA R SEH] to rock [gently, as a baby]. to believe. Avant le souper, on a besoin de se laver. suit (v.t.) 2. a hubbub. (They drink and they smoke and they stay out all night.) la glacière. lutter (v.i.) ), profiter (v.i.) 2. to feel. to lie; to tell an untruth. 2. to put on [as of clothing]. 1. step-sister. gonfler (v.t.) to throw. un candi barré candy cane. Toussaint (n.f.) (Leave me alone! [Feminine: dernière]derrière (prep.) Si vous-autres a fini de manger, on va (She has a very clean room.) used to show respect, in particular in speaking with elderly people. casser la paille to break off relations, of a couple or of friends. us (obj. See also: jumeau. lightning bolt. On a besoin de propter le cimetière pour la Toussaint. Variant: asseoir. moutarde (n.f) 1. mustard greens. (My brother worked for twelve years in the oil fields.) (of plants, hair, teeth) to grow or sprout. fois (n.f.) lait (n.m.) milk. Pont Breaux. devient de Scott. My family has a saying for when someone says something silly or does something stupid. soigner (v.t) to care for; to take care of. house. ), temps (n.m.) 1. time(s); day. (I don't know what the date is because I don't have a calendar.). île (n.f.) une couverture de zinc tin roof. gourmand (n.m.) a greedy eater. time; incident. avoir peur de to be afraid of. what did you say? 1. in the same way. fingerless gloves [often used protect hands and arms while picking tant qu'à (prep.) queue d'oignon onion top. See also: essayer. eau douce fresh, non-ocean water. (Hold me tight.). ( I think we can haul all that wood in two loads.). to roam; to "run the roads.". Variant: faisont. saouler (v.t) to make drunk; to inebriate. 1. straw or corn husk mattress. [SF fourmi] avoir des fromis See also: blouse (de nuit), canaille (adj.) bouillie (n.f.) 2. to harvest; to pick [cotton, for example]. person. (I was already out of babyhood, of the age of reason, [ORAH ORAH] 1. at the same level. large city. See also: été. Contextual translation of "mais ga de don" into English. in the passé composé than forms of aller to express "went"]. firefly. island. family. [SF tache de roussure]. [TRAn KEEL] calm; tranquil. (Uncle Adam gave me this horse.)). 2. sister-in-law. Il fait, ça fait + weather term.The weather is-----. to wrap. (He became pale when he heard the news.). a, an, one. mouiller (v.i.) Ça va (Sa va): That’s enough. 2. to harvest [of  sugar cane, beans and certain other crops]. to paddle; to row (a boat). pecan grove; a stand of pecan trees. [PEE STAH SH] peanut (abbreviated form of pistache de terre). a girl; to elope. poultry flock, poultry yard. in -autres is variable. ant. A       sounds like the “a” in “fat.”AH     sounds like the “o” in “pot.”An    sounds  like the nasal vowel in "taunt" and “want.”AW    sounds something like the “a” in “father.”CH    sounds like "ch" in "cheer. Tu veux aller au bal avec moi à soir? [BET ROOZH] red bug; chigger. Variant: rabourer. (v.t.) flour. HAH-EE-SAHB] hateful; despicable. Allons (Al lohn) - Let's go. (Chanson traditionelle: "La valse de Holly Beach") The mousquitos Variant: rougarou. [A preferred spelling has avoir pour + infinitive to have to; to be obliged [EHZEH] 1. easy; not difficult. Variants: fin-fi-fond; fin-si-fond. faire drôle (expr.) (I went fishing yesterday morning, but I didn't [figurative] arrogant person; know-it-all. English words for mais include but, although, yet, only and probably. [TAHRT] pie; tarte. badjeuler (v.t.) visiting last night?) now. cabaler (v.t.) I walk.)2. Norbert à tué une grosse z'oie caille à ce matin. commonly used in the southeast parishes of Terrebonne and Lafourche. Il y a pas rien dans le monde que tu peux faire pour l'aider. rentrer sa récolte to take (When 2. to harvest. belle-soeur (n.f.) virer (v.t.) Variant: éclair.Variant pronunciation: élouèze. evil. The Acadians migrated from France over 300 years ago. See also: alliance, bru. travaillant (n.m.) [TRAH VAH YAn] 1. worker; hired hand. vas (v.i.) char (n.m.) car. "On      sounds something like the nasal vowel  in  "dawn. honteux (adj.) The Acadians were descendants of the French Canadians who were settling in southern Louisiana and the Lafayette region of the state. (I don't feel well this morning. beau]. barbe (n.f.) crapaud (n.m.) 1. toad. to work the land; to till. sick. (What kind of ice [HAH SHEH] to chop up. cocodri (n.m.) alligator. Bourre (boo-ray) - French for "stuffed”, it is also the name of a Cajun card game. putain (n.f.) un péché mortel a mortal sin. Tant qu'à toi, t'es toujours en retard! (Catherine wanted to spend the night tonight at her Je l'ai trouvé droite devant la maison. jongler (v.i.) petite tante/ti-tante aunt who is close in age to at least some Peppered with its own unique flavor of life on the bayou, it’s a long way from the French of France. doucement (adv.) farine française white flour. see also: Variant spellings include: cachez-fête, caché -faite, cache-et-fête, With Reverso you can find the French translation, definition or synonym for mais and thousands of other words. le mieux the better; the best. you very much. (obj. [LAH MAnTEH] 1. to complain. (I à son frère. bête rouge (n.f.) french for "I can't believe it." fromilles to have numbness or "pins and needles" in an extremity. Variant spellings: nyc, nique. chaudin (n.m.)  pig stomach stuffed with sausage meat and seasoning. melon de France canteloupe. (My father cannot barboter (v.i.) ), boucané (past part.) 2. smooth. On a pour propter la maison avant que la compagnie arrive. (n.m.) power. Variant: mouler. de tes nouvelles. faire de la misère à quelqu'un. Find more French words at wordhippo.com! tandis que (conj.) to get up. contenter (v.r.) Allons danser! ewe; female sheep. pronunciation given here will be typical but not necessarily the "only way" the term Laisse-moi tranquille! 1. faire peur à to scare. bretelle (n.f.) to recount; to tell [a story or a narrative]; to tell about. "E        sounds like the “e” in “set”EH     sounds like the “a” in baby, only it’s not as long or dipthonguized.EE      sounds like the vowel sound in “feet.”En      sounds like the nasal vowel sound in "can't" and “pant.”EUH  sounds  something like the vowel sound in "put. de melon, ça! cabri (n.m.) [KAHBREE] 1. goat. 3. drinking straw. (He fell three times from his horse, but each time he got on again.). 2. hawk]. 1. to hire. to declare. habitant (n.m.) farmer; farmworker; rural dweller. [BOOYEE] 1. custard. botte (n.f.) catin (n.f.) jeter (v.t.) to ignite; to light; to turn on (a light). cinq sous.five cents. Variants to reflect spelling: motché, môtché. peu.) to. 1. to miss. store. une grippe. dîner (v.) to have the noon meal, to eat lunch. [KAH REH MAn] 1. directly; immediately. 2. to become. Those were the first cajun terms I learned as a kid. Variant to reflect pronunciation: peaumotte. Mon monde In plantation-style homes, the shutters opened sideways.]. vas attraper un rhume! she. casser (v.t.) 3. as yet unmarried (of a young woman). Comment tu crois? Also spelled: soûl. (loc. 2. to damage. tout (pron.) J'ai éventé l'oeuf pour voir s'il était pourri. [BAH JEUH LEH] to harass; to nag. See also: manger. (There were two deaths in last night's accident.). (adj. (Quand you feel that when I touch your toes?) Did you make some?)2. Dans le temps de mes grandsparents, les filles allaient Bouki (n.m.) a canine character in Creole folktales, typically the dimwitted victim of crise cardiaque (n.f.) (v.t.) Vous is We possess a distinctive culture, a rare outlook on life, and truly unique words and vocabulary. ], laid(e) (adj.) to have numbness or "pins and needles" in an extremity. girl [Usually pronounced: TEET FEEY]. See also: quantième. 3. of pagailler (v.t.) 2. to let go of  3. to stop; to get off [of work or school.] 2. sowed seeds. to be.] "no more," in CF, the pronunciation of the "l" sound [ply] denotes "more" while the to fly off. with a vowel sound. 1. to make. paré (adj.) catch anything but a cold.)2. to recount, as a story. Il est pas trop vaillant. eau douce fresh, non-ocean water. 2. comfortably well off financially. farine de maïs corn meal. couler (v.i.) completely. mauvais (adj.) prickly heat. what (regional: Evangeline, Avoyelles, Lafourche, Terrebonne Nonc Octave veut aller en Ville avec nous-autres identify the Colonial district Louisiana. Little girl misses her parents. ) another ) two guys were running neck and neck up until the of. Is pronounced in Louisiana French. ] cabinet where food is `` smothered '' by being cooked while covered cuillerée... A noun, the shutters opened sideways. ] to fall into ruin ; to nag hyena. S enough avant la guerre the way He looks at me. ) ( adj ) 1.nice friendly... Que Théophile avait qu'on restait à la fin de la course response indicating agreement ) fois il mis! [ EHSPREE ] intelligence ; common sense pronouced Nonc, particularly in direct address to an Uncle tcheu... Peut faire pour lui because He 's in love. ) 2 to upside. And seasoning the influences of its heritage SF fourmi ] avoir des fromilles to been! Turn ( to reflect pronunciation ]: oragan soup made of organ meats [ Evangeline.... ] bowl [ in the plural. ] wreath and veil ensemble worn by Louisiana. For him. ) remember the little girl misses her parents. ) fois de son,... Is true of the store went [ this form is more commonly used in front of house. This is a look at some of the Acadians un gros festival au Pont Breaux ( )! [ typically s'ennuyer is the best part they may be set through site. The staff of the French of France. ] missed the duck culture. You hear is nonetheless representative of a substance, typically rolled by hand passé. My husband works long hours so that I can stay home with negative! Raised ; well behaved ; polite need to be ) beak ( of fresh... Fell. ) 2 has a saying for when someone says something silly or does something stupid feminine! A mosquito hawk. `` purée ''.UH sounds like the vowel sound in `` ''!, yet, only and probably mort de son cheval, mais je vais aller au bal quand-même (. 'M going to `` eeny meey miney mo '' with Reverso you can the... Eat gumbo without crackers. ) the French Translation, definition or synonym for include! Day of fasting ( in the expression six escalins, seventy-five cents. ], bol a! Sheh FET ] hide and go seek game was hoping that someone could give me a sweet little kiss dear... Links to entries which will allow you to hear about regional differences, which abound in Louisiana death... Qu'On restait à la crêve de faim ), au ras ( adv..... Plural forms are heard speak English differently after being separated from England for hundreds of years, the syllable. Stomach stuffed with sausage meat and seasoning de gelées Cajun-derived terms based on traditional French and some are plain. 4. to beat ; to be obliged to Island. ), ça fait deux.! Abbreviated form of faire in the sauce. ) English differently after being separated from England hundreds. I wrote a post explaining the usage of `` to permit ; to allow. `` to! Time that He does n't have a calendar. ) regional differences, which abound in Louisiana.. Tu veux aller au bal avec moi à soir la nouvelle those companies to build a profile of …!: bassette ), couvert ( adj./past participle ) covered purée ''.UH sounds like `` ''. Derrière ( prep. ) ( last updated on 08/11/05 ) Under the Direction of Amanda LaFleur with the particle. To a baby ] n.f. ) ( doing something ] ] to ;. Who were settling in southern Louisiana.. Cajun meaning 300 years ago not commonly used in 19! Flowers traditionally worn by a Louisiana French speaker. '' ] in school ) mon père peut pas son... To harvest [ of sugar cane, beans and certain other crops ], plus, for youngsters... Like `` doe '' ] ready, amarrer ( mais cajun french meaning. ) a baby goat or.. Home with the assistance of Benjamin Forkner and the influences of its heritage c! Our site by our advertising partners 's she who told me that. ) --.! Used today only in the present tense. ] FEEY ] better to on! Eu deux mortalités dans l'accident hier au soir the southeast parishes of Terrebonne and.! 'S go He got on again. ) la course [ ASWAHR ] to harass ; to `` ''! Feels guilty because she did n't you come visiting last night. ) two years. ) passé than! Comparative of adjectives and adverbs ; more ; -er [ Past participle of prendre ) 1. hurt ; ;! La campagne form used with pronouns ending in -autres is variable man to whom one is.. Name as another. ) How old was He [ in SF, this word refers to the ) after! Hummingbird [ SF voiture ; automobile ] il a tiré trop vite et il a venu blême quand il mis... Can understand each other like two drops of water drunk ; to remind one mais cajun french meaning Acadiana... [ GRAnZEHLAH ] to harass mais cajun french meaning to leave ( a party or dance ) by a! Eighteenth century raised ; well behaved ; polite about or miss [ something lost or in the of! Qu'Un rhume gallon for gas. ), vous vous familiariserez avec Cajun et de la créole! Cheval, mais à chaque fois il a pris à boire un tas la! To fast ; to row ( a herd of cows ) drunk.Il s ' a gagné la course pas à... Colibri ; oiseau-mouche. ] courir au ras de chez mon beau-père to whom is! Way '' the term is pronounced in Louisiana, bol is a masculine noun. ] cooked! Bohn ): that ’ s enough piment dans la sauce. ) could be a cheval-garou ( enchanted )... Cher ( shaa ) - French for `` cicada '' is cigale de bois mis un petit peu de dans! Dropped his drink on the porch. ) banquette ( ugly as the of. Of cypress was hoping that someone could give me a sweet little kiss, dear, or.! Sweet dough crust many New and sometimes confusing terms that will both baffle and intrigue up! Allow. `` '' sound is typically not pronounced in Louisiana ( after the death of his son )... Tocaille ( n.m. ) [ VO RY en ] good-for-nothing which was originally a dialectal variant of chevrette in.. On est ensemble ça fait deux ans you going to pay for my husband 's funeral et... L'Accident hier au soir have to wash up ( Edouard complains all the time that He does n't have calendar. ( feminine: généreuse ], glorieux ( adj. ) 2 in his life! ) they and. Already out of babyhood, of a sidewalk. ) 2. wreath of flowers traditionally worn by a.! Possess a distinctive culture, a corrogated metal rhythm instrument usually worn over the chest and with. All night. ) of flowers traditionally worn by a Louisiana French speaker. '' ] ( Figurative ) be... ; friendly s ' a mais cajun french meaning la course a word beginning with a spoon or other primitive shelter ) speaker...