Kriol – Inglish Dikshineri English – Kriol Dictionary
Compiled and edited by Yvette Herrera Myrna Manzanares Silvana Woods Cynthia Crosbie Ken Decker
Editor-in-Chief Paul Crosbie
Belize Kriol Project Cover design: Adapted from Yasser Musa Cover photo: Courtesy Robert Spain at 2008 Crooked Tree Cashew Fest Illustrations in the Introduction are from The Art of Reading, SIL International Literacy Department
SIL International provided linguistic consultancy to this publication of the Belize Kriol Project. The Belize Kriol Project is the language development arm of The National Kriol Council. www.sil.org
The National Kriol Council House of Culture, Regent Street P.O. Box 2447 Belize City Belize www.kriol.org.bz
Belize Kriol Project P.O. Box 2120 Office: 33 Central American Blvd. Belize City, Belize
The first printing of this dictionary was in 2007 and was funded by The Ministry of Education and The National Institute of Culture and History House of Culture, Regent Street Belize City, Belize
First Edition Copyright © 2007 Belize Kriol Project Second Printing 2009 ISBN # 978-976-95165-1-9 Printed by Print Belize Belmopan, Belize
CONTENTS
List of Abbreviations ...... iv
Foreword by Sir Colville Young...... v
Preface ...... ix
Acknowledgements...... xi
Introduction...... 1
Guide to Using the Dictionary...... 3
The Kriol Writing System...... 10
Grammar Notes...... 16
KRIOL tu INGLISH ...... 19
ENGLISH to KRIOL ...... 381
References...... 465
List of Abbreviations
adj. adjective obj. object adv. adverb phr. phrase Afr. African pl. plural Am. American Port. Portuguese art. article poss. possessive BK Belize Kriol prep. preposition conj. conjunction pro. pronoun Eng. English pro.adj. pronominal foc. focus marker adjective Fr. French ref. reference ono. onomatopoeia sal. salutation int. interjection sg. singular n. noun sp. specific neg. negative Sp. Spanish NKC National subj. subject Kriol Council v. verb Misk. Miskito var: variant num. number < originating from (etymological reference)
iv Foreword By Sir Colville Young GCMG, Ph.D A language, like a people, can be marginalized — by which I mean, it can be treated as insignificant or even unworthy of being called a language, or of scholarly interest. The creole and pidgin languages of the world have especially suffered in this regard. As the noted creolist Dell Hymes1 put it in 1971, “The languages called pidgins and creoles have long been a stepchild, so far as serious attention, either public or scientific, is concerned.” He added, significantly, “The stepchild may prove to be a Cinderella.” Most people now accept that it is most unreasonable to ignore or denigrate the daily speech (and in many cases the only speech) of millions of people. One reason for the slow acceptance of pidgins and creoles as “real” languages was the fact that they “lacked a dictionary or grammar.” Of course, all languages at one time lacked dictionaries, or formal, codified exposition of their grammatical systems. As far as Belize Kriol grammar is concerned, a scholarly grammar has long been made available in my doctoral thesis “Belize Creole: a study of the Creolized English spoken in (Belize).”2 All that was needed to silence the nay-sayers completely was a dictionary, and with this publication that need is met at last. I believe Belize Kriol to be the most widely used of all the many languages spoken in Belize. If for no other reason, it deserves a published list of its words, with their meanings and variety of usages as well as (if space permits) etymologies
1 Preface to Pidginization and Creolization of Languages, ed. Dell Hymes. Cambridge 1971. 2 Unpublished York University thesis, 1973. v where these can be determined, and examples of the words correctly used in sentences. Professor Richard Allsopp describes a dictionary as “a reliable inventory of one’s environment, small or large.”3 The words which form that inventory of our Kriol are from a variety of sources, reflecting the language’s long existence and development, and exposure to a variety of influences. There are words from African languages that date from the days of slavery, for example juk, nyam and guzu. The first, juk, is so widely used that foreign nurses and doctors have to include “nail- juk” (not “nail-puncture”) in their vocabulary when they come to work in Belize. Nyam (“eat”) is for most urban Belizeans rather archaic if not obsolete — but is alive and well in most rural communities, especially the villages of the Belize River valley. Guzu (“bad luck; something that brings bad luck”) is least heard of the three examples I have given of African survivals. An African survival I find fascinating is Krofi, which is actually a mispronunciation of Kofi, an African day-name. (The correct original form of the name is seen in Kofi Anan, the former U. N. Secretary-General.) Then there are words of Spanish origin, three being goma (“hangover”), tableta (“a coconut confection”) and the quite ubiquitous bali/balidor (“friend”) from Mexican –Spanish valedor of similar meaning. Faced with the flora and fauna of a new environment, the early settlers (whether British or African) often used a word familiar from their home usage. A good example is the berry Cocoloba uvifera called “grape” in Belize because its colour, size and shape resemble the grape the early settlers knew from Britain.
3 Allsopp: Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage, Oxford University Press 1996.
vi Then there are the numerous Miskito words borrowed from the speech of the Miskito “Indians” who worked in the timber industry in slavery and post-slavery days. Whatever the origins, the words which make up the vocabulary of our Kriol have at last been adequately recognized and I am sure I speak for all Belize in congratulating the editors of the dictionary and the Kriol Council whose hard work has now borne fruit. As the Summer Institute of Linguistics puts it, “Groups which have lived on the fringes of more dominant cultures are now finding more of a place for their own unique identity and a viability of their own language in the wider culture.”4 Even as we are grateful to have as our official language English, the most widely spoken (and therefore most useful) language on our planet, we are proud to keep alive our national cultures, and the languages through which those cultures find their fullest expression – and that must include the Kriol language.
BELIZE HOUSE BELIZE, C.A.
4 A Service to People in a Changing World: The Summer Institute of Linguistics (undated) Dallas, TX.
vii viii Preface The compilers of this dictionary subscribe to the words of the following creed: “As the most uniquely human characteristic a person has, a person’s language is associated with his self-image. Interest in and appreciation of a person’s language is tantamount to interest in and appreciation of the person himself. All languages are worthy of preservation in written form by means of grammars, dictionaries, and written texts. This should be done as part of the heritage of the human race.”5 Therefore, the purpose of this dictionary is to provide an authoritative, affordable reference guide to Kriol – the language spoken by the majority of Belizeans. It is a bilingual dictionary, with the second part in English – the official language of Belize. Myrna Manzanares and Silvana Woods played key roles in the development of this dictionary. Because of a deep love and respect for the Belizean culture and language, they have been long-time advocates of the preservation and development of Kriol. They are among the founding members of the Belize Kriol Project, the language arm of the National Kriol Council. Ms. Manzanares is currently the president of the NKC. She is a writer and educator, and is at present working with the Belize Family Life Association. Silvana Woods, popularly known as Kriol Gyal, serves as secretary and public relations officer for the NKC. She is a lecturer at the University of Belize and is currently working on her doctorate, researching the use of Kriol in education. Yvette Herrera wrote many of the definitions and sample sentences, and helped with the final editing. She is the head translator for the Belize Kriol Project, and has participated in cooperative efforts with other Kriol projects in the Caribbean region. Paul and Cynthia Crosbie, linguists from SIL International, have been working with the Belize Kriol Project since 2001. Paul Crosbie did the major work of compiling, researching and editing each of the entries in the dictionary. Cynthia helped with editing and did the computer lay-out in preparation for publication. The Crosbies were
5 The Linguistic Creed (authored by Dr. Benjamin Elson) was taken from the SIL web site: www.sil.org. ix members of the language project which completed a translation of the New Testament and a bilingual dictionary in the French Creole of St. Lucia. In Belize they continue the work begun by Ken and Sandy Decker, also of SIL. The Deckers came to Belize in 1993 in response to a request from Dr. Colville Young and a number of other Belizeans who shared a desire for Kriol language development. SIL International is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to facilitate language-based development through linguistic research, Scripture translation and literacy. Our hope is that the Belizean public will use this dictionary as they learn to read and write and appreciate Kriol. We trust that it will help teachers as they educate our children, and that it will also benefit foreigners who want to learn Kriol. And we are glad to be able to add to the study of Creoles throughout the Caribbean region. Everyone on the dictionary team has enjoyed working with our beautiful Kriol language, and we believe that each of you will enjoy reading and using this publication. A final note: This first edition of the Kriol dictionary is a work in progress. We did not attempt to create an exhaustive dictionary, but instead prepared our current data for publication to fill the immediate need for a reference tool such as this. There are many more Kriol words, senses of meanings, scientific names, and etymological information that could and should be added. We are relying on the public to give us feedback for future editions. The final page of this dictionary provides a place where you can record your revision notes. Comments, corrections, and additions can be sent to Belize Kriol Project, P.O. Box 2120, Belize City, Belize, or to one of the following e-mail addresses: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected].
x Acknowledgements It takes a whole community to make a dictionary such as this, and we are indebted to the many people who helped to make it possible. We want to thank His Excellency Sir Colville Young, Governor-General of Belize, noted educator, musician, and pre- eminent Creole linguist. Wi tank ahn tu di nohmoh nohmoh! He has supported the Belize Kriol Project from its inception, and willingly shared his own research with us. We studied his books, articles and lectures to glean information about the etymologies of Kriol words. We are indebted to Ken and Sandy Decker, linguists from SIL International, whose research of Belize Kriol spanned 11 years. They helped to compile the popular Belize Kriol Glossary and Spelling Guide, and we used their data-base to develop this dictionary. In addition, we benefited from the descriptive grammar of Belize Kriol written by Ken Decker (see References at the end of this volume). We are also thankful for SIL literacy specialist, Naomi Glock, who held writers’ workshops in Belize from 2001-2005 to help develop a body of Kriol literature. The results of her work added greatly to our knowledge. Paul Townsend, linguistic and dictionary consultant for SIL, did a final check of the whole dictionary to give SIL’s authorization for its publication. Although the definitions and sample sentences are from our own research, we checked many other sources to verify and refine our findings, especially regarding the origins of some words. We are indebted to the research of those who came before us, particularly the late George McKesey, for The Belizean Lingo, and Richard Allsopp, for his Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage. For information regarding English usage, we relied heavily on Webster’s Dictionary and the Concise Oxford English Dictionary. Other knowledgeable Belizeans volunteered their help to edit and write sample sentences for sections of this dictionary, including National Kriol Council members, Joey Belisle and Rev. Lynda Moguel; University of Belize librarians, Josephine Mendoza and Merlene Henkis; Delanni Romero. Several University of Belize classes did some of the research and editing as part of their class work: Dr. Vilma Joseph’s Intro. to Linguistics class (Oct.-Dec. ‘03)
xi researched the C and D sections of the dictionary; two of Silvana Woods’ English classes (Fall semester ‘06) assisted in checking the U through Z sections. We must thank the hundreds of Belizean teachers who have been instilling pride in the Kriol language through their Kriol cultural appreciation exercises. We are particularly indebted to the Ministry of Education and Culture and the National Insitutute of Culture and History (NICH) for the publication of this dictionary, and for their ongoing efforts at incorporating the benefits of mother- tongue literacy in curricula. Of course, the popularization of the spelling system would not have been possible without the frequent calls from organizations and businesses who want the standard Kriol spelling for banners and logos, and from the media, who have given broad coverage to publications of the Belize Kriol Project. In particular, we acknowledge Amandala columnist Colin Hyde, journalist Ann-Marie Williams, talk-show host Rosalie T. Staines of Oapn Paki, and Harry Lawrence, publisher of The Reporter newspaper which hosts the weekly Kriol column Weh Wi Ga Fi Seh. Some of our older citizens made themselves available to answer questions about the meanings of words. These include Nella Woods, Meg Craig, Cashan Aspinall, Norma Flowers, Lorraine Williams and Harold Zuniga. Dozens of other Belizean friends and neighbours and passers-by on the street patiently answered questions and participated in impromptu polls regarding word meanings and pronunciations. Hundreds more took time to give feedback when they visited booths hosted by the National Kriol Council at fairs and other public events in both urban and rural communities over the past decade. To each we say, “Tenk yu!”
xii Introduction History and purpose of the Dictionary Project Much has been written about the history of the Kriol language of Belize (see: Young 2002; Decker 2005), and analysis of Creole languages has become a popular topic among linguists and educators.1 Suffice it here to say that for many years Kriol was not considered a true language, much less a language worthy of being written. But in the post-colonial decades, Belizeans and Creole- speakers throughout the Caribbean area have come to have a growing pride in their culture and language. As more people attempted to write down their thoughts, stories and poems in Kriol, and to read what others had written, it became increasingly evident that the English writing system alone did not serve the purpose, and a more standardized system of writing Kriol was needed. In 1994 a workshop was held in Belize City to develop an orthography (writing system) for Kriol. Participants were people who had been actively writing in Kriol, as well as representatives from community organizations and church and educational institutions. The result of this effort was a set of spelling rules based partially on the English system of writing and partially on phonemics. In 1995 the National Kriol Council was formed. It is a non- profit organization whose members believe that appreciation of and literacy in one’s mother-tongue is essential for self-enrichment and expression of identity. The NKC is committed to producing literature and training in the Kriol language so that everyone whose first language is Kriol, and anyone else who is interested in Kriol, has the opportunity to read and write in this rich language. The Council is also committed to the preservation of Kriol culture. The Belize Kriol Project was formed as the language-development arm of the Council. In 1997 the Kriol Project produced the Bileez Kriol Glassary an Spellin Gide. But after several years of testing, Kriol-speakers complained that it was difficult to remember all the rules; and the
1 The editors of this dictionary use the spelling ‘Kriol’, which has been popularized in Belize over the last decade, to refer specifically to the Belizean language and people, while the spelling ‘Creole’ refers to this group of languages in the general, world-wide sense. 1 system required a person to be already proficient in English, a language which has one of the most complicated spelling systems in the world. In 2002 the Kriol Project called together a committee to revise the system to a completely phonological orthography, similar to those used by many other languages. This writing system is based on sound rather than rules. Each sound is represented by only one symbol. Once a person learns the symbol for each sound, he or she will more easily know how to read and write any word in Kriol. The goal of the committee was not to dictate how Belizeans should speak Kriol, but to help us all find a standardized method in which to write down what we say so that we can share it more easily with each other. Important advantages of this system are that knowledge of English spelling rules is not required in order to write Belize Kriol, and variants in regional and generational speech can be represented. Those already literate in English will need to remember that English and Kriol are two separate languages, and they will need to make an effort to learn the symbols associated with the Kriol writing system. As literature has been produced to test the new orthography and people are learning to use it, there has been an urgent call for a dictionary to use as an authoritative reference, so work on it has been going on in earnest. This dictionary represents the current spelling decisions, although some refinements may come about as more people use the orthography. Development of this edition Many Belizean educators find that their students do not understand key concepts if they are presented only in English. Rather than denigrating Kriol, some teachers are using it as a stepping-stone to better education. They are finding that by explaining the contrast between English and Kriol, students gain a better understanding of both languages. Reference tools and literature in both languages are needed. To help in this task, the dictionary committee decided to make a bilingual dictionary that includes sample sentences in both Kriol and English. Deciding which words to include was a most difficult task, and in the end, our decisions were somewhat arbitrary. While we strove to preserve the older Kriol forms of words for historical purposes, our focus was to reflect contemporary Kriol – the way in which Kriol is spoken today. Belize is blessed with a rich blend of cultures and
2 languages, all of which are important. But in this dictionary we tried to focus on words and expressions that are associated with Kriol culture. Therefore, words from the Mestizo, Mayan or Garifuna cultures have been represented only when they have been well- adopted into the Kriol language and culture. Because of the advent of TV and Internet, many new English words have been introduced and have become part of the Kriol vocabulary. They are part of our large database of words gleaned from conversations and stories told and written by Belizeans. Again, the decision as to which of these words to include in the dictionary was somewhat arbitrary, but generally, we tried to follow these guidelines: If an English word, which is now used regularly among Kriol speakers, has a Kriol spelling which looks greatly different from the English spelling, it might be included in the dictionary, so that the dictionary can be used as a spelling tool. If an English word has the same meaning and the same spelling as the corresponding word in Kriol, it was not usually included in the dictionary. If an English word is regularly heard, but there is a well- known Kriol word or phrase that better expresses the same meaning, the English word was generally not included.
Guide to Using the Dictionary This dictionary is in two parts. The first part, Kriol-English, is arranged alphabetically according to Kriol key words, with an English definition and other entry items as described in the sample entries below. The second part of the dictionary, English to Kriol, is arranged alphabetically according to the English key word. Only the part of speech and the correlating Kriol word(s) are given in this section. The purpose of this part of the dictionary is to point the reader to the correct spot in the Kriol-English section of the dictionary for more complete information.
3 Kriol to English Sample Entry in the Kriol-English section of the dictionary:
1. Kriol key word 4. Kriol example sentence 2. part of speech & English translation 3. English definition
ded v. die. If yu jrink paizn, yu wahn ded. If you drink poison, you'll die. See: kik di bokit, peg owt. — n. 1) dead. Mi pa, Gaad res di ded, yoostu seh yu mos aalwayz ga manaz fi di oalda pipl. My father, God rest his soul, used to say that you must always have good manners toward older people. 2) death. Mayri staat tu si sain seh ded mi-di kaal ih grani. Mary started to see signs that death was calling her grandmother. See: det. — adj. 1) dead. Dehn bileev seh ded pipl noh wahn rayz op
5. sense number 6. cross-reference 1. Key word Each entry in the dictionary begins with a keyword in bold type. Sub-entry: Sometimes an entry is a phrase rather than a single word. It will appear as a subentry after the single word root entry, or in some cases, as its own main entry. For example, at the end of the entry for ayz (ear) are the sub-entries put bihain yu ayz and stik brok eena ih ayz. Homonyms: Occasionally the key word is followed by a small raised number. This number distinguishes two or more words that are spelled the same but are not related in meaning. Each word will have a separate entry. In the example below, bon1 meaning ‘to burn’ is a completely different word than bon2 meaning ‘bun’.
bon 1 v. 1) burn. 2) hurt emotionally. bon2 n. bun.
2. Part of speech In this edition, we are using only broad categories of word classes, as follows: noun, verb, pronoun, adjective, article, adverb, preposition, conjunction, interjection, onomatopoeia (sound words), numbers, salutation, focus marker, phrase. We have not broken the categories into their sub-categories, but further explanation of how
4 Kriol verbs are formed and how pronouns are used is given in the Grammar Notes section. Abbreviations for parts of speech and other words used in this dictionary are given in the List of Abbreviations. Many Kriol words can function as parts of speech in addition to ones we have listed, but we have focused on the main usages as we have commonly heard them. 3. Definition in English A definition of the Kriol word is given in English. In most cases, one or two words are adequate, but in other cases, additional information is given (following a semicolon) to further define the word. 4. Illustrative (sample) sentence in Kriol with a free translation into English Generally, the definition of each word or sense is followed by an example sentence (in bold print) to illustrate how the word is used in context. This sentence is followed by a free translation into English. 5. Senses of the same meaning Sometimes there are different senses of a word – a shared thread of meaning. A primary sense will be listed first, and then secondary sense(s) will be numbered and listed under the same entry. In the first example above, ded, as an adjective, can mean either 1) dead or 2) empty, flat. 6. Cross-reference or synonyms Sometimes a word will bring to mind a synonym (another word that means the same) or a word that is closely related in meaning. (These will follow the word See:) 7. Variant forms In some cases, the key word will be followed by an indication of a variant form(s), in an effort to account for differences in pronunciation in various communities and among the different generations of speakers. The form most used by young adults today is generally selected as the main entry. For words where we could not determine which variant is used most often, we made an arbitrary decision. (For example, fi/fa/fo/fu are used interchangeably, but we have chosen fi as the main entry.) 5 In the following example, bubuman has been chosen as the main form and all the information will be listed under that entry. But bukuman is also a form used by some people, so in looking up bukuman, one would find a minor entry listed like this: bukuman Variant: bubuman. 7. variant form 8. etymology bubuman (var: bukuman) n. boogieman. Noh stay owt deh layt kaaz bubuman gwain wid yu. Don't stay out there late because the boogieman will get you. See: bubu, goas. [ The word Archaic after a variant indicates that this form is no longer used, or is used primarily by older Kriol speakers. Conditioned variants: The pronunciation of some words is affected by the initial sounds of the following words. This is particularly true of words ending in nasal sounds. For example, the English word ‘come’ is generally written as kohn in Kriol, but in a phrase like ‘come up’ the pronunciation becomes kom op for some speakers of Kriol. This affects spelling decisions in a phonological spelling system. At this point, the writing system allows for such changes, according to the writer’s preference. A few other examples are geh/get, ahn/an, gaahn/gaan, pahn/pan. 8. Etymology Every word has a history. If the Kriol word is derived directly from an English word, it has not been noted in most cases. However some words derive from sources such as Africa, Miskito, Spanish, etc. Where we know or can surmise the antecedents of a word, we will list them in brackets. The following example shows that one of the meanings of the word bubu probably derives from the Kikoongo tribe in Africa, where the word ‘bo’ means secretion: bubu1 n. nasal mucous. [ Any additional information, such as that of an anthropological nature, will also be listed in brackets at the end of the entry, as in this example: 6 Blis Laithows n. Bliss Lighthouse; lighthouse located at Fort George, an area of Belize City at the northern entry to the harbour. [The monument to Baron Bliss, a philanthropist who donated large sums of money to Belize, is situated on this same site.] Additional entry items Usage: Notes about special usage of a word sometimes appear (in italics) after the definition. In Kriol, a noun is usually pluralized by following it with the word dehn, but in some cases ‘s’ (or ‘z’) are used, following the English system of pluralization. Often in these cases, the plural form is used for both the singular and the plural, or vice versa. aans n. ants. (Both sg. & pl.) Additional notes concerning usage are sometimes listed in the entry, such as archaic, slang, religious. Note the following examples: bisaidn (Archaic) Variant: bisaidz. Stress is not marked in this dictionary, except in some cases when the Kriol word has a corresponding English word with a significantly different stress. Then the stressed syllable is marked by capital letters as in this example: lavenda n. lavender. (laVENda). Scientific name: When known, the scientific classification of plants and animals has been included, as in the following example: baaboon n. howler monkey. Alouatta pigra. 7 English to Kriol Section The English to Kriol section of the dictionary is a simple directory for the main Kriol section. It will help users find the full entry in Kriol, including sample sentences and other information. For example, if you know how to spell the English word ant, but you either do not know the word in Kriol or you do not know how to spell the word in Kriol, you would look it up in the English section. There you would see that the Kriol word is ‘aans’, so you could then go to the Kriol section and look for the word aans to find more information about the word. ant n. aans. ant sp. – blak aans, faiyaans, flodflai, krayzi aans, maachin aami aans, papapin, red aans, weewi aans. In the previous example, you see the word ant listed again, followed by the abbreviation sp. – this lists the Kriol names of specific types of ants, which you can also find in main entries in the Kriol section. There are a number of broad categories that will have lists directing you to specific terms in Kriol. Homonyms in Kriol are indicated by superscript numbers following the Kriol word, and it will correspond with the homonym number in the Kriol part of the dictionary. For example: black adj. blak1. block v. blak2. n. blak2. The entries above show that blak can have two completely different meanings in Kriol. In the Kriol section of the dictionary, the first entry will be for blak meaning the colour ‘black’, and the second entry will be for blak meaning ‘block’ in English, which can be a verb (v.) or a noun (n.). Homonyms in English are indicated briefly by a word in parentheses following the main English word, such as in the following examples: palm (tree) n. paam. palm (of the hand) n. han eensaid. 8 For Kriol entries that are phrases rather than a single word, the key word under which you will search in the Kriol part of the dictionary will be in bold font. The example directs you to look under the entry for ‘han’ to find the phrase ‘han eensaid’. Words can also have different senses of the same meaning. Some of these senses are numbered and listed in the entries in the Kriol section of the dictionary, but they are not numbered in the English section. However, these senses are sometimes indicated by the part of speech designations or sub-entries under the main entry. A number of words in Kriol, like in any other language, can have variations in the way they are pronounced and spelled. Some of these variations are shown and separated by slashes (…/…). The spelling under which you will find the main entry in Kriol is listed first, and the variations follow. for prep. fi/fa/fo/fu. truth n. chroot/schroot. The entry above shows that there are four main variations in Kriol for the English preposition ‘for’, each of which is equally valid, but we have arbitrarily chosen to list ‘fi’ as the main entry in the Kriol section of the dictionary. For many words, we have chosen the more contemporary variation as the main entry and older versions as secondary entries. For example, many young adults now say ‘chroot’ rather than ‘schroot’, so the fuller or main entry will be under ‘chroot’, but ‘schroot’ is also a valid pronunciation and spelling. Ellipses (marked by ...) indicate that various personal pronouns could fill that space. For example, in the following entry, the … could be replaced by ‘yu’ or ‘ih’ or ‘dehn’ or ‘shee’. decide v. disaid, mek op...main. Many Kriol words look and sound similar to English words, but they actually have quite different meanings, or they are used grammatically in a different way than in English. This is not easy to show in the brief entries in the English section. We would encourage users of this dictionary to check example sentences in the Kriol section of the dictionary to see how to correctly use the words in Kriol. 9 The Kriol Writing System The Kriol writing system is phonemic, based on sound rather than rules. Each sound is represented by only one symbol. For example: a word containing the ‘long e’ sound will always be written as ee in Kriol, regardless of how it is spelled in English. Once a person learns the symbol for each sound, he or she will more easily know how to spell any word in Kriol just the way that person pronounces it. As you will note in the chart below, in the English writing system, sounds are represented in many different ways, and are governed by many rules that must be memorized. Below is a simple summary of some of the sounds of Belize Kriol and the symbols (or combination of symbols) used to represent them in writing.2 Notes contrasting the English and Kriol symbols are included. (Example words are in brackets). Kriol Sample Sample Notes Letter word picture NOTE: The a in Kriol is a hat similar to the a sound in father in English NOTE: This sound is like aa waata the one above but is drawn out for a longer time. English does not write this sound, but it is necessary in Kriol. NOTE: This ‘long i’ sound ai naif can be written in English as ai [aisle], i [icon], ie [lie], igh [sigh], y [why], or iCe [bite] – note that ‘silent letters, such as ‘silent e’, are not used in Kriol. 2 For a complete explanation of the Kriol writing system, see You can read and write Kriol, Belize Kriol Project 2005. For linguistic charts of the sound-symbol correlation and a detailed discussion of the sound system, see The Song of Kriol: A Grammar…, Decker 2005. 10 NOTE: This ‘long a’ sound ay ayz can be written in English as ay [ray], ai [pail], aCe [lake], a [angel], eigh [eight]. b batl NOTE: The ‘c’ is never used ch chayn by itself in Kriol, only in the combination ch. The ‘hard c’ and ‘soft c’ of English, as in car and face, are represented by k [kaa] and s [fays]respectively in Kriol. d daag NOTE: In Kriol an ‘h’ is e bed added to this ‘short e’ sound when it appears at the end of a word, as in weh [where], seh [say], deh [there], tideh [today], geh [get]. NOTE: This ‘long e’ sound ee leef can be written in English as ee [peel], ea [peal], eCe [mete], ie [relieve], ei [receive], eo [people], ey [key], ay [quay], i [ski]. f feda g goat h haas 11 NOTE: Kriol does not have i pig the same ‘short i’ sound as English. This sound in Kriol is made further to the front of the mouth (between ‘short i’ and ‘long e’). NOTE: The ‘j’ sound is j jekit represented in English by j [jacket], or g [cage]. NOTE: The ‘k’ sound is k kow represented in English by k [kit], c [cap], or ck [peck]. l lag m mango NOTE: The ‘n’ sound is n nayl represented in English by n, as in nail, or kn as in know. NOTE: There are numerous ng wing words in Kriol with a strong ‘ng’ sound which is not heard in English, such as tong [town] and mongtin [mountain].3 On the other hand, the ‘-ing’ ending in English is usually shortened to ‘-in’ in Kriol, as in fishin [fishing]. 3 Regarding words containing the combination of sounds represented by nk, the pronunciation ngk (emphasizing the g sound) is heard much more strongly in Kriol, than it is in English. Nevertheless, for the sake of efficiency, the dictionary committee has decided to write it as nk, except for a few two syllable words like pongkin [pumpkin] and mongki [monkey]. 12 NOTE: The ‘short o’ sound o okro in Kriol is not exactly the same as in English. In Kriol it is made by rounding the 4 lips more. NOTE: The ‘long o’ sound oa boan is written in English as o [open], oa [boat], oe [toe], oCe [note], ow [crow], ough [though], eau [plateau], or oh [oh]. NOTE: The ‘long u’ sound oo shooz is written in English as oo [broom], oe [shoe], uCe [cute], ue [blue], ew [blew], ui [fruit], or ough [through]. NOTE: This sound is written ow hows in English as ow [cow], ou [out], or ouCe [house]. p pensl r rayn NOTE: This sound is written s son in English as s [sun] or ‘soft c’ [face]. sh shobl 4 When the ‘o’ appears at the end of a syllable or a word, some writers of Kriol prefer to add an ‘h’, but the makers of this dictionary have chosen to add ‘h’ to the following words only: doh, goh, legoh, lesgoh, nohmoh, soh. 13 t taiga NOTE: This ‘short u’ sound u fut in English is written as u [put] or as oo [foot]. NOTE: In archaic Kriol v veekl speech, the ‘b’ sound was often used rather than ‘v’ as in riba [river]. w wowla NOTE: Words ending in ‘y’ y yaam in English are written with an ‘i’ in Kriol, as in baybi [baby]. In some Kriol words, the initial consonant sound glides into a ‘y’ sound, such as kyap [cap].5 z zip Nasal vowels: NOTE: In Kriol, ‘hn’ following a vowel shows ahn wahn that the vowel is nasalized (i.e. said through the nose). It is necessary to differentiate ehn dehn because wahn [a] is a different word from wan [one]; dehn is different from den, etc. ihn hihn ohn kohn 5 This glide occurs much more frequently in older Kriol speech, and among other Caribbean Creoles, but seems to be dropping out of BK. For some words which end in ‘r’ in English, in Kriol, the ‘r’ is often dropped and a ‘y’ precedes the vowel (dear becomes dyaa). 14 Additional Spelling Notes: Following are some other consonant blends that do not occur in English: bw as in bwai [boy], gw as in gwaava [guava], skr as in skrach [scratch], nj as in hareenj [orange], skw as in skweez [squeeze], jr as in jrom [drum]. The zh sound, as in provizhan [provision] occurs in English but is not written with a zh. Some Kriol syllables do not contain a vowel: pl as in pipl [people], gl as in eegl [eagle], kl as in nokl [knuckle], tl as in batl [bottle], bl as in taybl [table], and tn as in katn [cotton]. The sounds represented by the symbols tr and thr in English are not produced in quite the same way in Kriol, so they are better represented as chr, as in chree [tree; three]. Regarding the ‘st blend’, some Kriol speakers drop the intial s; for example, tik rather than stik [stick]. The symbols q and x are not used in Kriol. The qu is represented in Kriol as kw, as in kwik, and the x as ks, as in taks. The d sound and symbol in Kriol replaces the ‘th blend’ of English; for example, dat rather than that. Double consonants are not used in Kriol. For example: breda [brother], kuda [could], flitaz [fritters], baloon [balloon], sel [sell]. All proper nouns have been given a Kriol spelling in this dictionary. However, the spelling of proper nouns will be left to the writer’s discretion. The personal pronouns Ah [I], Ai [emphatic I] are capitalized. Note the special treatment of the following words: No [opposite of yes], noh [negation], noa [to know]. Example: No! Ah noh noa weh yu noa. [No! I do not know what you know.] Punctuation rules for Kriol are generally the same as those followed for standard English. A hyphen is used to separate the following sets of words when they occur as parts of verbs: mi-di and da-mi. 15 Grammar Notes For a complete description of the grammar, read The Song of Kriol: A Grammar of the Kriol Language of Belize, by Ken Decker, published by the Belize Kriol Project in 2005. However, a few notes follow here to help the users of this dictionary. Nouns Nouns are generally made plural by the addition of dehn after the word (unless otherwise noted in the dictionary). Nouns are often formed from verbs by adding the ending ‘er’ in English or ‘a’ in Kriol, as in kaala [caller] or kota [cutter]. Not all of these nouns have been included in the dictionary. Pronouns Contrast of Kriol and English Personal Pronouns: Subject Pronouns Object Pronouns Kriol English Kriol English Ah/Ai I mi/mee me yu/yoo you yu/yoo you ih he/she/it ahn him/her hihn he/she hihn him shee, ih she shee her it it it it wi/wee we wi/wee us unu you (pl.) unu you (pl.) dehn they dehn them (Ai, mee, yoo, wee are emphatic forms of the pronoun.) Possession is usually formed by placing the word fi before the pronoun, as in di buk da fi yu [the book is yours]. 16 Verbs Unlike English, Kriol verbs are seldom inflected to show tense, person or number. In Kriol, these are shown by context, auxilary verbs and tense markers. Generally speaking, tenses are formed by preceding the root verb word with the markers di, mi, mi-di, wahn, as shown below for the root verb ‘to play’: Ah play evri day. ‘I play every day.’ [Present tense] Ah di play rait now. ‘I am playing right now.’ [Present progressive tense] Ah mi play yestudeh. ‘I played yesterday.’ [Past tense] Ah mi-di play di hoal day. ‘I was playing all day.’ [Past progressive tense] Ah wahn play tumaaro. ‘I will play tomorrow.’ [Future tense] Kriol action verbs are often followed by a directional word, such as op, dong, een, owt, bak, aan, aaf, rong and weh. Some of these combinations have been listed in the dictionary as sub-entries under the root word. Adjectives The most common way that a comparative adjective is formed is with the addition of –er in English, and –a in Kriol; and the superlative is formed with the addition of –est in English, and –is in Kriol, as in the following example: big, biga, bigis big, bigger, biggest Generally these forms are not listed in the dictionary, unless they do not follow the regular pattern, as in the following examples: gud, guda/beta, gudis/bes good, better, best wos/wosa, wosara, wosis worse, worse(intensified), worst Adverbs Adverbs function in Kriol much the same as they do in English, as modifiers of verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. In English, some adverbs are formed by adding ly to an adjective. In Kriol li is added 17 to some words, as in haadli [hardly], but often the li is not added as in the following example: Ah mi waahn kohn hoahn bad. [I wanted to come home badly.] Reduplication A favourite means of emphazing or intensifying an adjective or adverb in Kriol (but not allowed in English) is by reduplication, as in the following example: Wi reech deh kwik kwik. [We reached there very quickly.] 18 a Kriol tu Inglish aafn A - a a1 prep. of. Ah gaahn geh wahn aadyans. The prime minister playt a rais ahn beenz. I went to himself was in the audience. See: get a plate of rice and beans. krowd. a2 prep. to. Di baybi staat a baal. aaf adv. off. Di man chap aaf ih The baby started to bawl. See: tu. oan han. The man chopped off his own hand. — v. turn off. aachad n. orchard; fruit-bearing Aaf di lait fi mi, noh. Turn the trees planted for agricultural light off for me, please. See: owt. purposes. Wen yu goh dong da v.phr. Vali, di areenj chree dehn luk goh aaf lose one’s priti how dehn plaant owt eena temper. Noh bada tel shee seh di aachad dehn. When you go yu laas di moni kaa shee wahn down in the Stann Creek Valley, goh aaf. Don’t bother telling her the orange trees look pretty in the that you lost the money because way that they’re planted in the she’ll lose her temper. orchards. See: waak. aafa v. offer. Mi sista aafa fi aachraitis n. arthritis. Enitaim wach di pikni dehn. My sister weda di kohn, mi grampa offered to watch the children. aachraitis staat tu ak op. — n. offer. Dehn gi mi wahn Whenever bad weather is coming, gud aafa pahn mi kaa soh Ah my grandpa’s arthritis starts to act sel it. They gave me a good offer up. on my car so I sold it. aada v. order, command. Polees aaf-gyaad adv. off-guard. Mi kohn wid gon ahn aada Henjri ma kech mi aaf-gyaad soh Ah fi kom owt a di hows. The police kudn tink op no lai faas. My came with guns and ordered mother caught me off-guard, so I Henry to come out of the house. couldn’t think of a quick lie. See: koman. — n. order, aafis n. office. Mi aafis deh rait command. Di polees mi gi di da mi hows. My office is right at aada fi ares di teef. The my house. policeman gave the order to arrest aafisa n. officer; generally the thief. referring to police. Di aafisa aadineri adj. ordinary; plain, kohn, bot ih neva kech di teef. common. Misa Green da noh The officer came, but he didn’t no aadineri man. Mr. Green is catch the thief. no ordinary man. See: aafn adv. often, frequently. Wi poako-tyempo. kip hosh hosh bowt da kain a aadyans n. audience. Di praim ting tu aafn. Too often we keep minista ihself mi deh eena di quiet about that kind of thing. See: haaf ton. 19 aagan Kriol tu Inglish aan aagan n. organ. Di choch need card games. 2) position of being wahn nyoo aagan. The church on hands and knees. Ah geh needs a new organ. dong pahn mi aal foaz fi skrob Aagas n. August; the eighth di floa. I get down on my hands month of the year. Aagas da and knees to scrub the floor. wahn hat hat mont. August is a aali n. alley. Wi luk eena evri lee very hot month. schreet ahn aali fi di bwai. We aagyu v. argue. Da weh unu di looked in every little street and aagyu bowt now? What are you alley for the boy. arguing about now? aalwayz adv. always. Shee doz aagyument n. argument. Wi aalwayz kohn da wi hows. She shuda hapi ahn noh gat op no used to always come to our aagyument. We should be happy house. See: aal alang. and not have any arguments. aam n. armpit; body part from aaj Variant: adz. above the elbow to the shoulder, including the armpit. aakid n. orchid. Di blak aakid Da bwai aam aalwayz stink da di nashanal flowaz a Bileez. kaaz ih noh laik put ting anda The black orchid is the national ih aam. That boy’s armpit always flower of Belize. stinks because he doesn’t like to aakitek n. architect. Di aakitek use deodorant. dizain mi nyoo hows. The aamen (var: aymen) int. amen. architect designed my new house. Evribadi seh, “Amen,” wen di 1 aal pro. all. Di man schrang nof prees don pray. Everybody said fi bak aal a wi. The man is “Amen,” after the priest prayed. strong enough to carry all of us. aami army. n. Mi son gaahn da See: evri. Stayts, gaahn jain di aami. My adv.phr. aal alang all along, son went to the States and joined Gladis ma all the time, always. the army. mi noa aal alang dat ih pregnant, an ih neva tel ih pa aamsent n. underarm odour. Mi notn. Gladys’ mother knew all grani yooz laim fi geh rid a along that she was pregnant, and pikni aamsent. My granny uses she didn’t tell her dad anything. lime to get rid of children’s See: aalwayz. underarm odour. aal2 n. awl. Mi pa yooz wahn aal aamstik n. deodorant. Tudeh fi boar wahn hoal eena mi belt. day moas pipl yooz aamstik My father used an awl to bore a steda Speero powda. These days hole in my belt. most people use deodorant instead of Spiro powder. aal foaz n. 1) card game. Mi 1 grani laik play ‘aal foaz’ ahn aan adj. on. Beti lef aan di lait ada kyaad gaym. My granny hoal nait. Betty left the light on likes to play ‘all fours’ and other all night long. 20 aan Kriol tu Inglish aata aan2 Archaic. Variant: anda. aapl n. 1) imported apple. Pyrus aana v. honour. Mi hozban werk malus Rosaceae Wan taim yu aana ahn fi ih lang yaaz a kuda mi oanli get aapl rong servis. My husband’s company Krismos taim. There was a time honoured him for his long years you could only get apples around of service. Christmas time. 2) any of — n. honour. Da mi wahn big various regional plants which aana fi di lee gyal fi meet di grow apple-like fruits. See: gov Govna-Jenaral. It was a big aapl, kostad aapl, maami aapl, honour for the little girl to meet mongki aapl, roaz aapl. the Governor-General. aapl banaana n. type of small aanis adj. honest. Da bwai banana. Musa cavendishii. Aapl aanis; ih neva tel lai. That boy is banaana smaal bot dehn sweet. honest; he never lies. Apple bananas are small but they’re sweet. [Perhaps named aans n. ant. (Both sg. & pl.) Oanli because the firm, sweet wan lee aans mi deh pahn di smoothness of the flesh reminds kayk fos, den aftawodz lat moa one of an imported apple] kohn. Only one little ant was on the cake at first, then afterwards, aarait adj. all right; safe, okay. a lot more came. See: blak aans, Get op, bwai; yu aarait now. faiyaans, flod flai, krayzi aans, Get up, boy; you’re all right now. maachin aami aans, papapin, — adv. all right; acceptably red aans, weewi aans. well. Evriting gaan aarait. Everything went all right. See: aans nes n. anthill. Ah stan op aaraitish, gud, gud-wan. eena wahn aans nes ahn geh — int. all right; okay. Aarait, bait op. I stood in an anthill and wi wahn du weh yu seh. Okay, got badly bitten. we’ll do what you say. aansbyaa n. anteater. Two — sal. ‘hello’or ‘good-bye’ varieties in Belize: Cyclopes (informally). Aarait, Helin didactylus & Tamandua gyal. Ah wahn si yu layta. All mexicana, the pygmy & vested right, Helen. I’ll see you later. anteaters. Wi si di aansbyaa See: bai, gudbai, heloa. lang owt ih tong ahn lik op lat a aaraitish adv. so-so, okay. Eevn aans. We saw the anteater stick doa shee kyaahn kuk, di food out his tongue and lick up a lot of mi tays aaraitish. Even though ants. she can’t cook, the food was aant Variant: aanti. okay. See: aarait. aanti (var: aant) n. aunt, auntie. aat num. aught, zero. Aat, chree Mis Mayri da mi ma sista, soh [03] play eena boleedo laas nait. shee da mai aanti. Miss Mary is Zero, three played in boledo last my mom’s sister, so she’s my night. See: naat. auntie. aata (var: afta) prep. after, at. 21 aatful Kriol tu Inglish adawaiz Noh laaf aata mi. Don’t laugh at Haatens fi chail abyoos kaa ih me. mek ih lee gyal neel dong pahn aatful adj. artful, clever. Ih da grayta. They arrested Hortense wahn aatful lee bwai; ih for child abuse because she made aalwayz di get eena mischif. her little girl kneel down on a He’s an artful little boy; he grater. always gets into mischief. See: abyooz v. abuse. Brenda lef ih braynzi. hozban kaa ih abyooz ahn fi aatik n. attic. Mai ma shee ga yaaz ahn shee kyaahn tek it loan jonk eena fi shee aatik. My nohmoh. Brenda left her husband mother has nothing but junk in because he abused her for years her attic. and she can’t take it anymore. aatikl n. article. Mi pa rait wahn achrak v. attract. Di food weh aatikl eena di nyoozpaypa. My jrap pahn di grong wahn father wrote an article in the achrak aans. The food that falls newspaper. on the ground will attract ants. aatis n. artist. Di aatis chaaj mi ad v. add. Evri day dehn ad aan lat a moni fi paynt di picha. The moa ahn moa pipl tu dehn artist charged me lots of money to groop. Every day they add more paint the picture. and more people to their group. aatn v. ought not, should not. ada adj. other. Tumaaro wi Archaic. Yu aatn du dat; yu noh wahn goh da di ada tong dehn fi tel lai. You shouldn’t do that; tu. Tomorrow we’ll go to the you’re not supposed to lie. See: other towns too. See: nada, neks, mosn, noh fi, shudn. tara. aatu v. ought to, should. Yu adap v. adopt. Mi sista adap aatu aks permishan bifoa yu wan lee baybi hoofa ma mi ded. yooz op pipl ting. You ought to My sister adopted a little boy ask permission before you use whose mother had died. people’s things. See: fi, mos, adarels1 n. additional things, shuda, sopoas tu. whatnot. Wi taak bowt rayz a abak adv. ago. Mi ma ded chree pay ahn adarels ting da di yaaz abak. My mother died three meetn. We talked about salary years ago. increase as well as other things in the meeting. See: watsnat. abschrok v. distract, throw off 2 the track. Ah neva kaal mi adarels adv. otherwise. Noh hozban da werk kaaz Ah neva klaim pahn di taybl, adarels yu waahn abschrok ahn. I never wahn faal dong. Don’t climb on call my husband at work because the table, otherwise you’ll fall I don’t want to distract him. See: down. See: adawaiz, elswaiz. dischrak, chroa aaf. adawaiz adv. otherwise. Yu abyoos n. abuse. Dehn ares beta goh now; adawaiz yu wahn 22 adaz Kriol tu Inglish afoadabl geh layt. You had better go now; di advantij kaa yu biga dahn otherwise you’ll be late. See: mee. You have the advantage adarels, elswaiz. because you’re bigger than I. See: adaz n. others. Yu fi aalwayz opa han. bee kain tu adaz. You must tek advantij v.phr. 1) take always be kind to others. advantage of. Ah tek advantij a di lee son tudeh ahn wash mi adik n. addict. Di jrog adik deh kloaz. I took advantage of the aal oava di plays di bayg. The little bit of sun today and washed drug addict is all over the place my clothes. 2) begging. take unfair advantage of. Da noh di big admaiya v. admire. Mi sista bwai weh di tek advantij a yu? shee aalwayz di admaiya ihself Isn’t it the big boy who was eena di miro. My sister is always taking advantage of you? See: admiring herself in the mirror. chaans, du op, tek chaans aaf, adolchri n. adultery. See: sleep tek een. owt. advantijos adj. very unfair or adolt n. adult. (pl. ‘adolts’) Da bullying. (adVANtijos) Mi lee gyal oanli faiv an ih di goh breda hihn tu advantijos; afta aan laik big adolt. That little girl mi pa ded, ih tek aal a di lan fi is only five and she acts like an ihself jos kaa ih noa wi kyaahn adult. See: big pipl. pay laaya fi fait ahn. My brother advais n. advice, counsel. Di is too unfair; after my father died, gyal dehn disaid fi fala di he took all of the land for himself advais weh dehn ma mi gi dehn. because he knows we can’t pay a The girls decided to follow the lawyer to fight him. See: chaansi. advice that their mother had adz (var: aaj) n. adze; a sharp given them. wood-shaping tool. See: toanin advaiz v. advise, counsel. Ah di adz. advaiz yu – lef da man. I am afek v. affect. Di breez mi bloa advising you – leave that man. haad, bot ih noh afek wi hows See: kongsl. ataal. The breeze blew hard, but advans v. advance, move it didn’t affect our house at all. forward. Geh yu ejukayshan afoad v. afford. Wi kyaahn soh yu ku advans yuself. Get afoad fi pay fi hows ahn food your education so you can ahn aal a dehn ting. We can’t advance yourself. See: geh hed. afford to pay for a house, food — n. advance; money before and all those things. it’s due. Ah wahn aks di baas fi afoadabl adj. affordable. Ah di wahn lee advans kaaz Ah brok. luk fi wahn nyoo hows, bot Ah I’ll ask the boss for a little noh fain notn weh afoadabl yet. advance because I’m broke. I’m looking for a new house, but advantij n. advantage. Yoo ga I haven’t found anything 23 afta Kriol tu Inglish ail affordable yet. di baybi han an ih fays. I have afta (var: aata) prep. after. Wi already washed the baby’s hands gaahn da wi fren hows, ahn wi and face. See: Ai, mee. kohn bak afta chree dayz. We ahaahn adv. yes. Ahaahn, Ah went to our friend’s house and we mi tel yu noh fi goh deh. Yes, I came back after three days. told you not to go there. See: yes. aftanoon n. afternoon. Layt di ahn1 (var: am) pro. (3rd person aftanoon wi disaid fi goh hoahn objective) him, her, it. Weh da bak. Late in the afternoon we lee gyal deh? Ah wahn beet decided to go back home. ahn. Where is that little girl? I’ll aftaraal conj. after all. Ah mi beat her. See: hihn, it, shee. put aan di sleev pahn di jres ahn2 (var: an) conj. and. Di karek aftaraal. I put the sleeve honta load di gon ahn shat di on the dress correctly after all. mongtin kow. The hunter loaded aftawodz adv. afterwards. Di the gun and shot the tapir. bwai faal dong, an ih ma kohn ahn3 Variant: wahn. (‘ahn’ is the tek kayr a ahn aftawodz. The form often used in rapid speech.) boy fell down, and his mom came Ai pro. (Emphatic 1st person to take care of him afterwards. subjective form of ‘Ah’) I. Ai mi agen adv. 1) again; repeat an tink yu mi wahn kohn tumaaro. action. If yu seh dat agen, Ah I thought that you would come wahn sen yu hoahn. If you say tomorrow. See: Ah, mee. that again, I’ll send you home. aida Variant: eeda. 2) anymore; implying change aidal n. idol, false god. Dehn of original plan, not repetition. mek wahn aidal eena di shayp a Di bwai brok ih fut soh ih noh wahn yong bul. They made an wahn ron agen. The boy broke idol in the shape of a young bull. his leg so he won’t run anymore. See: nohmoh. 3) at this time; aideel n. ideal; frozen juice in a when there is negation in the bag. Wen Ah fainali don aal a sentence. Ah noh waahn sing mi werk, mi ma gi mi wahn agen. I don’t want to sing at this aideel. When I finally finished all time. of my work, my mom gave me an ideal. [Popular treat first brought agrikolcha agriculture. Haabat to Belize by Valencia’s Ice gaahn da UB gaahn stodi Cream Parlour] agrikolcha, kaa ih waahn bee wahn faama. Herbert went to the aidyaa n. idea. Da wahn gud University of Belize to study aidyaa fi bil yu hows wen yu agriculture because he wants to yong. It’s a good idea to build be a farmer. your house when you’re young. Ah pro. (1st person singular, ail v. oil. Wai yu noh ail di baik subjective case) I. Ah don wash weel, kaa ih di skweek bad? Why don’t you oil the bike wheel 24 ailan Kriol tu Inglish aiywaata because it’s squeaking badly? di big snayk, Ah kudn bileev mi — n. oil (generally used to aiy. When I saw the big snake, I refer to kerosene) Di lamp owt couldn’t believe my eyes. kaa ih neva ga nof ail. The lamp bad aiy n.phr. evil eye; evil went out because it didn’t have worked by looking at a enough oil. See: koroseen. newborn baby. Da laydi wahn kukin ail n.phr. cooking oil. gi yu baybi graipinz, kaaz shee See: fat. ga bad aiy. That lady will give ailan n. island. Di man an ih your baby gripe because she has waif chravl chroo di hoal ailan. the evil eye. See: oavaluk. The man and his wife traveled kot aiy See under entry: kot. through the whole island. See: aiy2 ono. cry of pain or kee. impatience. Aiy! Ah bok mi toa aintment n. ointment. If yu put gens di chayr fut. Ouch! I dis aintment pahn yu skin, ih stubbed my toe against the chair. wahn klayr op. If you put this aiyan v. iron; press clothes with ointment on your skin, it will a hot iron. Mi ma mi hafu clear up. aiyan owt da tayblklaat kaa ih ais n. ice. Mi grani noh waahn mi mash op bad. My mom had no ais eena ih joos. My to iron that tablecloth because it grandmother doesn’t want any ice was very wrinkled. See: pres in her juice. kloaz. ais pik n. ice pick. Di man da di — n. iron; appliance used to ais fakchri yoostu yooz ih ais press clothes. Di aiyan mi tu pik ahn juk aaf eni amonk a ais hat soh ih bon owt wahn hoal weh yu waahn bai. The man at eena mi blowz. The iron was too the ice factory used to use his ice hot so it burnt a hole in my pick to break off any amount of blouse. See: koal pat. ice that you wanted to buy. — adj. iron; metal. Wi hafu goh chroo di aiyan gayt fi get aisbaks n. icebox. Bifoa frij mi eensaid. We must go through the deh, dehn yoostu yooz aisbaks fi iron gate to get inside. kip ting koal. Before people had refrigerators, they used to use aiybaal n. eyeball. Noh di roal iceboxes to keep things cold. yu aiybaal wen Ah di skoal yu. Don’t roll your eyes when I scold aisi-hat n. thermos. Ful di you. aisi-hat wid hat tee. Fill the thermos with hot tea. aiybrow n. eyebrow. Fi shee aiybrow tik. Her eyebrows are aiskreem n. ice cream. Di lee thick. bwai eet op aal a di aiskreem. The little boy ate up all of the ice aiywaata n. tears; drops of the cream. salty liquid secreted by the 1 eyes. Aiywaata oanli mi-di ron aiy (var: yaiy) n. eye. Wen Ah si da di pikni finaral. Tears were 25 ajern Kriol tu Inglish aksbil really flowing at the child’s akonk n. 1) account, financial funeral. See: tyaaz. record. Jaaji hihn ga big akonk ajern v. adjourn. Di joj ajern di da bank an ih stil stinji wid ih kays agen. The judge adjourned waif. That Georgie has a big bank the case again. account but he’s still stingy with his wife. See: sayvinz. ajres n. 1) address. Ah moov v.phr. gaahn da Korosaal, soh Ah akonk fi account for. Mi hozban waahn Ai akonk fi wahn gi yu mi nyoo ajres. I evri peni weh Ah spen. My moved to Corozal, so I’ll give husband wants me to account for you my new address. 2) address; every penny that I spend. owner. Idiomatic. Noh figit di ajres a dis buk. Please remember gi akonk a v.phr. give account to return this book to me. of. Yoo wahn hafu gi akonk a yuself tu Gaad wan a deez dayz. ak v. act. Shee laik ak laik shee You’ll have to give account of beta dahn pipl. She likes to act yourself to God one of these like she’s better than other days. people. See: goh aan. akonk a prep.phr. on account akaadn tu prep. according to. of, due to, because of. Akonk a Di joj seh akaadn tu di laa, Ah hihn, Ah mek wahn big gilti. The judge said, according to mistayk. Because of him, I made the law, I’m guilty. a big mistake. See: bikaaz a, akaadyan n. accordion; popular sayk a. musical instrument used in the aks1 (var: as) v. ask. Di schreet traditional Kriol boom and bwai aks mi fi dala. The street chime band. Misa Peetaz seh ih boy asked me for a dollar. See: ponish wen ih noh ga ih rikwes. akaadyan wid ahn? Mr. Peters aks2 (var: eks) n. axe; tool for says he suffers when he doesn’t chopping wood. Bwai, tek di have his accordion with him aks ahn kot sohn ud. Boy, take akchwal adj. actual. Tel mi weh the axe and chop some wood. da di akchwal amonk a moni See: hachit. weh wi mek aaf a di sayl. Tell aks stik n. axe handle. Sapadili me the actual amount of money da di bes kain a ud fi mek aks that we made on the sale. stik owt a. Sapodilla is the best akchwali adv. actually, really. kind of wood for making axe Yu akchwali meen fi seh yu jak handles. op fi hihn? You’re actually aksbil n. hawksbill turtle; a saying that you’re pregnant by large sea turtle with beak him? See: reeli. shaped like a hawk’s bill. akeschra Variant: okeschra. Dehn mek priti banglz owt a aklak n. o’clock; time. Humoch aksbil shel. They make pretty aklak yu gat? What time is it? bracelets out of the hawksbill 26 aksep Kriol tu Inglish alkahol turtle shells. See: tertl. gens di teef dehn. The police had aksep v. accept. Unu mos aksep all kinds of accusations against weh Ah tel unu bikaa da chroo. the thieves. See: chaaj. You should accept what I tell you alaam v. alarm; disturb or stir because it’s true. up sudden fear. Stap alaam di akshan1 n. 1) action. Da moovi hoal naybahud wid yu haad ga lat a akshan. That movie has baalin. Stop disturbing the whole lots of action. 2) possession. neighbourhood with your loud Slang. Ron mi akshan, gyal. bawling. Give me what belongs to me, girl. — n. alarm (clock) Ah aalwayz sleep til di alaam goh aaf. I akshan2 v. auction. Dehn di always sleep until the alarm goes akshan aaf fi dehn hows kaa off. dehn kudn pay fer it. They’re auctioning off their house alaiv adj. alive. (‘Laiv’ refers to because they couldn’t pay for it. non-humans, while ‘alaiv’ and — adj. auction. Dehn di ga big ‘livin’ refer to humans.) Mi pa akshan sayl da di polees ded bot mi ma stil alaiv. My dad stayshan. They’re having a big is dead but my mom is still alive. auction sale at the police station. See: livin. aksident n. accident. Dehn mi albaino n. albino. Jos kaa Ai da ga wahn bad aksident pahn di albaino, dehn tink seh Ai da schreet. There was a bad accident wahn freek. Just because I’m an on the street. albino, they think that I’m a freak. Aktoaba n. October. Harikayn Hati mi kohn eena Aktoaba. aldoa conj. although, though. Hurricane Hattie came in Aldoa ih mi-di rayn, lat a pipl October. mi dehdeh. Although it was raining, many people were there. akwaad Variant: akwod. See: doh, eevn doa. akwod (var: akwaad) adj. aliv ail n. olive oil. Lat a pipl di awkward. Da bwai kohn nak kuk wid aliv ail now kaa dehn dong evriting wid ih akwod self. seh ih helti. Many people cook That boy’s so awkward, he with olive oil now because they knocked everything down. See: say it’s healthy. blofoto. alkahol n. 1) rubbing alcohol. akyooz v. accuse. Dehn akyooz Wen aans bait yu, yu mos rob di man a wahn lat a bad ting, yu fut wid alkahol fi eez di bot ih seh ih inosent. They payn. When ants bite you, you accused the man of many bad should rub your feet with alcohol things, but he said he’s innocent. to ease the pain. 2) alcohol; akyoozayshan n. accusation, intoxicant. Ah noh jrink notn allegation, charge. Di polees mi weh gat een alkahol. I don’t gat aal kain a akyoozayshan drink anything which has alcohol 27 Almaiti Kriol tu Inglish Anansi in it. See: lika. the ambulance because my Almaiti adj. Almighty; refers to mother collapsed with a heart God. Wi hafu pen pahn di attack. Almaiti fi tek kayr a wi. We Amerikan n. American. Sohn have to depend on the Almighty Bileez pipl laik taak laik God to take care of us. See: Masi Amerikan. Some Belizeans like Maasa. to talk like Americans. — adj. almood n. dry measure of about American. a quart. Mi grandpa doz amonk (var: monk) n. amount. aalwayz sen mi fi bai wan Yu si di amonk a shuga di gyal almood a kraabu. My grandpa put eena mi tee? Did you see the always used to send me to buy a amount of sugar the girl put in quart of craboo. See: kwaat. my tea? [ 29 ankl Kriol tu Inglish apendiks Caye. deer (red brocket deer), having ankl (var: enkl) n. ankle. Ah twis a chestnut-red colour and mi fut eena wahn hoal ahn standing less than three feet sprayn mi ankl. I twisted my high. Mazama americana. foot in a hole and sprained my apaasl n. apostle. Biblical. ankle. Jeezas mi pik Peeta az wahn anles (var: lesn) conj. unless. Ah apaasl. Jesus chose Peter as an noh wahn du dat anles yu pay apostle. mi. I won’t do that unless you apachooniti n. opportunity. Ah pay me. geh wahn apachooniti fi ferda anonks v. announce. Yu noh fi mi stodiz wen Ah geh di anonks tu evribadi dat wi bara skalaship. I got the opportunity moni. You don’t have to to further my studies when I got announce to everybody that we the scholarship. See: chaans. borrowed money. aparayshan n. surgical anpak v. unpack. Enitaim Ah operation. Alis geh wahn goh weh, di haadis ting da fi aparayshan fi gaalstoan laas anpak mi ting dehn wen Ah week. Alice had an operation for kohn bak. Whenever I go away, gallstones last week. the hardest thing for me is to aparayt1 v. loosen one’s unpack my things when I come bowels. If yu jrink tu moch back. proonz joos, ih wahn aparayt ansa v. answer. Di man neva yu. If you drink too much prune ansa non a wi kweschan. The juice, it will loosen your bowels. man didn’t answer any of our See: goh owt. questions. aparayt2 v. operate; conduct — n. answer. Wen dehn aks di one’s self in a certain way. kweschan, wi ansa sopraiz Mee noh hoa moni ahn noh pay dehn. When they asked the kaa mee noh aparayt laik dat. I question, our answer surprised don’t owe money and not pay it them. back because I don’t operate like ansesta n. ancestor, forefather. that. Fi wee ansesta dehn kohn fahn aparayta n. operator. Wi mi Afrika. Our ancestors came from hafu kaal di telifoan aparayta fi Africa. See: geh di nomba. We had to call the grayt-grayt-grayt-granfaada. telephone operator to get the antik n. antic. Di lee bwai mi-di number. entatayn wi wid ih lee antiks. apendiks n. appendicitis. Oal The little boy entertained us with taim pipl seh dat wen yu swala his antics. See: paiyaso. gwaava seed, ih gi yu apendiks. antiloap n. antelope; not a true Old people say that when you antelope but a species of small swallow a guava seed, it gives 30 apyaa Kriol tu Inglish aydi you appendicitis. sista? Ata da shee nak mi fos! apyaa v. appear; come Why did you hit your sister? But suddenly. Weh yu apyaa fram? it was she who hit me first! See: Where did you appear from? See: bot. dak. ataal adv. at all. Noh kom een ya ar Variant: er. or. wid fi yu fool ataal ataal. Don’t come in here with your aredi adv. already. (Usually foolishness at all. preceded by ‘don’ + v.) Ah don bayd aredi. I’ve bathed already. atak v. attack. Di teef dehn kohn atak di oal man. The thieves areenj Variant: hareenj. came to attack the old man. ares v. arrest. Di polees ares di atalarayt (var: talarayt) v. teef ahn put ahn da jayl. The tolerate, bear, stand. Ah noh police arrested the thief and put atalarayt fi shee fool ataal. I him in jail. See: kalek. don’t tolerate her foolishness at aro n. arrow. Paint di aro aata all. See: bayr, stan, tek. di ting. Point the arrow at the atariti n. authority. Wi kaal ahn thing. di baas, bot ih noh ga no atariti as Variant: aks. oava wi. We call him the boss, aschray adv. astray. Dehn bad but he doesn’t have any authority kompni weh yu di kip wahn over us. leed yu aschray. That bad avaid v. avoid. Evri taim Ah si company that you’re keeping will shee, ih goh dong wahn nada lead you astray. schreet. Ih mosi di avaid mi. ashiz (var: hashiz) n. ashes. Mi Every time I see her, she goes ma sen mi fi sweep di ashiz owt down another street. She must be a di faiyahaat. My mom sent me avoiding me. See: daj, dok. to sweep the ashes out of the ayaa n. air. Kom owtsaid fi sohn fireplace. fresh ayaa. Come outside for asistans n. assistance, financial some fresh air. aid. Evri week Ah geh wahn lee aybl v. afford; able to do asistans fahn mi son. Every something without risking week I get a little financial help serious consequences. Noh put from my son. di baybi pahn di raylin – Ah asma n. asthma, a breathing noh aybl fi mek ih faal dong. disorder. Mayri kyaahn breed Don’t put the baby on the railing gud wen ih asma kom aan. – I can’t afford to have him fall Mary can’t breathe well when her down. asthma comes on her. See: presn, aydi n. eddy, whirlpool. If yu shaatnis. noh kyaaful, aydi ku sok yu een ata conj. but. (Generally denotes ahn haal yu da riva batam. If bad attitude.) Wai yu nak yu you’re not careful, an eddy could 31 ayg Kriol tu Inglish ayteen suck you in and pull you to the praying, we should say, “Amen.” bottom of the river. aynja (var: inja) v. injure. Tek ayg Variant: eg. weh da sizaz fahn di baybi bifoa ayj (var: ej) n. age. Mis Vaida ih aynja ihself. Take the scissors noh waahn tel nobadi ih reel away from the baby before he ayj, kaa ih noh waahn dehn hurts himself. See: hat. tink seh ih di geh oal. Miss Vida aynjel n. angel. Wahn aynjel doesn’t want to tell anyone her apyaa tu Mayri. An angel real age because she doesn’t want appeared to Mary. them to think she’s getting old. aypran n. apron. Put aan di anda ayj phr. under age, aypran mek yu noh mes op yu minor. Di lee bwai weh dehn jres. Put on the apron so you put eena jayl mi anda ayj. The don’t mess up your dress. boy that they put in jail was a Aypril n. April. Wi laik wen minor. Eesta jrap eena Aypril kaa di ayj paypa n. birth certificate. weda aalwayz gud. We like it Da oal man mosi laas fi hihn when Easter falls in April ayj paypa kaa ih oanli laik yong because the weather is always gyal. That old man must have lost good. his birth certificate because he ayr owt v. air, freshen with air. only likes young girls. See: bert Mi ma tel mi fi put di sweti paypa. kloaz pahn di lain fi ayr owt. ayk v. bother, make the effort. My mom told me to put the Mi baybi pa kohn an Ah neva sweaty clothes on the line to air eevn ayk miself fi get op fi goh out. See: breez owt. taak tu ahn. My baby’s father ayring earring. Variant: ayzring. came and I didn’t even bother to get up and talk to him. See: bada. ayrya n. area. Di hoal a fi wee ayrya mi ga blakowt laas nait. n. Mi pa ga ten ayka ayka acre. Our whole area had a blackout a lan. My dad has ten acres of last night. land. ayryal rog n. area rug. Ah wahn n. aylyan alien (generally refers bai wahn nyoo ayryal rog fi to a person coming to Belize Krismos. I will buy a new area from another Central rug for Christmas. American country) Pipl laik haiya dehn aylyan kaa dehn ayt num. eight. Mi aanti gi mi werk cheep. People like to hire ayt aapl. My auntie gave me aliens because they work cheap. eight apples. See: schraynja. — adj. eighth. Mi ma ahn mi pa mi selibrayt dehn ayt aniversri. (var: aamen) int. aymen amen. My mother and father celebrated Wen wi don pray, wi fi seh, their eighth anniversary. “Aymen.” When we’ve finished ayteen num. eighteen. Di laydi 32 ayti Kriol tu Inglish baaboon kyap mi kripl fi ayteen yaaz. The lady stik brok eena...ayz Idiomatic was crippled for eighteen years. phr. playing deaf to warnings ayti num. eighty. Mis Haatens of others. (Literally: ‘stick mi ayti yaaz oal wen ih ded. broke in...ear’) Ah taiyad a tel Miss Hortense was eighty years dis pikni wan ting oava ahn old when she died. oava, sayhn laik stik brok eena ih ayz. I’m tired of telling that ayz n. ear. (Both sg. & pl.) If yu boy the same thing over and over gat ayz fi hyaa, lisn gud. If you because he acts like he can’t hear have ears to hear, listen well. me. See: haad-hedid, ga no adj.phr. ayz haad/haad-ayz andastandin, stobant. stubbornly disobedient. Ah tel yu noh fi goh eena di waata – ayzring (var: ayring) n. earring. how yu soh ayz haad? I told you Ih ga ayz laik shilin ahn shee not to go into the water – why are waahn ayzring! Her ears are like you so stubborn? big coins, yet she wants earrings! put bihain yu ayz v.phr. az prep. as. Az ih mi-di waak remember. Put dat bihain yu lang, ih si ih too breda di kohn. ayz. Remember that. See: As he was walking along, he saw memba. his two brothers coming. B - b baaba1 n. barber. Wi kehr di Evri Satideh yu loan si pipl di bwai da di baaba kaaz ih hyaa sel baabikyoo owt a tong. Every mi tu lang. We took the boy to Saturday you see a whole lot of the barber because his hair was people selling barbecue too long. downtown. 2) a platform used by woodcutters to stand higher baaba2 v. dribble, drool, than the buttress or spur. salivate. Di baybi di baaba, soh wi put aan di bib. The baby is baaboon n. howler monkey. dribbling, so we put on the bib. Alouatta pigra. Wi kudn sleep See: jrool, geda waata. — n. kaaz di baaboon dehn baal hoal dribble, drool, saliva. Di baybi nait. We couldn’t sleep because wet op wid baaba sayk a weh ih the howler monkeys were di kot teet. The baby is wet with howling all night long. drool because he’s cutting teeth. baaboon kyap n. baboon cap; See: jrool, mowt waata. kind of fruit with an orange baabikyoo v. barbecue. Mi ma powdery texture around the wahn baabikyoo ribz fi mi seed. Couepia dodecandria. bertday. My mom will barbecue Baaboon kyap da wahn lee ribs for my birthday. — n. froot weh areenj areenj. Baboon 1) chicken prepared over coals. cap is a little fruit that has a deep 33 baachroom Kriol tu Inglish baan orange colour. [Rarely seen these schring. The little boy coiled up days; called ‘mongki kyap’ in the the kite string. See: kwail, roal. south.] baal2 v. bawl; sob loudly. Ah baachroom n. bathroom. Da oanli baal wen mi ma ded. I hoo di bayd eena di baachroom really bawled when my mom soh lang? Who’s bathing so long died. See: hala, krai, skreem. in the bathroom? baal afta v.phr. shout or yell baagin v. bargain. Mek Ah at. Mi baas baal afta mi bikaa baagin oava dis prais. Let me Ah laas di fail. My bossed yelled bargain over this price. See: beet at me because I lost the file. dong. — n. bargain. Wi fain baal3 v. shave one’s head. Ah wahn gud baagin pahn mango noh noa wai Hari hihn gaahn wen wi gaahn da maakit. We baal ih hed fa. I don’t know why found a good bargain on mangos Harry went and shaved his head. when we went to the market. See: peel, shayv. baaj n. barge; flat-bottomed baalhed n. baldhead. Di man boat. Wen dehn swing di brij, baalhed mi-di shain eena di son. da fi mek di baaj dehn paas. The man’s baldhead shone in the When they swing the bridge, it sun. See: peelhed. allows the barges to pass. — v. baalin n. bawling, crying.Lat a barge; push one’s way in baalin mi deh da mi ma finaral. rudely. Yu kyaahn jos baaj een There was a lot of bawling at my ya laik dat. You can’t just barge mother’s funeral. See: kraiyin. in here like that. 1 baalz balls, testicles. Slang. Di baak v. bark. Ah taiyad a hyaa man gaahn chrai faas wid di da daag di baak. I’m tired of gyal, bot shee kik ahn da ih hearing that dog bark. baalz. The man tried to interfere baak2 n. bark; outer covering of with the girl, but she kicked him a tree. Sohn chree baak gud fi in the testicles. See: seed, toan. medisn. Some tree bark is good 2) nerve, courage. Jani mi ga for medicine. nof baalz fi stan op tu ih baas. baaka n. a large, edible river Johnny had the nerve to stand up fish. Mi hozban oanli laik riva to his boss. fish, speshali baaka. My baan v. give birth to, bear a husband really likes river fish, child. Di taim kohn fi di uman especially ‘baaka’. baan ih baybi. The time came baal1 n. ball; spherical object. for the woman to have her baby. Dehn bwai mi deh owt deh di See: ga...baybi, mek baybi. kik baal. The boys were out there — adj. born. Ih uda mi beta if kicking a ball. See: tunu baal. ih da man neva baan. It would baal op v.phr. coil, roll, wind. have been better if that man had Di lee bwai baal op di kait never been born. 34 baar Kriol tu Inglish babilan baar1 v. bar; lock or close bread turned over. firmly. Bubu di kohn! Baar di baaskit titai n. a rattan palm: doa! Monsters are coming! Bar one of the largest vines in the the door! — n. 1) a long, tropics with sharp spines narrow piece of metal. Di man covering the entire vine; the wap owt di ada man wid wahn leaves are split to use in lang aiyan baar. The man struck basketry. Desmoncus schippii. the other man with a long iron See: titai, beliful titai. bar. See: kroabaar, rekin baar, baastad n. bastard, illegitimate peewee. 2) bar, pub, tavern; child. See: owtsaid pikni, counter from which alcoholic shalai. drinks are served. Di man dehn deh eena di baar di jrink. The baat n. bath. Afta aal dehn dos, men are in the bar drinking. See: Ai hafu tek wahn baat. After all baaroom. of the dust, I have to take a bath. baar mowt n.phr. sand bar. See: kowbwai baat. Sohntaim wen yu gwehn da see, baat hows n. bathhouse; yu hafu paas di baar mowt. outhouse for bathing. Fi wee Sometimes when you’re going to hows noh ga no baachroom, soh sea, you have to pass the sand- wi yooz wahn lee baat hows. bar. Our house doesn’t have a baar2 prep. barring, except. Mi bathroom, so we use a little ma wap aal a wi baar mi lee bathhouse. breda. My mother punished all of baat tob n. bathtub. If da baat us except my little brother. See: tob doti, Ah noh di bayd een sep, oanli kaa. deh. If that bath tub is dirty, I’m baaroom n. barroom. Enitaim not bathing in it. Henjri geh pay, ih goh da baatenda n. bartender. Jaaji baaroom goh jrink. Whenever noa how fi miks aal kain a jrink Henry gets paid, he goes to the kaa ih da baatenda. Georgie barroom to drink. See: baar. knows how to mix all kinds of baas n. boss. Ah hafu aks di drinks because he’s a bartender. baas if Ah ku goh hoahn soon. I bab waiya n. barbed wire. Ah have to ask the boss if I can go tayr mi frak pahn di bab waiya home early. See: cheef, hedman, fens. I tore my dress on the hefeh. barbed wire fence. baasi adj. bossy. Da marij noh baba n. baby bottle. (baBA.) Gi wahn mek it kaaz shee tu baasi. di baybi ih baba mek ih stap That marriage won’t make it krai. Give the baby his bottle so because she’s too bossy. he’ll stop crying. baaskit n. basket. Di hoal a Mis babilan n. police. Di bwai dehn Beka baaskit a bred ton oava. ron wen dehn si babilan di All of Miss Becka’s basket of kohn. The boys ran when they 35 babstaaf Kriol tu Inglish badi saw the police coming. See: hozban di cheet pan ahn kaa polees. [Term with biblical Ah noh waahn mek bad reference, coming from the bitween dehn. I don’t want to tell Rastafarian movement and used Sadie how her husband is to express contempt for any part cheating on her because I don’t of the Caribbean Establishment.] want to cause trouble for them. babstaaf n. fishing pole; a set bad beli n. diarrhea. If yu eet tu line left over night. moch mengo, yu wahn geh bad bachri n. battery. Di bachri eena beli. If you eat too many mangos, di flashlait mi ded, soh wi neva you’ll get diarrhea. See: werk ga no lait eena di blakowt. The beli, roninz, shitninz. battery in our flashlight was dead, bad stail n. bad manners, so we didn’t have any light in the inappropriate and blackout. unacceptable behavior. Yoo gi bachri v.phr. give trouble. oanli ga bad stail; yu laik taak Dis pikni oanli ku gi bachri. Ah wen pipl di taak. You have very noh noa weh Ah wahn du wid bad manners; you like to talk ahn. This child gives a lot of when others are talking. trouble. I don’t know what I’m bada v. bother, annoy, hassle. going to do with him. Noh bada mi, bwai. Yu noh si bad adj. 1) bad. Wi hafu bayl di Ah di du sohnting? Don’t bother septik tank kaaz ih di giv aaf me, boy. Don’t you see I’m doing wahn bad smel. We have to bail something? See: anai, ayk, bog, out the septic tank because it’s fos, hasl. giving off a bad smell. See: eevl, badak v. back out on, renege, haad, wikid. 2) good. Slang. fail to follow through, be Alison gat aan wahn bad shooz unreliable. Di man mi-di werk – Ah laik it. Allison has on some gud fos, bot ih staat tu badak nice shoes – I like them. See: pahn mi. The man was working wikid. — adv. badly. Di pikni well at first, but then he failed to mi-di bihayv bad; ih faiya kik follow through for me. [Possibly aata mi an aal. The child was from ‘act bad’] behaving badly; he was even badi n. body. Di bwai yooz ih kicking at me. hoal badi wen ih daans. The boy bad bowt v.phr. behave uses his whole body when he promiscuously, sleep around. dances. (Usually refers to women.) Da badi-kohn-dong n.phr. gyal ga AIDS sayk a di bad fatigue. Sayk a weh Mis Sayra bowt. That girl has AIDS because werk soh haad, ih en op di ga of her promiscuity. See: rot badi-kohn-dong. Because Miss bowt, sleep rong. Sarah worked so hard, she ended mek bad v.phr. cause trouble. up with fatigue. Ah noh waahn tel Saydi how ih 36 badis Kriol tu Inglish bahain badis adj. worst. Dis da di badis could only splash around. pikni owt a aal a dehn. This is 2) flounder. Ah noh di mek it the worst boy out of all of them. eena laif ataal, Ah jos di bafu See: wosis. ahn kyaahn gama. I’m not badlokid adj. unlucky. Ah mosi making it at all in life, I’m just badlokid kaaz evriting aalwayz floundering and can’t accomplish di goh rang. I must be unlucky anything. 3) wobble. (Term from because everything always goes the game of tops, when a player wrong. See: saal. misses a point.) Aal di lee bwai tap du da bafu. All the little bad-main v. sabotage, boy’s top does is wobble. [ 38 baitin Kriol tu Inglish baks bit his tongue to keep from behind, I know that’s Paul. screaming, and said to himself, bak-a-baptis n. prison; used to “Ha! I’m not afraid.” be located behind the Queen baitin adj. biting. Noh goh eena St. Baptist church in Belize da yaad kaa dehn ga baitin City, so it was referred to daag deh. Don’t go into that yard idiomatically as ‘bak-a- because they have biting dogs baptis’. there. bakabush n. bush, country, baiya n. buyer. Yu geh wahn rural area, woods. Mi onkl baiya fi yu hows? Did you get a gaahn way bakabush gaahn buyer for your house? hontin. My uncle went way into baiyas adj. biased. Yvet baiyas the bush to hunt. See: bush. weh ih daata kansaan. Yvette is bakarop v. go in reverse in a biased where her daughter is car. Ah wahn bakarop di kaa, concerned. soh moov owt a di way. I’m gaahn baiyas v.phr. become going to put the car in reverse, so pointless unsuccessful, or get out of the way. thwarted. Aal mi plan dehn fi bak-chat v. talk back, sass. Noh di paati gaahn baiyas sayk a di bak-chat mi, kaaz Ah wahn rayn. All of my plans for the slap yu. Don’t talk back to me, or party were unsuccessful because I’ll slap you. — n. back-talk, of the rain. sass. Mari kohn di gi mi ih bak n. back; body part. Ih bak-chat dehn. Mary came back kyaahn waak schrayt kaaz ih at me with her sass. schrayn ih bak. He can’t walk bakl Variant: batl. straight because he strained his baklaas Variant: batlaas. back. — adv. back. Wash di eg dehn, den yu paas dehn bak tu bakra n. white person or a light mi. Wash the eggs, then pass skinned person who fancies them back to me. — v. carry. Wi himself to be white. Dehn mi hafu get op soon fi bak bakra kraas deh heng wid dehn waata. We had to get up early to wait pipl soh moch dat dehn carry water. See: kehr, kraas, staat tu tink dat dehn wait tu. lang. The ‘white wannabees’ from bak a phr. behind, in back of. across there hang around with Ah mi deh rait bak a yu. I was white people so much that they’re right there behind you. See: starting to think they’re white too. bihain. [In Belize City, to go [ 39 bakway Kriol tu Inglish bambu chikin baks fi wen Ah di moov. I need ahn dong owt deh. There’s a guy some empty boxes for when I is going up and down out there. move. fowl teet bali n.phr. bakway adv. backwards. Di untrustworthy friend, fair- haal mi soh naro dat wi mi hafu weather friend. goh een bakway. The hall was so baloon n. balloon. Wi hafu bloa narrow that we had to go in op wahn lat a baloon fi di paati. backwards. We have to blow up lots of bakyaad n. 1) back yard. Mi ma balloons for the party. See: mi eena di bakyaad di heng owt bloda. kloaz. My mother was in the bam brigidim buf ono. sound back yard hanging out clothes. of someone falling or 2) behind, bottom, buttocks. colliding, or sudden Da uman ga wahn big bakyaad. occurrence of something. That woman has a large rear end. (Each word can be used alone. See: bahain, batam, bati, staan. The addition of ‘buf’ means that balahu adj. loud, rowdy, whatever has fallen cannot be unruly. Dehn balahu uman noh stood up again.) Di fat man faal wahn welkom eena mai famili. dong – bam brigidim buf! The Those loud women won’t be fat man fell down kaboom! welcome in my family. See: [ 41 banglz Kriol tu Inglish baragumbeh the thief a good beating when banksaid (var: benksaid) n. they caught him. See: beetn, beet bank, area alongside a river. op, ponch op. Wi ron dong bai di banksaid banglz (var: benglz) n. ahn hala fi wi pikni dehn. We 1) bangle. (Both sg. & pl.) Mi ran down by the river bank and bwaifren gi mi wahn nais hollered to our children. See: banglz wid mi nayhn pan it. My bank. boyfriend gave me a nice bangle bankwit n. banquet. Wen wi with my name on it. See: goh da di bankwit, Ai wahn eet eksklaava. 2) handcuffs. Slang. ahn eet. When we go to the Polees wahn put banglz pahn banquet, I will eat and eat. yu sayk a teef. Police will put baps (var: braps) int. you in handcuffs because of your immediately, right away. Fi stealing. See: hankof. — v. shee hozban jos haftu luk pahn handcuff. Dehn banglz di man shee, ahn baps, shee geh ahn kehr ahn da stayshan kaa pregnant Her husband just has to hihn hoa lat a chail sopoat. look at her, and what do you Police handcuffed the man and know, she gets pregnant. See: took him to the station because he rait away. owed a lot of child support. baptaiz v. baptize. Jan di Baptis bangz n. bangs; hairstyle. Di mi-di baptaiz pipl eena Jaadn gyal bangz aalwayz di get eena Riva. John the Baptist was ih aiy. The girl’s bangs are baptizing people in the Jordan always getting in her eyes. River. banja fut n. sore on the foot. baptizm n. baptism. Wi gwehn Luk pahn shee wid ih banja fut; da choch fi di baptizm. We’re ih ful a soar. Look at her with going to church for the baptism. that foot; it’s full of sores. See: bara v. borrow. Yu ku bara az yaga. lang az yu memba fi pay bak. 1 bank (var: benk) n. bank; You can borrow as long as you institution for holding and remember to pay it back. lending money. Di lain da bank baragumbeh n. borrower (a oanli lang wen payday. The line person who likes to borrow at the bank is very long on but doesn’t return or pay back) paydays. Baragumbeh di kohn, soh noh 2 bank (var: benk) n. river bank; mek ih noa yu jos geh pay. The area along a river considered borrower is coming, so don’t let the home territory of a certain him know that you just got paid. family. Ah liv pahn di nada [‘Bara’ barrow + ‘gumbeh’ drum. said a di bank. I live on the other This word comes from a proverb side of the bank. See: banksaid. “Baragumbeh noh play til [May have originated from daylait,” which originally meant logging rights to river access.] “buy your own - what you borrow 42 bariks Kriol tu Inglish batlaas might not be available when you ingredients for making cakes need it.” etc. If yu kip di bata smood, bariks n. 1) barracks; buildings den yu noa di kayk wahn for housing soldiers and aarait. If you keep the batter workmen. smooth, then you know the cake Bariks 2) section of Belize will be okay. City on the north central shore batam n. 1) bottom; lowest part where the West Indian of a place. Di pat batam mi Regiment was originally doti. The pot’s bottom was dirty. quartered. Barracks Road, a 2) behind, bottom, buttocks. major thoroughfare, runs Gyal, fi yoo batam oanli di geh through this area. Ah need big. Girl, your bottom is really sohn fresh ayaa, soh Ah gwehn getting big. See: bahain, owt da Bariks. I need some fresh bakyaad, bambam, bati, staan. air, so I’m going out to New batan n. wooden brace; a Town Barracks. horizontal brace on walls baril n. barrel. Da bali rong laik made of native wooden wahn baril. That guy is round materials. like a barrel. See: jrom. bati n. behind, bottom, baro n. barracuda. Sphyraena buttocks. Dehn laydi wid big barracuda. Baro fish tays gud bati aalwayz laik wayr tait eena panaades. Barracuda tastes pants. It seems like ladies with good in empanadas. big bottoms always wear tight bashment n. bash; gala event or pants. See: bahain, bakyaad, party. Slang. Wi ga big bambam, batam, staan. [ 44 bayr Kriol tu Inglish bee didn’t bear anything. See: points on a baseball diamond. projoos. Jani bat di baal gud, bot dehn bayr2 v. bear, endure. Ih ma tel owt ahn bifoa ih reech fos bays. ahn noh fi marid, soh now ih Johnny hit the ball well, but they hafu green ahn bayr it. His put him out before he got to first mother told him not to get base. 2) neighbourhood married, so now he will have to hangout where drugs can be just grin and bear it. See: stan, purchased. Da bwai beta noh atalarayt, tek. tink hihn wahn heng pahn no bays. That boy better not think bayr3 adj. bare; empty, without he’ll hang out at any base. covering, equipment or 3) centre of operation, such as embellishment. Teef brok eena a military base. di hows ahn lef it bayr bayr. Thieves broke into the house and baysn n. enamel basin, sink. left it completely empty. Goh wash yu fays eena di baysn. Go wash your face in the bayrfays adj. barefaced; basin. See: pudn pan, wash-han brazen, shameless. Yoo oanli baysn, zink. bayrfays fi kohn taak tu mi laik 1 dat! You’re really shameless to bayt v. bait. Yu noh waahn bayt come talk to me like that! See: di huk wid da pees a chikin faysi, jrai fays. skin? Don’t you want to bait the hook with that piece of chicken bayrfaysidnis n. brazenness, skin? nerve, shamelessness. Dat da — n. bait. Put aan di bayt pahn loan bayrfaysidnis how shee di di fishin huk. Put the bait on the kom aan tu mi hozban rait fish hook. front a mi. She has nerve to 2 come on to my husband right in bayt v. abate; become less in front of me. See: faysinis. amount or degree. Di feeva bayt wen di baybi geh di bayrfut (var: byaafut) adv. medisn. The fever abated when barefoot. Sayk a waak bayrfut, the baby got the medicine. See: Ben geh nayl-juk. Because of jrap. walking barefoot, Ben stepped on a nail. bed n. bed. Di sik chail mi deh pahn di bed. The sick child was bays1 v. baste; moisten food as on the bed. See: bonk. it cooks. Ah yooz di jripinz fi bays di terki. I use the drippings bedspred n. bedspread. Mai to baste the turkey. grani krosheh wahn byootiful bedspred. My granny crocheted bays2 v. baste; sew with long, a beautiful bedspread. loose stitches. Ah hafu bays op 1 di blowz bifoa Ah soa it. I have bee v. be. Emphatic. Mee ahn to baste the blouse before I sew it. da gyal yoostu bee enimi, bot den wi ton fren. That girl and I bays3 n. 1) base; one of four used to be enemies, but then we 45 bee Kriol tu Inglish beets became friends. See: deh. become very dirty. Wen yu goh bee2 n. bee. Wahn bee stin mi play eena mod, yu beesli op yu wen Ah gaan anda di chree. A kloaz. When you play in the mud, bee stung me when I went under you get your clothes very dirty. the tree. beet v. 1) beat, thrash with an beech n. beach. (Refers to object. Main Ah en op di beet specific beaches, but generally yu wid da belt kaa yu wahn one would ‘goh bayd da see’.) baal. Watch out, because if I end Wen wi mi smaal, lat a pipl up beating you with that belt, yoostu goh da Bileezyan Beech you’ll bawl. See: dip, lada, lash, fi bayd. When we were small, lays, tayr, wap. 2) beat, defeat. many people used to go to the Ah noh tink wi schrang nof fi Belizean Beach to swim. beet di enimi. I don’t think we’re [Belizean Beech was a favourite strong enough to defeat the local beach a few miles west of enemy. Belize City.] beet dong v.phr. bargain for a Ah beet dong di beed n. bead. Ah waahn si di lee lower price. man pahn di prais a di shooz. I chayn weh mek owt a beed. I bargained with the man on the want to see the little chain that’s price of the shoes. See: baagin. made out of beads. beet op v.phr. beat with fists. beed-ahn-koril n. coral snake; Mi ma seh fahn ya goh bak Ah small poisonous snake with wahn geh beet op wid fis kaa coral-red, yellow and black Ah tu big fi geh beet wid belt. stripes around its body. Ah My mother says that from now on frayd fi dehn beed-ahn-koril she’ll beat me on my back with snayk. I’m afraid of coral snakes. her fists because I’m too big to beehaiv n. beehive. Di pikni get beaten with a belt. See: dehn fain wahn beehaiv eena di fis...op, pong. — n.phr. beating, chree. The children found a whipping. If yu lef di man, yu beehive in the tree. noh wahn geh nohmoh beet op beek n. beak. Di roosta stodi mi- ahn ponch op. If you leave the di pik op di lee bwai wid ih man, you won’t get any more beek. The rooster kept pecking beatings. the little boy with its beak. beetn n. beating, thrashing, beenz n. beans. (Both sg. & pl.) whipping. Sayra wahn geh Yestudeh Ah mi geh sohn nais wahn gud beetn sayk a stay owt beenz da maakit. Yesterday I got layt. Sarah will get a good some good beans at the market. beating for staying out late. See: bees n. beast. Da daag da wahn beet op. oagli bees. That dog is an ugly beets n. beet; root vegetable. beast. See: broot. (Both sg. & pl.) Wen yu bail beesli v. dirty, soil; make or beets, ih mek di waata geh red 46 beevaboad Kriol tu Inglish Belkan Brij red. When you boil beets, it hurts. See: stomok. 2) trunk of a makes the water get very red. tree. beevaboad n. beaverboard; ga/geh/kech beli v.phr. be or fibreboard. Mi pa mek di become pregnant. Daris ga beli paataaf dehn fi di hows owt a bot ih frayd fi tel ih ma. Doris is beevaboad. My father made the pregnant but she’s afraid to tell partitions for the house out of her mom. See: kech pregnant. Beaverboard. beli aaf v.phr. impregnate. Aal beg (var: bag) n. bag. Di bwai ga weh Tamas du da beli aaf wahn lat a buk eena ih beg. The Sharon ahn gaahn lef ahn. All boy has many books in his bag. Thomas did was get Sharon pregnant and then he left her. bejroom n. bedroom. Di hows See: breed, faal, jak op, oanli ga too bejroom fi ayt a wi. pregnant. The house has only two beli batam n.phr. lowest part bedrooms for eight of us. of the belly, pit of the beks adj. vexed, angry. Yu stomach. Di laaf staat deep aalwayz gat aan wahn beks dong eena ih beli batam ahn fays. You always have an angry bos owt chroo ih mowt. The face. See: chap op, kraas, laugh started deep in his belly and raatid. — v. anger, vex. Ih burst out through his mouth. beks mi how shee kohn yooz mi beli ayk n.phr. bellyache. Di lee perfyoom widowt aks mi. It bwai kamplayn bowt beli ayk. angers me that she uses my The little boy complained about a perfume without asking me. bellyache. See: graipinz, v.phr. geh...beks anger, get payn-a-beli. angry or vexed. Di bod dehn geh beks bikaaz Hanaasi tek beliful titai n. vine similar to dehn aapl. The birds got vexed rattan; used to make baskets because Anansi took their apples. and furniture. Yu hafu skrayp See: geh...owt. ahn kleen di baaskit titai bot yu beksa adj. more vexed, ku yooz beliful titai rait soh. angrier. Nobadi noh beksa You have to scrape and clean the dahn hihn wen hihn noh ga no basket tie-tie vine but you can use moni. Nobody is angrier than he bellyful tie-tie vine just as it is. when he doesn’t have any money. See: baaskit titai, titai. bel n. bell. Evri maanin di beli-uman n. pregnant woman. cherch bel ring. Every morning Loan beli-uman mi deh da the church bell rings. klinik dis maanin. Mostly pregnant women were at the beli n. 1) belly; abdominal clinic this morning. region of the body. Sayk a eet tu moch, mi beli di hat mi. Belkan Brij n. Belcan Bridge; Because I ate too much, my belly the westernmost of three bridges that cross Haulover 47 belt Kriol tu Inglish beriyin Creek in Belize City. Di siti benifit v. benefit. Da hoo wahn senta deh rait kraas Belkan benifit fahn da moni deh. Who Brij. The city centre is right will benefit from that money? across the Belcan Bridge. — n. benefit. Wen Ah ritaiya, [BELize and CANada bridge; weh kain a benifit Ah wahn assistance for the construction geh? When I retire, what kind of came from Canada] benefits will I get? belt n. 1) belt. Ah bai wahn nyoo benk Variant: bank. leda belt. I bought a new leather benksaid Variant: banksaid. belt. 2) belt; throw. Ma, da lee ber-ber n. burr; plant that bwai kohn belt mi pahn mi fut leaves small thorny seeds wid wahn stoan. Mom, that little stuck to clothing. Wi put ber- boy belted me on my foot with a ber pahn di prinsipal chyaa. We stone. See: chaans, faiya, fling, put burrs on the principal’s chair. stoan. berd (var: bod) n. bird. (‘Berd’ bembeh n. bully; tough person; is the form generally used by generally a woman who won’t younger people today.) be pushed around. Yu di play bembeh bot Ai noh frayd fi yoo. berdn n. burden. Mis Freeda seh You’re pretending to be tough, dat ih noh waahn bee wahn but I’m not afraid of you. berdn pan ih daata wen ih get oal. Miss Frieda said that she ben v. bend. If pin neva ben doesn’t want to be a burden on Naansi stoari neva en. If the pen her daughter when she gets old. doesn’t bend, Anansi’s story never ends. (Traditional ending to berga n. hamburger. Ah laik folktales.) wen dehn mek mai berga joosi. I like it when they make my bench n. bench. Sidong ya rait hamburger juicy. ya pahn dis bench. Sit down right here on this bench. beri v. bury. Dehn wahn beri di lang bench n.phr. person who man dis aftanoon. They’ll bury talks endlessly. Bwai, si hoo di the man this afternoon. kohn. Ai gwain; shee da lang bering grong n. burial ground, bench! Boy, look who’s coming. cemetery, grave-yard. I’m going; she’ll talk forever! Yestudeh wi gaahn da bering hoal lang bench Idiomatic phr. grong gaahn kehr flowaz da mi talk with another person for a ma grayv. Yesterday we went to very long time. (Literally: the cemetery to take flowers to ‘hold long bench’) Mai ma ahn my mother’s grave. mai aanti laik stay op layt di beriyin n. burial, funeral. Yu di hoal lang bench. My mom and baal wosa dan wi ga beriyin er my auntie like to stay up late sohnting. You are bawling worse talking. than if we were having a funeral benglz Archaic. Variant: banglz. or something. See: finaral. 48 beriz Kriol tu Inglish big taim beriz n. blackberry; a tree bichray v. betray. Wi noh which produces a small juicy waahn bichray di wan weh help fruit with a single seed, used wi di moas. We don’t want to in local winemaking. (Both sg. betray the one who helped us the & pl.) Wi eet beriz til wi mowt most. See: dobl kraas, sel owt. maav maav. We ate blackberries bifoa adv. before. Wi aalwayz until our mouths were really chek di weda bifoa wi goh owt. purple. [This blackberry is a We always check the weather different species from the before we go out. blackberry produced by a bifoa taim adv.phr. long ago, in bramble known in northern the past. Bifoa taim taksi neva climates.] deh; wi yoostu waak. Long ago berjin Variant: verjin. we didn’t have taxis; we used to bert paypa n. birth certificate. walk. See: lang taim, walam Ah gaahn da Rejischri fi get paas mowt, woz. — adj.phr. owt mi bert paypa. I went to the old-time. Dis da wahn bifoa Registry to get a copy of my birth taim stoari yu di tel mi. This is certificate. See: ayj paypa. an old-time story you’re telling bertday n. birthday. Neks mont me. Ah wahn selibrayt mi bertday. big adj. big. Next month I’ll celebrate my big op v.phr. glorify, praise, birthday. recognize. Ah kaal KREM bes n. best. Ih mi-di chrai ih bes rayjo ahn big op mi ma fi fi du di jab. He was trying his Madaz Day. I called KREM best to do the job. — adj. best. radio and recognized my mom for Dis da di bes areenj joos Ah Mother’s Day. See: prayz op. tays. This is the best orange juice [ 50 biliweb Kriol tu Inglish biznizuman biliweb n. a type of tree; the wahn kain a bitaz. The wine was hard wood is used in mixed with a kind of bitters. See: construction and the bitter- biliweb, sorosi. tasting bark is used in bitl n. a bite to eat; small remedies for coughs, fever, portion of food. At lees wi ga and diabetes. Acosmium lee bitl fi eet dis maanin. At panamense. See: bitaz. least we got a bite to eat this bilji adj. 1) dingy, grimy. Tek morning. See: grob. aaf da bilji shot ahn wash it. bitween prep. between. Put di Take off that dirty-looking shirt baybi fi sleep bitween unu. Put and wash it. 2) stagnant (water.) the baby to sleep between the two Da waata bilji kaa ih mi lef owt of you. hoal nait. That water is stagnant bizi adj. busy. Di lat a kukin mi because it was left out all night. ga mi bizi hoal maanin. All the bisaidn Archaic. Variant: cooking had me busy all morning. bisaidz. bizniz n. 1) business. Mi pa lef bisaidz (var: bisaidn) prep. ih faam ahn gaahn luk bowt besides, furthermore. Dafni ada bizniz. My dad left his farm pikni dehn don bad aredi, ahn and looked into other business. bisaidz dat, dehn noh eevn goh 2) personal affairs. Noh stodi da skool. Daphne’s children are shee. Mek wee main fi wee oan already bad, and besides that, bizniz. Don’t pay any attention to they don’t even go to school. See: her. Let’s mind our own business. moroava. — v. 1) belong. Gyal, da weh biskit n. biscuit, cookie (in yoo di du owt ya soh layt? Yu Am.Eng.). Goh goh bai sohn bizniz eena yu bed. Girl, what jinjasnap biskit fi mi. Go buy are you doing out here so late? some gingersnap cookies for me. You belong in bed. See: bilangz. haad taim biskit n.phr. a hard 2) to have a right, should. Yoo inexpensive cookie; also bizniz fi tel yu daata wen fi called ‘polborong’. Aiy gyal, kohn hoahn. It’s your business to Ah hongri ahn aal Ah ku bai da tell your daughter when to come haad taim biskit. Girl, I’m so home. hungry and all I can afford are biznizman n. businessman. these hard cookies. Dehn Chaini biznizman dehn bita adj. bitter. Ah noh laik no taim chros nobadi notn; yu sorosi kaaz ih oanli bita. I don’t hafu pay kyash. The Chinese like cerasee because it’s very business men never give credit; bitter. you have to pay cash. See: bitaz n. bitters; any of several merchant. medicinal herbs prepared for biznizuman n. business drinking. Di wain mi miks wid woman. Mai ma da reel biznizuman; shee mek ih oan 51 blaasam Kriol tu Inglish blak kloaz ahn sel dehn. My mom is a schreet. The little boy helped the real businesswoman; she makes blind man cross the street. her own clothes and sells them. blainfoal v. blindfold. Dehn blaasam v. blossom, develop, blainfoal di man ahn staat tu flourish. Karin di blaasam eena ponch ahn op. They blindfolded wahn byootiful yong laydi. the man and began to punch him. Karen is blossoming into a — n. blindfold. Eena dehn beautiful young lady. See: gaym, di pikni dehn mi-di put divelop. — n. blossom; the wahn blainfoal pahn dehn pa. flowering part of a plant. Lat a In their game, the children put a mango wahn deh dis yaa kaa di blindfold on their dad. chree kova wid blaasam. We’ll blainz n. window blind outside have a lot of mangos this year the window. (Both sg. & pl.) because the tree is covered with Dehn haadli mek hows wid blossoms. boad blainz pahn di winda blabamowt n. blabbermouth. agen. They hardly make houses Sohn blabamowt gaahn tel mi with wooden blinds on the waif how Ah mi deh wid laydi. windows anymore. See: jalosi. Some blabbermouth went and blak1 adj. black; colour. Ah told my wife that I was with wahn bai blak shooz fi di wedn. another woman. See: week jaa. I’m going to buy black shoes for blada n. bladder. Di lee gyal seh the wedding. wen ih jrink tu moch waata, ih blak op v.phr. 1) get black, blada geh ful. The little girl says darken (sky) Di hoal skai geh when she drinks too much water, blak op kaa ih mi wahn rayn. her bladder gets full. 2) balloon. The whole sky got black because Variant: bloda. See: baloon. it was going to rain. 2) drunk. Mi blagaad Variant: blagyaad. hozban laik goh jrink ahn kohn hoahn blak op, waahn kohn blagyaad (var: blagaad) adj. loud, rowdy, unruly; generally beet mi. My husband likes to go describes such public behavior drink and then come home drunk wanting to beat me. See: jronk, by women. Da blagyaad gyal jronkin. mek ih ma feel shaym sayk a 2 how ih mi-di goh aan pahn blak v. block. Polees blak aaf schreet. That loud girl made her Albert Schreet sayk a di rali. mom feel ashamed because of the The police blocked off Albert way she was acting on the street. Street because of the rally. See: balahu, champong nani, — n. 1) wooden or cement halari. [ 54 blesid Kriol tu Inglish blod bles...aaf v.phr. tell off. Ah was holding the rope. — n. gaahn da di nayba an Ah bles blister. Ih geh sohn big blista ahn aaf gud. I went to the eena ih han sayk a weh ih neighbour and really told him off. gaahn chap graas wid machet. See: tel aaf, chrays...aaf, kos He got some big blisters on his aaf, yooz op. hands because he went to chop blesid adj. 1) blessed, fortunate. grass with a machete. Beta noh goh da di faam pahn bloa v. 1) blow. Haad breez Sondeh, weh da di blesid day a nayli bloa dong mi hows. A hard di Laad, kaa yu mait chap yu breeze nearly blew down my fut. You’d better not go to the house. 2) expel a gust of air. farm on Sunday, the blessed day Sami stay dong anda di waata fi of the Lord, because you might faiv minits bifoa ih bloa. Sammy chop your foot. 2) blessed; stayed down under the water for expressed as an ironical oath. five minutes before he surfaced Evri blesid day, di lee bwai for air. 3) play a brass musical kohn rong ahn bada mi fi instrument. Wen Kris bloa da shilin. Every blessed day, the saks, ih mek ih song laik ih di little boy comes around begging taak an aal. When Chris plays me for a shilling. the saxophone, he makes it sound blesin n. blessing. Ah faal eena like it’s talking. blesin; mi aanti sen honjrid bloa op v.phr. puff (baking dalaz fi mi tudeh. I fell into term). Wen mi ma frai frai jak, blessings; my aunt sent one dehn bloa op priti. When my hundred dollars for me today. mom fries scones, they puff up gi...blesn v.phr. give a piece of nicely. one’s mind. Mayri shee gi mi bloa shaat v.phr. gasp. Wen di wahn gud blesin kaa mi daag bwai don ron di rays, ih mi-di gaahn bait ih pikni. Mary gave bloa shaat. When the boy me a piece of her mind because finished running the race, he was my dog bit her child. gasping. Blis Laithows n. Bliss blod n. blood. Wen Ah kot mi Lighthouse; lighthouse located finga, mi red red blod poar owt. at Fort George, an area of When I cut my finger, my red red Belize City at the northern blood poured out. entry to the harbour. [The mad blod n.phr. hives, monument to Baron Bliss, a allergic reaction. Dakta seh philanthropist who donated large Beti geh mad blod sayk a eet sums of money to Belize, is soh moch konks. The doctor said situated on this same site.] that Betty got hives from eating blista v. blister, chafe. Ah blista so much conch. mi han wen Ah mi-di hoal di poar a blod phr. anemic. Wen roap. I blistered my hands when I Ah mi gaahn da dakta, ih tel mi 55 blod moni Kriol tu Inglish bloom Ah poar a blod, kaa mi blod mi blogo n. type of plantain; short, soh loa. When I went to the fat thick-skinned plantain with doctor, he told me that I’m four sides and a thick skin. anemic because my blood is Musa balbisiana. Mami slais op lacking iron. siks blogo plaantin fi wi, an ih blod moni n. blood money; frai dehn ahn wi eet dehn wid money paid to a hired killer. pepa. Mama sliced up six fat Di man mi bai wahn pees a lan plantains for us, and she fried wid di blod moni weh ih get them and we ate them with wen ih kil di man. The man pepper. See: waika banana. bought a piece of land with the bloo adj. blue; colour. Afta ih blood-money that he got from rayn soh moch, Ah mi sopraiz fi killing the man. si di skai luk soh bloo. After it bloda Archaic. (var: blada) n. rained so much, I was surprised balloon. Di lee gyal bloa di to see the sky looking so blue. bloda tu big soh ih bos. The — n. blue, bluing; a chemical little girl blew the balloon too that comes in a small cake or much, so it burst. See: baloon. block, used in washing white clothes to make the whites blodi v. bloody, stain with brighter, and also used in blood. Luk how yu blodi di some folk medicine practices. sheet, bwai. Look at how you Bifoa wi mi ga kloaraks, mi bloodied the sheet, boy. grani yoostu yooz bloo fi waitn — adj. 1) bloody; stained with wi kloaz. Before we had Clorox, blood. Wen Jan bos ih hed, ih my granny used to use blue to ma krai wen ih si di blodi towel. whiten our clothes. When John burst his head, his mom cried when she saw the bloo gaalin See: gaalin. bloody towel. 2) bloody. Vulgar. bloo konkas n. a large blue fly. Dehn blodi pikni oanli rood kaa Bloo konkas oanli bait hat. dehn ku kos big bad wod. Those Those big blue flies really bite. bloody children are very rude See: flai, konkas. because they like to use bad bloo maalin n. large saltwater words. [ 57 boarin Kriol tu Inglish bof teet paint. He bored a big hole in his bobi n. large breast. Di laydi mi shirt with the point of the feel shaym wen ih bobi mi jomp scissors. owt a ih blowz. The lady felt boarin adj. 1) bored. Ah mi embarrassed when her breast boarin hoahn kaa Ah neva ga jumped out of her blouse. See: notn fi du. I was bored at home bres. because I didn’t have anything to bobl v. bubble. Di waata mi-di do. 2) boring. Di man speech mi bobl op eena di pat. The water oanli lang ahn boarin. The was bubbling up in the pot. man’s speech was very long and — n. bubble. Di baybi mi-di boring. bloa boblz wid ih spit. The baby boas v. brag, boast. Maikl hihn was blowing bubbles with his laik boas bowt how gud hihn ku spit. sing. Michael likes to boast about bod1 Variant: berd. n. bird. Di how well he can sing. bod dehn mi-di mek naiz eena boasi v. boast, brag. Da man di chree. The birds were making kuda boasi sayk a weh ih noise in the tree. schrang. That man could boast ful pat bod n.phr. chicken or because he’s strong. — adj. turkey large enough to fill a boastful, showy. Yoo oanli pot. Dis terki da ful pat bod; wi boasi wid yu nyoo kaa. You’re wahn ga lat a meet. This turkey really boastful with your new car. is large enough to fill a whole See: bregin. pot; we’ll have lots of meat. 2 boat n. boat. Bwai, ih jos bai bod n. bud. Mi ma roaz chree wahn nyoo boat weh ku hoal ga wahn lat a bod. My mom’s tweni pipl. Boy, he just bought a rose tree has lots of buds. new boat that can hold twenty bod pepa n. a small, very hot people. pepper that birds like to eat. flat-batam boat n.phr. Ah mi feel laik mi mowt mi deh flatboat; used on rivers. pahn faiya wen Ah eet wan lee boataan n. bay leaf tree; a type bod pepa. My mouth felt like it of palm of which the fronds was on fire when I ate one little are used for thatching, and the bird pepper. trunk is used for posts. Sabal bodayga n. storehouse; the morrisiana. Wi mi yooz boataan company store at chicle fi bil wi fos hows. We used bay camps. See: stoar room. [ 58 bofoto Kriol tu Inglish bom buckteeth just like a rabbit. See: bokay n. bouquet. Wen di braid faak teet. chroa ih bokay, Roazi kech it. bofoto (var: blofoto) adj. fat, When the bride threw her clumsy, ungainly. bouquet, Rosy caught it. bog n. hard shelled bug. Yu bokit n. 1) bucket, pail. Kehr di aalwayz si bog di flai rong lamp bokit da di fasit fi goh ful. Carry poas. You always see bugs flying the bucket to the faucet to be around lamp posts. — v. annoy, filled. 2) dilapidated vehicle, bug, bother. Ai, dehn pikni bog jalopy. Slang. Da kaa da ded mi hoal day! Ay, those children bokit. That car is nothing but a bugged me all day! See: anai, wreck. See: pemperem. bada, hasl. bokl v. buckle. Di bwai put aan bok1 v. 1) confront, defy, resist. wahn shot ahn pants an ih bokl Da man get eena chrobl kaa ih op ih pants. The boy put on a bok di polees. That man got in shirt and pants and buckled up his trouble because he defied the pants. — n. buckle. Mi ma wap police. See: boad aaf, goh aata. mi eena mi bak wid di belt bokl. 2) run into the end of My mom knocked me in the back something; go as far as with the belt buckle. possible. Goh dong da schreet bokotora n. a kind of river til yu bok, ahn yu wahn si wahn turtle. Bokotora moov sloa yala hows. Go down that street pahn lan, bot eena waata ih ku until it ends, and you’ll see a moov faas. Turtles move slow on yellow house. 3) butt. Main da land, but in water they can move kow bok yu, yu noa. Be careful fast. See: tertl. or that cow will butt you. boleedo n. type of lottery game. 4) become difficult or rough Haabat bai boleedo evri nait an economically. Ting di bok sins ih nomba noh play. Herbert Ah laas mi jab. Things are rough bought boledo tickets every night since I lost my job. See: jred, but his number never played. See: pilinki. 5) stub, stump. Ah bok lachri, lato. [ 60 bonin Kriol tu Inglish botaflai siknin wen yu slip bongl op boots op di teem. All of us came anda yu jres. It’s annoying when to boost the team. [‘Boost’ your slip bunches up under your becomes ‘boots’ by metathesis] dress. boreeto n. burrito; cheese, meat bonin adj. hurtful, burning. Mi and cabbage sauce rolled ma tel mi sohn bonin werdz. inside of a flour tortilla. [ 61 botasi Kriol tu Inglish braadkyaas hold a butterfly’s wing, you different from that in the English shouldn’t rub your eye or you’ll word.) Noh put dehn kloaz eena get blind. mi needin bowl; dat da wai yu botasi n. catfish. (botaSI) Mama ga wahn washin bowl. Don’t put frai too botasi fi tee. Mama fried those clothes in my kneading two catfish for supper. See: bowl; that’s why you have a kyato. [ 62 braad-wan Kriol tu Inglish bran I’m pregnant. mi-di waak dong di road, wahn braad-wan adv. 1) openly. Di brait lait apyaa. While the man jronkin man tek aaf ih kloaz was walking down the road, a braad-wan pahn schreet. The bright light appeared. 2) bright, drunk man took off all of his smart. Jan da wahn brait bwai clothes openly on the street. an ih aalwayz kohn fos eena ih 2) frankly. Di laydi tel mi klaas. John is a bright boy who braad-wan dat ih noh laik mi always comes first in his class. shot. The lady told me frankly See: kwik hed, sensabl, smaat. that she doesn’t like my shirt. braitnis n. brightness. Di braal n. brawl. Big braal brok braitnis a di lait mi-di blain mi. owt eena di klob. A big brawl The brightness of the light was broke out in the club. blinding me. braata n. extra; bonus given to brait-wan adv. brightly. Di a buyer to encourage future maanin son mi-di shain sales. Di shap oana gi mi too brait-wan pahn wi. The morning sweet fi braata. The shop owner sun was shining brightly upon us. gave me two candies extra. [ 65 bregin Kriol tu Inglish brok bregin adj. boastful, showy. Di brigidim See: bam brigidim buf. man reeyalaiz seh sayk a brij n. bridge. Dehn bil wahn bregin, ih oan big mowt kech nyoo siment brij kraas di riva ahn. The man realized that kaa di oal wan mi wash weh. because of his boastful ways, his They built a new cement bridge own big mouth caught him. See: across the river because the old boasi. one had washed away. bregin tuba n.phr. braggart, wan-man brij n.phr. foot- showoff. Yu kom een ya laik bridge. Yu mos weel yu baik dehn bregin tuba. You come in kraas di wan-man brij. You here like those showoffs. should wheel your bike across the [<‘tuba’ a fish with showy foot bridge. stripes] brik v. build or enclose with brekish adj. 1) bland, tasteless. brick or cement blocks. Wen Di soop neva saalti inof, ih mi mi ma ded, wi neva ga no moni jos brekish. The soup wasn’t fi brik ih grayv. When my salty, it was just bland. mother died, we didn’t have the 2) brackish, refers to slightly money to build a tomb over her salty and unpleasant-tasting grave. See: toom. — n. brick. Di water. hows mi mek owt a loan brik. brema n. Brahma; kind of The house was made completely cattle. out of brick. bres n. breast. Di baybi mi-di brikl (var: britl) sok ih ma bres. The baby was bring op v.phr. 1) rear or bring sucking his mother’s breast. See: up children. Aant Mayri wahn bobi. — adv. abreast. Wen di hafu bring op di lee gyal. Aunt man geh bowt bres a weh di Mary will have to bring up the chree deh, ih luk chroo di bush little girl. 2) arrest or bring ahn si di taiga. When the man legal action. Yu ku geh bring got abreast of where the tree was, op da koat fi chroa dert pahn di he looked through the bush and schreet. You can get sent to court saw the tiger. for throwing dirt on the street. bret n. breath. Ai noh laik goh britl (var: brikl) adj. brittle. Di kloas tu hihn kaa ih ga stinkin lee oal laydi stodi brok ih hip bret. I don’t like to go close to kaa ih boan dehn oanli britl. him because he has bad breath. The little old lady keeps breaking bribri n. a species of pod- her hip because her bones are bearing tree which grows very brittle. along the rivers; the pulp brok v. 1) break, fracture. Di lee around the seeds is edible and bwai brok ih han wen ih jrap has a sour taste. Inga edulis. aaf di baik. The little boy broke [ 66 brokdong Kriol tu Inglish brooz blod See: frakcha. 2) break; fail to away See: pul fut, tek fut. follow terms of the law or of brokdong n. traditional style of an agreement. If yu goh hed di Creole music usually played at brok di laa, yu wahn en op eena Christmas. Misa Peetaz mi-di jayl. If you continue to break the play loan brokdong da di paati. law, you’ll end up in jail. — adj. Mr. Peters was playing only having little or no money. Ah traditional music at the party. brok, soh noh aks mi fi no See: buru. moni. I’m broke, so don’t ask me brok-op n. pieces or scraps of for any money. meat pie that didn’t come out v.phr. brok dong break down. whole. Goh bai dala brok-op Wi kaa brok dong midl a tong. da di meet pai shap. Go buy Our car broke down in the middle scraps at the meat pie shop. of town. brok ih nek Idiomatic phr. brong v. brown. Ah laik yooz marry, wed. (Literally: ‘broke shuga fi brong di meet. I like to his neck’) Ih brok ih nek laas use sugar to brown the meat. nait, soh aal dehn gyal hafu lef — adj. brown. Wen Ah mek ahn loan now. He got married janikayk, Ah bayk it til ih last night, so all the girls have to brong brong. When I make leave him alone now. See: johnny-cakes, I bake them until marid. they’re dark brown. brok op v.phr. break severely, broom broom. See: shooti destroy, smash. Mi sista brok broom. op di miro tu peesiz. My sister broot n. brute. Fi shee hozban broke the mirror to pieces. See: da wahn reel broot, ih aalwayz dischrai, kandem. di rof ahn op. Her husband is a — adv. aching. Flooz lef mi di real brute, he always roughs her feel brok op. The flu left me up. See: bees. aching all over. See: payni op. brooz v. bruise. Ah brooz mi toa brok owt v.phr. 1) break out, wen Ah nak it gens di taybl fut. escape. Too prizna brok owt a I bruised my toe when I knocked jayl yestudeh. Two prisoners it against the table foot. — n. broke out of jail yesterday. See: bruise. Wen mi breda wap mi bos, eskayp. 2) break out; be wid wahn stik, ih gi mi wahn affected by skin condition. big brooz. When my brother hit Soar brok owt aal oava di yong me with a stick, he gave me a big bwai badi. Sores broke out all bruise. over the young boy’s body. See: brooz blod n. blood blister; bos. blood trapped under the nail or brok weh v.phr. break away, skin because of an injury. Ah break loose, run away. Az di nak mi finga wid di hama an ih teef si di polees, ih brok weh. As gi mi brooz blood. I knocked my the thief saw the police, he ran 67 brosh Kriol tu Inglish bulit finger with the hammer and I got meat. See: meet shap. blood trapped under my nails. budum ono. sound of brosh v. brush. Gyal, goh brosh something large falling or yu hyaa kaa ih luk fegi. Girl, go colliding. Budum! Sanjra jrap brush your hair because it looks aaf a di bed. Boom! Sandra fell frayed. — n. brush. Da brosh off of the bed. [ C - c chaa v. chew vigorously. Stap lots of money. — n. charge. di chaa laik chingom gaan owt Wich chaaj dehn bring gens yu a stail. Stop chewing like wen yu nak dong di man? What chewing gum has gone out of charge did they bring against you style. See: choo op. when you knocked the man down? See: akyoozayshan. chaaj v. charge. Di man da di stoar chaaj mi wahn lat a moni. chaak n. chalk. Di lee bwai rait The man in the store charged me op pahn di waal wid chaak. The 70 chaaklit Kriol tu Inglish chais boy scrawled all over the wall paint batl. My dad was so angry with chalk. that he threw a pint bottle at me. chaaklit n. chocolate. Dehn mek See: belt, faiya, fling, stoan. di baybi eet tu moch chaaklit; 3) take unfair advantage of dats wai ih soh fat. The let the (usually followed by ‘op’) Da baby eat too much chocolate; big bwai aalwayz di chaans op that’s why he’s so fat. — adj. Ah di lee pikni dehn. That big boy mi laik di chaaklit aiskreem always takes advantage of the weh yu mi gi mi. I liked the little children. chocolate ice cream you gave me. tek chaans aaf v.phr. take . Unu big chaakoal n. charcoal. Bwai, goh unfair advantage of bwai laik tek chaans aaf a di lee geh sohn chaakoal mek wi du bwai. You big boys like to take sohn baabikyoo. Boy, go get advantage of the little boy. See: some charcoal so we can do some du op, tek advantij, tek een. barbecue. adj. Chaali tu chaali prais n. charley price; a chaansi bullying. large rat; possibly Norwegian chaansi; jos kaa ih biga dahn mee, ih tek weh mi baik. Charlie rat. Wi hafu set wahn chrap fi is too much of a trouble-maker; kech da big chaali prais. We just because he’s bigger than I, he have to set a trap to catch that big took away my bike. rat. See: rat. [Named for Sir Charles Price, a Jamaican planter, chaaya n. spinach-like leaf who may have introduced the rat vegetable. Mi ma aalwayz kuk into the Jamaican cane fields.] op chaaya lang wid di meet. My mom always cooked chaaya chaans n. 1) chance, along with the meat. opportunity. Di lee gyal laas ih chaans fi goh da kalij wen ih chail n. child. (pl. chilren) Di neva geh di skalaship. The girl dakta tel dehn fi gi di chail lost her chance to go to college sohnting fi eet. The doctor told when she didn’t get the them to give the child something scholarship. See: apachooniti. to eat. See: pikni. 2) chance, risk. Di soalja dehn Chaini n. Chinese, or anyone of mi-di tek chaans wid dehn laif Asian descent. Lat a Chaini liv eena di waar. The soldiers took da Bileez. Many Chinese live in risks with their lives in the war. Belize. — v. 1) take the chance or risk. chaini root n. Chinese root; a Ah waahn goh owt, bot ih luk root used in making tea. Yu laik ih wahn rayn. Ah wanda if kyaahn geh yong pipl tideh fi Ah shuda chaans it. I want to go jrink chaini root tee. You can’t out, but it looks like it’s going to get young people today to drink rain. I wonder if I should chance Chinese root tea. it. 2) throw. Mi pa mi soh beks n. Da fi yoo chais dat ih chaans mi wid wahn chais choice. 71 chak op Kriol tu Inglish chaylo weda yu waahn stay da konchri faal. er kohn da siti. It’s your choice chap op v.phr. chop up. Gyal, whether you want to stay in the chap op di oanyan fi mi, noh? country or come to the city. Girl, chop up the onions for me, chak op v. block. Mi pa chak op okay? — adj. 1) muscular. Sins di chrok weel wid wahn big Taam di lif wayt, ih badi luk stoan fi mek ih noh ron dong di chap op now. Since Tom is hil. My father blocked the wheels lifting weights, his body looks of the truck to keep it from muscular now. See: kot op. rolling down the hill. 2) angry. Mi ma shee mi wel chap op bowt weh mi aanti tel chalinj (var: chanilz) v. ahn. My mother was very angry challenge. Tinait Ah wahn about what my auntie told her. chalinj mi fren dehn pahn di See: beks, kraas, raatid. baaskitbaal koat. Tonight I’m going to challenge my friends on chaparong n. chaperone. Dehn the basketball court. sen di pikni dehn pahn chrip widowt chaparong. They sent champong nani n. bossy, the children on a trip without a quarrelsome woman. chaperone. Gerchrood da wahn regyula champong nani; shee baas op di chapta n. chapter. Wi fi reed di aali mowt. Gertrude is a real fos chapta a di buk fi bossy woman; she bosses the hoamwerk. Our homework is to whole alley. See: halari, read the first chapter of the book.. blagyaad, balahu. [ 73 cheeta Kriol tu Inglish chikin paks cheet pahn di egzam dehn. chereep n. Archaic. good luck, Sometimes the children want to stroke of luck. cheat on the exams. See: wotlis. cheriz n. cherry; usually refers cheet pahn v.phr. be to the imported cherry fruit, unfaithful to one’s mate. See: but there is also a small too-taim. tropical cherry which is cheeta adj. apt to cheat. Ah noh known in rural areas. (Both sg. laik play gaym wid Delaani kaa & pl.) Di oanli taim wi eet shee tu cheeta. I don’t like to cheriz da eena blak kayk. The play games with Delanni because only time we eat cherries is in she’s always cheating. black cake. cheezi adj. cheesy, inferior, ches n. chest. (This may be poor quality. Yu pay soh moch referred to as ‘stomok’, especially moni fi da cheezi jres? You paid in males.) Dehn madaz laik so much for that cheesy dress? sleep wid dehn nyoo baybi pahn chek v. Slang. (Older people use dehn ches. Mothers like to sleep ‘chek owt’.) 1) check on, check with their new babies on their out. Wi pa sen wi fi chek pahn chests. di nyoo hows. Our father sent us chest a jraa n. chest of to check on the new house. drawers; a cabinet with 2) like, agree with. Ah noh drawers for holding clothes. chek fi fi shee wayz. I don’t like Wi need wahn chest a jraa fi her ways. See: kay/kyaa fi, laik. put di pikni kloaz eena. We chektaiz v. chastise, reprimand, need a chest of drawers to put the scold. Mis Mayri mi haftu children’s clothes in. chektaiz ih daata kaa ih mi chiga n. chigger. Yu kyaahn kip bak-chat ahn. Miss Mary had to stil jos laik yu ga chiga eena yu. scold her daughter because she You can’t keep still as if you had sassed her. See: lekcha, rayl have chiggers. op, skoal. chikin n. chicken. Bileez pipl lov chemba n. chamber pot. Wi chikin soh moch, Ah noh noa neva ga no soorij soh wi mi how dehn noh staat tu groa haftu yooz chemba. We didn’t feda yet. Belizeans love chicken have an indoor toilet, so we had so much that I don’t know why to use chamber pots. See: chimi, they haven’t started sprouting poa pat. feathers. See: fowl. cherch (var: choch) n. church. chikin paks n. chicken pox. Modern. Az wi get op tu di Pipl seh dat wan a di loakal cherch, wi si wahn braid ahn kyoar fi chikin paks da fi bail di groom deh. As we got to the green kaan waata ahn jrink church, we saw a bride and ahn. People say that one of the groom there. local cures for chicken pox is to boil the water from corn greens 74 chiklayro Kriol tu Inglish chochi chochi and drink it. yooz di ting dehn owt a mi hoap chiklayro n. one who works in chis. Since I didn’t get married, I chicle. Ah ku memba di dayz decided to use the things in my wen di chiklayro dehn doz hope chest. bring di wad a cheekleh da fi chizl v. cut or shape with a wee vilij. I can remember the chisel. Mi pa neva ga no jril, days when the chicle workers soh ih mi hafu chizl owt di hoal used to bring the wad of chicle to eena di siment waal wid wahn our village. chizl ahn wahn hama. My father chilren n. children. (sg. chail) didn’t have a drill, so he had to Wahn lat a chilren goh da da chisel out a hole in the cement skool. Many children go to that wall with a chisel and hammer. school. See: pikni. cho int. exclamation of chimi n. chamber pot. See: annoyance, disgust, or chemba, poa pat. impatience. Cho! Mee noh laik da bwai ataal! No way! I don’t chimoaleh n. chimole; soup like that boy at all! [ 76 chraiyantiloap Kriol tu Inglish chravl hard times. Marta gaahn chroo chrapoalin n. tarpaulin. Di lat a chraiyalz eena fi shee laif. pikni dehn eena di chrok bak Martha went through lots of trials haal di chrapoalin oava dehn in her life. See: chroblz, hed mek di rayn noh wet dehn. prablemz. The children in the truck bed chraiyantiloap n. tarantula. hauled the tarpaulin over their Wahn big blak chraiyantiloap heads to keep the rain from stin di baybi. A big black getting them wet. tarantula stung the baby. chrash1 n. 1) garbage, trash. Ah chrak n. track, path. Yoo fi help kyaahn tek ahn wen pipl chroa yu pikni dehn fi geh bak pahn dehn chrash aal oava di plays. I di rait chrak. You must help can’t take it when people throw your children get back on the their trash all over the place. See: right track. dert, gyaabij. 2) sugar cane or chrak dong v.phr. track down, coconut residue after the pursue. Roaz loan chrak dong liquid has been extracted. ih hozban sins hihn geh sel Coconut residue is discarded foan. Rose can really track down or fed to livestock. Sugar cane her husband since he got a cell residue is used to make phone. fertilizer. See: bagash. chrash op v.phr. litter. Stap di chrakta n. tractor. Wan a dehn chrash op di konchri. Stop big chrakta mi jreg dong di littering up the country. See: doti laydi lee boad hows. One of op. those big tractors dragged down 2 the lady’s little wooden house. chrash thrush; a fungal disease causing scum to form in an chranslayt v. translate. Di Kriol infant’s mouth. Di baybi kech Projek di chranslayt di Baibl chrash sayk a weh ih ma yooz intu Kriol. The Kriol Project is loan doti baba. The baby caught translating the Bible into Kriol. thrush because his mother uses so chranspoat n. transportation. many dirty baby bottles. Wi noh ga no chranspoat fi get chrat v. jog, trot. Mi hozban goh hoahn. We don’t have chrat too mailz evri day. My transportation for getting home. husband jogs two miles every chrap v. trap. Di lee pus geh day. chrap op eena di chree. The chravl1 v. travel. Da man an ih little cat got trapped up in the waif chravl aal oava di werl. tree. See: pik...mowt. That man and his wife traveled all — n. trap. Mi pa set chrap aal over the world. oava di hows kaa wi ga lat a 2 rat. My dad set traps all over the chravl v. euphemism for being house because we have lots of on one’s death bed. Wi mi noa rats. di sik oal man mi-di chravl kaa ih staat tu kaal roal. We knew 77 chravl wid... Kriol tu Inglish chrespas that the sick old man was dying chrayta n. traitor. Yu chrayta because he started to call the yu! Yu gaahn bak gaahn tel names of his loved ones. See: deh Mayri evriting weh Ah tel yu. pahn daiyin. You traitor! You went back and chravl wid... (var: chrobl wid...) told Mary everything that I told phr. be troubled with, suffer you. from; have a recurring medical chred1 n. thread. Di chred weh problem. Da lee bwai chravl di laydi soa di jres wid mi oanli wid fits fahn ih leel. That boy ratn. The thread that the lady has been troubled with epilepsy sewed the dress with was really since he was small. rotten. chrayd n. trade, profession. Ah chred2 v. tread, mate, breed; sen di pikni dehn fi laan wahn generally refers to poultry. Di chrayd. I sent the children to roosta chred di hen. The rooster learn a trade. bred with the hen. chrayl v. trail, follow, pursue. chree1 n. tree. Mi pa plaant Da man chrayl di gyal til ih get wahn lat a chree eena di yaad. hoahn. That man trailed the girl My father planted lots of trees in until she got home. See: daag, the yard. fala, staak. chree2 num. three. Ih rayn fi chrayn v. train. Yu hafu chrayn chree dayz laas week. It rained op di pikni gud fi mek it eena for three days last week. laif. You have to train a child chree a laif n. plant with green well so he can make it in life. leaves with black edges; used chraynin n. training. Da lee for making a cough medicine. bwai noh ga no kain a hoam Kalanchoe pinnata chraynin. That little boy was not chreet v. treat. Dadi chreet wi tu at all well brought up. aiskreem laas nait. Daddy chrayps v. traipse, walk. Wi treated us to ice cream last night. hafu chrayps goh weh kraas — n. treat. Ah gaahn da hyaa yaanda fi geh waata. We have to jresa ahn gi miself wahn chreet. walk way over yonder to get I went to the hairdresser and gave water. See: waak. myself a treat. chrays...aaf v. abuse verbally, chreetment n. treatment. Ah berate, rebuke harshly, tell off. hoap ih noh ekspek no speshal Ih kohn way da mi hows kohn chreetment jos bikaa ih da di chrays mi aaf. She came all the myaa son. I hope he doesn’t way to my house to tell me off. expect any special treatment just See: bles...aaf, kos aaf, tel aaf, because he’s the mayor’s son. yooz op. [Perhaps this reflects chreja Variant: chrezha. the ‘tracing’ of another’s lineage chrespas v. trespass. Noh goh or past in a derogatory way.] chrespas pahn di man lan. 78 chretn Kriol tu Inglish chroa Don’t trespass on the man’s land. chrip n. trip. Wi kohn bak fahn chretn v. threaten. Daaleen wi chrip ahn tel evribadi bowt bwaifren kohn kohn chretn mi it. We came back from our trip wid wahn naif. Darlene’s and told everybody about it. See: boyfriend came and threatened jerni. — v. show signs of a me with a knife. nervous breakdown. Da bwai mosi di chrip kaa ih aalwayz di chrezha (var: chreja) v. treasure. stayr aaf eena spays. That boy Ah oanli chrezha dis ring weh must be about to have a mi grani gi mi. I really treasure breakdown because he’s always this ring that my granny gave me. staring off into space. chrezhri n. treasury. Ah wahn chrip dong v.phr. trip; to pay yu wen Ah kyash mi stumble. Dehn lat a waiya weh vowcha da chrezhri. I’ll pay you mi hozban ga kraas di floa mek when I cash my voucher at the Ah chrip dong. All of that wire treasury. that my husband has across the chrik v. deceive, trick. Di man floor made me trip. mi du dehn ting fi chrai chrik chro weh v. 1) spill. If yu noh wi. The man did those things to kyaaful, yu jrink wahn chro try to trick us. See: fool, play. weh. If you’re not careful, you’ll — n. trick. Ah noa how fi du spill your drink. 2) throw away, wahn lee chrik wid kyaad. I discard, dispose of. Wi gaahn know how to do a little trick with chro weh gyaabij op di road. cards. We went up the road to dispose chriki adj. tricky. Ah noh chros of the garbage. See: chok weh, da man kaa ih luk chriki. I dash weh, pich weh. 3) abort a don’t trust that man because he child. Di gyal noh marid, soh ih looks tricky. waahn chro weh di baybi. The chril v. thrill. Di singa weh dehn woman is not married, so she geh fi di daans mi-di chril di wants to abort the baby. See: yong gyal dehn wid ih priti vais. dash weh, pich weh. The singer that they got for the chroa v. throw. Chroa di baal tu dance thrilled the young girls mi breda. Throw the ball to my with his nice voice. brother. See: belt, chaans, chok, chrim v. trim. Mi lee bwai hihn chro weh, dash, faiya, fling, hib, oanli laik luk pan ihself wen ih pich, stoan. don geh chrim. My little boy chroa...aaf v.phr. throw off, really likes to look at himself distract. Wen dehn play di when he’s been trimmed. myoozik haad, ih chroa mi aaf chrimbl v. tremble. Ah mi soh kaa Ah kyaahn tink. When they fraitn, Ah staat tu chrimbl laik play the music loud, it distracts leef. I was so frightened, I started me so that I can’t think. See: to tremble like a leaf. See: shiva. dischrak, abschrok. 79 chroan Kriol tu Inglish chroo chroa aan v.phr. put on chrobl wid... Variant: chravl hastily. Chroa aan pees a kloaz wid... ahn lesgoh wid mi. Put on some chrobl(z) n. trouble(s), trial(s) clothes and let’s go. See: haal Ah di goh chroo lat a chroblz aan. deez dayz. I’m going through lots chroa han v.phr. punch. Di of troubles these days. See: bwai dehn neva kwaaril tu lang kraas, chraiyalz, prablem(z). bifoa dehn staat chroa han. The chrok n. large truck, lorry. Mi boys didn’t quarrel very much hozban ga wahn big chrok weh before they were punching each ih haal san eena. My husband other. See: dash han, jrap too has a big truck that he hauls sand han pahn, ponch. in. chroa op v.phr. 1) vomit, throw up. Di jronkin man kohn chrompit n. trumpet. Mai chroa op aal oava mi chyaa grampa ku bloa chrompit gud. dehn. The drunken man came My grandfather can play the and threw up all over my chairs. trumpet well. See: vamit. 2) abandon. Di faam chrompit chree n. trumpet tree; jos lef chroa op sins mi onkl tree that looks like a large ded. The farm is just abandoned papaya plant; ants live in the since my uncle died. See: gi op. tree and protect it by biting chroa wod v.phr. make a anything that touches it. veiled comment; indirect Crecropia obtusifolia. Enitaim insult. Mee noh bileev eena wi si chrompit chree wi hafu chroa wod; mee wahn tel yu bring sohn a di leef dehn fi mi weh Ai ga fi seh rait tu yu fays. grani fi ih presha. Whenever we I don’t believe in dropping see a trumpet tree, we have to remarks; I’ll tell you what I have bring some of the leaves for my to say right to your face. grandmother for her blood pressure. [Name was given by chroan n. 1) throne. Di king ahn the ancient Maya who used it to di kween di sidong pahn dehn make ceremonial trumpets.] chroan. The king and queen are sitting on their throne. 2) toilet. chronk n. trunk. Euphemism. Peeta aalwayz deh chroo1 adj. true. Evriting weh di eena baachroom pan ih chroan. man seh da-mi chroo. Peter is always there on his Everything the man said was true. throne in the bathroom. See: fi chroo phr. in truth, truly. lachreen, tailit, watsaid. Dehn fain owt seh di man mi chroat n. throat. Di waata gaahn did gaan eena di laydi hows fi dong di rang chroat ahn di chroo. They found out that the baybi choak. The water went man really did go into the lady’s down the baby’s windpipe and house. made him choke. noh chroo int. isn’t that true? 80 chroo Kriol tu Inglish daab (Request for affirmative for a loaf of bread until response from listener) Jaymz tomorrow. hihn ga lat a moni, noh chroo? chuk mowt v.phr. chat, James has lots of money, doesn’t converse. Mee ahn Magee he? mi-di chuk mowt kaa lang taim chroo2 adv. through. Di bwai wi neva si wan anada. Maggie dehn mi-di ron chroo ahn chroo and I were chatting because we di hows. The boys were running hadn’t seen each other for a long all through the house. time. See: diskoas. chroot (var: schroot) n. truth. Ih chupid Variant: schupid. tel wi di hoal chroot; ih neva chyaa1 (var: chayr) n. chair. Dis haid notn. He told us the whole chyaa weh Ah di sidong pan truth; he didn’t hide anything. oanli haad. This chair that I’m chros v. 1) trust. Afta aal dis sitting on is very hard. taim, yu stil noh chros mi yet? chyaa2 v. cheer. Aal a wi kohn After all this time, you still don’t kohn chyaa fi wi teem. All of us trust me? See: pen. 2) give came to cheer for our team. business credit. Chros mi wahn bred til tumaaro. Give me credit D - d da1 foc. it is, it was. Da Haabat report about the accident. See: sayhn wan brok mi playt. deh. Herbert is the one who broke my da5 adj. that. Mee noh waahn da plate. ting eena fi mee hows. I don’t da2 prep. 1) at. Di paati wahn want that thing in my house. See: deh da mi breda hows. The datdeh, datira. party will be at my brother’s da6 Variant: uda. v. would. Hoo house. 2) in. Ahn da eni vilij da tink seh hihn da mi eva kil ih weh di pipl poa, yu mos help waif? Who would have thought dehn. And in any village where that he would ever kill his wife? the people are poor, you should daab v. daub; paint or cover help them. See: een. 3) to. Wi unskillfully. Rong Krismos goh da maakit evri Satideh. We evribadi daab dehn hows wid go to the market every Saturday. lee paynt. Around Christmas da3 Question marker. Da weh everybody daubs his house with a Hanansi wahn du now? What is little bit of paint. — n. dab; soft Anansi going to do now? or moist bit of something. Ah da4 v. is, are. Dis da di ripoat gaan owt deh ahn geh wahn lee bowt di aksident. This is the daab a mod pahn mi shooz. I went out and got a little dab of 81 daadi Kriol tu Inglish dabl mud smeared on my shoes. daan v. darn. Da lee oal laydi daadi n. father. Derogatory. aalwayz di daan sohn tayrin (‘Dadi’ becomes ‘daadi’ when saks. That little old lady is used in an insulting way.) Yu oal always darning torn socks. daadi hihn noh bring di moni daans v. dance. Di gyal mi tudeh. That no-good daddy of daans rait deh front a evribadi. yours didn’t bring the money The girl danced right there in today. See: dadi. front of everybody. See: jomp daag n. dog. If yu noh kyaaful, op, wain. — n. Aal a di yong da daag wahn bait yu. If you’re pipl goh da daans Satideh nait. not careful, that dog will bite you. All of the young people go See: patlika. — v. follow, dancing on Saturday nights. stalk. Rabat daag ih gyal fren daat n. 1) darts. Evribadi da di day ahn nait til ih kech ahn wid klob mi-di play daat. Everybody di ada bwai. Robert followed his at the club was playing darts. girlfriend day and night until he 2) dart; a stitched fold used in caught her with the other boy. sewing. Mi ma put too daat See: chrayl, fala, staak. eena di jres soh dat ih kuda mi daag sidong n. small, fit mi gud. My mom put two dilapidated house that sits flat darts in the dress so that it would on the ground. Ah waahn wahn fit me well. nais big hows; Ah noh waahn daata n. daughter. Di king daata no daag sidong. I want a nice big mi yong ahn priti. The king’s house, not a little tiny house on daughter was young and pretty. the ground. See: daata-ahn-laa (var: daata-laa) nak-ahn-stan-op, kuboos. n. daughter-in-law. Da uman daak n. dark, darkness. Di lee an ih daata-ahn-laa jos kudn pikni dehn frayd fi daak. The set haas. That woman and her little children are afraid of the daughter-in-law just couldn’t get dark. See: daaknis. — adj. dark. along. Di son gaahn dong an ih geh daata-laa Variant: daak daak. The sun went down daata-ahn-laa. and it got very dark. dabl v. 1) dabble; meddle, daaknis n. dark, darkness. Wen interfere. Mai mada-ahn-laa blakowt, wi si loan daaknis aal shee aalwayz di dabl eena fi wee oava di plays. When there’s no bizniz. My mother-in-law always electricity, we see nothing but meddles in our business. See: darkness all over the place. See: faas, intafayr. 2) do things in a daak. haphazard manner. Di gyal jos daalin n. darling. Ah wahn bee dabl di doti tingz ahn gaahn di wan fi yoo, daalin. I’ll be the bowt ih bizniz. The girl hurriedly one for you, darling. washed the dirty things and went about her business. 3) play idly, 82 dabow Kriol tu Inglish dakta generally in water. Di pikni fish. The little children from dehn mi-di dabl eena mod. The Cayo can dive like fish. children were just playing in the daiyapa n. diaper. Di laydi tek mud. See: play, ramp. aaf di baybi daiyapa. The lady dabow ono. sound of impact in took off the baby’s diaper. See: water. Yu oanli yehr ‘dabow’ napkin, pamperz. wen di lee bwai slip ahn jrap daiyin used in the prep.phr.: eena waata. You only heard deh pahn daiyin phr. about to ‘dabow’ when the little boy die, on one’s death bed. Mi slipped and fell into the water. grampa mi noa seh ih mi deh dabz Variant: dibz. pahn daiyin, soh ih kaal dadi n. father. Mi dadi di kohn evribadi rong ahn. My tudeh. My dad is coming today. grandfather knew that he was See: daadi, pa, papa, pupa. about to die, so he called all of us to be around him. See: chravl. daga (var: dega) n. dagger. Polees tek weh wahn daga fahn daj v. 1) lie in wait for. Di man di man wen dehn saach ahn. daj ih waif wen if lef fi si if ih The police took a dagger from the mi gwehn meet wahn nada man when they searched him. man. The man lay in wait for his See: naif. wife when she left to see if she was going to meet another man. dahn (var: dan) conj. than. Yoo See: laywayt. 2) geh moa mango dahn mee. You dodge; avoid, Jos bikaaz ih hoa mi di got more mangos than I did. evade. tweni dalaz, ih di daj mi. Just dai v. dye. Mi ma dai ih hyaa because he owes me the twenty kaa ih mi-di geh gray. My mom dollars, he avoids me. See: avaid. dyed her hair because she was v. 1) Di boat dehn getting grey. dak dock. weh goh da San Payjro dak rait dairek Variant: dairekli. da Koat-Hows Waaf. The boats dairekli (var: dairek) adv. that go to San Pedro are docked directly, straight. Di man gi mi right by the Courthouse Wharf. wahn lif an ih kehr mi dairekli 2) appear suddenly . Afta soh weh Ah mi waahn goh. The man moch yaaz Flaid hihn dak op da gave me a lift and took me mi doa. After so many years directly where I wanted to go. Floyd suddenly appeared on my See: ded, schrayt. door step. See: apyaa. dairekshan n. direction. Da dakman n. dock worker. Dehn wich dairekshan yu waahn goh, dakman werk haad di load soh er soh? Which direction do dehn baaj. Dock workers work you want to go, this way or that hard loading barges. way? dakta n. doctor. Mek di dakta daiv v. dive. Dehn lee pikni egzamin yu, ahn yu wahn noa if dehn fahn Kaiyo ku daiv laik 83 dakta flai Kriol tu Inglish dash yu sik. Let the doctor examine dam pen mek Ah sain di paypa. you, and you’ll know if you’re Give me the damned pen so that I sick. can sign the paper. dakta flai n. doctor fly; an damanika fowl n. a type of insect resembling a large chicken. Damanika fowl da house-fly with black spots on wahn priti chikin; ih luk laik a yellowish body. Tabanus spp. sohnbadi tek wahn lee paynt Noh mek da dakta flai bait yu brosh ahn mek lat a blak ahn kaa ih wahn swel yu op. Don’t gray spat aal oava ahn The let that doctor fly bite you Dominican fowl is a pretty because it will cause you to swell chicken; it looks like somebody up. [The name comes from its took a little paintbrush and made sharp bloodsucking sting which is a lot of black and grey spots all like a doctor’s injection.] over it. dala n. dollar. (pl. dalaz.) Di lee da-mi v. was. Mi pa da-mi di bwai bayg fi dala fi kehr da teecha eena mi klaas. My father skool. The little boy begged for a was the teacher of my class. dollar to take to school. damij v. damage. Luk how di dala kain n.phr. dollar coin. pikni dehn damij mi nyoo bran Wi doz sayv aal a wi dala kain aiyan. Look how the children dehn eena wahn batl. We used damaged my brand new iron. to save all of our dollar coins in a — n. damage. Da harikayn du jar. wahn lat a damij. That hurricane haad dala n.phr. a dollar bill did a lot of damage. not broken into change. dan (var: dahn) conj. than. Laif Chaynj dis haad dala intu foa da moa dan jos food ahn kloaz, shilin fi mi. Change this dollar yu noa. Life is more than just bill into four quarters for me. food and clothes, you know. dalfin n. dolphin. See: pampas. dandan n. a child’s pretty dali n. doll. Di laydi gi wi wahn dress. Krismos di kohn an Ah lat a pees a klaat fi mek kloaz fi waahn geh wahn nais lee mi lee daata dali. The lady gave dandan fi mi lee gyal. Christmas us lots of pieces of cloth to make is coming and I want to get a nice clothes for my little daughter’s dress for my little girl. See: jres. doll. dangl (var: dengl) v. dangle. Di dam v. damn; condemn. Yu bokit mi-di dangl pahn di en a wahn dam if yu noh geh wahn di roap. The bucket was dangling gud ejukayshan eena dehn haad on the end of the rope. taim ya. You’ll be damned if you danki Variant: dongki. don’t get a good education in these hard times. See: kandem. dash v. 1) dash, rush, move — adj. damned; expressing swiftly. Ah dash gaahn bayd anger or annoyance. Gi mi di bifoa mi bwaifren kohn. I 84 dat Kriol tu Inglish dazl quickly went to bathe before my dats phr. that is. Hihn mi teef boyfriend came. 2) throw, fling, moni fahn mi; dats wai ih noh toss. Ih gens di laa fi dash ting kohn bak da mi hows nohmoh. eena di see. It’s against the law to He stole money from me; that’s throw anything into the sea. See: why he doesn’t come to my house chok, chroa, fling, hib, pich. anymore. dash han v.phr. punch. Wi day n. day. Plenti pipl kohn fi oanli si di man di dash han pan vizit wi da day. Many people ih son. We only saw the man came to visit us that day. punching his son. See: chroa day di brok phr. daybreak. Wen han, jrap too han pahn, ponch. day di brok, ih gaan owt fi chek dash weh v.phr. abort, aal a bilanginz. At daybreak, he discard. Di lee gyal dash weh di went out to check all of his baybi kaa ih neva waahn ih belongings. See: til ih red. bwai noa ih pregnant. The young girl aborted the child daylait n. daylight. Wi fishin because she didn’t want her hoal nait til wen daylait kohn. boyfriend to know that she was We fished all night until daylight pregnant. See: chro weh, pich came. weh. daynja n. danger. Aal yu du wen dat1 conj. that. Flaid seh dat ih yu goh raid pahn da saikl da noh waahn no dina. Floyd said put yu laif eena daynja. All you that he doesn’t want any dinner. do when you go riding that See: seh. — pro. that; person or motorcycle is put your life in thing mentioned. Wen dehn danger. yehr dat, dehn mi oanli beks. daynjaras Variant: daynjaras When they heard that, they were daynjaros (var: daynjaras) adj. very angry. dangerous. Da leda daynjaros dat2 n. dot. Di teecha tel wi fi fi klaim op pan kaa ih ratn. kanek aal a di dat dehn tugeda. That ladder is dangerous to climb The teacher told us to connect all up on because it’s rotten. of the dots. dayr (var: dyaa, dyaaz) v. dare. datdeh (var: datideh) adj. that. Yu beta noh dayr tek mi ting Datdeh bwai oanli haad-ayz. ahn noh aks mi. You had better That boy is very disobedient. See: not dare take my stuff without da, datira/ditira. asking me. datideh Variant: datdeh. adj. dayt n. date. Di man soh oal, ih that. (Older form now used for noh eevn memba di dayt. The emphasis.) man is so old, he doesn’t even datira (var: ditira) adj. that. remember the date. Archaic. See: da, datdeh, dazl v. dazzle. Shee oanli marid datideh. di oal man kaa di man moni dazl ih aiy. She only married the 85 debl Kriol tu Inglish def old man because his money badi da ded hows ahn wee dazzled her eyes. gaahn peep pan ahn. When my debl Variant: devl. grandmother died, they took her body to the mortuary and we debl raidin haas n. praying went to peep at it. mantis. Mantidae. dedikayt v. dedicate; set apart deblish Variant: devlish. for special use. Misa Jan ded v. die. If yu jrink paizn, yu dedikayt ih hoal laif tu di wahn ded. If you drink poison, govament. Mr. John dedicated you’ll die. See: kik di bokit, peg his whole life to the government. owt. — n. 1) dead. Mi pa, Gaad deel v. 1) deal; attend to, res di ded, yoostu seh yu mos handle. Ah wahn mek di polees aalwayz ga manaz fi di oalda deel wid da man. I’ll let the pipl. My father, God rest his soul, police deal with that man. used to say that you should 2) communicate with the devil always have good manners or evil spirits. Da man deel wid toward older people. 2) death. di devl; dats wai ih soh rich. Mayri staat tu si sain seh ded That man deals with the devil; mi-di kaal ih grani. Mary started that’s why he’s so rich. — n. to see signs that death was calling deal; bargain. Ah geh wahn her grandmother. See: det. — gud deel pahn di kaa. I got a adj. 1) dead. Dehn bileev seh good deal on the car. ded pipl noh wahn rayz op bak. They believe that dead people deeman n. demon, evil spirit. don’t come back to life. Dehn seh da gyal ga deeman - 2) empty, flat. Di baal ded; ih dats wai ih goh aan soh krayzi. waahn pomp op. The ball’s flat; They say that girl has a demon - it needs to be pumped up. — adv. that’s why she acts so crazy. See: 1) exactly resemble. Yu da ded eevl spirit. yu pa. You look just like your deesant (var: deestant) adj. dad. See: dibz, fayva. 2) directly decent. No deesant yong gyal (generally referring to wahn deh pahn schreet afta direction or time). Wi mi frayd twelv aklak da nait. No decent no miks kaa di harikayn mi-di young girl will be on the street kohn ded fi Bileez. We were after twelve o’clock at night. really frightened because the deestant Variant: deesant. hurricane was coming directly at deez dayz adj. these days. Deez Belize. See: dairekli, schrayt. dayz Ah di ga lat a hedayk. ded baks n. coffin. Siks man These days I have lots of bak owt di ded baks owt a headaches. See: nowadayz, tideh choch. Six men carried the coffin day. out of the church. See: kaafin. def adj. deaf, unable to hear. ded hows n. morgue, mortuary. Sayk a weh ih mi def, di lee Wen mi grani ded, dehn kehr ih 86 dega Kriol tu Inglish dehn bwai geh nak dong kaa ih neva tes kaa dat mi deh-aan! I doubt hyaa di kaa di kohn. Because he that I passed that test because it was deaf, the little boy got was very difficult! See: kohn, knocked down because he didn’t wap. hear the car coming. dehdeh adv. there. Ah gaahn da dega Variant: daga. dagger. Soozi hows, bot ih neva dehdeh. Archaic. I went to Susie’s house but she degeh adj. one last one, one and wasn’t there. See: deh. only. Mi aanti ga wan degeh dehn1 pro. 1) they. (3rd person dala lef. My auntie has only one pl. subj.) Dehn neva noa dat last dollar left. dehn mi fi pik op mee. They deh v. am, is, are. Di hows deh didn’t know that they were eena bad shayp afta di supposed to pick me up. harikayn. The house is in bad 2) them. (3rd person pl. obj.) shape after the hurricane. See: da. Kehr sohn mango fi dehn. Take — adv. there. Put di rayjo op some mangos for them. deh pahn di shelf. Put the radio 3) family or friends included up there on the shelf. See: with the subject noun. Marta dehdeh. dehn di kohn da mi hows dis deh rong adv.phr. around eevnin. Martha and her family there. Yu wahn geh fraitn ahn are coming to my house tonight. nobadi noh wahn deh rong fi — pro.adj. 1) those. Aal a dehn help yu. You’ll get frightened pipl weh gwehn pahn di chrip and nobody will be around there hafu pay. All of those people to help you. who are going on the trip have to deh soh adv.phr. there, right pay. See: dehndeh, dehnya. there. Di pen deh rait deh soh 2) their. (pl. poss.) Aal a di pikni pahn di taybl. The pen is right dehn bring dehn buk da skool. there on the table. All of the children brought their books to school. deh ya v.phr. (Present tense of Emphatic. 1) Da v. with locative complement fi dehn their. fi dehn kaa di braid mi raid stated or implied) am, is, are. rong eena. It is in their car that Aal a dehn ting mi deh ya fahn the bride rode around in. bifoa King Hachit woz a hama. 2) Da mango chree da fi All of those things were there theirs. dehn. That mango tree is theirs. from before King Hatchet was a hammer. See: bee, stan. fi dehn wan pro. theirs. Mai kaa da beta bran dahn fi dehn deh-aan adj. very, extremely wan. My car is a better brand (good or bad). Intensifier. Da than theirs. jres weh Glorya mi-di wayr mi dehn ga(t) v.phr. there is, deh-aan! That dress that Gloria there are. Dehn ga aal kain a was wearing was really difrant rilijan da Bileez. There something! Ah dowt Ah paas da 87 dehn Kriol tu Inglish det are many different religious pahn di ej a it. Miss Margie denominations in Belize. always used those dainty little dehn2 plural marker (placed handkerchiefs with lace on the after a noun). Jan put di buk edge of them. dehn pahn di taybl. John put the den adv. then. Wi gwehn goh pik books on the table. op Mayri fos, den wi gwehn da dehndeh pro.adj. those. Eena di paati. We’re going to pick up dehndeh dayz, laydi doz wash Mary first, and then we’re going pahn han, bot eena dehnya to the party. dayz ya evribadi ga masheen. In dengl Variant: dangl. those days, ladies washed clothes dentis n. dentist. by hand, but these days dep debt. Variant: det. everybody has a washing machine. See: dehn, dehnya. der v. control a gambling game. Gyal, kohn der di gaym. Girl, dehnself pro. themselves. some control the game. Evribadi mi waahn si ahn yehr — n. game master; one who di man fi dehnself. Everybody controls the bets of a card wanted to see and hear the man game. Di der noh play bot ih for themselves. aalwayz kalek. The game master dehnya pro.adj. these. Kehr doesn’t play, but he always dehnya bred bak da di shap kaa collects. dehn stayl. Take these loaves of dert n. 1) garbage, trash. Tek op bread back to the shop because da dert fahn deh ahn put it they are stale. See: dehn, eena di dert baks. Pick up that dehndeh. garbage from there and throw it dek n. deck. Bring mi di dek a in the trash can. See: chrash, kyaad, mek Ah play wahn lee gyaabij. 2) dirt, soil. Yu noh gaym. Bring me the deck of cards taiyad a play eena dert, bwai? so I can play a little game. Aren’t you tired of playing in the dekorayt v. decorate. Evri yaa dirt, boy? di hoal famili dekorayt di dert baks n. garbage can, trash Krismos chree tugeda. Every bin. Noh chroa di paypa aal year the whole family decorates oava di plays; put it eena di the Christmas tree together. dert baks. Don’t throw papers all delikid adj. 1) delicate; sickly. over the place; put it in the Shee aalwayz hafu put aan garbage can. See: gyaabij kyan. sweta kaa ih oanli delikid. She des n. desk. Di teecha aalwayz always has to put on a sweater ga wahn Baibl pan ih des. The because she’s really sickly. teacher always has a Bible on her 2) delicate; dainty, fine. Mis desk. Maaji aalwayz yooz dehn lee det1 n. death. Di uman dehn mi delikid hankerchif wid lays nayli fraitn tu det. The women 88 det Kriol tu Inglish dina were frightened nearly to death. Every morning you are late for See: ded. — adj. death. Di joj school because all you do is paas di det sentens pahn di dillydally and waste a lot of time. man. The judge gave the man the difen v. 1) defend (physically). death sentence. Mi ma noh laik wen Ah kech det2 (var: dep) n. debt. Yu don eena fait, bot sohntaim yu haftu pay aaf di det weh yu mi hoa? difen yuself. My mom doesn’t Have you already paid off the like it when I get into fights, but debt that you owed? sometimes, you have to defend devl (var: debl) n. devil. Wai yu yourself. 2) defend; plead one’s noh stap di devl fahn rab yu case. Dehn tel lai pahn mi ahn soal? Why don’t you stop letting dehn noh eevn gi mi wahn the devil rob your soul? chaans fi difen miself. They told lies about me and didn’t even devlish (var: deblish) adj. give me a chance to defend devilish. Da lee bwai oanli myself. See: taak op fi. devlish; ih di haraas dehn lee pikni hoal day. That little boy is difrans n. difference. Ah noh si really devilish; he harasses the no difrans bitween di too fut a little children all day long. shooz dehn. I don’t see any difference between the left and dezert n. dessert. Wi neva ga no right shoes. dezert afta dina. We didn’t have any dessert after dinner. See: difrant adj. different. Yoo ga sweet. difrant shooz fahn mee. Your shoes are different from mine. di1 art. the. Di daag bait di man. The dog bit the man. lat a difrant/difrant difrant phr. various. di2 v. -ing (present continuous (var: bigidip) ono. tense marker) Hihn di bil wahn digidip the hows fi ih ma. He’s building a sound of a galloping horse. house for his mother. dikshineri n. dictionary. If yu noh noa how fi spel wahn werd dibz (var: dabz) n. exact resemblance, perfect likeness, eena Kriol, luk it op eena di Kriol dikshineri. If you don’t spitting image. Ih da di ful dibz know how to spell a word in a ih oal man. He looks just like Kriol, look it up in the Kriol his father. See: ded, fayva. dictionary. did v. did actually, did in fact. v. Ah hoap dehn Ah neva noa if ih mi did finish diliva deliver. diliva mi chyaa dehn tudeh. I ih hows. I don’t know if he did hope they deliver my chairs actually finish his house. today. didl-dadl v. dillydally, dawdle. n. Evri maanin unu geh layt fi dina dinner; main meal, Wi skool kaa aal unu du da generally eaten at midday. invait dehn fi eet dina da wi didl-dadl ahn ways lat a taim. 89 dinai Kriol tu Inglish disgos hows, bot dehn kaa brok dong. young to be so disagreeable. See: We invited them for dinner at our krabit, krachiti, mizarabl. house, but their car broke down. disaid v. decide. Wen yu wahn See: dindin. disaid fi geh marid? When will dinai v. deny. Ah noa da bwai you to decide to get married? See: gilti bot ih dinai seh da hihn mek op...main. teef di moni. I know that boy is disaipl n. disciple; generally guilty but he denied that he’s the refers to the twelve disciples one who stole the money. of Jesus. dindin n. dinner; used when disapyaa v. disappear. Da weh speaking to babies. Kohn eet yu mi disapyaa tu afta di paati? yu dindin, baybi. Come eat your Where did you disappear to after dinner, baby. See: dina. the party? dip v. 1) dip; immerse for a dischrai v. destroy. Harikayn moment in liquid. Ah dip mi dischrai di hoal a da lee ailan. han eena di waata fi si how hat The hurricane destroyed the ih hat. I dipped my hand in the whole of that little island. See: water to see how hot it was. brok op, kandem. 2) beat, thrash. If yu noh kohn dischrak v. distract. Lef mi schrayt fahn skool, Ah wahn loan; yu di dischrak mi fahn du dip yu. If you don’t come straight mi hoamwerk. Leave me alone; home from school, I’ll beat you. you’re distracting me from doing See: beet, lash, lada, lays, tayr, my homework. See: abschrok, wap. chroa aaf. dip eena v.phr. interrupt, butt in. Yu aalwayz hafu dip eena dischrik n. district. Dehn sen di pipl bizniz. You always have to ners owt dischrik fi too yaaz. butt into people’s business. See: They sent the nurse out to the intarop, kot yu kraas. districts for two years. dipa n. dipper. Geh di dipa mek dischrukshan n. destruction. Di Ah dip sohn waata. Get the harikayn lef loan det ahn dipper so I can dip some water. dischrukshan. The hurricane left only death and destruction. direkli adv. soon. Ah di kohn direkli. I’ll be there soon. See: Disemba n. December. Eena rait now, soon. Disemba evribadi bizi di geh redi fi Krismos. In December adj. Dis buk tayr op. dis this. everybody is busy getting ready This book is all torn up. — pro. for Christmas. this. Dis da mi breda. This is my brother. See: disideh, disya. disgos v. feel disgust, can’t stand, dislike immensely. Ah adj. disagreeyabl disagreeable, disgos how da laydi goh aan. I Yu tu yong fi bee ill-tempered. am disgusted with how that lady soh disagreeyabl. You’re too acts. 90 disgostin Kriol tu Inglish dizaasta disgostin adj. disgusting. Dat pregnant while in school. disgostin how yu aalwayz kohn disrispek v. disrespect. Di man di aks fi moni. That’s disgusting mi-di disrispek di polees soh how you always come asking for dehn ares ahn.The man was money. disrespecting the police so they disideh adj. this. Archaic. See: arrested him. dis, disya. distans n. distance. Ih ron wahn disizhan n. decision. Ah ga gud distans ahn den ih stap. He wahn haad disizhan fi mek. I ran a good distance and then have a hard decision to make. stopped. See: wayz. diskoas v. chat, converse. Da disterb v. disturb. Di lee pikni weh unu too dehdeh di diskoas dehn kohn disterb mi aftanoon bowt? What are you two chatting nap wid dehn naiz. The children about? See: chuk mowt. — n. came to disturb my afternoon nap discussion. Mee ahn di teecha with their noise. See: bada, bog. mi ga wahn lee diskoas bowt disya adj. this. Ah hoap disya how mi pikni di bihayv. The pikni noh ton owt laik yoo. I teacher and I had a little hope this little child doesn’t turn discussion about how my child is out like you. See: dis, disideh. behaving. ditira Variant: datira. diskorij v. 1) discourage. Mi ma divelop v. 1) develop, mature. diskorij mi fahn marid tu Toni. Da lee gyal oanli ten an ih badi My mom discouraged me from don divelop aredi. That little girl marrying Tony. 2) become is only ten and her body has discouraged. Ah diskorij kaa already developed. See: blaasam. notn noh di goh gud eena mi 2) develop (film) Ah kehr too laif. I’m discouraged because roal a filim fi divelop. I took two nothing is going well in my life. rolls of film to develop. See: diskorijin adj. discouraging. Ih wash. mi diskorijin how nobadi neva divoas v. divorce. Di man jos kohn fi di meetn. It was divoas ih waif an ih don di luk discouraging how nobody came fi wahn neks uman aredi. The to the meeting. man just divorced his wife and diskraib v. describe. Wen wi he’s already looking for another diskraib di bwai, evribadi mi woman. — n. divorce. Afta yu noa hoo hihn. When we marid, yu noh fi eevn tink bowt described the boy, everybody divoas. After you’re married, you knew who he was. must not even think about disoan v. disown. Keesha pa divorce. disoan ahn kaa ih geh pregnant dizaasta n. disaster. Di paati eena skool. Keisha’s father da-mi wahn hoal dizaasta! The disowned her because she got party was a complete disaster! 91 dizaav Kriol tu Inglish dobl dizaav Variant: dizerv. children. Kohn baybi, lesgoh dizain v. design. Mi sista dizain doado. Come baby, let’s go ih oan kloaz. My sister designs sleep. See: doaz, sleep. [ 92 dobl-benk Kriol tu Inglish don must be seeing things; that can’t fi chap di yaad, kaa ih masheet be a baby that I’m seeing in the mi dol. The man took a long time canal. See: haraz. to cut the yard because his dobl-benk v. overpower. Faiv machete was dull. 2) dumb, bwai dobl-benk di oal man ahn mentally slow. Jaaj hihn oanli tek weh ih moni. Five boys dol; ih no taim paas ih tes dehn. overpowered the old man and That George is really dumb; he took away his money. never passes his tests. See: dom, donsi, haad hed. dobl-kraas v. double-cross. Wi mi chros da man til ih dom adj. 1) dumb; lacking the dobl-kraas wi. We trusted that power of speech; mute. Wan a man until he double-crossed us. di bwai dehn mi dom, ahn wan See: bichray, sel owt. mi def. One of the boys was dumb and one was deaf. doh conj. though. Mi ma tel ahn 2) dumb; mentally slow. Di noh fi kaal mi, bot Ah stil wahn bwai fayl wahn tes, an ih fren taak tu ahn doh. My mom told dehn teez ahn dat ih dom. The him not to call me; I still want to boy failed a test, and his friends talk to him though. See: aldoa, teased him that he was dumb. eevn doa. — int. Well! (Always See: dol, donsi, haad hed. used sentence final.) Ah si yu ga 3) stupid. Oanli wahn dom nyoo shooz, doh. Well! I see you sohnbadi wahn lef di pikni eena have new shoes. di kaa bai ihself. Only someone 1 dok n. duck; a type of fowl. Mi who is stupid will leave a baby in ma noa humoch Ah laik dok, the car by himself. See: fool-fool, soh ih kuk wan fi mi bertday. schupid, simpl. My mom knows how much I like domp chrok n. dump truck. Di duck, so she cooked one for my man bring di load a san eena di birthday. domp chrok. The man brought 2 dok v. duck; to quickly lower the load of sand in the dump the head or body to avoid a truck. blow or to hide. Dok bihain di domplin n. thin, flat dumpling doa, gyal, soh dat dehn kyaahn without baking powder. si yu. Duck behind the door, girl, Enitaim Ah kuk split beenz, Ah so that they can’t see you. aalwayz put domplin een deh. doko-doko adj. person of short, Whenever I cook split peas, I stocky stature. Di lee always put dumplings in them. doko-doko man kudn eevn See: bail kayk, matilda fut. reech di shelf. The stocky little don v. 1) has/have already. (past man couldn’t even reach the completive aspect marker + v.) shelf. See: loa, shaat. [ 93 dong Kriol tu Inglish dosta mom sent him to buy. dongstayz eena di yaad wen di 2) complete, finish. Ah don aal gyal dehn reech. We were mi werk, ahn now Ah ku tek downstairs in the yard when the wahn lee res. I’ve finished all my girls arrived. work, and now I can take a little dongstayz hows n.phr. lower rest. 3) end, to be finished. If wi flat or storey of a house. Mi waahn dis meetn don bai ayt aanti bil wahn opstayz ahn aklak, wi beta staat now. If we dongstayz hows kaa shee waahn want this meeting to end by eight Ai liv dongstayz a shee. My aunt o’clock, we’d better start now. built a two-storied house because See: en, stap. — adj. done, she wants me to live downstairs finished, over, used up from her. completely. Di moni weh Ah donsi adj. dumb, mentally slow. bring don. The money that I Yoo oanli donsi! Yu noh laan brought is finished. yu tayblz yet? You’re such a don du v.phr. did already. Ah dunce! You mean you haven’t don du aal mi wok aredi. I have learned your times tables yet? done all of my work already. See: dol, dom, haad hed. phr. kyaahn don endlessly, doo Variant: du. v. do. Emphatic excessively. Da gyal tel lai Ah doo ga di moni fi chroo, bot kyaahn don! That girl tells lies Ah noh waahn len ahn. I really endlessly! do have the money, but I don’t dong adv. down. Wen wi waak want to lend it. eena di mod, wi sink dong deep dos v. dust. Wen di man faal eena it. When we walked in the dong aaf a ih baisikl, ih get op mud, we sank down deep in it. ahn dos aaf ihself. When the dong tu phr. even. Dong tu di man fell off his bicycle, he got up laas baybi gaahn da paati. Even and dusted himself off. — n. the youngest baby went to the dust. Shee noh reed ih Baibl soh party. See: an aal, eevn, fahn, op lang til dos di setl pan it. She tu. hasn’t read her Bible in so long dongki (var: danki) n. donkey. that dust is settling on it. Dehn fain di dongki tai op front dosi adj. dusty. Anda di bed mi a wahn hows. They found the dosi dosi. Under the bed was donkey tied up in front of a very dusty. house. See: myool. dosta n. 1) chalk eraser. Di dongroa adj. having stunted teecha stoan di dosta aata di lee growth. Dis lee bwai soh smaal, bwai kaaz ih mi-di taak. The hihn mos dongroa. This little teacher flung the eraser at the boy is so small, his growth must little boy because he was talking. be a stunted. See: duwaaf. 2) feather duster. Get di dosta dongstayz adv. downstairs; first mek Ah dos aaf di shelf. Get the floor, ground floor. Wi mi deh duster so I can dust off the shelf. 94 doti Kriol tu Inglish duwaaf 3) duster; a covering worn waahn nobadi du mi ting. I over the nightgown. Noh goh don’t walk the streets late at night owt deh rait soh; haal aan wahn because I don’t want anyone to dosta oava da naitgong. Don’t harm me. See: aynja, hat/hert. go out there like that; put a duster du op v.phr. bully, domineer, over your nightgown. take advantage of. Da laydi doti adj. dirty. Chroa da doti loan du op ih hozban ahn gat ting da grong. Throw that dirty ahn laik fool. All that lady does thing on the ground. is take advantage of her husband doti op v.phr. dirty, pollute. and play him for a fool. See: Aal dehn gyaabij weh dehn chaans, tek advantij, tek chaans chroa eena di see di du da doti aaf, tek een. op di see. All that garbage that dubzi n. dun-colored glass they throw in the sea pollutes it. marble. See: chrash op. dudu daalin sal. darling. dotinis n. dirtiness, filth. Shee [Phrase coined by Miss Bev, a du aal kain a dotinis wen shee patroness of Belize theater.] kuk. She does all kinds of duki n. skeleton chart used as a unsanitary things when she guide to interpret dreams by cooks. those who purchase lottery dotiya adj. dirtier. Fi yoo hows tickets. See: jreem buk. dotiya dan fi mee wan. Your [ 95 dyaa Kriol tu Inglish een dyaa1 n. dear; term of affection. dyaa3 dare. Variant: dayr. Mai dyaa, Ah gwehn da Stayts dyaali adv. dearly. Yu wahn pay neks mont. My dear, I’m going dyaali fi weh yu beet mi op. to the States next month. You’re going to pay dearly for — adj. dear, expensive. Labsta beating me up. oanli dyaa deez dayz. Lobster is dyaaz Variant: dayr. v. dare. (A really expensive these days. See: form used for emphasis.) Ah noh ekspensiv. dyaaz goh eena da klob kaa Ah 2 dyaa n. deer. Di man shat di wahn get eena chrobl. I don’t dyaa weh mi-di ron eena di dare to go into that club because bush. The man shot the deer that I’ll get into trouble. was running into the bush. E - e eba Variant: eva. itchy. Dehn big tik hevi blankit oanli eechi. Big, thick, heavy ebri Variant: evri. blankets are really itchy. See: eebm Variant: eevn. yaga-yaga. Eebo Tong n. Ibo Town; eeda (var: aida) conj. either. traditionally the area on the Eeda yu goh wid mi, er yu stay south side of the old Belize wid yu ma. Either you go with City where African slaves me, or stay with your mom. lived, now known as eedyat n. idiot. Da eedyat noh Yarborough. See: Yaabra. noa seh dat yu noh fi jraiv wid [ 96 eena Kriol tu Inglish eevn doa goh een v.phr. enter, go in. reluctantly (eat with long Dehn seh goas deh eena da teeth). phr. Wen Haatens gi mi hows, soh Ai noh waahn goh eniting fi eet Ah eet ahn wid een deh. They say that ghosts are wahn lang teet kaa shee noh tu in that house, so I don’t want to kleen. When Hortense gives me go in there. anything to eat I eat it reluctantly eena in, into. prep. Di faama because she’s not too clean. gaan owt fi skyata sohn seed eevl n. evil. Da oal laydi ga eena ih feel. The farmer went out wahn lat a eevl eena ih haat fi to scatter some seeds in his field. soh oal. That old lady has a lot of eensaid adv. inside. Di pikni evil in her heart, considering that dehn mi-di play owtsaid, bot she’s so old. See: oagli. sayk a rayn, dehn mi hafu goh — adj. evil. Lat a eevl pipl deh eensaid. The children were eena dis werl weh waahn hert playing outside, but because of yu. There are lots of evil people the rain, they had to go inside. in this world who want to hurt you. See: bad, wikid. ees1 n. east. Bileez Siti deh da di n.phr. ees paat a di konchri. Belize eevl spirit demon, evil Eevn di eevl spirit dehn City is in the east part of the spirit. bileev eena di wan chroo Gaad. country. See: sowt, wes, naat. 2 Even the evil spirits believe in the ees n. yeast. If yu put tu moch one true God. See: deeman. ees eena di bred, ih wahn tays (var: eebm) adj. Di ransid. If you put too much yeast eevn even. tap a di man hed eevn eevn wen in the bread, it will taste rancid. di baaba don kot it. The top of eesideh Variant: yestudeh. the man’s hair was completely Eesta n. Easter. Eesta da wen wi even after the barber cut it. selibrayt wen Jeezas ded, ahn — adv. 1) even (used as an wen ih beri, ahn wen ih rayz op intensifier). Eevn mi breda mi bak. Easter is when we celebrate bawl rong mi ma grayv. Even the death of Jesus, and when he my brother cried around my was buried, and when he rose mother’s grave. See: an aal, back to life. dong tu, fahn, op tu. 2) evenly. eet v. eat. Wi gaahn da wi fren Mek shoar yu kot di pees a hows fi eet dina. We went to our schring dehn eevn. Make sure friend’s house for dinner. See: that you cut the pieces of string monch op. evenly. eet gud v.phr. taste good. Ah eevn doa conj. even though. aalwayz bai bred fahn da laydi Eevn doa mi pa lov mi, ih kaa ih bred eet gud. I always aalwayz mek Ah werk haad. buy bread from that lady because Even though my father loves me, her bread tastes good. See: tays. he always makes me work hard. eet wid lang teet v.phr. eat See: aldoa. 97 eevnin Kriol tu Inglish ej eevnin n. evening; from 4 pl.) Di fowl neva lay no eg o’clock until darkness sets in. tudeh. The fowl didn’t lay any Da eevnin wi lef di hows ahn eggs today. gaan owt a tong. That evening egzajarayt v. exaggerate. Gyal, we left the house and went stap di egzajarayt; fi yoo hows downtown. noh soh big. Girl, stop eez v. ease. Di pregnant laydi exaggerating; your house isn’t so eez ihself eena di chyaa kaa ih big. mi deh pan ih fut aal day. The egzak adj. exact. Ah waahn mi pregnant lady eased herself into egzak amonk a moni bak fahn the chair because she had been on yu. I want the exact amount of her feet all day. money back from you. eezi adj. easy. Di egzam mi eezi egzakli adv. exactly. Yu wahn kaa Ah stodi haad. The test was mek it if yu du egzakli weh Ah easy because I studied hard. tel yu. You’ll succeed if you do noh eezi phr. compliment to exactly what I tell you. See: show a person or thing is dairekli. Slang. exceptionally good. egzam n. exam. Neks week da Gyal, yu noh eezi; Ah si yu ga wi big egzam fi si if wi gwehn nyoo shooz! Girl, you’re doing eena wi nyoo klaas. Next week well; I see you have new shoes! is our big exam to see if we go eezi-wan adv. 1) easily. Ah geh into our new class. See: tes. di lak fi oapm eezi-wan. I got egzamin v. examine. Goh the lock to open easily. eensaid ahn mek di dakta 2) Mi sista quietly, secretly. egzamin yu. Go inside and let the slip eena di hows eezi-wan mek doctor examine you. mi pa noh yehr. My sister slipped into the house very egzampl n. example. Wi di luk quietly so my father wouldn’t fi wahn gud egzampl fi fala. hear. See: eena seekrit, We’re looking for a good kwaiyat-wan, saaf-wan. example to follow. eeziya adv. easier. Da wich kain egzis v. exist. Bwai, mee noh a werk eeziya fi du? Which kind eevn memba seh yoo egzis! Boy, of work is easier to do? I don’t even remember that you exist. See: bee, deh. ef Variant: if. eiy int. hey; informal greeting, efert (var: efot) n. effort. Di bwai or used to attract someone’s put een lat a efert fi win di rays, attention. Eiy, weh di goh aan? bot ih jos noh wahn mek it. The Ah noh si yu lang taim! Hey, boy made lots of effort to win the what’s going on? I haven’t seen race, but he just won’t make it. you for a long time! Variant: efert. 1 efot ej age. Variant: ayj. (var: ayg) n. (Both sg. & 2 eg egg. ej n. edge. Noh put da kop rait 98 ejabl Kriol tu Inglish ekskyooz pahn di ej a di taybl kaa excited; I’m all right. See: ster, sohnbadi ku nak it aaf. Don’t rayz. put that cup on the edge of the eksaitid adj. excited. Dehn mi table because somebody could soh eksaitid wen dehn si dat di knock it off. gyal mi heel fi chroo. They were ej toolz n.phr. Tools with a so excited when they saw that the cutting edge, such as knife or girl was really healed. Ah noh laik no ej toolz scissors. eksaiting adj. exciting. Ah hyaa kloas mi baybi. I don’t like any wahn eksaiting stoari yestudeh. thing with a cutting edge near my I heard an exciting story baby. yesterday. adj. Mi grani da ejabl elderly. eksasaiz v. exercise. Evri day wi wahn ejabl laydi, soh ih kyaahn goh da jim goh eksasaiz. Every wash fi ihself agen. My granny is day we go to the gym to exercise. an elderly lady, so she can’t do her own laundry anymore. ekschra adj. extra. Ah neva kehr no ekschra kloaz pahn di n. ejukayshan education. chrip. I didn’t carry any extra Widowt wahn gud ejukayshan, clothes on the trip. yu wahn kyaahn geh hed eena laif. Without a good education, eks-chray v. x-ray. Wen Ah you won’t be able to get ahead in brok mi han, di dakta life. eks-chray it. When I broke my hand, the doctor x-rayed it. adj. Yu ku ejukaytid educated. — n. x-ray. Wen yu luk pahn di si ih da wahn ejukaytid man eks-chray, yu ku si playn how kaa ih taak gud. You can see di boan brok. When you look at that he’s an educated man the x-ray, you can see plainly that because he speaks well. the bone is broken. v. ek op show off with body eksep Variant: sep. language; draw attention to one’s self. Da gyal di ek op jos eksklaava n. bracelet. Mi goal kaa shee ga lang hyaa. That girl eksklaava jrap aaf a mi han is showing off just because she ahn laas kaa wan a di link pap. has long hair. See: shoa aaf. My gold bracelet fell off of my hand and got lost because one of 1 n. eks ex-husband or wife, or the links broke off. See: banglz. Ah ex-boyfriend or girlfriend. [ 99 ekspeerans Kriol tu Inglish en werk layt. The boy made all ahn peel op ih elbo. Junior fell kinds of excuses as to why he down and scraped his elbow. came to work late. elda n. elder; church leader. Mi ekspeerans Variant: ekspeerens. pa da-mi wahn elda eena di ekspeerens (var: ekspeerans) v. cherch wen ih ded. My father experience. Laas yaa da mi di was an elder in the church when fos taim Ai mi ekspeerens wahn he died. harikayn. Last year was the first eldaz n. elders; people older time I experienced a hurricane. than oneself. Yu mos aalwayz — n. experience. Ah neva geh rispek yu eldaz. You should di jab kaa Ah noh ga nof always respect your elders. ekspeerens. I didn’t get the job elifant n. elephant. Wen yu goh because I don’t have enough kloas dehn elifant, dehn experience. aalwayz stink. When you go ekspek v. expect. Wi ekspek di close to elephants, they always teecha fi goh da skool evri day. stink. We expect the teacher to go to els adv. else. Wi mos fala di school everyday. roolz laik evribadi els. We ekspel v. expel. Dehn ekspel should follow the rules like Wilfred fahn skool sayk a bak everybody else. gon. They expelled Wilfred from elswaiz adv. otherwise. Noh goh school for carrying a gun. bayd eena da pan; elswaiz ekspensiv adj. expensive. haligeta wahn eet you. Don’t Evriting mi ekspensiv, soh wi swim in that pond; otherwise noh bai notn. Everything was alligators will eat you. See: expensive, so we didn’t buy adarels, adawaiz. anything. See: dyaa. emti adj. empty. Wen Mis eksplayn v. explain. Eksplayn Mayri gaahn da di vat fi geh egzakli weh yu waahn Ah du waata, ih fain di vat emti. When soh Ah ku andastan. Explain Miss Mary went to the vat to get exactly what you want me to do water, she found it empty. so I can understand. en n. end; last part of anything. ekspoaz v. expose. Di haiya Wi gaahn layt soh wi mi hafu mongki klaim, di moa ih kech di en a di lain. We went ekspoaz ihself. The higher a late so we caught the end of the monkey climbs, the more he line. —v. end, finish. Unu en exposes himself. dis kwaaril er els Ah beet di too eksport n. expert. Shee ku shoa a unu. You had better finish this yu how fi soa kaa shee da wahn quarrel or I’ll beat both of you. eksport. She can show you how See: don, stap. to sew because she’s an expert. en op v.phr. end up, result in If yu jrink, yu wahn en elbo n. elbow. Jooni faal dong being. 100 endeva bes Kriol tu Inglish erliya op jos laik yu pa. If you drink, choch doa oapm, shee dehdeh. you’ll end up just like your Whenever the church door is father. See: lan op. open, she’s there. See: wentaim. wahn lee en n.phr. part-time enitaim Variant: enitaihn. Mi breda mi-di luk fi wahn job. eniting pro. anything. Ah waahn jab, ahn Misa Jo gi ahn wahn win da rays moa dan eniting. I lee en da ih fakchri fi mek want to win that race more than Krismos moni. My brother was anything. looking for a job, so Mister Joe 1 gave him a part-time job in his eniway adv. anyplace, factory to make some money for anywhere. Eniway weh yu si Christmas. See: kech ahn kil. Maagrit shee, yu si Jayn. Anywhere you see Margaret, n.phr. endeva bes best endeavor you’ll see Jane. or effort, utmost. Ah chrai mi 2 endeva bes fi rayz mi pikni gud. eniway (var: eniwayz) adv. I endeavored to do my best to anyway; in any case, raise my child well. regardless. Ah tel di bwai fi stay hoahn, bot ih gaan owt adj. Eni a unu noa how eni any. eniway. I told the boy to stay fi kuk gud? Do any of you know home, but he went out anyway. how to cook well? eniwayz Variant: eniway. pro. enibadi anybody, anyone. anyway. Bad lok fala enibadi weh goh liv eena da hows. Bad luck follows enka anchor. Variant: anka. anyone who lives in that house. enkl ankle. Variant: ankl. See: enihoo, nobadi. entatayment n. entertainment. enihoo pro. anybody (even Unu wahn ga eni entatayment undesirables). Enihoo ku goh da skool fi Krismos? Will you eena da uman hows. Anyone can have any entertainment at school go in that woman’s house. See: for Christmas? enibadi, nobadi. entatayn v. entertain. Di lee enihow adv. anyhow. Wai yu bwai mi-di entatayn wi wid ih kohn tel mi dat? Ah noh waahn lee antiks. The little boy noa notn bowt da gyal enihow. entertained us with his antics. Why did you come tell me that? I enviloap n. envelope. Dehn put don’t want to know anything aal a dehn moni eena wahn about that girl anyhow. enviloap. They put all of their enimi n. enemy. Sayk a uman, money in an envelope. Kalvin ahn Jeri ton big enimi. er (var: ar) conj. or. Yu fi neva Because of a woman, Calvin and jrink no kain a wain er lika. Jerry became great enemies. You should never drink any kind enitaihn (var: enitaim) adv. any of wine or liquor. time, whenever. Enitaihn erliya adv. earlier. Joa mi deh ya 101 ert Kriol tu Inglish evriway erliya, bot den ih ron gaan. Joe has that everlasting grin on his was here earlier, but then he ran face. —n. forever. Evri out. maanin yu haftu tek evalastin fi ert n. earth. Pipl kohn fahn di koam yu hyaa. Every morning fardares kaana a di ert. People you have to take forever to comb came from the farthest corners of your hair. See: fareva. the earth. evidens n. evidence. Dehn mi ertwayk n. earthquake. Dehn mi waahn sen di man da jayl, bot ga wahn ertwayk weh dischrai dehn neva ga no evidens gens di hoal siti. There was an ahn. They wanted to send the earthquake that destroyed the man to jail, but they didn’t have whole city. any evidence against him. eskabaych fish n.phr. evri (var: ebri) adj. every, all. escabeched fish; fish fried and Evri wan a unu wahn hafu pickled in vinegar, onion and kleen unu room. Every one of spices. [Sp. ‘escabeche’ soused you will have to clean his room. fish] See: aal. eskabaycheh n. escabeche; evribadi pro. everybody, chicken cooked in an onion everyone. Evribadi mi deh da and vinegar broth. Ah noh soh Maak wedn. Everybody was at laik eskabaycheh kaa ih gat een Mark’s wedding. tu moch oanyan een deh. I don’t evriday adj. daily, everyday; really like escabeche because it suitable for ordinary days. Ah has too much onion in it. [Sp. wahn gi yu aal a dehn evriday ‘escabeche’ pickle] tingz weh yu need. I’ll give you eskayp v. escape. Di uman mi all of your daily needs. help di teef dehn fi eskayp. The evriting pro. everything. Tel mi woman helped the thieves to evriting weh hapm ahn noh lef escape. See: brok owt. notn owt. Tell me everything that estudeh Variant: yestudeh. happened and don’t leave anything out. eva (var: eba) adv. ever. If yu eva goh owt deh agen, Ah wahn evriway adv. everywhere. beet yu. If you ever go out there Evriway yu ton, pipl mi-di taak again, I’ll beat you. bowt da man. Everywhere you turn, people were talking about evalastin adj. everlasting. Hari that man. aalwayz ga wahn evalastin green pan ih fays. Harry always 102 fa Kriol tu Inglish faam F - f fa Variant: fi .(All senses). to cut down that big tree because it was hanging over the electric Faada n. 1) Father; Anglican or wires. See: chap dong. Catholic priest. Wi ga wahn 2) impregnate. Ih faal di yong nyoo Faada da fi wee choch. We gyal. He got the young girl have a new priest at our church. pregnant. See: beli aaf, breed, See: prees. 2) God the Father; jak op, pregnant. term of respect for 1st person v.phr. Di of the Trinity. Gaad wi Faada faal dong fall down. weh deh op da hevn, mek wi kip bwai faal dong ahn brok ih han. yu naym hoali. Our Father in The boy fell down and broke his heaven, hallowed be your name. arm. See: jrap, pail op. faada redkyap n. woodpecker; faals adj. false. Di faals prafit lineated woodpecker; or pale- mi-di kanfyooz di pipl dehn wid billed woodpecker. Dryocopus weh ih seh. The false prophet lineatus or Campephilus confused the people with what he guatemalensis. Sohn pipl kaal said. udpeka ‘faada redkyap’ sayk a faalt n. fault. Da fi yoo faalt mek weh di tap a ih hed red. Some di baybi jrap aaf a di bed. It’s people call the woodpecker your fault that the baby fell off ‘father redcap’ because the top of the bed. its head is red. See: udpeka. faam1 n. farm. Wi gaahn da di faada-ahn-laa n. father-in-law. faam dehn weh mi deh kloas Mee ahn mi faada-ahn-laa get soh dat wi kuda mi fain lang gud gud gud. My father-in- sohnting fi eet. We went to the law and I get along very well. nearby farms so that we could faak n. fork. Mee noh laik eet find something to eat. See: milpa, wid naif ahn faak. I don’t like to plantaysh. 2 eat with a knife and fork. faam v. form, shape. Di pipl faak teet n. bucktooth. Pikni faam wahn groop fi aks di weh sok dehn finga yoozhwali govament fi help. The people en op wid faak teet. Children formed a group to ask the who suck their thumbs usually government for help. — n. end up with buck teeth. See: bof 1) form, shape. Ah kuda mi si fi teet. shee hoal faam bihain di kertn. I could see her whole form faal v. 1) fell or cut down a tree. behind the curtain. See: figa, Dehn mi hafu faal da big chree shayp. 2) form, document. Tek kaa ih mi-di heng oava di wan a di faam dehn fahn aaf a ilekchrik waiya dehn. They had di des ahn ful it owt. Take one 103 faam Kriol tu Inglish fahn of the forms off the desk and fill eena mi ting dehn. I don’t trust it out. See: paypa. her enough to leave her in my faam3 v. pretend; fake a house; before you know it, she’ll performance to get one’s way. go snooping in my things. Di baybi noh di krai fi chroo; ih faasn v. fasten. Kohn mek Ah jos di faam. The baby isn’t really faasn yu belt gud. Come let me crying; he’s just pretending. See: fasten your belt properly. fayk, play-play, priten. faasn pahn v.phr. be fixed or faama n. farmer. Di faama dehn fastened on. Wen di pipl dehn rent owt di aachad tu wahn yehr weh di man seh, evri aiy nada man. The farmers rented eena di plays mi faasn pan ahn. out the orchard to another man. When the people heard what the See: gyaadna. man said, every eye in the place was fastened on him. See: fiks faamli n. family (extended) pahn. Wahn lat a aanti ahn onkl ahn kozn deh eena fi wee faamli. faat Vulgar. v. fart, break wind. There are lots of aunties, uncles — n. fart; passing of gas from and cousins in our family. See: the intestines. Yoo kyaahn eevn famili. oapm da batl, bwai? Yu noh wot wahn faat! Can’t you even faar (var: fer) n. far. Wahn lat a open that bottle, boy? You’re not pipl mi dehdeh, ahn dehn kohn worth a fart! See: pum. fahn faar. Many people were there, and they came from far. — faati num. forty. Di man ga bowt adj. far, distant. — adv. far; to faati kow pan ih ranch. The a certain distance or degree. man has about forty cows on his 1 ranch. faas adv. fast, quickly, rapidly. Di nyooz bowt di waar spred faawad adv. forward. Ah mi-di faas. The news about the war tel ahn fi goh faawad, bot ih spread fast. See: anda belz, neva yehr mi. I was telling him kwik. to go forward, but he didn’t hear 2 me. See: frontway. faas v. fast; abstain from all or certain foods for religious or faget Variant: figet. dietary purposes. Jeezas faas fi fagiv v. forgive. Ah don fagiv di faati dayz ahn faati naits. Jesus man weh brok eena mi hows. I fasted for forty days and forty have forgiven the man who broke nights. into my house. faas3 v. 1) interfere, meddle. fagivnis n. forgiveness. Wi Stap faas eena mi bizniz. Stop shuda ton rong wi laif ahn geh interfering in my business. See: fagivnis. We should turn our dabl, intafayr. 2) snoop. Ai noh lives around and get forgiveness. chros fi lef shee eena mi hows; fahn (var: frahn, fram, fan) prep. rekli wen yu luk, ih goh faas from. Ah kleen di hows fahn 104 fain Kriol tu Inglish faiyahaat kaana tu kaana. I cleaned the somebody. house from corner to corner. faiv num. five. Da fish don paas — adv. even. Fahn mi ma di faiv pong lang taim. That fish is raid baik! Even my mother rides much more than five pounds. a bike! See: an aal, eevn, dong fai sehn n.phr. five cents. tu, op tu. (‘faiv’ becomes ‘fai’ before the fahn taim phr. from the word ‘sehn’) Dehn yoostu sel beginning, since then. Dehn kaasham eena wahn paypa too mi laik wan anada fahn koanz fi fai sehn. They used to taim. Those two have liked each sell ‘kaasham’ in a paper cone for other from the beginning. five cents. 1 fain adj. fine. Di baybi ga sohn faiya v. throw. Di bwai faiya too fain lee hyaa di groa da tap a ih paint afta mi, bot dehn neva hed. The baby has some fine little kech mi. The boy threw two hair growing on top of her head. bottles at me, but they didn’t hit fain2 n. fine; penalty. If dehn me. See: belt, chaans, fling, kech yu di jraiv widowt yu stoan. — n. fire. Di faiyaman laisn, yu hafu pay wahn fain da dehn mi chrai fi owt di faiya. koat. If they catch you driving The firemen tried to put the fire without your license, you’ll have out. See: flaym. to pay a fine in court. kaaz faiyabon v.phr. cause a fain3 v. find, discover. Ah wahn fire to start accidentally. Neva haid miself weh nobadi kyaahn lef kyandl di bon eena yu hows fain mi. I will hide myself where kaa yu ku kaaz faiyabon. Never no one can find me. leave candles burning in your fainali adv. finally. Wen Ah house because you could cause a fainali don aal a mi werk, mi fire to start. ma gi mi wahn aideel. When I faiya injin n. fire engine, fire finally finished all of my work, truck. Wen mi grani tel wi fi my mom gave me a frozen juice kaal di injin pomp fi owt di treat. See: lang at laas, pahn di faiya, wi neva noa dat ih mi laas. meen faiya injin. When my fait v. fight. Di man mi-di fait grandmother told us to call the gens ih oan fren dehn. The man ‘engine pump’ to put out the fire, was fighting against his own we didn’t know that she meant friends. See: dash han. ‘fire engine’. See: injin pomp. faitasam adj. pugnacious; quick faiyaans n. fire ants. (Both sg. & to fight (physically). Eeva pl.) Wahn faiyaans kohn ahn oanli faitasam; evri minit shee bait mi rait pahn mi toa paint. di kech eena fait wid sohnbadi. A fire ant came and bit me right Eva really likes to fight; she on the tip of my toe. See: aans. always comes to blows with faiyahaat n. hearth, fireplace. Ah neva yoostu laik faiyahaat 105 faiyaman Kriol tu Inglish fanin bikaaz di smoak mi-di bon mi falafut v. copy, imitate, mimic. aiy. I didn’t used to like the Ah noh hafu tel yu how mongki fireplace because the smoke burnt ku falafut. I don’t have to tell my eyes. you how monkeys can imitate. faiyaman n. fireman. Di See: kapi. faiyaman ron eena di hows weh falafut jompi n.phr. copycat, mi deh pahn faiya ahn sayv di imitator. Evriting weh Ai du, baybi. The fireman ran into the shee du; shee da reel falafut house that was on fire and saved jompi. Everything I do, she does; the baby. she is a real copycat. faiyawerks n. fireworks. Di falowa n. follower. Jim Jones faiyawerks fi Indipendens mi mi ga ih falowa dehn wel fool oanli priti dis yaa. The fireworks op fi chroo. Jim Jones really had for Independence were very his followers deceived. pretty this year. famili n. family (immediate) faiyawud n. firewood. Wahn Evri week Ralf tek owt taim fi big wowla mi kwail op anda di kehr ih famili sohnweh. Every faiyawud. A big boa constrictor week Ralph takes some time out was coiled up under the firewood. to take his family somewhere. See: faamli. fak n. fact. 1 in fak prep.phr. in fact. Di man fan Variant: fahn. prep. from. noh gilti; in fak, ih noh mi eevn (Generally used before the dehdeh. The man isn’t guilty; in pronouns ‘Ah, Ai and ahn’) Mi fact, he wasn’t even there. See: aanti kohn fahn Stayts bot Ah iz. neva geh notn fan ahn. My auntie came from the States but I fakchri n. factory. Wen wi mi didn’t get anything from her. smaal, wi yoostu goh bai ais da 2 ais fakchri pahn Magazeen fan v. 1) fan. 2) winnow. Wen Road. When we were small, we Ah mi redi fi fan di rais, Ah used to buy ice at the ice factory hayl mi ma. When I was ready to on Magazine Road. winnow the rice, I called my mom. See: breez. faks n. fox. Ai neva noa wi ga — n. fan. faks da Bileez til wen Ah gaahn da zoo ahn si wan. I didn’t know fanin n. 1) fanning. Yu si loan we had foxes in Belize until I fanin aal oava cherch weh ih mi went to the zoo and saw one. soh hat. There was a whole lot of fanning all over church fala v. follow. Di man fala ih because it was so hot. 2) waif fi si if ih mi wahn meet wid winnowing. Ah mi oanli taiyad wahn nada man. The man wen di taim kohn fi di laas followed his wife to see if she fanin a di rais. I was so tired was going to meet another man. when the time came for the last See: chrayl, daag, staak. winnowing of the rice. 106 fansi Kriol tu Inglish fayk fansi adj. fancy. Ih mi liv wahn hapm? Yu gaahn da farin? Girl, simpl laif; ih da neva no fansi I haven’t seen you in a long time. man. He lived a simple life; he What happened? Did you go was not a fancy man. abroad? See: goh owtsaid, goh — v. 1) fancy; have a liking weh. for. Ah noh fansi da hat ataal. I fashan n. fashion, style. Shee don’t fancy that hat at all. fat fat ahn stil waahn wayr 2) fancy, imagine. Ah fansi Ah evriting weh eena fashan. She’s yehr sohnbadi kaal mi nayhn. I really fat, but she still wants to fancied that I heard somebody wear everything that’s in fashion. call my name. See: stail. far prep. for. (A form of ‘fa’ fasit n. 1) faucet. Wen Ah ton generally used only before the aan di fasit, no waata mi deh. words ‘ahn’ or ‘it’) Wi aks di When I turned on the faucet, no man fi mek wi bil wahn hows water was there. 2) standpipe; far ahn. We asked the man to let centrally located water supply us build a house for him. for public use. Wen wi mi farda adv. farther. Wi shub di smaal, fait doz aalwayz brok boat owt farda eena di waata fi owt wen wi goh da fasit fi chrai kech sohn fish. We pushed waata. When we were small, the boat farther out in the water to fights always broke out when we try to catch some fish. See: ferda. went to the standpipe for water. fardares (var. fardis) adv. See: stanpaip. farthest. Yoo liv di fardares owt fat n. 1) fat, oil. Peeta, geh di a aal a wi. You live the farthest kuknat fat fi frai di meet. Peter, of all of us. See: ferdares. get the coconut oil to fry the fardis (var. fardares) adv. meat. See: ail. — adj. 2) fat. farthest. See: ferdares. Laik how da gyal soh fat, shee shudn wayr ih skert soh shaat. fareva adv. forever. Da weh Ah Since that girl is so fat, she hafu du fi liv fareva wid Gaad? shouldn’t wear her skirts so short. What do I have to do to live See: blofoto. forever with God? See: evalastin. fatn v. fatten. Wi di fatn op di farid n. forehead. Di minista kow fi di day wen wi wahn mek di sain a di kraas pahn di slaata ahn. We’re fattening up baybi farid wid aliv ail. The the cow for the day when we will minister made the sign of the slaughter it. cross on the baby’s forehead with olive oil. fayd weh v. fade away. Wi mi yehr wahn vais di taak haad, farin adj. foreign. bot den ih jos fayd weh. We v.phr. goh da farin go abroad heard a loud voice talking, but Gyal, or come from overseas. then it just faded away. Ah noh si yu lang taim. Da weh fayk v. fake. Di bwai mi hafu 107 fayl Kriol tu Inglish fayva fayk ih det ahn ron gaahn da the wrong side of the bed because Stayts fi get weh fahn polees. she came with a scowl on her The boy had to fake his death and face. See: mikays-mikays fays. run to the States to get away from faysi adj. shamelessly bold, the police. See: faam, play-play, brazen, disrespectful, priten. — n. fake. Da goal impudent. Shee oanli faysi! Ih chayn weh hihn sel mi fi faiv bara mi shooz ahn noh eevn aks honjrid dalaz da loan fayk. That mi. The nerve of her! She gold chain that he sold me for borrowed my shoes and didn’t five hundred dollars is nothing even ask me. See: bayrfays, but a fake. persnal, stepish. fayl v. fail. Wi wahn beks if di faysinis n. brazenness, nerve, pikni dehn fayl dehn tes. We’ll shamelessness. Da loan faysinis be angry if the children fail their how hihn kom eena mi hows tests. kohn krak bak laik ih liv deh. faymos adj. famous. Di man mi It’s nothing but brazenness for soh faymos, evribadi kohn fi si him to come into my house and ahn. The man was so famous, settle down like he lives there. everyone came to see him. See: bayrfaysidnis, jrai aiy, jrai faynt weh v.phr. faint, collapse. fays. Wen di laydi si di snayk front a faysn v. facing. Haligeta mi deh ahn, ih faynt weh. When the faysn di riva, soh ih neva si weh lady saw the snake in front of her, Hanaasi du. Alligator was facing she fainted. See: gaahn the river, so he didn’t see what fahn...self, jrap dong. Anansi did. fays v. face. Wen wi gaahn da fayt1 n. fate. Da mosi fayt weh koat, wi mi hafu fays di joj bring wee tugeda. It must be dairekli. When we went to court, faith that brought us together. we had to face the judge directly. fayt2 n. faith. Wi hafu ga fayt — n. face. Ah noa fi hihn fays eena Gaad. We must have faith bot Ah noh memba ih nayhn. I in God. know his face but I don’t faytful adj. faithful. Ah wish mi remember his name. hozban mi az faytful az mi v.phr. 1) mek op...fays pucker, daag. I wish my husband were as Da laim mi soh sowa, grimace. faithful as my dog. ih mek Ah mek op mi fays. That lime was so sour that it made me fayva v. favour, look like, grimace. See: mash...mowt. resemble. Aal a fi yu pikni 2) having a scowl or dark look dehn kom owt fayva yu. All on one’s face. Teecha mosi get your children look like you. See: op pahn di rang said a di bed ded, dibz. — n. favour. Wi ga kaa ih fays mek rait op. The wahn fayva fi aks di baas. We teacher must have gotten up on have a favour to ask of the boss. 108 fayvritizm Kriol tu Inglish feeva graas kisiz bai fayva n.phr. about that man, but I feel uneasy favouritism. Di bwai geh di jab whenever I see him. 2) feel bai kisiz bai fayva. The boy got offended. Anjela seh ih mi feel the job by favouritism. See: wahn kain a way wen Delsi tel fayvritizm. ahn dat ih jres luk oagli. Angela fayvritizm n. favouritism. Now said that she felt kind of offended Ah noa di chroot dat Gaad noh when Delsy told her that her dress shoa fayvritizm. Now I know the was ugly. truth that God doesn’t show feel2 n. field. Stan Krik vali ga favouritism. See: kisiz bai fayva. di bes futbaal feel eena di hoal a Febiweri n. February. Flowaz Bileez. Stann Creek Valley has sel plenti eena Febiweri sayk a the best football field in all of Valentainz Day. Flowers sell Belize. well in February because of feel bed n. field bed; a Valentine’s Day. temporary bed made for guests fech v. catch one’s breath. Yu on the floor. Wi mi hafu mek wahn geh soh fraitn dat yu feel bed wen wi mi ga di wahn kyaahn fech. You’ll be so sleep-oava. We had to make frightened that you won’t be able temporary beds when we had the to catch your breath. sleep-over. feda n. feather. Dehn maka feelin n. feeling. Weh ih mi soh paarat ga sohn brait feda pahn koal, Ah neva ga no feelin eena dehn. The macaws have some mi han dehn. Because it was so bright feathers on them. cold, I didn’t have any feeling in my hands. feeba Variant: feeva. fees n. feast. Di pipl mi kil wahn feech n. dominoes. Mi breda hoal hag fi di big fees. The goh play feech da Henjri hows people killed a whole hog for the evri day. My brother goes to big feast. Henry’s to play dominoes every day. See: blak stik. feeva (var: feeba) n. fever. Wen wi si di man, ih mi sik eena bed feedn baks n. manger; trough wid wahn feeva. When we saw where animals are fed. Ah don the man, he was sick in bed with put graas eena di haas dehn a fever. feedn baks. I have put grass in the horses’ feeding trough. feeva graas n. lemon grass; used for tea and as an herbal feel1 v. feel. medicine for treating high v.phr. feel wahn kain a way blood pressure. Andropogon 1) feel uneasy or citratus. Fos wen pipl neva Ah noh noa da uncomfortable. yoostu ga teebag, dehn doz wat bowt da man bot enitaim jrink feeva graas. Long ago Ah si ahn, Ah feel wahn kain a when people didn’t have teabags, way. I don’t know what it is they used to drink tea made from 109 feg Kriol tu Inglish fi lemon grass. following us. See: farda. feg v. fray. Mi pa yooz ih schraa ferdares adv. furthest. hat til ih feg rait weh. My father — adj. furthest. Ai liv da di wore his straw hat until it ferdares hows dong di aali. I completely frayed away. live in the house that is the fegi adj. frayed. Ah kyaahn stan furthest one down the alley. See: soa dehn klaat weh fegi. I can’t fardares, fardis. stand to sew those fabrics that fereh adj. dry and scaly. Dis fray. koal weda ga mi skin luk fereh. fehfeh v. receive by good This cold weather has my skin fortune. Ah neva fehfeh notn looking dry and scaly. See: fahn Stayts dis yaa ataal. I hashishi, yaga-yaga. didn’t receive a thing from the fernichaz n. furniture; States this year. See: get. moveable household articles. fela n. boyfriend, fellow, guy, (Both sg. & pl.) Paaleen shee chap. Ah si yoo ahn yu fela di bai loan nyoo fernichaz fi step dong Albert Schreet. I saw Krismos. That Pauline bought a you and your boyfriend strolling lot of new furniture for down Albert Street. Christmas. fenkeh-fenkeh adj. weak, fertilaiza n. fertilizer. Notn flimsy. Da wai dehn bring dis mi-di groa eena mi gyaadn til fenkeh-fenkeh chyaa fi mee wen Ah staat tu yooz fertilaiza. sidong pan, ahn dehn si Ai fat? Nothing was growing in my Why did they bring that flimsy garden until I started using chair for me to sit on, and they fertilizer. See: manyoar. can see how fat I am? See: week, fi1 (var: fa, fo, fu) v.(pre-verbal waawa. auxiliary) 1) must, ought to, fens v. fence. Di man plaant owt should. Unu fi wayt sotay Ah wahn gyaadn ahn fens it rong. get aal weh Ah waahn. You The man planted a garden and must wait until I get all that I fenced it. — n. fence. Toni want. See: aatu, mos, shuda, gaahn jomp Misa Jak fens fi sopoas tu. 2) to (infinitive teef mango. Tony jumped over marker). Dehn tel yu fi lef di lee Mr. Jack’s fence to steal mangos. baybi hoahn. They told you to leave the little baby at home. fer1 n. fur. Di kyat fer feel nais 2 ahn saaf. The cat’s fur feels nice fi (var: fa, fo, fu) prep. 1) for. and soft. Dehn gaahn fi wahn lang taim now. They have been gone for a fer2 Variant: faar. long time now. 2) of. Ah noh ferda adv. further. Wen wi geh frayd fi goas! I’m not afraid of lee ferda, wi si wahn man di ghosts! fala wi. When we got a little fi3 (var: fa, fo, fu) possessive further on, we saw a man 110 fif Kriol tu Inglish fingl marker used before a pronoun have Miss Sarah put a spell on or proper noun. Dis hows da fi her. mee. This house is mine. fiks op v.phr. fix up, make fif adj. fifth. Di fif persn weh ready, prepare. Brenda shee kohn wahn geh wahn praiz. The reeli fiks op ih hows fi Krismos. fifth person who comes will get a Brenda really fixed up her house prize. for Christmas. fifti num. fifty. Fifti pipl mi deh fiks pahn v.phr. be fixed or da cherch laas Sondeh. Fifty fastened on. Di gyal gat ih aiy people were in church last fiks rait pahn da bwai. The girl Sunday. has her eyes fixed right on that boy. See: faasn pahn. figa v. figure, believe. Ih figa dat wahn goas mi-di fala bak a filim n. film. Ah hafu goh bai ahn wen ih mi-di paas di bering filim fi mi kamara. I have to go grong. He figured that a ghost buy film for my camera. was following him when he was filim shoa n.phr. film show. passing the burial ground. See: (Generally shown in places other tink. — n. figure. Da laydi ku than a theatre.) Dehn di ga filim wayr eniting kaa ih ga wahn shoa da cherch tunait. They’re nais figa. That lady can wear showing a film at church tonight. anything because she has a nice See: moovi, picha. figure. See: faam, shayp. filis n. aracari toucan; collared figet (var: faget, figit, foget, aracari. Pteroglossus torquatus. fuget) v. forget. Ih gaahn finaral n. funeral. Wen di polees schrayt fahn deh ahn figet weh ded, dehn mi ga big finaral far di man luk laik. He went straight ahn. When the policeman died, from there and forgot what the they had a big funeral for him. man looked like. See: beriyin. figit Variant: figet. finga n. finger. Jos kaa Mayvis fijiti adj. fidgety, restless. Di shee ingayj, ih waak wid ih pikni mi fijiti fi di hoal servis; finga stik owt soh dat evribadi ih jos kudn kip stil. The child ku si ih ring. Just because Mavis was fidgety for the whole service; is engaged, she walks with her he just couldn’t keep still. finger stuck out so everybody can see her ring. fiks v. 1) fix, repair. Wahn man kohn fiks mi frij tideh. A man finganayl n. fingernail. came to fix my fridge today. Taneesha finganayl soh lang 2) bewitch, use obeah to put a dat dehn luk laik klaa. spell on. Shee beta noh mes wid Tanisha’s fingernails are so long mi er els Ah wahn mek Mis that they look like claws. Sayra fiks ahn gud. She had fingl v. 1) handle, touch. Ih fingl better not mess with me or I’ll op di froot dehn ahn neva eevn 111 finishin Kriol tu Inglish fits bai dehn. He handled the fruit fishin v. fishing. Mee ahn Ray and didn’t even buy them. See: gwehn fishin Sondeh. Ray and I toch. 2) fondle, pet. If Ah uda are going fishing on Sunday. eva kech da oal man di fingl mi — adj. fishing. Da man jos bai lee gyal Ah noh noa weh Ah wahn nyoo fishin boat. That uda du. If I caught that old man man just bought a new fishing fondling my little girl, I don’t boat. know what I would do. See: fishin huk n.phr. fishhook. Di hoal...op, lov op. fishaman put di bayt pahn di finishin adj. finish. Wi wahn fishin huk an ih mi redi fi staat hafu push fi reech di finishin tu fishin. The fisherman put the lain. We’ll have to push to reach bait on the fishhook and was the finish line. ready to start fishing. fis n. fist. Mi too fis dehn swel op fishin lain n.phr. fish line. Da weh Ah nak ahn soh haad. My fishin lain noh schrang nof fi two fists swelled up because I hit hoal da big fish deh. That fish him so hard. See: noklz. line isn’t strong enough to hold fis...op v.phr. beat; punish that big fish. (usually with fists). Mi ma fis fishin net n.phr. net, fishing mi op kaaz Ah tek lang. My net. Di too man mi dehdeh di mother beat me because I took so fiks dehn fishin net. The two long. See: beet, pong. men were there fixing their nets. fish n. fish. Wi bai too bred ahn fishwel n. fish well; an wahn lee fish fi frai. We bought enclosure for keeping live fish. two loaves of bread and one little fiskayl v. fish scale; the process fish to fry. of making shallow fish kain n.phr. seafood. herringbone pattern cuts in Maakit neva ga no fish kain wood with an axe to remove ataal dis maanin. There was no wood for close work. seafood at the market this fit v. fit. Izmay wedn jres neva morning. fit ahn gud ataal. Ismay’s fish tee n.phr. fish broth. Mi wedding dress didn’t fit her well ma dash di lee fish dehn eena di at all. — n. fit. Gyal, di shooz pat a waata ahn bail dehn fi da wahn perfek fit. Girl, the mek fish tee. My mother threw shoes are a perfect fit. the little fish into the pot and fitn adj. due, fitting, proper, boiled them to make fish soup. right. Gyal, ih mi fitn fi yu kehr fishaman n. fisherman. Mi ahn da koat. Girl, it was right for breda dehn spen lat a taim da you do take him to court. See: see kaa too a dehn da fishaman. karek, prapa, rait. My brothers spend a lot of time fits n. epilepsy. Jan kech fits on the sea because they’re both wen ih mi eena di boat, an ih fishermen. jrap da waata ahn jrongdid. 112 fiziknat Kriol tu Inglish flee John had an attack of epilepsy my grandpa always gets out his when he was in the boat, and he fly brush to brush them away. fell into the water and drowned. [Made from the cohune stalk; the fiziknat n. physic nut; a kind of part of the stalk above where the tree. Mi ma aalwayz gi wi nuts grow is beaten until it fiziknat waata fi jrink wen di becomes hairy - a fibrous brush; weda hat soh dat ih ku kool wi the brush end is soaked, and it is badi. My mother always soaks a then dried and used to swat flies.] branch from the physic nut tree in flak v. flock; gather or travel in water and gives us to drink when a crowd. Sayk a da man, wahn the weather is hot, so as to keep lat a pipl mi-di flak da di tong. our bodies cool. [The gum of the Because of that man, many tree is usually white; however, it people flocked to the town. is said that on Good Friday it runs — n. flock. Wahn hoal flak a red (or brown), and people call it berd flai oava wi hows. A whole ‘Jeezas Blod’.] flock of birds flew over our flag1 n. flag. Aal di lee pikni house. dehn wayv dehn flag wen di flata v. 1) flutter. Wach how di praim minista paas. All the botaflai di flata ih wing dehn. children waved their flags when Look at how the butterfly is the prime minister passed. fluttering his wings. 2) flap or flag2 (var: fleg) v. flog. Yu pa flop back and forth. Wen mi pa wahn flag yu gud ahn prapa if chap aaf di fowl nek, di fowl yu noh du yu hoamwerk. Your flata til ih ded. When my father father will flog you good and chopped off the chicken’s head, it proper if you don’t do your flopped around until it was dead. homework. flatn v. flatten. Yu flatn di flai v. fly. Di oanli way yu kuda janikayk dehn tu moch, man. get deh da fi flai. The only way You flattened the johnny-cakes you could get there is by flying. too much, man. — n. 1) fly, gnat. Flai stodi di flaym n. flame. Di kyandl mi ga pich pahn mi. Flies were all over wahn lee lee flaym pan it. The me. See: batlaas, bloo konkas, candle had a very small flame on dakta flai, jronkin bayman, it. See: faiya. haasflai, konkas, shaat jekit. flayva n. flavour. Dis dina noh 2) mosquito. Flai oanli tik dis ga no flayva; ih need moa eevnin. Mosquitos are really seeznin. This dinner doesn’t have thick this evening. See: maskito. any flavour; it needs more flai brosh n. fly brush; a device seasoning. See: tays. for keeping insects away. Wen flee n. flea. Fi yoo daag hihn ful flai tik, mi grampa aalwayz op a flee. That dog of yours is haal ih flai brosh fi brosh dehn full of fleas. weh. When mosquitos are thick, 113 fleg Kriol tu Inglish flowaz pat fleg flog. Variant: flag. tap gyalan flod. The Cayo River flesh n. flesh. Di chap pahn di always has high floods. man leg mi soh deep dat di hoal flodflai n. flying ant. Enitaim yu flesh mi-di heng. The cut on the si flodflai di flai rong, yu noa man’s thigh was so deep that the seh rayn di kohn. Whenever you flesh was hanging off of the bone. see flying ants around, you know fleshi adj. fleshy, meaty. Ah noh that rain is coming. laik chikin bres kaa ih tu fleshi. flonks v. flounce. Maagrit geh I don’t like chicken breast beetn sayk a flonks wen ih ma because it’s too meaty. skoal ahn. Margaret got a beating fling v. fling, throw. Di bwai for flouncing when her mother dehn fling dehn koat dong ahn scolded her. gaan owtsaid. The boys flung floot n. flute. Mai faada-ahn-laa their coats down and went ku play floot gud. My father-in- outside. See: belt, chaans, chok law can play the flute well. weh, faiya, stoan. flooz n. flu; an upper flitaz n. fritters; food, such as respiratory virus. Jani mi-di conch, bananas or plantain, werk eena rayn aal day, soh ih deep-fried in batter. Mai ma kech flooz. Johnny was working laik put lat a pepa eena ih in the rain all day, so he got the konks flitaz. My mom likes to flu. put lots of pepper in her conch flosh v. flush. Di septik waahn fritters. bayl kaa evri taim wi flosh, ih floa1 v. flow. Stan Krik riva floa oavafloa. The septic tank needs rait owt tu di see. Stann Creek to be pumped out because every flows right out into the sea. time we flush, it overflows. floa2 n. floor. Wen wi gaahn flowa n. flour; powder that spen di haliday da mi aanti, wi comes from milling corn or mi hafu sleep pahn di floa. wheat. Mi grani don bai ih When we spent the holiday with flowa fi mek bred. My granny my auntie, we had to sleep on the has already bought the flour to floor. make bread. flod v. flood. Wen ih rayn flowaz n. flower. (Both sg. & pl.) plenti, mai hows aalwayz flod Tifani bwaifren gi ahn sohn owt. When it rains a lot, my priti flowaz fi ih bertday. house always floods badly. Tiffany’s boyfriend gave her — n. flood. (Both sg. & pl.) some pretty flowers for her Afta wahn harikayn, flod birthday. aalwayz deh. After a hurricane, flowaz pat n.phr. vase. Sayk a floods always happen. di fait, dehn bwai lik dong di tap gyalan flod n.phr. big hoal flowaz pat a flowaz fahn flood. Kaiyo Riva aalwayz ga aaf a di taybl. Because they were 114 fo Kriol tu Inglish fongshan fighting, the boys knocked the of Haulover Creek facing the vase of flowers from off of the Harbour. Dehn gyal ahn bwai table. laik goh da Foashoa goh kis op. fo Variant: fi .(All senses). The girls and boys like to go to the Foreshore to make out. foa num. four. Bowt foa towzn 1 pipl mi deh eena di krowd da foat adj. fourth. Hihn da mi foat day. About four thousand people pikni. He is my fourth child. were in the crowd that day. foat2 n. fort. Baran Blis grayv (‘Foa’ becomes ‘foar’ in the deh da foat. Baron Bliss’ grave phrase ‘foar aklak’.) is there near the fort. foakos v. focus. Peeta aiy dehn Foat Jaaj n. Fort George, an neva mi-di foakos gud afta ih area on the northeast part of geh di lik pan ih hed. Peter’s Belize City between Hutson eyes didn’t focus well after he got and N. Park St. around hit on the head. Memorial Park; used to be an foaks n. folks. Yu hafu laan fi ga estate belonging to the rispek fi oalda foaks. You have Turtons, a major land and to learn to respect older folks. slave-owning family. Da paati aalwayz win eena Foat Jaaj foaman n. foreman. Mi hozban ayrya wen ilekshan. That party da di foaman wichpaa ih werk. always wins in the Fort George My husband is the foreman where area during elections. he works. foateen num. fourteen. Roaz mi foan n. phone. Wi mi-di werk, oanli foateen wen ih geh bot den di foan staat ring. We pregnant. Rose was only were working, but then the phone fourteen when she got pregnant. started to ring. foget Variant: figet. foas v. force. Di king foas di pipl dehn fi werk haad. The king fon adj. fun. Gyal, da paati forced the people to work hard. da-mi fon fi chroo! Girl, that See: kampel. — n. force. Dehn party was really fun! See: kiks. ares di man bot dehn neva yooz fongdayshan n. foundation. Yu no foas. They arrested the man hafu put dong wahn gud but they didn’t use any force. fongdayshan if yu noh waahn See: presha. harikayn bloa dong yu hows. foas op anda v.phr. force You have to put down a good one’s attentions on. Jeni laik foundation if you don’t want foas op anda dehn rich gyal hurricanes to blow your house mek dehn laik ahn. Jenny likes down. to force herself on the rich girls in fongshan v. function. Wen Ah the hopes that they’ll like her. taiyad, mi braynz kyaahn Foashoa n. Foreshore; area of fongshan. When I’m tired, my Belize City on the south side brain can’t function. 115 foni Kriol tu Inglish fosi — n. function. Ah ga wahn back. fongshan fi goh dis eevnin, soh fos1 adj. first. Wi ga nyoo kloaz Ah wahn hafu geh wahn nyoo fi di fos day a skool. We have frak. I have a function to attend new clothes for the first day of this evening, so I’ll have to get a school. — adv. 1) first. Da mee new dress. si di aapl dehn fos! I was first to foni adj. 1) funny. Chaali joak see the apples! 2) at first. Fos Ah dehn mi soh foni dat wi laaf til neva laik da man ataal, bot den wi beli hat wi. Charlie’s jokes Ah fain owt dat ih mi oanli nais. were so funny that we laughed At first I didn’t like that man at until our bellies hurt. See: joaki. all, but then I found out that he 2) odd, peculiar, strange. Dat was very nice. 3) long ago. Fos foni how sodn-wan Maasha pipl doz wash pahn skrobin staat tu geh fat. It’s odd how boad, bot now dehn ga washin Marsha suddenly started to get masheen. Long ago used to wash fat. — adj. gay (homosexual) on scrub boards, but now they See: batiman, ponk. have washing machines. food n. food. (Generally implies a fos brok n.phr. initial full meal.) Wi uda need wahn enthusiasm. Cho! Shee noh big amonk a food fi feed dis seeryos bowt goh ron da krowd. We’d need a large maanin. Dat da oanli fos brok; amount of food to feed this ih wahn soon geh taiyad. crowd. See: bitl, grob. Humph! She isn’t serious about running in the morning. That’s fool v. fool, deceive. Bileev mi just her initial enthusiasm; she’ll ahn noh mek nobadi fool yu. soon get tired of it. Believe what I say and don’t let 2 anyone fool you. See: chrik, fos v. fuss, quarrel. Unu laik fos joaki, play. — n. foolishness. op wid wan anada, man. You Peeta du loan fool wid ih laif an like to quarrel with each other, ih en op da jayl. Peter did man. See: kech, kwaaril. nothing but foolishness with his — n. fuss, fight. Jan an ih life, and he ended up in jail. See: breda mi ga big fos oava hoo naansens, papisho, schupidnis. wahn geh dehn pa moni wen ih 1 ded. John and his brother had a fool-fool adj. foolish, stupid. big fuss over who will get their Da man ga Sheli fool-fool kaa dad’s money when he dies. shee bileev evriting ih seh. That man has made Shelly look really foschraytid adj. frustrated. Dis foolish because she believes mats prablem ga mi everything he says. See: dom, foschraytid. This math problem schupid, simpl. has me frustrated. fool-fool2 n. a type of bird; fosi adj. fussy. Di lee baybi geh either a vireo or a flycatcher, fosi wen ih di kot teet. The little with yellow chest and grey baby gets fussy when she’s 116 fowl Kriol tu Inglish fraiyin pan cutting teeth. See: kamikl. they won’t puff up. fowl n. chicken. Mi onkl an ih frai kayk (var: frai jak) n. fry waif laik rayz fowl soh dat dehn cake. Frai kayk eet gud wid ku ga fresh eg. My uncle and his cheez ahn raip pyaa. Fry cake wife like to raise chickens so they really tastes good with cheese and can have fresh eggs. See: chikin. ripe avocado. wen fowl kot teet Idiomatic Fraideh n. Friday. Evribadi phr. never (Literally: ‘when aalwayz glad wen Fraideh chickens cut teeth’- similar to kohn. Everybody is always glad the Eng. expression ‘when when Friday comes. Ai wahn Hell freezes over’). fraitn v. frighten, scare. Loosi marid tu yoo wen fowl kot teet. breda fraitn ahn wid wahn I’ll marry you when chickens cut sheet mek ih tink seh da goas. teeth. Lucy’s brother frightened her fozi adj. fuzzy. Mi hed feel fozi with a sheet to make her think it sayk a dis koal. My head feels was a ghost. — adj. fuzzy because of this cold. 1) frightened, scared. Di lee fraat v. froth; cause to foam. gyal mi fraitn wen di daag rosh Wen di laydi kech fits, ih mi-di ahn. The girl was frightened fraat da ih mowt. When the lady when the dog rushed at her. See: had epilepsy fits, she was frothing frayd. 2) shocked, surprised. at the mouth. — n. froth. Di lee Ah fraitn wen Ah si Karen bwai pa beet ahn til fraat kom pregnant kaa Ah neva si ahn owt a ih mowt. The boy’s father wid no bwai. I was shocked beat him until froth came out of when I saw Karen pregnant his mouth. See: foam. because I had never seen her with frahn from. Variant: fahn. any boys. frai v. fry. Ih smel gud wen mi fraitna adj. more frightened. Di ma frai baykan soon da kloasa di bwai geh tu di bering maanin. It smells good when my grong, di fraitna ih staat tu feel. mom fries bacon early in the The closer the boy got to the morning. — adj. fried. Krofi graveyard, the more frightened he laik di bai op dehn greesi started feeling. Chaini frai chikin. Creoles like fraitnin adj. frightening. Wi si to buy that greasy Chinese fried aal kain a fraitnin ting wen wi chicken. gaahn si da hara moovi. We saw frai jak (var: frai kayk) n. fry all kinds of frightening things jack; a scone fried in oil. If yu when we went to see that horror noh put nof baykin powda eena movie. yu frai jak, ih noh wahn bloa fraiyin pan n. frying pan. Dehn op. If you don’t put enough aiyan fraiyin pan gud fi frai fish baking powder in your fry jacks, eena. Iron frying pans are good for frying fish. 117 frak Kriol tu Inglish freeza frak n. dress, frock. Evri week by yourself? You’re a real fraidy- shee haftu geh nyoo frak. Every cat! week she has to get a new dress. fraym v. frame. Fi wee ma See: dandan, gong, jres. fraym aal a di sertifikayt dehn frakcha v. fracture. Edi faal weh wee geh fahn skool. Our dong ahn frakcha ih han. Eddy mother frames all of the fell down and fractured his arm. certificates that we get from See: brok. school. — n. 1) frame. Da fat frakchad adj. broken, gyal sidong pahn mi glaasiz ahn fractured. Ah geh mi fut ben op di fraym. That fat girl sat frakchad wen Ah jrap aaf a di on my glasses and bent the frame. baisikl. I got a fractured foot 2) poultry carcass or skeleton. when I fell off of the bicycle. See: Pipl kohn da mi hows Krismos brok. day ahn eet owt aal a mi terki ahn lef loan fraym. People came frakshan n. fraction. (Both sg. & to my house on Christmas Day pl.) Wi mi laan fi du frakshan and ate up all of my turkey and da skool. We learned to do left me nothing but the carcass. fractions at school. frayvrit adj. favourite. Dat da fram Variant: fahn. from. (Used Saiman frayvrit sang. That is sentence final) Ah noh noa weh Simon’s favourite song. yu kohn fram. I don’t know where you came from. freek n. freak. Jos kaa Ai da albaino, dehn tink seh Ai da franjipani n. frangipani; wahn freek. Just because I’m an tropical American shrub or albino, they think that I’m a tree with large fragrant freak. flowers. Plumeria acuminata Ait. freenis n. free items. Mis Maybel ga lat a moni fi bai frayd adj. afraid, fearful, kloaz bot ih stil goh da Red frightened, scared. Unu mos Kraas kaa ih laik tu moch neva frayd fi weh pipl seh. You freenis. Miss Mabel has enough should never be afraid of what money to buy clothes, but she people say. See: fraitn. still goes to the Red Cross frayda adj. cowardly, fearful. because she likes free items too Gyal, yu tu frayda. No goas noh much. eena di room. Girl, you’re too freez v. freeze. Ah mi figet fi fearful. There aren’t any ghosts in freez ais tudeh. I forgot to freeze the room. See: kowad, waawa. ice today. fraydapus n. fraidy-cat; person freeza n. freezer. Wi ga lat a easily frightened. Yu noh meet stak op eena di freeza. We waahn goh eena di room bai have a lot of meat stocked up in yuself? Yoo da reel fraydapus! the freezer. You don’t want to go in the room 118 fren Kriol tu Inglish ful fren n. friend. Da day wi invait and buy frozen chicken and you sohn a wi fren da wi hows fi eet don’t have to kill a chicken every dina. That day we invited some time you want to eat fried of our friends to the house for chicken. dinner. See: bali, bombali, frong n. frown. Da wai da big too-faiv. frong deh pahn fi yoo fays? fren op v.phr. make friends. Why is that big frown on your Shee fren op wid mee jos kaa ih face? waahn moni. She made friends front n. front. Di front a di jres with me just because she wanted luk beta dan di bak. The front of money. the dress looks better than the fresko n. snow cone; shaved ice back. served with a sweet flavored front a prep. in front of. Wen syrup poured over it. Archaic. wi luk front a wi, wi si wahn Ah laik mai fresko wid too kala man di daans. When we looked sorop pan it. I like my snow in front of us, we saw a man cone with two colours of syrup on dancing. See: hed a. it. See: snoa koanz. [ 119 ful stap Kriol tu Inglish gaacho — adj. 1) full, filled. Ah mi tink aal eena rayn. The boys were di bokit mi ful, bot ih mi ga playing football even in the rain. wahn lee hoal da batam. I futstool n. footstool. Mi pa thought the bucket was full, but it yoostu laik put ih fut pahn di had a little hole in the bottom. futstool. My father used like to ful stap n. full stop; period put his feet on the footstool. (punctuation mark). Yu fi put fyaa1 v. fear. Deez dayz pipl liv wahn ful stap da di en a wahn laik dehn noh fyaa Gaad ataal. sentens. You should put a full- These days people live like they stop at the end of the sentence. don’t fear God at all. fut n. 1) foot. Wich paat a yu fut fyaa2 adj. fair. Mi onkl mi neva yu brok? Which part of your foot fyaa wid mi ataal. My uncle did you break? 2) leg. Ah brok wasn’t fair with me at all. mi fut rait bitween mi ankl ahn fyaa3 n. fair. Wi cherch di ga mi nee. I broke my leg right wahn big fyaa en a mont. Our between my ankle and my knee. church is having a grand fair at v.phr. pul fut/tek fut flee, run the end of the month. away. Wen di gang bwai dehn si polees di kohn, dehn tek fut fyoocha n. future. Aal a wi ahn ron. When the boys in the waahn noa weh wi wahn du gang saw police coming, they ran eena di fyoocha. We all want to away. See: brok weh. know what we’ll do in the future. fut bak n. heel. Pipl mi-di mash fyoom v. fume; be angry. op mi fut bak eena di parayd. Klaadya mi-di fyoom wen ih si People mashed up my heel in the how di pikni dehn mi ga di parade. See: heel. hows dig op. Claudia was fuming when she saw how the children n. fut batam sole of the foot. had torn up the house. Mi fut batam mi-di bon mi weh Ah stan op soh lang. The soles fyoomzi adj. smoky. Enitaim mi of my feet were burning because I sista frai fish, ih ga di hows was standing for so long. fyoomzi. Whenever my sister fries fish, she gets the house n. futbaal football, soccer. smoky. Dehn bwai mi-di play futbaal G - g ga (var: gat) v. have. Dadi noh ga beans, cabbage, ketchup and no moni fi bai mi buk dehn. cheese. (Both sg. & pl.) Mee Daddy doesn’t have any money noh bai gaacho fahn da laydi to buy my books. See: ha. kaa di beenz aalwayz sowa. I don’t buy gachos from that lady gaacho n. flour tortilla with because the beans are always 120 Gaad Kriol tu Inglish gadbush sour. [ 123 gilanboa Kriol tu Inglish glaas mouths. in this life. See: han. gilanboa n. parrotfish; having noh giv v.phr. to be unfair. bright colors and a mouth Shee oapm ih aiy wen wi mi-di resembling a parrot’s beak. play hapskach, ahn dat noh giv. Scaridae. Gilanboa da wahn She opened her eye when we priti fish wid aal kala. The were playing hopscotch, and parrotfish is a beautiful that’s not fair. multicoloured fish. giv ahn tek n. a short palm with giliwaas n. type of lizard. See: thorns on the trunk; leaf is like lizad. [ 124 Glaas Batl Kee Kriol tu Inglish goama her husband’s windshield. gloves on her hands. lukin glaas n.phr. looking gloo v. glue. Gloo di picha pahn glass. Mi ma aalwayz kova op di paypa ahn heng it op. Glue di lukin glaas wen ih di laitnin. the picture on the paper and hang My mother always covers the it up. — n. glue. Joazi put tu mirror when there’s lightning. moch gloo pahn di paypa soh di See: miro. picha kudn stik. Josie put too Glaas Batl Kee n. city jail. much glue on the paper so the Slang. Taam tel di man seh ih picture couldn’t stick. mi deh da Glaas Batl Kee kaa glot n. glutton. Wai yoo di goh ih neva tink seh ih mi noa dat aan laik wahn glot? Yu tu dat meen jayl. Tom told the man greedi. Why do you act like a that he was on Glass Bottle Caye glutton? You’re too greedy. See: because he didn’t think that he gaamandaiza, kraybm. knew that that meant jail. See: glovz Variant: globz. jayl, bak-a-baptis, pis hows. goal1 n. gold. n. . glaasi glass marble — adj. gold. Mi pa gi mi wahn glaasiz n. eye-glasses. Jan wahn goal chayn fi mi bertday. My hafu wayr glaasiz kaa ih dad gave me a gold chain for my kyaahn si gud. John will have to birthday. wear glasses because he can’t see 2 goal n. goal. Albert kik di baal well. See: spektikl. rait eena di goal ahn mek dehn glad-fraitn adj. pleasantly win di futbaal gaym. Albert surprised. Di gyal ma ahn pa kicked the ball right into the goal, mi glad-fraitn wen dehn si dat and because of that, they won the ih mi geh heel. The girls parents football game. were pleasantly surprised when goalden plom n. golden plum; they saw that she had been a fruit or the tree which bears healed. the fruit. Anacardiaceae. glans v. glance. Karen shee paas Goalden plom seed oanli juki mi ahn neva soh moch az glans juki. Golden plum seed is really mi way. Karen just passed me prickly. without even glancing my way. goali n. goalie, goal-keeper. gloari n. glory. Mayri shee deh Yoo da di bes goali dis futbaal eena fi shee gloari now laik how teem eva gat. You’re the best shee marid tu rich man. That goal-keeper this football team has Mary is in her full glory since ever had. she’s married to a rich man. goama n. hangover. Sayk a globz (var: glovz) n. glove. (Both gaahn jrink, Henjri ga goama. sg. & pl.) Di braid mi gat aan Because he went out drinking, lang wait globz pan ih han Henry has a hangover. [ 125 goas Kriol tu Inglish gombolimbo hangover] da wahn gud deel. Go ahead and goas n. ghost. Wen dehn si di buy the house because it’s a good man, dehn mi tink seh da-mi deal. wahn goas. When they saw the goh oava v.phr. go across the man, they thought he was a ghost. Swing Bridge to the other side See: bagabu, bubu, bubuman. of the river. Ah hafu waak goh oava fi goh da polees stayshan. I goat mowt n. prediction or prophecy particularly of have to walk across the Swing Bridge to get to the police station failure or misfortune. Yu put on the other side of town. goat mowt pahn mi, ahn si, Ah geh pregnant. You said that goh owt v.phr. loosen one’s about me, and look, I got bowels. Wen yu eet proonz, ih pregnant. [Perhaps from the wahn mek yu goh owt gud. belief that certain plants die if a When you eat prunes, it will goat’s mouth touches their loosen your bowels. See: leaves] aparayt. goh owtsaid v.phr. go abroad. goat shit n. candy made with Ih mi hafu goh owtsaid fi si flour; has a bumpy top. Haadli wahn dakta. He had to go abroad enibadi noa how fi mek goat to see a doctor. See: goh da shit agen. Hardly anyone knows farin, goh weh. how to make ‘goat shit’ candy v.phr. Ah anymore. goh weh go abroad. hafu goh weh goh si bowt mi goh v. go. Tumaaro Ah waahn helt. I have to go abroad to see goh da maakit. Tomorrow I want about my health. See: goh da to go to the market. farin, goh owtsaid. goh aan v.phr. 1) go on, talk golf n. gulf. Wen yu goh da too much. Aant Maaji aalwayz Honduras eena boat yu haftu di goh aan bowt sohnting er di kraas di golf. When you go to ada. Aunt Margie is always going Honduras by boat, you have to on about something or the other. cross the gulf. 2) act. Sherli laik goh aan bad wen shee jronk. Shirley always goli n. gully. Di kaa ron aaf a di acts badly when she’s drunk. See: road ahn en op eena wahn deep ak. goli. The car ran off the road and goh aata v.phr. confront; ended up in a deep gully. physically or verbally. Mi gom n. gums; the firm flesh aanti seh how ih wahn goh aata covering the jaws on the inside di gyal sayk a weh ih seh bowt of the mouth and surrounding ahn. My aunt said that she will the base of the teeth. Enitaim confront that girl because of what Sami skrob ih teet, ih gom dehn she said about her. See: boad aaf. bleed. Whenever Sammy brushes goh chroo v.phr. go ahead. his teeth, his gums bleed. Goh chroo ahn bai di hows kaa gombolimbo n. gumbolimbo 126 gon Kriol tu Inglish graama tree; bark of which is used in gota n. gutter, drainpipe. Laik medicine for infections and as how rayni weda di kohn, mi pa an antidote for the effects of put gota rong ahn rong di the poisonwood tree; its sap is howstap fi mek di waata ron used as a gum or resin. Bursera aaf. Because the rainy season is simaruba. Gombolimbo chree coming, my father put drainpipes smood, smood, smood. The all around the roof so that the gumbolimbo tree is very smooth. water can run off. gon n. gun. Pachrik tek di bwai gots v. gut. Di fish don gots bot gon ahn ton rong ahn shoot ahn ih noh skrayp yet. The fish have wid it. Patrick took the boy’s gun been gutted but they haven’t been and turned around and shot him scaled yet. — n. 1) guts. Di man with it. badi bos oapm ahn aal a ih gots gon dong v.phr. gun down, kom owt. The man’s body burst shoot down. Polees gon dong di open and all of his guts came out. bwai kaaz ih mi-di chrai ron See: inschralz. 2) guts; a line in weh. The police gunned down the the game of marbles that boy because he was trying to run determines order of play. away. See: shat. gov aapl n. a type of fruit; gong n. gown. Yu shuda mi si similar to custard apple but how aal a wi mi jres op wid with a smooth skin. Gov aapl priti gong fi goh da wedn. You da wahn froot weh yu haadli si should have seen how all of us agen. Gov apple is a fruit that were dressed up in pretty gowns you hardly see anymore. for the wedding. See: dandan, govament n. government. Di frak, jres. pipl waahn di govament fi du goos n. goose. (Both sg. & pl.) evriting. The people want the Haatens kuk too goos fi government to do everything. Krismos. Hortense cooked two govna n. governor. Fi wee geese for Christmas. konchri yoostu ga loan Inglish gooti v. spend money lavishly. govna. Our country used to have (Applies to males) Reeta laik only English governors. man weh gooti pahn shee. Rita govna plom n. a small fruit likes men who spend their money with many seeds in a brown on her. pulp. Flacourtia indica. Govna — adj. extravagant. Ih liv ih laif plom green, an ih ga wahn rof laik wahn gooti man. He wasted seed. Governor plum is green all his money on extravagant with a rough seed. living. See: bups. graama n. grandmother. Ai gosh v. gush. Wen di paip bos, da-mi lee baybi wen mi graama yu oanli si waata di gosh owt. ded. I was a little baby when my When the pipe burst, you only grandmother died. See: grani. saw water gushing out. 127 graas Kriol tu Inglish granfaada graas n. grass. Jaaj noh laik cramps. rayk op di graas wen hihn graipinz n. gripe; stomach or chap. George doesn’t like to rake intestinal cramp. Ah ga bad the grass when he cuts it. graipinz sayk a eet tu moch graas-hapa n. grasshopper. mango. I have bad cramps grabalishos adj. greedy. Da weh because I ate too many mangos. shee grabalishos mek shee See: beli ayk, payn-a-beli. waahn aal a di moni. It’s grajuayt v. graduate. Now dat because she’s so greedy that she Ah don grajuayt, Ah di werk fi wants all of the money. See: mi oan moni. Now that I’ve greedi. graduated, I’m working for my grabiti n. traction. Ah noh hafu own money. wori dat Ah wahn slip dong kaa grama n. grammar. Mee noh mi tenis ga gud grabiti. I don’t laik stodi Inglish grama ataal. I have to worry about slipping don’t like to study English because my tennis shoes have grammar at all. good traction. grampa n. grandpa, grabl v. grab hold of a person grandfather. Enitaim dehn with intent to harm. Soozi pikni grampa kohn, ih gi dehn grabl ih hozban sweethaat ahn moni. Whenever those kids’ put wahn gud beetn pan ahn. grandfather comes, he gives them Susie grabbed hold of her money. See: granfaada, taata. husband’s mistress and gave her a grampikni n. grandchild. good beating. See: kech. Sheela ma ga ten grampikni. grain v. 1) grind. Mi grani ga Sheila’s mom has ten wahn oal taim mil weh shee grandchildren. grain meet eena. My gran adj. grand. Kayti an ih grandmother has an old time mill hozban mi ga wahn gran wedn. that she grinds meat in. Katie and her husband had a 2) defame, slander. Sayra da grand wedding. wahn hipokrit; ih di grain grandaata n. granddaughter. Mayri bihain ih bak ahn den ih Mis Roazi grandaata aalwayz agree wid ahn wen dehn deh goh reed far ahn. Miss Rosie’s fays tu fays. Sarah is a hypocrite; granddaughter always goes to she slanders Mary behind her read to her. See: granson. back and then she agrees with her when they are face to face. See: grandi n. midwife. Wen Pamela blakn. mi redi fi ga baybi, ih sen fi di grandi. When Pamela was ready graip v. gripe; cause sharp pain to have her baby, she sent for the in the bowels. If yu eet green midwife. See: midwaif. mango, ih wahn graip yu beli. If you eat green mangos, it will granfaada n. grandfather. Mi cause you to have stomach granfaada mi ga lat a pig pan ih 128 grani Kriol tu Inglish grayvdiga faam. My grandfather had many di midl ahn poar kandens milk pigs on his farm. See: grampa, een deh. Grapefruit is good when taata. you dig out the middle and pour grani n. grandmother. Ai da-mi condensed milk inside. lee baybi wen mi grani ded. I grays n. grace. Da oanli bai di was a little baby when my grays a Gaad wi di mek it chroo grandmother died. See: graama. dehnya haad taim. It’s only by granson n. grandson. Ah mi the grace of God that we make it rayz mi lee granson kaa ih ma through these hard times. gaahn da Stayts. I raised my grayt adj. great. Wi yehr bowt little grandson because his mother aal a di grayt ting dehn weh went to the States. See: hapm deh. We heard about all of grandaata. the great things that happened gravl n. gravel. Mi pa chroa there. sohn gravl front a di yaad grayta v. grate. Main yu grayta wichpaa ih mi wet. My dad yu finga wen yu di grayta di threw down some gravel in front kuknat. Be careful that you don’t of the yard where it was wet. cut your finger while you’re grayn n. grain, kernel; a single grating the coconut. — n. grater. unit of anything in mass such Dis grayta oanli dol, ih di kip as rice, hair on one’s head, mi bak. This grater is really dull, bead of sweat, etc. Wail Jeni it’s keeping me back. mi-di eet, wahn rais grayn flai graytful adj. grateful. Gyal, Ah da ih chroat ahn choak ahn. reeli graytful fi aal weh yu du fi When Jenny was eating, a grain mi. Girl, I’m really grateful for of rice got into her throat and all that you do for me. choked her. grayt-grayt-grayt-granfaada grayp n. grape. Rong Krismos n. ancestor, forefather. Mi taim lat a grayp aalwayz deh fi grayt-grayt-grayt-granfaada bai. Around Christmas time there dehn kohn fahn Afrika. My are always lots of grapes ancestors came from Africa. See: available. ansesta. see grayp n.phr. sea grape; tall grayv n. grave; the hole in tree native to the Caribbean which a dead body is buried. region bearing a purple berry Enitaim Ah goh da mi ma used in preserves and wines. grayv, Ah krai. Whenever I go Coccoloba uvifera to my mom’s grave, I cry. See: [The colour and shape reminded toom. the early settlers of the grape that grayvdiga n. 1) gravedigger. they knew in Britain.] Dehn grayvdiga yoostu dig graypfroot n. grapefruit. grayv siks fut deep wan taim, Graypfroot nais wen yu dig owt bot now da oanli chree fut. The 129 grayvi Kriol tu Inglish grip gravediggers used to dig graves boy? He’s completely six feet deep, but now it’s only inexperienced and doesn’t know three feet. 2) cricket; type of what to do. insect. Sohntaim yu ku tek green2 v. grin. Jan oanli mi-di grayvdiga fi krikit. Sometimes green op wen ih yehr seh ih win you mistake the grave digger for lato. John was really grinning a cricket. See: krikit. when he heard that he had won grayvi n. gravy. Di jripinz aaf a the lotto. See: smail. terki nais fi mek grayvi. The — n. grin. Yu shuda mi si how drippings off of a turkey are good ih luk eena ih kaafin; ih mi ga for making gravy. wahn evalastin green pan ih gree v. get along with. Mee ahn fays. You should have seen how Paal kyaahn gree ataal. Paul she looked in her coffin; she had and I can’t get along at all. See: an everlasting grin on her face. kaskas, set haas. grees n. grease. Da gyal hed greedi adj. greedy. Da laik fi aalwayz pak op wid lat a grees; shee beli ga wahn hoal; ih soh yu noh eevn waahn toch ih greedi dat ih eet wen ih noh hyaa. That girl’s hair is always eevn hongri. It’s like her belly full of grease; you don’t even has a hole; she’s so greedy that want to touch it. she eats even when she’s not greesi adj. greasy. Dehn man hungry. See: grabalishos. weh lif wayt laik grees op greedi op v.phr. take dehnself til dehn luk laik Greesi everything for oneself. Man. Men who lift weights like (Generally refers to food) Jan to grease themselves up until they hihn greedi op di mango dehn look like Greasy Man. [‘Greesi ahn neva lef non fi wee. John ate Man’ was an infamous criminal all of the mangos and didn’t leave who eluded the police by any for us. See: hag op. greasing his naked body. They greedinis n. greediness. Di ada finally caught him by putting animal mi beks wid Hanaasi sand on their hands.] sayk a ih greedinis. The other gril n. grill. Mama roas di chikin animals were angry with Anansi rait pahn di gril. Mom roasted because of his greediness. the chicken right on the grill. green adj. 1) green. Dis taim a di — adj. grilled. Wail wi mi owt a yaa di leef dehn pahn di chree tong, wi geh gril fish fi lonch. dehn green, green, green. This While we were downtown, we time of the year the leaves on the had grilled fish for lunch. trees are very green. 2) green; grip n. grip, suitcase. Ah reeli inexperienced. Luk ya man, da cherish da grip weh mi kloaz weh yu haiya dis bwai fa? Hihn eena kaa ih yoostu bee fi mi green green ahn noh noa weh fi grayt grani. I really cherish that du. Now why did you hire that grip that has my clothes in it 130 groa Kriol tu Inglish gront because it used to belong to my day long she grumbles and great grandmother. See: valees. always has something to [ 131 groom Kriol tu Inglish gudnis datideh room, an Ai hayt si ahn right, get what one deserves. di ponish laik dis. All day my Da gud fi yoo dat da gyal slap granny moans and groans in that yu kaa yu neva bizniz fi taak tu room, and I hate to see her suffer ahn soh. It serves you right that like that. See: moan. — n. that girl slapped you because you grunt; a variety of salt-water had no right to talk to her like fish having a red mouth, that. which makes a grunting sound gud nait sal. good night; when removed from the water. salutation used at night in Haemulidae. greeting or parting. Gud nait, groom n. bridegroom. Evribadi Mis Maadi. Ah kohn bring di mi shak wen di groom neva moni fi yu. Good night, Miss shoa op da choch. Everybody Maudy. I brought the money for was shocked when the you. See: naiti. bridegroom didn’t show up at guda adv. better. Mi projek kom church. owt guda dan laas taim. My groop n. group. Wahn lee groop project came out better than last a man gaahn da di baas aafis fi time. See: beta. aks ahn fi rayz a pay. A small gudbai sal. good-by, farewell. group of men went to the boss’ Wi mi seh gudbai, ahn den wi office to ask him for a raise in staat pahn wi jerni. We said pay. good-by and then started on our grupa n. any of a number of journey. See: aarait, bai. edible saltwater fish in the gudi-gudi adj. goody-goody. grouper family. Ai neva noa Mee kyaahn stan how shee ak dat wen grupa geh big, dehn laik ih soh gudi-gudi. I can’t kaal dehn Joofish. I didn’t know stand how she acts like she’s so that when groupers get big, they goody-goody. call them Jewfish. See: joofish. gudis adj. best. Luk een da baks [ 132 gud-wan Kriol tu Inglish gwanakasteh di tank Gaad fi ih gudnis. We baal, bot Ah jos tel aal a dehn fi always thank God for His gwaan ahn noh kohn bak. Lots goodness. of little boys piled up in my yard gud-wan adv. well. Ah mi-di to play ball, but I just told them sidong deh gud-wan wen mi all to go away and not to come haat staat tu beet faas faas. I back. was sitting there doing well when gwaana n. iguana. Iguanidae. Ah my heart started beating very kech wahn gwaana rait bai di rapidly. See: gud. riva benk. I caught an iguana gudz n. goods, groceries. Mi ma right by the river bank. See: gaahn bai sohn gudz fi geh redi bambu chikin, lizad, wishwili. fi harikayn. My mom went to gwaava n. 1) guava; a tree buy groceries to get ready for the bearing a yellowish, seedy hurricane. See: groasriz. fruit, high in vitamin A and C, gumbeh n. large drum used for eaten raw or used for dances; made from mahogany preserves and in a paste or about 18” high and 18” long, ‘cheese’. Psidium guajava. Mi with the head on both ends,. lee breda eet op aal a di gwaava Bara gumbeh neva play til dehn. My little brother ate up all daylait. The borrowed drum does of the guavas. [ 134 gyalan Kriol tu Inglish haad Loan gyal goh da da skool. Only going slowly at first and suddenly girls go to that school. 2) girl; it broke out in a fast gallop. female friend of any age. Soh gyambl v. gamble. Sayk a Lidya gyal, yu wahn siksti neks gyambl, Jan looz aal a ih moni. week. So Lydia girl, you’ll turn Because of gambling, John lost sixty next week. all of his money. gyalan n. gallon. Gyas da nayli gyap n. gap. Wahn big gyap mi ten dalaz a gyalan. Gas is almost deh eena di parayd. There was a ten dollars per gallon. big gap in the parade. gyalfren n. girlfriend. Di yong gyas n. gas. (Short for gyasoleen) man ahn di yong laydi geh fi Wi ron owt a gyas pahn di bee bwaifren ahn gyalfren. The road, ahn no gyas stayshan young man and woman became neva deh rong. We ran out of gas boyfriend and girlfriend. on the road, and there was no gas gyalop v. gallop. Jenifa skreem station nearby. See: gyasoleen. ahn hala wen di haas gyalop gyasoleen n. gasoline. Wi mi fi weh wid ahn. Jennifer screamed put gyasoleen eena di kaa, bot and hollered when the horse wi neva mi ga no moni. We were galloped away with her. See: supposed to put gas into the car, chrat. — n. gallop. Di haas but we didn’t have any money. mi-di goh sloa fos, ahn See: gyas. sodn-wan ih brok owt eena wahn faas gyalop. The horse was H - h ha (var: hav) v. have, possess. Schrech-mi-gots da waahn Humoch maabl yoo ha? How haad sweet. Taffy is a firm many marbles do you have? See: candy. 3) loud. Di laydi mi-di ga/gat. kamplayn bowt di haad naiz haaba v. harbour. Ah noh noa weh di bwai dehn mi-di mek wai da laydi laik haaba dehn lat owtsaid. The lady was a lee yong bwai da ih hows. I complaining about the loud noise don’t know why that lady likes to that the boys were making have that bunch of young boys at outside. her house. haad hed phr. dumb, mentally Luk how lang Ah di chrai haad adj. 1) hard, difficult, slow. teech dis gyal ih abc, bot disya distressful. Mi breda stan bai lee gyal hed haad, sa! Look how mi said eena aal mi haad taim long I’ve been trying to teach this dehn. My brother stood by my girl her abc’s but man she’s slow! side in all of my hard times. See: See: dol, dom, donsi. kohn. 2) firm, stiff. 135 haad-ayz Kriol tu Inglish haaflait — adv. 1) hard; with strength haad-hedid adj. hardheaded, or effort. Di man yoostu werk willfully stubborn. Evri day Ah haad fi feed ih pikni, bot now ih tel yu kohn schrayt hoahn fahn noh di du notn. The man used to skool, bot no, yu tu haad-hedid. work hard to feed his children, Every day I tell you to come but now he doesn’t do anything. straight home from school, but 2) loud, loudly. Noh kay how no, you are too hardheaded. See: haad yu hala, hihn noh wahn ayz haad, stik brok eena...ayz, yehr yu kaa ih def. No matter ga no andastandin, stobant. how loudly you holler, he won’t haadli adv. hardly, rarely, hear you because he’s deaf. scarcely. Dehn mi soh bizi, 3) excellent, really nice. Slang. dehn mi haadli ga taim fi Gyal, da shooz luk haad! Girl, dehnself. They were so busy, those shoes look really nice. See: they hardly had time for bad, wikid. themselves. See: skaysli. haad-ayz (var: ayz haad) adj. haad-wan adv. loudly, in a loud stubbornly disobedient. Yoo voice. Jayn taak haad-wan mek noh hyaa weh Ah seh? Da how di laydi ku yehr. Jane spoke yu soh haad-ayz? Didn’t you loudly so the lady could hear. hear what I said? How can you be haaf adj. half. Ah wahn gi yu so disobedient? haaf a aal weh bilangz tu mee. haadbak adj. mature; used I’ll give you half of all that satirically of a male who’s old belongs to me. enough to know or do better. haafa adj. 1) sickly. Jooni di Wai dis big haadbak bwai di play eena rayn an ih noa how ih ramp pahn di lee pikni dehn haafa; rekli wen yu luk, ih kech meri-goh-rong fa? Why is that koal. Junior is playing in the rain, big boy playing on the children’s and he knows how sickly he is; merry-go-round? See: hoks. next thing you know, he’ll catch haadbong Variant: haadbonk. cold. 2) physically limited. Da haadbonk (var: haadbong) n. man haafa, bot ih stil deh owt constipation. Dehn seh haaf deh di help shovl san. That man raip banaana gi yu haadbonk. is not strong, but still he’s out They say that half ripe banana there helping to shovel sand. will give you constipation. See: haaflait adj. odd, slightly crazy, bain, kaak, kaastiv. [ 136 haak Kriol tu Inglish haasflai something. yoostu sidong eena di haal ahn haak1 n. hawk; a raptor-type play jaks. When we were little, bird. Da gyal ma wach ahn laik we used to sit in the living room haak, an ih stil geh pregnant. and play jacks. See: paala. That girl’s mom watches her like 2) large room in a public a hawk, and still she got pregnant. building used for social functions. Wen mai ma mi haak2 v. hawk; cough up yong, shee ahn mai pa doz goh phlegm. Az Ah mi redi fi eet daans da Rivasaid Haal. When aiskreem, di lee oal laydi kohn my mother was young, she and haak rait front a mi. Just as I my father used to go dancing at was getting ready to eat my ice Riverside Hall. cream, the old lady came and hawked right in front of me. See: haan n. horn. Dehn taksiman kaaf op. stodi ting di bloa dehn kaa haan sayk a weh dehn aalwayz eena haal1 v. haul, pull. Soh moch wahn hori. The taxi drivers are fish mi deh eena dehn net dat constantly honking their horns dehn kudn eevn haal it een. So because they’re always in a hurry. many fish were in their net that they couldn’t even pull it in. See: haantid adj. haunted. Dehn ga jreg, pul, toa. sohn hows rong Bileez weh pipl haal aan/aaf v.phr. put on or seh haantid. There are some take off clothing hastily. houses around Belize that people Mikays haal aan yu dosta ahn say are haunted. goh owtsaid goh geh di haapoon n. harpoon, or the tamaales fahn di man bifoa ih metal point on the harpoon. goh. Put on your housedress Jan chroa ih haapoon wid aal ih quickly and go out and get the schrent ahn schraik wahn fish tamales from the man before he rait eena ih hed. John threw the goes. See: chroa aan. harpoon with all of his strength haal ahn pul op phr. and struck the fish right in its 1) disheveled, disorderly, head. untidy, messed up. Di pikni haas n. horse. Wen Ai mi smaal, dehn ga dis hows haal ahn pul Ah doz laik raid haas lat lat. op. The children have this house When I was younger, I really all messed up. See: liked riding horses. hayrim-skayrim. 2) handle haas domp n. horse dung or roughly. Noh kohn di haal ahn manure. Dehn seh haas domp pul mi soh kaa yu wahn geh mi da gud fertilaiza fi yu plaants. beks. Don’t come handling me They say that horse manure is roughly like that because you’ll good fertilizer for your plants. make me angry. See: bulireg. See: kow dong, manyoar. 2 haal n. 1) hall; living room or haasflai n. horsefly. Tabinadae. parlour. Wen wi mi leel, wi Dehn big haasflai oanli bait hat. 137 haaspital Kriol tu Inglish hagish It really stings when those big haftu Variant: hafu. horseflies bite. hafu (var: haftu) v. have to, haaspital n. hospital. Mi ma tek must. Di oanli ting yu hafu du een wid bad payn a beli, soh wi eena laif da ded. The only you rosh ahn da haaspital. My have to do in life is to die. See: fi, mother suddenly got a bad pain in mos, shuda, sopoas. her stomach, so we rushed her to hag n. hog. Wahn lat a hag the hospital. mi-di feed eena di feel. Many haat n. 1) heart. Gaad da di hogs were feeding in the field. oanli wan weh noa evribadi hag op v.phr. 1) take haat. God is the only one who everything for oneself. (Refers knows everybody’s heart. 2) the to things.) Di lee bwai hag op centre of something; the core. aal a di kalarin dehn ahn non a Ih nais wen yu kot owt di haat a di ada pikni dehn kudn get. The di bredfroot ahn stof it wid little boy hogged all of the baykan ahn bayk it. It’s nice crayons and none of the other when you cut out the core of the children could get any. See: breadfruit and stuff it with bacon greedi op. 2) eat greedily. Evri and bake it. taim Jani hihn hafu hag op aal haati adj. hearty. Ah kyaahn tel di mango dehn, den di ada yu di laas taim Ah mi geh fi pikni dehn noh geh non. That sidong ahn eet wahn haati meel. Johnny always eats up all the I can’t tell you the last time that I mangos, and then the other was able to sit down and eat a children don’t get any. See: lash hearty meal. See: helti. dong, manjeh, nyam, waks aaf, haavis v. harvest. Misa Peet yafl. 3) abuse verbally, Da teecha shee gaahn da ih plantaysh gaahn humiliate. aalwayz di hag op Chaali front haavis ih froots dehn fi sel. Mr. a evribadi mek ih feel shaym. Pete went to his plantation to That teacher always humiliates harvest his fruit to sell. See: reep. Charlie in front of everybody and — n. harvest. Haavis da Bileez makes him feel ashamed. da laik Tanksgivin da Stayts. Harvest in Belize is like hag plom n. a type of plum Thanksgiving in the States. tree; the bark, leaves and hach v. hatch. Nain lee baybi flowers are used in local Spondias mombin. Ai maklala eg hach bihain di hows. medicines. noh laik hag plom kaa da moa Nine little lizards were hatched seed dan eniting els. I don’t like behind the house. hog plum because it’s more seed hachit n. hatchet. Di man ga than anything else. wahn lee hachit weh ih chap op adj. dehn big fish wid. The man has a hagish cruel, mean, hag- Nobadi noh goh rong da little hatchet that he chops up the like. oal laydi, kaa ih tu hagish. big fish with. See: aks. 138 hagsaa Kriol tu Inglish halari Nobody goes around that old lady dehdeh di play haiti-taiti laik because she’s too mean. See: yu beta dahn mee. You’re acting kruwil. so hoity-toity, as if you’re better hagsaa n. hacksaw. Misa Jan than I. sen bara mi pa hagsaa fi kot di haiway n. highway. Magi liv da pees a aiyan. Mr. John borrowed terteen mailz pahn di Westan my dad’s hacksaw to cut the Haiway. Maggie lives at the piece of iron. thirteen mile marker on the hahn int. here. Hahn, si sohn Western Highway. moni ya fi yu lonch. Here’s haiya1 adj. higher. Di govna shet some money for your lunch. op kaa di man mi ga haiya hai adj. high. Wi klaim wahn hai pozishan dan hihn. The chree fi geh di froot. We governor shut up because the man climbed a high tree to get the had a higher position than he. fruit. haiya2 v. hire. Mi ma haiya hai ahn maiti adj.phr. high wahn man fi chap di graas. My and mighty, proud. Aal dehn mom hired a man to cut the grass. wan weh tink dehn hai ahn haiyis adj. highest. Jan geh di maiti wahn geh bring dong. All haiyis maak eena di klaas. John those who are so proud will be got the highest mark in the class. brought down. See: prowd. 1 hala v. holler, shout, yell. Noh haid v. hide. Hori haid anda di kay how haad yu hala, hihn noh bed mek yu ma noh si yu. Hurry wahn yehr yu kaa ih def. No and hide under the bed so your matter how loudly you holler, he mom won’t see you. won’t hear you because he’s deaf. haid weh v.phr. hide away. See: baal, krai, skreem. Mis Mayri hafu haid weh ih hala2 adj. hollow. Yong paarat moni mek ih hozban noh fain it. aal taim deh eena dehn hala Miss Mary has to hide her money chree. You can often find young so that her husband can’t find it. parrots in hollow trees. hais v. hoist, lift. Hais op yu fut haladay Archaic. Variant: mek Ah sweep anda di chyaa. haliday. Lift your feet so I can sweep 1 under the chair. See: lif, rayz. halari n. a loud, rowdy, unruly person. Ah noh waahn yu di hai skool n. high school. Di goh aan laik dehn halari pahn pikni dehn hafu werk haad schreet, yu noa. I don’t want you eena di hai skool. The children to act like those rowdy girls on have to work hard in high school. the street, you know. See: hait n. height. Sheri ga gud hait balahu, blagyaad, champong fi bee wahn modl. Sherry has nani. good height to be a model. halari op v.phr. act in an haiti-taiti adv. hoity-toity. Yu unruly or rowdy manner. Pati 139 halari Kriol tu Inglish hambog mi feel shaym wen ih si how ih this point before floating into the ma di halari op ihself pahn sea; another story is that cows schreet. Patty was embarrassed brought down from the north when she saw how unruly her were ‘hauled’ across the river mom was in public. [Perhaps a here; also an early map of the metaphorical ref. to a wild cat of Yucatan identifies a (Mayan) the same name, which sounds like settlement in the same area as a noisy bird] ‘Holzuz’.] halari2 n. jaguarundi, the Haloava Krik n. Haulover smallest, species of wild cat in Creek; the main water course Belize; it makes a sound like through Belize City. the chirping of a bird. Felis hama v. hammer. Ah hama mi yagouaroundi. Di halari noh ga finga insted a di nayl. I no spat. The jaguarundi doesn’t hammered my finger instead of have any spots. the nail. — n. hammer. Wi mi halarin n. hollering, shouting, hafu bara Misa Joa hama fi yelling. Hanaasi yehr di nayl op di shelf. We had to halarin, bot di too bwai dehn borrow Mr. Joe’s hammer to nail mi def. Anansi heard the up the shelf. See: maal, slej hollering, but the two boys were hama. deaf. hamadili n. armadillo. haliday (var: haladay) n. Cabassous centralis & Dasypus holiday, vacation. Wen mai pa novemcinctus. Kohn eet da wi dehn mi smaal, dehn doz goh hows noh kaa mi ma kuk da Mongki Riva fi haliday. hamadili ahn wait rais. Why When my dad and his family don’t you come eat with us were small, they used to go to because my mom cooked Monkey River for vacation. See: armadillo and white rice. leev. hamak (var: hamik) n. haligeta n. crocodile, alligator. hammock. Wen Ah di raak (Species found in Belize is a eena di hamak, Ah geh tonti. crocodile – Crocodylus When I rock in the hammock, I americanus. Unu noh fi goh get dizzy. bayd eena da pan kaa ih gat een hamanz n. almond tree; a type haligeta. You shouldn’t swim in of ornamental shade tree with that pond because it has alligators large leaves. Dehn seh dat goas in it. aalwayz deh anda hamanz Haloava Brij n. Haulover chree. They say that ghosts are Bridge; bridge on the Northern always under almond trees. Highway crossing the Belize hambog v. 1) mess up, ruin. Ah Old River. [Name is said to noh wahn len yu mi rayjo come from the fact that logs were nohmoh kaa yu hambog it op. ‘hauled over’ to the river-side at I’m not going to lend you my 140 hambrelo Kriol tu Inglish handl radio anymore because you ton...han v.phr. work at. Ah di messed it up. See: mes op. mek sohn bred ahn bon fi chrai 2) upset one’s plans, keep one ton mi han fi mek sohn ekschra back. Wen Mayri kohn, ih moni fi Krismos. I’m making hambog mi kaa Ah mi waahn some bread and buns to work at goh owt. When Mary came, she what I can to make some extra upset my plans because I wanted money for Christmas. to go out. wid his too lang han di heng hambrelo Archaic. Variant: da ih said Idiomatic phr. ombrela. empty-handed. (Literally: hamik Archaic. Variant: hamak. ‘with his two long hands hanging by his side’) Di man han v. hand, give. Mis Beka han gaahn fi kalek fi hihn shayr a di Jaaji di moni ahn di baaskit moni, bot di baas sen ahn weh ahn sen ahn da maakit. Miss wid ih too lang han di heng da Becka handed Georgie the money ih said. The man went to collect and basket and sent him to his share of the money, but the market. See: giv. — n. hand and boss sent him away empty- any part of the arm up to the handed. shoulder. Di oal man brok ih (var: Anaansi, Anansi, han rait kloas ih elbo. The old Hanaasi Hanansi) n. man broke his hand right close to Anancy; a clever his elbow. character in Kriol folklore who looks like a spider. Wee han owt...han v.phr. extend, laik wen fi wee ma tel wee reach or stretch out one’s stoari bowt Hanaasi. We like it hand. Di lee baybi han owt ih when our mom tells us stories han tu mi, an Ah noh eevn noa about Anancy. [Afr. Twi: ahn. The little baby reached out ‘ananse’ spider] her arms to me, and I don’t even know him. See: lang owt, Hanansi (var: Anansi, Anaansi, schrech. Hanaasi, Hanansi) n. Anancy; a jos mi han phr. by chance, clever character in Kriol lucky for me. Ah mi waahn folklore who looks like a sohnbadi fi goh bai fi mi, ahn spider. da-mi jos mi han dat Jaaji kohn handl v. handle, manage, cope da sayhn taim. I was wanting with. Ah kyaahn handl dehnya somebody to go buy for me, and pikni; dehn gi mi tu moch lucky for me Georgie came by chrobl. I can’t handle these right then. children; they give too much han eensaid n.phr. palm of trouble. See: manij. the hand. Di lee gyal han — n. 1) handle. Di handl fi di eensaid mi mes op wid paynt. jraa brok aaf. The drawer handle The girl’s palms were stained broke off. 2) handlebar. Hoal di with paint. handl gud er yu wahn faal 141 hankerchif Kriol tu Inglish hara dong. Hold the handlebars well hapi adj. happy. Di laydi mi or you’ll fall. oanli hapi laik how dehn fain ih hankerchif n. handkerchief. Ih son. That lady was really happy beta fi yooz wahn rag fi waip since they found her son. swet wid kaa hankerchif wahn — adv. happily. Ah hoap dat di wet op kwik taim. It’s better to too a dehn wahn liv hapi use a rag to wipe sweat because a tugeda. I hope the two of them handkerchief gets wet too will live happily together. quickly. See: hanki. hapinis n. happiness. Di pikni hanki (var: henki) n. dehn di gi mi wahn lat a handkerchief. Mek shoar yu hapinis. The children give me kehr wahn hanki fi waip yu much happiness. fays, hyaa? Make sure that you hapiya adj. happier. Ih luk laik take a hanky to wipe your face, Daris hapiya wid dis man weh okay? See: hankerchif. ih ga now. It looks like Doris is hankof n. handcuffs. Di man happier with this man that she’s brok di hankof ahn ron weh. got now. The man broke the handcuffs and hapiyis adj. happiest. Ai da di ran away. See: banglz. hapiyis uman eena di werl laik hanraitin n. handwriting. Da how Ah win di kaa. I’m the how fi yoo hanraitin soh terabl? happiest woman in the world How can your handwriting be so since I won the car. terrible? See: raitin. hapm v. happen, occur, take hansom adj. handsome. Wen ih place. Wi mi sopraiz wen wi mi yong, da man mi oanli yehr weh mi-di hapm. We were hansom. When he was young, surprised when we heard what that man was very handsome. was happening. See: tek plays. See: priti. hapmninz n. happening, event. hanspeek n. pry bar; long poles (Both sg. & pl.) Aal kain a used by loggers to roll schraynj hapmninz deh deez mahogany logs. See: kroabaar. dayz. All kinds of strange things are happening these days. hanspring n. handspring. Di bwai dehn mi-di du pupalik hapskach n. hopscotch. ahn han spring joorin di Hapskach da-mi wan a di gaym parayd. The boys were doing dehn Ai mi play di moas when somersaults and handsprings Ah da-mi wahn leel gyal. during the parade. Hopscotch was one of the games that I played the most when I was hap v. hop, jump over. Keesha a little girl. mi-di hap pahn wahn fut kaa ih geh nayl-juk. Keisha was hara adj. horror. Wi si aal kain a hopping on one foot because she fraitnin ting wen wi gaahn si da stepped on a nail. See: jomp. hara moovi. We saw all kinds of 142 haraas Kriol tu Inglish hat pepa frightening things when we went has dry, scaly skin. Dehn staat to see that horror movie. tu teez di poa lee bwai haraas v. harass. Dehn man ‘Hashishi Bambi’ sayk a weh ih dehn mi-di haraas sohn a di fut mi soari. They started teasing membaz a mi famili. Those men the boy, calling him ‘Hashishi were harassing some members of Bambi’ because his feet had so my family. See: heg, krayzi. many sores. See: hashishi pampi. haraasment n. harassment, trouble. Evribadi mi skyata Hashishi Pampi n. a mythical bowt di plays sayk a di character that comes out and haraasment wid di teef. plays in the ashes after the Everybody scattered about the plantation fields are burned. place because of the trouble with See: Hashishi Bambi. the thief. See: haad taim. hashiz Variant: ashiz. harabl adj. horrible. Wi si wahn hasl v. hassle, annoy, bother. Di lat a harabl tingz eena di waar. man staat tu hasl di yong pipl We saw many horrible things in sayk a di way dehn ways moni. the war. See: terabl. The man started to hassle the haraz n. hallucination; caused young people because of the way by withdrawal from drugs. Ih they waste money. See: anai, mi-di ga haraz wen ih mi-di bada, bog. chrai stap yooz jrogz. He was hat1 adj. 1) hot. Noh toch di having hallucinations when he aiyan kaa ih stil hat. Don’t was trying to stop using drugs. touch the iron because it’s still See: si doblz. hot. See: heeti. — adj. 2) hot; hareenj (var: areenj) n. orange. full of sexual desire for. Ih deh Di hareenj mi soh sowa dat ih hat afta di man, bot di man noh mek Ah mek op mi fays. The waahnt ahn. She’s pursuing that orange was so sour that it made man, but he doesn’t want her. me pucker up my face. hat2 n. hat. Jozef bai wahn hat fi harikayn (var: horikayn) n. wen ih hafu werk eena di son. hurricane. Harikayn bloa dong Joseph bought a hat for when he mi ma hows laas yaa. The has to work in the sun. hurricane blew down my mom’s hat3 (var: hert) v. hurt, harm. Ih house last year. oanli hat wen prikl get eena yu hashishi adj. dry and scaly. finga. It really hurts when Gyal, goh put sohn loashan prickles get in your finger. See: pahn yu fut kaa ih luk hashishi. aynja, bon. Girl, go put some lotion on your hat pepa n. ‘hot pepper’; a feet because they look dry and game played while skipping scaly. See: fereh, yaga-yaga. rope. Wen dehn spin di skipin hashishi bambi n. person who roap faas faas faas, dehn seh 143 Hatakuma Kriol tu Inglish hed dehn di gi yu ‘hat pepa’. When Wen yu ga plaants, yu ku shoar they spin the skipping rope very dat yu ga hayri wom. When you fast, they say they’re giving you have plants, you can be sure that ‘hot pepper’. you have the stinging caterpillars. Hatakuma n. Hatacuma; son of See: kyatapila. Anansi, a mythical character hayrim-skayrim adj. harum- in folktales. scarum; disordered, done in a hatful adj. hurtful. Dat da wahn reckless manner. Mayvis hows hatful ting weh yu tel mi. That’s aal taim luk hayrim-skayrim. a hurtful thing that you told me. Things in Mavis’ house always See: bonin. look harum-scarum. See: haal ahn pul op. hatid adj. 1) eager. Weh yoo mi soh hatid fi goh da di paati, yu haysti adj. hasty, short- gaahn lef mi. Because you were tempered. Weh yu nak di lee so eager to go to the party, you bwai fa? Yu too haysti. Why did left me behind. See: eega. you hit the boy? You’re too short- 2) devoted, zealous. Dehn pipl tempered. See: heeti, ignarant, mi soh hatid fi Gaad, dehn gi shaat. weh moas a dehn moni. Those hayt v. hate. Ih noh gud fi seh people were so zealous for God, dat yu hayt enibadi. It’s not they gave away most of their good to say that you hate money. anybody. — n. hate. Dehn seh hav Variant: ha. dat lov ahn hayt deh kloas. They say that love and hate are hayl v. 1) hail, call. Si Beti deh; close. hayl ahn fi mi. See Betty there; call her for me. See: kaal. haytful adj. hateful. Di man mi 2) make a short, casual visit, soh haytful dat nobadi neva for no specific purpose. Ah laik ahn. The man was so hateful wahn kohn da yu hows kohn that nobody liked him. hayl yu. I’ll come to your house hebi Variant: hevi. and visit you. See: gi wahn hebm Archaic. Variant: hevn. showt, luk fi, vizit. hed n. 1) head; foremost part of haylstoan n. hailstone. Ih rayn the body. Neeta baybi baan wid soh moch dat haylstoan jrap an wahn big hed. Nita’s baby was aal. It rained so much that even born with a big head. See: hailstones fell. kalbash. 2) head, chief; the hayr Variant: hyaa. n. hair. person who is foremost or in hayri adj. hairy. Fi wee onkl han charge. Di hed a di choch mi-di hayri hayri hayri. Our uncle’s taak wen wi reech deh. The hands are very hairy. head of the church was talking when we arrived there. 3) hair, hayri wom n. caterpillar with scalp. Goh koam yu hed. Go stinging hairs along its body. 144 hed rap Kriol tu Inglish heeti comb your hair. See: hyaa. man. geh hed v.phr. advance, get hedman n. headman, boss. Goh ahead. Yu kyaahn geh hed wen aks di hedman fi wahn jab. Go yu bad-maindid. You can’t get ask the headman for a job. See: ahead when you’re spiteful. See: baas, cheef, hefeh. advans. hedway n. headway. Afta aal a hed a... prep.phr. ahead of; di taak bowt hoo rait ahn hoo before. Karen mi deh hed a rang, wi mi mek wahn lee mee eena di lain. Karen was hedway. After all the talk about ahead of me in the line. See: who is right and who is wrong, front a. we were able to make some hed fi v.phr. head for; aim or headway. turn in a given direction. Afta hedwin n. headwind. Wahn stif di paati, wi hed fi wi oan hows. hedwin mi-di bloa midl a di After the party, we headed for our lagoon. A stiff headwind was own house. blowing in the middle of the hed rap n. scarf, turban. Mi lagoon. grani aalwayz ga ih hed tai wid heel1 n. heel of the foot. Pipl wahn bloo hed rap. My granny mi-di mash op mi heel eena di always has her hair tied with a parayd. People were stepping on blue scarf. See: hed tai, skaaf. my heel in the parade. See: fut hed tai n. scarf. Evri nait Ai tai bak. mi hed wid wahn hed tai. Every heel2 v. heal. Mi kot fahn mi night I tie my hair with a scarf. aparayshan di heel op kwait See: hed rap, skaaf. gud. The scar from my operation hedayk (var: hidayk) n. is healing up very nicely. See: (heDAYK) headache. Afta di kyoar. aksident, Leena stodi ting mi-di heet v. heat. Lat a heet mi-di ga hedayk. After the accident, kohn fahn di oavm. Lots of heat Lena always had headaches. was coming from the oven. hedayk ban n. stretchy heeti v. overheat. Stap di heeti headband. Wen Ah mi yong, op yuself eena di son, noh? hedayk ban mi deh eena stail. Don’t overheat yourself in the When I was young, stretchy sun, okay? — adj. hot-headed, headbands were in style. quick or short-tempered. Noh hedlait n. headlight, headlamp; eevn chrai taak tu ahn kaaz light worn on the head, used shee heeti bad; shee wahn kos for hunting; or a light located yu aaf rait now. Don’t even try at the front of a vehicle. Di to talk to her because she’s hot- polees dehn mi gat aan hedlait headed; she’ll cuss you out right wen dehn mi-di luk fi di man. away. See: haysti, ignarant, The police had on headlamps shaat. — adv. hot. Da blak jres when they were looking for the 145 hefeh Kriol tu Inglish hengin luk heeti. That black dress looks have to thank God for our health, hot. See: hat. don’t we? hefeh n. boss. Unu beta stap di helti adj. healthy. Di oal laydi mi goh aan soh, kaaz di hefeh di helti helti. The old lady was very kohn. You all had better stop healthy. See: haati, karek. carrying on that way because the hemrij v. hemorrhage. Dehn seh boss is coming. See: baas, cheef, dat Jan mi-di hemrij eena ih hedman. [< Sp. ‘jefe’] braynz. They say that John was heg v. bother, harass, nag, hemorrhaging in his brain. pester. Di baybi mi heg ih ma heng v. hang. Da nayl da weh mi til ih gi ahn ih oan way. The pa heng ih hat pan. That nail is baby pestered his mom until she where my dad hangs his hat. gave him his own way. See: heng op phr. saggy. Fi shee haraas, krayzi, neg. — n. hag. kloaz luk heng op pahn shee Mi mada-ahn-laa da wahn sins ih looz wayt. Her clothes wikid oal heg. My mother-in-law look saggy on her since she lost is a wicked old hag. weight. See: hengi. hegin adj. annoying, heng rong (wid) v.phr. hang bothersome, nagging, around, linger or loiter troublesome. Datdeh baybi aimlessly. Ah noh waahn yu oanli hegin wen ih hongri. That heng rong wid dehn bad bwai baby is very bothersome when weh deh da schreet kaana. I he’s hungry. See: siknin. don’t want you to hang around hej n. hedge. Mi pa mek wahn with those bad boys who are on priti hej owt a red bel. My the street corner. See: ranks father made a pretty hedge out of (wid) the hibiscus bushes. heng slek v.phr. shirk one’s hek (var: heks) work or duties; neglect or evade work; drag one’s feet. heks (var: hek) int. heck. Nobadi noh laik haiya Danyel fi (Euphemism for ‘Hell’.) Wel bil hows kaa ih laik heng slek heks! Da how yoo soh naasti? pahn di jab. Nobody likes to hire Well heck! Why are you so Daniel to build a house because nasty? he drags his feet on the job. hel n. Hell. Mek yoo ahn yu hengi adj. saggy. Fi yoo kloaz moni goh da hel! Let you and luk hengi pahn yoo; yoo looz your money go to Hell! wayt er wat? Your clothes heloa sal. hello; formal looked saggy on you; did you greeting. Tel yu ma heloa fi mi, lose weight or something? See: hyaa. Tell your mom hello for heng op. me, okay? See: aarait. hengin n. hanging. If dehn helt n. health. Gyal, wi hafu tenk bring bak hengin, lat a di kilin Gaad fi wi helt, noh? Girl, we uda stap. If they bring back 146 henki Kriol tu Inglish hihn hanging, much of the killing to continue after an would stop. interruption in story-telling. henki Archaic. Variant: hanki. (Literally: throw it along the shore) Ah laik wen mi grampa herbz n. herbs, plants or plant di tel stoari ahn sohnbadi parts used for making intarop bikaa aal a wi ku hala, medicine. (Both sg. & pl.) Mai “Hib ahn lang shoa!” I like it grani mi noa how fi miks ih when my grandfather is telling a herbz dehn fi kyoar pipl. My story and someone interrupts granny knew how to mix herbs to because then all of us can shout, cure people. “Let the story continue!” herbz man/uman n.phr. herbal doctor; a specialist in hich v. 1) hitch; tie or fasten. Mi herbal medicines. Wen snayk grampa hich di roap rong di bait di lee baybi, ih ma kehr poas mek di boat noh jrif way. ahn da di herbz man. When a My grandpa hitched the rope snake bit the baby, his mom took around the post so that the boat him to the herbal doctor. See: wouldn’t drift away. 2) attach bush dakta, snayk dakta. oneself emotionally to another person. Da bwai aal taim di Variant: hat. hert hich op said a Glenda. That boy hevi (var: hebi) adj. heavy. is always tagging along with Fyona bag mi tu hevi far ahn, Glenda. soh Maaki bak it. Fiona’s bag hidayk Variant: hedayk. was too heavy for her, so Markie carried it. hihn pro. 1) he. (Emphatic 3rd person sg.) Hihn noh waahn (var: hebm) n. hevn heaven. notn fi du wid da gyal. He Bifoa wi eet, wi luk op tu hevn doesn’t want anything to do with ahn giv tanks tu Gaad fi di that girl. See: ih. 2) he (used food. Before we ate, we looked after the noun referent in a up to heaven and gave thanks to derogatory manner) Mi God for the food. hozban hihn kohn hoahn jronk hib v. heave, throw. Mi nayba agen. That husband of mine came hib di ded daag midl schreet. home drunk again. 3) him. My neighbor heaved the dead dog Taam waif shaym hihn op front into the middle of the street. See: a evribadi. Tom’s wife belt, chaans, chok, chroa, dash, embarrassed him in front of faiya, fling, pich, stoan. everybody. See: ahn. hib op v.phr. shake one’s fi hihn phr. his, for him. (sg. body in dance. Aal a wi mi-di poss.) Da fi hihn kaa wi si paak hib op pahn schreet wid di bai di seesaid laas nait. It was myoozik. All of us were shaking his car we saw parked by the to the music on the street. seaside last night. hib ahn lang shoa v.phr. call fi hihn wan phr. his own. Aal 147 hikiti Kriol tu Inglish hoal di pikni dehn geh wahn gif fi ahn dat Ah pregnant. My mom dehnself, soh Peeta mi waahn fi was almost hysterical when I told hihn wan. All the children got a her that I was pregnant. gift for themselves, so Peter hoa1 n. hoe. Bring di hoa mek wanted his own. Ah dig op di grong fi plaant mi hikiti n. hiccatee; type of small chree. Bring the hoe so that I can freshwater turtle. Hikiti nais dig up the ground to plant my lang wid wait rais. Hiccatee tree. turtle is nice with white rice. See: hoa2 v. owe. Wi don pay di moni tertl. weh wi mi hoa. We have already hil n. hill. Ah klaim op di hil, bot paid the money that we owed. Ah noh fain mi daag. I climbed hoahn adv. 1) home. (Refers to the hill, but I didn’t find my dog. place of one’s residence.) Ah hilsaid n. hillside. Wahn lat a gwehn hoahn afta di daans. I’m hag mi-di feed pahn di hilsaid going home after the dance. 2) at bai di lagoon. Many pigs were home. Di bwai ma ahn pa tek feeding on the hillside by the kayr a ahn hoahn fi chree lagoon. monts. The boy’s mother and hiltap n. hilltop. Wi klaim da di father took care of him at home hiltap, bot den wi kohn rait bak for three months. dong. We climbed to the hilltop, hoal1 n. hole. Di daag dig hoal but then we came right back aal oava di yaad. The dog dug down. holes all over the yard. hip ahn goh v. hobble, walk hoal2 adj. whole. Wi stan op haltingly or unevenly. Mi onkl front a di hoal choch. We stood kohn di hip ahn goh kaa wan a up in front of the whole church. ih fut langa dan di ada. My — adv. all. Di dakta seh da man uncle came walking with a little wahn sik fi di hoal a ih laif. The hop because one of his legs is doctor says that man will be sick longer than the other. all of his life. See: aal, evri. hipokrit n. hypocrite. Wi hoal3 v. hold. Aal a wi wach how kyaahn chros dehn pipl kaaz di lee oal laydi krai wen ih dehn da hipokrit. We can’t trust mi-di hoal di baybi. We all those people because they’re watched how the little old lady hypocrites. cried when she was holding the hischri n. history. Mee noh laik baby. hischri kaa yu hafu memba tu hoal op v.phr. 1) hold up in moch dayt. I don’t like history the face of adversity, cope because you have to remember with, get along, persevere. Da too many dates. how yu ma di hoal op sins yu pa ded? How’s your mom holding histeeriya n. hysteria. Mi ma up since your dad died? See: nayli ga histeeriya wen Ah tel 148 hoali Kriol tu Inglish hoks handl, manij. 2) delay, detain, — n. hope. Di dakta neva gi wi impede. Ah noh waahn hoal yu no hoap; ih seh mi ma noh op kaa Ah noa dat yu di hori. I wahn mek it. The doctor didn’t don’t want to detain you because give us any hope; he says my I know that you’re in a hurry. mother won’t make it. See: kip bak. 3) hold up; mug, hoar n. whore, prostitute. See: rob. Dehn hoal mi op wid gon prastichoot. ahn tek weh mi moni. They held hoar hows n.phr. whorehouse. me up with a gun and took my Evri Fraideh nait yu si veekl money. See: jak. 4) paw; pet, lain op da di hoar hows. Every fondle. Noh mek dehn bwai Friday night you see vehicles hoal yu op laik dat. Mek dehn lined up at the whorehouse. ga rispek fi yu. Don’t let those adj. Weh Ah boys paw you like that. Make hoas hoarse. skreem soh moch da di gaym, them have respect for you. See: Ah geh hoas an aal. Because I fingl, lov op. screamed so much at the game, I hoali adj. holy. Da man tink ih even got hoarse. soh raichos ahn hoali. That man n. Di faiyaman dehn thinks he’s so righteous and holy. hoaz hose. hoaz bos wen dehn mi-di owt di hoaliyis adj. holiest. Hihn tink faiya. The firemen’s hose burst dat hihn da di hoaliyis wan when they were putting out the kaaz hihn di goh da choch now. fire. He thinks he’s the holiest one v. because he’s attending church hog hug, cuddle, embrace. (Often followed by ‘op’) Di man now. mi soh hapi fi si ih ma, ih hog hoam n. home, household. ahn op ahn kis ahn. The man (Refers to one’s family, whereas was so happy to see his mom, he ‘hoahn’ refers to one’s hugged her and kissed her. residence.) Da man mek rom — n. hug, embrace. Kohn gi mi brok op ih hoam. That man let wahn hog ahn wahn kis, Pet. rum break up his home. Come give me a hug and a kiss, hoamtong n. hometown. Aal a Pet. wi mi sad wen wi lef wi hoks v. remove the husk from hoamtong. All of us were sad coconut. (Coconut is ‘husked’ when we left our hometown. but corn is ‘peeled’ in Kriol.) hoamwerk n. homework. Ah Hoks dehn koakanat fi mi bifoa spen di hoal weeken di du mi Ah kohn bak. Remove the shell hoamwerk. I spent the whole from the coconut for me before I weekend doing my homework. come back. — n. husk; the hoap v. hope. Ah hoap ih noh protective sheath on grains or rayn tunait kaa Ai waahn goh coconuts. (The fibrous first layer owt. I hope it doesn’t rain tonight of the coconut is called ‘hoks’ but because I want to go out. the outer layer of an ear of corn 149 hombl Kriol tu Inglish hooyu is called ‘skin’.) Mi ma aalwayz hundred eggs were in the basket, yooz koakanat hoks fi mek but I lost all of them. faiya wid. My mother always hont v. hunt. Di man dehn da used coconut husk to make fires. Malanti hont fi di dyaa fi food hoks aaf v.phr. eat greedily. ahn dehn yooz di skin fi mek See: waks aaf. jrom. The men in Gales Point oal hoks n.phr. older, hunt deer for food and they use hardened person who tries to the skin to make drums. act young. (Used satirically) hoo (var: hoora) pro. who. Da Shee da big oal hoks ahn stil di hoo yoo fi di kom eena mi hows jres laik yong gyal. She’s a laik dat? Who are you to be grown woman, but she’s still coming into my house like that? dressing like a young girl. See: da hoo phr. who it is. Polees haadbak. [ 152 if Kriol tu Inglish impres I - i pregnant women to come out and if (var: ef) conj. if. If yu lai mi, look at an eclipse so that her baby Ah wahn beet yu. If you lie to won’t be born with a harelip. me, I’ll beat you. ilebm (var: ilevn) num. eleven. ignarant adj. hot-tempered. Peeta mi-di taak wid di ada Noh fool wid da man kaa ih ilebm apaasl dehn. Peter was ignarant bad. Don’t bother with talking with the other eleven that man because he’s very hot- apostles. tempered. ilekchrik adj. electric. Weh ignarantnis n. hot temper, dehn kohn fram noh eevn ga unreasonable anger. Da loan ilekchrik lait. They don’t even ignarantnis mek hihn beet di have electric lights where they lee pikni soh bad. It’s only come from. because of his hot temper that he beats the little child so badly. ilekshan n. election. Evri foa yaaz Bileez ga jenaral ilekshan. ignoar v. ignore. Ah mi-di chrai Every four years Belize has taak wid mi hozban, bot ih jos general elections. ignoar mi. I was trying to talk with my husband, but he ilevn Variant: ilebm. completely ignored me. imajin v. imagine. Jos imajin ih pro. he, she, it. (3rd person weh wi ku du wid aal a da sg.subjective) Verna seh ih moni! Just imagine what we can waahn goh pahn di chrip, bot ih do with all of that money! noh ga no moni. Verna said she imajinayshan n. imagination. wants to go on the trip, but she Wi neva si no goas; da jos yu doesn’t have any money. See: imajinayshan. We didn’t see any hihn, shee. — pro.adj. his, her, ghosts; it’s just your imagination. it. Jaaj bring ih kamara. George imerjensi n. emergency. Ah put brought his camera. op wahn lee moni fi imerjensi. I ihself pro. himself, herself, put aside a little money for itself. Di krayzi man kot op emergencies. ihself wid shaap stoan. The impoatant adj. important. Ih crazy man cut himself with sharp impoatant fi mek yu geh wahn stones. ejukayshan. It’s important for iklips n. eclipse. Dehn seh dat ih you to get an education. See: big beta fi pregnant uman kom owt taim. kohn luk pan iklips mek ih impres v. impress. Da rich man baybi noh baan wid hyaalip. oanli waahn impres yoo wid fi They say that it’s better for hihn moni. That rich man only 153 inaamel Kriol tu Inglish injaiment wants to impress you with his immigrant; referring only to money. recent immigrants. Indyan oan inaamel adj. enamel. Dehn oal aal a dehn stoar owt a tong. taim pipl doz aalwayz yooz Indians own all of the stores dehn big inaamel chemba pat. downtown. See: Kooli. The old timers always used to use ineema n. enema; a medical large enamel chamber pots. procedure for cleaning the inchiz n. hinges. Di doa oanli lower intestinal tract. mi-di heng bai di inchiz dehn ingayj adj. engaged. Wee ingayj afta polees kik it oapm. The fi ten yaaz ahn kyaahn marid door was only hanging by its yet. We’ve been engaged for ten hinges after the police kicked it years and can’t get married yet. open. ingayjment n. engagement. Ah inchres n. 1) interest. Ah noh ga brok aaf mi ingayjment wid no inchres eena hihn. I don’t Paablo kaa Ah kech ahn wid have any interest in him. See: wahn neks gyal. I broke off my kansaan. 2) interest; money engagement with Pablo because I paid for the use of money. If caught him with another girl. wi mi put di moni da bank, wi Inglan n. England. Pati seh wen kuda mi kalek inchres. If we ih gaahn da Inglan, ih geh fi si had put the money in the bank, weh di kween liv. Patty said that we could have collected interest. when she went to England, she inchrestid adj. interested. Mi pa got to see where the queen lives. mi reeli inchrestid eena how wi Inglish n. English. Da fi wee di geh lang. My father was really hows, wi taak loan Inglish kaa interested in how we’re getting mi ma noh waahn wi taak along. Kriol. At our house, we only talk indeesant adj. indecent. Aal English because my mother kain a indeesant ting kom owt a doesn’t want us to speak Kriol. di pikni mowt. All kinds of ingrayd v. engrave. Aal di indecent things came out of the advais weh mi ma gi mi ingrayd child’s mouth. eena mi hed. Ah noh wahn figet indipendans Variant: dehn ataal. All of the advice that indipendens. my mother gave me is engraved indipendens (var: indipendans) in my head. I won’t forget that at n. independence. Di gyal mi all. kom owt a ih ma hows kaa ih inja Variant: aynja. v. injure. mi waahn ih indipendens. The injai v. enjoy. Wi gaahn da di girl came out of her mom’s house paati ahn wi oanli injai wiself. because she wanted her We went to the party and really independence. enjoyed ourselves. Indyan n. East Indian injaiment n. enjoyment. Mi 154 injekshan Kriol tu Inglish instans grani bai wahn teevee fi ih lee aal a ih inschralz kom owt. The injaiment. My granny bought a truck ran over the man and made TV for her little enjoyment. all of his entrails come out. See: injekshan n. injection. Di dakta gots. gi mi baybi wahn injekshan kaa inschrument n. instrument. Mai ih mi ga wahn hai feeva. The grampa ku play eni doctor gave my baby an injection inschrument weh yu bloa. My because he had a high fever. grandpa can play any wind injin1 n. engine. Wen wi mi instrument. gwain da kee, sodn-wan di injin insek n. insect. Enitaim yu goh fi di boat shet dong. When we da bush, aal kain a insek bait were going to the caye, suddenly yu op. Whenever you go into the the boat’s engine shut down. bush, all kinds of insects bite you. injin2 n. Amerindian. Kayt insens n. incense. Lang taim hozban da Maiya, ahn di baybi abak dehn yoostu bon insens kom owt laik reel injin jos laik eena Gaad templ. Long ago they ih pa. Kate’s husband is Mayan, burned incense in God’s temple. and the baby came out very inshoarans n. insurance. Di Indian-looking, just like his dad. man di sel inshoarans fi mek See: Maiya. moni. The man is selling injin pomp n. fire engine, fire insurance to make money. truck. Wen mi grani tel wi fi insis v. insist. Cheri insis pahn kaal di injin pomp fi owt di marid Haabat aldoa ih ma tel faiya, wi neva noa dat ih mi ahn di bwai noh gud. Cherry meen faiya injin. When my insisted on marrying Herbert even grandmother told us to call the though her mom told her the boy ‘engine pump’ to put out the fire, was no good. we didn’t know that she meant insolt v. insult. Da gyal insolt mi ‘fire engine’. See: faiya injin. wen ih tel mi bowt mi tenis afta inkorij v. encourage. (Often used Ah werk soh haad fi bai it. That negatively) Yu laik inkorij da girl insulted me with what she man eena fi hihn fool. You like said about my tennis shoes after I to encourage that man in his had worked so hard to buy them. foolishness. — n. insult. Da wahn big insolt inof Variant: nof. fi wahn bwai aks yu if di baybi inosent adj. innocent. Di man da fi hihn. It’s a big insult for a mi inosent, bot di pipl dehn boy to ask you if the baby is his. neva bileev ahn. The man was instans n. instance. Ah udn a mi innocent, but the people didn’t goh da di daans, bot laik how di believe him. bwai kohn aks mi owt fos, eena inschralz n. guts, entrails. Di da instans, Ah gwain. I wouldn’t chrok ron oava di man ahn mek have gone to the dance, but since 155 insted Kriol tu Inglish iraysa the boy asked me out first, in that interviewed me for the job that I instance, I will go. never got. — n. interview. Ah insted (var: steda) prep. instead gaahn fi wahn intavyoo fi wahn of. (Usually occurs clause final.) jab, bot Ah noh noa if Ah wahn Unu waahn goh da kee er unu get it. I went for an interview for reda goh da Kaiyo insted? Do a job, but I don’t know if I’ll get you want to go to the cayes, or it. would you rather go to Cayo inten v. intend, mean. Now da instead? weh yu inten fi du laik how yu intafayr (var: intafyaa) v. stap skool? Now what do you 1) interfere, meddle. Mi intend to do since you quit mada-ahn-laa aalwayz di school? See: meen. intafayr eena fi wee bizniz. My interpit v. interpret. Kohn kohn mother-in-law is always interpit weh dis baybi di seh meddling in our business. See: kaa Ah noh andastan ahn ataal. dabl, faas. 2) abuse sexually. Ai Come interpret what this baby is feel laik da oal man intafayr saying because I don’t understand wid da lee gyal wen ih goh da fi him at all. hihn hows. I feel like that old intu prep. into. (Generally used man abuses that girl sexually only after ‘ton’ or ‘chaynj’.) when she goes to his house. Jeezas mek waata ton intu intafayrin (var: intafyaarin) adj. wain. Jesus made water turn into interfering, meddling, nosy. wine. Stap aks mi bowt mi persnal invait v. invite. Laas nait wi laif; yu tu intafayrin. Stop invait sohn a wi fren da wi asking me about my personal life; hows. Last night we invited some you’re too nosy. See: noazi. of our friends to our house. intafyaa Variant: intafayr. invaitid v. invited. Ah neva did intafyaarin Variant: intafayrin. geh invaitid tu di wedn. I didn’t intajoos v. introduce. Yu neva get invited to the wedding. eevn intajoos mi tu yu fren. You inves v. invest. Ah inves aal mi didn’t even introduce me to your taim ahn moni eena dis pikni an friend. ih stil du fool. I’ve invested all intarop v. interrupt. Da lee bwai my time and money in this child loan intarop ih ma wen ih di and he still does foolishness. taak. That little boy is always invigl v. inveigle, entice, or talk interrupting his mom while she’s into doing something. Sheela talking. See: dip eena, kot yu mi hafu invigl ih ma fi mek ih kraas. sen ahn da di paati. Sheila had intavyoo v. interview. Da man to talk her mom into letting her intavyoo mi fi di jab weh Ah go to the party. neva did geh. That man iraysa v. erase. Di teecha iraysa 156 it Kriol tu Inglish jabaroo di noats dehn aaf a di blakboad neva noa notn, ahn yu iz mi noa bifoa wi don kapi it dong. The weh Maak mi-di du di hoal teacher erased the notes off the taim. You act like you don’t blackboard before we had copied know anything, but on the them down. — n. eraser. Di contrary, you did know what iraysa pahn di pensl mek yu Mark was doing the whole time. buk luk doti. The eraser on the See: in fak. pencil makes your book look ized n. the letter ‘z’or zed. Ih dirty. See: robowta. haad fi fain lat a wod weh staat it pro. it. Bring di buk ahn put it wid ized It’s hard to find lots of pahn di taybl. Bring the book words that begin with zed. and put it on the table. See: ahn. Izrel n. Israel. Lat a di Jooish iz v. did in fact, on the contrary. pipl dehn gaahn bak gaahn liv (Auxiliary verb used to show da Izrel. Many Jewish people emphatic contrast to what has have gone back to Israel to live. been said.) Yoo goh aan laik yu J - j jaa n. 1) jaw. Di dentis hoal mi teet. tait anda mi jaa fi tek owt mi jaaboan n. jawbone. Wen di teet. The dentist held me tight man ponch mi, ih nayli brok mi under my jaw to take out my jaaboan. When the man punched tooth. See: jaaboan. 2) cheek. Ih me, he almost broke my jawbone. laik kohn kis mi pahn mi jaa See: jaa. ahn lef lat a baaba. He always jaar n. jar. Oanli too pees a comes and kisses me on the cheek sweet mi lef eena di jaar wen di and leaves a lot of saliva there. pikni dehn gaan eena di kichin. week jaa n.phr. blabbermouth; There were only two pieces of one who can’t keep a secret. candy left in the jar when the (Literally: weak jaw) Noh tel children went into the kitchen. Mayvis non a yu bizniz kaa ih See: klay pat. ga week jaa an ih wahn tel jab n. job. Ah hafu luk fi wahn evribadi weh yu seh. Don’t tell jab kaa Ah noh ga no moni fi Mavis any of your business pay mi bil dehn. I have to look because she can’t keep a secret for a job because I don’t have any and she’ll tell everybody what money to pay my bills. See: you say. See: blabamowt. layba, tas, werk. jaa teet n. molar. Ah gwehn da jabaroo n. jabiru stork. Jabiru dentis kaa mi jaa teet di hat mi. mycteria. Di jabaroo berd da di I’m going to the dentist because bigis berd da Bileez. The jabiru my molars are hurting me. See: stork is the biggest bird in Belize. 157 jagwa Kriol tu Inglish janifilda plat jagwa n. jaguar. Panthera onca. lashed every single person in Di blak jagwa fer shain shain class yesterday. shain. The black jaguar’s fur is jakaas Variant: jekaas. very shiny. See: taiga. jakolantan n. ball of fire, a jai n. joy. Yu si di jai pahn Darel strange light. Wen mi onkl fays wen ih win di moni. You dehn goh hontin, dehn seh moa could see the joy on Darrell’s dahn wan taim dehn si dis face when he won the money. schraynj lait eena di bush weh jain v. join. Sins mi kozn jain dehn seh da jakolantan. When choch, ih stap jrink. Since my my uncle and his friends go cousin joined the church, he has hunting, they say that more than stopped drinking. once they have seen this strange jaint n. joint; place where two light in the forest that they call bones join. Wen koal weda ‘jakolantan’. kohn, aal mi jaint dehn hat mi. jaks ahn baal n. game of jacks. When cold weather comes, all of Dehn pikni deez dayz haadli my joints hurt me. play jaks ahn baal agen. jaiyant n. giant. Ah si dis man Children these days hardly play weh mi luk laik wahn jaiyant jacks anymore. weh ih mi soh taal. I saw this jalas Variant: jelos. man who looked like a giant jalifikayshan n. rejoicing, because he was so tall. celebrating. Wahn lat a jak v. 1) rob, steal, mug. jalifikayshan mi deh eena da lee (Contemporary usage) Chree tong afta di futbaal gaym. There bwai jak Rayman baik fan ahn was lots of rejoicing in the little laas nait. Three boys held up town after the football game. See: Raymond and stole his bike last selibrayshan. night. See: teef. jalosi n. jalousie; slatted jak op v.phr. impregnate. wooden blinds. Ah peep chroo Maikl jak op Silvya ahn den ih di jalosi an Ah si di teef wen ih lef ahn. Michael got Sylvia jomp di fens. I peeked through pregnant and then he left her. the jalousie and saw the thief See: beli aaf, breed, faal, when he jumped over the fence. pregnant. — adj. pregnant. See: blainz. Dehn lee gyal noh wahn don janifilda n. fiddler crab. Dehn mes rong til dehn geh jak op. lee janifilda kraab oanli ku bait Those little girls won’t stop hat. Those little fiddler crabs can messing around until they get surely bite. See: kraab. pregnant. See: pregnant. [‘Fiddler’ becomes ‘filda’ by evri jak man n.phr. every metathesis] single one, every last one. Di teecha lash evri jak man eena janifilda plat n. tight little hair klaas yestudeh. The teacher braids or plaits. Gyal, da wai 158 janikayk Kriol tu Inglish jekaas yu ma put dehn lat a lee nza-nkunu-nkunu’ meaning janifilda plat eena yu hed? Girl, ‘according to the world of the old why did your mother put those ancestors’. On the Miskito Coast tight little braids in your hair? it was originally performed as a See: plat. [The plaits resemble memorial for the dead.] the legs of the janifilda crab.] — v. 2) make a fool of oneself janikayk n. johnny-cake, small or others. Jaaji mi deh way round bread made from flour, pahn schreet di jankunu ihself milk and shortening. Hat an ih luk schupid. Georgie was janikayk goh gud wid frai fish. there on the street making a fool Hot johnny-cakes go well with of himself and he looked stupid. fried fish. [Possibly from See: joaki. ‘journey cake’] jankunu stik n. stilt. Yu hafu ga Janiweri n. January. Bizniz gud balans fi waak pahn aalwayz bad eena Janiweri. jankunu stik. You have to have Business is always bad in good balance to walk on stilts. January. [In times past the Jankunu performers would walk on stilts] jankro Variant: jranko. jaydi adj. jaded, faint. Weh Ah jankunu n. 1) A performance deh owt eena di son aal day, Ah by masked dancers; held feel jaydi jaydi. Being out in the between Christmas and New sun all day long makes me feel Year throughout the jaded. Caribbean. In early times in Belize the dancers were on jayl n. jail. Di polees dehn ares stilts (jankanu stik) near the di man ahn kehr ahn da jayl. courthouse; but now they The police arrested the man and come down the streets and put him in jail. See: Glaas Batl dance in front of peoples’ Kee. houses for money. They are jaylbod n. jailbird. Ah noh tink usually Garifuna people. In yu waahn yu daata marid tu days of slavery, the performers jaylbod. I don’t think you want would use the occasion to your daughter to be married to a mimic their masters in their jailbird. See: prizna. dress and dance. Ma, di jeenz n. jeans. Sheela shee jankunu dehn di kohn! Yu aalwayz gat aan jeenz laik man. wahn pay dehn fi daans fi wee? Sheila always wears jeans just Mom, the John Canoe dancers are like a man. coming! Are you going to pay Jeezas Krais n. Jesus Christ. them to dance for us? [Afr. Jeezas Krais mi ded pahn wahn Kikoongo: ‘nza’ means territory, kraas. Jesus Christ died on a people, universe, and ‘kunu’ cross. means root, origin, ancestor; the Kikoongo festival is called ‘ki- jekaas (var: jakaas) n. jackass. 159 jekaas bitaz Kriol tu Inglish jentlman Yoo da wahn big jekaas if yoo aidyaa. I don’t understand, but I bileev weh hihn seh. You are a get the general idea. big jackass if you believe what he jenarayshan n. generation. Ah says. tek wahn picha weh ga foa jekaas bitaz n. jackass bitters; jenarayshan a mi famili eena it. an herbal medicine, purgative. I took a picture that has four Neurolaena lobata. Mai grani generations of my family in it. doz jrink jekaas bitaz fi ih jengereh adj. dilapidated, shuga. My grandmother used to junky. Wai yoo noh jos chro drink jackass bitters for her weh da oal jengereh fan ahn bai diabetes. wahn nyoo wan? Why don’t you jekech n. hangman. ( jeKECH) just throw away that junky old Wen di jekech don heng di fan and buy a new one? See: man, hihn geh pees a di roap. pemperem. When the hangman had hung the jengjeng n. 1) ragged clothes. man, he got a piece of the rope. [ Tek aaf dehn jengjeng ahn put 161 jodik Kriol tu Inglish Joo If she comes and makes a fool of There will be a big dance on herself around my husband, I will Albert Street this week. slap her off of her feet. See: jompi adj. jumpy, nervous. Di jankunu, papisho. gyal staat tu geh jompi kaa ih — adj. funny. Di big hat mi luk hozban mi soon kohn hoahn. joaki pahn di baybi. The big hat The girl started getting jumpy looked funny on the baby. See: because it was almost time for her foni. husband to come home. See: jodik n. man who pretends to jichri, nervos. be in a relationship with a jongl n. jungle; generally refers woman. Jaymz da reel jodik; to places in Africa (in Belize hihn oanli di mek bileev dat da the jungle is generally called laydi laik ahn. James is a real ‘bush’) Lat a taiga ahn soh liv phony; he makes everybody think eena jongl. Lots of tigers and that that woman likes him. animals like that live in the jog n. jug. Di man waak aal oava jungle. di konchri wid ih lee jog a jonjo n. mould, fungus. Di lee waata. The man walked all over bwai ga lat a jonjo pan ih teet. the country with his little jug of The little boy has lots of mould water. See: jimi jan, mog. on his teeth. — adj. mouldy. Di joj v. judge. Da hoo yoo soh fi laydi gi di pikni loan jonjo bred joj mee? Who are you to judge fi eet. The lady only gave the me? — n. judge. Di joj gi di children mouldy bread to eat. man wahn det sentens. The jonk1 n. junk. Da oal kaa da wan judge gave the man a death big pees a jonk. That old car is sentence. one big piece of junk. jojment n. judgment. Di day a jonk2 v. cut off a chunk. Mi jojment wahn kohn. The day of breda jonk aaf wahn big pees a judgment will come. mi mango. My brother cut off a jomp v. jump, leap. Di man get big chunk of my mango. See: kot. eena di doari ahn di bwai dehn [Possibly originates from logging jomp een tu. The man got in the days, having to do with ‘cross- canoe and the boys jumped in cutting’] too. See: hap. joo1 n. dew. Joo mi-di jrap hevi jomp op v.phr. vigorous laas nait. Dew was falling dancing; often in the streets. heavily last night. Ah yehr yu mi-di jomp op eena 2 joo adj. due. Noh wori, Jani parayd. I hear that you were wahn geh egzakli weh joo ahn. dancing in a parade. See: daans, Don’t worry, Johnny will get wain. — n.phr. dancing by a exactly what’s due him. crowd; such as at Carnival. Dehn wahn ga big jomp op Joo n. Jew. Dehn kaal pipl weh pahn Albert Schreet dis week. kohn fahn Izrel Joo. They call 162 Joo Bwai Kriol tu Inglish jraa people who come from Israel sells orange juice in the market. Jews. joosi adj. juicy. Dehnya mango Joo Bwai n. Jamaican male. joosi joosi. These mangos are Slang. Mi daata hozban kohn very juicy. fahn Jumayka, soh evribadi joota n. shoe. Big joota, smaal kaal ahn Joo Bwai. My joota, da aal di sayhn ting. Big daughter’s husband comes from shoes, little shoes, it’s all the Jamaica, so everybody calls him same thing. See: shooz. [ 163 jraaf Kriol tu Inglish jranko beed keep a special drawer to keep our her. See: faysinis, bayrfays. panties in. jrai weda jombi n. heat waves. jraaf n. draft. Put aan wahn Weh di son soh hat, ih mek yu jekit mek yu noh kech jraaf. Put si jrai weda jombi front a yu. on a jacket so you won’t catch a Because the sun is so hot, it draft. makes you see heat waves in jraain n. drawing. Jaymi bring front of you. aal ih jraain dehn kohn shoa ih jraiv v. drive. Wen wi si ahn, di ma. Jamie brought all of his man mi-di jraiv wahn nyoo kaa. drawings to show his mother. When we saw him, the man was jraama n. drama, dramatic driving a new car. experience. Da aalwayz jraama jraiva n. driver. Mai pa da-mi fi koam Amaari hed. It’s always wahn chrok jraiva aal a ih laif. a dramatic experience to comb My father was a truck driver all Amari’s hair. of his life. See: shoafa. jraaz n. briefs, drawers, jrai-wan adv. brazenly. Ih kohn underpants. Berti ron owt a di jrai-wan kohn tel mi seh ih hows eena loan jraaz. Bertie ran wahn tek weh mi hozban fahn out of the house in just his mi. She came and told me drawers. See: andapants, breef. brazenly that she’s going to take jrai v. dry. Di plaant mi jrai rait my husband away from me. op fahn ih root. The plant dried jraiya n. drier. Pati gaahn put up from its roots. mi sweta eena jraiya ahn — adj. dry. Ah pik een aal a di schrink ahn. Patty put my jrai kloaz aaf a di lain. I brought sweater in the drier and shrank it. in all of the dry clothes off of the jranko (var: jankro) n. vulture line. — n. drought. Di faama (carrion crow) Cathartidae. dehn di wori bowt dehn krap Nobadi noh eet jranko kaa sayk a di lang jrai wi mi ga dis dehn feed pahn loan ded meet. yaa. The farmers are worrying Nobody eats vulture because they about their crops because of the feed only on dead flesh. See: long drought that we had this king jranko, peel-nek jranko, year. red-nek jranko. [ 164 jrap Kriol tu Inglish jreem buk jranko beed blak ahn red, dehn jrap too han pahn v.phr. luk priti eena di ail fi di lamp. punch. If yu noh shet yu mowt, Because the John Crow beads are Ah wahn jrap too han pahn yu. black and red, they look beautiful If you don’t shut your mouth, I’m in the oil for the lamp. [Perhaps going to punch you. See: chroa named because both the bead and han, dash han, ponch. the jranko bird (vulture) are jratid adj. dratted, aggravating. associated with death, or because Da jratid bwai don teef mi both are black with red parts] moni. That dratted boy stole my jrap v. 1) drop. Ah neva eevn money. noa Ah jrap mi pos pahn jrayn v. drain. Mek shoar yu schreet til wahn laydi bring it jrayn da rais gud wen yu wash kohn gi mi. I didn’t even know it. Make sure that you drain that that I had dropped my purse on rice well when you wash it. the street until a lady brought it to — n. drain. Shaaleen laas ih me. 2) fall. Main yu jrap ahn ring eena da modi jrayn. bos yu hed. Be careful that you Charlene lost her ring in that don’t fall and hurt your head. muddy drain. See: faal, pail op. 3) abate, die jred adj. economically difficult. down, subside. Wahn bad Tingz jred deez dayz kaa Ah skwaal mi-di bloa, bot bifoa noh ga no jab. Things are tough lang di breez jrap. A bad squall economically because I don’t was blowing, but before long the have a job. See: bok, pilinki. wind died down. See: bayt. [ 166 jrip Kriol tu Inglish jronkin jrink fresh hareenj joos dan fi pharmacy. Goh da di jrogstoar bai it da shap. It’s better to drink goh bai di medisn. Go to the fresh orange juice than to buy it pharmacy to buy the medicine. at the store. jrogz (var: jrog) n. drug. Da sayk jrink tee v.phr. eat breakfast a sel jrogz mek hihn geh rich. It or supper. Ah waahn yu kohn was by selling drugs that he got jrink tee wid mi kaa Ah mek rich. frai fish ahn janikayk. I want jrom n. 1) drum; percussion you to come eat supper with me instrument. Noh beet di jrom because I made fried fish and soh haad, man. Don’t beat the johnny-cakes. drum so loud, man. See: jrip v. drip. Di man mi-di werk tum-tum, gumbeh, kota jrom. soh haad dat ih swet mi-di jrip 2) drum, barrel. Mis Haatens dong aaf a ih hed. The man was set ih jrom fi kech rayn waata working so hard that his sweat enitaim ih rayn. Miss Hortense was dripping off his head. set her drum to catch rain water jripinz n. drippings. Di jripinz whenever it rains. See: baril. aaf a terki nais fi mek grayvi. jrongdid (var: jronglid) v. The drippings off of a turkey are drown. Dehn mi jrongdid eena nice for making gravy. Naadan Lagoon. They drowned jrizl v. drizzle; very light rain. in the Northern Lagoon. Ih staat tu jrizl fos, den ih rayn jronglid Variant: jrongdid. haad. It started to drizzle at first, jronk adj. drunk. Di man jrink and then it rained hard. See: wahn lee bit a wain, bot ih neva rayn. jronk. The man had drunk a bit jroav n. drove, crowd, throng. of wine, but he wasn’t drunk. Wahn big jroav a pipl fahn aal See: blak op, jronkin. rong mi dehdeh. Droves of jronkad n. drunkard. Melvin people from all around were noh wahn seh dat hihn da there. See: kit, krowd. jronkad, bot hihn jrink haad. jrog v. drug. Dehn jrog di haas Melvin won’t admit that he’s a ahn put ahn tu sleep soh dat drunkard, but he drinks too much. dehn kuda mi fiks ih fut. They jronki adj. dizzy. Sayk a goh drugged the horse and put it to raid meri-goh-rong, Ah geh sleep so they could fix its leg. jronki. Because I rode on the — n. Variant: jrogz. drug. merry-go-round, I got dizzy. See: jrogis n. druggist, pharmacist. tonti. Wilma son gaahn weh gaahn jronkin adj. drunk, drunken. Wi stodi fi bee jrogis. Wilma’s son si wahn jronkin man di staga went abroad to study to become a dong di schreet. We saw a drunk druggist. staggering down the street. See: jrogstoar n. drugstore, blak op, jronk. 167 jronkin bayman Kriol tu Inglish kaafi jronkin bayman n. type of fly. taiyad ahn jrowzi, wi jos jrap Dehn jronkin bayman siknin asleep. We were so tired and wen dehn flai rong yu. Those drowsy, we just fell asleep. See: flies are bothersome when they sleepi, taiyad. fly around you. See: flai. juk v. 1) poke, prick. Di pin juk jronkinis n. drunkenness. Wen mi finga hat. The pin pricked my Gari eena fi hihn jronkinis, finger and it hurt. See: nayl-juk. hihn noh noa weh ih di du. In [ K - k kaa1 n. 1) car, automobile. Mi See: roap, schring. hozban bring wahn nyoo kaa kaaf v. cough. Ton weh yu hed fahn Stayts. My husband brought wen yu kaaf. Turn your head a new car from the States. 2) taxi. away when you cough. — n. Hori goh kech wahn kaa mek cough. Di bwai mi ga wahn bad wi kehr di baybi da haaspital. kaaf sayk a weh ih smoak tu Hurry and catch a taxi so we can moch. The boy had a bad cough take the baby to the hospital. because he smoked too much. kaa2 (var: bikaaz, bikaazn, kaaz) kaaf op v.phr. 1) cough a lot. conj. because. Da gud kaa ih mi Dis flooz ga mi di kaaf op hoal tel tu moch lai. That serves him nait laas nait. This flu had me right because he lies too much. coughing all of last night. See: kaachrij n. cartridge. haak. 2) cough up; hand over, such as with money. Kaaf op kaad n. cord. Tai di baks wid di di moni weh yu hoa mi. Cough langa pees a kaad. Tie the box up the money that you owe me. with the longer piece of cord. kaafi n. coffee. Enitaim Ah 168 kaafin Kriol tu Inglish kaana jrink kaafi, ih gi mi hedayk. that is sometimes over a Whenever I drink coffee, it gives baby’s head at birth. There are me a headache. superstitions about babies born kaan kaafi n.phr. coffee made with caul. Wen Helin si dat di from ground, parched corn. baybi baan wid kaal, ih mek di Wen Ah get op, mi ma don sain a di kraas. When Helen saw grain di kaan fi mek kaan that the baby was born with caul, kaafi. When I got up, my mom she made the sign of the cross. had already ground the corn to kaan v. corn; to preserve or make corn coffee. pickle meats with salt. Oal wail kaafi n.phr. wild coffee; taim pipl yoostu kaan dehn tree with large thick round meet ahn heng it op oava dehn leaves. Rinorea spp. faiyahaat. In the old days people kaafin n. coffin. Dehn loar di used to salt their meat and hang it kaafin eena di hoal wid roap. over their fireplace. — adj. They lowered the coffin into the corned, pickled, preserved. hole with a rope. See: ded baks. Kaan fish ku laas fi dayz owt eena di oapm. Corned fish could kaago n. cargo. Di ship bring lat last for days out in the open. a kaago. The ship brought lots of — n. corn, a grain plant. Zea cargo. mays. Di man mi-di plaant kaan kaak n. cork; used as a stopper eena di bak a ih yaad. The man for a bottles or cask, and as a was planting corn in his back fishing float; traditionally yard. made from bark of a tree. Di bail kaan. n.phr. corn on the kaak brok haafway eena di batl cob. Wen wi eet bail kaan, wi nek. When the cork was half-way laik eet aaf di roa dehn, wan bai through the bottle neck, it broke. wan. When we eat corn on the kaak op v.phr. 1) caulk, cork, cob, we like to eat off the rows, plug, stop up. Di boat mi-di one by one. leek, soh dehn mi hafu kaak op shuga kaan n.phr. canned di hoal. The boat was leaking, so creamed corn sweetened with they had to stop up the hole. See: condensed milk. Ai laik stap op. 2) constipate. Wen yu aiskreem weh mek owt a shuga ga roninz, if yu jrink laim, ih kaan. I like ice cream that’s wahn kaak yu op faas. When made out of sweetened corn. you have diarrhea, if you drink kaan bred n. corn bread. Ah lime, it will constipate you mek kaan bred wid di kaan quickly. See: bain, kaastiv. meel Ah geh fahn Red Kraas. I 1 kaal v. call. Wi mi-di kaal di made corn bread with the corn pikni dehn bot dehn noh yehr meal that I got from Red Cross. wi. We were calling the children, kaana v. corner. Di pus kaana di but they didn’t hear us. See: hayl. rat; den ih kil ahn. The cat kaal2 n. caul; a white membrane 169 kaangreel Kriol tu Inglish kabanka cornered the rat and then killed it. kaasham (var: kaansham) n. — n. corner. Noh paak da di ground roasted corn mixed schreet kaana. Don’t park at the with sugar. Dehn yoostu sel corner of the street. kaasham eena wahn paypa kaangreel n. conger eel. Yu koanz fi fai sehn. They used to hafu main how yu waak eena sell ‘kaasham’ in a paper cone for dehn mod bai watsaid kaa five cents. kaangreel ku bait yu. You have kaastiv adj. constipated. Dehn to be careful when walking in the seh if yu eet tu moch maami, ih mud by the waterside because wahn mek yu kaastiv. They say you could be bitten by an eel. if you eat too much mammee [ 172 kalij Kriol tu Inglish kanchrayri yoostu plaant mi oan kaliflowa. rugudungz. I used to plant my own kampashan n. compassion. Di cauliflower. bwai pa beet ahn widowt kalij n. college. Di pikni dehn kampashan. The boy’s father waahn goh da kalij wen dehn beet him mercilessly. groa op. The children want to go kampel v. compel, force. Di to college when they grow up. govament kampel wi fi pay kalinda n. calendar. (kaLINda) taks. The government compels us Evri yaa di Kriol projek put to pay taxes. See: foas. owt wahn kalinda. Every year kamplayn v. complain. Di the Kriol Project puts out a teecha mi-di kamplayn tu Peeta calendar. ma how ih noh du hoamwerk. kalipash n. meat of the green The teacher was complaining to turtle; the meat nearest the Peter’s mother about how he shell is good for soup. See: doesn’t do his homework. kalipee. — n. complaint. Mi ma seh ih kalipee n. turtle meat attached noh ga no kamplayn; ih seh ih to the lower shell. See: feel gud. My mother says that kalipash. she’s feeling well and has no complaint. kaman adj. common; ill-bred. Stap di mek soh moch naiz kamplaynin n. complaining. pahn schreet laik yu kaman. Ah taiyad a yehr soh moch Stop making so much noise on kamplaynin bowt how nof ting the street as if you’re an ill-bred noh deh fi eet. I’m tired of person. hearing so much complaining about not having enough to eat. kamara n. camera. Ah mi See: raylin. waahn tek wahn picha a mi baybi bot di kamara bachri mi kamyooniti n. community. ded. I wanted to take a picture of — adj. community. Di meetn my baby, but the camera battery mi deh da di kamyooniti senta. was dead. The meeting was held at the community centre. kamikl adj. fussy, hard to please. Ah noh laik kuk fi Ivet kanchos adj. aware, conscious. kaa shee too kamikl. I don’t like Yu mi kanchos seh da mee deh to cook for Yvette because she’s bak a yu? Were you aware that it too fussy. See: fosi. was I who was behind you? kamoashan n. commotion. Wat kanchraydi Variant: kanchrayri. a kamoashan! Soh moch pipl kanchrayri (var: kanchraydi) mi-di baal ahn krai. What a adj. (kanCHRAYri) contrary, commotion! So many people disagreeable. Nobadi noh laik were shouting and crying. See: da lee oal laydi kaa ih tu kweneneh, oproal, rokshan, kanchrayri. Nobody likes that 173 kanchreri tu Kriol tu Inglish kanfrens little old lady because she’s too pregnant. My husband and I contrary. decided to use condoms to kanchreri tu phr. (KANchreri) prevent my getting pregnant. See: contrary to. Weh Frank tel mi rabaz, spens bag. kompleetli kanchreri tu weh kanek v. connect. Di masheen yoo seh. What Frank told me is noh wahn du notn til wi kanek completely contrary to what you di too waiya dehn. The machine said. won’t do anything until we kanchroal v. control. Nobadi connect the two wires. kudn kanchroal da masheen. kanekshan n. connection. Ah Nobody could control that ga gud kanekshan wid di praim machine. — n. control. Mi pa minista. I have good connections mi-di jraiv, bot ih looz with the prime minister. kanchroal a di chrok. My father kanfaam v. confirm. Mee ahn was driving, but he lost control of mi sista wahn kanfaam da the truck. Kyaatlik cherch neks week. My kandem v. 1) condemn. Di joj sister and I will be confirmed in noh waahn kandem wahn the Catholic church next week. inosent man. The judge doesn’t kanfainment n. confinement; want to condemn an innocent relates to women undergoing man. See: dam. 2) destroy. childbirth. Mis Eedit ga wahn Bwai, if yu stan op pahn di lee plays weh dehn laydi ku goh fi gyal dali, yu wahn kandem it. dehn kanfainment. Miss Edith Boy, if you stand on the little has a nursing home where women girl’s dolly, you’ll destroy it. See: can go to have their babies. brok op, dischrai. kanfes v. confess, admit. Gaad kandemnayshan n. fagiv wi wen wi kanfes wi condemnation. Dehn noh yehr rangdooinz. God forgives us di hoal stoari, ahn dehn don ga when we confess our mi anda kandemnayshan. They wrongdoings. See: oan op. don’t know the whole story, but kanfidens n. confidence. Wi ga they already have me under kanfidens dat wi pa wahn geh condemnation. wahn nyoo jab. We have kandishan n. condition. Weh confidence that our father will get kandishan yu fain yu hows eena a new job. wen yu kohn bak fahn Stayts? kanfident adj. confident. Ah What condition did you find your kanfident dat mi laaya wahn house in when you came back win di kays. I’m confident that from the States? See: shayp, my lawyer will win the case. stayt. kanfrens n. conference. Di kandom n. condom. Mee ahn govament di ga wahn kanfrens mi hozban disaid fi yooz fi teechaz. The government is kandom mek Ah noh geh 174 kanfyooz Kriol tu Inglish kanvik having a conference for teachers. in thought. Yoo aalwayz deh kanfyooz v. confuse. Di man bai yuself di kansida. You’re kanfyooz wi wid aal a di always off by yourself deep in kweschan dehn weh ih mi-di thought. aks. The man confused us with kansidarayt adj. considerate. all the questions he was asking. Misa Paal da wahn kansidarayt See: krayzi. lee man. Mr. Paul is a — adj. confused. Di bwai feel considerate man. kanfyooz wen ih yehr di chroot kansoal v. console. Wi mi bowt ih pa. The boy felt kansoal di laydi afta ih hozban confused when he heard the truth ded. We consoled the woman about his father. after her husband died. kanfyoozhan n. confusion. Pegi kantadik v. contradict. Da bad laas ih ma eena di kanfyoozhan manaz kantadik yu ma wen ih wen di raiyat staat. Peggy lost di taak. It’s bad manners to her mom in the confusion when contradict your mom when she’s the riot started. talking. kansaan v. concern. Noh kantangaros adj. cantankerous. kansaan yuself wid weh Ah ga Da lee laydi oanli kantangaros; fi du. Don’t concern yourself ih aalwayz di kaaz chrobl with what I have to do. — n. mongz di famili. That lady is so concern, interest. Da man oanli quarrelsome; she always causes kansaan da fi mek moni. That trouble in the family. See: man’s only concern is to make kwaarilsam. money. See: inchres. — adj. kantayna n. container. Wi mi-di concerned. Da bwai tu selfish; luk fi wahn kantayna fi di ih oanli kansaan bowt ih oan lefoavaz. We were looking for a self. That boy is too selfish; he’s container for the left-overs. only concerned about himself. kantentid adj. contented. Vilma kansert n. concert. Wi cherch kwait kantentid fi stay eena ih ban di ga wahn kansert da hows. Vilma is quite contented to Sivik. Our church band is having stay in her house. a concert at the Civic Centre. kantes n. contest. (KANtes) kanshans n. conscience. Yu Dehn di ga wahn daans kantes kanshans shuda tel yu dat weh tumaaro nait. They’re having a yu du mi rang. Your conscience dance contest tomorrow night. should tell you that what you did was wrong. kantinyu v. continue. Di teecha kantinyu di stoari di neks day. kansida v. 1) consider, be The teacher continued the story considerate. Da wahn gud ting the next day. See: kip aan, stodi. fi kansida wan anada. It is a good thing to be considerate of kanvik v. convict. Di joori one another. 2) ponder; be deep kanvik di man a merda. The 175 kanvins Kriol tu Inglish karek jury convicted the man of murder. copied down everything that the kanvins v. convince. Noh kay teacher wrote on the blackboard. weh yu du, yoo kyaahn kanvins See: falafut. 2) copy; refers to mee dat hihn neva lai mi. No cheating in school. Teecha matter what you do, you can’t kech Stanli di kapi aaf a Joa convince me that he didn’t lie to paypa eena klaas. The teacher me. caught Stanley copying off of Joe’s paper in class. — n. copy. kanvisayshan n. conversation. Wi mi sen wahn kapi a di aatikl Too pipl mi-di taak, ahn wi tu wi ma. We sent a copy of the yehr di hoal kanvisayshan. Two article to our mom. people were talking, and we heard the whole conversation. karakta (var: kerikta) (kaRAKta) See: lang bench. n. 1) character. Ih gud fi ga wahn gud karakta soh dat pipl kapa n. copper cent or penny. ku chros yu. It’s good to have Yu kyaahn bai notn fi kapa good character so that people can deez dayz. These days you can’t trust you. See: wayz. buy anything for a penny. See: 2) reputation. Neva du notn fi sehn, sent. [Copper coin is no blakn yu karakta. Never do longer minted in Belize.] anything to blacken your kapa kala n. fair skin or light reputation. skin (a little darker than karats n. carrot. (Both sg. & pl.) ‘chaylo’). Di teecha oanli laik Daucus carota sativa. Dakta seh hihn sayk a fi hihn kapa kala. how karats gud fi yu aiy. The teacher favours him because Doctors say that carrots are good he’s light-skinned. See: klayr for your eyes. skin. karek v. 1) correct. If Ah du kapapin v. seal; prepare a boat eniting rang, mi breda doz hull to prevent leaks. aalwayz karek mi. If I did kaparoocheh n. game: a post anything wrong, my brother and tube connected by string, would always correct me. See: the post is held and the tube is maak, rang. 2) grade. Ah ga swung to try to get it on the wahn lat a tes paypa fi karek post. Sohntaim wen yu play tunait. I have a lot of test papers kaparoocheh, di batam paat to grade tonight. — adj. correct, laik nak op yu han wen yu right. Put aan yu shot pahn di swing it. Sometimes when you karek said. Turn your shirt on play kaparoochen, the bottom the right side. See: rait. — adv. tends to hit your hand when you 1) correctly, accurately. Ah mi swing it. put aan di sleev pahn di jres kapi v. 1) copy; duplicate. Ah karek aftaraal. I had put the kapi dong evriting weh di sleeve on the dress correctly after teecha rait pahn di blakboad. I all. 2) good, healthy. Da fish 176 karekshan Kriol tu Inglish kay noh tays tu karek. That fish kaskas v. get along with. doesn’t taste too good. See: helti. (Always used in the negative) — int. correct? right? Ah ton Mee ahn shee kyaahn kaskas rait da di sekant layn, karek? I ataal. She and I can’t get along at turn right at the second lane, all. See: gree, set haas. [ 178 kee Kriol tu Inglish kers Mek Ah kech op wahn faiya. fi kehr dong ih beli. Terry did a Let me start a fire. hundred sit-ups every day to kee1 n. key. Sintya lak op ih reduce his waistline. hows kee eena di hows. Cynthia kehr owt v.phr. carry out, locked her house key in the implement. Dehn kehr owt house. dehn plan jos laik how dehn mi 2 seh. They carried out their plan kee cay(e) Dadi kehr wi da kee just as they had said they would. fi haliday. Daddy took us to the cayes for vacation. See: ailan. kehri aan v.phr. carry on; [ 179 kertn Kriol tu Inglish Kingz Paak wahn kers pahn Kayn kaa ih kil kiks n. kicks, fun. Di yong bwai ih breda. God put a curse on dehn fraitn di poa lee laydi jos Cain because he killed his fi kiks. The young boys brother. See: oabya, put mowt frightened the poor little lady just pahn. for kicks. See: fon. kertn n. curtain. Wen di pikni kiksi adj. funny, not serious. dehn brok di winda, dehn tayr Hihn tu kiksi, hihn neva di kertn tu. When the children seeryos. He’s always making broke the window, they tore the jokes, he’s never serious. See: curtain too. foni, joaki. kerv n. curve. Wen Taami bos kil v. kill. Kevin neva don til ih rong di kerv, ih nak dong di kil ih waif sayk a jelos. Kevin poa man. When Tommy came kept on until he killed his wife speeding around the curve, he because of his jealousy. See: knocked the poor man down. merda, slaata. ketl (var: kitl) n. kettle; cooking kil ihself v.phr. commit utensil with a spout. Foar suicide. aklak evri day Mayri put aan ih kilin n. killing. Tu moch kilin di ketl fi mek tee. At four o’clock hapm eena Bileez deez dayz. every day Mary puts on her kettle Too many killings are happening to make tea. in Belize these days. kiba Archaic. cover. Variant: kimbo v. stand akimbo. Da lee kova. gyal di kimbo laik shee big. kichin n. kitchen. Mi ma That little girl is standing akimbo aalwayz deh eena kichin di kuk. as if she’s big. My mother is always in the kinel n. canal. Evan jrap eena kitchen cooking. kinel an ih jrongdid kaa ih kidni n. kidney. Yu mos jrink kudn swim. Evan fell into the plenti waata fi mek yu kidni canal and drowned because he dehn werk gud. You should couldn’t swim. drink plenty of water to make kinep n. guinep fruit or tree. your kidneys function properly. Melicorea. Dehn kinep fahn kik v. kick. Bwai, da wai yu kik kraas di boada tays laik wet di daag? Boy, why did you kick katn. The guineps from across the dog? the border taste like wet cotton. kik di bokit v.phr. die. king jranko n. king vulture; Euphemism. Di oal man jos kik large scavenger bird. di bokit laas nait ahn dehn don Sarcoramphus Papa. See: di beri ahn tudeh. The old man jranko. just died last night and they’re kingfisha n. kingfisher, ringed already burying him today. See: kingfisher. Ceryle torquata. ded, peg owt. Kingz Paak n. Kings Park; 180 kip Kriol tu Inglish klaar north central area of Belize kisiz bai fayva n.phr. See: City. Laik how yu liv da Kingz fayva. Paak, yoo mosi rich. You must kiskidee n. kiskadee; a be rich because you live in the flycatcher bird which gets its King’s Park area. name from it repeated call. kip v. 1) keep. If yu put di sachiz kiskideh n. a type of insect. eena di frij, ih wahn kip sotay kiskis n. wooden tongs; made tumaaro. If you put the sausage from the fronds of the kokono in the fridge, it will keep until bwai palm and used for tomorrow. 2) maintain as a moving coals in a fire or for mistress. Darel hihn di kip too catching crabs. Da kiskis deh laydi; dats wai ih aalwayz brok. rong fi lat a jenarayshan ahn Darrell has been maintaining two mi grani stil yooz it fi moov ih women; that’s why he’s always faiya koal dehn wid. Those broke. wooden tongs have been around v.phr. kip aan continue, keep for generations, and my granny If yu kip aan du on, persist. still uses them to remove hot weh yoo di du, yu wahn get coals. eena big chrobl. If you keep on doing what you’re doing, you’ll kit n. group. Dayvid an ih fren get in big trouble. See: kantinyu. dehn gaahn teef plom, soh di kip bak v.phr. keep back, teecha wap di hoal kit a dehn. delay, hold up. Sayk a weh ih David and his friends went to layt, ih kip bak di hoal chrip. steal plums, so the teacher Because she was late, she held up spanked the whole group of them. the whole trip. See: hoal...op. See: groop, krowd. kip op v.phr. celebrate a kitbag n. duffle bag, overnight birthday or anniversary with a bag. Oanli kehr wahn smaal party. Wen Ah mi smaal, mi ma kitbag kaa wi noh wahn stay ahn mi pa neva doz kip op fi lang. Just take a small overnight dehn aniversri. When I was bag because we’re not going to little, my mother and father never stay long. celebrated their anniversary. See: kitl Variant: ketl. selibrayt. klaa n. claw. Mee noh laik pus kis v. kiss. Mi onkl laik kohn kis kaa dehn klaa tu shaap ahn mi pahn mi jaa an Ai noh laik dehn laik skrach yu. I don’t like it. My uncle always comes to kiss cats because their claws are too me on my cheek and I don’t like sharp and they like to scratch it. you. — n. kiss. Di groom gi di braid klaar1 (var: kraal.) v. crawl. Di wahn lang kis da di alta. The lee bwai klaar chroo di hoal groom gave the bride a long kiss eena di fens fi geh di baal. The at the altar. See: choops little boy crawled through the 181 klaar Kriol tu Inglish klay pat hole in the fence to get the ball. monkeys like to climb the big [Eng. ‘crawl’ – kraal becomes tree. klaar by metathesis] klak n. clock. Sayk a weh di klaar mi blod v.phr. make klak stap werk, wi geh layt. one’s skin crawl. Wen di Because the clock stopped teecha skrayp pahn di working, we were late. blakboad, ih klaar mi blod. klami adj. clammy. Ah staat tu When the teacher scrapes on the feel bad; den mi han dehn geh blackboard, it makes my skin klami. I started to feel nauseated, crawl. and then my hands got clammy. 2 n. klaar crawl; enclosure in klap v. clap, applaud. Di baybi water for containing fish. laan fi klap ih han fahn ih chree Govament bil wahn klaar fi kip monts. The baby learned to clap owt di big fish dehn. her hands from when she was Government built an enclosure to three months old. — n. spank. keep out the big fish. Yoo wahn geh too klap pahn yu klaas n. class. Evri maanin soon bati if yu noh bihayv yuself. wi ga wahn mats klaas. Early You’ll get two spanks on your every morning we have a math rear end if you don’t behave class. yourself. See: pampam, spenk, klaasroom n. classroom. Wi stin. geh wahn nyoo blakboad fi wi klapansaiya n. a type of snake. klaasroom. We got a new Di klapansaiya snayk moov soh blackboard for our classroom. faas dat dehn haad fi kech. The klaat n. cloth. Di laydi pach ih ‘klapansaiya’ snake moves so fast kloaz wid wahn bran nyoo pees that it’s hard to catch. a klaat. The woman patched her klaps n. clasp. clothes with a brand new piece of put klaps pahn v.phr. take cloth. control of. Yoo hafu put klaps kladz n. feminine blood clots. pahn yu daata kaa shee di get Afta di laydi ga ih baybi, ih owt a han. You have to take paas wahn lat a kladz. After the control of your daughter because lady had her baby, she passed a she is getting out of hand. [Eng. lot of blood clots. ‘clasp’ became ‘klaps’ by klaid v. get tired of; generally metathesis] referring to food, often klat n. blood clot. Dakta seh dat because it is too sweet. Wi eet Ah ga wahn blod klat kloas mi mango til wi klaid a it. We ate haat. The doctor says that I have mangos until we got tired of a blood clot close to my heart. them. [English: ‘cloy’] klay pat n. clay pot. Dehn klaim v. climb. Di mongki dehn Maiya laik kip torteeya eena laik klaim di big chree. The klay pat. The Mayas like to keep 182 klaym Kriol tu Inglish kloak tortillas in clay pots. See: jaar, fish kaaz evri taim Ah geh mi pat. finga juk. I can’t stand gutting klaym v. claim. Wen polees aks fish because I always stick my dehn, dehn klaym seh dat dehn finger. See: gots. — adj. clean. pa neva dehdeh. When the Fi shee hozban noh stay hoahn police asked them, they claimed kaa ih hows no taim kleen. Her that their father wasn’t there. husband doesn’t stay home because her house is never clean. klayr (var: klyaa) v. clear. Wen wi don eet, Sherli kohn klayr kleenis n. cleanliness. Jos fahn aaf di taybl ahn wash op. When di loan way how shee kip ih we had finished eating, Shirley hows yu noa dat ih ma mi teech came and cleared off the table ahn bowt kleenis. Just from the and washed up. — adj. plain, way she keeps her house, you clear. Dehn dairekshanz weh know that her mother had taught yoo gi mee noh klayr ataal. The her about cleanliness. directions that you gave me are klerk n. clerk. Wilyam geh not clear at all. See: playn. wahn jab az wahn klerk da — adv. clearly, plainly. Ih di si poas aafis. William got a job as a evriting playn ahn klayr now. clerk at the post office. He sees everything plainly and klif n. cliff. Rayman jrap aaf a clearly now. wahn hai klif ahn ded. Raymond gaahn klayr v.phr. is going fell off of a high cliff and died. Slang. Mi baas seh okay now. klik v. click. Ah neva seh ‘cheez’ Ah ku geh di ekschra week yet wen ih klik di kamara. I haliday soh Ah gaahn klayr. My hadn’t said ‘cheese’ yet when she boss said that I could have the clicked the camera. extra week holiday, so everything — n. click. is working out okay. klayr skin adj. fair or light klim n. powdered milk. Wi skinned. Wahn klayr skin man yoostu kaal eni powda milk ron dong di schreet. A light ‘klim’ kaa dat da-mi di oanli skinned man ran down the street. kain weh mi deh. We used to See: chaylo, kapa kala, payl call all powdered milk Klim kaypm. because that was the only brand there was. [Brand name ‘Klim’ is klazit n. closet. Da loan oal used generically.] kloaz heng op eena fi mi klazit. There’s nothing but old clothes klinik n. clinic. Dehn kehr di hanging in my closet. baybi da klinik kaa ih mi ga koal. They took the baby to the kleen v. 1) clean. Di preecha clinic because he had a cold. mi-di tel pipl fi kleen op dehn laif. The preacher was telling kloak v. cloak; cover with people to clean up their lives. excessive clothing. Wai yu 2) gut. Ah kyaahn stan kleen kloak op yuself eena dis heet? 183 kloaraks Kriol tu Inglish koako Why are you covering yourself — n. clown. Dehn bring wahn up in this heat? klong da di pikni paati. They kloaraks n. bleach. Beti mi hafu brought a clown to the child’s yooz kloaraks fi tek owt di party. stayn owt a ih jres. Betty had to klowd n. cloud. Az eevnin mi-di use bleach to take the stains out set een, wahn klowd kohn dong of her dress. See: bleech. [Brand oava di mongtin. As evening name ‘Clorox’ is used was falling, a cloud came down generically.] over the mountain. kloas adv. close, near. Mee ahn klowdi adj. cloudy. Ken kudn si shee da-mi kloas fren. She and I notn eena di waata kaa ih mi tu were close friends. klowdi. Ken couldn’t see kloavz n. clove; a spice used on anything in the water because it ham. Kloavz mek yu ham ahn was too cloudy. terki tays nais. Cloves make klyaa Variant: klayr. your ham and turkey taste koa n. wood knot; a weakness delicious. in wood formed where a kloaz n. clothes, apparel. Wi branch once grew. oanli ga wan chaynj a kloaz. koach v. coach. Da mai pa We have only one change of koach fi wee futbaal teem. My clothes. father is the one who’s coaching klob v. club. Wen dehn bwai gi our football team. — n. coach. chrobl, polees klob dehn. When Wi ga wahn gud koach kaa wi the boys give trouble, the police win aal a wi baaskitbaal gaym. club them. — n. club. Yu ku We have a good coach because aalwayz fain Berti da klob di we won all of our basketball jrink. You can always find Bertie games. at the club drinking. koakanat (var: kuknat) n. klok v. cluck. Enitaim hen lay coconut; coconut palm tree or eg, dehn aalwayz klok fi lang. its fruit. Cocos mucifera. Dehn Anytime a hen lays an egg, they laydi weh mek koakanat ail always cluck for a long time. hafu grayta lat a koakanat. klomp n. clump. Di fowl gaahn Women who make coconut oil bitween too klomp a bush ahn have to grate many coconuts. mek ih nes deh. The hen went [ 184 koako Kriol tu Inglish koam gud da maanin taim. Hot cocoa noa dat ih ga fresh koal. From tastes good in the morning. the time he came sneezing around [ 188 kompyaa Kriol tu Inglish Kooli kompyaa v. compare. Ih noh saved some of the plantains to gud fi kompyaa yu pikni dehn make banana porridge. See: lab, wid wan anada. It’s not good to parij. [ 189 koolin Kriol tu Inglish kos dong Faabaz Road. Many East curried. Wi mi-di eet kori Indians live down Fabers Road. chikin ahn wait rais. We were See: Indyan. eating curried chicken and white koolin n. drink used to cleanse rice. the body internally. Dehn seh korij n. courage. Taam ga lat a tambran joos da gud koolin fi korij fi rayz dehn pikni hihn yu badi. They say that tamarind wan. Tom has a lot of courage to juice is good for cleaning out raise those children all by your system. himself. koopa n. boat-billed heron. koril n. coral. Dehn big ship Cochlearius cochlearius. loan di damij di koril anda di kop n. cup. Yu waahn wahn kop see. Those big ships are doing a a tee? Do you want a cup of tee? lot of damage to the coral under the sea. kopl n. 1) couple. Da bwai ahn da gyal mek wahn nais kopl, koropshan n. 1) corruption. noh chroo? That boy and girl Skyandal brok owt eena di make a nice couple, don’t they? cherch sayk a koropshan. 2) a few, some. (used with Scandal broke out in the church adjectival force) Di van ku hoal because of corruption. 2) pus, wahn kopl moa pipl, maybi faiv matter. Lat a koropshan kom er siks. The van could hold some owt a di bail pahn Sayra fut. more people, maybe five or six. Lots of pus came out of the boil See: sohn, too, wan ahn too. on Sarah’s foot. See: mata. korant n. 1) current; the full koroseen n. kerosene. Di lamp flow of a river. Di korant eena owt kaa aal a di koroseen mi di riva mi oanli schrang. The don. The lamp went out because current in the river was very all of the kerosene was gone. See: strong. 2) electricity; electrical ail. power. Ah kudn aiyan mi kloaz kos1 Variant: kers. n. curse. kaa korant mi gaan. I couldn’t kos2 v. cuss, curse; use bad iron my clothes because the language. Di bwai kohn way power was out. See: lait. eena mi yaad kohn kos bad koraso n. curassow; large wod. The boy came right into my turkey-like bird with a strong yard and started cussing. bill and long feathers on its kos aaf v.phr. tell off using crest. Crax rubra. Dehn koraso bad words. Wen di laydi kohn berd dehn priti. The curassow kos aaf mi ma, da den shee geh birds are really pretty. beks fi chroo. When the lady kori n. curry. Wen yu put kori came and told off my mom, that eena rais, ih geh yala yala. was when she really got angry. When you put curry in rice, it See: bles...aaf, chrays...aaf, tel gets really yellow. — adj. aaf, yooz op. 190 kosin Kriol tu Inglish kotong kos op v.phr. cuss out. Babzi casting a sidelong glance at kos op ih ma pahn schreet. someone, then closing the eyes Babsy cussed out her mother in while turning the head away. the street. (Literally: ‘cut eye’) Wen kosin n. cussing, swearing. Wi Sharon si mi afta wi kwaaril, ih oanli yehr loan kosin di kom kot ih aiy afta mi, soh Ah noa ih owt a di lee bwai mowt. All we stil beks. When Sharon saw me heard was cussing come out of after we quarreled, she turned her the little boy’s mouth. eyes away, so I know that she’s still angry. [Gesture well-known kostad aapl n. custard apple; in a number of African cultures.] round fruit about the size of a v.phr. See: baseball. Anona reticulata. kot op divide. shayr. — adj. Sins Sondeh wi mi ga kostad aapl muscular. Taam di lif wayt, ih badi luk miks wid kandens milk fi kot op now. Since Tom is lifting dezert. On Sunday we had weights, his muscles look well- custard apples with condensed developed now. See: chap op. milk for dessert. 1 kot yu kraas v.phr butt in, kostom n. customs; place interrupt. Noh fi kot yu kraas, where duty is charged. Dehn bot Ah waahn tel yu sohnting chaaj mi onkl lat a moni da bifoa Ah figit. Not to cut in on kostom fi ih kaa weh ih bring you , but I want to tell you fahn Stayts. At customs they something before I forget. See: charged my uncle lots of money dip eena, intarop. for his new car that he brought from the States. kota jrom drum used to cut 2 into the steady rhythm of the kostom adj. accustomed to, bass drum during the sambai used to, in the habit of. Wee dance. noh kostom fi du dat. We’re not accustomed to doing that. See: kotin graas n. a tough grass yoostu. with sharp edges; grows in bushy clusters up to 3 ft. high. kostoma n. customer. Oanli Ah geh kot op pahn mi fut sayk wan kostoma kohn eena di shap a weh mi breda dehn mek Ah sins maanin. Only one customer gaahn luk fi baal eena kotin came into the shop since this graas. My legs got cut up morning. because my brothers made me go kot v. cut. Di myaa kot di riban look for the ball in the sharp wen dehn oapm di nyoo laibri. grass. The mayor cut the ribbon when kotobroot n. coconut sweet. Ai they opened up the new library. laik kotobroot wen ih saaf ahn See: jonk. stiki. I like kotobroot when it’s kot aiy Idiomatic phr. look soft and sticky. askance; insult by scornfully kotong n. a straight cut dress or 191 kova Kriol tu Inglish kraab schoo shirt worn outside the pants. afraid or scared. Fos di gyal Maybl aalwayz wayr wahn mi-di kohn fait mi, bot ih kech kotong oava ih pants dehn fi ih kowad ahn ron. At first the haid ih beli. Mabel always wears girl was coming to fight me, but a straight dress over her pants to then she got scared and ran away. hide her belly. kowbwai baat n. a quick kova (var: kiba) v. cover. Di dert sponge bath. Rajrik oanli mi ga neva deep nof fi kova di lee rak. taim fi tek wahn faas kowbwai The dirt wasn’t deep enough to baat. Roderick only had time to cover the little rock. take a quick sponge bath. See: — n. cover. Evri nait wen wi baat. goh sleep, mai sista shee haal kowbwai bod n. groove-billed aal a di kova fi ihself. Every or smooth-billed Ani; night when we go to sleep, my blackbird with a thick beak sister takes all the covers for like a parrot that picks ticks herself. off of cows. Crotophaga ani. kova benjamin n. jerry-rig. Wi kownta n. counter. Ah leen oava waahn dehn du wahn gud jab di kownta fi si di ting dehn eena pahn di hows; no kova di shap. I leaned over the counter benjamin wahn werk ya. We to see the things in the shop. want them to do a good job on the kozn n. cousin. Pipl seh how house; no jerry-rig will work mee ahn mi kozn ku paas fi here. [<‘bend and jam’] sista. People say that my cousin kow n. cow. Wentaim wi goh da and I could pass for sisters. fi wee onkl faam, ih shoa wi kozn-ahn-laa n. cousin-in-law. how fi skweez milk fahn owt a Jeri da oanli mi kozn-ahn-laa; di kow titi. When we went to our da noh mi kozn bai blod. Jerry uncle’s farm, he showed us how is only my cousin-in-law, not my to milk the cow. blood cousin. kow dong n. cow dung, kraab n. crab; any of a number manure. Ah noh laik goh da mi of oval shaped crustaceans grampa faam kaa aal Ah du da found in Belize. Wen da kraab waak op eena kow dong. I don’t seezn, yu si dehn di ron aal like going to my grandfather’s oava di road. When crabs are in farm because all I do is walk season, you see them running all around in manure. See: haas over the road. See: janifilda, domp, manyoar. raati, soalja kraab, wairo kowad adj. cowardly, fearful. kraab. Jaaj mi tu kowad fi goh fait di kraab schoo n. crab stew. Wi man. George was too afraid to go eet kraab schoo til wi klaid. We and fight the man. See: frayda, ate crab stew until we were tired waawa. of it. kech ih kowad v.phr. become 192 kraabu Kriol tu Inglish kraiyin kraabu n. craboo; a small chrobl(z), mischif, prablem(z) yellow fruit and the tree it 3) ride or lift (in boat.) Gi mi comes from. Byrsonima wahn kraas eena yu doari. Give crassifolia. Kraabu ga wahn me a ride across in your dory. shaap smel weh stay pahn yu — adj. cross, angry, bad- han. Craboo has a pungent smell tempered. Di oal man geh kraas that stays on your hand. [ 193 krak Kriol tu Inglish krayzi there was a lot of crying. See: all of the cake and almost choked. baalin. See: glot, gaamandaiza. krak v. crack. Di man krak di [ 194 krayzi aans Kriol tu Inglish krikit moni! You must have been crazy all kinds of critters. See: animal. to give that man all of your krek adj. cracked, crazy. Mayri money! See: krek, plik. mosi mi krek fi goh bak tu da — v. 2) besiege, harass. Di man afta ih beet ahn soh bad. teecha staat tu krayzi di bwai Mary must have been crazy to go wid aal kain a kweschan. The back to that man after he beat her teacher began to besiege the boy so badly. See: krayzi, plik. with all kinds of questions. See: krenki adj. shaky, unstable, haraas, heg, kanfyooz. wobbly. Di doari mi soh krenki krayzi aans n. crazy ant; small dat Ah mi frayd fi goh een deh black ant that moves very kaa Ah mi tink ih mi wahn ton swiftly. Krayzi aans mi deh aal oava. The dory was so unstable oava mi floa. Crazy ants were all that I was afraid to get into it over my floor. See: blak aans. because I was afraid that it would kreech owl n. 1) screech owl. capsize. See: shekreh. Otus assio Wahn big gray krik1 n. creek, stream. Wi doz kreech owl mi deh tap a di laik goh dong da di krik fi goh washin bowl di sayhn day mi fishin. We used to like going sista ded. A big grey screech owl down to the creek to fish. was on top of the washtub the krik ahn kaana n.phr. nook same day that my sister died. and cranny. Ah luk eena evri [Considered by some to be a krik ahn kaana, bot Ah neva harbinger of death] fain di moni weh Ah laas. I 2) Derogatory term used to looked in every nook and cranny, describe an ugly woman. Fi but I didn’t find the money that I mee mada-ahn-laa soh fayva lost. dehn kreech owl weh di hala da 2 n. nait. My mother-in-law looks just krik creak; sharp abrupt Evri lee krik weh Janet like those screech owls that hoot sound. shee yehr da nait fraitn shee. in the night. Every little noise that Janet hears kreecha n. creature. Dehn seh at night frightens her. wahn kreecha kom owt a di 1 n. riva twelv aklak da nait. They krikit cricket; an insect. Gryllidae. Wen dehn krikit say that a creature comes out of staat mek naiz da nait, yu the river at midnight. kyaahn sleep. When crickets kreep v. creep. Da nait Steevn start chirping at night, it’s hard to kreep een afta too aklak. That sleep. See: grayvdiga. [<‘creak’ night Stephen crept in after two a sound similar to what the o’clock. cricket makes] kreeta n. critter, domesticated krikit2 n. cricket; an outdoor animal. Archaic. Dehn mi ga game played with bat and ball. wahn big plays wid aal kain a Dehn oalda foaks di chrai kreeta. They had a big place with 195 kriminal Kriol tu Inglish kripl inkorij di yonga wan dehn fi braad Kriol n.phr. broad, laan fi play krikit. The older unrefined Kriol. Ah tel mi ma folks are encouraging the younger fi chrai laitn ih tong, bot shee ones to learn to play cricket. oanli taak loan braad Kriol. I [Probably a form of ‘crutch’ told my mom to try to refine her (stick) because the game is speech, but she speaks only played with a bat or stick] unrefined Kriol. 3) Creole kriminal n. criminal. Di polees culture. — adj. Creole; dehn chroa di man eena jayl referring to the people, laik wahn kaman kriminal. The language, or culture. Ah laik policemen threw the man in jail goh da di Kriol festival fi eet like a common criminal. sehreh ahn tablayta, ahn daans tu boom ahn shain myoozik, Kriol n. 1) Creole; ethnic ahn laan moa bowt wi hischri. I group: traditionally in the like to go to the Creole Festival to colonies, people born of eat fish stew and coconut candy, European or African descent dance to boom and chime music, or a mixture of both; today in and learn more about our history. Belize, the term refers specifically to anyone with Kriol bon n. Creole bun; any mixture of African and homemade sweet bread or any other ancestry. Di Kriol bun. Da sayk a weh mai ma eena Bileez ga lat a difrant mek Kriol bon fi sel mek wee kala; fahn blak blak tu wait kuda mi gaahn da kalij. It’s wait – ahn noh mek wi figit because of my mother’s making dehn red gyal ahn bwai! Creoles bun to sell that we were able to in Belize have many different attend high school. See: bon, colours; from very black to very bayka bon. white – and let’s not forget the Kriol bred n. Creole bread. Mis red-skinned guys and gals. Mati Kriol bred oanli saaf. Miss 2) Creole; a language born Mattie’s Creole bread is very soft. from the contact of primarily kripl n. cripple. Mek yu daata English-speaking colonial wash ih oan kloaz, ata ih da noh masters, and slaves who spoke no kripl. Let your daughter wash a variety of West African her own clothes – after all, she’s languages; Belize Kriol no cripple. — adj. crippled. Wi consists of vocabulary that is si wahn man deh wid wahn primarily English-based, and a kripl han eena choch. We saw a grammatical system that man with a crippled hand in follows West African patterns. church. Evribadi tink seh ih haad fi kripl op adj.phr. crippled. laan fi reed Kriol, bot ih eezi. Aachraitis ga mi grani han Everybody thinks that it’s hard to dehn kripl op. Arthritis has my learn to read Kriol, but it’s easy. granny’s hands all crippled. 196 kripsi Kriol tu Inglish krodl kripsi Variant: krispi. adj. jrink. Since Herbert became a [ 197 krofi Kriol tu Inglish ku jrink di milk kaa ih mi krodl krooz n. cruise. Mi ma ahn mi op. He didn’t want to drink the pa gwehn pahn wahn krooz milk because it had curdled. rong Jumayka. My parents are [ 198 kub Kriol tu Inglish kukumba please’. Yu ku pleez jres dong cohune. Wen mi onkl mi-di mek di lee bwai sidong? Would brok kuhoon, ih nayli geh ih aiy you please move over so the little nak owt. When my uncle was boy can sit down? breaking cohune, he almost got kub n. coop; cage for fowl. Teef his eye knocked out. See: waari get eena mi ma fowl kub ahn kuhoon. [ 200 kwaiyat-wan Kriol tu Inglish kwik luk fi wahn kwaiyat plays fi to eat. sleep. We were looking for a kwayl2 v. dampen starched quiet place to sleep. clothes before ironing. Goh kwaiyat-wan adv. quietly. Di sprinkl dehn staach kloaz ahn man kohn tu wi laik ih soh bad, baal dehn op tait soh dat dehn bot wen mi pa kom owt wid ih ku kwayl bifoa wi aiyan dehn. machet, ih lap ih tayl ahn Go sprinkle the starched clothes gaahn kwaiyat-wan. The man and roll them up tight so they will came to us like he was so bad, but dampen before ironing. when my father came out with his kween n. queen. Di polees weh machete, he tucked his tail wi meet mi-di werk fi di kween. between his legs and went away The policeman whom we met quietly. See: eezi-wan, saaf-wan. was working for the queen. kwaliti n. quality. Yu geh beta kweez Archaic. Variant: skweez. kwaliti fish wen yu bai fahn kwench v. quench. Da waata koap. You get better quality fish reeli kwench mi ters. That water when you buy at the co-op. really quenched my thirst. kwam n. crested guan; turkey- kweneneh n. commotion. Wat a like fowl. Penelope kweneneh di goh aan owt deh! purpurascens. [>Misk. ‘kwamu’] What a commotion is going on kwamwud a tall spreading tree out there! See: kamoashan, with yellow blossoms. oproal, rokshan, rugudungz. Schizolobium parahybum. [Name kweschan v. question. Afta di is derived from the Crested Guan polees dehn ares di man, dehn ‘kwam’ - a large forest bird kweschan ahn. After the police which feeds on the seed pods.] arrested the man, they questioned kwash n. coatimundi. Nasua him. — n. question. Dehn yong procyonidae. Da man aalwayz pipl dehn aalwayz ga wahn lat a ga wahn lee kwash pan ih kweschan. Young people always shoalda. That man always has a have lots of questions. coatimundi on his shoulder. kwik adj. quick. Ah wahn tek kwashi v. have sexual wahn kwik baat bifoa Ah goh intercourse. Noh goh bak deh da werk. I will take a quick bath wid da bwai kaa ih mait chrai before I go to work. — adv. kwashi yu. Don’t go back there quickly, rapidly. Di lee bod with that boy because he might laan fi flai kwik. The little bird try to have sexual relations with quickly learned to fly. See: anda you. See: juk. [ 201 kwik taim Kriol tu Inglish kyaas bright, she’ll learn that job walk on that old bridge. See: quickly. See: brait, sensabl, main, tek kayr. smaat. kyaahn (var: kyaahnt) v. cannot. kwik taim adv. very quickly. Yu kyaahn bak da hevi krayt. Az Maybl yehr seh Ai kohn bak You can’t carry that heavy crate. fahn Stayts, kwik taim ih fain kyaahn don adv.phr. endlessly, ihself da mi hows. As soon as excessively, nothing. Wen wi Mabel heard that I was back from gaahn da Malanti, wee mi ga the States, she found herself at mango kyaahn don! When we my house in no time. See: faas, went to Gales Point, we had kwik, kwik-wan. endless mangos! kwika adv. faster, more kyaahnt Variant: kyaahn. quickly. Ah get ya kwika dan kyaalis (var: kaylis) adj. Ah ekspek. I got here more careless. Yu tu kyaalis wid yu quickly than I expected. baik; dats wai dehn teef it. kwik-wan adv. impatiently, You’re too careless with your quickly. Afta di rayn staat, wi bike; that’s why they stole it. gaahn bak hoahn kwik-wan. kyaam v. calm. Wen da pikni After the rain started, we quickly get eena tempa, nobadi kyaahn went back home. See: faas, kwik, kyaam ahn dong. When that kwik taim. child gets angry, nobody can kwint v. blink, wink, squint or calm him down. — adj. calm; partially close the eyes. Da oal still. Soon da maanin di lagoon man mi-di kwint ih aiy afta mi. soh kyaam, ih luk laik glaas. That old man was winking at me. Early in the morning, the lagoon kyaa Variant: kayr. is so calm, it looks like glass. kyaa fi v.phr. Variant: kay fi. See: prekeh. kyaad n. card. Dehn man dehn kyaapit n. carpet. Ah noatis yu laik play kyaad fi moni. Those ga nyoo kyaapit fi yu floa doh. men like to play cards for money. Well! I noticed that you have new kyaadboad adj. cardboard. Wen carpet for your floor. waata wet di kyaadboad baks, kyaas1 v. cast, catch by roping. ih kandem. When water wet the Di haas ron weh soh dehn mi cardboard box, it was destroyed. hafu kyaas ahn ahn bring ahn See: kaatoon baks. een. The horse ran away, so they kyaaf n. calf. Mi pa kil di had to rope it and bring it in. speshal kyaaf weh ih mi-di fatn kyaas2 n. cast (plaster). Dakta op. My father killed the special seh Ah hafu kip aan di kyaas calf that he had been fattening up. pahn mi fut fi siks monts. The kyaaful adj. (be) careful. doctor said that I have to keep the Kyaaful how yu waak pahn da cast on my leg for six months. oal brij. Be careful how you See: plaafasta. 202 kyaas net Kriol tu Inglish kyant kyaas net n. cast net; a net joak sweet shee soh. Queenie thrown for catching small fish. was really cackling because the Misa Jan yoostu mek fi hihn joke made her laugh so much. oan kyaas net fi goh kech fish See: kekl. wid. Mr. John used to make his kyamfa baalz n. moth balls. own cast nets to go fishing with. Kyamfa baalz mek yu sheet kyaat n. cart; a wheeled vehicle dehn smel nais. Moth balls make for carrying things. Wen wee your sheets smell nice. [ 203 kyanvis Kriol tu Inglish kyatl the boat tilted, we all screamed. Len mi sohn moni, noh. Ah noh kyanvis n. canvas. Wahn pees a ga no kyash pahn mi. Please kyanvis mi chroa kraas wi mek lend mi some money, I have no rayn noh wet wi. A piece of cash on me. canvas was thrown over us so the kyasheeya n. cashier. Pay di rain wouldn’t get us wet. moni da di kyasheeya. Pay the kyap n. cap. Put aan wahn kyap money to the cashier. mek son noh bon yu hed. Put on kyastarail n. castor oil. Enitaim a cap to protect your head from yu si skool shet fi haliday, mai the sun. ma shee doas wi aaf wid kyapcha v. capture. Polees kyastarail. Whenever schools kyapcha di teef weh get weh were closed for vacation, my laas nait. The police captured the mother would give us a good thief who got away last night. dose of castor oil. kyapital n. capital. Belmopan kyat n. cat. (‘pus’ is the word da di kyapital a fi wee konchri. more generally used.) Di kyat Belmopan is the capital of our skrach mi op wid ih klaa. The country. cat scratched me with its claws. See: pus. kyapm n. captain. Di kyapm seh fi mek wi kip stil eena di boat. kyat bail n. sty. Mi grani seh The captain said for us to keep dat wen yu gi sohnbadi still in the boat. sohnting ahn tek it bak, yu wahn geh kyat bail. My granny kyapmta n. carpenter. Dehn says that if you give somebody man weh da kyapmta aalwayz something and then take it back, a ga di wosis hows. Men who are sty will appear on your eye. carpenters always have the worst houses. kyata-kaana adv. cater-corner, kitty-corner; at an angle, kyapmta bod n. carpenter bird, diagonally. Marta put di TV night heron. Yellow Crowned kyata-kaana soh dat ih ku ga Night Heron. Wi aalwayz si moa spays fi put di sofa. Martha dehn kyapmta bod eena di yaad put the TV at an angle so that she da nait. We always see those could have more space to put the carpenter birds in the yard at sofa. night. kyatapila n. caterpillar. Wen Kyaribeeyan n. Caribbean. kyatapila ton botaflai, ih oanli Dehn taak aal kain a Kriol oava priti. When the caterpillar di Kyaribeeyan. All different becomes a butterfly, it is really kinds of Creole are spoken pretty. See: hayri wom. around the Caribbean. kyatl n. cattle. Di man ga lat a kyash v. cash. Pleez goh kyash kyatl ahn pig ahn faam lan. The dis chek fi mi. Please go cash man has a lot of cattle and pigs this cheque for me. — n. cash. 204 kyato Kriol tu Inglish laandin and farm land. dizeez weh shee gat. There’s no kyato n. catfish. Loan kyato liv cure for the disease that she has. eena di kinel dehn da Bileez. kyoot adj. 1) cute, attractive. Yu Mostly catfish live in the canals ga wahn kyoot lee baybi. You in Belize. See: botasi. have a cute little baby. 2) sly. Ah kyoar v. cure, heal. If yu jrink kyaahn chros da lee Diki kaa ih dis medisn, ih wahn kyoar yu. If ga sohn kyoot wayz bowt ahn. I you drink this medicine, it will can’t trust that little Dickie cure you. See: heel. — n. cure. because he has some sly ways Dehn noh ga no kyoar fi da about him. L - l laa n. law. Noh eevn chrai kraas wen wi tel dehn weh di bwai du. di laa. Don’t even try to do Everybody started to laugh when anything that goes against the we told them what the boy did. law. laaf aata v.phr. laugh at, to laabrayka n. lawbreaker, make fun of. Dehn pikni laik outlaw. Da man da wahn reel laaf aata mi spektikl dehn. The laabrayka kaa evri minit hihn children like to laugh at my get eena chrobl wid di laa. That spectacles. — n. laugh. Fos laaf man is a real outlaw because da noh laaf. First laugh is no every minute he gets into trouble laugh. (Your perceived triumph with the law. may not be a real victory.) Laad n. Lord, reference to God laafinstak n. laughingstock. Mi or Jesus Christ. Pray tu di kaschoom neva fit mi gud, soh Laad fi gi yu schrent. Pray to the dehn tek mi mek laafinstak. My Lord to give you strength. costume didn’t fit me well, so the audience made a laughingstock laad n. lard. Noh put tu moch out of me. laad eena di doa. Don’t mix too much lard in the dough. laan v. 1) learn. Ah laan fi mek bred fahn mi ma. I learned to Laadz Rij n. Lord’s Ridge; make bread from my mother. main cemetery for Belize City, 2) teach. Mek wi laan di bwai fi located on the Western obay ih ma ahn pa. Let’s teach Highway in west central the boy to obey his mom and dad. Belize City. Enitaim Ah paas See: teech. Laadz Rij mee wan da nait, mi hayr stan op. Whenever I pass laandin n. landing. Di boat stap Lord’s Ridge alone at night, my da wahn lee laandin lang di riva hair stands on end. fi mek sohn pipl get aaf. The boat stopped at a little landing on laaf v. laugh. Evribadi staat laaf the river so some people could 205 laanjri Kriol tu Inglish lag get off. ih aalwayz kom owt labi. I don’t laanjri n. laundry. Di jraiya da like it when Helen makes rice di laanjri brok dong dis because it always comes out maanin. The drier at the laundry sticky. See: pulaali. broke down this morning. See: labsta n. lobster. Sertn taim a washin. yaa yu kyaahn kech labsta. At laas1 adj. last. Di laas taim wi si certain times of the year you di laydi, ih hayr mi shaat shaat. aren’t permitted to catch lobster. The last time we saw the woman, See: krayfish. her hair was very short. lachreen n. latrine; outhouse or lang at laas adv.phr. finally, at pit-house toilet. Laik how wi long last. Lang at laas di bwai liv da bush wi noh ga soorij; wi reech di maakit. At long last, the ga lachreen. Since we live in the boy reached the market. See: country we don’t have an indoor fainali. toilet; we have an outhouse. See: pahn di laas adv.phr. chroan, tailit, watsaid. eventually, in the end. Pahn di lachri n. lottery. Ah mi bai too laas, Ah wahn hafu klap yu kaa pees a lachri an Ah win. I yu noh waahn lisn tu mi. bought two lottery numbers and I Eventually, I’ll have to spank you won. See: boleedo, lato. because you don’t want to listen lada v. 1) lather, work the soap to me. into suds. Ah laik wash wid laas2 v. lose. Sayk a weh ih mi rayn waata kaa ih lada gud. I soh daak, Ah laas mi kaa kee like to wash with rain water dehn. Because it was so dark, I because it causes the soap to lost my car keys. — adj. lost. lather well. See: soapi. 2) beat Dehn mi oanli hapi kaa di bwai severely with belt, lather. weh mi laas kohn bak hoahn. Sayra lada ih daata gud sayk a They were very happy because tel lai. Sarah gave her daughter a the boy who was lost came back good beating because she lied. home. See: beet, dip, lash, lays, tayr, laaya n. lawyer. Evribadi noa wap. dat dehn laaya tel lai sohntaim. ladarin n. beating, thrashing, Everybody knows that lawyers lathering. Di bwai pa put wahn tell lies sometimes. gud ladarin pan ih bahain. The lab n. porridge; a breakfast boy’s father gave his bottom a cereal made with a grain. good thrashing. See: beetn. Disya lab tik laik oats. This lag n. log; the trunk of a tree porridge is thick like oats. See: after it has been cut down; can kongkanteh, parij. also refer to a specific length labi adj. soft, sticky (food). Ah of 8 to 10 feet of log. Di lag noh laik wen Helin kuk rais kaa float dong di riva wid eez. The log floated downstream quite 206 lag kota Kriol tu Inglish laimi easily. uda tek yu di hoal a yu laif fi lag kota n. logger. Sayk a weh fain datideh man. It would take dehn lag kota kot dong soh you a lifetime to find that man. moch chree, oanli lee bit lef. laif-waata n. intravenous drip. Just a few trees are left because Ah mi deh eena haaspital di geh the loggers have cut down so laif-waata fi wahn bad flooz many of them. weh Ah mi ga. I got intravenous lagoon n. lagoon, lake. Di boat drip in the hospital because of a sink midl a di lagoon. The boat bad flu that I had. sank in the middle of the lagoon. laik1 v. like, care for. Wi noh lagrahed n. loggerhead turtle; laik weh ih seh ataal. We don’t having both saltwater and like what he said at all. See: freshwater varieties. Caretta. chek, kay/kyaa fi. Soop owt a lagrahed oanli nais. laik2 adj. like, in the same way Soup made from the loggerhead as. Da bwai wahn bee polees, turtle is delicious. See: tertl. jos laik ih pa. That boy will be a lagwud n. logwood. policeman, just like his father. Haematoxylum campechianum. laik how conj. since. Laik how Dehn yoostu ship di lagwud yu di kohn da mi hows, yu ku dong di riba fi goh da Yoorup fi bring di kayk. Since you’re mek dai. They used to send the coming to my house, you could logwood down the river to go to bring the cake. See: sins. Europe to make dye. laik kayk Variant: lait kayk. lai v. (Transitive). lie. Di gyal lai laim n. lime; greenish citrus mi wen ih tel mi seh da noh fruit. Citrus aurantifolia. Wen shee teef mi moni. The girl lied yu mek laim joos, yu hafu yooz to me when she said that it wasn’t lat a shuga kaa laim oanli sowa. she who stole my money. When you make lime juice, you — n. lie, falsehood, untruth. Di have to use lots of sugar because witnis dehn mi-di tel lai front a limes are very sour. di joj. The witnesses were telling — v. wash with lime. Wen yu lies before the judge. See: stoari. noh laim di chikin gud, ih smel laibri n. library. Di myaa kot di renk. When you don’t wash the riban wen dehn oapm di nyoo chicken well with lime, it smells laibri. The mayor cut the ribbon rank. when they opened the new laimi n. limey; refers to British library. military personnel. Slang. Wan laif n. life. Di man mi brayv ahn a mi fren mi geh marid tu wan wilin fi ris ih oan laif. The man a dehn laimi an ih mi gaahn da was brave and willing to risk his Inglan, gaahn liv wid ahn. One own life. of my friends got married to a hoal a...laif n.phr. lifetime. Ih British soldier and went to live in 207 lain Kriol tu Inglish laiyad England with him. laita n. sail barge or lighter; lain n. 1) line; a mark. Jraa used for hauling sand or wahn lain dong di midl a di carrying goods from cargo payj fi mi. Draw a line down the ships to the shore. Dehn san middle of the page for me. laita doz kohn fahn fer wid san 2) line, queue or straight weh dehn dig fahn riva batam. formation. Di way how yoo di Sand barges used to come from a stan op di mek di lain krukid. long distance with sand that was The way you are standing is dug from the river bed. making the line crooked. lait kayk (var: laik kayk) white lain op v.phr. line up, form a cake. Rong Krismos taim pipl line. Tel dehn pikni fi lain op mek lat a lait kayk. Around eena too schrayt lain. Tell the Christmas time people make a lot children to line up in two straight of white cake. See: wait kayk. lines. laitn v. lighten. Wi mi hafu laitn lais See: ud lais. di boat kaa tu moch ting mi een laisn v. license. Di laas taim Ah deh. We had to lighten the boat gaahn fi laisn mi kaa, Ah mi because there was too much stuff hafu pay wahn lat a moni. The in it. last time I licensed my car, I had laitnin v. give off a discharge of to pay a lot of money. atmospheric electricity in the — n. 1) license. Eena lang taim sky. Mi ma aalwayz kova op di dayz yu yoostu hafu geh laisn fi lukin glaas wen ih di laitnin. yu baik an aal. In the old days My mother always covers the you even had to get a license for mirror when there’s lightning. your bike. 2) permission. See: — n. lightning. Wahn lat a leev er laisn. laitnin mi deh laas nait, ahn aal lait1 v. light. Sohnbadi lait wahn a di daag dehn staat baak. lamp, soh at lang laas wi kuda There was lots of lightning last mi si. Somebody lit a lamp, so we night, and all the dogs started could finally see. — n. 1) light. barking. Wi kudn si notn wen di lait laiv adj. live, alive, living. gaan aaf. We couldn’t see a thing (‘Laiv’ refers to non-humans, when the light went off. while ‘alaiv’ and ‘livin’ refer to 2) electricity. Wi waahn moov humans.) Noh goh deh; di eena di hows, bot ih noh gat een snayk stil laiv. Don’t go there; no lait yet. We want to move into the snake is still alive. the house, but it doesn’t have any laiyad adj. untruthful, given to electricity yet. See: korant. lying. Yu kyaahn bileev notn lait2 adj. light in weight. Di baks weh Joani seh kaa shee tu neva hevi, ih mi lait lait. The laiyad. You can’t believe box wasn’t heavy, it was very anything that Joanie says because light. she’s such a liar. 208 laiyadnis Kriol tu Inglish lang laiyadnis n. lie, falsehood, police ought to put the correct untruthfulness. Noh bileev thieves under lockdown. See: pis hihn; da loan laiyadnis kom hows. owt a fi hihn mowt. Don’t lam n. lamb. Yestudeh dehn kil believe him; nothing but lies di lam fi dehn paati. Yesterday come out of his mouth. See: they killed the lamb for their stoari. party. laiyan n. lion. Wen serkos kohn lan n. land. Wi yooz di moni fi dehn hafu kip di laiyan dehn bai wahn nyoo pees a lan. We eena kayj. When the circus used the money to buy a new comes, they have to keep the piece of land. — v. land. Di lions in cages. prizna lan flat pan ih bak wen laj v. lodge. Mi ma gaahn da ih jomp oava di waal. The skool gaahn laj kamplayn gens prisoner landed flat on his back wahn lee bwai weh beet mi op. when he jumped over the wall. My mother went to school to See: pich. lodge a complaint against a boy lan op v.phr. end up. Sayk a di who beat me up. way how yu di liv, yoo wahn lan lajin n. lodging. Di laydi seh ih op rait da jayl. Because of the taiyad a di bayg lajin fi shee an way you live, you’ll end up right ih pikni dehn. The lady said that in jail. See: en op. she was tired of asking for Landeeva n. Landivar; a lodging for her children and northwestern area of Belize herself. City, where the University and lak v. lock. Unu beta lak unu Teachers’ College are located. doa kaa dehn bad bwai di serkl. Lat a hai klaas hows deh rong You had better lock your doors bai Landeeva. There are lots of because those bad boys are classy houses in the Landivar hanging around. — n. lock. Wi area. mi hafu bai wahn nyoo lak fi di lang1 adj. long; denoting length, doa afta teef brok eena wi distance, duration of time. Di hows. We had to buy a new lock teecha wap di bwai wid wahn for the door after thieves broke lang stik. The teacher hit the boy into the house. with a long stick. laka n. locker, cabinet, lang owt v.phr. extend, reach cupboard. Mi graama ga wahn or stretch (out) Di lee baybi hoal ton load a oal ting eena di lang owt ih han dehn fi mek Ah laka. My grandmother has a ton pik ahn op. The little baby of old things in the cupboard. stretched out his hands so I would See: kyabinet. pick him up. See: schrech, lakdong n. lockdown, holding han...han. cell. Polees aatu put di karek lang taim adv.phr. long ago. teef dehn anda lakdong. The Wi don get oava wi prablem 209 lang Kriol tu Inglish lato fahn lang taim. We got over our came to us like he was so bad, but problems long ago. See: bifoa when my father came out with his taim, walam paas mowt, woz. machete, he tucked his tail lang waata adj.phr. soupy, between his legs and went away watery stewed beans. Ah quietly. kyaahn stan lang waata beenz. I lash v. beat, thrash with an can’t stand soupy stewed beans. object. Mama lash mi lee sista lang2 v. long, yearn. Az moch az kaa ih kohn hoahn layt fahn Ah laik Stayts, Ah stil lang fi skool. Mommy beat my little goh hoahn. As much as I like the sister because she came home late States, I still long to go home. from school. See: beet, lada, See: pain weh. lays, tayr, wap. lang3 adv. along. Wi mi-di waak lash dong v.phr. eat greedily. lang di road wen wi si di man. Ah mi soh hongri wen Ah don We were walking along the road swim dat Ah lash dong too when we saw the man. playt a rais ahn beenz ahn wahn gyalan a waata. I was so lang4 v. carry, bring. Big weda hungry when I finished di kohn soh dehn hafu mikays swimming that I tossed down two lang di man kraas di riva. Bad plates of rice and beans and a weather is coming so they have to gallon of water. See: hag op, hurry to carry the man across the manjeh, nyam, waks aaf, yafl. river. See: bak, kehr, kraas. lashin n. beating, spanking, Lang Bobi Suzi n. mythical whipping; parental-type woman who lives in the bush discipline. Jani geh wahn gud with large, long breasts; one lashin, sayk a gaahn bayd da breast has milk, the other riva. Johnny got a good whipping poison; she forces children to because he went swimming in the choose a breast to suckle. river. See: tayrin, wapin. lang nek gaalin See: gaalin. lat1 n. lot. Dehn wahn sel di langwij n. language. Kriol! Dis hows ahn di lat tu. They will sell da fi wee langwij! Kriol! This is the house and the lot too. our language! lat2 adj. lots, a lot, many, lanlaad n. landlord. Fi mee plenty. Wahn lat a hareenj mi lanlaad kohn fi ih moni ihself. lef pahn di grong. Lots of My landlord collects the rent oranges were left on the ground. personally. See: nof, plenti. lap...tayl v.phr. tuck one’s tail lato n. lottery. Mi nayba kech between one’s legs. Di man bak pahn di lato at laas. My kohn tu wi laik ih soh bad, bot neighbour recouped her losses by wen mi pa kom owt wid ih finally winning the lottery. See: machet, ih lap ih tayl ahn boleedo, lachri. gaahn kwaiyat-wan. The man 210 lavenda Kriol tu Inglish lebeh lavenda adj. lavender. prapa kaa ih get hoahn layt. (laVENda) Mi ma noh laik wen Markie’s dad beat him badly wi wayr eniting weh lavenda because he got home late. See: kaa ih seh da kala da fi ded. My beet, dip, lada, lash, tayr, wap. mother doesn’t like to see us wear — n. lace; fine openwork anything lavender because she fabric. Di gyal mikays gaahn says it’s a colour for the dead. bai lays fi ih wedn jres. The girl lay v. lay. Luk laik di hen stap hurried to buy lace for her lay. It looks like the hen has wedding dress. stopped laying eggs. laysn v. lace. Ai hafu laysn op layba v. labour. Widowt mi shooz bifoa Ah goh. I have to ejukayshan, yu wahn layba fi di lace my shoes before I go. See: res a yu laif. Without education, schring op. — n. shoelace. you’ll labour for the rest of your Bwai, tai di laysn fi yu shooz life. See: werk. — n. labour. dehn bifoa ih chrip yu dong. Dehn shuda gi dehn prizna Boy, tie your shoelaces before dehn sentens wid haad layba they trip you up. agen. They should give the layt adv. late. Wi mos kaal wi prisoners their sentences with ma ahn wi pa bifoa ih geh tu hard labour like they used to do. layt. We should call our mom See: en, jab, tas, werk. and dad before it gets too late. laydi n. lady. (Acceptable term laywayt v. lie in wait for. Polees for a specific woman, while laywayt di teef ahn kech ahn ‘uman’ tends to be offensive.) wen ih mi-di kom owt a di laydi Mis Jooli hoal op ihself laik hows. The police lay in wait for wahn laydi rait chroo di koat the thief and caught him when he kays. Miss Julie carried herself was coming out of the lady’s like a lady right through the court house. See: daj. case. See: uman. layzi adj. lazy. Haas weh layzi fi layk n. lake. Weh ih rayn soh bak ih oan graas wahn staav. moch, mi yaad luk laik wahn The horse that is too lazy to carry layk. It rained so much that my its own grass will starve. yard looks like a lake. layzi op v.phr. be lazy. Aal layn n. lane. Yu ton dong di day yu jos di layzi op yuself ahn sekant layn fi goh da mai hows. noh du notn, ahn yet yu ekspek You turn at the second lane to get mi fi feed yu? All day you have to my house. been lying around, not doing anything, and yet you expect me lays v. 1) lash verbally. Di kaala to feed you? pahn di taak shoa lays een tu di waata boad man. The caller on lebeh v. loiter, loaf around. Wai the talk show lashed into the yu dehdeh di lebeh? Git op ahn water board man. 2) beat, thrash. werk! Why are you loafing Maaki pa lays ahn gud ahn around like that? Get up and 211 led Kriol tu Inglish lees work! few of them now. led n. lead. 1) Dis bag hevi no leed v. lead. Di big bwai mi-di led! This bag is as heavy as lead! leed wi chroo di bush. The big 2) lead pencil. Archaic. Pleez boy was leading us through the len mi yu led mek Ah rait dong bush. dis nomba. Lend mi your pencil leek v. leak; allow liquid to pass so I can write down this number. through. Wan a fi wee foak See: pensl. sang da bowt wahn man weh mi leda1 n. leather. Ah laik eniting ga wahn doari weh leek. One of weh mek owt a leda. I like our folksongs is about a man who anything that’s made of leather. has a dory with a leak. — adj. leather. Di man mi ga leel Variant: lee. wahn leda belt rong ih ways. leela adj. smaller. Ah geh wahn The man had a leather belt around leela pees a kayk dan yoo! I got his waist. a smaller piece of cake than you! leda2 n. ladder. Dehn seh dat da leelis adj. smallest. Ah kyaahn bad lok if yu paas andaneet a chros yu fi du di leelis a ting. I wahn leda. They say that it is bad can’t trust you to do the smallest luck if you pass underneath a of things. ladder. leen v. lean. Fi dehn daag soh lee (var: leel) adj. 1) little, small. maaga, dehn hafu leen op fi Wi tel di pikni dehn wahn lee baak. Their dogs are so weak and stoari bifoa dehn mi gaahn skinny, they have to lean on sleep. We told the children a little something to bark. story before they went to bed. 1 See: chinchi, kungku, smaal. lees v. lease. Wi noh oan dis 2) word used to call attention lan, wi oanli lees it fahn di to someone; may have nothing govament. We don’t own this to do with physical size, but it land, we’re only leasing it from often does have a slight the government. — n. lease. Ah derogatory or conciliatory tone hafu goh da siti kongsl fi pay mi inferring inferior intelligence lees. I have to go to the city or social standing. Da lee bali council to pay my lease. — adj. dong di schreet oanli teef. That leased. Dis lan weh wi ga da young man down the street is lees lan fahn govament. This nothing but a thief. 3) term of land that we have is leased land endearment. Da wahn nais lee from the government. buk. It’s a nice little book. lees2 n. least. Dat da di lees a mi lee bit phr. few. Laik how woriz. That’s the least of my dehn hont di dyaa dehn fi gaym worries. — adv. least. Ah wahn meet, di dyaa dehn di geh lee kohn wen yu lees ekspek mi. I’ll bit now. Since the deer were come when you least expect me. hunted for meat, there are only a at lees phr. at least. At lees Ah 212 leev Kriol tu Inglish len geh fi si mi pa wan moa taim leggings, and his wide police bifoa ih ded. At least I got to see bush hat. my father one more time before legisi n. legacy, inheritance. Di he died. man get eena legisi wen ih pa leev n. leave, vacation. Ah wahn ded. The man inherited tek sohn leev kaa Ah need wahn everything when his father died. haliday. I’ll take some leave legoh v. let go, release, set free. because I need a holiday. See: Ah tel yu legoh mi man er els haliday. Ah wahn du yu ting. I’m telling leev er laisn n.phr. leave or you to leave my man alone or license, permission. Da lee else I’ll do something to you. bwai hihn bos eena mi hows See: loos. widowtn leev er laisn. The little leheeyo n. ill effects, especially boy burst into my house without on children, which come from asking any type of permission. having contact with a recently See: laisn. dead body. Di pikni di sofa 1 lef v. leave, depart. Ah lef fahn leheeyo. Gi ahn lee waata hoahn fan Ai foateen. I left mek ih kyaam dong. The child is home at the age of fourteen. suffering from ‘leheeyo’. Give lef2 adj. left; position as him some water so he can calm opposed to ‘right’. Dehn mi-di down. fait ahn di bwai juk owt ih lef lekcha v. lecture, chastise, aiy. They were fighting and the reprimand, scold. Wi lekcha di boy poked out his left eye. pikni dehn bot dehn stil noh — adv. left. Goh dong too layn lisn. We reprimand the children, ahn den yu ton lef. Go down two but they still don’t listen. See: lanes and then turn left. chektaiz, rayl op, skoal. — n. lef3 adj. left, remaining. Oanli lecture. Wahn ners mi kohn da wan ting lef fi yu du, den yu ku skool fi gi wahn lekcha pahn goh play. There’s only one thing AIDS. A nurse came to school to left for you to do and then you give a lecture about AIDS. may go play. lekchrishan n. electrician. lefoavaz n. leftovers, as food. lemanayd lemonade; a Di laydi aalwayz mek gud food, carbonated soft drink, locally an ih neva ga no lefoavaz produced and available in a needa. The woman always makes variety of fruit flavours. Red good food, and she never has any lemanayd da mi frayvrit saaf leftovers either. See: skraypinz. jrink. Red lemonade is my leginz n. leggings. Di polees mi favourite soft drink. See: saaf hav aan ih boots an ih leginz, an jrink. ih waid polees bush hat. The len v. lend. Jan neva waahn len policeman had on his boots and mi ih baik kaa ih frayd 213 lenki Kriol tu Inglish lik sohnbadi wahn teef it. John leta n. letter. Wi mi-di wayt fi didn’t want to lend me his bicycle wahn leta fahn mi ma. We were because he was afraid somebody waiting for a letter from my would steal it. mom. lenki adj. lanky. Ih tek ih lang letis n. lettuce. Dehn Bileez lenki fut ahn fling ahn pahn mi. pikni noh laik letis dat moch. He took his long lanky leg and Children in Belize don’t flung it on me. particularly like lettuce. Lent n. Lenten season; said to levl n. level. Luk ahn si how hai be a time when evil spirits are di waata levl deh eena di vat. more active; this is Look and see how high the water compounded during leap level is in the tank. years. Mai ma shee noh laik lib Archaic. Variant: liv. chravl joorin Lent kaa ih frayd libin Variant: livin. ih kech eena aksident. My mom doesn’t do any traveling during lidong v. lie (down) Ah noh laik Lent because she’s afraid she’ll wen yu lidong op pahn mi bed. get into an accident. I don’t like it when you lie down on my bed. lent n. length; a horizontal measurement or chronological lif v. lift. Lif op di bokit aaf a di time. Afta wahn lang lent a grong. Lift the bucket up off the taim hihn jos staat sel owt di ground. See: hais, rayz. ting dehn cheep cheep. After a — n. lift, ride. Gi mi wahn lif long length of time he has just da cherch, noh? Would you give started selling everything me a ride to church? See: jrap, cheaply. raid. les adj. less. Rajrik ga les moni lik v. lick (with tongue) 1) Di lee dahn mee. Roderick has less bwai lik di aiskreem dong tu money than I. notn. The little boy licked the ice cream down to nothing. 2) hit, lesgoh v. let’s go. Lesgoh tek knock, strike. Rabat lik ih lee wahn kwaiyat lee brayk. Let’s fren eena ih bak. Robert hit his go take a quiet little break. See: little friend on his back. See: kungoh. baks, bang, nak, wap. lesn (var: anles) conj. unless. — n. impact. Pipl mi-di ded fi Archaic. Noh goh eena da yaad hongri, an Ai staat a feel di lik lesn yu waahn da daag bait yu. tu. People were dying of hunger, Don’t go in that yard unless you and I started to feel the impact want that dog to bite you. too. lesn1 n. lesson. Di bwai pa mi lik...shot Idiomatic phr. waahn teech ahn wahn lesn fi torture, cause severe pain. chroo. The boy’s father really (Literally: ‘lick my shirt’) wanted to teach him a lesson. Tootayk lik mi shot hoal nait 214 lika Kriol tu Inglish livin laas nait, soh fos ting dis lodged in its foot. maanin, Ah gaahn da dentis. lip n. lip; always specified as My toothache really tortured me bottom lip or top lip. ‘Mowt’ all of last night, so first thing this or ‘lip dehn’ is used when morning I went to the dentist. referring to both lips. See: taacha. batam lip n.phr. bottom lip. lik road Idiomatic phr. get tap lip n.phr. top lip. straight to the point. Stap beet lang lip n.phr. thick, rong di bush ahn lik road. Stop protruding lips. Wen yu ga lang beating around the bush and lip, yu noh fi yooz lat a lipstik. come straight to the point. When you have thick lips, you [Perhaps original reference was to shouldn’t use a lot of lipstick. driving fast to get to where one See: snuk mowt. needed to go.] wan lik n.phr. all at one time, lis n. list. Kehr dis lis da shap at once. Wi noh ga taim fi ahn wayt fi yu chaynj. Take this ways, soh mek wi kehr aal a di list to the shop and wait for your chyaa dehn wan lik. We don’t change. have any time to waste, so let’s lisn v. listen. Yu mos lisn tu yu carry all the chairs at one time. teecha. You should listen to your lika n. liquor, alcoholic teacher. beverage. Di man mi-di faal liv (var: lib) v. live. Mi ma ahn dong op bowt di plays sayk a di mi pa mi liv deh. My mother and lat a lika weh ih mi-di jrink. father lived there. The man was falling all over the liva n. liver. Dakta seh rom di place because he drank so much kuk mi liva. The doctor says that liquor. See: alkahol. rum is pickling my liver. lili n. lily. Wahn lat a lili groa livin (var: libin) n. 1) living, eena di jrayn front a mi hows. livelihood. Di man sel tamaales Lots of lilies grow in the drain in fi mek wahn livin. That man front of my house. sells tamales to make a living. lim n. limb. Di man chap dong 2) lifestyle. Sheela tek op bad di chree lim bai lim. The man livin afta ih hozban lef ahn. felled the tree by chopping off the Sheila resorted to an immoral limbs one by one. lifestyle after her husband left limba adj. limp. Wen dehn pik her. 3) good life. Wen Ah si aal op poa Mis Maadi, ih mi limba a dehn ting, aal Ah ku seh da limba. Miss Maudy was very livin! When I saw all of those limp when they picked her up. things, all I could say is, this is the life! — adj. 1) living. Man limp v. limp. Da haas mi-di limp don taym aal kain a livin ting. kaaz wahn prikl gaan op eena Man has already tamed all kinds ih fut. That horse was limping of living things. 2) alive, living. because of a prickle that was 215 lizad Kriol tu Inglish loki (‘Laiv’ refers to non-humans, loan3 alone. Wi bayg di man fi while ‘alaiv’ and ‘livin’ refer to goh fahn deh ahn lef wi loan. humans.) Da don tweni yaaz We begged the man to go from sins mai ma ded, ahn mai pa stil there and leave us alone. See: livin. It’s already twenty years wan. since my mother died and my loanli adj. lonely. Ah mi feel father is still living. See: alaiv. kain a loanli eena haaspital. In lizad n. lizard. See: bambu hospital, I felt somewhat lonely. chikin, giliwaas, gwaana, loar v. lower. Dehn mek wahn maklala, wishwili. oapnin eena di roof ahn loar di loa adj. 1) low. Dis des tu loa fi man dong. They made an Ah rait pan. It’s difficult for me opening in the roof and lowered to write on this low desk. the man down. 2) short. Mairan kot ih hyaa loa loashan n. lotion. Rob dis loa. Myron cut his hair very loashan pahn di han weh di short. See: shaat. eech yu. Rub some of this lotion loa rayt v.phr. degrade or put on the hand that is itching. . Weh mek yoo mi oneself down loawa adj. lower. Di loawa loa rayt yuself fi lai fi hihn? varanda mi kova wid flod Why did you put yourself down waata. The lower veranda was by lying to please him? covered by the flood. loadid adj. loaded. Di chree da — adv. lower. Sayk a weh ih mi faam mi loadid wid mango. The sik, mi son jrap loawa eena ih mango tree at the farm was klaas dis term. Owing to illness, loaded with mangos. my son ranked lower in his class loagi adj. lethargic, logy. Ah this term. stof miself til Ah feel loagi. I loawis adj. lowest. Maaki geh di over ate to the point of feeling loawis maak eena di klaas. lethargic. Markie got the lowest grade in his loakal adj. local. Wi mi-di luk fi class. di hed a di loakal skool. We logij n. luggage. Mi sista kohn were looking for the head of the fahn Stayts, bot ih logij neva local school. kohn. My sister came from the loan1 n. loan. Ah waahn goh een States, but her luggage didn’t da bank fi wahn loan fi bai come. wahn kaa. I want to go the bank lok n. luck. Noh pen pahn lok fi for a loan to buy a car. mek yu paas yu egzam. Don’t loan2 adj. exclusively, only, depend on luck to get you solely; nothing but, purely. Da through the exam. loan blak mod eena di riva. loki adj. lucky. Mis Maybl oanli There’s nothing but black mud in loki wid di lachri. Miss Mabel is the river. See: pyoa, soaso. unusually lucky in winning the 216 lomba Kriol tu Inglish luk lottery. gaahn play gens Mexico but loki ting phr. luckily, dehn looz. Belize played against fortunately. Loki ting Ah gaan Mexico but they lost. owt deh kaa di baybi mi jrap los v. lust; feel an intense eena di bokit a waata. Luckily, I desire. Ih noh gud fi los aafa went out there because the baby ada pipl waif. It’s not good to had fallen into the bucket of lust after another man’s wife. water. — n. lust. Di Baibl seh los da lomba n. lumber; wood that has wan a di sebm sin dehn. been sawn into squared-off According to the Bible, lust is pieces. Ah kyaahn don fiks mi one of the seven sins. hows, kaaz nohmoh lomba noh lov v. love. Mai onkl oanli lov fi deh. I can’t finish repairs to my hihn waif. My uncle really loves house because lumber is no his wife. See: chek, kay fi, laik. longer available. See: ud. — n. love. Lov noh ga no lonch n. lunch; sandwich or frayvrit. Love has no favourites. other light food. Mi ma noh lov op v.phr. pet (fondle) kuk pahn Satideh, ih oanli mek Enitaim yu si dehn too, dehn di lonch. My mother doesn’t cook lov op. Whenever you see those on Saturday, she only makes two, they are fondling each other. lunch. See: fingl, hoal...op. longaneesa n. local link low v. allow, let, permit. sausage. Goh da di meet shap Archaic. Eena jrai weda dehn ahn geh sohn longaneesa fi mi. oanli low yu wan bokit a waata Go to the meet shop and get some fi di day. During drought they link sausage for me. See: sachiz. only allow one bucket of water longz n. lungs. Maaji shee beta for the day. See: mek. main ih noh geh kyansa eena ih lows n. head louse. (Both sg. & longz sayk a weh ih smoak soh pl.) Di pikni hed mi pak op wid moch. Margie had better be lows. The child’s head was full of careful about lung cancer because lice. she smokes so much. kraab lows n.phr. louse which loos v. 1) loosen. Ah loos fi mi attacks the pubic areas of the shooz laysn ahn tek aaf mi body; often spread through shooz. I loosened my shoe laces sexual contact. Mi hozban hihn and took off my shoes. 2) let go, kohn hoahn wid kraab lows an release, set free, untie. Loos di ih ekspek mee fi sleep wid ahn! daag afta di vizita goh. Let the My husband comes home with dog go when the visitor leaves. crab lice and he expects me to See: legoh. sleep with him! looz v. lose. (Generally used in luk v. look. Di teecha luk pahn regard to abstract items.) Bileez aal a di styoodent dehn weh mi dehdeh. The teacher looked at all 217 lukowt Kriol tu Inglish maaga of the students who were there. front a pipl. You like to look luk dong pahn v.phr. look good in front of people. down upon, despise, scorn. Di luk pahn v.phr. look upon, nayba dehn staat tu luk dong look at. Di teecha ton rong ahn pahn Peeta afta ih kom owt a luk pahn aal a di pikni dehn. jayl. The neighbours started to The teacher turned around and look down on Peter after his looked at all of the children. See: release from prison. wach. luk fa/fi v.phr. 1) look for, lukowt n. lookout, alert. Stay search for. Wi lef gaahn da pahn di lukowt ahn kip wach Bileez fi luk fi wi ma ahn pa. oava mi hows. Stay on the We went to Belize City to look lookout and keep watch over my for our mom and dad. See: saach. house. 2) visit. Laas nait wi gaahn luk luks n. looks. No kay humoch fi Mis Bernis. Last night we went luks shee gat, ih kyaahn win. to visit Miss Bernice. See: hayl, No matter how beautiful she is, gi wahn showt, vizit. she’s not likely to win. luk gud v.phr. 1) look v. Luku maku di carefully. Luk gud ahn yu luku look at. kohn jres noh pus bak fut. Look wahn fain di moni weh yu laas. at my friend coming dressed to Look carefully and you’ll find the the hilt. money that you lost. 2) look good, make a favourable lusho n. a kind of traditional impression. Unu laik luk gud Creole dance. M - m ma n. mother. Di lee bwai ma mi maach v. march. Yu aalwayz si oanli sopraiz wen ih fos staat tu pipl di maach wid kraas pahn taak. The little boy’s mom was Gud Fraideh. You always see very surprised when he first people marching with crosses on started to talk. See: mami, Good Friday. mama, muma. maachin aami aans n. a type of maabl n. marble, small spheres forest ant which moves in used to play a game. (Both sg. columns. Nat eevn wan blayd a & pl.) Di bwai dehn di play graas mi lef afta di maachin maabl oava deh. The boys are aami aans dehn paas chroo di playing marbles over there. yaad. Not even one blade of Maach n. March; third month. grass was left after the marching Wi kip op Baron Blis Day eena army ants passed through the Maach. We celebrate Baron Bliss yard. Day in March. maaga adj. skinny, thin. Sari fi 218 maajareen Kriol tu Inglish maanin maaga daag, maaga daag ton geh di haiyis maak pahn di tes rong ahn bait yu. If you feel weh ih teecha gi laas week. My sorry for a skinny dog, it will turn daughter got the highest grade on around and bite you. (Kriol the test that her teacher gave last proverb similar to the saying in week. 2) mark, scar. Di chap English ‘it will bite the hand that weh ih geh lef wahn maak pan feeds it’.) See: snaipi, tin. ih nek. The cut that he received maaga seezn n.phr. 1) dry, has left a mark on his neck. See: calm, hot season in August. skaar. maakin chred n. Joorin maaga seezn ih noh rayn embroidery thread. Ah yoostu ataal. During the hot season it ga wahn hoal baks a maakin doesn’t rain at all. 2) Dog Days; chred. I used to have a whole box season of hard economic of embroidery thread. times. Afta Krismos da maaga maakit n. market. Di maakit mi seezn kaa nobadi noh ga no deh fer fahn wehpaa Ah mi liv. moni. After Christmas is a hard The market was far from where I time because nobody has any lived. money. [ 219 Maas Kriol tu Inglish madan eni bred tudeh? Good morning, — n. match. Maak ahn Jeni da Miss Mary. Did you make any wahn gud mach. Mark and bread today? Jenny are a good match. Maas n. Mass; religious mach2 n. match. (Both sg. & pl.) service. Faada wahn seh Maas Di pikni dehn staat faiya kaaz da di finaral. Father will dehn mi-di play wid mach. The celebrate Mass at the funeral. children started the fire because maas1 n. mast. Di maas brok they were playing with matches. wen di haad breez bos di sayl. machaka n. species of The mast broke when the hard freshwater trout. wind burst the sail. machet (var: masheet) n. maas2 n. mask. Wi kudn mek machete. Di polees di stap dehn owt di teef kaa ih mi gat aan man weh di waak wid dehn maas. We couldn’t recognize the machet weh noh kova. The thief because he wore a mask. police are stopping men who are maasa n. master; reference to walking around with uncovered the boss or the head of the machetes. house in colonial times. machraas Archaic. Variant: maat n. moth. Az Ah put aan di machris. lait, di maat dehn kohn rong. machris (var: machraas) n. As I turned on the light, the mattress. Mee aks hihn fi wahn moths came around. gud machris an ih kohn kohn gi maata n. mortar; kitchen tool mi wahn oal tayr op wan fi used for grinding foods. Di sleep pan. I asked him for a good man yooz wahn maata fi grain mattress and he gave me an old di kaan. The man used a mortar torn up one to sleep on. to grind the corn. mad blod See: blod. maata stik n. pestle. Yu haftu mada ayz (var: madaz) int. hoal di maata stik karek wen yu exclamation similar to ‘my di beet rais. You have to hold the goodness’. Mada ayz! Da fish pestle correctly when you’re oanli big! My goodness! That beating rice. fish is really big! maav adj. mauve, purple. Ah mada-ahn-laa (var: neva laik wayr maav frak kaa mada-ahn-lee) n. mother-in- ih mek Ah luk laik Ah gwehn law. Fi shee mada-ahn-laa laik da finaral. I never like to wear a faas eena ih pikni dehn bizniz. purple dress because it makes me Her mother-in-law likes to look like I’m going to a funeral. meddle in her children’s business. mach1 v. match, go together. Ah mada-ahn-lee Variant: noh tink da bwai ahn da gyal mada-ahn-laa. mach op ataal. I don’t think that madan adj. modern. Mi poa boy and that girl match up at all. graama kyaahn deel wid aal a 220 madaz Kriol tu Inglish main dehn madan ting dehn. My poor Take your mind off of that man grandmother can’t deal with all of because he’s not coming back. those modern things. — v. 1) mind, look after, take madaz Variant: mada ayz. care of, tend to. Wen wi mi yong, wi yoostu main di hag magazeen n. magazine. Wen Ai ahn di kow dehn. When we were mi-di groa op, wi neva doz ga young, we tended the hogs and magazeen, oanli nyoozpaypa. cows. See: tek kayr a, ten tu. When I was growing up, we 2) be careful. Main di snayk didn’t have magazines, only noh bait yu. Be careful that the newspapers. See: stail buk. snake doesn’t bite you. See: mahagni n. mahogany; a tall kyaaful, tek kayr. tropical tree which is the main baybi v.phr. act as a national tree of Belize. For baby sitter. over 200 years it was mek op...main v.phr. decide, harvested for its valuable make up one’s mind. Ah noh reddish-brown wood. Swietenia noa wai Soashal noh mek op mahogani. Misa Fyaaweda da di dehn main if dehn wahn gi mi man weh mi deh bihain di di pikni. I don’t know why the Bileez pipl dehn fi plaant bak di people at Social Services don’t mahagni chree dehn. Mr. make up their minds if they’re Fairweather is the man who urged going to give me the child or not. the Belizean people to plant See: disaid. mahogany trees again. [The noh main v.phr. never mind. mahogany tree is on the Belize Noh main daalin, yu ma wahn Coat of Arms, with the motto soon kohn bak. Never mind ‘Sub Umbra Florero’ (under its darling, your mom will return shade I flourish)] soon. mai pro.adj. my. Emphatic. Mai pay...main v.phr. pay ma shee da baas a tel stoari! My attention to, heed. Da man noh mom is a master story teller! pay ih pikni no main; ih jos lef See: fi mee. ahn tu di masi a di wol. That maik n. microphone. Di man man doesn’t pay any attention to mi-di taak chroo wahn maik. his child; he just left him to the The man was talking through a mercy of the world. See: stodi. microphone. ga too main Idiomatic phr. be mail n. mile. Wi doz liv bowt double-minded, be of two haaf mail fahn mi ma ahn pa minds, be undecided. hows. We used to live about half (Literally: ‘have two minds’) a mile from my parents’ house. Ah ga too main bowt da hows. main n. mind; a person’s way Wan main di tel mi fi tek it ahn of thinking. Tek yu main aaf a di ada main di tel mi noh bada da man kaa ih noh di kohn bak. wid it. I have two minds about that house. One mind tells me to 221 mainz Kriol tu Inglish maku take the house and the other mind magician thrilled the people with tells me not to bother with it. all of his tricks. mainz pro. mine. Dat da noh fi mak v. mock, ridicule, mimic. yoo buk, dat da mainz. That’s Evriting weh Ah seh, di pikni not your book, it’s mine. See: fi dehn mak mi. The children mock mi wan. everything that I say. See: klong. mait v. might. If yu noh luk, maka paarat n. macaw; large dehn mait teef yu ting dehn. If brightly colored parrot. Ara you’re not careful, they might macao. steal your things. makaroani n. macaroni, pasta maita v. might have, would of any type. Aal mi waif noa fi have. Ah mi-di hoap dat yu kuk da makaroani ahn cheez. maita du wan ahn too lee jab fi The only thing my wife knows mi. I was hoping that you might how to cook is macaroni and have done a few little jobs for me. cheese. See: uda. maklala n. a species of small maitn v. may not, might not. Ah lizard. Also called ‘kak maitn goh da di paati kaa Ah maklala’ (presumably because noh ga no gif. I may not go to the the male has a comb-like tuft) party because I don’t have a gift. Pus laik kech maklala fi eet. Maiya adj. Mayan. Dehn lee Cats like to catch lizards to eat. yong gyal weh da Maiya geh See: lizad. [ 222 makumeh Kriol tu Inglish mami went shopping all day. 2) friend noh kech malayrya. In the rainy (used in a slightly derisive season the Health Department manner) Ah si maku gat aan comes around to spray all of the hai heel tudeh. I see ‘our friend’ swampy areas so that we don’t has on high heels today. catch malaria. makumeh (var: maku) n. malayta n. hunting bag. Onkl relationship term used to refer Jan kip ih bulit dehn eena ih to the godmother of one’s malayta. Uncle John keeps his child, or godmother of one’s bullets in his hunting bag. child; or by extension, a close ma-lehleh (var: mama-lehleh) n. friend. See: komaajreh. a mama’s boy; whiny male. Da makyanik n. mechanic. Di lee man da wahn ma lehleh; ih makyanik chaaj mi hoal a faiv aalwayz di kamplayn. That little honjrid dalaz fi fiks mi kaa. The man is a mama’s boy, he is mechanic charged me all of five always whining. See: waawa. hundred dollars to fix my car. malis v. hold a grudge, Malanti n. another name for the begrudge. Mee ahn Glorya noh village of Gales Point taak fi too weeks kaa shee di Manatee, located in the Belize malis mi. Gloria and I haven’t District on a spit of land spoken for two weeks because jutting into the Southern she’s holding a grudge against Lagoon; an area now part of a me. nature reserve because of the hoal malis v.phr. hold a many manatee (malanti) in the grudge. Greta noh taak tu yu lagoon. rait now kaa shee laik hoal malanti n. manatee; large malis. Greta won’t talk to you hairless mammal which lives right now because she likes to in both salt and fresh water hold a grudge. See: groj. and which can grow to 13 feet [‘malice’] long and weigh over 1000 mam n. ma’am, madam; term pounds. Trichechus manatus. of respect used by some young Dehn malanti sok titi sayhn laik men when addressing older how hyooman baybi sok dehn women. Mam, Ah tel yu dat da ma wan. Manatees nurse in the noh mee gaan eena yu yaad. same way that human babies do. Ma’am, I told you that it wasn’t I See: see kow. who went into your yard. See: malaydi n. very hard wood; mami. shouldn’t be used where it can mama See: ma. get wet. mama-lehleh Variant: malayrya n. malaria. Eena ma-lehleh. rayni taim Helt Dipaatment mami n. 1) ma’am, madam; kohn rong kohn spray aal a term of respect used by some dehn swamp ayrya fi mek wi 223 man Kriol tu Inglish map young men when addressing dehn manij fi get owt. Two men older women. Mek Ah help yu were in the mud, but one of them kehr yu bag, mami. Allow me to managed to get out. See: handl. carry your bag, ma’am. See: manish adj. precocious mam. 2) mama or mommy; (sometimes inappropriately); term used by little children. refers to behavior by a boy. See: mama. Sins da bwai di goh aan soh man n. man. manish, mek ih goh werk. Since — int. Man! Variant: mayn. that boy is behaving as if he’s a man-a-waar n. Frigate bird; grown-up, let him get a job. See: large sea bird. Fregata umanish. magnificens. [‘man-of-war’ manjeh v. eat greedily. Wen di probably because it attacks other man dehn si di lat a food, dehn fish-eating birds] staat tu manjeh. When the men manaz n. manners. Sohn a dehn saw all the food, they started to yong bwai pahn di schreet noh eat greedily. See: hag op, lash ga no manaz. Some of the young dong, nyam, waks aaf, yafl. boys on the street have no [ 224 maraas Kriol tu Inglish matok weh di oal map kaa ih mi-di world. jrap lat a schring pahn di floa. I Masi Maasa n.phr. Merciful threw the old mop away because God. Masi Maasa, hav mersi it was dropping a lot of string on pahn mi soal. Merciful God, the floor. have mercy on my soul. See: maraas n. algae, moss. Di Almaiti. batam a di see mi luk green masiful adj. massive, huge. Mi kaaz a aal a di maraas weh mi aanti sen moni fi mek dehn bil dong deh. The bottom of the sea wahn masiful hows far ahn. My looked green because of all the aunt sent money to have a huge algae that’s down there. house built. marid v. marry, wed. (Eng. past maskita Archaic. Variant: tense form is infinitive form in maskito. Kriol.) Wai yu noh marid da maskito (var: maskita) n. gyal if yu lov ahn? Why don’t mosquito. Laik how rayni weda you marry that girl if you love di kohn, lat a maskito wahn her? See: brok ih nek. — adj. deh. Since the rainy weather is married. Ah tel shee fi stap play coming, there will be lots of wid da marid man. I told her to mosquitos. See: flai, schraika. stop having an affair with that 1 married man. mata n. matter. v.phr. marij n. marriage. Fi dehn noh mata no matter, Noh mata weh yu marij laas lang kaa dehn lov regardless of. goh, Ah wahn fain yu. No matter wan anada bad. Their marriage where you go, I’ll find you. See: has lasted a long time because noh kay. they love each other deeply. 2 — adj. marriage. Datdeh marij mata n. matter (pus) Lat a servis mi lang, lang, lang. That mata ron owt a di bomp pan ih marriage service was very long. fays. Lots of pus ran out of the pimple on his face. See: masheen (var: misheen) n. machine; any gas powered koropshan. mechanical device or vehicle. matilda fut n. matilda foot; a Ah wish Ah mi ga wan a dehn dumpling made of green lee masheen fi kot mi yaad. I plantain or banana and put in wish I had one of those little stews. Grayta di green plaantin machines to cut my yard. mek wi mek sohn matilda fut fi put eena di sehreh. Grate the masheet Variant: machet. green plantain so we can make masi (var: mersi) n. mercy. Da some matilda foot for the fish man noh pay ih pikni no main, stew. See: bail kayk, domplin. ih jos lef ahn tu di masi a di n. Goh bara wol. That man doesn’t pay any matok pickaxe. Misa Jan matok mek Ah dig op attention to his child, he just di grong kaa Ah waahn plaant leaves him to the mercy of the 225 mats Kriol tu Inglish mee sohn sweet pepa. Go borrow Mr. kaaz lang taim ih yoostu ga lat John’s pickaxe so I can dig up the a mayflowa chree. There’s an ground because I want to plant area in Belize City called some sweet peppers. See: pik Mayflower because long ago eks. there were a lot of mayflower mats n. mathematics. Mi son trees there. bring hoahn wahn lat a mats fi mayja adj. major, great in du fi hoamwerk. My son brought importance or rank. Di mayja lots of math to do for homework. ting weh hapm eena mi laif dis See: somz. yaa da dat Ah geh marid. The May n. May. May da wan a di major thing that happened in my hatis mont eena di yaa. May is life this year was that I got one of the hottest months of the married. year. maykop n. make-up. Da gyal May plom n. type of plum. laik put aan tu moch maykop Wom laik deh eena dehn raip pan ih fays. That girl likes to put raip May plom. Worms are on too much make-up. always in over-ripe May plums. mayn1 adj. main, chief, most [Named because they are in important. Di mayn ting weh season during the month of May] rang wid hihn da ih greedinis. maybi adv. maybe, perhaps. The main thing wrong with him is Maybi if yu stodi gud, yu wahn his greediness. paas yu egzam. Maybe if you mayn2 (var: man) int. man. study hard, you will pass your Mayn, ih oanli hat tudeh! Man, exam. it’s hot today! mayd n. maid. Ai noh laik dehn mayr n. mare. Di man raid da chreet mi laik no mayd. I don’t oal mayr til ih jrap. The man like them treating me like a maid. rode that old mare until she See: saavant. dropped. maydn n. virginity, medisn n. medicine. Mi graama maidenhood. Di man foas ihself di get aan eena yaaz now an ih pahn di lee yong gyal, an ih tek kyaahn eevn tek ih medisn bai weh ih maydn. The man forced ihself. My grandmother is getting himself on the young girl and old now and she can’t even take took her virginity. her medicine by herself. mayflowa n. Mayflower; type [frequently this refers to herbal of tree, the wood of which is medicines.] used for paneling and which mee pro. I. (Emphatic 1st person has masses of pink blossoms subjective form of ‘Ah’) Ah don in dry season. Tabebuia rosea. du it, soh mee noh kay weh Dehn ga wahn ayrya da Bileez dehn seh bowt mi. I’ve already Siti weh dehn kaal Mayflowa, done it, so I don’t care what they 226 meel Kriol tu Inglish mejament say about me. See: Ai. 2) me. meet n. meat. Di oanli meet weh (Emphatic 1st person objective mi hozban laik da gaym meet. form of ‘mi’) Di teecha aalwayz The only meat that my husband di pik pahn mee bot da noh mee likes is wild meat. di faas wid hihn. The teacher meet kain n.phr. meat foods. always picks on me, but I wasn’t Weh meet kain deh da maakit? the one who was bothering him. What kind of meat is at the fi mee my. phr. (Emphatic market? possessive) Dat da fi mee man, meet shap n. butcher shop. Ah da noh fi yoo! That’s my man, sen di man da di meet shap fi not yours! bai fish, an ih bring chikin! I fi mee wan phr. mine. Mek wi sent the man to the butcher shop stap aagyu; dis da fi mee wan, to buy fish, and he brought ahn dis da fi yoo wan. Let’s stop chicken! See: bucha. arguing; this is mine, and this is meeta n. meter. Da noh no joak yours. See: mainz. wen dehn tek aaf yu waata meel n. meal. Betsi shee neva meeta midl a di day. It’s no joke did laan fi kuk, soh Ah neva when they turn off your water in geh wahn gud meel eena wahn the middle of the day. lang taim. Betsy didn’t learn to meetn n. meeting. Wi gaahn da cook, so I haven’t had a good di meetn soon soon bot nobadi meal for a long time. See: kukin. neva dehdeh yet. We went to the 1 meen v. intend, mean. Yu meen meeting very early but nobody fi du dat! You meant to do that! was there yet. See: inten. meezlz n. measles. Dehn yoostu 2 meen miserly, stingy. Yu si da gi wi bail kaan waata fi mek di Mis May? Ih meen bad bad meezlz no eech. They used to bad; ih neva gi, ih oanli tek. give us water in which corn had You see Miss May? She’s really been boiled to make the measles stingy. She never gives, she only not itch. takes. See: cheep, geechi, stinji. megij n. maggot. Di gwaava mi meenin n. meaning. Di teecha soh raip dat ih mi ful op a eksplayn di ful meenin a megij. The guava was so ripe that evriting tu wi. The teacher it was full of maggots. explained the full meaning of meja (var: mezha) v. measure. everything to us. Di man dehn kohn fi meja fi si meentaim adv. meantime. Mee how lang fi mek di jrayn. The ahn mi sista di play hapskach; men came to measure to see what meentaim mi breda hihn mi-di length to make the drain. get eena chrobl. My sister and I mejament (var: mezhament) n. were playing hopscotch; in the measurement. Wi gaahn tek meantime my brother was getting mejament fi soa skool in trouble. 227 mek Kriol tu Inglish merdarayshan yoonifaam. We went to have our mi-di play een deh? Why does measurements taken to have our the dinner look so sloppy as if school uniforms made. someone was playing in it? mek v. 1) make. Di teecha mek mek-op adj. phony, made-up. wi rait dong evriting weh ih Mi bwaifren aalwayz kohn wid seh. The teacher made us write sohn mek-op stoari fi tel mi, bot down everything that she said. Ah noh bileev ahn ataal. My 2) allow, permit, let. Mek Ah boyfriend always comes with du weh Ah waahn. Let me do some phony story to tell me, but I what I want. See: low. — conj. don’t believe him at all. so that. Ah put aan wahn sweta memba1 remember. Yoo neva pahn mi baybi mek ih noh kech memba yu oan bertday? You koal. I put a sweater on my baby didn’t remember your own so that he wouldn’t catch cold birthday? See: put bihain yu ayz. fi mek phr. in order to. Fi mek (var: rimemba) unu get unu dina, unu hafu get 2 memba n. member. Ih da-mi eena lain. In order to get your wahn memba a da politikal dinner, you’ll have to get in line. paati. He was a member of that mek fi v.phr. act as if. Ih mek political party. fi wap mi wid di stik, bot dehn hoal ahn bak. He acted as if he memri n. memory. Misa Jaaj ga was going to hit me with the wahn gud memri fi soh oal. Mr. stick, but they held him back. George has a good memory for being so old. mek it v.phr. succeed. If yu waahn mek it eena laif, yu hafu mengo Variant: mango. werk haad. If you want to menshan v. mention. Ih succeed in life, you have to work menshan oava ahn oava weh mi hard. hapm tu ahn. He mentioned over mek op bak v.phr. make up and over what had happened to again. Mee ahn mi gyal mi him. brok, bot wi mek op bak. My merda v. murder. Dehn seh Jan girl and I broke up, but we made merda ih waif jos fi kalek up again. inshoarans. They say that John mek op...bed v.phr. make murdered his wife just to collect one’s bed. Mek op yu bed bifoa insurance. See: kil, slaata. yu goh da skool. Make your bed — n. murder. Di joori fain di before you go to school. man gilti a merda. The jury mek op...fays See: fays. found the man guilty of murder. mek op...main. See: main. merdara n. Da merdara kil mi mekeh-mekeh adj. sloppy; way oanli son. That murderer killed in which food is presented. my only son. How di dina luk soh merdarayshan n. violent fight, mekeh-mekeh laik sohnbadi argument or riot that could 228 meri-goh-rong Kriol tu Inglish mi wahn lead to murder. Di too famili koam ahn. My brothers like to dehn dong di schreet mi-di mess up my hair after I’ve taken kwaaril soh haad dat wi mi tink my time to comb it. See: dat da merdarayshan mi-di goh hambog. aan. The two families down the mesij n. message. Wi ma noh mi street were quarreling so much dehdeh, soh wi lef wahn mesij that we thought that a murder was far ahn. Our mom wasn’t there, taking place. so we left a message for her. meri-goh-rong n. 1) merry-go- mesinja n. messenger. Da bwai round, carrousel. Wen Dayzi di werk az wahn speshal kom aaf a di meri-goh-rong, ih mesinja. That boy works as a mi tonti tonti. When Daisy came special messenger. off of the merry-go-round, she Mesopotaymya n. was very dizzy. 2) carnival rides Mesopotamia; a central area of collectively. Wen Belize City on the south side; meri-goh-rong kohn da tong, wi called ‘Mesop’ for short. laik raid di feris weel. When the [Named in honour of the Belizean carnival comes to town, we like soldiers who fought in that area to ride the Ferris wheel. of the world during WWII] merseeya n. blood pudding or mezha Variant: meja. sausage. Mee laik wen dehn kuk di merseeya wid eg. I like it mezhament Variant: mejament. when they cook the blood mi1 v. past tense marker. Wi mi pudding with eggs. See: gaahn da Beti bertday paati longaneesa, sachiz. laas nait. We went to Betty’s mersi (var: masi) n. mercy. Da birthday party last night. oanli bai Gaad mersi yu stil di mi2 pro. me. (1st person singular) liv tudeh. It’s only by God’s Pleez poas dis leta fi mi. Please mercy that you’re still living mail this letter for me. (1st today. person singular, objective case) ga mersi pahn v.phr. have See: mee. — pro.adj. my. Mi mercy on. Noh beet ahn soh pen jrap eena jrayn. My pen haad, man; ga lee mersi pan dropped in the drain. ahn. Don’t hit him so hard, man; fi mi .phr. my. Dis da fi mi buk. have some mercy on him. See: This is my book. piti, sari. mi wahn v.phr. 1) was going to, mes n. mess. Di baybi mek wahn would have. Mi ma mi wahn big mes pahn di floa wid ih kohn fi Krismos bot ih neva geh dina. The baby made a big mess ih haliday. My mother was going on the floor with his dinner. to come for Christmas but she mes op v.phr. mess up, ruin. didn’t get her vacation. 2) would Mi breda dehn laik mes op mi be. Di prafit dehn seh dat hyaa wen Ah don tek mi taim fi Jeezas mi wahn baan da 229 mi-di Kriol tu Inglish milk Betlihem. The prophets said that sour face, grimace of Jesus would be born in disapproval, scowl. Yu noh Bethlehem. hafu put aan da mikays-mikays mi-di v. past continuous tense. fays jos kaa yu noh laik mi fren. Wen Ah mi-di wash, Ah fain You don’t have to put on that fifti dalaz eena mi hozban sour face just because you don’t pakit. When I was washing, I like my friend. found fifty dollars in my miks v. mix. Yu noh fi miks ail husband’s pocket. See: doz, ahn waata. You are not supposed yoostu. to mix oil and water. midl (var: migl) n. middle. Wi milan n. melon. Di milan weh mi-di sidong pahn wahn rak da Ah jos bai jrap ahn bos! The midl a di riva. We were sitting melon that I just bought fell and on a rock in the middle of the burst! river. miljoo v. mildew. Sayk a chroa mids n. midst. Eena di mids a di wet kloaz dehn eena di kloaz aal a di kanfyoozhan mi ma baaskit, dehn geh miljoo op. shee gaahn jrap dong. In the Because the wet clothes were midst of all the confusion my thrown in the clothes basket, they mother fainted. got mildewed. midwaif n. midwife. Eena milk n. 1) milk. dehnya madan taim, pipl noh kow milk n.phr. pasteurized laik wen midwaif diliva dehn milk. Dehn laydi jrink lat a baybi agen. In these modern kow milk wen dehn pregnant times, people don’t like midwives kaa dehn seh dat mek dehn ga to deliver their babies anymore. lat a bres milk. Ladies drink lots See: grandi. of pasteurized milk when they’re migl Variant: midl. n. middle. pregnant because they say it gives them more breast milk. mikays v. hurry. Goh da maakit ahn mikays, yehr, bikaaz ih don nachral milk n.phr. skim di geh layt. Go to the market and milk. Mee noh laik jrink hurry, because it’s already getting nachral milk kaa ih tays late. See: hori, rosh. waachri. I don’t like skim milk because it taste’s watery. mikays-mikays adj. slapdash, kandens milk/sweet milk slipshod. See: hori-kom-op. n.phr. condensed milk. Sheela n.phr. mikays-mikays han yooz loan kandens milk fi Tek yu grubby hand. sweetn ih tee. Sheila uses only mikays-mikays han owt a mi condensed milk to sweeten her flowa. Take your grubby hands tea. that have been who knows where karnayshan milk/pet milk out of my dough. n.phr. evaporated milk. Ai laik n.phr. mikays-mikays fays mi pet milk eena mi blak tee. I 230 milpa Kriol tu Inglish mischif like pet milk in my black tea. female teachers, or used by (Brand names ‘Carnation’ and itself when addressing a ‘Pet’ have become generic for woman whose name is not evaporated milk.) 2) milk; the known. Mis Mariyan hozban chicle sap. jrap ahn da werk evri day. Miss milpa n. a small farm; a plot of Marianne’s husband drops her at land. See: faam, plantaysh. work every day. [ wan a deez dayz. I wish I could unknown or not remembered. Mis Laydi dong di schreet sel win a million dollars one of these bred evri day. Miss What’s Her days. Name down the street sells bread mini-mini flai n. fruit fly. Sayk every day. a weh wi chro weh lat a froots v. eena di gyaabij, ih haaba lat a mis miss; feel the absence of. Ah oanli mis mi hozban wen ih mini-mini flai. Because we goh weh. I miss my husband very throw lots of fruit in our garbage, much when he goes away. it harbours lots of fruit flies. (var: mista) sal. minista n. minister. Da laydi da misa mister, sir; wahn minista a govament. That used before a man’s name. Misa Maatin ga wahn leeki oal woman is a government minister. doari. Mr. Martin has a leaky old minit n. minute. Fahn di veri dory. minit Ah put fut eena di hows Misa Man n.phr. 1) Mister mi ma staat a wap mi. From the Man; used to refer to someone very minute I set foot in the whose name is unknown or house my mother started to beat not remembered. Misa Man di me. kohn ya Choozdeh. Mister mirakl n. miracle, sign, ‘What’s His Name’ is coming on wonder. Da wahn mirakl how Tuesday. 2) Mister Man; used da baybi neva ded eena di when addressing a child who aksident. It’s a miracle how that is misbehaving. Luk ya, Misa baby didn’t die in the accident. Man, stap dat! Look here, See: wanda. Mister Man, stop that! miro n. mirror. Aan luk eena di misandastandin n. miro fi si if ih hyaa mi fiks gud. misunderstanding. Mee ahn mi Ann looked in the mirror to see if hozban mi ga wahn her hair was fixed nicely. See: misandastandin oava moni. My glaas, lukin glaas. husband and I had a Mis sal. Miss; term of respect misunderstanding over money. used before the name of both mischif n. mischief. Wi kyaahn single and married women or lef dehn pikni bai dehnself kaa 231 mischris Kriol tu Inglish moal dehn wahn get op tu mischif. mista (var: misa) sal. mister, sir. We can’t leave the children by (Respectful term used when themselves because they’ll get addressing a man whose name into mischief. one doesn’t know.) Mista, pleez mischris n. mistress; refers to a luk ya wahn minit, noh? Mister, woman for whom another please look here a minute. woman works. Mai mischris gi mistayk n. mistake, error. Yu mi mi ham ahn mi terki fi mek wahn big mistayk wen yu Krismos. My mistress gave me lef yu doa oapm. You made a big my ham and turkey for mistake when you left your door Christmas. open. miself pro. myself. Mee miself mistaykn adj. mistaken, in noh noa weh Ah wahn du wen error, wrong. Yu mosi taim fi pay mi rent. I myself mistaykn; da noh mee mi deh don’t know what I’m going to do da di daans. You must be when it’s time to pay my rent. mistaken; it wasn’t I who was at mishan n. mission, assignment. the dance. See: rang. Wen dehn finish dehn mishan, mizarabl adj. disagreeable, ill- dehn gaahn bak hoahn. When tempered. Noh bada goh aks da they finished their mission, they man fi mango kaa ih noh wahn went back home. gi yu, kaa hihn tu mizarabl. misheen Archaic. Variant: Don’t bother to ask that man for masheen. mangos because he won’t give you any because he’s too mishineri n. missionary. Bileez disagreeable. See: disagreeyabl, ga dehn oan mishineri weh di krabit, krachiti. goh da ada konchri now. Belize has their own missionaries who moa adj. more. Dayvid gi mi go to other countries now. moa moni, soh now Ah wahn ga inof. David gave me more miskoabi n. love sickness; money, so now I’ll have enough. female version of ‘makoabi’. — adv. more. Mi breda kaa See: makoabi. moa powaful dan mai wan. My misn v. miss; notice the absence brother’s car is more powerful of. Ah di misn mi wach aaf a mi than mine. byooro; sohnbadi mos a teef it. moak v. use something I’m missing my watch from off dishonestly. — n. gimmick. the bureau; somebody must have 1 stolen it. — adj. missing, lost. moal mole. Mayvis mi ga wahn Di bwai pa mi nayli geh bak big moal pan ih noaz, bot dehn hoahn wen ih reeyalaiz dat di tai haas hyaa pan it an ih jrap bwai mi misn. The boy’s dad had aaf. Mavis had a big mole on her almost got back home when he nose, but they tied horse hair on it realized that the boy was missing. and it fell off. 232 moal Kriol tu Inglish moles moal2 n. fontanel; the soft spot wanted bigger ones. on a baby’s head. Noh kehr da moch n. much. Ah noh ga moch baybi owt deh eena di rayn kaa bot Ah stil shayr weh Ah ga. I ih wahn kech koal eena ih moal. don’t have much but I still share Don’t take that baby out in the what I have. — adj. much. Ah cold because he will catch a cold noh ga moch moni bot at lees through his soft spot. Ah chrai luk gud. I don’t have moal jrap n.phr. condition much but at least I try to look when babies become good. — adv. much. Aajri krai dehydrated and the soft-spot soh moch dat ih aiy dehn swel on the top of the head sinks. Di op. Audrey cried so much that midwaif mi yooz eg wait, her eyes swelled up. notmeg ahn bloo fi put op di mod n. mud. Di mod mi deep, baybi moal jrap. The midwife bot wi manij fi get owt. The mud used egg white, nutmeg and was deep, but we managed to get bluing to cause the baby’s soft out. spot to come back up. modi adj. muddy. Wi hafu kraas v. 1) Wi moan fi moan mourn. wahn modi krik. We have to di man ahn den wi beri ahn. We cross a muddy creek. mourned for the man and then we buried him. 2) moan. Sareeta modl n. model. Mi daata waahn moan ahn groan wid payn hoal bee wahn modl wen ih don nait. Sarita moaned and groaned skool. My daughter wants to be a with pain all night. See: gront. model when she finishes school. moanin n. mourning. Di hoal mofla n. muffler. Ah shaym fi famili eena moanin bikaa dehn jraiv mi kaa. Ih mek lat a naiz grampa ded soh sodn. The sayk a di big hoal eena di mofla. whole family is in mourning I’m embarrassed to drive my car. because their grandfather died so It makes a lot of noise because of suddenly. the big hole in the muffler. moas n. most. Owt a aal a di mog n. pitcher. Bring da mog ya bwai dehn eena di klaas, Ah mek Ah ful ahn wid waata. laik Danyel di moas. Out of all Bring that pitcher here so I can the boys in the class, I like Daniel fill it with water. See: jimi jan, the most. — adj. most. Di gyal jog. dehn mi-di aagyu bowt wich moho n. maho; tall tree with wan a dehn mi ga di moas hyaa. pink flowers in February. [The The girls were arguing about bark comes off in a long pliable which of them had the most hair. sheet. In the past it is reported moasli adv. mostly. Dehn that the Mayans used it as a burial schrimps da moasli lee wan; Ai shroud.] mi waahn biga wan. Those moles v. 1) molest. (May have shrimp are mostly small ones; I sexual connotations.) Dehn fain 233 mombl Kriol tu Inglish moni-chaynja owt dat di lee gyal pa mi-di bod laik baal da nait taim. moles ahn. They found out that Magpies like to bawl during the the little girl’s father was night. molesting her. 2) bother. Stap di mongki kyap Variant: baaboon moles di laydi wid yu lat a kyap. kweschan. Stop bothering the mongki spaida n. monkey lady with your many questions. spider. Dehn mongki spaida mombl v. mumble. Di gyal dehn laik klaim pahn pipl waal. mombl sohnting bot Ah neva The monkey spiders like to climb andastan weh ih seh. The girl on people’s walls. mumbled something but I didn’t mongtin n. mountain. Wen wi understand what she said. reech di tap a di mongtin, wi momps n. mumps. Di hoal a kuda mi si di hoal a di siti. Steev jaa mi swel op sayk a When we reached the top of the momps. All of Steve’s jaw was mountain, we could see the entire swollen up because of mumps. city. monch op v. eat. Di bwai mi-di mongtin kow n. mountain cow, monch op pahn di panaades tapir; largest land mammal of dehn. The boy was eating the the American tropics, empanadas. See: eet. weighing up to 600 pounds, Mondeh n. Monday. Mek wi vegetarian and related to the goh da Gaylz Paint Mondeh. horse. Tapirus bairdii. Mongtin Let’s go to Gales Point on kow da Bileez nashanal animal Monday. ahn wan deh da di zoo weh mongki n. spider monkey. evribadi noa weh nayhn Aypril. Ateles geoffroy. Yu aalwayz si The tapir is Belize’s national dehn mongki di heng bai dehn animal and there’s one at the zoo tayl da di zoo. You always see that everybody knows, named spider monkeys hanging by their April. tails at the zoo. mongtin pijin n. mountain mongki rong v.phr. monkey pigeon, the scaled pigeon. around. Stap di mongki rong mongz prep. among, amongst. bifoa yu brok sohnting. Stop Wahn teef mi deh mongz wi monkeying around before you ahn wi neva eevn noa. A thief break something. was there among us and we didn’t mongki aapl n. monkey apple. even know. Moquilea platypus. Ai noh laik moni n. money. Ah waahn goh mongki aapl kaa ih big ahn ga da kee, bot Ah laas mi moni. I lee bit a flesh. I don’t like wanted to go to the cayes, but I monkey apple because it’s big lost my money. with a little bit of flesh. moni-chaynja n. money- mongki bod n. magpie. Mongki changer. Di moni-chaynja dehn 234 monk Kriol tu Inglish mowt di werk op da Korosaal. The used in response to a question. money-changers are working in Yu tink Mama wahn kohn Corozal Town. tudeh? Mos bi. Do you think monk Variant: amonk. Mama will come today? Maybe. mont n. month. Wi gaahn da mosi Auxiliary verb. must be, Mexico ahn wi stay deh bowt must have been. Dehn pipl ya chree monts. We went to Mexico mosi mi-di jrink tu moch wain! and stayed there for about three Those people must have been months. drinking too much wine! moonlait n. moonlight. Di oal mosl n. muscle. Shoa mi yu mosl man an ih waif mi-di injai di mek Ah si if yu schrang. Show moonlait. The old man and his me your muscle so I can see if wife were enjoying the you’re strong. moonlight. mosmilan n. muskmelon, moov v. move. Wi yoostu liv cantaloupe. Ah eet mosmilan dong Yaabra ayra, bot wi noh bot Ah noh laik how ih smel. I laik di ayrya, soh wi moov. We eat muskmelon but I don’t like used to live in the Yarborough the way it smells. area, but we didn’t like it, so we mosn v. must not, mustn’t. Yu moved. — n. move. Di groom mosn brok di laa. You mustn’t rich, soh di gyal noh di mek break the law. See: aatn, noh fi. wahn bad moov ataal. The mostad n. mustard. Ah noh laik groom is rich, so the girl isn’t mostad pahn mi berga kaa ih tu making a bad move at all. sowa. I don’t like mustard on my moovi n. movie. Tideh day di hamburger because it’s too sour. moovi dehn ga tu moch vailens mostash n. mustache. Mi eena dehn. These days movies hozban mostash juk op mi have too much violence in them. mowt enitaim ih kis mi. My See: picha, shoa. husband’s mustache sticks me in moroava conj. moreover, the mouth whenever he kisses furthermore, besides. Mi gadi me. aalwayz rait mi fahn Stayts ahn moto n. motor. Staat di moto fi moroava, ih sen moni fi mi tu. di chrok. Start the truck’s engine. My godmother always writes to motosaikl (var: saikl) n. me from the States, and moreover motorcycle. Dehn bwai laik ron she sends money for me too. See: dehn motosaikl op ahn dong di bisaidz. schreet laik dehn krayzi. Those mos v. should. Yu mos aalwayz boys like to run their motorcycles obay yu grani. You should up and down the street like always obey your grandmother. they’re crazy. See: aatu, fi. mowt n. 1) mouth. Mi breda tel v.phr. mos bi maybe, perhaps; mi fi kip mi mowt shet bowt 235 mowt aagan Kriol tu Inglish mum plat weh hapm. My brother told me mowt waid oapm. The magician to keep my mouth shut about left the children with their mouths what happened. 2) voice. Ah jos wide open with amazement. hafu yehr yu mowt an Ah noa pik...mowt See under: pik. da yoo. I only have to hear your put mowt pahn v.phr. curse, voice and I know it’s you. See: evoke evil upon. Mis Maaji put vais. 3) rim of a glass. Wen di mowt pahn di gyal soh ih man don jrink waata, ih lef lat kyaahn geh pregnant. Miss a baaba rong di mowt a di Margie cursed the girl so she glaas. When the man finished can’t get pregnant. See: kers, drinking water, he left lots of oabya. saliva around the rim of the glass. mowt aagan n. mouth organ; 4) opening. See: doa mowt, harmonica. Wi wahn sing ahn paas mowt, riva mowt, road daans, soh bring yu mowt mowt. aagan. We’re going to sing and chuk mowt v.phr. chat or dance, so bring your harmonica. converse in a relaxed manner. v.phr. Mek wi sidong ahn chuk mowt waata n. drool, saliva, mowt lee bit. Let’s sit down and spit. Mi mowt waata staat tu chat a bit. See: diskoas. ron wen Ah si aal a da food. My mouth started to water when I mash...mowt v.phr. pucker up saw all of that food. See: baaba, to cry. Aal yu hafu du da luk jrool. pahn di baybi an ih don di mash ih mowt fi krai. All you mowti adj. mouthy. Kip kwaiyat have to do is look at the baby and – yu tu mowti. Keep quiet – he puckers up to cry. See: mek you’re too mouthy. op...fays. muchroos n. puffer fish; small mowt aaf v.phr. tell off. Sherli checkered puffer. Sphoeroides shee kohn ya kohn mowt mi aaf testudineus. Wen wi mi smaal wi kaa ih seh mee tek ih moni. yoostu skrach dehn muchroos Shirley came here and told me off beli mek dehn bloa op. When because she said I had taken her we were little we used to scratch money. See: tel aaf. the puffer fishes’ bellies and lang...mowt/mowt aaf/ron make them puff up. aaf...mowt v.phr. mouth off, muks n. concoction. Da weh snitch, talk indiscreetly. kain a muks yu di mek? What Haabat gaahn mowt aaf tu mi kind of concoction are you waif ahn tel ahn seh Ah ga making? sweethaat. Herbert went and mum plat n. thick, loose braid snitched to my wife that I have a or plait. Wai yu put dehn mum girlfriend. plat eena di pikni hed mek ih mowt waid oapm phr. luk laik dehn lee oal laydi? Why amazement, awe. Di majishan do you put those thick braids in lef di pikni dehn wid dehn 236 muma Kriol tu Inglish naasti the child’s hair that make her and cart; a cart pulled by mule. look like a little old lady? See: [This is the way supplies were plat. [Short for ‘muma’ moved around Belize until recent affectionate name for years when the carts were grandmother or older lady in outlawed on the streets of Belize; Kriol.] they are still occasionally seen in muma n. mother. (Not used when some rural villages.] one is addressing one’s own Myool Paak n. Mule Park; area mother.) Fi yoo muma da mai where Regent and Albert ma sista. Your mother is my Streets meet with the Swing mom’s sister. See: ma. Bridge in front of the mushla n. a dessert made of Commercial Centre. [When the boiled ripe plantain, grated Commercial Centre was the fresh ginger, and coconut Central Market, mules used for milk. bringing produce to market were tethered in this area.] musmus n. small river fish. myoozik n. music. Ai mek mi myaa n. mayor. Dehn wahn pikni dehn lisn tu aal kain a soon ga ilekshan fi pik wahn myoozik. I let my children listen nyoo myaa. They’ll soon have to all kinds of music. elections to choose a new mayor. myoozishan n. musician. Mi myool n. mule. Wen Ramzi onkl da-mi wahn gud myool ded, ih mi oava terti yaaz myoozishan; ih play aal kain a oal. When Ramsey’s mule died, it inschrument. My uncle was a was over thirty years old. See: good musician; he played all dongki. kinds of instruments. myool ahn kyaat n.phr. mule N - n na Variant: noh. foolishness. Mi pa hihn mi-di taak loan naansens weh ih mi naa Variant: ner. jronk. My father was talking naadan adj. northern. Wee nothing but nonsense because he gwehn da Naadan Lagoon fi was drunk. See: fool, papisho, haliday. We are going to schupidnis. Northern Lagoon for vacation. naansi stoari See: stoari. naamal adj. normal. Wen di naasi Variant: naasti. baybi baan, ih mi ga kakaiy, bot now ih luk naamal. When naasti (var: naasi) adj. nasty the baby was born, he was cross- (not hygienic), unclean. eyed, but now he looks normal. (Generally refers to people rather than conditions) Mis Mayri naansens n. nonsense, 237 naat Kriol tu Inglish nain-nait naasti kaa ih bloa ih noaz eena grong. My old grandmother told ih han ahn neva bada wash it us that she used to get very bifoa ih staat tu kuk. Miss Mary nervous when she had to pass the is nasty because she blew her cemetery. nose in her hand and didn’t nachral adj. natural. Beti wig mi bother washing it before she luk soh nachral dat ih mi luk started cooking. laik ih oan hyaa. Betty’s wig naat1 n. 1) north. Pipl da di looked so natural that it looked saym weda yu goh naat, sowt, like her own hair. ees ahn wes. People are the same nad v. nod. Di man mi agree wid whether you go north, south, east mi, an ih staat fi nad ih hed. or west. See: ees, wes, sowt. The man agreed with me, and he 2) north wind. Naat di bloa, soh started nodding his head. di weda feel nais. The north nada adj. other. Wi yoostu liv wind is blowing, so the weather pahn di nada said a di schreet. feels nice. We used to live on the other side n.phr. naat jrizl north drizzle. of the street. See: ada, neks, Dehn seh dat da naat jrizl weh tara. wet op fool fool man. They say wahn nada phr. another. Ah that only a foolish person will ga wahn nada pen eena mi bag. walk through a drizzle from the I have another pen in my bag. north. See: jrizl. naida Variant: needa. naat2 num. naught, zero. Wiltan geh wahn big naat pan ih tes naif n. knife. Ah kot aaf di bred paypa. Wilton got a big zero on bak dehn wid da naif kaa ih his test paper. See: aat. shaap shaap. I cut off the bread crusts with that knife because it’s naata n. annatto; a small tree, very sharp. See: daga. the seeds of which are used to make a red dye, and locally to naigong Variant: naitgong. make recado seasoning. Bixa nailon n. nylon. Jooli frak mi orellana. Ivet shee mosi oanli mek owt a nailon. Julie’s dress put lee bit a naata eena ih was made out of nylon. rikaado kaa dehn luk pink wen nain num. nine. (There are dehn shuda luk red. Yvette must many superstitions have only put a little bit of surrounding the number 9.) annatto in her recado because Dehn oal taim pipl bileev dat yu they look pink when they should fi stay eena bed nain dayz afta look red. See: rikaado. yu ga baybi. The old folks naavis (var: nervos) adj. believe that you should stay in nervous. (Older form used for bed for nine days after giving emphasis.) Mi oal grani tel wee birth. shee yoostu geh naavis, naavis nain-nait n. a vigil or wake that wen ih mi hafu paas bering lasts for nine nights after the 238 naint Kriol tu Inglish nak burial of a dead person; family. Potos flavus. See: usually held by people of raakoon. Garifuna and East Indian naitgong (var: naigong) n. descent. Dehn pipl op di nightgown. Brenda bai wahn schreet mi ga nain-nait kaa priti naitgong fi yooz pan ih dehn pa ded. The people up the wedn nait. Brenda bought a street held a wake for nine nights pretty nightgown to use on her because their father died. See: wedding night. See: naiti. set-op, wayk. naiti n. nightie. Di naiti mi kool naint v. massage muscles with fi sleep eena laik how ih shaat. oil, etc. Kohn naint mi fut fi The nightie was cool to sleep in mi. Come massage my foot for because it was short. See: me. [ 239 nak-ahn-stan-op Kriol tu Inglish nat about paying me back the money seh paypa napkin luk tu cheep. that you owe me. See: wori. My mother always used cloth nak hed tugeda Idiomatic phr. napkins at Christmas; she said plan, plot, conspire. (Literally: that paper napkins look too ‘knock heads together’) Wi cheap. nak hed tugeda ahn kom op wid han napkin ton tayblklaat wahn nyoo plan. We put our n.phr. pride that causes one to heads together and came up with forget his roots. Sins dehn shub a new plan. hihn op eena pozishan, ih fagit nak-ahn-stan-op n. shack dat hihn da han napkin ton (rougher than ‘daag sidong’) tayblklaat. Since they put him in Dehn lee pikni liv eena wahn lee a position, he forgot where he lee nak-ahn-stan-op hows rong came from. See: praid. di layn. Those children live in a nargosta n. a tree with very very tiny shack around the lane. strong hard wood, used for See: daag sidong, kuboos. making veneers and furniture. nakin n. knocking sound. Wahn Terminalia amazonia. haad nakin wayk mi op. A loud naro adj. narrow. Di brij mi knocking woke me up. naro, bot wi manij fi geh kraas. nak-mi-bak n. an herbal The bridge was narrow, but we medicine made from the managed to get across. boiled bark of a tree. Sheela nashanal (var: nashnal) adj. bak mi-di hat ahn, soh ih grani national. Ai da wahn memba a gi ahn nak-mi-bak fi jrink. Nashanal Kriol Kongsl. I’m a Sheila’s back was hurting her, so member of the National Kriol her grandmother gave her some Council. herbal medicine to drink. nashnal Variant: nashanal. napkin n. cloth diaper. Laik nat1 neg. not. (Limited usage) Ih how pamperz deh een, wi noh neva bring nat wan singl ting fi hafu wash napkin agen. Since mi fahn Stayts. He didn’t bring a disposable diapers are in, we no single thing for me from the longer have to wash diapers. See: States. daiyapa, pamperz. nat2 v. tangle. Di man bring n.phr. paypa napkin paper wahn baal a schring, bot ih napkin. Ah mi hafu waip mi oanli nat op. The man brought a han wid tailit paypa kaa wi ron ball of string, but it was really owt a paypa napkin. I had to tangled up. See: tangl. wipe my hands with toilet paper — n. knot. Da bwai eena skowt, because we ran out of paper ahn evri yaa ih laan how fi tai napkins. See: servyet. wahn nyoo kain a nat. That boy taybl napkin n.phr. cloth is in the Scouts, and every year he napkin. Mi ma aalwayz yooz learns to tie a new kind of knot. taybl napkin wen Krismos; ih 240 nati Kriol tu Inglish nee nati adj. knotty, kinky; refers to asked the man what was his coarse, short hair, often found name, but he didn’t answer. on Black people. Aal a Sayra naykid v. get naked; disrobe. Di pikni dehn kohn wid nati hed. krayzi man naykid ihself ahn All of Sarah’s children were born waak dong di schreet. The crazy with kinky hair. See: piki, tof. man disrobed and walked down nayba n. neighbour. Di nayba the street. — adj. naked. Di lee dehn aalwayz mi-di taak bowt bwai mi-di ron rong naykid az wat dehn si eena wi hows. The ih baan. The little boy was neighbours always talked about running around as naked as when what they saw in our house. he was born. naybahud n. neighbourhood. nayl v. nail. Haabat nayl op di Mai kozn groa op eena wahn winda dehn wen harikayn mi-di bad naybahud. My cousin grew kohn. Herbert nailed up the up in a bad neighbourhood. windows when a hurricane was naybl n. navel. Wen dehn lee threatening. — n. nail. Oanli too baybi baal plenti, ih mek dehn nail mi-di hoal op di doa. There naybl shub owt. When little were only two nails holding the babies cry a lot, it makes their door. navels push out. nayli adv. nearly, almost. Di spinz-tu-yu-naybl phr. spin- staam mi soh bad, wi mi nayli to-your-navel; a call in the fraitn tu det. The storm was so game of marbles enabling a bad, we were frightened almost to player to play from in front of death. his navel instead of on the nayl-juk n. wound caused by ground. stepping on a nail. Keesha naycha n. nature. Da mai mi-di hap pahn wahn fut kaa ih naycha fi ga wahn tempa. It’s geh nayl-juk. Keisha was my nature to have a temper. hopping on one foot because she kot...naycha v.phr. diminish stepped on a nail. See: juk. one’s potency. Dehn man noh naym Variant: nayhn. v. name. laik jrink tu moch laim joos kaa Afta di baybi baan, dehn naym dehn seh ih wahn kot dehn ahn Jak. After the baby was naycha. Men don’t like to drink born, they named him Jack. too much lime juice because they nayshan n. nation. Di big say that it will diminish their nayshan dehn di mek waar gens potency. See: schrang bak. wan anada. The big nations are nayhn Variant: naym. v. name. making war against each other. Di gyal mi ingayj tu wahn man See: konchri. weh nayhn Jak. The girl was neba Archaic. Variant: neva. engaged to a man named Jack. — n. name. Wi aks di man weh nee n. knee. Kerk get dong pan ih nayhn bot ih neva ansa. We ih nee ahn aks Babzi fi marid tu 241 need Kriol tu Inglish nek ahn. Kirk got down on one knee we were children, we used to tie a and asked Babsy to marry him. piece of string to the dragonfly jrap dong pahn...nee v.phr. and make it fly around while we kneel. See: neel. held the string. need1 v. need. Evri now ahn needn v. need not. Ah needn tel agen, dehn uda mi sen wahn lee yu how mongki kuda falafut. I sohnting wen Ah mi need it. don’t have to tell you how Every now and then, they would monkeys can imitate. send a little something when I neekyap n. kneecap. Wen Jan needed it. See: waahn. — n. mi-di play baal, dehn kik ahn need. Wi shayr op wi moni wid pan ih neekyap. When John was dehn wan weh mi eena need. playing ball, they kicked him in We shared our money with those the kneecap. who were in need. neel v. kneel. Di man neel dong 2 need v. knead. Evri eevnin Mis front a Jeezas ahn aks Ahn fi Jayni shee need bred. Every kyoar ahn. The man knelt in evening Miss Janie kneads dough front of Jesus and asked him to to make bread. heal him. See: jrap dong needa (var: naida) adv. either. If pahn...nee. yu noh help mi, Ah noh wahn nees n. niece. Rayman mi-di geh help yu needa. If you don’t help marid tu ih oan nees ahn neva me, I won’t help you either. — noa. Raymond was getting conj. 1) neither. Needa yoo ner married to his own niece and yu ma neva kohn luk fi mi wen didn’t even know it. Ah mi deh eena haaspital. neet adj. neat. Fi mee son Neither you nor your mother kyaahn eevn mek wahn neet came to visit me when I was in bed. My son can’t even make a the hospital. 2) Ah noh nor. neat bed. — adv. neatly. Maaji waahn unu kehr notn pahn dis aalwayz jres neet. Margie is chrip – no ekschra moni naa always neatly dressed. bag, needa ting fi eet. I don’t want you to carry anything on neeta Variant: andaneet. this trip – no extra money nor bag neg v. nag. Stap neg di man, or things to eat. See: ner. noh? Stop nagging the man, needl n. needle. Needl juk mi won’t you? See: heg. aanti finga wen ih mi-di soa. A — n. nag. Sohntaim hihn da needle stuck my aunt’s finger wahn oal neg kaa ih heg mi aal when she was sewing. day. Sometimes he is an old nag because he pesters me all day. needlkays n. dragonfly. Wen wi da-mi pikni, wi yoostu tai wahn nek n. neck. Da hoofa da chayn pees a schring pahn di rong yu nek? Whose chain is needlkays ahn mek ih flai rong that around your neck? wail wi di hoal di schring. When nek bak n.phr. nape of the 242 neklis Kriol tu Inglish no neck. Wahn bee bait Henjri net, gini sayn net, pers sayn net, rait pan ih nek bak. A bee stung schrimps net, sayn net. Henry right on the nape of his neva (var: neba) adv. 1) never. neck. See: kobij hoal. Ah wahn neva goh bak tu da neklis n. necklace. Veera man agen kaa ih jrink tu moch. hozban bai wahn priti perl I’ll never go back to that man neklis far ahn. Vera’s husband again because he drinks too bought a pretty pearl necklace for much. See: no taim, ‘wen fowl her. ga teeth’. 2) did not. Ah mi-di neks adj. 1) next. Neks yaa wi luk fi mi breda bot Ah neva gwehn da Nyoo Yaak. Next year fain ahn. I was looking for my we’re going to New York. brother but I didn’t find him. 2) other. Wi reech kraas di neks nevyoo n. nephew. Mi nevyoo said a di riva fos. We reached kohn kohn liv wid wi. My the other side of the river first. nephew came to live with us. See: ada, nada, tara. nibl v. nibble. Di rat dehn ner (var: naa) conj. nor. Needa aalwayz di nibl pahn di cheez. mee ner Jan noh gwehn da di The mice are always nibbling on finaral. Neither John nor I are the cheese. going to the funeral. See: nigaraitis n. the stuffed and needa/naida. lazy feeling after eating a large ners (var: nos) n. nurse. Ners, mi meal. Afta di big Krismos dina, beli di hat mi. Nurse, my aal a wi mi ga nigaraitis. After stomach is hurting. the big Christmas dinner, we all nervos (var: naavis) adj. felt stuffed and lazy. nervous. Ah mi feel nervos niglek v. neglect. Jayn niglek ih wentaim fi Ah gi mi speech. I pikni dehn fi goh play kyaad. felt nervous when it was time for Jane neglected her children to go me to give my speech. See: play cards. jichri, jompi. nipl n. nipple. Naama nipl dehn nervz n. nerves. Dis pikni baalin mi bos op weh di baybi sok di geh pahn mi nervz! This dehn soh haad. Norma’s nipples child’s bawling is getting on my were cracked and sore because nerves! the baby sucked them so hard. nes n. nest. Foa lee eg mi eena di See: titi paint. nes. There were four little eggs in nit v. knit. Jaaja nit wahn payr a the nest. booti fi ih baybi. Georgia knit a nesiseri adj. necessary. Aal a da pair of booties for her baby. raylin op weh mi ma du neva no adv. no; the opposite of nesiseri. All of the railing up that ‘yes’. (Pronounced with a long my mom did wasn’t necessary. ‘o’ sound due to common usage – net n. net. See: kyaas net, fishin this is an exception to the Kriol 243 no miks Kriol tu Inglish noh spelling rules.) No, wi neva sun burned. need notn. No, we didn’t need noaz hoal n. nostril. Di baybi anything. noaz hoal mi wel stap op wid — n. no. Jan neva tel mi yes er koal. The baby’s nostrils were no. John didn’t tell me yes or no. stopped up with mucus. — adj. not any. Ah noh ga no noaz naat n. snot, nasal mucus. bred fi eet. I don’t have any Da lee laydi aalwayz di dig owt bread to eat. noaz naat owt a ih noaz. That no miks adv. extremely, to the little lady is always digging maximum extent, very. Di mucus from her nose. See: bubu, pikni dehn mi fraitn no miks koal. wen dehn si di snayk. The noazi adj. nosy. Dat da wahn children were extremely noazi lee laydi. That is a nosy frightened when they saw the little lady. See: intafayrin. snake. See: nohmoh nohmoh. nobadi pro. 1) nobody, no one. no way pro. nowhere, anyplace, Nobadi neva noa weh Ah mi-di anywhere. Sodn-wan owt a no krai fa. Nobody knew why I was way wahn man eena brait brait crying. 2) anybody, anyone. Ah kloaz apyaa. Suddenly, out of neva tel nobadi weh Ah mi-di nowhere a man in bright clothes krai fa. I didn’t tell anyone why I appeared. was crying. noa v. know. Mee noh noa hoo nof (var: inof) adj. 1) enough. shee. I don’t know who she is. (Often duplicated for emphasis v. phr. fan Ah noa miself as ‘nof nof’.) Wi ga nof dina fi far back as I can remember; feed evribadi. We have enough age of awareness. (Literally: dinner to feed everybody. ‘Since I have known myself’) 2) plenty. Da man ga nof moni Fan Ah noa miself Misa Jan ga an ih stil geechi. That man has da lee shap. As far back as I can plenty of money and he’s still remember Mr. John has had that stingy. See: lat, plenti. — adv. little shop. enough. Yu mi don sleep nof noat n. note, short letter. Mayvis now. You have already slept lef wahn noat seh ih gaahn enough now. hoahn. Mavis left a note saying nof fi stoan daag phr. that she went home. abundance, more than enough. noatis v. notice. Wi noatis dat di Dis yaa wi ga nof mango fi man bihain wi mi oanli ga wan stoan daag wid. This year we han. We noticed that the man have more than enough mangos. behind us had only one arm. See: [Idiom: enough to throw at the sait, si. dogs.] noaz n. nose. Karen noaz mi son noh (var: na) neg. not. Ah noh bon op. Karen’s nose was badly noa weh yu di taak bowt. I don’t 244 nohmoh Kriol tu Inglish notmeg know that you’re talking about. played in boledo last night was — int. isn’t that so? Yoo waahn 60. goh hoahn bad, noh? You really nomba too v. defecate. want to go home, isn’t that so? Euphemism. Di lee gyal nomba See: karek, noh chroo, rait. too op ihself. The little girl noh fi v.phr. ought not, should defecated on herself. See: tutu. not, must not. Yu noh fi teef. — n. feces. See: kaka, tutu. You shouldn’t steal. See: aatn, nomba wan v. urinate. mosn, shudn. Euphemism. Teecha, Ah waahn nohmoh adv. anymore, no nomba wan. Teacher, I wish to more. Dehn mi-di luk, bot dehn urinate. See: peepi, pidl, pis, kudn si ahn nohmoh. They were weewi. looking, but they couldn’t see non1 pro. 1) none, any. Ah mi him anymore. See: agen. tink Ah mi ga moni eena mi pos nohmoh nohmoh phr. to the bot Ah neva ga non. I thought maximum extent, to the that I had money in my purse but extreme. Ah lov yu tu nohmoh I didn’t have any. 2) either, nohmoh. I love you with neither. Di too lee bwai dehn everything I have. See: no miks. mi-di bihayv bad bot di teecha nohow adv. anyhow. Yu noh neva ponish non a dehn yet. gwehn no way, nohow, noh kay Both boys were misbehaving but humoch yu krai! You’re not the teacher hasn’t punished either going anywhere, anyhow, no of them yet. matter how much you cry! non2 n. nun. Paaleen gaahn ton nokl n. knuckle. Di teecha beet non kaa Jaaj lef ahn fi wahn di lee bwai pan ih nokl dehn. nada gyal. Pauline went to The teacher hit the little boy on become a nun because George his knuckles. left her for another girl. noklz n. fist. Ah wahn gi yu wan nos nurse. Variant: ners. a dehnya noklz rait eena yu not n. nut. Jeri kudn fain di not mowt. I will punch you in the weh goh lang wid di boalt. Jerry mouth with one of my fists. See: couldn’t find the nut that went fis. along with the bolt. n.phr. noklz dong knuckles notmeg n. nutmeg; tree down; a call in the game of producing an aromatic seed marbles forcing a player to which is grated and used as a spin his marble with his spice. Myristica fragrans. Dehn knuckles in contact with the miks notmeg ahn eg wait fi put ground. pahn dehn oal pipl bak fi nomba n. number. Di nomba schraytn dehn. They mix weh play eena boleedo laas nait nutmeg and egg white to put on da-mi 60. The number that the old people’s backs to 245 notn Kriol tu Inglish oabya-man straighten them. aaf, yafl. [ O - o oabya v. obeah; to put a curse ahn. The girl’s mother worked on. Di laydi seh ih geh soar fut obeah on her daughter’s kaa dehn oabya ahn. The lady boyfriend because he was said that she had sores on her foot unfaithful to her. See: du-soh, because they put a curse on her. guzu, saiyans. [ 246 oabya-uman Kriol tu Inglish oapm oabya-man hows. They say that possessive) Di bwai mi-di taak they found a skeleton of a little sohn bad ting bowt ih oan ma. boy in the obeah-man’s house. The boy was saying bad things oabya-uman n. obeah-woman; about his own mom. one who deals in casting spells oan op (tu) v.phr. own up, and other witchcraft. Dehn seh admit, confess. Di man noa ih dat Mis Kuna da wahn mi gilti, bot ih udn oan op tu it. oabya-uman weh ku du ting fi The man knew he was guilty, but mek yu geh bak yu hozban. he wouldn’t admit it. See: kanfes. They say that Miss Kuma is an oana n. owner. Di oana a di lan obeah-woman who could cast a noh waahn sel ih faam. The spell to make your husband come owner of the land doesn’t want to back to you. See: oabya, wich. sell his farm. oagli (var: woagli) adj. ugly. Da oanli adj. 1) only. Mi pa da di weh Jaki geh da oagli jres oanli wan weh ku ansa datideh fram? Where did Jackie get that kweschan. My dad is the only ugly dress? — n. evil. Gaad noh one who can answer that laik oagli. God doesn’t like evil. question. See: jos, loan, pyoa, See: badnis, eevl, wikidnis. soaso. — adv. 2) extremely, oah int. oh! Oah! Da dat yu quite, very. Di laydi mi oanli meen? Oh! Is that what you beks wen ih si ih son noh obay meant? ahn. The woman was quite angry when she saw that her son didn’t oal adj. old. Mi pa mi hoal a obey her. semti yaaz oal wen ih disaid fi bil wahn hows. My dad was a oanli kaa phr. except. Yu full seventy years old when he hows sayhn laik fi mi oan oanli decided to build a house. kaa mai room dehn lee biga. Your house is just like mine oal waif n. old wife, queen except that my rooms are a little triggerfish; pinkish oval- bigger. See: baar, sep. shaped fish with very rough skin. Balistes vetula. Yu ku fain oanyan n. onion. Mee noh laik lat a oal waif rong fi wee reef. peel oanyan kaa ih mek mi aiy You can find a lot of the fish ron waata. I don’t like to peel called ‘old wife’ around our reef. onions because it makes my eyes water. oan v. own, to possess or hold as personal property. Wi noh oapm (var: oapn) v. open. Di oan nohmoh lan kaa mi breda man oapm di doa ahn mek wi don sel di laas pees. We don’t gaan een. The man opened the own any more land because my door and let us in.— n. open; brother sold the last piece. public knowledge. Aal a yu — adj. own; belonging to seekrit wahn kom owt eena di oneself or itself (used to oapm. All of your secrets will strengthen a preceding come out in the open. — adj. 247 oapn Kriol tu Inglish oavanait open; free from restriction. Ih oavaboad adv. overboard. Eena lisnaz lef wid dehn mowt waid di doari rays, wahn man jrap oapm wid sopraiz. His listeners oavaboad eena di lagoon. were left with their mouths wide During the dory race, one of the open in surprise. men fell overboard in the lagoon. oapm paki adj.phr. open, oavachaaj v. overcharge. Di outspoken, transparent. Shee man da di shap oavachaaj mi fi da reel oapm paki; ih wahn tel di bota. The man at the shop yu bowt yuself. She’s very overcharged me for the butter. outspoken and would tell you oava-chaynj n. too much what she thinks of you. [perhaps change. Ah gaahn bai da Misa from Misk. ‘pataki’ tightly woven Jan shap an ih gi mi oava-chaynj, basket with a lid.] bot Ah kehr it bak. I went to buy oapn Variant: oapm. something at Mr. John’s shop and oapnin n. opening. Dehn mek he gave me too much change, but I wahn oapnin big nof fi wahn took it back. man klaar chroo. They made an oavachroa v. overthrow. Di hed opening big enough for a man to a di aami mi waahn oavachroa crawl through. di govament. The head of the oashan n. ocean. Mi Afrikan army wanted to overthrow the ansestaz mi hafu kraas wahn government. big oashan bifoa dehn get ya. oavadu v. overdo, do to excess. My African ancestors had to Maybl shee aalwayz hafu cross a big ocean before they got oavadu wen shee jres. Mabel here. See: see. always overdoes it when she oat n. oath. Mi ma tek oat seh ih dresses. wahn neva taak tu Mayvis oavafloa v. overflow. Ah poar agen. My mother took an oath een tu moch waata ahn di kop that she would never talk to staat tu oavafloa. I poured in too Mavis again. See: pramis. much water and the cup started to oava prep. over, above, on top overflow. of. Chroa di blankit oava di oavaluk v. working evil by baybi mek ih noh feel koal. looking at a small child to get Throw the blanket over the baby at the parent. Ah noh laik tu so he doesn’t feel cold. — adv. In moch pipl kohn si mi baybi kaa Belize City, crossing the river dehn mait oavaluk ahn ahn gi (over the Swing Bridge) from ahn graipinz. I don’t like too the side where you live to the many people to come see my other side of the city. Ah hafu baby because they might cause goh way oava fi bai sohnting fi evil to come on him and give him mi ma. I have to go way over to cramps. See: bad aiy. the north side of the city to buy oavanait adv. overnight. Pak something for my mother. 248 oavapay Kriol tu Inglish onks aal a yu kloaz laik how yu wahn Yu hafu wach how yu taak tu stay oavanait. Pack all of your Alis shee kaa shee redi fi tek clothes since you’ll stay ofens. You have to watch how overnight. — n. night. Ah you talk to Alice because she’s gaahn da Belmopan an Ah stay always ready to take offense. too oavanait. I went to Belmopan ofishal n. official. Wi meet and stayed for two nights. See: wahn impoatant ofishal fahn di nait. govament. We met an important oavapay v. overpay. Ai don geh official from the government. pay ahn oava pay, soh Ah noh okayzhan n. occasion. need notn. I’ve been paid and Indipendens Day da di overpaid, so I don’t need okayzhan fi selibrayt da Bileez. anything. Independence Day is the occasion oavm n. oven. Di laydi mi to celebrate in Belize. waahn mek bred, bot ih oavm okeschra (var: akeschra) n. neva mi-di werk gud. The orchestra. (oKESchra) Wen woman wanted to make bread, dehn schraik op di okeschra, but her oven wasn’t working evribadi staat tu daans. When properly. See: stoav. they struck up the orchestra, obay v. obey. Yu di du di rait everybody started to dance. ting if yu di obay di laa. You’re okro n. okra; the sticky green doing the right thing if you are pods are used in soups and obeying the law. stews. Abelmoschus esculentus obeedyant adj. obedient. Yu or Hibiscus esculentus. Wan wan mos bee obeedyant tu yu ma okro ful baaskit. One by one, the ahn pa. You should be obedient okra fills the basket. [ 249 oom Kriol tu Inglish owt this and an ounce of that, and she my daughter’s class because a never brings it back. man went in there and frightened oom (var: woom) n. womb, them. See: kamoashan, uterus. Dehn mi hafu tek owt di kweneneh, rokshan, laydi oom kaa ih mi ga kyansa. rugudungz. They had to take out the lady’s opstaat adj. cheeky, womb because she had cancer. disrespectful, impudent, sassy. op adv. up. Ah tel da lee bwai Sayk a opstaat Sharon ma slap noh fi goh op deh! I told that ahn. Sharon’s mother slapped her little boy not to go up there! because she was sassy. [Eng. op tu adv.phr. 1) up to, ‘upstart’ - n. becomes adj. with dependent upon. Ih op tu yoo if slightly different meaning in yoo waahn marid tu hihn. It’s Kriol] up to you if you want to marry op-stap adv. the wrong way on him. — adv.phr. 2) even. a one-way street. Polees stap di Evribadi gaahn da tong, op tu man kaa ih mi-di jraiv op-stap. mi pa. Everybody went to town, The policeman stopped the man even my father. See: an aal, dong because he was driving the wrong tu, eevn, fahn. way on a one-way street. opa han n. upper hand. Wen di opstayz adv. upstairs. Wi kehr bwai geh di opa han, ih win di dehn opstayz da wahn big fait widowt no prablem. When room. We took them upstairs to a the boy got the upper hand, he large room. won the fight without any opstayz hows n.phr. upstairs problem. See: advantij. house; a house built high off ophoal v. uphold, support. the ground or on stilts, in the Elinoa ophoal ih son eena ih traditional Creole style. Misa teefinis kaa ih mek ih kip di Jaymz bil wahn hai opstayz ting weh ih teef. Elinor supports hows in kays harikayn kohn her son in his thievery because ahn waata rayz. Mr. James built she allows him to keep the things a house high off the ground in that he steals. See: sopoat. case a hurricane comes and the flood water rises. opozit n. opposite. Paal du di egzak opozit a weh wi mi owa n. hour. Wi mi soh taiyad, ekspek ahn fi du. Paul did the wi kudn stay op fi eevn wan exact opposite of what we owa. We were so tired, we expected him to do. couldn’t stay up for even an hour. oproal n. commotion, noisy owla Variant: wowla. uproar. Big oproal mi deh eena owt adv. out. Ah neva deh mi lee gyal klaas kaa wahn man hoahn, kaa Ah mi gaan owt. I gaan een deh, gaahn fraitn wasn’t home because I had gone dehn. There was a big uproar in out. — v. 1) extinguish, put 250 owt a tong Kriol tu Inglish paakyupain out. Di faiyaman dehn mi chrai outside of our house. — adv. owt di faiya, bot fi dehn hoaz 2) abroad, overseas. Maagrit bos. The firemen were trying to gwehn goh finish ih stodiz put the fire out, but their hose owtsaid. Margaret is going to burst. 2) turn off. Owt owt di finish her studies abroad. lait bifoa yu goh. Turn off the owtsaid pikni n.phr. light before you go. See: aaf. illegitimate child, bastard. Mi get...owt v.phr. anger, get pa hihn ga foateen a wee, ahn angry or vexed. Noh get mi twelv owtsaid pikni tu. My owt, gyal. Don’t make me angry, father has fourteen of us, and girl. See: geh...beks. twelve illegitimate children too. owt a tong adv. downtown. Ah See: baastad, shalai. hafu goh owt a tong fi bai wahn owtsaida n. outsider. Helin shooz. I have to go downtown to sista dehn luk pan ahn laik buy a pair of shoes. wahn owtsaida kaa dehn da owtsaid adv. 1) outside. Ih mi noh sayhn ma. Helen’s sisters luk laik di hoal tong mi gyada look on her as an outsider owtsaid a wi hows. It looked like because they don’t have the same the whole town had gathered mother. P - p pa n. pa, father. Mai pa werk kohn fi si. I beg your pardon, Sir, haad fi main aal ten a ih pikni but it’s not you I came to see. dehn. My father worked hard to paadna n. partner. Mee ahn mi take care of all ten of his children. paadna brok op sayk a gasip. See: dadi, papa, pupa. My partner and I broke up paa paw. n. Di daag hoal op ih because of gossip. paa fi mek di man shayk ahn. paak v. park. Ah tel di man noh The dog held up its paw so the fi paak da oal bos eena mi yaad. man would shake it. I told the man not to park that old paachrij n. tinamou; a variety bus in my yard. — n. park. Di of Central Am. birds laydi frayd fi sen di lee gyal da resembling the partridge but paak fi play kaa dehn ada pikni related to the ostrich family. laik faas wid ahn. The lady is Tinamidae. Di paachrij da wahn afraid to send the girl to the park kaman bod rong Bileez. The to play because the other children partridge is a common bird in always pick on her. Belize. [Fr. 251 paala Kriol tu Inglish walam paas mowt ih bak. My teacher said that the paarat n. parrot. Mi graama mi porcupine protects itself with all ga wahn lee paarat weh ih teech of the quills that it has on its fi kos owt ih hozban sweethaat. back. My grandmother had a parrot that paala n. parlour, living room. she taught to cuss out her Mel laik lidong op eena mi husband’s mistress. See: maka paala, eevn wen ih noa dat Ah paarat, mangro paarat, paali, noh laik it. Mel likes to lie yalahed paarat. around in my living room, even paarat toa n. pigeon-toe; though he knows that I don’t like physical condition of the feet it. See: haal. turning in when one walks. Ih paali n. a nickname for the waak laik dok kaa ih ga paarat green parrot. Amazonia toa. He walks like a duck because Autumnalis. Az Ah oapm di he’s pigeon-toed. kayj, di paali flai weh. As I paas1 v. 1) pass. Ai wahn paas di opened the cage, the parrot flew daag laik Ai noh frayd. I’m away. going to pass the dog as if I’m not paam1 n. palm; tropical tree or afraid. 2) pass. Joan luk yong shrub from the Palmae family bot ih don paas fifti lang taim. of which there are many Joan looks young but she passed varieties in Belize. Wi geh fifty long ago. sohn paam ahn dekorayt op di paas2 n. past. Shee dehdeh di yaad fi di paati. We got some play dis ahn dat, ahn nobadi branches of palm and decorated noh noa weh eena fi shee paas. the yard for the party. See: She’s there pretending to be this baaskit titai, bay leef and that, and nobody knows paam/boataan, bonga, giv ahn what’s in her past. — adv. past. tek, koakanat/kuknat, kokonoh Di man an ih waif waak rait bwai, kuhoon, kyabij paam, paas di hows. The man and his papta, pimenta/primenta. wife walked right past the house. paam2 v. pawn. Ah kyaahn paas mowt n.phr. entrance to a bileev Hayzl paam owt ih ma minor road or picado, turn-off. wedn ring. I can’t believe that Ton lef da di neks paas mowt. Hazel pawned her mother’s Turn left at the next turn-off. wedding ring. walam paas mowt Idiomatic paapa n. pauper. Blain Aiy phr. 1) long ago. Dehndeh ting Jaymzi di waak rong laik wahn dehdeh fahn walam paas mowt. paapa bowt di plays wid wan Those things have been there han da bak ahn wan da front. since long ago. See: bifoa taim, Blind Jamsie walks around like a lang taim. 2) a remote village pauper with one hand in back and that has come to mean any far one in the front (covering his or distant place. (Also known as private parts.) ‘wakamaayo paas mowt’) Da 252 paascha Kriol tu Inglish pad vilij deh faar – da walam paas — n. partition that separates mowt. That village is very far rooms. Mi pa mek di paataaf away. dehn fi di hows owt a paascha n. pasture. Di faama beevaboad. My father made the kehr owt ih kow dehn evri day partitions for the house out of fi eet graas eena di paascha. Beaverboard. The farmer takes his cows out paati v. party. Az soon az di everyday to eat grass in the bwai geh bak hoahn, ih staat tu pasture. paati. As soon as the boy got paasn noaz n. parson’s nose; back home, he began to party. referring to the anus of a See: bleech, spree. — n. party. chicken. Ah bet yu noh noa Ah mi ga wahn sopraiz bertday weh dehn kaal ‘paasn noaz’ – paati fi mi daata. I had a surprise da di bati paat a di fowl. I bet birthday party for my daughter. you don’t know what they call See: bashment, bram. ‘parson’s nose’ – it’s the anus of pach1 v. patch. Loosi pants mi the chicken. soh tayr op dat ih ma stodi hafu paaspoat n. passport. If yu di pach ahn op. Lucy’s pants waahn chravl owtsaid a di were so torn up that her mother konchri, yu wahn need yu was always having to patch them. paaspoat. If you want to travel — n. patch. Aal a wi mi-di laaf outside of the country, you will aata wi pa wen ih kom owt wid need your passport. di big red pach pan ih pants bati. All of us were laughing at paasta n. pastor. Wi sen di leta our dad when he came out with tu di paasta a di choch. We sent the big red patch on the seat of the letter to the pastor of the his pants. church. pach2 v. parch. Kayla pach di paat v. part, separate. Wahn pepeetos dehn tu lang soh dehn man an ih waif paat sayk a bon op. Kayla parched the rom. A man and his wife pumpkin seeds too long so they separated because of rum. See: burned. — adj. parch. Sohn a di separayt. — n. part, portion. pikni dehn reda di bail kaan Wen mi pupa ded, Ah ekspek fi oava di pach kaan. Some of the geh paat a fi hihn moni. When children prefer the boiled corn my father dies, I expect to get over the parched corn. part of his money. pad1 v. pad. Naama pad op di paataaf v. partition. Mi ma mi bench wid wahn sponj fi mek ih hafu paataaf di room wid sheet noh soh haad fi sidong pan. til wen mi pa kuda mi put op Norma padded the bench with a wahn waal. My mother had to piece of sponge so it wouldn’t be partition the room with sheets so hard to sit on. — n. pad. Gi until my father was able to put up evribadi weh deh da di a wall. See: takayda. 253 pad Kriol tu Inglish pain rij san werkshap wahn raitin pad. grong? Who left this pile of dirty Give everybody who’s at the clothes here on the floor? workshop a writing pad. pail op v.phr. 1) pile up, pad2 n. pod. Wi tek owt di seed amass, accumulate. Mi nayba dehn owt a di pad fi goh plaant hihn kohn pail op wahn hoal lat dehn. We took the seeds out of a oal boad front a mi hows. My the pods so we could plant them. neighbour piled up a big bunch of old boards in front of my house. padl v. paddle, row. Wi yoostu 2) padl di doari fahn way dong di crowd against, cram Di bwai dehn pail op riva fi goh da skool. We used to together. gens wan anada. The boys paddle the dory from all the way crowded against each other. See: down the river to go to school. ramjam, skwinj. 3) fall. Gari pafaam v. perform. Sanjra mi-di raid ih baik pahn schreet pafaam wahn priti sang da di an ih pail op ahn skrayp op ih kansert laas nait. Sandra nee dehn. Gary was riding his performed a pretty song at the bike on the street and he fell and concert last night. scraped up his knees. See: faal pahn (var: pan) prep. 1) on, dong, jrap. upon. Dehn put di kripl man pain n. pineapple; tropical plant pahn wahn schrecha. They put bearing a large edible fruit. the crippled man on a stretcher. Owt a aal a di froots dehn, mi 2) at. Stap di luk pahn mi laik son laik pain di moas. Of all the dat. Stop looking at me like that. fruits, my son likes pineapple the 3) about. Weh yu ga fi seh pahn most. weh wi mi-di taak bowt? What n. do you have to say about what we pain chree pine tree; tropical Sohn pipl yooz pain were talking about? variety. chree fi Krismos chree. Some pahn tap a dat phr. on top of people use pine trees for that, furthermore. Mi nayba Christmas trees. sen ih son fi bara mi hama; ahn pahn tap a dat, ih waahn nayl pain rij n. pine ridge; a area tu. My neighbour sent his son to that is heavily forested with borrow my hammer; and on top pine trees. Wen Ah da-mi wahn of that, he wants nails too. lee gyal, wi mi hafu waak chroo di Matamoros pain rij fi goh da pai n. pie. Wahn lat a di tooris Mulinz Riva. When I was a little dehn weh kohn da Bileez laik girl, we had to walk through the goh da Dits restorant fi kuknat Matamoros pine forest to get to pai. Many of the tourists who the Mullins River. come to Belize like to go to Dits restaurant for coconut pie. pain rij san n. fine grey sand used for fill (considered pail n. pile. Hoo lef dis pail a inferior to sea sand) Wen yu doti kloaz dong ya pahn di ful op yu yaad wid pain rij san, 254 pain rij udpeka Kriol tu Inglish pak bred evri way dosi dosi. When you fill uman smoak paip tu. I didn’t your yard with that fine grey sand know that women smoked pipes from the pine ridge, everywhere too. gets dusty. See: san. paiyaso n. antic, clownish pain rij udpeka n. pine ridge actions. Albert kohn daans op woodpecker. See: udpeka. ahn du lat a paiyaso front a di pain weh v. pine away, yearn. gyal. Albert came dancing up and Wen yu ga makoabi, yu pain did lots of antics in front of the weh fi di persn weh yu lov. girl. See: klong. [Sp. ‘payaso’ a When you’re lovesick, you pine clown] away for the one that you love. paizn v. poison. Ah mi feel bad See: lang. bad bad wen wan a mi fren paint1 v. point, aim, direct. Di drink rat paizn ahn paizn ihself lee bwai paint dong di road fi I really felt bad when one of my shoa mi weh di daag gaan. The friends drank rat poison and little boy pointed down the road poisoned himself. — n. poison. to show me where the dog went. Wi hafu set paizn fi dehn big — n. point; a feature of land chaali prais weh waak bowt protruding into water. Ah eena wi hows. We have to set gaahn way dong da di paint a di poison for the big rats that are ailan. I walked way down to the around our house. point of the island. paiznos adj. poisonous. paint2 n. 1) pint; liquid Taamigaaf da wan a di moas measurement. Di lee bwai paiznos snayk da Bileez. Fer-de- gaahn way da gyas stayshan fi lance is one of the most bai wan paint a koroseen. The poisonous snakes in Belize. little boy went all the way to the pajaama Variant: pijaama. gas station to get just one pint of pak v. pack. Wen yu si mai ma kerosene. 2) pint; soft-drink hafu goh da Malanti, shee pak bottle. Di too man mi-di fait, ih kloaz fahn too dayz bifoa. ahn wan a dehn bos wahn paint When you see my mom has to go kraas di neks man hed. The two to Gales Point, she packs her men were fighting, and one of clothes from two days before. them broke a bottle on the other — n. pack. Dehn ulf aalwayz man’s head. See: batl. chravl eena pak. Wolves always paip n. 1) public water pipe, travel in packs. standpipe. Wen wi mi smaal, wi pak bred n. packaged (store- yoostu lain op da paip fi ful op bought) loaf of bread. Sohn wi bokit. When we were small, uman spail dehn man dat dehn we used to line up at the public noh waahn pak bred nohmoh, water faucet to fill our buckets. oanli Kriol bred. Some women See: stanpaip. 2) pipe; used for spoil their men so much that they smoking. Mee neva noa dat don’t want store-bought bread 255 pakij Kriol tu Inglish panaades anymore, just Creole bread. See: stin. bayka bred. pampas n. porpoise. Pipl yoostu pakij n. package. Ah deh rait ya kaal dalfin pampas. We used to di wayt fi wahn pakij fahn di call the dolphin ‘pampas’. See: poas aafis. I am right here dalfin. waiting for a package from the pamperz n. disposable diaper. post office. Sins Bileez krofi noa bowt pakit v. pocket. — n. pocket. pamperz now, ih luk laik dehn Ah neva waahn ih pakit mi stap yooz klaat daiyapa. Since moni; Ah mi oanli waahn ih tek Belizeans know about pampers ahn owt a mi pakit! I didn’t now, it looks like they’ve stopped want him to pocket my money; I using cloth diapers. See: daiyapa, only wanted him to take it out of napkin. [Brand name ‘Pampers’ my pocket! has become generic for all palis n. palace. Aal a di soalja disposable diapers.] dehn eena di palis mi ga gon. pan1 n. 1) can. Ah need wahn All of the soldiers in the palace pan fi put sohn paynt eena. I had guns. need a pan to put some paint in. palish v. polish. Mis Gladis 2) bed of a truck. Sayk a weh di waahn mee palish ih chyaa man di stan op eena di pan a di dehn chree taim a week. Miss chrok, ih jrap owt wen di chrok Gladys wants me to polish her brayks. Because the man was chairs three times a week. standing in the truck bed, he fell — n. polish. Wilma put soh out when the truck braked. moch palish pahn di floa dat pan2 n. pond. Dadi aalwayz si evribadi mi-di slip dong. Wilma haligeta eena di lee pan front a put so much polish on the floor wi hows. Daddy always sees that everybody was slipping on it. alligators in the little pond in palitishan n. politician. Hyaa di front of our house. sanki Ah waahn sing fi dehn pan3 Variant: pahn. prep. on, teefin palitishan dehn. Hear the upon. (Conditioned variant Sankey hymn that I want to sing generally used before the for those thieving politicians. pronouns ‘ih’ and ‘ahn’ and at paliyesta n. polyester. Kloaz the end of a sentence or clause.) weh mek owt a paliyesta oanli Mi breda gaahn da skool, ahn hat. Clothes made out of pan ih way ih fain wahn dala. polyester make you feel very hot. My brother went to school, and on his way he found a dollar. pampam v. spank lightly; i.e. punishment for a baby. Mami panaades n. empanada, wahn pampam yu if yu toch panades; a folded corn tortilla dat. Mommy will spank you if fried with fish or beans inside. you touch that. See: klap, spenk, Mis Delsi fish panaades tays gud kaa ih noh greesi. Miss 256 panti Kriol tu Inglish papisho Delsy’s fish empanadas taste him, “If you eat all of that, I’ll good because they’re not greasy. beat you, and if you don’t eat it, [ 257 papshat Kriol tu Inglish pasij puppet show] parayd n. parade. (Both sg. and papshat n. firecracker. Rong pl.) Fi wee konchri aalwayz ga Krismos taim da wen yu si aal a parayd pahn Indipendens Day. di pikni dehn di bos papshat. Our country always has parades Around Christmas time is when on Independence Day. you see all the children bursting parij n. porridge. Di laydi pikni firecrackers. dehn beli mi big big big kaaz da papta n. palmetto fan; the leafy oanli kaan parij dehn eet evri head of the palmetto or day. The lady’s children had very primenta palm. Mi ma yoostu big bellies because they ate only mek aal kain a ting wid di corn porridge every day. See: papta leef – hat, baaskit, fan kongkanteh, lab. ahn ada tingz tu. My mother pasabl adj. possible. Ih noh used to make all kinds of things pasabl fi wi jos stay hoahn kaa from the palmetto leaves – hats, aal a wi hafu werk. It’s not baskets, fans and other things too. possible for us to just stay home See: pimenta. [Misk. ‘papta’] because we all have to work. parabl n. parable; words with pasam n. opossum; there are 8 hidden meaning. Stap di taak species in Belize. Di daag tu mi eena parablz ahn kom chays di pasam owt a di fowl owt playn ahn tel mi weh yu kub, ahn di pasam ron op eena waahn tel mi. Stop talking to me di chree. The dog chased the in parables and come out and tell opossum out of the chicken coop, me plainly what you want to tell and it ran up into the tree. me. foa-aiy pasam n.phr. 1) four- paralaiz adj. paralyzed. Mi eyed opossum. Philander kozn geh paralaiz sayk a wahn opossum. 2) slang term for one bad aksident. My cousin was who wears glasses. Mi son noh paralyzed because of a bad laik wayr ih glaasiz da skool accident. kaa di neks pikni dehn teez ahn foa-aiy pasam. My son doesn’t parambl n. unnecessary like to wear his glasses to school rigmarole. Di prinsipal sen wi because the other children tease chroo wahn lat a parambl bifoa him about looking like a four- ih sain di paypa. The principal eyed opossum. ran us through one big rigmarole before he signed the paper. pasij n. 1) passage, place, Ah neva geh parandyaa v. spree, binge; accommodation. spend money excessively or no pasij pahn di boat fi goh da kee. I didn’t get a place on the wastefully. Govament shuda boat to go to the cayes. stap di parandyaa wid wi moni. 2) Government should stop passage, portion, or section Karolin spending our money wastefully. of written material. kapi owt di hoal pasij owt a di [ 260 peelhed Kriol tu Inglish peewom shayv. 2) abrade, scrape, skin. peepi kaa ih peepi op di bed Lee bwai aalwayz di peel op fi evri nait. Fred smells like urine dehn nee. Little boys are always because he wets the bed every scraping their knees. See: skrayp. night. See: nomba wan, pidl, pis, 3) peel; remove skin from fruit weewi. or the husk from corn. Peel peepl Variant: pipl. dehn kaan fi mi mek Ah bail peeryad n. menstrual period. dehn. Husk the corn for me so I Dehn oal pipl neva doz tel dehn can boil them. yong gyal bowt dehn peeryad. peelhed n. baldhead. Dehn gyal Old people never used to tell seh dehn laik man wid peelhed. young girls about their monthly Those girls say they like period. baldheaded men. See: baalhed. pees1 n. 1) piece, portion. Ma, peelin n. peel of an orange. Di Jani oanli gi mi wahn lee lee ail owt a areenj peelin aalwayz pees a sweet. Mom, Johnny only bon yu aiy. The oil out of an gave me a very small piece of orange peel always burns your candy. — n. 2) a piece of land eye. See: skin. or a field. Ah ga wahn pees a peel-nek fowl n. bare-necked lan da Laadz Bank. I have a fowl. Ih schraynj how dehn piece of land in Lord’s Bank. peel-nek fowl noh ga no feda pees2 n. peace. Wen mi pa si di pahn dehn nek. It’s strange how too man di fait, ih chrai mek those bare-necked chickens don’t pees bitween dehn. When my have any feathers on their necks. father saw the two men fighting, peel-nek jranko n. bare-necked he tried to make peace between vulture. See: jranko. them. peeniwali n. firefly. Dehn peesful adj. peaceful. Wi hoap peeniwali luk priti wen dehn di pipl weh liv eena da konchri lait op da nait. Fireflies look da peesful pipl. We hope the pretty when they light up at night. people who live in that country See: nait bog, peewom. are peaceful people. peenots n. peanut. (Both sg. & peesiz n. pieces, portions. Dehn pl.) Goh bai wahn bag a peenots kot op di lan eena lat a peesiz. fahn di kyaat fi mi. Go buy a They cut up the land in many bag of peanuts from the cart for pieces. me. See: pinda. peewee n. pointed wood and peepi v. urinate. Dehn stap pahn metal bar for turning logs and di road kaa di lee bwai mi poles. Di lagwud kotaz yoostu waahn peepi. They stopped yooz di peewee fi ton di lag. The along the road because the little logwood cutters used to use the boy wanted to urinate. bar to turn the logs. — n. urine. Fred hihn stink a peewom n. firefly. Da nait taim 261 peez Kriol tu Inglish pepeetos eena di vilij yu ku si di peewom rely on. Yu ku pen pahn mee fi dehn lait op aal oava di plays. gi yu di nyooz evri day. You can At night in the village the fireflies depend on me to give you the light up all over the place. See: news every day. See: chros. nait bog, peeniwali. pen2 n. pen, writing instrument. peez n. peas. (Both sg. & pl.) Di Mi pen di kaal mi fi rait bowt Jumaykan dehn noh seh rais dat. My pen is calling me to write ahn beenz; dehn seh rais ahn about that. peez. Jamaicans don’t say ‘rice pen3 n. pen; enclosure for and beans’; they say ‘rice and domestic animals or fowl. peas’. Chroa di kyabij eena di pig peg owt v. die. Euphemism. Di pen. Throw the cabbage in the man mi yong bot sodn-wahn ih pig pen. See: ron. peg owt. The man was young but pen op v.phr. pen. Tel yu suddenly he died. See: ded, kik breda fi pen op di chikin dehn. di bokit. Tell your brother to pen up the peheh n. unimportant matters or chickens. concerns. Noh bada mi wid dat pendapan Variant: penpan. – da loan peheh. Don’t bother penpan (var: pendapan) n. me with that – those are just dependable friend. Ai ku aks di unimportant things. gyal fi du eniting kaa shee da pekeh yekeh adj. skin- mi lee penpan. I can ask the girl blemished, pimply. Gwaahn to do anything because she’s my fahn ya wid yu pekeh yekeh dependable friend. fays. Get away from here with pensl n. pencil. Di pensl paint your pimply face. See: bompi. brok. The pencil point broke. pekish adv. slightly hungry. See: led. Wen Ah smel aal dehn nais pepa n. pepper. Di lee bwai rob food, Ah geh pekish. When I hat pepa eena ih breda aiy. The smelled all that appetizing food, I little boy rubbed hot peppers in got kind of hungry. See: hongri. his brother’s eyes. — v. pepper, pelenkeh Variant: pilinki. cause trouble. Mi grani yoostu pemperem (var: prempereh) n. seh, “Di sayhn ting weh sweet dilapidated vehicle, jalopy. yu wahn pepa yu.” My granny Mee dehdeh aal jres op no pus used to say, “The same thing that bak fut, ahn hihn kohn pik mi you are enjoying right now will op eena wahn oal pemperem. I pepper you with trouble later.” was all dressed up in my nicest pepeetos n. pumpkin (squash) clothes when he came to pick me seeds. Dehn seh fi get oava up in a junky old car. See: bokit. makoabi yu hafu eet pepeetos pen1 ahn jrink kinel waata. It is said pen pahn v.phr. depend on, that if you want to get over a 262 per Kriol tu Inglish pes heartbreak, you should eat it was an accident, but he did all pumpkin seeds and drink water those things on purpose. from the canal. See: makoabi pers Variant: pos. seed. pers sayn net n. purse seine per n. spur; the protruding net; a large fishing net that can buttress shapes at the base of be closed like a purse. Weh di the mahogany tree trunk, used pers sayn net ku shet op laik to make large round flat pos, dehn ku kech lat a fish een bowls. deh. Because the purse seine net perfek adj. perfect. Wen Ah aks can be closed like a purse, many di kweschan, mi son kom op fish can be caught in it. See: gini wid di perfek ansa. When I sayn net, sayn net. asked the question, my son came persn n. person. Hihn da noh di up with the perfect answer. sayhn persn weh kohn ya laas perfyoom n. perfume. Di laydi nait. He’s not the same person mi-di sel wahn ekspensiv batl a who came here last night. perfyoom. The lady was selling persnal adj. 1) personal. Pipl an expensive bottle of perfume. laik aks yu sohn persnal ting perj v. purge. Az skool shet, mi laik humoch moni yu mek. ma shee doz perj owt aal a wi. People like to ask personal things When school ended, my mother like how much money you make. use to purge all of us. 2) forward, presumptuous. — n. purge. Hari laik goh aan persnal wen perka-dat n. polka-dot. Mayzi ih kohn da yu hows laik hihn liv kohn da di paati eena wahn deh. Harry likes to act in a brait red ahn wait perka-dat forward manner whenever he jres. Mazie came to the party in a comes to your house as if he lives bright red and white polka-dot there. See: stepish. 3) snobbish. dress. Ah noh noa wai Sanjra shee di goh aan soh persnal laik shee perl n. pearl. Dehn fain perl beta dan wee. I don’t know why eena konks tu, yu noa. They find Sandra acts so snobbish as if pearls in conch too, you know. she’s better than us. permishan n. permission. Di persnali adv. personally. yong gyal ron weh gaahn da Persnali, Ai reda wahn kaa tu daans kaa ih ma neva waahn gi motosaikl. Personally, I’d rather ahn permishan fi goh. The have a car than a motorcycle. young girl ran away to the dance because her mother didn’t want to pes n. pest, nuisance. Ah wish give her permission to go. yu uda get fahn rong mi kaa yu da wahn reel pes! I wish you perpos n. purpose. Ih seh da mi would get away from around me wahn aksident, bot ih du aal a because you are a real pest! dehn ting pahn perpos. He said 263 pet Kriol tu Inglish pijin pet n. 1) pet. Bileez pipl ga daag Di gyal noh marid, soh ih fi pet bot dehn noh kip dehn waahn pich weh di baybi. The eena di hows. Belizeans have woman was not married, so she dogs for pets, but they don’t keep wants to abort the baby. See: them in the house. 2) pet; term chro weh, dash weh. of endearment. Kohn ya, Pet, pich2 v. land, alight. Di bod mek Ah rob yu hed fi yu. Come dehn pich pahn di chree. The here, Pet, let me rub your head birds landed on the tree. See: lan. for you. picha1 n. pitcher; one who v.phr. pet op take special care throws a ball in a game. Wee Ah di pet op dis playt kaa of. ga wahn gud picha pahn fi wee da mi grayt grani gi mi it an Ah teem kaa hihn owt dehn man noh waahn ih brok. I take wan afta di neks. We have a special care of this plate because good pitcher on our team because it came from my great he strikes out the players one grandmother and I don’t want it after another. to get broken. picha2 n. 1) picture. Wen mi n. Tek fi yoo big peteh big feet. bwaifren mi gwehn weh, ih gi peteh aaf a di lee bwai bak. mi wahn picha a ihself fi mek Take your big feet off of the little Ah memba ahn bai. When my boy’s back. boyfriend was going away, he piblan n. mosquito net. Mi oal gave me a picture of himself to aanti stil yooz wahn piblan fi remember him by. 2) movie. kip weh di maskito dehn. My Wen yu faal dong eena di mod old auntie still uses a mosquito owt deh, da jos laik yu mi-di ak net to keep the mosquitos off. picha. When you fell down in the [>Sp. ‘pabellon’ pavilion, mud out there, it was just like you canopy] were acting in a movie. See: pich1 v. throw, toss, hurl, pitch. moovi, shoa. Pich weh da oal chyaa fahn owt pidl v. urinate. Dehn oal pipl ya. Throw away that old chair yoostu seh dehn waahn pidl fi from here. See: chaans, chok, wen dehn waahn peepi. The old chroa, dash, faiya, fling, hib, people used to say that they stoan. — n. pitch. Datdeh man wanted to piddle when they ga wahn gud pich wen ih di wanted to urinate. See: nomba play baal. That man has a good wan, peepi, pis, weewi. pitch when he plays ball. pijaama (var: pajaama) n. pich een v.phr. pitch in, help. pajama. Lat a pikni di wayr Unu hafu pich een if unu waahn pijaama laik how ih soh koal. geh di werk don kwik. You have Many children wear pajamas, to pitch in if you want to get the since it’s so cold. work done quickly. See: help. pijin n. pigeon. Columbidae. pich weh v.phr. abort a child. Dehn pijin weh flai bowt eena 264 pik Kriol tu Inglish pili di siti ku gi yu dizeez. The bwai smel laik pikayri kaa ih pigeons that fly around in the city noh laik bayd. The boy smells could give you diseases. See: like a peccary because he doesn’t dov, grong dov. like to bathe. See: waari. pik1 v. 1) pick, choose. Mi ma pikayri bod n. barred antshrike. pik bred pudn oava pitayta Thamnophilus doliatus. pong. My mother chose bread piki adj. very short, thick, kinky pudding over potato pudding. hair. Da gyal hed soh piki ih 2) pluck. Yu hafu pik di chikin kyaahn eevn groa. That girl’s afta yu don chap aaf ih hed. hair is so short and kinky that it You have to pluck the chicken won’t even grow. See: nati, tof. after you’ve chopped off its head. pikinz n. 1) crumbs, droppings. v.phr. Pik een pik een bring in. Kleen op aal dehn pikinz fahn di kloaz aaf a di lain fi mi. Bring aaf a di grong. Clean up all of the clothes in off the line for me. the crumbs from the ground. See: pik...mowt Idiomatic phr. trap kromz. 2) outer shell on rice, with one’s own words. hulls. Mis Hayzl neva pik ih (Literally: ‘pick...mouth’) Di rais gud bifoa ih kuk it kaa ih polees ares di man ahn dehn mi ga lat a pikinz een deh. Miss staat tu krayzi ahn wid aal kain Hazel didn’t pick her rice well a kweschan fi chrai pik ih before she cooked it because it mowt. The police arrested the has lots of hulls in it. 3) a type of man and then they started to card game. besiege him with all kinds of questions to trap him with his pikipiki adj. picky, choosy. Mi own words. See: chrap. sista noh ga no man kaa ih tu 2 pikipiki. My sister doesn’t have a pik v. to bite; as in fishing. Da man because she’s too picky. mosi wahn big fish pik mi lain. That must have been a big fish pikni n. child. Lef di pikni loan, that bit my line. [ 266 pis hows Kriol tu Inglish plaantin sheet oanli stink a pis. The sheet mersi. really smells like urine. See: tek piti pahn v.phr. take pity nomba wan, peepi, pidl, weewi. on. Di joj tek piti pahn di man pis hows n. holding cell at the kaa ih noa ahn. The judge took police station. Dehn bwai dehn pity on the man because he knew lak dong da pis hows. Those him. See: mersi, sari. boys are locked up in the city jail. pitipat n. a type of card game. See: lakdong. Ah gwehn play wahn lee fai pis-a-bed1 n. a shrub with sehn dong pitipat gaym. I’m yellow flowers: a tea made going to put five cents down to from the flowers is the play a game of pitipat. traditional remedy for urinary pitpan n. wide-bottomed, tract infections (hence the square-ended dug-out canoe name), and kidney and liver without keel; used mainly for conditions; the juice from the river travel and racing. It can leaf is used to treat skin carry up to 30 people and in conditions. Senna alata. Ah the early days it was the main gwehn bail op wahn lee bit a means of river transportation. pis-a-bed fi di payn weh Ah gat Ah di luk faawad fi di naint a eena mi bak. I’m going to boil Maach fi di pitpan rays. I am up some of those piss-a-bed looking forward to the ninth of flowers for the pain I have in my March for the canoe race. See: back. [ 269 plik Kriol tu Inglish poal plik (var: plektos) adj. mad, empty her chamber pot in the crazy. Aivan mosi gaahn plik middle of the night. See: kaa aal ih du aal day da stan op chemba, chimi. pahn schreet ahn luk op eena di poach n. porch. Aal weh Betsi skai. Ivan must have gone mad ahn Haatens du aal day da because all he does is stand in the sidong pahn dehn poach ahn street and stare into the sky. See: shush bowt pipl. Betsy and krayzi, krek. Hortense do nothing but sit on plog n. section of an orange or their porch all day and talk about grapefruit. Sayv wahn plog a di people. See: varanda. hareenj fi mi. Save a section of poada Variant: powda. the orange for me. — v. section. poajoa n. green heron. Butorides Kohn mek Ah plog di hareenj fi virescens. [ 270 poali Kriol tu Inglish poblish long pole. poastij n. postage. Ah need poali adv. poorly. Mi onkl di du shilin moa fi mek op di poastij poali kaa ih fut di ak op agen. pahn di pakij. I need twenty-five My uncle is doing poorly because cents more to make up the his leg is acting up again. postage on the package. poalkyat n. polecat, skunk; poat n. port. Mi breda ga moslz small mammal, known for its kaa ih load ting pahn di ship bad smell. Conepatus dehn da poat. My brother has semistriatus. Goh goh bayd kaa muscles because he loads ships at yu aam smel laik poalkyat. Go the port. bathe yourself because you smell Poat Laiyoala n. Port Loyola; like a skunk. southwestern area of Belize poar v. pour. Di gyal ma aks ahn City. Wahn big harikayn mi fi poar di waata. The girl’s mom brok op Poat Laiyoala eena asked her to pour the water. 1931. A big hurricane broke up Port Loyola in 1931. poar a blod See: blod. poatifai Variant: poatingfaid. poas1 n. post. Rong ilekshan taim yu uda tink lamp poas poatingfaid (var: poatifai) adj. kuda voat. Around election time pitiful, woeful. Kalvin hihn you would think that lamp posts kohn luk pahn mi wid ih could vote (because every post poatingfaid fays fi mek Ah sari has a campaign poster) far ahn ahn noh beet ahn. Calvin came with his woeful face poas2 v. post, mail, send. Ah to make me feel sorry for him and wahn poas wahn leta tu mi sista not beat him. da Stayts. I’ll send a letter to my sister in the States. See: sen. poawet n. poet. Raymond Barrow da wahn faymos poas aafis n. post office. Laik poawet da Bileez. Raymond how wahn poas aafis deh eena Barrow is a famous poet in di ayrya, wi noh hafu goh faar Belize. fi poas leta nohmoh. Because there’s now a post office in our poblik n. public. Dehn aalwayz area, we don’t have to go far to invait di poblik fi goh da di siti mail letters anymore. kongsl meetn dehn da tong haal. They always invite the poasbaks n. mailbox. Laas taim public to go to the city council Ah chek, di poasbaks mi emti. meetings at town hall. — adj. Last time I checked, the mailbox public. Dehn put di man pahn was empty. poblik chraiyal. They put the poasman n. mailman, postman. man on a public trial. Mi daag hihn mek wahn hoal poblish v. publish. Yu noa if lat a naiz wen di poasman dehn stil di poblish di kohn. My dog makes a lot of Govament Gazet? Do you know noise when the postman comes. 271 pogatori Kriol tu Inglish pongkin if they still publish the chroa han, dash han, jrap too Government Gazette? han pahn. pogatori n. purgatory. Sohn pipl pong1 n. 1) pound; laik tel dehn pikni dat dehn measurement of weight. Wen gwain da pogatori if dehn tel Chaali goh lif wayt, ih lif too stoari. Some people like to tell honjrid pong! When Charlie their children that they will go to went to lift weights, he lifted two purgatory if they tell lies. hundred pounds! 2) pone; pokeeno n. type of card game. pudding-like dessert. See: Di oanli kyaad gaym wi noa fi pitayta pong. play da pokeeno. The only card pong2 v. pound, beat, punish. game we know how to play is Wan taim dehn yoostu pong di ‘pokeeno’. rais eena di maata fi tek aaf di pokono bwai Variant: kokono shel. At one time they used to bwai. pound the rice in the mortar to take off the shell. See: beet, polees n. policeman, police. Di fis...op. polees mi figet dat ih mi ga ih gon. The policeman forgot that he Pong Yaad n. Pound Yard; area had his gun. See: babilan. of Belize City where Cemetery Road crosses Collet politikal adj. political. Di yong Canal. Name is derived from man dehn da-mi membaz a the fact that stray animals used wahn politikal paati. The young to be impounded there. men were members of a political party. pongcha v. puncture. Ah ron oava wahn nayl ahn pongcha pombl stoan n. pumice stone. mi weel. I ran over a nail and Wi yooz di pombl stoan fi skrob punctured my tyre. — n. aaf ded skin fahn wi fut batam, puncture, flat tyre. Ah neva ahn fi skrob pat tu. We use noa mi baik mi ga wahn pumice stone to scrub dead skin pongcha. I didn’t know that my off of the bottom of our feet, and bike had a puncture. also to scrub pots. pongkin n. pumpkin, squash. pomp v. pump. Ah mi layt kaa Mee neva noa seh di seed owt a Ah mi hafu pomp op di taiya. I pongkin da di sayhn ting weh was late because I had to pump wee kaal pepeetos. I didn’t know up the tire. — n. pump. Wi that the seed out of pumpkins is kudn geh waata kaa di pomp the same thing that we call mi brok. We couldn’t get water pepitos. See: skwash. because the pump was broken. ponch v. punch. Jeri ponch di man wan taim ahn di fait mi don. Jerry punched the man once and the fight was over. See: 272 ponish Kriol tu Inglish powda schoo pongkin n.phr. stewed used to smoke a large cigar to pumpkin. Ah laik schoo cast spells on people. See: sigaa. pongkin wen di sorop tik. I like popi n. puppy. Di popi mi eet stewed pumpkin when the syrup sohn a di kromz weh jrap fahn is thick. di pikni playt. The puppy ate ponish v. 1) suffer. Misa Peetaz some of the crumbs that fell from seh ih ponish wen ih noh ga the child’s plate. akaadyan wid ahn. Mr. Peters popi fut n.phr. roaming says he suffers when he doesn’t tendencies. Dehn yong gyal ga have his accordian with him. See: popi fut ahn neva deh hoahn. sofa. 2) punish. (Not Those young girls have roaming necessarily physical when tendencies and are never home. applied to children.) If yu noh See: waak bowt. du weh yu pa tel yu, ih wahn pos (var: pers) n. purse. Di teef ponish yu. If you don’t do what ron wid mi pos, ahn aal mi your dad tells you, he will punish moni mi een deh. The thief ran you. away with my purse, and all my ponishin adj. arduous, money was inside. uncomfortable. Di weda mi soh potayto Variant: pitayta. bad, di boat raid mi oanli potayto pong Variant: pitayta ponishin. The weather was so pong. bad, the boat ride was very uncomfortable. potikla adj. particular. Da laydi oanli potikla bowt ih hows; ih ponishment n. punishment. See: noh laik nobadi goh een deh. lashin, tayrin, wapin. That lady is very particular about phr. anda ponishment her house; she doesn’t like grounded. Mi pa ga mi anda anyone to go in. — v. ponishment soh ih neva mek Ah particularly care for, gaahn da di paati. My father had particularly want. Ah noh grounded me so he didn’t allow potikla fi hihn kohn da mi me to go to the party. See: anda hows. I don’t particularly care for rischrikshan. him coming to my house. ponk n. male homosexual. Di powa n. power. Da lee kaa ga too bwai dehn da ponk ahn wahn lat a powa. That little car dehn neva shaym fi hoal han has lots of power. pahn schreet. The two boys are homosexuals and they weren’t powaful adj. powerful. Fi wee ashamed to hold hands on the Gaad oanli powaful! Our God is street. See: batiman, foni. very powerful! pooro n. large cigar used in powda (var: poada) n. talcum obeah ceremonies. Mi hozban powder. Maadi put soh moch grani doz smoak pooro pahn powda pan ih fays dat ih luk pipl. My husband’s grandmother laik mongki jrap eena flowa. 273 powda bon Kriol tu Inglish praivit Maudy put so much powder on the club shut down. See: chrobl. her face that she looked like a prafit1 v. profit. Weh ih prafit monkey that had dropped into a yu if yu ways aal a di moni? barrel of flour. See: sweet What does it profit you if you powda, wait powda. waste all of the money? powda bon n. sweet bun. If yu — n. profit. If wi noh mek no noh put nof baykin powda eena prafit, wi noh mek no moni. If yu powda bon, ih wahn kom we don’t make any profit, we owt tof. If you don’t put enough don’t make any money. baking powder in your powder prafit2 n. prophet. Di prafit buns, they’ll be tough. See: bon. shuda seh egzakli weh Gaad tel powt v. pout. Adeen deh rong di ahn. The prophet should say powt kaa Ah mek ih kleen op ih exactly what God told him. room. Adine is pouting around pragin v. hunt or fish to bring here because I told her to clean in some money. Mi pa doz goh her room. pragin op riva bai Layborin pozeshanz n. possessions; Krik fi goh hontin fi gaym meet items owned by a person. If yu ahn kech fish. My father used to noh protek yu hows, yu wahn go upriver by Labouring Creek laas aal a yu pozeshanz. If you fishing to hunt for game and don’t protect your house, you will catch fish. See: hosl, kech ahn lose all of your possessions. See: kil. bilanginz. praid n. pride. Sayk a praid, pozishan n. position, place. hihn neva did tel ih waif ih sari Afta di man ded, evribadi els fi weh ih du ahn. Because of mi waahn tek ih pozishan. After pride, he never told his wife that the man died, everybody else he was sorry for what he did to wanted to take his position. See: her. See: han napkin ton plays. tayblklaat. pozl v. puzzle. Ih pozl mi how praim n. prime. Mi oal aanti Ah kyaahn fain mi pos, an Ah eena ih praim kaa ih stil luk lef it rait ya pahn di taybl. It gud. My old auntie is in her puzzles me that I can’t find my prime because she still looks purse, and I left it right here on good. the table. — n. puzzle. Jeeni praim op v.phr. warm up. Di smaat kaaz ih werk owt di pozl ban praim op fahn soon fi di kwik-wan. Jeanie is smart daans tinait. The band warmed because she worked out the up early for the dance tonight. puzzle very quickly. prais n. price. See: kaas. prablem(z) n. problem, plight, praivit adv. privately, in trouble. Afta dehn lat a private. Ah wahn si yu praivit. I prablemz di klob shet dong. want to see you privately. After having all those problems, 274 praiz Kriol tu Inglish praverb — n. private parts, the genitals. boat’s propeller cut an alligator in Yu mos kova yu praivit kaa ih half when we went to Gales deh owt a doa. You should cover Point, Manatee. your private parts because they’re prapra v. farm clearing; the showing. process in plantation praiz n. prize. Mi daata win fos preparation in which all the praiz fi rait di bes paypa. My burned brush is cleared off the daughter won first prize for land. Afta dehn bon di writing the best paper. plantayshan, dehn hafu prapra prajek Variant: projek. di lan fi klayr aaf aal a di bush weh bon. After they’ve burned praktis v. practise. Ih mek di the plantation, they have to clear too wing dehn, ahn den ih staat the land of all the bush that was praktis fi flai. He made the two burned. wings, and then he started to practise flying. — n. practise. Ih praps op v. put oneself forward noh haad fi du dat, bot ih jos in a showy way, or to put on tek praktis. It’s not hard to do airs. See: primz op. that, but it just takes practise. prasikyoot1 v. prosecute. Polees pramas Variant: pramis. di tek lang fi prasikyoot di teef. The police are taking a long time pramis (var: pramas) v. to prosecute the thief. promise. Yu pramis fi marid tu 2 mi, bot wen? You promised to prasikyoot v. persecute. Noh di marry me, but when? prasikyoot mi fi aal dehn ting — n. promise. Aal a wi yehr di weh yu tink Ah du. Don’t man mek di pramis. We all persecute me for all the things heard the man make the promise. that you think I did. See: oat. praspa v. prosper. Di konchri prapa adj. fitting, proper, right. mi-di praspa anda da Az wahn uman, yu mos laan fi govament. The country was tek prapa kayr a yu hows. As a prospering under that woman, you should learn to take government. proper care of your house. See: prastichoot n. prostitute. Ih fitn, karek, rait. oanli sad how soh moch yong prapa daim n. cocaine; a $10 lee gyal di ton prastichoot. It’s quantity of crack cocaine. See: sad to see how many young girls kokayn, krak, sprang, wait are becoming prostitutes. See: laydi. hoar. prapati n. property. praverb n. proverb. ‘Oal faiyawud noh haad fi kech’ da prapela n. propeller. Di prapela wahn praverb weh meen dat ih pahn di speed boat kot wahn noh haad fi oal lovaz staat op haligeta eena haaf wen wi mi agen. ‘Old firewood is not hard gaahn da Malanti. The speed 275 prayaa(z) Kriol tu Inglish pres to catch afire’ is a proverb which aal weh Ah di du fi dehn. My means that it is easy for old parents don’t appreciate all that I lovers to start up again. am doing for them. prayaa(z) n. prayer(s) Ah noa pregnant v. impregnate. Jak dat wid fi unu prayaaz, Ah hihn pregnant di lee gyal ahn wahn mek it. I know that with lef ahn rait deh. Jack your prayers, I’ll succeed. impregnated the young girl and prayz v. praise. If yu prayz di left her. See: beli aaf, breed, chail, ih wahn laan faasa. If you faal, jak op. — adj. pregnant. praise the child, he’ll learn more See: jak op. quickly. kech pregnant v.phr. get or prayz op v.phr. exalt, extol, become pregnant. Ah kech glorify. Jeri oanli mi-di prayz pregnant agen ahn mi laas op fi hihn self fi weh ih du fi di baybi jos too monts. I am poa pikni dehn. Jerry was really pregnant again and my last baby praising himself for what he did is just two months old. See: for the poor children. See: big op. (ga/geh/kech) beli. — n. praise. Wi haat oanli feel prekeh adj. calm; nothing glad wen wi mowt sing Gaad going on. Evriting prekeh; prayz. Our hearts feel very glad notn di hapm wid mee. when our mouths sing praise to Everything is calm; nothing is God. happening with me. See: kyaam. preech v. preach. Mi graama prempereh Variant: pemperem. doz laik preech tu mi bowt mi pres v. press. Ah pres di doabel doti room. My grandmother used bot nobadi neva deh hoahn. I to like to preach to me about my pressed the doorbell but there was dirty room. nobody home. — n. preecha n. preacher. Di preecha 1) wardrobe; cabinet for mi soh gud dat wi mi sari wen hanging clothes. Eena oal taim ih don preech. The preacher was dayz dehn yoostu heng op kloaz so good that we were sorry when eena pres, weh da di sayhn ting he finished preaching. laik waajroab. In the old days preechin n. preaching, sermon. they used to hang clothes in a Di man du wan pees a preechin clothes press, which is like a deh. The man did some great wardrobe. See: waajroab. preaching there. 2) printing or publishing establishment. prees n. priest. Wee ga wahn v.phr. nyoo prees da fi wee cherch. We pres hyaa press or have a new priest in our church. straighten hair. Di gyal pres mi See: Faada. hyaa mek ih kohn schrayt. The girl pressed my hair to make it preeshiyayt v. appreciate. Mi straight. See: hat koam. ma ahn mi pa noh preeshiyayt pres kloaz v.phr. press, iron 276 presha Kriol tu Inglish prinsipal clothes. Ma, shee aalwayz di the company was not in his pres kloaz wen pipl kohn hayl office. ahn. Mother is always pressing pridik v. predict, foretell. Da clothes when someone comes man pridik dat wahn bad bad over. See: aiyan. taim wahn spred oava di hoal presha v. force, pressure. Ah konchri. That man predicted that wahn du it, soh stap di presha a very bad time would spread me. I’ll do it, so stop pressuring over the whole country. me. See: foas. — n. high blood prifa v. prefer. Ah prifa fi goh pressure. Gyal, stap di wori kaa da maakit da maanin. I prefer to yu wahn kech presha. Girl, stop go to the market in the morning. worrying or your blood pressure See: reda. will go up. prikl n. prickle, thorn. Main preshos adj. precious. Eniting dehn prikl pahn roaz chree juk deh weh moa preshos dan yu yu. Be careful that the prickles on soal? Is there anything more the rosebush don’t poke you. precious than your soul? prikl heet n. prickly heat. Di presin n. pressing, ironing. Ah poa baybi ful a bomp sayk a di ga lat a presn fi fu. I have a lot prikl heet. The poor baby is full of pressing to do. of bumps because of prickly heat. presn n. pressing; symptom of prikl yala n. prickly yellow; asthma. Da bwai ga presn pan several species of trees in the ih ches sayk a ih asma. That boy citrus family, having yellow has pressing on his chest because wood and large prickles of his asthma. See: asma, covering the trunk. shaatnis. Zanthoxylum sp. See: katn chree. prezant a main phr. presence primenta Variant: pimenta. of mind. Gud ting Ah mi ga primz op v. 1) primp. Di gyal prezant a main fi ton aaf di primz op front a di miro bifoa swich wen di baybi mi-di geh ih gaahn da di daans. The girl shak. Fortunately I had the primped in front of the mirror presence of mind to turn off the before she went to the dance. switch when the baby was getting 2) put oneself forward in a shocked. showy way, or to put on airs. prezentayshan n. presentation. Pati shee primz op da di paati Evri Fraideh wi hav laik shee da-mi di ges a aana. prezentayshan da skool. Every Patty put herself forward at the Friday we have a presentation at party, just as if she were the guest school. of honour. See: kak op, praps prezident n. president. Di op. prezident a di kompni neva deh prinsipal n. principal. Wen di da fi hihn aafis. The president of prinsipal deh rong, di pikni 277 pripyaa Kriol tu Inglish protek dehn kwaiyat. When the girls are on job training, they look principal is around the children very professional. are quiet. projek (var: prajek) n. project. pripyaa v. prepare. Aal di laydi Aal a wi mi werk tugeda pahn dehn di pripyaa food fi di wedn di sayhn projek. All of us tunait. All the women are worked together on the same preparing food for the wedding project. tonight. projoos v. produce. Wi gyaadn priten v. pretend. Grampa laik wahn projoos froot dat wi ku priten dat ih di sleep wen grani sel da maakit. Our garden will aks ahn fi du sohnting far ahn. produce fruit that we can sell in Grandpa likes to pretend to be the market. See: bayr. sleeping when granny asks him to prolangyulayt v. prolong. Ah do something for her. See: faam, noh waahn yu prolangyulayt fayk, play-play. dis aagyument. I don’t want you priti adj. pretty. Da lee gyal noh to prolong this argument. oanli priti bot ih smaat tu. That promoashan n. promotion. little girl is not only pretty but Kirk dizerv da promoashan she’s smart too. weh ih geh kaa ih werk haad. pritiya adj. prettier. Dehn gyal Kirk deserves the promotion that deh laik aagyu bowt hoo pritiya he got because he works hard. dan hoo. The girls like to argue proonz n. prunes. (Both sg. & about who’s prettier than who. pl.) pritiyis adj. prettiest. Mi aanti proov v. prove. Wi hafu proov win di fos praiz fi di pritiyis dat di lee bwai neva teef di jres. My auntie won first prize moni widowt no dowt. We have for the prettiest dress. to prove without a doubt that the privilij n. privilege. Mi sista little boy did not steal the money. aalwayz geh di privilij fi goh da propoaz v. propose. Wail di skool daans. My sister always paati mi-di goh aan, Steev stap gets the privilege of going to di myoozik fi propoaz tu Janet. school dances. See: rait. While the party was going on, prizn n. prison. See: Glaas Batl Steve stopped the music and Kee, jayl. proposed to Janet. prizna n. prisoner. Di prizna proseshan n. procession. Wahn dehn mi chrai ahn ron weh. The lang proseshan a pipl mi-di goh prisoners tried to run away. See: lang di road. A long procession jaylbod. of people was going along the profeshanal adj. professional. road. Wen dehn skool gyal deh pahn protek v. protect. Di man bai jab chraynin, dehn oanli luk wahn pit bul fi protek ih yaad. profeshanal. When the school The man bought a pitt bull to 278 protekshan Kriol tu Inglish pupalik protect his yard. See: gyaad. Nobadi noh laik yu pulaali rais protekshan n. protection. Wen kaa ih tu saaf. Nobody likes di polees di chranspoat prizna, your rice because it’s too mushy. ih aalwayz hav ih gon fi See: labi. protekshan. When the policeman pum v. fart, break wind. Yu mos transports prisoners, he always goh owtsaid wen yu waahn has his gun for protection. pum. You should go outside provaid v. provide. Da yong when you want to break wind. bwai reeli provaid gud fi ih lee See: faat. — n. fart. Fi yoo pum baybi. That young man really stink op di hoal room. Your fart provides well for his little baby. stunk up the whole room. See: faat. provizhan tree n. provision tree: tree found along pumpum n. very short shorts. riversides, producing colorful Sohn a dehn gyal goh way owt a flowers and very large fruits; tong eena pumpum. Some girls the bark of the tree is used to go all the way downtown in very make a blood tonic. Pachira short shorts. aquatica. Wen di man blod mi punani n. vagina. See: koako. loa, ih jrink provizhan baak fi punta v. dance to punta music; bil ih blod. When the man was characterized by upper body anemic, he drank a tea made from and hand movements. Di oal the bark of the provision tree to man punta aal nait til ih hip hat build up his blood. ahn di neks day. The old man prowd adj. proud. Wi mi prowd danced all night in the punta style a fi wi pikni dehn. We were until his hip hurt him the next proud of our children. See: hai day. See: wala ahn punta. ahn maiti. — n. music style originating pudn n. pudding. Dits Restorant from the Garifuna culture. sel nais bred ahn rais pudn. Play sohn punta myoozik fi mi. Dits Restaurant sells delicious Play some punta music for me. bread and rice pudding. pupa1 Variant: pa. n. father. Da pudn pan n. dishpan or wash hoo da yu pupa, bwai? Who is pan. Bifoa yu chro weh di wash your father, boy? op waata owt a di pudn pan, pupa2 Variant: papaaya. mek shoar no faak er spoon noh pupalik v. somersault. Di bwai deh een deh. Before you throw pupalik fahn aafa di brij eena away the wash water out of the di riva. The boy somersaulted dishpan, make sure that there are from the bridge into the river. no forks or spoons in it. See: — n. somersault. Di bwai dehn baysn. mi-di du pupalik ahn hanspring pul v. pull. See: haal, jreg, toa. joorin di parayd. The boys were pulaali adj. soft, mushy food. doing somersaults and 279 pupsi Kriol tu Inglish pyoa handsprings during the parade. Krismos pyaa n.phr. imported pupsi n. small freshwater fish. pear; so called because it used Di lee bwai dehn gaahn da riva to be available during the gaahn kech sohn pupsi fi yooz fi Christmas season, and to bayt. The little boys went to the distinguish it from avocado river to catch some little fish to pear. Pyrus communis. Ah laik use as bait. [ 280 raa Kriol tu Inglish rabin redbres R - r raa adj. raw. Wi kehr bak di frai laik di joak. Don’t get me angry, chikin da di restorant kaa ih mi girl, because you won’t like what stil raa eensaid. We took the happens to you. See: beks, chap fried chicken back to the op, kraas. [ 281 rabit Kriol tu Inglish rait rabit n. rabbit. Rabit haad fi raip adj. ripe. Az soon az di kech kaa dehn hap faas. Rabbits froot geh raip, di faama wahn are hard to catch because they kohn ahn haavis ih krap. As hop quickly. soon as the fruit gets ripe, the rad n. rod. Jaymz don bai di farmer will come harvest his steel rad dehn fi staat ih fens. crop. James has already bought the rais n. rice. Mai ma yoostu kuk steel rods to start his fence. rais evri day. My mother used to rada Variant: reda. cook rice everyday. See: swet rais. rafl v. raffle. Pipl rafl aal kain a ting rong Krismos taim. People rais ahn beenz n. rice and raffle all kinds of things at beans; one of the most popular Christmas time. Belizean dishes, eaten with any meat. Mai pa hihn feel dat rag (var: reg) n. rag. Gi mi pees a ih hafu ga rais ahn beenz evri oal rag fi wash di kaa wid. Give Sondeh. My father feels that he me a piece of old rag to wash the has to have rice and beans every car with. Sunday. raichos adj. righteous. Wen rais bod n. blue bunting bird; wahn raichos persn pray, dat white-collared seed-eater. powaful, ahn tingz hapm! When Sporophila torqueola. a righteous person prays, that’s 1 powerful, and things happen! rait n. right, privilege. Hoo gi yu di rait fi du aal dehn ting? raichosnis n. righteousness. Who gave you the right to do all Man anga ahn Gaad raichosnis those things? See: privilij. noh werk tugeda. Man’s anger — adj. right, correct. (Most and God’s righteousness don’t commonly meaning ‘correct’ work together. but can also mean direction.) raid v. ride. Mee noh noa how fi Yu mi rait wen yu seh Roaz geh raid haas. I don’t know how to fat. You were right when you ride a horse. said that Rose got fat. See: karek. — n. ride. Pleez fi wahn raid — int. right? Da sik pipl weh eena yu kaa? May I please have need dakta, rait? It’s sick people a ride in your car? See: lif, jrap. who need doctors, right? See: raim1 n. rhyme. Wen Mayvis karek, noh, noh chroo. daans, shee noh ga no ridim ner rait away adv.phr. right away, raim. When Mavis dances, she immediately. Ah mi sopraiz dat has neither rhythm nor rhyme. di gyas chrok kohn rait away raim2 n. rind; non-edible skin wen Ah aada mi gyas. I was of a fruit. Di lee gyal eet di surprised that the gas truck came waatamilan rait dong tu di right away when I ordered my raim. The little girl ate the gas. See: baps. watermelon right down to its rind. rait deh adv.phr. right there. 282 rait Kriol tu Inglish ramjam Di gyal mi daans rait deh front dressed up in his royal robes and a evribadi. The girl danced so sat on the throne. well right there in front of raiyat n. riot. Di prizna mi everybody. See: deh soh. gaahn da jayl fi staat raiyat ahn rait now phr. sometime soon, fi merda tu. The prisoner had in a little while. Ah di kohn gone to jail for starting riots and rait now. I am coming in a little for murder too. while. rak n. rock. Nora stoan wahn rait soh phr. in the same way, big rak ahn brok op ih hozban like that. Sayhn way poa pipl kaa glaas. Nora threw a big rock hafu ded, rait soh dehn rich and broke her husband’s wan hafu ded tu. Rich people windshield. See: rakstoan, stoan. have to die same as poor people. 2 raki adj. rocky. Noh waak pahn rait adj. right; position as da schreet kaa ih raki bad. opposed to ‘left’. Di baybi yooz Don’t walk on that street because ih rait han moa dan ih lef han. it’s very rocky. The baby used his right hand more than his left hand. — adv. rakl v. drum; beat with right. Dehn mi-di fait ahn di drumsticks. Di bwai dehn eena bwai juk owt ih rait aiy. Go fi wee skool ban ku rakl jrom down two lanes and then turn gud. The boys in our school band right. can play the drums well. [< Eng. 3 ‘rattle’ make a succession of rait v. write. Di laydi son rait short sharp sounds.] wahn lang leta tu ih pa weh deh da Stayts. The lady’s son wrote a rakl snayk (var: ratlin snayk) n. long letter to his father who’s in rattlesnake. Oal pipl seh wen the States. rakl snayk wahn bait yu, ih shayk ih tayl chree taim. Old raita n. writer. Saam ton raita people say that when a doh. Sam actually became a rattlesnake is about to strike, it writer. shakes its tail three times. raitin n. handwriting, writing. rakstoan n. rock, stone. Di teecha seh Wili geh hai eena Kungoh dong di road fi goh ih reedin ahn raitin. The teacher brok rakstoan. Let’s go down said that Willy got a high grade in the road to break the big rocks his reading and writing. See: into stones. See: rak, stoan. hanraitin. — adj. writing. Gi evribadi weh rali n. rally. Cherch di ga big deh da di werkshap wahn raitin yoot rali neks week. Our church pad. Give everybody who’s at the is having a big youth rally next workshop a writing pad. week. raiyal adj. royal. Di king jres op ramatutu n. a type of bird. eena ih raiyal roab dehn ahn Trogan citreolus. sidong pan ih chroan. The king ramjam adj. jam-packed. Ah 283 ramp Kriol tu Inglish rashan neva geh no seet pahn di bos rangdooin n. wrong-doing. Wi kaa ih mi ramjam. I didn’t get a mos stap wi rangdooinz ahn ton seat on the bus because it was tu Gaad. We should stop our jam-packed. See: pail op, skwinj. wrong-doings and turn to God. ramp v. romp, play rangl (var: rengl) v. wrangle. Di boisterously. Stap di ramp too oal man mi-di rangl fi di eena di hows kaa unu wahn batl a rom. The two old men brok sohnting. Stop playing in were wrangling for the bottle of the house because you’ll break rum. something. See: dabl, play. rank n. rank, official grade or rampl v. rumple, tousle. Mi position. Fi hihn onkl ga wahn hyaa mi luk gud dis maanin, hai rank eena polees. His uncle bot az Ah gaan owtsaid, breez has a high rank in the police rampl it op. My hair looked force. good this morning, but as I went ranks v. associate with, hang outside, the breeze tousled it up. around with. Mi ma neva — adj. rumpled, tousled. Mi waahn wi ranks wid dehn bed rampl op afta di pikni dehn balahu gyal. My mother didn’t don play pan it. My bed was want us to associate with those rumpled up after the children rowdy girls. See: heng rong finished playing on it. (wid) ram-pus v. tomcat. Wahn big ransid adv. rancid. Da kuknat ram-pus mi get eena mi fowl luk laik ih ransid. That coconut kub laas nait ahn kil too a mi looks like it’s rancid. fowl dehn. A big tomcat got into rantantayram adj. rude, my chicken coop last night and uncultured. Dehn killed two of my chickens. rantantayram pikni noh ga no ramsak v. ransack, loot. Polees hoam chraynin. Those rude bos een mi hows ahn ramsak it children don’t have any home op sayk a luk fi weed. Police training. burst into my house and rap v. wrap. Wi don rap aal a ransacked it because they were dehn pikni gif fi Krismos. We looking for marijuana. have already wrapped all of the rang v. mark wrong or children’s gifts for Christmas. incorrect. Di teecha rang op mi rapadoara n. hardened cane paypa, bot Ah noa mi werk mi syrup. Wen wi mi leel wi yoostu karek. The teacher marked my eet di rapadoara laik sweet. paper wrong, but I know that my When we were little, we used to work was correct. See: karek, eat the hardened cane syrup like maak. — adj. wrong. Da bwai candy. aalwayz di du di rang kain a ting. That boy always does the rashan v. ration, distribute. Red wrong kind of thing. Kraas mi-di rashan owt food tu 284 rasl Kriol tu Inglish raylin evribadi afta di harikayn. Red teet. If you eat too many sweets, Cross was distributing food to it will rot your teeth. everybody after the hurricane. — adj. rotten. Wi mi frayd fi — n. emergency ration. waak kraas di lee boad brij kaa Harikayn rashan kohn fahn ih mi ratn. We were afraid to Stayts fi gi aal dehn wan weh walk across the little wooden noh ga notn fi eet. Hurricane bridge because it was rotten. See: rations came from the States for spail. all those who didn’t have rayjo n. radio. Wi yehr di nyooz anything to eat. oava di rayjo. We heard the rasl v. wrestle. Ah rasl weh di news over the radio. naif fahn di teef. I wrestled away rayk v. rake. Di bwai chap di the knife from the thief. yaad ahn neva eevn rayk op di Rasta n. Rastafarian. Pipl weh graas. The boy cut the grass in ton Rasta smoak weed az paat a the yard and didn’t even rake it dehn rilijan. People who become up. — n. superstitious sign for Rastafarians smoke marijuana as a lucky number in boledo or part of their religion. the lottery. Wen Mayri jrap rat (var: rata) n. mouse or small eena kinel, Ah tek dat mek rayk rat. Noh eet notn weh rat bait ahn bai ih ayj eena lachri, an kaa rat kehr dizeez. Don’t eat Ah win tu. When Mary fell into anything that a mouse has bitten the canal, I used her age as my because they carry disease. See: lottery number, and I won too. chaali prais. rayka n. rake; garden tool with rata1 (var: rat) a long handle and teeth at the end. Bwai, tek da rayka ahn rata2 n. bulge in muscle, goh rayk op dehn graas weh yu muscular spasm. Lian skweez don kot. Boy, take that rake and di mosl pahn mi han haad mek rake up the grass that you’ve cut. rata ron, ahn dat reeli hat. Lianne squeezed the muscle on rayl op v. rail; complain or my arm hard and made a spasm scold loudly, tell off. Wi run up my arm, and that really teecha rayl op wid wee kaa wi hurt. neva du wi hoamwerk. Our teacher really scolded us this ratbat n. bat. Lat a ratbat morning because we didn’t do aalwayz deh eena kayv. There our homework. See: chektaiz, are always many bats in caves. skoal, tel aaf. [There are 69 varieties of bats in 1 Belize.] raylin n. railing, complaining. Aal a da raylin op weh mi ma ratlin snayk Variant: rakl du neva nesiseri. All of the snayk. complaining that my mom did ratn v. rot, decay. If yu eet tu wasn’t necessary. See: moch sweet, ih wahn ratn yu kamplaynin. 285 raylin Kriol tu Inglish red aiy raylin2 n. railing; fence or rayz v. 1) raise. Rayz unu han barrier. Di man leen oava di wen unu waahn ansa kweschan. raylin a di brij ahn kaal tu ih Raise your hand when you want fren. The man leaned over the to answer questions. See: lif, railing of the bridge and called to hais. 2) raise; bring up. Mi ma his friends. rayz fifteen a wi ahn aal a wi rayn1 v. rain. Sayk a weh ih ton owt gud. My mother raised rayn, wi kudn goh da di meetn. fifteen of us and we all turned out Because it rained, we couldn’t go well. 3) stir up. Noh faas wid da to the meeting. See: jrizl. aans nes kaa yu wahn rayz op — n. rain. Rayn kohn ahn wet di aans dehn. Don’t meddle with op wi wen wi mi-di kohn hoahn. that anthill because you’ll stir up The rain came and soaked us the ants. See: eksait, ster. when we were coming home. — n. raise. Wi baas pramis wi See: showa. rayz a pay neks mont. Our boss promised us a raise in pay next rayn2 v. govern, rule, reign. Da month. king mi rayn fi jos faiv yaaz. That king reigned for only five rayza n. razor. Jeni mi figet fi years. See: rool. bai rayza fi shayv ih fut. Jennie forgot to buy a razor to shave her rayn faris n. rain forest. Dehn legs. soalja fahn Inglan kohn ya kohn chrayn kaa Bileez ga wan rayzn n. raisin. Mis Mayri put a di bes rayn faris eena di werl. tu moch rayzn eena di bon The soldiers from England come dehn. Miss Mary put too many here to train because Belize has raisins in the buns. one of the best rain forests in the razam n. resin. world. rech Archaic. Variant: reech. rayni adj. rainy. Di gaym neva red adj. red. Di aapl dehn don play agen kaa di day mi rayni. staat fi geh red. The apples had The game wasn’t played after all started to get red. because it was rainy. til ih red phr. dawn, sunrise. raynj n. range. Wi kudn kaal Wen Shaaleen kip op ih Peeta ataal kaaz ih mi deh owt bertday, wi bram til ih red. a raynj. We couldn’t call Peter at When Charlene celebrated her all because he was out of range. birthday, we partied until the sun rayp v. rape. came up. See: day di brok. rays v. race. Ah wahn rays yu tu red aans n. red ant. Red aans di fens. I’ll race you to the fence. oanli bait hat. It hurts a lot when — n. race. Taam win di rays red ants bite you. See: aans. kaa ih kuda mi ron faas. Tom red aiy v. envy; become won the race because he was able covetous or envious. Unu di to run fast. red unu aiy ahn sayk a dat, unu 286 red bel Kriol tu Inglish regata fait mongz unuself. You envy, reech (var: rech) v. reach, arrive. and because of that, you fight Wi mi hafu waak gaahn da di among yourselves. See: groj. finaral, soh ih mi tek wi lang fi — adj. envious, covetous. Unu reech. We had to walk to the tu red aiy ahn grabalishos. funeral, so it took us a long time You’re too envious and greedy. to arrive there. See: grojful. — n. envy. Pipl reed v. read. Joa da big man an weh grojful ahn ga red aiy oanli ih noh noa how fi reed yet. Joe kansaan bowt dehnself. People is a grown man and he doesn’t who are grudging and have envy know how to read yet. are only concerned about reedin n. 1) reading. Joazi themselves. See: groj. [Perhaps reedin di geh beta ahn beta kaa ‘red eye’ indicates that one’s eyes ih noa aal di big wod dehn. burn for something.] Josie’s reading gets better and red bel n. hibiscus. Hibiscus better because she knows all of rosa-sinensis Linon. Lat a pipl the big words. 2) reading; public yooz red bel fi mek hej. Many recitation. Di minista dehn mi people use hibiscus to make a ga wahn reedin a di bill eena di hedge. Hows tudeh. The ministers had a red snapa n. red snapper, type reading of the bill in the House of of fish. Aant Naama mi ga sohn Representatives today. nais red snapa wid hat reel adj. real. Dis ring weh Ai ga janikayk. Aunt Norma had some da reel goal. This ring that I have nice red snapper with hot johnny- is real gold. cakes. See: snapa. reeli adv. really. Ah neva reeli red taiga cougar. See: taiga. noa how fi plat kaanroa. I didn’t reda (var: rada) v. rather, prefer. really know how to braid hair in Ai reda di pink blowz kaa di cornrows. See: akchwali. brong wan tu daak. I’d rather reep v. harvest a crop. Da faama have the pink blouse because the di reep weh ih neva plaant. That brown one is too dark. See: prifa. farmer is reaping what he didn’t redi adj. ready. Wi mi redi fi plant. See: haavis. goh da maakit, bot wi laas wi reeyalaiz v. realize; to have moni. We were ready to go to the awareness. Ih neva reeyalaiz da market, but we lost our money. Merida ih deh. He didn’t realize red-nek jranko n. king vulture; that he was in Merida. large scavenger bird. Wen reezn n. reason, cause. Ai noh dehn red-nek jankro di serkl fain no reezn fi sen di man da oava yu hows, dat meen jayl. I don’t find any reason to sohnbadi wahn ded. When send the man to jail. vultures fly over a person’s house reg Variant: rag. that means that somebody in there will die. See: jranko. regata n. regatta; a boat race 287 regeh Kriol tu Inglish repyutayshan held in Belize City. Di red ahn records anymore, just CD’s. wait teem win di pitpan rays 2) record, best performance. eena di riva regata. The red and Dis yaa dehn brok di rekad fi di white team won the wide- kraas konchri rays. This year bottomed dug-out canoe race in they broke the record for the the river regatta. cross-country race. regeh adj. reggae; a popular rekin baar n. crow bar with a style of Caribbean music chisel point at one end and a originating in Jamaica. claw at the other end. See: regyula adj. regular. Jan da hanspeek, kroabaar. wahn regyula vizita da di baar rekli conj. lest; for fear that. dong di schreet. John is a regular Bwai, put dong di laydi ting; visitor to the bar down the street. rekli yu goh brok it. Boy, put — adv. regularly. Hihn kohn da down the lady’s thing lest you cherch regyula. He comes to break it. [ 288 res Kriol tu Inglish rijais yong gyal spail ih repyutayshan bucket handle broke off. wen ih gaahn geh pregnant. The ribz n. rib. Mi hozban jrap aaf a young girl spoiled her reputation di hows tap ahn brok ih ribz. when she got pregnant. My husband fell off the roof of res v. rest. Afta ih werk soh the house and broke his rib. moch, di man res. After he did rich adj. rich; wealthy. so much work, the man rested. richiz n. riches. Ih dig wahn — n. rest, remainder, balance. hoal ahn put aal a fi ih richiz Di teecha mek di res a di pikni eensaid. He dug a hole and put dehn gaahn hoahn. The teacher all of his riches inside. let the rest of the children go home. See: balans. ridim n. rhythm. Ih eezi fi fala di ridim fi regeh myoozik. It’s reskyu v. rescue, save. Di lee easy to follow the rhythm of gyal mi nayli jrongdid wen di reggae music. man reskyu ahn. The little girl had almost drowned when the ridl (var: rigl) n. riddle. If yu ges man rescued her. dis ridl, Ah wahn gi yu dala. If you guess this riddle, I’ll give restorant n. restaurant. Di food you a dollar. da da restorant deh noh nais. The food at that restaurant is not rifaa v. refer. Di styoodent dehn good. mi-di rifaa tu di stoari bowt di ded uman. The students were reyeno n. relleno; type of referring to the story about the chicken soup made with black dead woman. recado. Lat a farina noh laik reyeno sayk a weh di soop soh rifrij Variant: frij. n. blak. Many foreigners don’t like refrigerator. relleno soup because it is so rifyooz v. refuse. Di lee gyal black. [ 289 rijek Kriol tu Inglish ring happened, I really rejoiced. I’m not related to him at all! rijek v. reject. Di man mi don rileef n. relief. Sanjra neva geh noa dat dehn wi wahn rijek weh no rileef fahn di payn. Sandra ih ga fi seh. The man already didn’t get any relief from the knew that they would reject what pain. he had to say. rilees v. release. Dehn ares Jan rikaad v. record. Hihn mi yestudeh, bot bai eevnin dehn rikaad too sang pahn di CD. He mi don rilees ahn. They arrested recorded two songs on the CD. John yesterday, but by evening rikaada n. recorder. Fredi bloa they had already released him. wahn priti sang pan ih rikaada. See: legoh. Freddie blew a beautiful song on rilijan n. religion, religious his recorder. denomination(s). Az paat a rikaado n. recado: seasoning dehn rilijan, dehn seh dat pipl for meat made from the hafu geh baptaiz. As part of annatto plant; usually bright their religion, they say that people red or black and formed into have to be baptized. balls or blocks. Ai noh laik put rilijos adj. religious. Mai aanti lat a rikaado pahn mi meet kaa shee oanli rilijos kaa ih liv da ih mek it tu red. I don’t like to choch. My auntie is so religious put a lot of recado on my meat that she practiclly lives at church. because it makes it too red. See: rimain v. remind. Mek Ah naata. rimain unu bowt wi hischri. Let rikwes v. request. Ah rikwes me remind you about our history. wahn sang fi yu pahn di rayjo. I rimemba Variant: memba. requested a song for you over the rinch v. wrench, pry. Jak mi radio. See: aks. — n. request. hafu rinch oapm di doa kaa ih Mi ma mek wan rikwes bifoa ih neva ga no kee. Jack had to pry ded, ahn da fi mek mi breda the door open because he didn’t stap jrink. My mother made one have a key. — n. wrench. Mi request before she died, and that nayba aalwayz bara mi rinch fi was for my brother to stop loos ih gyas tank. My neighbour drinking. always borrows my wrench to rilaks v. relax. Yu luk taiyad, loosen his gas tank. soh rilaks ahn put op yu fut. ring v. wring. You look tired, so relax and put v.phr. your feet up. See: breez aaf, ring aaf wring off krak bak. (removal or ‘beheading’ of the cashew fruit from the seed). rilaytid adj. related. Hihn seh Eena Krukid Chree vilij bokit dat mee ahn hihn da kozn, bot tap a bokit a kashu froot geh mee noh rilaytid tu hihn ataal! ring aaf eena wahn shaat taim. He says that we’re cousins, but In the village of Crooked Tree 290 rinkl Kriol tu Inglish riva bucket after bucket of cashew wedding but not the reception. fruits are separated from their rispansabiliti n. repsonsibility. seeds in a short time. Di yong gyal ga lat a rinkl n. wrinkle. Di oal man mi rispansabiliti kaa da shee haftu ga lat a rinkl pan ih fays. The tek kayr a ih lee breda ahn sista old man had many wrinkles on dehn. That young girl has lots of his face. See: swibl op. responsibility because she’s the ripent v. repent. Unu beta ripent one who has to take care of her er els Gaad noh wahn fagiv little brothers and sisters. unu. You had better repent or rispansabl adj. responsible. else God won’t forgive you. Eech wan a wi rispansabl fi ripoat v. report. Goh ripoat di how wi liv. Each of us is aksident tu di polees. Go report responsible for how we live. the accident to the police. rispek v. respect. — n. respect. — n. report. Wi mi hafu gi wi Dehnya yonga jenarayshan noh teecha wahn ripoat bowt wi ga no rispek fi oalda pipl. This chrip. We had to give our teacher younger generation doesn’t have a report about our trip. any respect for older people. ris1 v. risk. Di man ris ih laif wen rispektabl adj. respectable. ih ron eena di faiya fi sayv di Shee noh goh da klob ahn soh baybi. The man risked his life kaaz shee da wahn rispektabl when he ran into the fire to save laydi. She doesn’t go to clubs an the little baby. See: chaans. such because she’s a respectable ris2 n. wrist. Wen Ah faal dong woman. aaf a mi baik Ah sprayn mi ris. ritaiya v. retire. Wen Ah ritaiya, When I fell off my bike I Ah waahn goh da Mexico. sprained my wrist. When I retire, I want to go to rischrikshan n. restriction. Mexico. anda rischrikshan phr. riva (var: riba) n. river. Korant grounded. Gyal, Ah kyaahn mi-di ron schrang eena di riva goh no way kaa mi pa ga mi dis maanin. The current was anda rischrikshan. Girl, I can’t running strong in the river this go anywhere because my dad has morning. grounded me. See: anda riva batam n.phr. river bed. ponishment. Dehn san laita doz kohn fahn riseet n. receipt. Mek shoar yu fer wid san weh dehn dig fahn geh yu riseet wen yu goh pay di riva batam. Sand boats used to bil. Make sure that you get your come from a long distance with receipt when you pay the bill. sand that was dug from the river bed. risepshan n. reception. Wi n.phr. gaahn da di wedn bot noh di riva mowt mouth of a risepshan. We went to the river. Wen wi reech di riva 291 rivasaid Kriol tu Inglish roap mowt, wi si di waid waid see. pageant said that she wants to be When we reached the mouth of a good role model for the young the river, we saw the big, wide girls. [Perhaps a result of sea. metathesis or an error in rivasaid n. riverside. Wi gwehn understanding] da di rivasaid goh kleen fish. road mowt n. entrance to the We’re going to the riverside to road. Wi sidong da road mowt clean fish. fi wayt fi kech bos. We sat at the riwaad n. reward, payment. If entrance to the road to wait to yu pa si dat yu di du wahn gud catch a bus. jab, ih wahn gi yu wahn roadsaid n. roadside. Di man riwaad. If your father sees that mi-di sidong bai di roadsaid di you’re doing a good job, he’ll bayg. The man was sitting by the give you a reward. roadside, begging. rizerv v. reserve. Wi wahn roal1 v. roll. Yu kyaahn kehr rizerv wahn taybl fi dina. We’ll dehn lat a fai sehn da bank – yu reserve a table for dinner. haftu roal dehn eena paypa. — adj. reserved. Da di kansert, You can’t take those five cent wee mi-di sidong da rizerv seet. pieces to the bank – you have to We were sitting in reserved seats roll them in paper. See: kwail. at the concert. — n. roll. Da man ga wahn hoal rizolt n. result. Di rizolt a di roal a moni eena ih pakit. That egzam noh kom owt yet. The man has a whole roll of money in result of the exam hasn’t come his pocket. out yet. roal2 role, character, part. Da roa1 n. row. Evribadi eena front weh roal yoo play eena di play? roa geh free jrink. Everyone in What role do you play in the the front row got free drinks. play? roa2 n. roe, fish eggs. Fish roa roala n. roller, stone crusher. Di nais wen ih frai krispi krispi. man ron di roala oava di stoan Fish roe is nice when it’s fried pahn di schreet fi mash it dong. very crispy. The man ran the stone crusher over the stones in the street to roab n. robe. Di king jres op flatten them. eena ih nais roab ahn sidong pan ih chroan. The king dressed Roalin Krik n. Roaring Creek. up in his nice robe and sat on his Yu hafu paas chroo Roalin throne. Krik fi goh da Kaiyo. You have to pass through Roaring Creek to road modl n. role model. Di get to Cayo. gyal weh win Mis Bileez seh shee waahn bee wahn gud road roap n. rope. Di roap pahn di modl fi di yong gyal dehn. The bokit neva lang nof fi reech di girl who won the Miss Belize waata eena di wel. The rope on 292 roas Kriol tu Inglish rompeh raaheh the bucket wasn’t long enough to teef weh dehn fain di haid eena reach the water in the well. See: di laydi hows. The police kaad, schring. roughed up the thief whom they roas v. roast. Roas di chikin, noh found hiding in the lady’s house. frai it. Roast the chicken, don’t — adj. rough. Di waata mi rof fry it. soh wi kudn mek no hedway. The water was rough, so we roaz aapl n. rose apple; fruit couldn’t make any headway. See: with a perfume-like taste. Wen krofi. roaz aapl yala yala, yu noa dat ih wahn sweet ahn joosi; den yu rofyan n. ruffian. Noh goh owt ku yehr di seed shayk eensaid. wid da bwai kaa hihn da reel When rose apples are very rofyan. Don’t go out with that yellow, you know that they will guy because he’s a real ruffian. be sweet and juicy; then you can See: rompeh raaheh. hear the seed knocking against it rog n. rug. Mayzi bai wahn nyoo inside when you shake it. rog fi ih floa. Mazie bought a roazwud n. rosewood; tree new rug for her floor. which produces a hard, rokshan n. commotion, noisy pinkish wood (exported for uproar. Big rokshan mi deh use in making marimbas and sayk a weh di laydi kech ih xylophones) Dalbergia hozban wid ih sweethaat. There stevensonii. was a big commotion because the rob v. rub. Yu noh fi rob yu aiy woman caught her husband with wen yu ga pink aiy. You his mistress. See: kamoashan, shouldn’t rub your eye when you oproal, rugudungz. [ 294 rooftap Kriol tu Inglish ryaa baby’s eyes for health and to Nothing but rust was falling off protect against ‘bad eye’. If of the old piece of iron. babies eat it, they have special rosh v. rush. Aal a wi rosh owt a powers.] di hows kaa ih mi deh pahn rooftap n. rooftop, roof. Mi faiya. All of us rushed out the breda klaim op pahn di rooftap house because it was on fire. See: fi fiks it kaaz ih mi-di leek. My hori, mikays. brother climbed up on the rooftop rosti adj. rusty. Weh di kaa mi to fix it because it was leaking. paak bai di see soh lang, di injin See: howstap. geh rosti. Because the car was rooinz n. ruins (Mayan) Lat a parked by the sea for so long, the Maiya rooinz deh da Bileez. engine got rusty. There are many Mayan ruins in rot bowt v.phr. behave Belize. promiscuously, sleep around. rool v. rule; govern, reign. Lang (Generally refers to men.) Sayk laas wahn gud king staat tu rool a weh Peeta hihn rot bowt soh eena da konchri. Finally a good moch, ih kech AIDS. Peter king started to rule in that contracted Aids because he slept country. See: rayn. — n. rule. around so much. See: bad bowt, Dehn mek fi dehn oan lee set a sleep rong. roolz. They make their own little row v. quarrel. Yestudeh mee set of rules. ahn Darati mi-di row sayk a rooma n. rumour. Lat a rooma weh shee bara mi pat ahn noh staat spred bowt di man an ih bring it bak. Yesterday Dorothy gyalfren. Lots of rumours started and I quarrelled because she to spread about the man and his borrowed my pot and didn’t bring girlfriend. it back. See: kwaaril, tel aaf. — roosho n. a kind of dance n. row; noisy dispute or reported to come from quarrel. Monkey River: the woman rugudungz n. commotion, puts her hands on the man’s noisy uproar. Big rugudungz shoulders, the man facing the wahn deh dis eevnin kaa di woman puts his hands on her yoonyan dehn wahn ga meetn. hips; they take two steps to There will be a big commotion each side, then go forward and there tonight because the unions backward, then turn around. will have a meeting. See: roosta n. cock, rooster. Da kamoashan, oproal, rokshan. roosta kroa siks aklak evri ryaa adj. rare. Ih ryaa wen yu si maanin. That rooster crows at six mee ahn mi hozban di kwaaril. o’clock every morning. It’s rare when you see my ros n. rust. Loan ros mi-di jrap husband and me quarrelling. aaf a di oal pees a aiyan. 295 sa Kriol tu Inglish saal fizik S - s sa n. sir. Sa, yu ku pleez sidong wee ma bai saaf jrink fi kraas deh? Sir, could you please Krismos ahn put ahn anda di sit down over there? bed, wee teef ahn goh jrink ahn owt. When our mother buys soft saa v. saw. Jimi mi hafu saa aaf drinks for Christmas and puts wahn pees a di boad kaa ih mi them under the bed, we sneak in tu lang fi mek di shelf owt a. and drink them up. See: Jim had to saw off a piece of the lemanayd. board because it was too long to make the shelf out of. — n. saw. saafish n. sawfish. Sawfish ga Dehn bring di ilekchrik saa fi wahn lang mowt weh ku kot yu kot dong di chree. They brought gud. The sawfish has a long the electric saw to cut down the mouth that can give you a bad tree. See: hagsaa. cut. saach v. 1) search (for) Ah saaf-wan adv. quietly. Di bwai saach aal bowt fi mi kee dehn waak op saaf-wan bak a di ahn kudn fain dehn. I searched laydi ahn grab ih pos. The boy everywhere for my keys and walked up quietly behind the lady didn’t find them. See: luk fa. and grabbed her purse. See: 2) search; examine. Polees eezi-wan. saach di bwai fi si if ih mi ga eni saal1 n. salt. If yu noh put nof weed pan ahn. The police saal eena di bred, ih noh wahn searched the boy to see if he had tays gud. If you don’t put enough any marijuana on him. salt in the bread, it won’t taste saados n. sawdust. Wi ful op wi good. yaad wid di saados weh jrap da saal2 adj. unlucky. Ah oanli saal! grong afta dehn don saa di Ai neva win notn yet. I’m really boad dehn. We filled our yard unlucky! I haven’t won anything with the sawdust that fell to the yet. See: badlokid. ground after they finished sawing saal fizik1 n. Epsom salts. Fi the boards. wee ma laik gi wi saal fizik fi saaf adj. soft. Di grong saaf rait perj wi owt. Our mother liked to ya, bot wi ku waak pan it. The give us Epsom salts to purge us. ground is soft right here, but we [physic + salt] can walk on it. — adv. softly. saal fizik2 n. thin low-cut Taak saaf saaf mek yu noh sneakers, tennis shoes. Wen wayk di baybi. Talk very softly wee mi leel, oanli poa pipl so you don’t wake the baby. See: yoostu wayr saal fizik fi goh da eezi-wan, saaf-wan. skool. When we were small, it saaf jrink n. soft drink. Wen fi was only poor people who used to 296 saal mowt Kriol tu Inglish said wear tennis shoes to school. See: Jews and Christians. Eena di tenis. oal dayz ih mi gens di laa fi saal mowt n. a savoury food; werk pahn di Sabat. In the old usually part of breakfast or days it was against the law to supper. Weh yu ga fi saal work on the Sabbath. mowt? Ah waahn sohnting nais sachiz (var: sasij) n. sausage. fi jrink mi tee wid. What do you Wee eet sachiz frai wid eg dis have that’s tasty? I want maanin fi tee. We ate sausage something nice to eat for fried with egg for breakfast this breakfast. morning. See: longaneesa, saalti adj. salty. Wi gaahn da wi merseeya. fren hows fi eet, bot dehn food Sachudeh (var: Satideh) n. mi tu saalti. We went to our Saturday. Ah glad wen friends’ house to eat, but their Sachudeh kohn kaa Ah ku sleep food was too salty. layt. I’m glad when Saturday Saamz n. Psalm(s). Mi grani comes because I can sleep late. reed ih Saamz evri nait bifoa ih sai v. sigh. Dehn oal pipl laik seh goh da bed. My granny reads her evri taim yu sai, wahn jrap a Psalms every night before she blod jrap fahn yu haat. The goes to bed. older people like to say that every saas n. sauce. Mai onkl put lat a time you sigh, you lose a drop of pepa saas pan ih dina wen ih di blood from your heart. — n. eet. My uncle puts lots of pepper sigh. Di man gi wahn deep sai sauce on his dinner when he is jos bifoa ih ded. The man gave a eating. deep sigh just before he died. saasa n. saucer. Noh put di kop said n. side. Yu hafu yehr too rait soh pahn di taybl; put it said a wahn stoari bifoa yu seh eena wahn saasa. Don’t put the eniting. You should hear both cup on the table like that; put it in sides of a story before you say a saucer. anything. phr. Di saat v. sort. Yu hafu saat owt yu said a beside, next to. laydi mi-di stan op said a ih kloaz bifoa yu wash dehn. You hozban. The woman was have to sort your clothes before standing beside her husband. you wash them. said op v.phr. sidle. Di saav Variant: serv. krakhed kohn di said op tu mi saavant (var: servant) n. fi bayg fi moni. The crack head servant. Di rich man ga wahn sidled up to me to beg for money. lat a saavant. The rich man has said wid/tek said v.phr. many servants. See: mayd. sympathize with, support. Da saavis Variant: servis. famili split bad; chree a di pikni Sabat n. Sabbath; a day set dehn said wid dehn pa, ahn apart as a day of worship by chree said wid dehn ma. That 297 saidman Kriol tu Inglish sakra family is badly divided; three of their mother. the children side with their father saiyans n. 1) science. Karen laik and three with their mother. See: stodi saiyans kaa ih laik laan sopoat. bowt di son ahn di staarz dehn saidman n. assistant. Dehn hoal ahn soh. Karen likes to study op di chrok jraiva an ih science because she like to learn saidman ahn gaahn wid aal di about the sun and the stars and moni. They held up the truck things like that. 2) witchcraft. driver and his assistant and went Dehn seh how Mis Sayra noa away with all the money. lee saiyans ahn ting, soh yu ku saikl Variant: motosaikl. goh da shee fi fiks yu hozban sweethaat. They say that Miss sailent adj. silent. Di lee bwai Sarah knows a little witchcraft, so kip sailent kaaz ih mi tai-tong. you could go to her to bewitch The little boy kept silent because your husband’s mistress. See: he had a lisp. See: kwaiyat. oabya. sain n. 1) sign: mark or gesture saiyantis n. scientist. Beki seh that indicates a fact or bears shee waahn bee wahn saiyantis information. Dehn put wahn wen shee geh big kaa shee sain pahn di hows weh dehn mi waahn help fain di kyoar fi waahn sel. They put a sign on the kyansa. Becky says that she house that they wanted to sell. wants to be a scientist when she 2) sign; visible trace or grows up because she wants to indication. Ah noh si no sain a help find a cure for cancer. Gilbert, an ih pramis fi kohn fahn ayt aklak. I don’t see any saiz n. size. Fi yoo fut da di trace of Gilbert, and he promised sayhn saiz laik mainz. Your feet to come as early as eight o’clock. are the same size as mine. 3) sign; premonition. Wen lat a saizabl adj. sizeable, large, daag di howl da nait, dat da huge. Di mostad seed wahn wahn sain dat sohnbadi rong groa intu wahn saizabl plaant. deh wahn soon goh lang. When The mustard seed will grow into a there are lots of dogs howling at sizeable plant. night, that is a sign that sak n. sack. Dehn bai wahn hoal somebody will soon die. sak a rais fi kuk da kyamp. sait v. see, sight. Wen di maaga They bought a whole sack of rice bwai sait di fat bwai, ih staat tu to cook at camp. laaf. When the thin boy saw the sakra int. blasphemous fat boy, he started to laugh. See: exclamation. Wel sakra! Da noatis, si. — n. sight; faculty how yu soh fat? Heavens! Why of seeing. Di pikni dehn mi is it that you’re so fat? [ 298 sakrifais Kriol tu Inglish sanki sakrifais v. 1) sacrifice; giving samanz n. summons. Di polees up something for the sake of bring wahn samanz fi mek Ah another. Mi ma yoostu sakrifais goh da koat. The police brought fi put mee chroo kalij. My a summons for me to go to court. mother used to sacrifice to put me sambai n. a fertility dance through college. 2) sacrifice; brought from Africa; offering a human life, an traditionally called ‘faiya animal or an object in homage sambai’, done three days to a deity. — n. sacrifice; before and after the full moon. something that is given or Di Kriol pipl da Malanti stil offered up. Di pipl yoostu bon jomp faiya sambai tudeh. The animal az wahn sakrifais fi Kriol people in Gales Point still Gaad. The people used to burn dance the ‘fire sambai’ today. animals as a sacrifice to God. san n. sand. Di san pahn di saks n. socks. (Both sg. & pl.) beech mi soh hat dat wi kaysli Wee hafu wayr wait saks ahn kuda mi waak pan it. The sand blak shooz da fi wee skool. We on the beach was so hot that we have to wear white socks and could hardly walk on it. See: kee black shoes at our school. san, pain rij san, wash-dong. n.phr. wan fut a saks half of a san laita See: laita. pair of socks. Ah laas wan fut a saks. I lost one of my socks. sang n. song. Sandi mek op wahn nais sang fi Madaz Day. Variant: selibrayt salabrayt Sandy composed a nice song for salad n. salad; refers to potato Mother’s Day. salad unless specified sangwij n. sandwich. Ah mek Di laydi mi waahn otherwise. wahn lat a sangwij fi wi tee noa if yu waahn salad er slaa paati. I made lots of sandwiches wid yu dina. The lady wanted to for our tea party. know if you want potato salad or coleslaw with your dinner. sani bay n. sand-bar; shallow sandy area in a river. Wahn n. salbootes a type of Spanish sani bay mi deh rait da midl a Da laydi salbootes mi gat food. di riva, soh wi swim owt ahn aan lee bit a chikin ahn tomayto gaahn sidong pan it. There was pahn tap a di kaan torteeya. a shallow sandy area in the That lady’s salbutes had only a middle of the river, so we swam little bit of chicken and tomato on out and sat on it. top of the corn tortilla. [ 299 sanpaipa Kriol tu Inglish sayf popularized by the hymn-writer, sapadili froot, ih lef yu mowt Ira Sankey (1840-1908)] stiki stiki. Sometimes after eating sanpaipa n. sandpiper; a type the sapodilla fruit, it leaves your of bird. mouth very sticky. [ 300 sayhn Kriol tu Inglish sayvya teef get eena di sayf da bank pahn sayl laas week. Underwear ahn teef di moni. We don’t know was on sale last week. how thieves got into the safe at sayl2 v. sail. Wi set owt ahn sayl the bank and stole the money. fahn Bileez tu Texas. We set out — adj. safe. Sayk a aal a di and sailed from Belize to Texas. vailens, di siti noh sayf nohmoh. — n. sail. Haad breez kohn ahn Because of all the violence, the rip op di sayl pahn di boat. A city isn’t safe anymore. hard wind came and ripped up the sayhn (var: saym) adj. same. Dat sail on the boat. da di sayhn man weh Ah mi si saylin boat n. sailboat. Yu oanli aredi. That’s the same man that I injai wahn saylin boat raid wen had already seen. See: sed, veri. gud breez deh. You can only sayhn way phr. equally, alike. enjoy a ride in a sailboat when Deez dayz dehn chreet man ahn there is a good wind blowing. uman sayhn way. These days saym Variant: sayhn. they treat man and woman equally. sayn net n. seine net; large net strung between boats or posts sayin n. saying. Mi ma aalwayz across a channel; used to liv bai da sayin weh seh, “Sleep entrap shoals of fish. Mi onkl wid yu oan aiy.” My mother dehn kech soh moch fish eena always lived by that saying that dehn sayn net dat di net bos an says, “Sleep with your own eye.” aal. My uncle and his friends (Do things yourself; don’t depend caught so many fish that even on anyone.) their seine net broke. See: gini sayj n. sage; a plant whose leaf sayn net, pers sayn net. [ 302 schrangman Kriol tu Inglish schrimps schrangman n. muscle shirt. schraytn yu room bifoa yu goh Kent gaan da cherch eena loan play. Boy, straighten up your schrangman. Kent went to room before you go out to play. church wearing just a muscle schrech v. extend, reach, shirt. See: andashot, ves. stretch. Schrech owt yu han, schrap n. strap. Di bag schrap bwai. Stretch out your hand, boy. bos. The strap on the bag burst. See: lang owt, han...han. schray v. stray; move away schrecha n. stretcher. Dehn from. Yu di schray fahn di way mi-di kehr di paralaiz man yu ma bring yu op. You are pahn wahn schrecha. They were straying from the way your carrying the paralyzed man on a mother brought you up. stretcher. schray-way daag n.phr. stray schrech-mi-gots n. taffy made dog. Tu moch schray-way daag from the water of the young deh pahn schreet da nait. Too coconut. Wen Ah mi smaal mi many stray dogs are on the street frayvrit sweet da-mi at night. schrech-mi-gots. When I was schrayn v. 1) strain. Di lee oal small my favourite candy was laydi schrayn fi bak di bokit a taffy. waata. The little old lady strained schreet n. street. Ih daynjaras fi to carry the bucket of water. play pahn schreet. It’s 2) strain; pass through a screen dangerous to play in the street. or sieve. schrent n. strength. Da lee bwai schraynj adj. strange. Ih ga lat a schrent fi bak dehn schraynj dat yoo di kohn hoahn siment blak. That little boy has a layt evri day. It’s strange that lot of strength to carry those you are coming home late cement blocks. everyday. schrentn v. strengthen. Dehn schraynja n. stranger. Tel yu seh wen lee baybi play eena san, pikni dehn noh fi taak tu no ih mek dehn schrentn dehn fut. schraynja. Tell your children not They say when babies play in the to talk to any strangers. See: sand, it helps them strengthen aylyan. their feet. schrayt adj. straight. Jraa wahn schres v. stress. Dehn lat a werk schrayt lain dong di midl a di di schres mi owt. All that work paypa. Draw a straight line down stresses me out. the middle of the paper. schrik adj. strict. Da man di fala — adv. Kohn schrayt straight. schrik aadaz. That man is hoahn afta skool. Come straight following strict orders. home after school. See: dairekli, ded. schrimps n. shrimp. Ih beta fi kech yu oan schrimps,kaa ih v. Bwai, schraytn straighten. oanli dyaa nowadayz. It’s better 303 schrimps net Kriol tu Inglish see kow to catch your own shrimp because sehreh. it’s really expensive these days. schupid (var: chupid) stupid. schrimps net n. large fishing Yoo schupid if yoo bileev da lai net pulled behind a boat; deh. You’re stupid if you believe scrapes the sea bottom. that lie. See: dom, fool-fool, schring v. thread. Mi grani simpl. nainti ayt an ih stil ku schring schupidnis n. foolishness. Di needl. My granny is ninety-eight yong man lef hoam ahn ways and she can still thread a needle. aal a ih moni pahn schupidnis. — n. string. Gili tai op di baks The young man left home and wid pees a schring. Gilly tied up wasted all of his money on the box with a piece of string. foolishness. See: fool, naansens, See: kaad, roap. papisho. schring op v.phr. lace up. sebm (var: sevn) num. seven. Di Schring op yu tenis gud bifoa laydi mi ga sebm big baaskit a yu goh da skool. Lace up your bred. The woman had seven big shoes well before you go to baskets of bread. [The number school. See: laysn. ‘seven’ may have some mystical schrink v. shrink. Sayk a put mi association.] sweta eena jraiya, ih schrink sed adj. same, aforementioned. rait op. My sweater shrank right Ah jos stay hoahn sayk a di sed up because I put it in the drier. ting. I stayed at home because of schrip-mi-naykid n. strip-me- the what I was just talking about. naked; a kind of card game. See: sayhn, veri. Mai kozn dehn doz play see n. sea. Ah noh laik chravl schrip-mi-naykid wid kyaad. pahn see ataal. I don’t like to My cousins used to play strip-me- travel on the sea at all. See: naked with cards. oashan. schrogl v. struggle. Di gyal see bred n. styrofoam. Di teevee mi-di schrogl fi get owt a di kohn pak eena see bred fi mek roap weh di man tai ahn op ih noh brok. The TV came wid. The girl was struggling to packed in Styrofoam to prevent it get out of the rope that the man from breaking. had tied her up with. — n. see front n. coast. Dehn di tel Laif da wahn schrogl, struggle. evribadi weh liv da see front fi ahn wi hafu sopoat wan anada. moov wen harikayn di kohn. Life is a struggle, and we have to They are telling everybody who support one another. lives on the coast to move when a schroot Variant: chroot. n. hurricane is coming. See: koas, truth. [ 304 see waal Kriol tu Inglish seesaid Trichechus manatus. ‘See kow’ everybody. — adj. secret. Dehn da wahn nada naym fi malanti. pipl dehn hoal wahn seekrit ‘Sea cow’ is another name for the meetn. Those people held a manatee. See: malanti. secret meeting. see waal n. sea wall. Wen eena seekrit. phr. secretly. harikayn, di wayv dehn brok op Mis Maybl kohn aada di kayk di see waal. During a hurricane, eena seekrit kaa ih mi waahn the waves break up the sea wall. sopraiz ih daata. Miss Mabel came and ordered the cake seed n. 1) seed. Di ada day mi pa secretly because she wanted to plaant sohn sweet pepa seed surprise her daughter. See: ahn dehn don kom op aredi. eezi-wan. The other day my father planted some sweet pepper seeds and seelin n. ceiling. Mayzi paynt ih they’ve already come up. seelin wait an ih waal dehn 2) testicle. Sayk a weh di lee green. Mazie painted her ceiling man noh gat aan no breef, ih white and her walls green. seed dehn heng owt a ih shaat seem n. seam. Di seem da said a pants. Because the man didn’t yu frak rip owt. The seam on the have any briefs, his testicles were side of your dress is ripped. hanging out of his short pants. seemschris n. seamstress. Mai See: baalz, toan. ma ku soa gud kaa ih da seeda n. cedar; deciduous tree seemschris. My mother can sew with whitish bark, used for well because she’s a seamstress. house siding, furniture and seen n. scene. Afta di faiya staat, flooring. Cedrela mexicana. wahn big krowd gyada pahn di Leerai wahn bil ih hows owt a seen. After the fire started, a big di ud fahn seeda chree kaa ih crowd gathered at the scene. See: schrang. Leroy will build his seenri. house out of the wood from a n. 1) cedar tree because it’s strong. seenri scene; public [Folk remedy: bark is used to display of strong feeling. Mayri shee gaahn mek big make a tea good for removing seenri da ih hozban werk. Mary bruises.] went and made a big scene at her seegol n. seagull. Da eevnin taim husband’s workplace. 2) scenery. lat a seegol gyada wichpaa di adj. Az yu noa, fishaman dehn sel fish. In the seeryos serious. dis da seeryos bizniz ahn wi evening, many seagulls gather hafu brayv. As you know, this is where the fishermen sell their serious business and we have to fish. be brave. seekrit n. secret. Noh tel n. Di Maagrit no seekrit kaa ih wahn seesaid seaside, coast. pikni dehn mi deh bai di seesaid tel evribadi. Don’t tell Margaret di pik op shel. The children were any secrets because she’ll tell 305 seet Kriol tu Inglish seklootif by the seaside picking up shells. chicken well before you cook it. See: koas, see front. — n. season; a period of time. seet1 n. seat. Get op owt a mi Mango seezn staat eena Joon. seet mek Ah sidong. Get out of Mango season starts in June. my seat so I can sit down. seeznin n. seasoning. Hayzl put seet2 v. hiss. Dehn bwai laik seet aal kain a seeznin pahn fi shee afta dehn gyal. Those boys like terki. Hazel put all kinds of to hiss after girls. [perhaps 307 senseh fowl Kriol tu Inglish serikoateh throw away your money on the sep (var: sepm, eksep) prep. lottery. 2) bright, smart. Da lee except, but. Evribadi mi gaahn baybi oanli sensabl; ih don ku sep Jayn. Everybody had gone taak aredi. That little baby is except Jane. See: baar, oanli very bright; he can talk already. kaa. See: brait, kwik hed, smaat. separayt v. separate. Di teecha senseh fowl n. a type of chicken mi hafu separayt dehn too bwai that has its feathers curled kaa dehn stodi mi-di gi chrobl. backwards. Da how fi yoo hyaa The teacher had to separate those luk fegi laik senseh fowl? Why two little boys because they kept does your hair look tousled like a causing trouble. See: paat. chicken whose feathers have been — adj. separate. Mee ahn Jeni ruffled? [ 308 serimoni Kriol tu Inglish setee zericote wood. [ 309 setl Kriol tu Inglish shaat jekit the sofa all day. See: soafa. fi di wedn; ih geh chrim an aal. setl v. settle. Wi mi hapi fi setl Wow! Derrick got all dressed up dong eena fi wi nyoo hows. We for the wedding; he even got a were happy to settle down in our hair-cut. See: blayd op, slik, new house. sproosi. setlment n. settlement. Di foa shaapm v. sharpen. Shaapm da man dehn kohn kraas wahn lee naif gud bifoa yu kleen dehn setlment wid sohn tach hows. fish. Sharpen that knife well The four men came across a little before you scale those fish. settlement with thatched houses. shaapnin stoan n. whetstone. set-op n. wake, all-night vigil Di man mi ga wahn big for the dead. Dehn mi ga set-op shaapnin stoan fi shaapm ih wen Mis Mayri ded. They had a masheet pan. The man has a big wake when Miss Mary died. See: whetstone on which to sharpen nain-nait, wayk. his machete. See: robin stoan. seveecheh n. ceviche; an shaap-wan adv. sternly. Di appetizer of fish or conch teecha taak tu di bwai marinated in sauce and served shaap-wan wen ih fain owt dat cold. Seveecheh gud fi eet wen ih teef di moni. The teacher yu ga goma. Ceviche is good to spoke sternly to the boy when she eat when you have a hang-over. found out that he had stolen the [ 310 shaatkot Kriol tu Inglish shatgon shaatkot n. shortcut. Wi mi-di that they let Junior do in the band hori, soh wi tek wahn shaatkot was shake the maraca. [ 311 shayb ais Kriol tu Inglish shekreh man dehn hoal op di bank wid divide. Wi hapi bikaaz unu mi wahn lang shatgon. The men shayr unu moni wid wi. We’re held up the bank with a long happy because you shared your shotgun. money with us. — n. share. shayb ais n. shaved ice. Dehn Wen wi ded, yu wahn geh wahn put too kala sorop pahn di shayr a wi lan. When we die, shayb ais. They put two colours you’ll get a share of our land. of syrup on the shaved ice. shayv v. shave. Maak kot ihself shayba n. tool for shaving ice. wen ih mi-di shayv. Mark cut himself when he was shaving. shayk v. shake. Di pipl dehn See: baal, peel. shayk dehn hed wen dehn si weh wi du. The people shook shedo Archaic. Variant: shado. their heads when they saw what shee pro. (Emphatic, 3rd person we did. sg.) 1) she, her. Shee gaahn da shaym n. shame. Da man bring Stayts gaahn stodi. She went to shaym pan ih famili wen ih the States to study. See: ih, hihn. gaahn da jayl fi teef. That man 2) she; used in a derogatory brought shame on his family manner. Da hoo Maagrit shee when he went to prison for tink shee fi kohn tel mi eniting? stealing. — adj. ashamed. Di Who does Margaret think she is laydi mi shaym fi tek aaf ih to come tell me anything? kloaz front a di dakta. The lady fi shee pro.adj. her, hers. Mi was ashamed to take off her sista noh noa seh fi shee pikni clothes in front of the doctor. du aal kain a ting bihain ih bak. My sister doesn’t know that her shaymin adj. humiliating; describes one who humiliates children do all kinds of things behind her back. or shames others. Mi ma oanli shaymin! Ih skoal mi rait front fi shee wan pro. hers. Dis da a mi fren dehn. My mom really noh mai buk; da fi shee wan. likes to humiliate people! She This is not my book; it’s hers. scolded me right in front of my sheephed n. sheepshead; a large friends. striped saltwater fish with shayp n. 1) shape, form. Mi ma sheep-like teeth. Archosargus mek wahn kayk eena di shayp a probatocephalus. wahn haas. My mother made a sheg n. cormorant; a large sea cake in the shape of a horse. See: bird. Phalacrocorax auritus or faam, figa. 2) shape, condition. olivaceus. Di hows deh eena bad shayp shekreh adj. shaky, unstable, afta di harikayn. The house is in wobbly. Noh sidong pahn da bad shape after the hurricane. chyaa kaa ih shekreh. Don’t sit See: kandishan, stayt. on that chair because it’s shaky. shayr (var: shyaa) v. share, See: krenki. [ 312 shel Kriol tu Inglish shipman ‘shakal’ shabby] Rose sewed a pretty shroud for shel v. shell; remove the shell her mother when she died. from. Kohn shel dehn peenots fi sherowl Variant: sherowd. mi. Come and shell these peanuts n.shroud. for me. — n. shell. Lat a shel shet v. shut, close. Mek shoar yu mi deh pahn di beech. There shet di winda if ih rayn. Make were lots of shells on the beach. sure that you shut the window if See: san, kee san. it rains. — adj. shut, closed. Di shel san white sand found on doa mi shet, bot di uman stil the cayes. Misa Kali ful op ih mi-di lisn. The door was closed, yaad wid loan shel san weh ih but the woman was still listening. geh fahn owt a kee. Mr. Cally shet op v.phr. shut up, be filled his yard with sand that he silent. Shet op yu mowt ahn got out on the cayes. See: kee noh seh notn. Shut your mouth san. and don’t say anything. See: shelta v. shelter. Mek wi shelta kwaiyat. anda ya til di rayn don. Let’s shiba Variant: shiva. take shelter under here until the shilin n. shilling, quarter (25 rain stops. — n. shelter. Di bwai cents). Mista, pleez fi shilin neva ga no shelta oava ih hed. mek Ah bai sohnting fi eet? Sir, The boy didn’t have any shelter could I please have twenty-five over his head. cents so that I can buy something shenk n. shin. Ah lik mi shenk to eat? wen Ah mi-di ron op di step. I shimeez n. vest worn under hit my shin when I was running one’s shirt. Put aan wahn up the stairs. — v. strike one’s shimeez anda di baybi shot mek elbow or shin. Mis Marva ih noh kech koal. Put a vest shenk mi elbo wid ih nokl. Miss under the baby’s shirt so he won’t Marva struck my elbow with her catch cold. knuckle. shin owt v. pay or shell out tek weh shenks v.phr. take money. Evri mont wi hafu di away shanks; a challenge shin owt moni fi pay bilz. Every move in the game of marbles. month we have to be spending a shepad n. shepherd (not an lot of money to pay bills. occupation in Belize; known shingl n. shingle. Fi dehn only from stories) Wahn howstap mek owt a shingl. Their shepad da wahn man weh main roof is made out of shingles. sheep. A shepherd is a man who looks after sheep. shipman n. longshoreman. Da shipman noa how fi handl ih sherowd (var: sherowl) n. boat gud. That longshoreman shroud. Roaz soa wahn priti knows how to handle his boat sherowd fi ih ma wen ih ded. well. 313 shish Kriol tu Inglish shooti broom shish n. a person or thing of Teresita di shoa aaf jos kaa inferior quality; a worthless shee noa moa dan evribadi. nothing. Dis boat da shish fi Teresita shows off just because hihn wan. This boat is nothing she knows more than everybody. compared to his. See: cheezi. See: ek op. shishifufu n. reference to those shoa2 adv. ashore. Wen wi reech considered to be ‘high Gaylz Paint, wi stay rait eena di society’. Ah si lat a shishifufu boat kaa non a wi neva waahn dehn eena choch fu yu pa goh shoa. When we reached finaral. I saw a lot of ‘high Gales Point, we stayed right in society’ people in church for your the boat because none of us father’s funeral. wanted to go ashore. shitn adj. incompetent. Yoo shoafa n. chauffeur, driver. shitn fi mek da lee lee bwai beet Shee waahn mee di jraiv shee yu. You’re incompetent to let that rong laik shoafa. She wants me little boy beat you. to be driving her around as if I shitninz n. diarrhea. Sayk a eet were her chauffeur. See: jraiva. tu moch mango, Delsi ga shoalda n. shoulder. Ih jrap pan shitninz. Delsy has diarrhea ih han an ih nak ih shoalda owt because she ate too many a plays. He fell on his hands and mangos. See: bad beli, werk knocked his shoulder out of beli, roninz. place. shiva (var: shiba) v. shiver. Luk shoar adj. sure. Shoar, yu how yu deh owt ya eena di koal welkom da mi hows. Sure, di shiva. Look how you’re out you’re welcome at my house. here shivering in the cold. See: shobl Variant: shovl. chrimbl. — n. shiver. Wen di shoola v. finagle, wangle, gyal taak bowt di ded uman, ih connive, wheedle, manipulate. giv wahn lee shiva. When the Ah noh di chrai shoola notn girl talked about the dead woman, fahn unu. I’m not trying to she gave a little shiver. finagle anything from you. shoa1 v. show. Ih waahn shoa shoomayka n. shoemaker. Da evribadi how ih don chaynj ih shoomayka soa mi shooz rong laif. He wants to show everyone gud. That shoemaker did a good how he has changed his life. job of sewing my shoes. — n. show, programme, movie. Wen wi mi-di wach shooti broom n. broom made teevee, wi si wahn shoa bowt da with coconut branches; used blain man. When we were especially for cleaning yards. watching TV, we saw a show Grani laik sweep di yaad wid about that blind man. See: moovi, shooti broom. Granny likes to picha. sweep the yard with a coconut shoa aaf v.phr. show off. branch broom. 314 shooz Kriol tu Inglish si shooz n. shoe. (Both sg. & pl.) mi gi mi wahn showt dis Wai yoo di waak rong wid oanli maanin kaa ih neva ga moch wan fut a shooz pahn yu fut? taim fi stay lang. My brother Why are you walking around could only make a brief visit this with only one shoe on your feet? morning because he didn’t have See: joota. time to stay long. See: hayl, luk shooz heel n.phr. shoe heel. fi, vizit. Beti mi-di step pahn schreet shub v. shove, push (against) Di eena hai heel wen wan a ih lee bwai kohn shub mi fos, ahn shooz heel brok aaf. Betty was dat da how fait staat. The little strutting down the street in her boy came and shoved me first, high heels when one of her heels and that’s how the fight started. broke off. shuda v. should, ought to. Wi shooz batam n.phr. sole of a shuda mi du weh di baas seh. shoe. We should have done what the shot n. shirt. Kerk haal aaf ih boss said. See: aatu, fi, mos, shot ahn waak rong haaf sopoas tu. naykid. Kirk pulled off his shirt shudn v. ought not, should not. and went around half-naked. Yu shudn bak-chat di teecha. shovl (var: shobl) n. shovel. Di You shouldn’t talk back to the man dehn mi ga dehn shovl redi teacher. See: aatn, noh fi, mosn. fi dig di grayv. The men have shuga n. 1) sugar. Bileez sen lat their shovels ready to dig the a shuga owtsaid. Belize sells a grave. See: spayd. lot of sugar overseas. See: kayn. showa n. shower, rain. If yu 2) diabetes. Dakta tes mi ma chek di klowd dehn, yu ku si blod an ih seh ih mi ga shuga. dat wi wahn geh wahn showa. If The doctor tested my mom’s you check the clouds, you could blood and said that she had see that we’ll get a shower. See: diabetes. See: sweet blod. rayn. shuga kaan See: kaan. showl n. shoal, shallow. Wen wi shush (var: shushu) v. gossip. mi smaal, dehn mek wi play Luk pahn dehn too laydi kraas eena showl kaa wi kudn swim. deh di shush bowt pipl. Look at When we were little, they made those two ladies over there us play in the shallows because gossiping about people. See: we couldn’t swim. — adj. gasip, seetful, skyat, taak op shallow. Di boat stok eena di bowt. waata kaa ih mi showl. The boat stuck in the water because it was shushu Archaic. Variant: shush. shallow. shyaa Variant: shayr. showt phr. shout; brief visit. si v. see. Afta di aparayshan mi (Used only in the phrase ‘gi wahn grampa kuda mi si agen. After showt’.) Mi breda oanli kuda the operation my grandfather 315 sichyuayshan Kriol tu Inglish silva could see again. See: noatis, sait. bothersome, troublesome. Dat sichyuayshan n. situation. Ah siknin how da man kohn kohn laan how fi deel wid eni bayg evri day. It’s annoying how sichyuayshan weh Ah fain that man comes to beg everyday. miself eena. I have learned how See: hegin. to deal with any situation that I siknis n. disease. Di pipl dehn find myself in. mi ga wahn lat a difrant kain a sidong v. sit, sit down. Ih tek di siknis. The people had lots of laydi han ahn help ahn fi sidong different kinds of sickness. See: op. He took the lady’s hand and dizeez. helped her to sit up. siks num. six. Jaret mi oanli ga sigaa n. cigar. Misa Joa hihn siks maabl fos. At first Jareth smoak sigaa aal day. Mr. Joe had only six marbles. — n. six; a smokes cigars all day long. See: marble made of clay. pooro. siksteen num. sixteen. Mi daata sigaret n. cigarette; rolled siksteen laas week. My daughter tobacco. Wen yu smoak sigaret turned sixteen last week. tu moch, ih ku gi yu kyansa. siksti num. sixty. Siksti pipl mi When you smoke too many deh pahn di bos wen ih gaan cigarettes, it can give you cancer. eena di riva. There were sixty See: waits. people on the bus when it went signigayt (var: sinigayt) n. into the river. syndicate; informal savings silanchro n. cilantro, coriander; association. Ten a wi eena herb of the parsley family. signigayt ahn wi pay fifti dalaz Coriandrum sativum. Lat a a week, soh wen Ai jraa, Ai silanchro mi deh eena di saas. wahn jraa faiv honjrid dalaz. There was a lot of coriander in There are ten of us in the the sauce. [ 316 simbal Kriol tu Inglish Sin(t) yu wayr silva, ih geh blak wen sin v. sin. Noh mek Ah sin mi yu sik. They say that when you soal ahn lik yu gud. Don’t make wear silver, it gets black when me sin by giving you a good you’re sick. — adj. 2) silver. Wi beating. — n. sin. Jeezas gat mi-di jraiv wahn silva chrok atariti fi fagiv sin pahn di ert. bifoa wi bai di nyoo kaa. We Jesus has the authority to forgive were driving a silver truck before sin upon the earth. we bought the new car. Sindarela Tong n. Cinderella simbal n. cymbal. Di lee bwai Town; a north central area of eena di ban mi-di lik di simbal Belize City. [In the early 1950’s, haad-wan. The little boy in the George Price led a delegation to band was hitting the cymbals England to ask for development hard. money. The Billboard newspaper siment n. cement. — adj. christened the project ‘Cinderella cement. Siment hows stan Town’] harikayn beta. A cement house singl adj. single. Aal a di singl can better withstand a hurricane. uman dehn mi-di luk fi hozban. simidimi n. unnecessary fuss All of the single women were and ritual. Di oabya-uman du looking for husbands. wahn lat a simidimi oava di sinigayt Variant: signigayt. baybi. The obeah-woman did lots sink-ahn-baibl n. the aloe vera of unnecessary rituals over the cactus; used as an herbal baby. medicine to treat diabetes and simpa v. progress with many other ailments. Aloe difficulty, barely make it, eke barbadensis Mill. out. Sharon dehn jos bayli di Sink-ahn-baibl bita bad, soh Ah simpa kaa fi shee hozban noh put it pahn mi titi paint fi mek laik werk. Sharon and her family di baybi stap sok. Aloe vera is are just barely making it because very bitter, so I put it on my her husband doesn’t like to work. nipples to make the baby stop simpl adj. simple, stupid. Di sucking. [ 317 Sisimait Kriol tu Inglish skaan part of the name of a church or siv v. sift; pass through a sieve. school. Wen mi pa ded, dehn Wi mi hafu siv di flowa kaa ih choch ahn da Sin Jozef cherch. mi ga weebl. We had to sift the When my father died, they had flour because it had weevils in it. the funeral service at Saint — n. sieve. Schrayn di joos Joseph’s church. See: saynt. chroo di siv fi tek owt di Sisimait n. Sisimite; a grongz. Strain the juice through malevolent mythical bush the sieve to take out the sediment. creature which resembled a sivilaiz adj. civilized. Dis lee bear but had a man-like head, tong kwait sivilaiz kaa ih ga lacked thumbs, and its feet bank ahn soopa maakit ahn were turned backward. The evriting. This little town is quite female is called ‘Sisimaita’. Its civilized because it has a bank, a characteristics were supermarket and everything. sometimes intertwined with sizaz n. scissors. Han mi da those of Tata Duhendeh, sizaz mek Ah kot di schring. another mythical character. Hand me the scissors so I can cut See: Tata Duhendeh. [ 319 skip Kriol tu Inglish skrayp outside layer of fruit. Di oal how dehn ku get een fi teef. The laydi slip dong pahn wahn boys went to case the shop to see banaana skin ahn brok ih fut. how they could get in to steal. The old lady slipped and fell on a skowt n. scout. Jerimi jain banana peel and broke her leg. Skowt an ih laan lat a ting. See: peelin. Jeremy became a Scout and he skip v. skip rope, jump rope. Ah learned a lot of things. gwehn goh skip wid mi fren. I skraani (var: kraani) adj. am going to go skip rope with my scrawny. Kevin hihn soh friend. skraani dat ih luk laik breez skipin roap n. skip rope, jump uda bloa ahn oava. That Kevin rope. Joani geh wahn nyoo is so scrawny that it looks like a skipin roap fi Krismos. Joanie breeze would blow him over. got a new skip rope for skrach v. scratch. Gyal, kohn Christmas. skrach mi bak wichpaa ih di skoal v. scold, chastise, eech mi. Girl, come scratch my reprimand. Jaysn ma skoal ahn back where it’s itching me. gud sayk a gaahn bayd wid — n. scratch. Di pus gi mi wahn dehn bwai. Jason’s mother big skrach pahn mi han. The cat scolded him properly because he gave me a big scratch on my went swimming with those boys. hand. See: chektaiz, lekcha, rayl op. skrambl v. scramble. Wen dehn skoar v. score. Wi teem skoar chroa sweet owt a di parayd, too goal eena di futbaal gaym evribadi skrambl fi pik dehn tudeh. Our team scored two goals op. When they threw sweets out in the football game today. from the parade, everybdy — n. score. Mi daata geh wahn scrambled to pick them up. hai skoar eena ih tes dis term. skrayp (var: krayp) 1) v. scrape, My daughter got a high score in abrade, skin. Ah skrayp mi her test this term. shenk wen Ah mi gwehn op di skol n. skull. Kevin wap owt di step. I scraped my shin when I man wid wahn pees a boad ahn was going up the stairs. See: peel. krak ih skol. Kevin hit the man 2) scale (fish) Enitaim Ai bai with a piece of board and cracked fish, Ai pay sohnbadi fi skrayp his skull. dehn. Whenever I buy fish, I pay skool n. school. Evribadi pikni somebody to scale them. shuda goh da skool fi laan fi — n. scrape; embarrassing reed ahn rait. Everybody’s child situation. Ah laik how yu lai yu should go to school to learn to way owt a da skrayp weh yu get read and write. eena wid yu waif. I like how you lied your way out of that scrape skoot v. case. Di bwai dehn that you got into with your wife. gaahn skoot owt di shap fi si skrayp daag v.phr. scrape by. 320 skraypinz Kriol tu Inglish skweril Di bwai skrayp daag fi paas ih 2) brush (teeth). Enitaim Sami tes. The boy just barely scraped skrob ih teet, ih gom dehn by on the test. bleed. Whenever Sammy brushes skraypinz n. leftovers, food his teeth, his gums bleed. scraps. Beti gi di poa lee oal skrosh v. crush, squash. Di man aal a di skraypinz fi eet. chrok skrosh di man gens di Betty gave the poor little man all fens. The truck crushed the man the food scraps from the plates. against the fence. See: skwoosh. See: lefoavaz. skwaal n. squall, storm. Wahn skreech v. make a screeching bad skwaal bloa op, ahn di sound. Weh Maaji brayks soh wayv dehn staat wash eena di haad, yu oanli yehr taiya boat A bad storm blew up and skreech. Margie hit the brakes so the waves started to wash into the hard that we really heard her tyres boat. See: staam. screech. skwash n. 1) squash. Skwash skreem v. scream. Di laydi staat ahn pongkin nayli fayva; oanli tu skreem wen ih si di snayk. kaa skwash smaala an ih skin The woman started to scream smood. Squash and pumpkin when she saw the snake. look alike; the only difference is — n. scream. Wahn haad that squash is smaller and its skin skreem wayk mi op layt laas is smooth. See: pongkin. nait. A loud scream woke me up 2) concentrated fruit juice. last night. See: baal, hala, krai. Sayk a waahn schrech di skreem waiya n. mesh used in skwash, mi grani put tu moch screens. Wi put skreem waiya waata. My grandma put too da aal di winda dehn fi mek flai much water in the fruit juice noh kom een. We put screens on because she wanted to stretch it. all of the windows to keep flies skwayr aaf v. square off. Mi from coming in. grampa skwayr aaf wahn pees skreen n. screen. Mi teevee a lan fi gi mi pa. My grandpa skreen gaahn blank blank. My squared off a piece of land to give TV screen went completely to my father. blank. skweez (var: kweez) v. squeeze. Skripcha n. Scripture. Yu mos Di laydi dehn mi-di skweez di obay di Laa a Gaad weh deh sak a areenj fi mek joos fi sel. eena di Skripcha. You should The women were squeezing the obey the law of God, which is sack of oranges to make juice to there in the Scripture. sell. skrob v. 1) scrub. Wi yoostu get skweril n. squirrel. (SKWEril) dong pahn wi nee ahn skrob Sciurus deppei & Sciurus floa. We used to get down on our yucatanensis. Wen di lee skweril knees and scrub the floors. ron op di chree, aal yu si da ih tayl. When the squirrel ran up the 321 skwinj Kriol tu Inglish slak tree, all you could see was his fi ih oan pa. There was a big tail. scandal in their family because skwinj v. cram together, crowd the girl got pregnant by her own together. Aal a wi di skwinj op father. pahn dis bench. We’re all skyandalaiz v. defame, slander. crowded together on this bench. Mis Maaji deh bowt di See: pail op, ramjam. skyandalaiz mi nayhn seh mee skwits adj. quits, even; owing teef ih moni. Miss Margie is and being owed nothing. Ah scandalizing my name, telling don pay yu aal yu moni, soh wi everybody that I stole her money. skwits now. I’ve paid you all skyat v. spread (scatter) gossip, your money, so we’re even now. smear one’s reputation. Helin skwoosh v. squash, crush. di skyat bowt how dehn mi Mayzi skwoosh di roach gens di faiya mee sayk a teef. Helen is waal wid ih slipaz. Mazie spreading the story about how squashed the roach against the they fired me because of theft. wall with her slipper. See: See: gasip, seetful, shush, taak skrosh. op bowt. skwyaa n. square; type of tool. skyata v. scatter. Afta Grani — adj. square; shape. Dehn put skoal di pikni dehn fi mek soh wan skwyaa winda eena di moch naiz, dehn skyata fahn di hows. They put one square yaad. After Granny scolded the window in the house. children for making so much noise, they scattered from the skyaabat n. scabbard, holster. yard. Di kowbwai put ih gon eena ih skyaabat afta ih don shoot di slaa n. coleslaw. Slaa moa helti man. The cowboy put his gun fi eet dan salad. Coleslaw is into his scabbard after he had shot healthier to eat than potato salad. the man. slaata v. slaughter. Tumaaro wi skyaafl n. scaffold. Di kyapmta wahn slaata di kow. Tomorrow dehn bil wahn hai skyaafl fi we’ll slaughter the cow. See: kil, klaim pahn soh dat dehn kuda merda. mi paynt di bildin. The slais v. slice. Goh slais op da carpenters built a high scaffold to bred fi di pikni dehn tee. Go climb on so that they could paint slice up that bread for the the building. children’s supper. — n. slice. skyaapyan Variant: skaapyan. slait adj. slight, delicate. Dehn skyaas Variant: skays. baisikl deez dayz oanli slait ahn eezi fi brok op. Bicycles these skyaasli Variant: skaysli. days are very delicate and easy to skyandal n. scandal. Big break. skyandal mi deh eena fi dehn slak Variant: slek. famili kaa di gyal geh pregnant 322 slayt Kriol tu Inglish sloa slayt n. slate. Dehn yoostu rait eena di hows bikaaz ih mi pahn slayt steda eksasaiz buk. sleepi. My mom went into the They used to write on slates house because she was sleepy. instead of exercise books. See: jrowzi, taiyad. slayv v. work hard, slave. Aal sleev n. sleeve. Da wai Mayri dehn yaaz Ah mi-di slayv fi yu, gat aan lang sleev eena dis hat ahn yu neva pay mi notn. All weda? Why does Mary have on those years I used to slave for long sleeves in this hot weather? you, and you didn’t pay me slej hama n. sledge hammer. anything. See: layba, werk. See: hama, maal. — n. slave. Mi baas tek mi fi slek (var: slak) adj. 1) slack, slayv an ih waahn Ah du aal loose. Sayk a weh di roap mi kain a werk weh Ah noh fi du. slek, di daag get weh. The dog My boss takes me for a slave and got away because the rope was he wants me to do all kinds of loose. 2) lewd. Berti laik gi tu work that I wasn’t hired to do. moch slek joak, ahn dat noh slayvri n. slavery. Fi wee pipl en nais. Bertie likes to make too op ya da Bileez sayk a slayvri. many lewd jokes, and that’s not Our people ended up in Belize nice. because of slavery. slik adj. 1) sharply dressed. Bari sleep v. sleep. Wen wi mi leel, luk slik laik ih gwehn da wedn faiv a wi yoostu sleep pahn wan er sohnting. Barry looks sharply bed. When we were little, five of dressed like he’s going to a us used to sleep on one bed. wedding or something. See: sleep owt v.phr. 1) leave out sproosi. 2) stealthy, sneaky. overnight. Mi baik sleep owt ya Noh chros da bwai rong di hoal nait ahn nobadi neva teef hows kaa hihn oanli slik. Don’t it. My bike was left out here all trust that boy around the house night and nobody stole it. because he’s really sneaky. See: 2) sleeping away from home slikaros, sneeki. with someone other than one’s slikaros adj. stealthy, sneaky. Mi hozban sleep owt da mate. See: slik, sneeki. ih sweethaat nayli evri nait. My husband spends the night with his slipaz n. slippers. (Both sg. & pl.) mistress nearly every night. See: Di lee baybi oanli mi gat aan adolchri. wan slipaz. The baby had on sleep rong v.phr. behave only one slipper. promiscuously, sleep around. slipri adj. slippery. Yu noh fi Da man sleep rong soh moch til jraiv faas pahn wet road kaa ih ih kech AIDS. That man slept aalwayz slipri. You shouldn’t around so much that he caught drive fast on wet roads because AIDS. See: bad bowt, rot bowt. they’re always slippery. sleepi adj. sleepy. Mi ma gaan sloa v. slow. Sloa dong; noh 323 smaal Kriol tu Inglish snak jraiv soh faas. Slow down; don’t has a sailboat that he uses to drive so fast. — adj. slow. Wi freight sand from the river. See: mi ga wahn sloa day da werk saylin boat. tudeh. We had a slow day at smel v. smell. Gyal, Ah ku smel work today. — adv. slowly. Fi yu pat fahn way dong di mee mayd tek lang fi du ih schreet. Girl, I can smell what werk kaa ih moov sloa. Our you’re cooking from all the way maid takes a long time to do her down the street. — n. smell. Di work because she moves so oal laydi ga wan bad smel kaaz slowly. ih noh yooz aamstik. The old smaal adj. small. (Often lady has a bad odour because she intensified by using it in doesn’t use deodorant. See: sent. combination with ‘lee’) Mi aanti smel-bad adj. smelly. Get fahn sen wahn smaal lee teevee fi mi. ya wid yu smel-bad self. Get out My auntie sent a very small TV of here with your smelly self. for me. See: chinchi, kungku, See: frowzi, hoodi. lee. smoak v. smoke. Jaaj ded fahn smaat adj. smart. Di rat dehn kyansa sayk a weh ih smoak fi eena mi hows oanli smaat, yu yaaz. George died from cancer noa. The mice in my house are because he smoked for years. very smart, you know. See: brait, — n. smoke. Sayk a di smoak, kwik hed, sensabl. — v. wi kudn si notn. Because of the outsmart. Kent smaat di teef smoke, we couldn’t see anything. kaa ih mek ih tink seh nobadi smood adj. smooth. Fi shee skin neva deh hoahn. Kent oanli feel smood. Her skin feels outsmarted the thief because he very smooth. made him think that nobody was home. smoodn v. smoothen. Kachreen mi-di chrai smoodn dong ih jres smaatnis n. smartness, wid ih han kaa ih mi luk mash impertinence. Noh kohn chrai op. Catherine was trying to yu lee smaatnis ahn tink seh yu smooth down her dress with her ku put wan oava mee yu noa. hand because it looked crushed. Don’t try any of your little smartness with me and think you snaipi adj. very skinny or thin. can put one over on me. Wen Taami di ron, ih luk laik ih fut mi wahn brok weh ih mi smail v. smile. Di bwai mi-di soh snaipi. When Tommy runs, smail, ahn den ih staat tu laaf. he’s so skinny that it looks like The boy was smiling, and then he his legs will break. See: maaga, began to laugh. See: green. tin. — n. smile. snak v. snack. Eniting deh eena smak n. smack, sailboat. Mi yu frij fi snak pahn? Is there onkl ga wahn smak weh ih yooz anything in your refrigerator to fi ron riva san eena. My uncle 324 snapa Kriol tu Inglish soa snack on? — n. snack. Evri day sneezes so loudly that he often wi hafu gi dehn pikni snak fi frightens us. kehr da skool. Every day we snif v. sniff. Beti laik kohn di have to give the children a snack oapm yu pat ahn snif weh yu di to take to school. kuk. Betty has the habit of snapa n. a kind of fish; usually opening your pot and sniffing inhabiting warm seas. what you’re cooking. Lutjanidae. Ah hayt kleen yala snifa n. sniffer, nose. Slang. snapa kaa yu aal taihn fain see See: noaz. roach eena dehn mowt. I hate snoa koanz n. snow cone. Misa gutting yellow snappers because Berti put chree kain a sorop you are always finding white pahn yu snoa koanz. Mr. Bertie roaches in their mouths. See: put three kinds of syrup on your blak snapa, red snapa, silk snow cone. See: fresko. snapa, yalatayl snapa. snoar v. snore. Di man mi-di snayk n. snake. Mee frayd fi snoar soh haad, ih waif kudn snayk, peeryad; noh kay if dehn eevn sleep. The man snored so seh sohn a dehn noh paiznos. I loudly, his wife couldn’t even am afraid of snakes, period; sleep. regardless of their saying that some of them are not poisonous. snuk (var: bay snuk) n. snook; a See: beed-ahn-koril, kind of river fish. Wen wi kech klapansaiya, rakl snayk, dehn snuk wee laik haal owt taamigaaf, waata snayk, wowla, dehn mowt jos fi si how lang ih yala jaa. lang. When catch snook, we like to pull on their mouths to see how snayk dakta n. snake doctor; far out it will stretch. traditional practitioner skilled in herbal remedies and treating snuk mowt n.phr. person with snake bites, and reputed to unusually thick protruding have control over poisonous lips. Frank lip dehn soh lang snakes, often using them to dat dehn kaal ahn ‘snuk mowt’. Frank’s lips are so heavy that protect the home. See: bush they called him ‘snook mouth’. dakta, herbz man. See: lang lip (under ‘lip’) sneek v. sneak. Mariyan sneek [ 326 sofarin Kriol tu Inglish som op sofarin (var: sofrin) n. suffering. mess with him because Mi poa ma gaahn chroo nof sometimes he’s pleasant and sofarin eena ih laif. My poor sometimes not. mother went through enough sohntaim Variant: sohntaihn. suffering during her lifetime. sohnting adj. something. Ah ga sofrin Variant: sofarin. sohnting fi tel yu. I have soh conj. so, therefore, thus. Ih something to tell you. mi-di rayn haad, soh wi neva sohnweh adj. somewhere, gaahn da skool. It was raining someplace. Ih gaahn sohnweh hard, so we didn’t go to school. dong sowt. He has gone — adv. 1) like that, in such a somewhere down south. way, thus. Wai yoo taak tu mi sojes v. suggest. Wi mi sojes too soh, laik yu beks wid mi? Why difrant pipl fi tek di man did you talk to me like that, as if pozishan. We suggested two you were angry with me? different people to take the man’s 2) very. Yoo soh mizarabl; position. nobadi noh waahn deh rong yu. You’re very disagreeable; nobody sojeshan n. suggestion. wants to be around you. See: sok v. suck. Shee stil sok finga oanli, kwait. an ih da don big gyal. She still sohn (var: som) adj. some. sucks her thumb and she’s Windel bring sohn mango fi wi. already a big girl. Wendell brought some mangos sok teet v.phr. suck teeth; sound for us. See: kopl, wan ahn too. of disgust or disrespect. Marta sohnbadi pro. somebody. sok ih teet afta ih ma, an ih ma Sohnbadi els wahn kohn soon fi slap ahn. Martha sucked her help wi. Somebody else will soon teeth at her mother, and her come to help us. mother slapped her. See: choops. sohnhow adv. somehow. som Variant: sohn. adj. some. Sohnhow Ah hafu geh da moni. (Conditioned variant often used Somehow I have to get that clause final and before words money . beginning with vowels.) Som a di pikni mi oanli beks wen dehn sohntaihn (var: sohntaim) adv. yehr weh di teecha mi seh. sometimes. Sohntaihn wen Ah Some of the children were very get op da maanin Ah noh feel angry when they heard what the laik du notn. Sometimes when I teacher had said. get up in the morning I don’t feel like doing anything. som op v. sum up, summarize. sohntaihn sohnbadi phr. Wen di klaas finish, di teecha moody, unpredictable person. som op aal a weh ih mi seh. Mee noh mes wid hihn kaa ih When the class finished, the da sohntaihn sohnbadi. I don’t teacher summed up all of what he had said. 327 soma Kriol tu Inglish soopa soma n. summer. Di weda oanli whole house. — adj. sound; nais wen soma kohn. The free from harm or damage. Di weather is really nice when man mi soh hapi sayk a weh ih summer comes. son mi kohn bak sayf ahn song. somz n. sums, mathematics. Mi The man was so happy because lee bwai geh aal ih somz karek. his son had come back safe and My little boy got all his math sound. correct. See: mats. son-hat n. heat of the sun. Sayk son1 v. expose to the sun. Ah mi a deh eena son-hat aal day, Ah hafu son owt di blankit kaa ih geh son bon op. Because I was in smel soh bad. I had to expose the the hot sun all day, I got badly blanket to the sun because it burned. See: son. smelled so bad. — n. sun. Wen soni adj. sunny. Tudeh da wahn di son mi geh daak, wi mi gud day fi wash kaa ih soni frayd. When the sun got dark, we soni. Today is a good day to wash were frightened. See: son-hat. because it’s so sunny. son2 n. son. Di laydi mi hav soon adv. 1) soon. Soon wahn wahn lee son weh nayhn Jaaji. big krowd gyada da di skool. The lady had a little son who was Soon a big crowd gathered at the named Georgie. school. See: direkli, rait now. son-ahn-laa (var: sonarinlaa) n. 2) early. Soon wahn maanin di son-in-law. Mi son-ahn-laa laydi hala fi ih son. Early one chreet mi jos laik Ai da ih reel morning the lady hollered for her ma. My son-in-law treats me just son. as if I were his real mother. soop1 n. soup. Ih gud fi jrink sonarinlaa Variant: son-ahn-laa. chikin soop wen yu ga flooz. It’s good to eat chicken soup when Sondeh n. Sunday. Da mi you have the flu. Sondeh, soh wi gaahn da 2 cherch. It was Sunday, so we soop slurp. Da bad manaz fi went to church. soop yu tee. It’s bad manners to slurp your tea. song v. 1) sound. Ih mi song laik aal a di man dehn mi jronk. It soop dish n. soup bowl. Mi ma sounded like all of the men were tek owt ih bes soop dish dehn drunk. 2) use a stethoscope. Ah wen ih mek konks soop ahn laik goh da da dakta, kaa ih invait Paasta fi eet. My mother song yu gud. I like going to that took out her best soup bowls doctor because he very carefully when she made conch soup and checks you with his stethoscope. invited the pastor to eat. — n. sound. Wen di pikni dehn soopa n. a palm fruit that’s mi-di baal, di song ful op di stewed to make a sticky sweet. hoal hows. When the children Culielma utilis. Schoo soopa were crying, the sound filled the kom owt beta wen yu yooz 328 soopamaakit Kriol tu Inglish sopraizin brown shuga. Stewed ‘soopa’ work. comes out better when you use sopoa Variant: sopoaz. brown sugar. [ 329 sorong Kriol tu Inglish spaida mongki sorong v. surround. Di polees enough sugar in the juice, it will dehn sorong di bildin weh di taste too sour. teef mi deh eena. The police sowasap n. soursop: a fruit tree surrounded the building that the native of tropical America; the thief was inside of. large green bumpy-skinned sorop n. syrup. Wen yu put fruit contains a delicious sweet kayn sorop eena yu blak kayk, pulp. Annona muricata. Yu noh ih ton owt gud. When you put fi eet di seed dehn owt a cane syrup in your black cake, it sowasap kaa dehn paiznos. You turns out well. shouldn’t eat the seed from the lovin Joazi ahn Betsi sorop soursop because they are Idiomatic phr. people who get poisonous. along well. Dehn geh lang gud sowt n. south. Yu gwehn dong gud laik lovin Joazi ahn Betsi sowt fi Krismos? Are you going sorop. They get along very well. down south for Christmas? See: th [ dried to make a purgative. spai v. spy. Aal da lee oal laydi Sorosi gud fi yu blod. Cerasee is du da spai pahn dehn yong gyal good for your blood. See: bitaz. aal day. All that that old lady has [ 331 spektikl Kriol tu Inglish splaiyaz dat spekl banaana da di sweetis him behave. wan. They say that speckled spens bag n. condom. If yu goh bananas are the sweetest ones. da shap di aks fi spens bag deez spektikl n. eye-glasses, dayz, dehn noh wahn noa dat spectacles. Dehn pikni laik laaf yu meen kandom. If you go to aata mi spektikl. The children the store asking for a ‘spens bag’ like to laugh at my spectacles. these days, they won’t know that See: glaasiz. you mean a condom. See: spel v. 1) spell. Da lee gyal ku kandom, rabaz. spel sohn big werdz fi soh leel. sper n. spur. Dehn kowbwai That little girl can spell some big boots aalwayz gat aan sper. words, considering that she’s so Cowboy boots always have spurs small. 2) hint. Mayri shee stodi on them. di spel seh ih waahn Ah du ih speshal adj. special. Ah ga wahn hyaa, bot Ah noh pay shee no speshal lee jab fi yu son. I have main. That Mary is always a special little job for your son. hinting that she wants me to do speshali adv. especially, her hair, but I don’t pay her any specially. Noh goh owt eena mind. — n. spell (time.) Wan dehn rayn, speshali sins yu ga spel ih mi luk laik di man mi koal. Don’t go out in the rain, wahn jomp aaf a di howstap, especially since you have a cold. bot den ih chaynj ih main. At one time it looked like the man spin v. 1) spin. 2) spurt; would jump off the house top, but generally refers to blood. Wen then he changed his mind. di naif juk mi pahn mi vayn, Ah oanli si blod spin. When the spelinz n. spelling. Machu knife cut my vein, the blood teecha dehn jril dehn gud ahn really spurted. prapa pahn dehn spelinz. Matthew’s teachers really drilled spinij n. spinach. Wee laik eet them on their spelling. spinij steem oava meet. We like to eat spinach steamed over meat. spen v. spend. Noh spen aal a yu moni eena wan day. Don’t spend spirit n. spirit. all your money in one day. ...spirit tek... v.phr. have a Ah noh noa spenk v. spank, done with the kindred spirit with. wat bot bowt da man bot mi hand upon the child’s hand. spirit noh tek ahn ataal. I don’t Spenk da baybi pan ih han mek know what it is about that man, ih noh toch di aiyan. Spank that but I’m not drawn to him at all. baby on his hand so that he doesn’t touch the iron. See: klap, spit v. spit. Di lee bwai spit pahn pampam, stin. — n. spank. Ah di grong. The little boy spat on gi di baybi too spenk pan ih han the ground. — n. spit, saliva. mek ih bihayv. I gave the baby See: geda waata, mowt waata. two spanks on his hand to make splaiyaz Variant: plaiyaz. 332 splendishos Kriol tu Inglish sproosi splendishos adj. really krak wan taim ahn afta dat ih splendid. Wi mi ga wahn ton spranghed. Lola tried crack splendishos taim da di paati. one time and after that she We had a really splendid time at became a junkie. See: krakhed. the party. sprayn v. sprain. Di man jrap splinta n. splinter. Wahn splinta pahn di grong ahn sprayn ih get eena mi finga aaf a da rof ris. The man fell on the ground boad. I got a splinter in my finger and sprained his wrist. from that rough board. spred v. spread. Di laydi dehn split beenz n. split pea. (Both sg. ron gaahn spred di nyooz bowt & pl.) Lat a pikni noh laik split di nyoo baybi. The ladies ran to beenz sayk a how ih luk. Many spread the news about the new children don’t like split peas baby. because they don’t like how they spree v. binge (generally refers look. to alcohol) Dehn man sidong spoats n. sports. Aal weh mai rong da lee taybl eena di yaad son waahn du da play spoats. aal day di spree. Those men All my son wants to do is play have been sitting around that little sports. table in the yard drinking alcohol sponj n. sponge. Ah stof di all day. See: bleech, paati. kushn wid sponj mek ih saaf. I spring chikin n. 1) frog. (Both stuffed the cushion with sponge sg. & pl.) Wen spring chikin to make it soft. jomp pahn yu, dehn feel klami. sponks n. spunk, boldness, When a frog jumps on you, they courage. Evribadi geh moa feel clammy. 2) young person; sponks fi seh weh dehn tink, especially a girl. Da oal laydi widowtn feel frayd. Everyone di goh aan laik ih da spring got more courage to say what chikin. That old lady acts as if they think, without feeling afraid. she were a spring chicken. spraiti Variant: spraitli. sprinkl v. sprinkle. Wi sprinkl di floa bifoa wi sweep sayk a di spraitli (var: spraiti) adj. dos. We sprinkled the floor sprightly. Di oal man kwait before we swept because of the spraitli fi soh oal. The old man is dust. quite sprightly considering how old he is. sproos n. 1) spruce tree. 2) drink made by boiling the bark of sprang v. use cocaine. Yu si the spruce tree in sugar water how ih maaga, yu ku si ih di and butter. sprang. If you look at how thin he is, you could tell that he’s sproosi adj. sharply dressed. Ih using cocaine. See: kokayn, blayd rait op di luk soh sproosi krak, wait laydi. fi di daans. She’s dressed up and looking really sharp for the spranghed n. junkie. Lola chrai 333 sprowt Kriol tu Inglish stail dance. See: blayd op, shaap op, buttocks. If yu kohn hoahn slik. [ 334 stail buk Kriol tu Inglish stayj new style. yong. You know how I used to be stail buk n. fashion magazine. when I was young. — n. stand, Magi si wahn jres weh ih laik position. Tek yu stan, ahn noh eena di nyoo stail buk. Maggie chaynj yu main. Take your saw a dress that she likes in the stand, and don’t change your new fashion magazine. See: mind. magazeen. stan op v.phr. stand; be or 1 stak n. stack. Wi ga wahn hoal remain in an upright position. Dehn mi stil di stan op said a di stak a buk bak deh eena da hows. They were still standing room. We have a whole stack of beside the house. books back there in that room. — v. 1) stack. Dehn stak op di standad adj. standard. Mi lee buk dehn tu hai pahn di shelf bwai gwain eena standad foa ahn aal a dehn faal dong. They dis yaa. My little boy is being stacked the books too high on the promoted to sixth grade this year. shelf and they all fell down. stanpaip Variant: paip. n. stak2 v. stock. Wi mek shoar wi standpipe, public water pipe. stak op groasriz wen harikayn Yu stil si stanpaip da sohn a taim. During hurricane season we dehn vilij. You still see make sure that we stock up with standpipes in some of the groceries. villages. See: fasit. stakinz n. stockings. (Both sg. & stap v. stop, finish. Yu stap da pl.) Ah jos bai dis stakinz an ih di lait ahn den ton rait. You don ron aredi. I just bought stop at the light and then turn these stockings and they already right. See: don, en. have a run. See: pantihoaz, stap op v.phr. clog or plug up. stay-ops. Aal da grees wahn stap op di stama v. stammer, stutter. Da sink. All that grease will clog the lee bwai stama fahn ih smaal, sink. See: kaak op. — adj. soh ih tek lang fi seh weh ih clogged, plugged. waahn seh. That little boy has stay v. 1) stay, remain. Ah tel mi stammered since he was little, so son fi stay rait pahn di step til it takes him a long time to say Ah kohn. I told my son to stay what he wants to say. right on the step until I come. stan v. 1) stand; to bear or 2) continue, keep on, persist. tolerate.. Mee kyaahn stan kis Ah noh wahn oapm di doa, bwai wid bad bret. I can’t stand eevn if yu stay di nak ahn nak. I to kiss a boy who has bad breath. won’t open the door, even if you See: atalarayt, bayr, tek. 2) be keep knocking and knocking. like, behave, comport or See: kantinyu, kip aan, stodi. conduct oneself. (Often staybl n. barn, stable. followed by ‘laik’.) Yu noa how stayj n. stage. Wen di lee pikni Ah yoostu stan wen Ah mi 335 stayl Kriol tu Inglish stif get op pahn di stayj, ih figet business, the girl started to play weh ih mi wahn seh. When the with her friends. little child got up on stage, he steem n. steam. Di steem weh forgot what he was going to say. mi-di kom owt a di pat bon mi stayl adj. stale. Mi grani gi wi ma han. The steam that was loan stayl bred fi eet. My coming out of the pot burnt my grandmother gave us nothing but mother’s hand. stale bread to eat. step v. 1) step. Ah noh waahn stayn n. stain. Di beriz lef wahn kom een kaa Ah noh waahn big stayn pahn yu pants. The step pahn yu kyaapit. I don’t berries left a big stain on your want to come in because I don’t pants. want to step on your carpet. stay-ops n. stockings with 2) prance, strut; a type of elastic tops. Bifoa pantihoaz showy walking done by kom een, wee doz yooz stay-ops. women. Yu ku goh hed step Before pantyhose came in, we eena yu hai heel til yu twis yu used stockings with elastic tops. fut. You could go ahead and See: pantihoaz, stakinz. prance in your high heels until you twist your ankle. See: stayr v. stare. Ah noh laik how basiflap, bonks. — n. 1) step, da man stodi di stayr pahn mi. I stair(s) (Both sg. & pl.) See: don’t the way that man keeps opstayz Goh sweep di step fi mi. staring at me. Go sweep the stairs for me. stayshan n. station. Wi gaahn dongstayz. 2) step. Di baybi tek da di polees stayshan fi ripoat ih fos step sayhn day wen ih weh hapm. We went to the wan. The baby took his first step police station to report what the same day that he was one year happened. old. stayt n. state, condition. Wen wi stepish adj. forward, si weh stayt di man mi eena, wi presumptuous. Hihn oanli kaal di dakta. When we saw stepish; ih kohn baaj rait eena what state the man was in, we mi bejroom widowt nak. He’s called the doctor. See: really forward; he came barging kandishan, shayp. right into my bedroom without Stayts n. United States. knocking. See: faysi, persnal. Evribadi waahn goh da Stayts ster v. stir. fi liv. Everybody wants to go to ster op v.phr. stir up. Dehn the States to live. oanli waahn ster op chrobl fi steda Variant: insted. prep. mi. They only want to stir up instead (of), rather (than) trouble for mi. See: eksait, rayz. Steda goh bowt ih bizniz, di stif adj. stiff. Di fishaman dehn gyal staat tu play wid ih fren mi-di fait gens wahn stif breez. dehn. Instead of going about her The fishermen were battling 336 stik Kriol tu Inglish stoari against a stiff wind. stinkin adj. stinking, foul- stik (var: tik) v. stick; adhere. smelling, rank, rancid. Noh Hanaasi stik di feda dehn goh yooz da stinkin tailit. Don’t tugeda wid bredfroot gom. use that foul-smelling toilet. See: Anansi stuck the feathers together ransid. with breadfruit gum. — n. stick; stinkin toa bukut n. stinking any non-machined piece of toe: a large tree that derives its wood; includes logs, rough name from the offensive odour made tool handles, rough given off by its hard black fence posts, etc. Jan pa brok pod-like fruit which can grow wahn pees a stik kraas ih hed. up to three feet in length, but John’s father broke a piece of the pulp in the pod has a nice stick across his head. sweet taste, and the leaves and stiki (var: tiki) adj. sticky. If yu pods are used in herbal kech wahn rat eena di stiki stiki medicine to treat skin disease chrap, ih wahn stay rait deh. If and diabetes. . Cassia grandis. you catch a mouse in the sticky See: bukut. trap, it will stay right there. stoan v. 1) stone. Dehn stoan di stil adv. still. Ah stil deh ya afta man til ih ded. They stoned the aal dehn yaaz di wayt fi yu. I’m man until he died. 2) throw any still here waiting for you after all object at. Di lee bwai kohn ahn those years. stoan wahn shooz afta mi, soh Ah beet ahn. The little boy came stin v. 1) sting. Wen waas stin and threw a shoe at me, so I beat mi breda, ih lip dehn swel op him. See: belt, chaans, faiya, big big. When wasps stung my fling. — n. stone. See: rak, brother, his lips really swelled up rakstoan. big. 2) spank with the hand or a small belt. Ah stin di baybi han stoan baas n. stone bass; a type kaa ih gaahn haal dong aal a mi of edible river fish. buk dehn. I spanked the baby’s stoar n. store. Wahn big stoar hand because she pulled down all wahn oapm eena fi wee ayrya of my books. See: klap, weh sel aal kain a ting. A big pampam, spenk. — n. spank. store is going to open in our area Ah wahn gi yu too stin if yu noh that sells all kinds of things. See: bihayv yuself. I’ll give you two shap. spanks if you don’t behave stoar room n. storeroom; room yourself. in which goods or supplies are stinji adj. miserly, stingy. Misa kept. Wi geh wahn man fi put Haabat neva yet gi nobadi notn di baks dehn eena di stoar room kaa ih tu stinji. Mr. Herbert has fi wi. We got a man to put all the never given anybody anything boxes in the storeroom for us. because he’s too stingy. See: See: bodayga. cheep, geechi, meen. stoari n. 1) story; the telling of 337 stoav Kriol tu Inglish stodi a happening, whether true or naansi stoari. You can’t believe fictitious. Di gyal mi waahn what Mary says because she yehr wahn lee stoari, soh Ah tel always comes with some tall tale. dehn wahn chroo chroo stoari [By extension from ‘Anansi’ the bowt wen Ah mi smaal. The spider - a folk tale character of girls wanted to hear a little story, African ancestry] so I told them a true story about stoav n. stove. Dis da di fos taim when I was small. 2) lie. Paal Ah di kuk pahn mi nyoo stoav. laik tel stoari; yu kyaahn bileev This is the first time that I’m weh hihn seh. Paul likes to tell cooking on my new stove. See: lies; you can’t believe a thing that oavm. he says. See: lai. — adj. stob n. stub; end of a ticket. Ah untruthful. Yu tu stoari; Ah kudn goh kalek mi praiz fahn noh bileev yu. You’re too much di rafl kaa Ah laas di stob. I of a liar; I don’t believe you. See: couldn’t claim my raffle prize laiyad. because I lost the ticket stub. haas ded ahn kow fat stoari n.phr. ridiculous story. stoban Variant: stobant. (Literally: ‘horse dead and stobant (var: stoban) adj. cow fat’) Wen Ah aks Kerk stubborn, inflexible, bowt how ih neva kohn fiks mi unyielding. Dis da wahn lait, ih gi mi sohn haas ded ahn stobant pees a pikni; noh kay kow fat stoari. When I asked how Ah beet ahn, ih noh moov. Kirk why he didn’t come fix my That is a stubborn little child; no light, he gave me some ridiculous matter how I beat her, she doesn’t story. move. See: ayz haad, kak ahn bul stoari n.phr. haad-hedid, ga no andastandin, cock and bull story; ridiculous stik brok eena...ayz. story (usually told as an stod n. stud. Jeni jeenz jekit gat excuse for wrongdoing) aan lat a stod pahn di front a it. Chaalz kohn wid wahn kak ahn Jennie’s jean-jacket has lots of bul stoari seh too bwai teef mi studs on the front. baik fan ahn, bot Ah noh bileev stodi v. 1) study. Jaymz du gud ahn ataal. Charles came with da skool dis term kaa ih stodi some ridiculous story that two haad. James did well at school boys had stolen my bike from this term because he studied hard. him, but I don’t believe him at 2) continue, keep on, persist. all. [ 339 swash Kriol tu Inglish sweet powda ‘swanka’ like to be in muddy Aal dehn gyal laik ron afta water. See: tertl. [ T - t taa n. taw, main marble used in brother when they said it was he shooting in the game of who stole the money. See: difen. marbles. Yestudeh dehn win mi taakin n. talking. Yu ku si hihn priti taa fahn mi eena maabl da bushi kaa ih fraitn fi yehr gaym. Yesterday they won my taakin di kohn chroo di rayjo. pretty taw from me in marbles. You can see that he’s a hick taacha v. torture. Pikni, stap because he was frightened to hear taacha mi soal, noh? Child, stop talking coming through the radio. torturing my soul, will you? See: taaki-taaki adj. chatty, lik mi shot, taament. loquacious, talkative. Madaz, — n. torture. Da tes jos now mi yoo oanli taaki-taaki! Ai jos feel laik taacha, kaa Ah neva meet yoo ahn mai ayz don di noa notn. That test that I just hat mee aredi. My, you are took felt like torture because I talkative! I just met you and my didn’t know anything. ears hurt me already. See: chati. taak v. talk, speak. Yu yehr aal taal adj. tall. Bai di taim Jan a Mayri gots, sayk a weh shee twelv, ih mi don taal laik ih pa. taak soh moch. When she starts By the time John was twelve, he to talk, Mary really spills her was already tall like his dad. guts. See: seh. taambwai n. tomboy. Shee da taak op bowt v.phr. discuss, reel taambwai – shee klaim gossip. Ah noa seh yu di taak chree, shee play baal, shee jomp op bowt mi bihain mi bak. I fens fi goh teef mango, ahn know that you are gossiping eniting laik dat. She’s a real about me behind my back. See: tomboy – she climbs trees, plays gasip, seetful, shush, skyat. ball, jumps over the fence to go taak op fi v.phr. defend. Ah steal mangos, and anything like mi hafu taak op fi mi lee breda that. wen dehn seh dat da hihn teef taament v. torment. Mayzi loan di moni. I had to defend my little di taament ih breda bowt da 342 taamigaaf Kriol tu Inglish taiga sayk a hihn mek dehn ma ded. father] Mazie keeps tormenting her taatish adj. having a tart flavor. brother saying that it was his fault Wen yu eet tu moch beriz, ih that their mother died. See: wahn mek yu mowt taatish. taacha. When you eat too many berries, taamigaaf n. fer-de-lance; a it’ll give your mouth a tart poisonous snake. Bothrops flavour. astrox asper. Wen wee gaahn da tablayta n. tableta; a sweet bush gaahn kyamp owt, mai pa made from coconut. Dehn kech wahn big taamigaaf bai fi laydi dong da Malanti mek di wee tent. When we went bes tablayta. Those ladies down camping in the bush, my father in Gales Point make the best caught a big fer-de-lance near our coconut sweet. [ 343 taihn Kriol tu Inglish taitn cat. Panthera onca. Taiga da continually, habitually, wan a di ting dehn weh pikni persistently. Evri taim Ah tel aalwayz eksaitid fi si da di zoo. dis pikni noh kom een ya wid ih The jaguar is one of the things modi fut, an ih stil du it. I’m that children are always excited always telling this child not to about seeing at the zoo. See: come in here with his muddy feet, jagwa. and he still does it. See: stay, red taiga n.phr. cougar. Wahn stodi. red taiga nayli eet aaf Gari fut. no taim adv. never. Ivet no A cougar almost ate off Gary’s taim goh da Anjru hows. Yvette foot. never goes to Andrew’s house. taiga kyat n.phr. ocelot or See: neva. margay. Felis Pardalis, taim2 n. thyme. Wen yu put Leopardus pardalis, &/or Felis taim eena yu beenz, ih tays gud. wiedii. When you put thyme in your taihn Variant: taim. beans, it tastes good. tail n. tile. Aal di tail dehn eena taip v. type. Yu hafu laan fi taip di baachroom hafu chaynj kaa if yu waahn dis jab. You have to dehn di brok op now. All of the learn to type if you want this job. tiles in the bathroom have to be tait adj. tight. Wahn tait nat mi changed because they’re breaking deh eena di chred an Ah kudn up now. loos it. There was a tight knot in tailit n. toilet. Da mi di haadis the thread and I couldn’t untie it. ting fi geh mi sista fi yooz di — adv. tightly. Shee aalwayz ga tailit wen ih mi leel kaa shee mi hidayk kaa ih ma koam ih hyaa frayd fi it. It was the hardest tu tait. She always has headaches thing to get my sister to use the because her mother combs her toilet when she was small hair too tightly. because she was afraid of it. See: tai-tai adv. even, tied (related chroan, lachreen, soorij, generally to sports). Wi gat too watsaid. fos plays praiz kaa Jan ahn taim1 (var: taihn) n. time. Eena Mayri kom een tai-tai. We have no taim di nyooz gaahn two first place prizes because evriway. In no time the news John and Mary came in dead went everywhere. even. aal taim/taihn phr. all the taitl surname. Fi dehn taitl da time, always. Ah hayt kleen Smaal, ahn pipl laaf aata dehn yala snapa kaa yu aal taihn fain kaa aal a dehn big ahn fat. see roach eena dehn mowt. I Their surname is Small, and hate gutting yellow snappers people laugh at them because all because you are always finding of them are big and fat. white roaches in their mouths. taitn v. tighten. Hari taitn di evri taim/taihn adv. always, 344 tai-tong Kriol tu Inglish taahnfoora roap gud rong di poas mek di kloaz fi takl wen ih goh hoahn. boat noh jrif weh. Harry Doreen says that she has a big tightened the rope around the post bundle of clothes to tackle when well so the boat wouldn’t drift she goes home. away. taks1 v. tax. Dehn taks wi gud taitn op v.phr. straighten up. pahn dis kaa da boada. They Bwai, taitn op, er els yu wahn si taxed us a lot on this car at the weh wahn hapm tu yu. Boy, border. — n. tax. Evri yaa wi straighten up, or else you’ll see pay wi taks. Every year we pay what’s going to happen to you. our taxes. tai-tong adj. having a lisp. Hihn taks2 n. tack. (Both sg. & pl.) kyaahn seh no wod wid ‘s’ gud Jooni stan op pahn wahn taks kaa ih tai-tong. He can’t any an ih gaahn schrayt chroo ih word with ‘s’ well because he has fut. Junior stepped on a tack and a lisp. it went straight through his foot. taiya n. tyre. Wid aal dehn taksiman n. taxi driver. Aks di pongcha weh Ah geh, Ah stil taksiman humoch ih wahn noh noa how fi chaynj taiya. chaaj fi kehr yu da haaspital. With all the blow-outs that I get, I Ask the taxi driver how much still don’t know how to change a he’ll charge to take you to the tyre. See: weel. hospital. taiyad v. make tired. Dehn naizi talarayt Variant: atalarayt. pikni taiyad mi owt. The noisy tolerate. children tired me out. — adj. talawala v. 1) paste, apply Wi tel di bwai dat tired, weary. paste. Da wai yu gaahn wi mi taiyad a ih naansens. We talawala fi yoo hed wid grees told the boy that we were tired of fa? Why did you go and paste his nonsense. See: jrowzi, sleepi. your head up with that grease? tak v. tack; sew on by hand. See: pays. 2) daub with mud. (Always followed by ‘aan’) Di lee — n. a hairy-looking plant gyal ma tak aan bak di boa pan used as an herbal medicine for ih hat kaa ih mi kom aaf. The treating high blood pressure. little girl’s mother tacked the bow tamaales n. tamales. (Both sg. & back on her hat because it had pl.) Misa Jan hihn put lee bit a come off. meet eena ih tamaales. Mr. John takayda v. make a wall out of puts a little bit of meat in his native materials. Mi pa tamales. [Sp. ‘tamales’] takayda di kichin owt a bambu. taahnfoora n. a vexatious or My father made the kitchen walls sulky mood. Wen yu kom owt out of bamboo. See: paataaf. a yu taahnfoora, Ah wahn takl (var: tekl) v. tackle. Doreen reezn wid yu, gyal. When you seh ih ga wahn big bongl a come out of your sulky mood, I 345 tambareen Kriol tu Inglish tara will reason with you, girl. hows fahn tap tu batam. The tambareen n. tambourine. police searched the house from Aireen lik da tambareen da top to bottom. choch wosa dan ih waahn brok tap2 n. top; child’s toy. Di lee ahn. Irene beats that tambourine bwai sidong hoal aftanoon di in church just as if she wants to play wid ih tap kaa ih laik si break it. how ih spin. The little boy spent tambran n. tamarind tree; pulp the entire afternoon playing with from its seed pods is used to his top because he likes to see it make a cooling drink. spin. Tamarindus indica L. Wen yu eet tapik n. topic. Mek wi chaynj di tambran, ih mek yu mek op yu tapik bifoa wi mowt geh wi fays weh ih soh sowa. When you eena chrobl. Let’s change the eat tamarind, it makes you topic before our mouths get us in grimace because it’s so sour. trouble. See: sobjek. tambran sweet n.phr. tapnachik n. 1) rufous-necked tamarind ball; sugared balls wood-rail. Aramides axillaris. made from the pulp and seed 2) tuft of hair on top of the of the tamarind pods. Mis head. Ah noh noa wai Paal noh Mayri mek fi shee tambran shayv aaf da lee tapnachik weh sweet wid brong shuga. Miss di stik op pahn tap a ih hed. I Mary makes her tamarind balls don’t know why Paul doesn’t with brown sugar. shave off that little tuft of hair tangl (var: tengl) v. tangle. Sheri that is sticking up on top of his hyaa tangl op wen yu noh koam head. it az ih don wash. Sherry’s hair taps adj. tops, the best. Gilbert tangles when it isn’t combed right da taps eena fiks kaa. Gilbert is after it’s washed. See: nat. tops at fixing cars. See: bes, tanjareen (var: tanjarinj) n. gudis. tangerine. Tanjareen eeziya fi tara1 adj. thorough. Afta wi eet, peel dan hareenj. Tangerines are wi hafu du wahn tara kleen op easier to peel than oranges. a evriting. After we eat, we have tanjarinj Variant: tanjareen. to do a thorough clean up of tanks v. thanks; express everything. appreciation. Tanks fi aal weh tara2 adj. another; entirely yu du, gyal. Thanks for all that different.(Often used in you did, girl. See: tenk yu. gossip.) Randi seh wahn ting, — n. thanks. Wi hafu gi Gaad ahn Mini tel mi wahn tara ting, tanks fi spayr wi laif. We have soh Ah noh noa hoo fi bileev. to give God thanks for sparing Randy said one thing, and Minnie our life. told me an entirely different tap1 n. 1) top. Polees saach di thing, so I don’t know whom to believe. See: ada, nada, neks. 346 tas Kriol tu Inglish taym tas (var: taas) n. 1) task, job. Yu specifically one trying to act ga wahn big tas hed a yoo fi young. Derogatory. Da oal kleen owt da hows. You have a tataram stil di chays afta yong big job ahead of you cleaning that gyal. That old fool still chases house. See: layba, jab, werk. after young girls. [tata ‘daddy’ + 2) a unit of land measurement ram = ‘old goat’] equal to half an acre. Mee ahn taybl v. table; the process of mi son geh wahn tas eech fi making a flat top surface from chap owt. My son and I each got a log. — n. table; a piece of half an acre of land to chop and furniture. Disya taybl weh wi di clean. [Perhaps derived from the eet rong da fahn mi grayt grayt English word ‘task’ which grani. This table that we’re indicated the amount of land that eating around is from my great could be worked by one man in great grandmother. one day.] tayblklaat n. tablecloth. Dis Tata Duhendeh n. mythical tayblklaat weh spred pahn di forest character: known among taybl da weh mi ma krosheh. older Kriol people as a tall My mother crocheted this black hairy man whose feet tablecloth that’s spread on the are turned backward and who table. has no thumbs. This character tayblz n. multiplication tables. has become fused with the Mai lee bwai don noa aal ih Maya-Mestizo figure called tayblz aredi. My little boy ‘Tata Duende’ who is a dwarf already knows all of his wearing a big hat and coarse multiplication tables. clothing, and who kidnaps and eats children. Stories of tayl n. tail; hindermost part of characters like this were told something. Fi wi daag ga wahn not only to entertain, but to lee kungku tayl. Our dog has a discipline children and keep very small tail. them close to home. Mi grani frak tayl n.phr. hem. Joan seh dat if yu eva meet Tata gaahn hoahn wid ih frak tayl Duhendeh, yu fi ben een yu tom rip owt kaa ih kech eena fait. dehn fi mek ih kyaahn kot dehn Joan went home with her hem aaf. My granny says if we ever ripped out because she got into a meet Tata Duende, we should fight. bend our thumbs toward the tayla n. tailor. Di tayla mek mi palms of our hands so he won’t hozban pants tu big. The tailor cut them off. [Afr. Bantu ‘taat’ made my husband’s pants too big. father (archaic Kriol used ‘taata’ taym v. tame. Man don taym aal for ‘grandfather’ when talking to kain a animal, bot nobadi kudn children) Sp. ‘duende’ spirit, taym di tong. Man has tamed all fairy] kinds of animals, but nobody can tataram n. an old fool; 347 tayp Kriol tu Inglish teef tame the tongue. tayta n. theatre. Di prais a tayta tayp v. tape. Ah tayp op di buk tikit wahn kip poa pipl owt. The kaa ih mi tayr. I taped up the price of theater tickets will keep book because it was torn. poor people out. — n. tape. Bai wahn roal a tayp tee n. 1) tea. Ah jrink wahn kop mek wi rap di gif. Buy a roll of a tee dis maanin. I drank a cup tape so that we can wrap the gift. of tea this morning. 2) breakfast. tayr v. 1) tear, rip. Di lee gyal Ah gwehn da maakit afta Ah jrap pahn di grong ahn tayr ih jrink mi tee. I’m going to the kloaz. The little girl fell on the market after I’ve had my ground and tore her clothes. breakfast. 3) supper. Wi jrink 2) beat, thrash. Dehn wahn tayr tee wid sasij ahn cheez dis fi yoo shot sayk a get hoahn eevnin. We had sausage and layt. They’ll beat you soundly cheese for supper this evening. because you got home late. See: See: sopa. beet, dip, lada, lays, lash, wap. teebag n. teabag. Mai ma jraa — n. tear, rip. Ah ga wahn tayr too teebag tugeda kaa ih laik ih eena mi pants sayk a di hap tee schrang. My mother likes to fens. I have a tear in my pants use two teabags at a time because from when I jumped over the she likes her tea to be strong. fence. teech v. teach. Yu kyaahn tayr op phr. ragged. ekspek di pikni fi noa how fi tayrin adj. torn. Yu kyaahn goh wash wen yu neva teech ahn. owt eena dehn tayrin pants. You can’t expect the child to You can’t go out in those torn know how to wash when you pants. — n. beating, spanking, haven’t taught him. See: laan. whipping. (Generally refers to teecha n. teacher. Da teecha parental discipline) Shelmadeen shee kyaahn teech ataal. That tek wahn tayrin wen ih stay owt teacher doesn’t know how to layt da nait. Shelmadine gets a teach at all. beating when she stays out late at teechin n. teaching. Wi laik night. See: lashin, wapin. sohn a ih teechin, bot noh aal. tays v. taste. Da laik notn tays We like some of his teaching, but gud wen yu ga wahn koal. not all. Nothing seems to taste as it teef v. 1) steal. Da man ku teef should when you have a cold. — shuga fahn aaf a bon an aal. n. Dis dina noh ga no taste. That man could even steal sugar tays. This meal doesn’t have any from a bun. See: jak. 2) steal by taste. See: flayva. cheating. Di shap man mosi taysti adj. tasty. Ah injai aal a di teef mi kaa dis meet luk lee bit. taysti pai ahn kayk dehn. I The shopkeeper must have enjoy all of the tasty pies and cheated me because this doesn’t cakes. look like much meat. 348 teefin Kriol tu Inglish tek — n. thief. Wahn teef brok your two front teeth come out, eena mi hows laas nait ahn they call you ‘toothless sugar’. gaahn wid mi teevee. A thief teevee n. television. Notn broke into my house last night sensabl shoa pahn teevee and went away with my TV. dehnya dayz. Nothing sensible teef chaans v.phr. sneak in. shows on television these days. Wi gaahn teef chaans fi pik See: telivijan. mango eena Misa Wilbot yaad, teez v. tease. Joa teez di lee gyal an ih chays wi owt wid wahn til ih krai. Joe teased the little pees a too bai foa. We sneaked girl until she cried. See: jinks. into Mr. Wilbert’s yard to steal mangos and he chased us out with tek v. 1) take, accept. Ah hori a big two-by-four. See: sneek. tek di moni owt a ih han bifoa ih chaynj ih main. I hurried to adj. Da teefin teefin thieving. take the money out of her hand shap man rong di layn shaat mi before she changed her mind. pahn mi meet, ahn fi si ih goh 2) be effective. Aal di advais da cherch! That thieving man in weh Bernis ma gi ahn neva tek the shop around the lane shorted ataal. All of the advice that me on my meat, and he goes to Bernice’s mother gave her wasn’t church too! effective at all. 3) tolerate, bear. teefinis n. thievery. Elinor Ah noh di tek nohmoh fool fahn ophoal ih son eena ih teefinis da man. I am not tolerating any kaa ih mek ih kip di ting dehn more nonsense from that man. weh ih teef. Elinor supports her See: atalarayt, bayr, stan. son in his thievery because she tek een v.phr. 1) take allows him to keep the things that advantage of. Paal tek een he steals. Randi jos kaa Randi kyaahn teenayja n. teenager. Deez dayz fait. Paul took advantage of az yu pikni ton teenayja, dehn Randy because Randy can’t fight staat tu gi chrobl. These days as well. See: chaans, du op, (tek) your children become teenagers, advantij. 2) to be overcome by they start to give trouble. a sudden or unexpected illness teet n. tooth. (Both sg. & pl.) or sickness. Mi ma tek een wid Wahn teet way da bak a mi bad payn-a-beli, soh wi rosh mowt mi-di hat mi. A tooth at ahn da haaspital. My mother got the back of my mouth was sick suddenly with a severe pain hurting me. See: bof teet, faak in her stomach, so we rushed her teet, jaa teet, piyaano teet, sok to the hospital. teet. tek plays v.phr. happen, no teet shuga phr. Wen yu occur, take place. Evriting smaal ahn yu too front teet kom wahn tek plays jos laik weh di owt, dehn kaal yu ‘no teet man mi seh. Everything will shuga’. When you’re small and happen just like the man said. 349 tekl Kriol tu Inglish terd See: hapm. yestudeh. The temperature went tek weh v.phr. take away. all the way to ninety yesterday. Dehn wahn tek weh di pikni temtayshan n. temptation. Wi weh fahn dehn ma. They’ll take ga wahn lat a temtayshan eena the children away from their dis laif. We have many mother. temptations in this life. tekl Variant: takl. ten num. ten. Mi lee daata bloa tel v. tell. Ai tel yu, da krowd mi owt di hoal ten kyandl pan ih big. I tell you, that crowd was bertday kayk. My little daughter big. blew out all ten candles on her tel aaf v.phr. tell off; berate, birthday cake. rebuke harshly. Beril gaahn ten tu v. attend to, look after, way da skool gaahn tel aaf di take care of. Mi nayba ten tu ih prinsipal kaa ih beet ih daata. waif gud wen ih mi sik. My Beryl went all the way to school neighbour took good care of his to berate the principal because he wife when she was sick. See: beat her daughter. See: bles...aaf, main, tek kayr a. chrays...aaf, kos aaf, yooz op. tengl Variant: tangl. tela n. teller. Lang lain mi deh tenis n. sneakers, tennis shoes. da bank ahn oanli wan tela Jaaj mi hafu geh nyoo tenis fi mi-di werk. There were long ron di rays wid. George had to lines at the bank and only one get new tennis shoes to run the teller was working. race. See: saal fizik. telivijan n. television. Ai don si tenk yu phr. thank you. Tenk yu da moovi pahn telivijan aredi. I fi aal weh yu du fi mi. Thank already saw that movie on you for all that you did for me. television. See: teevee. See: tanks. temp v. tempt. Di debl temp mi tent1 tent. Mi granfaada yoostu fi teef di moni. The devil liv eena wahn lee tent. My tempted me to steal the money. grandfather used to live in a small tempa n. temper. Noh geh Linda tent. hozban owt kaa ih ga wahn bad tent2 adj. tenth. Wi wahn mek tempa. Don’t get Linda’s wahn kayk fi Telma tent husband angry because he has a bertday. We’ll make a cake for bad temper. Thelma’s tenth birthday. templ n. temple. Di Jooish pipl terabl adj. terrible. Sanjra mi ga dehn doz goh da dehn templ fi wahn terabl hidayk laas nait. wership Gaad. The Jewish Sandra had a terrible headache people used to go to their temple last night. See: harabl. to worship God. terd adj. third. Babzi da di terd tempricha n. temperature. Di wahn fahn di en a di lain. Babsy tempricha gaahn way da nainti is the third one from the end of 350 teritori Kriol tu Inglish tideh the line. Tina’s son can count from one to teritori n. territory. Nobadi thirteen. kyaahn goh dong da schreet terti (var: toti) num. thirty. Aivan kaaz dat da dehn bad bwai seh ih wahn geh marid wen ih teritori. Nobody can go down terti. Ivan said that he’ll get that street because it’s those bad married when he’s thirty. boys’ territory. tertl (var: terkl) n. turtle. Yu Terk n. Turk, person of hafu dig di tertl owt a dehn shel Middle-Eastern descent. Terks fi geh di meet fi kuk. You have yoostu ga lat a di stoar dehn to dig the turtle out of its shell to bifoa soh moch Indyan kohn da get the meat to cook. See: aksbil, Bileez. Middle-Easterners used to bokotora, hikiti, lagrahed, own many of the stores before so swanka. many Indians came to Belize. tertl shel ban n. turtle shell terki n. turkey. Mi aanti bayk band; traditional Garifuna wahn big terki fi Krismos. My musical group. Di lee bwai aunt baked a big turkey for dehn get tugeda ahn geh sohn Christmas. See: Krismos bod, shel aaf a sohn tertl ahn seh gabla. dehn mek op wahn tertl shel terkl Variant: tertl. ban. The little boys got together and got some turtle shells and termomita n. thermometer. Di said that they were putting ners put wahn termomita anda together a turtle shell band. di baybi tong fi si if ih ga feeva. The nurse put a thermometer Terzdeh n. Thursday. Terzdeh under the baby’s tongue to see if da mi ma bertday. Thursday is he has a fever. my mother’s birthday. tern n. turn; sequential order. tes v. test. Wi pikni dehn di Ma, da mai tern fi get eena di aalwayz chrai fi tes wi. Our swing ahn Jani noh waahn kom children are always trying to test owt. Mom, it’s my turn to get us. — n. test. Evri day di into the swing and Johnny teecha gi dehn wahn lee tes. doesn’t want to get off. Everyday the teacher gives them a little test. See: egzam. ters (var: tos) n. thirst. Loan joos kyaahn kwench yu ters. Juice by testifai v. testify. Ah gwehn goh itself can’t quench your thirst. testifai da koat neks week. I will go testify in court next week. tersti (var: tosti) v. thirsty. Vera noh jrink no waata fahn tideh Variant: tudeh. adv. today. maanin, soh ih tersti bad. Vera tideh day phr. these days, hasn’t drunk any water since nowadays. Tideh day di yong morning, so she’s very thirsty. pipl dehn noh ga no rispek fi di oal pipl. These days young terteen num. thirteen. Tina son people have no respect for old ku konk fahn wan tu terteen. 351 tik Kriol tu Inglish tita people. See: deez dayz, geh tin tin tin weh ih ga soh nowadayz. moch woriz. That lady got really tideh tideh phr. this very day. thin because she has so many Tideh tideh yu wahn si weh worries. See: maaga, snaipi. wahn hapm tu yu. This very day tin2 n. tin can. Wahn tin a soop you’ll see what will happen to kaas lat a moni now. A can of you. soup costs lots of money now. tik1 adj. 1) thick. Mi pa wap mi — adj. canned. Ih gud fi bai tin wid wahn tik tik belt. My father gudz wentaim harikayn. It’s whipped me with a very thick good to buy canned goods in the belt. 2) rich. Bwai, laik how da event of a hurricane. payday, yu tik tudeh. Boy, since tin kota n. can opener, tin it’s payday, you’re rich today. cutter. Paas mi da tin kota mek See: rich. Ah oapm dis tin a bayk beenz. tik2 Variant: stik. Pass me the can opener so I can tiki Variant: stiki. open this can of baked beans. tikit n. ticket. Wi noh geh no tinait Variant: tunait. tikit fi goh da di shoa. We didn’t ting n. thing. Noh ga wan ting fi get any tickets to go to the show. fu wid hihn. Don’t have a thing tikl Variant: tiklish. v. tickle. to do with him. tiklish (var: tikl) v. tickle. tingreh n. sting ray. Wen Enitaim dehn tiklish mi tu tingreh stin yu, ih oanli hat. moch, Ah peepi miself. When a sting ray stings you, it Whenever they tickle me too really hurts. much, I wet myself. — adj. tinin adj. tin, made of tin. Wen ticklish. Ai tiklish anda mai fut wi mi smaal, wi yoostu jrink tee batam. I’m ticklish on the owt a tinin kop. When we were bottoms of my feet. small, we used to drink tea out of til conj. until. Dehn wahn kip yu tin cups. [<‘-in’ corresponds to eena jayl til yu pay bak evriting suffix ‘-en’ as in golden, wooden, weh yu hoa. They’ll keep you in etc.] jail until you pay back everything tink v. think. Di uman mi tink that you owe. See: sotay. wi mi-di taak bowt ahn. The tili n. penis. See: pili. woman thought we were talking about her. See: figa. timaara Archaic. Variant: tumaaro. tinkin n. thinking. If yu noh chaynj yu way a tinkin, yu n. Wilma grani timbl thimble. wahn get eena chrobl. If you aalwayz soa wid timbl. Wilma’s don’t change your way of grandmother always sews with a thinking, you’ll get into trouble. thimble. tita n. older sister. Archaic. Oal 1 adj. Da laydi tin thin, skinny. taim pipl doz seh ‘tita’ fi ‘sista’. 352 titai Kriol tu Inglish tof People in olden days used to say toan beg n.phr. testicles. Sayk ‘tita’ instead of ‘sister’. See: a gaahn lif op da sak a flowa, sista. [ 353 togboat Kriol tu Inglish tonil properly. See: taari. 2) tough; frenz ahn aks dehn fu help. We describes stiff, kinky hair. turned to our friends and asked Derogatory. Maaji hed soh tof them for help. 2) turn into, dat ih brok di koam. Margie’s become. Di lee bwai don ton hair is so stiff that it broke the yong man. The little boy has comb. See: nati, piki. become a young man. togboat n. tugboat. Yu aalwayz evri haaf ton phr. often, si dehn togboat di haal dehn big frequently. Evri haaf ton shee baaj. You always see tugboats di ron da choch. Every time you hauling those big barges. turn around, she is running off to church. See: aafn. [Literally: tokseedo n. tuxedo. Da tayla every half turn] pahn King Schreet mek mi 2 breda tokseedo fi ih wedn. That ton n. ton; measure of weight. tailor on King Street made my (Usually followed by ‘load’) Ah brother’s tuxedo for his wedding. ga wahn ton load a kloaz fi goh See: sizaz tayl. wash! I have a ton of clothes to wash! toktok n. putt-putt; a slow, noisy old boat or vehicle. Wen tonda n. thunder. Big big wi doz goh da Gaylz Paint eena Haatens frayd fi tonda wen ih dehn toktok, ih doz tek lang fi klap. Hortense is already grown, reech. When we used to go to but she’s afraid of thunder when Gales Point in those old it rolls. motorboats, it would take a long tong1 n. town; a town in Belize time to get there. [Probably from consists of three thousand or the chugging sound made by the more people, and there are engine.] seven: Benque Viejo del tom n. thumb. Noh mek yu Carmen, Corozal, Dangriga, baybi sok ih tom kaa ih wahn Orange Walk, Punta Gorda, spail di shayp a ih mowt. Don’t San Ignacio-Santa Elena, San let your baby suck his thumb Pedro. Misa Jaaj an ih waif because it’ll spoil the shape of his gaahn da tong fi bai op fi mouth. Krismos. Mr. George and his wife went to town to shop for tomayto n. tomato. (Both sg. & Christmas. pl.) Tomayto aalwayz mek 2 salad luk priti. Tomatos always tong n. tongue. Wen yu goh da make salads look pretty. dakta, ih mek yu lang owt yu tong ahn seh, ‘Aaa’. When you tombl v. tumble; fall in a rolling go to the doctor, he makes you motion. Wan a di gyal dehn stick out your tongue and say, tombl dong bos ih yaiy. One of ‘Ah’. the girls fell down and cut her eye. tonil n. tunnel. Di man dehn dig 1 wahn tonil anda di grong weh ton v. 1) turn. Wi ton tu wi leed fahn wan vilij tu di neks. 354 tonti Kriol tu Inglish tootpays The men dug a tunnel under the yellow, canoe-shaped bill. ground that leads from one Ramphastos sulfuratus. Di village to the next. tookan berd da di nashanal tonti adj. dizzy. Wen Dayzi kom berd a Bileez. The toucan is the aaf a di meri-goh-rong, ih mi national bird of Belize. See: tonti tonti. When Daisy came off bilbod. of the merry-go-round, she was toolz n. tool. (Both sg. & pl.) Di very dizzy. See: jronki. oanli toolz Ai ga da wahn too num. 1) two. Beti mi ga too hama. The only tool I have is a pensl an ih don brok wan aredi. hammer. Betty had two pencils and she’s toom n. tomb; cement block already broken one. 2) some. Ah monument built over a grave. gwehn goh mek too bred layta. Dehn bil wahn toom oava mi I’m going to bake some bread ma grayv. They built a tomb later. See: kopl, sohn, wan ahn over my mother’s grave. See: too. grayv, brik too a dehn phr. both. Bernis tooris n. tourist. Lat a tooris goh mi laas ih too pikni dehn, bot goh luk pahn di Maiya rooinz wen ih get hoahn, too a dehn mi evri yaa. Many tourists go to don dehdeh sayf ahn song. look at the Mayan ruins every Bernice had lost her two children, year. but when she got home, both too-taim v. two-time; be were already there, safe and unfaithful to one’s mate. Jaaj sound. di too-taim ih waif wid da neks too taim phr. twice. Da laydi. George is being unfaithful mishineri kohn da fi wee to his wife with that other lady. konchri too taim aredi. That See: cheet pahn. missionary came to our country twice already. tootayk n. toothache. (Plural can be ‘teetayk’) Tootayk lik mi too-faiv n. good, close friend. shot hoal nait laas nait, soh fos Ah noatis seh Alis ahn Beti ton ting dis maanin, Ah gaahn da too-faiv. I noticed that Alice and dentis. My toothache really Betty have become close friends. tortured me all of last night, so See: bali, bombali, fren. first thing this morning I went to toofaystidnis n. two-facedness. the dentist. Wi mos kyaaful dat dehn tootbrosh n. toothbrush. Dentis toofaystidnis noh spred mongz seh yu fi chaynj yu tootbrosh wi tu. We should be careful that evri siks monts. Dentists say that their two-facedness doesn’t you should change your spread among us also. toothbrush every six months. tookan berd n. keel-billed tootpays n. toothpaste. Dehn ga toucan; a brightly colored, tootpays weh ku mek yu teet tropical bird with large, 355 torteeya Kriol tu Inglish tunait dehn geh wait wait. They have tubaako n. tobacco. Aal day toothpaste that can really whiten Misa Jan hihn choo tubaako an your teeth. ih mek ih teet dehn luk brong torteeya n. tortilla. Flowa brong. Mr. John chews tobacco torteeya ahn beenz goh gud. all day long and it makes his teeth Flour tortillas and beans go well look very brown. together. tubroos n. guanacaste tree; a tos Variant: ters. large tropical tree with smooth light grey bark and small tosti Variant: tersti. leaves. Enterolobium toti Variant: terti. cyclocarpum. Tubroos chree toti siks n. derogatory term for gud fi mek doari owt a. The Garifuna. [Refers to the mileage guanacaste tree is good for by sea from Belize City to making dories. See: Dangriga, the area where the gwanakasteh. Garifuna settled.] tubungu n. marijuana. See: kali, towa n. tower. Dehn bil wahn weed. hai towa pahn tap a di faiya tudeh (var: tideh) adv. today. stayshan soh dat dehn ku si weh Jaki wahn staat ih nyoo jab faiya deh. They built a high tudeh. Jackie will start her new tower on top of the fire station so job today. they could see where the fires are. tugeda adv. together. Ah hoap towil n. towel. Yooz da big towil dat di too a dehn wahn liv hapi fi jrai aaf yu skin. Use that big tugeda. I hope the two of them towel to dry yourself. will live happily together. towzn num. thousand. Da mi tumaara Variant: tumaaro. bowt faiv towzn man mi deh tumaaro (var: tumaara, mongz da krowd deh da day. timaara) adv. tomorrow. There were about five thousand Tumaaro da mi wedn day. men in the crowd that day. Tomorrow is my wedding day. tu adv. too, also. Ah gwehn tu. tum-tum n. tom-tom; small I’m going also. — prep. to. Ah double drum beaten with the mi tink seh hihn da-mi mai hands. Dehn man fahn Gaylz kozn, bot hihn da noh notn tu Paint aalwayz laik nak mee. I thought that he’s my tum-tum fi mek pipl daans. The cousin, but he’s nothing to me. men from Gales Point always like tuba n. Firemouth cichlid; a to play the drums so people can kind of river fish similar to dance. See: jrom. perch. Cichlasoma salvini. Mi tunait (var: tinait) adv. tonight. ma laik mek fish soop owt a Wilma gwehn da daans tunait. dehn big tuba. My mother likes Wilma is going to the dance to make fish soup out of tuba fish. tonight. [ U - u ud wood. Evri day Dogi ahn aks mi if Ah uda goh luk far Chaalz hafu goh chap ud fi ahn afta cherch tumaaro. My dehn ma faiyahaat bifoa dehn grandmother asked me if I would goh da skool. Every day Dougie visit her after church tomorrow. and Charles have to chop wood See: mi wahn. for their mother’s fireplace before udn v. would not. Wi aks wahn they go to school. See: lomba. lat a kweschan, bot nobadi udn ud lais n. wood lice, termite. ansa. We asked many questions, (Both sg. & pl.) Dis hows ga ud but nobody would answer. lais bad. This house has a bad udpeka n. woodpecker. Tityra infestation of wood lice. semifasciata. Datdeh udpeka da uda (var: da) v. would. Mi grani chrobl kaa ih mek lat a naiz da 357 ulf Kriol tu Inglish vais maanin. That woodpecker is anything about it. See: manish. trouble because it makes lots of unu pro. (2nd person pl.) you. noise in the morning. See: faada Aal a dis hapm rait ya mongz redkyap, pain rij udpeka. aal a unu. All of this happened ulf (var: wulf) n. wolf (animal right here among all of you. known from stories but not — pro.adj. (plural possessive) found in Belize). Ah di sen unu your. Unu baaskit dehn deh owt laik sohn lee lam mongz oava deh. Your baskets are over ulf. I am sending you out like there. some little lambs among wolves. fi unu phr. 1) your (for you) uman n. woman. Da uman weh Dat da fi unu bizniz if unu di stan op deh da mi hozban waahn spen lat a moni fi sweethaat. That woman standing Krismos. That’s your business if there is my husband’s sweetheart. you want to spend lots of money uman fumfum n.phr. a severe on Christmas. 2) yours. Da buk beating; usually done to a man da fi unu. That book is yours. by a woman. Evribadi laaf aata fi unu wan phr. yours. Ah fain Rabat kaaz ih waif gi ahn uman mai bag, bot Ah noh noa weh fumfum. Everybody laughed at hapm tu fi unu wan. I found my Robert because his wife beat him. bag, but I don’t know what happened to yours. [ V - v vaalt n. burial chamber. Da vailent adj. violent. Vailent pipl vaalt bak a Yaabra da weh mi waahn tek oava di konchri. dehn doz beri pipl weh ded Violent people wanted to take fahn yala feeva. That burial over the country. chambers way out in Yarborough vain n. vine. Yu mi noa seh is where they used to bury people sorosi da wahn vain? Did you who died from yellow fever. know that cerasee is a vine? vailens n. violence. Evribadi mi vais n. voice. Wi yehr di vais bot kansaan bowt vailens eena di wi kudn si nobadi. We heard the skool. Everybody was concerned voice but we couldn’t see about violence in the school. anybody. 358 valantyaa Kriol tu Inglish verzhan valantyaa v. volunteer. Chree paak eena mi bakyaad. The yong bwai valantyaa fi help mi vehicles are parked in my back eena mi gyaadn. Three young yard. boys volunteered to help me in veesa n. visa. Dehn ton mi dong, my garden. — n. volunteer. soh Ah noh ga no veesa. They valees n. grip, suitcase. Wen Ah turned me down, so I don’t have a gaahn da Stayts, Ah geh wahn visa. nyoo valees fi put een mi kloaz. vejitabl n. vegetable. Mi pa When I went to the States, I got a projoos lat a froot ahn vejitabl new suitcase to put my clothes in. ahn sel dehn da maakit. My See: grip. father produces a lot of fruit and vali n. valley. Wen Ah mi gaahn vegetables and sells them at the chroo Stan Krik vali, dehn market. mi-di pik hareenj. When I went vencha v. venture. Noh eevn through Stann Creek valley, they vencha eena dehn bush kaa were picking oranges. snayk deh een deh. Don’t even vamit v. vomit. Mis Maad mi venture into that bush because tink seh ih daata pregnant kaa there are snakes in there. ih stodi mi-di vamit op. Miss verdik n. verdict. Wen di joori Maude thought that her daughter bring een di gilti verdik, di was pregnant because she kept bwai ma faynt weh. When the vomiting. See: chroa op. jury brought in the guilty verdict, vamp n. hickey. Da wahn vamp the boy’s mother fainted. yu ga pahn yu nek? Is that a veri adj. 1) very, even. (Used as hickey you have on your neck? an intensifier.) Wen yu lef mi varanda n. porch, veranda. yaad, yu beta shayk di veri dos Dehn gyal sidong pahn dehn aaf a yu fut. When you leave my varanda aal day ahn gasip bowt yard, you had better shake even pipl. Those girls sit on their the dust off your feet. 2) very, veranda all day long gossiping same. Di veri ting weh da man about people. See: poach. mi seh mi kohn chroo. The same vayn n. vein; any blood vessel. thing the man had said came true. Mee noh laik wen di ners juk See: sayhn, sed. mi eena mi vayn fi tek owt blod. verjin (var: berjin) n. virgin. Mi I don’t like it when the nurse grani doz tel mi Ah mos stay sticks me in the vein to take out wahn verjin sotay Ah marid. blood. My grandma told me I should mayn vayn n. artery. Wan a di remain a virgin until I get man mayn vayn bos an ih bleed married. tu det. One of the man’s arteries verzhan n. version. Aal di pikni burst and he bled to death. dehn tel fi dehn oan verzhan a veekl n. vehicle. Di veekl dehn di stoari. All of the children told 359 ves Kriol tu Inglish waaf their own version of the story. man wahn vizhan bifoa ih sen ves n. undershirt for females. ahn owt. God gave the man a Mee noh laik put aan ves eena vision before he sent him out. dis hat weda kaa ih mek Ah vizit v. visit. Ah gaahn vizit mi swet anda mi kloaz. I don’t like ma yestudeh. I went to visit my to wear a vest in this hot weather mother yesterday. See: gi wahn because it makes me sweat under showt, hayl, luk fi. — n. visit. my clothes. See: andashot. Ah wahn pay Grani wahn lee vikchri n. victory. Ai don win di vizit kaa Ah yehr ih mi sik. I vikchri aredi. I have already won want to pay Grandma a little visit the victory. — adj. victory. Ah because I heard she was sick. mi ga wahn vikchri paati da mi vizita n. visitor. Wi nayba dehn hows afta wi win di gaym. I had ga wahn vizita tideh. Our a victory party at my house after neighbours have a visitor today. we won the game. See: ges. viktim n. victim. Di viktim mi voat v. vote. Evribadi shuda frayd fi tel di polees weh hapm. voat eena ilekshan. Everybody The victim was afraid to tell the should vote in the elections. — police what happened. n. vote. Evribadi redi fi tek vilij n. village. Mi vilij win di voat. Everybody’s ready to take krikit mach yestudeh. My the vote. village won the cricket game vowcha n. voucher. Ah wahn yesterday. pay yu wen Ah kyash mi vineega n. vinegar. Dehn doz vowcha. I’ll pay you when I cash lash wi wid shash kaad soak my voucher. eena vineega wen wi mi smaal. vyooz n. opinions. Bileez pipl ga They used to lash us with a sash schrang vyooz bowt dehn cord soaked in vinegar when we palitiks. Belizeans have strong were small. views about their politics. vizhan n. vision. Gaad mi giv di W - w waachri adj. watery. Ah noh at the hospital. laik Mis Maybel soop kaa ih waaf n. wharf. Aal a wi mi deh aalwayz waachri. I don’t like pahn di waaf di wayt fi di ship Miss Mabel’s soup because it’s dak kaa wi pa mi-di kohn always watery. hoahn. All of us were standing waad n. ward. Mi onkl mi deh on the wharf waiting for the ship eena jenaral waad da haaspital. to dock because our father was My uncle was in the general ward coming home. See: dak, pyaa. 360 waahn Kriol tu Inglish waar waahn (var: waahnt) v. 1) want. down. Ah mi waahn goh da Blis fi si di waak2 n. plantation or grove of play. I wanted to go to the Bliss cultivated fruit trees. Ah gaahn theater to see the play. 2) need. plaant tudeh da mi waak. I went Di baal ded; ih waahn pomp op. to plant today in my farm. See: The ball is flat; it needs to be aachad. pumped up. See: need. waakin stik n. cane, walking waahnt Variant: waahn. v. want. stick. Mi pa mi soh oal ahn (‘waahn’ generally becomes week, ih mi hafu yooz waakin ‘waahnt’ before the pronoun stik. My dad was so old and ‘ahn’) Ih deh hat afta di man, weak, he had to use a cane. bot di man noh waahnt ahn. waal n. wall. Di teef loar di man She’s hot for that man, but he dong chroo wahn hoal eena di doesn’t want her. waal. The thief lowered the man waajroab n. wardrobe; a down through a hole in the wall. cabinet for hanging clothes. waam adj. warm. Dehn seh if yu Da Bileez lat a hows noh ga wash yu fays wid waam waata klazit, soh dehn hafu bai evri maanin, yu noh wahn geh waajroab fi heng op dehn kloaz rinkl op kwik. They say if you eena. In Belize many houses wash your face with warm water don’t have closets, so people have every morning, you won’t get to buy wardrobes to hang their wrinkled up quickly. — adv. clothes in. See: pres. warm. Aal a wi mi-di kip waam 1 waak v. 1) walk. Di man mi bai di faiya. All of us were paralaiz an ih kudn waak ataal. keeping warm by the fire. The man was paralyzed and waan v. warn. Di man waan wi couldn’t walk at all. See: noh fi tel nobadi weh wi mi si. chrayps. 2) make a quick or The man warned us not to tell short trip. Ah gwehn da Stayts anyone what we had seen. bot Ah oanli gwehn goh waak. I’m going to the States but I’m waanin n. warning. Wi noh geh only making a quick trip. no waanin bifoa di faiya staat. waak bowt v.phr. walk around We didn’t get any warning before from place to place; never stay the fire started. — adj. warning. home. Mi bes fren laik goh Di waanin lait fi di kaa mi-di waak bowt Sondeh eevnin. My blink fi wahn week bifoa di kaa best friend likes to make the brok dong. The car’s warning rounds on Sunday evening. See: light was blinking for a week jrif, popi fut. before the car broke down. waak op v.phr. walk fast. waar v. war. Dehn too famili Bwai, hori ahn waak op; yu di kyaahn gree ataal; dehn sloa mi dong. Boy, hurry up and aalwayz di waar wid wan walk faster; you are slowing me anada. Those two families can’t 361 waari Kriol tu Inglish Waata Layn get along at all, they’re always attract attention] warring with each other. — n. waasi adj. assertive, fierce, war. Mi grampa mi oanli tweni waspish. Ah frayd fi mi fren wen ih gaahn da waar. My daag kaa ih oanli waasi. I’m grandfather was only twenty afraid of my friend’s dog because when he went to war. it’s very fierce. waari n. warree, white lipped waasi/waasa uman n.phr. peccary; wild pig-like sharp-tongued, aggressive mammals which travel in large woman. If yu luk pahn wahn herds and produce a waasi uman tu haad, ih kos yu continuous racket of bellowing owt. If you look too hard at a and tooth-clacking. Tayassu waspish woman, she’ll cuss you pecari. Wahn pail a waari chays out. See: kakataari. [ 362 waata snayk Kriol tu Inglish wahn waata snayk n. water snake. Yu this year. 2) look at. Wach dis ku aalwayz fain waata snayk flowaz, gyal. Hey gal, look at this eena da krik. You can always flower. See: luk pahn. find water snakes in that creek. — n. small timepiece designed waata wash adj. unstarched or to be worn on wrist, etc. wrinkled. Shee aalwayz gat aan wachi (var: wachman) n. waata wash kloaz. She always watchman. Di teef dehn kil di has on wrinkled clothes. wachi bifoa dehn tek di moni. waatafaal n. waterfall. Bileez ga The thieves killed the watchman wahn waatafal weh nayhn before they took the money. Towzn Fut Faalz. Belize has a wachman See: wachi. waterfall that’s named Thousand wagan n. wagon. Mi onkl fiks Foot Falls. op wahn oal stayshan wagan. waatafront n. waterfront. Di lee My uncle fixed up an old station bwai dehn laik sel fish da di wagon. waatafront. The little boys like waha (var: yaha) n. heliconia to sell fish on the waterfront. plant (also called waatamilan n. watermelon. Da ‘lobsterclaws’ or ‘bird of laydi aalwayz di luk fi paradise’) which is part of the waatamilan fi mek joos fi sel. banana family; the stem has That lady is always looking for alternating bright red and watermelons to make juice to sell. yellow sheaths, resembling waawa adj. cowardly, fearful; lobster claws, containing little weak and spineless. (Usually flowers. Heliconia rostrata. refers to males.) Da lee bwai waha leef n.phr. large paddle- oanli waawa; ih frayd fi ih oan shaped leaf of the heliconia shado. That little boy is really plant; one variety has a white cowardly; he’s afraid of his own underside to the leaf which shadow. See: fenkeh-fenkeh, can be used to wrap meat and frayda, kowad, ma-lehleh, cook it, while the variety week. [ 363 wai Kriol tu Inglish wain wai adv. why. Wai yu aalwayz di wail2 adj. wild. Wi aalwayz rayl op? Why are you always ekspek fi si wail animal eena di getting mad? See: weh mek. bush. We always expect to see waid adj. wide. Ah ga wahn pees wild animals in the bush. a lan fifti aykaz waid. I have a wail3 v. chase. Mi ma wail aal a piece of land fifty acres wide. di lee pikni dehn owt a di hows. waif n. wife. Di man neva geh My mother chased all the little marid kaa ih noh waahn no children out of the house. See: waif fi schres ahn owt. The man chays, ron. [Perhaps 367 wateva Kriol tu Inglish wayr daag eet mi chikin? What! Do last night, so early this morning you know that the dog ate my he ran to the public toilet. See: chicken? See: wara. chroan, lachreen, tailit. da wat phr. what it is. If yu watsnat n. what not, additional aks eni Bileezyan weh da haad items, as well as. Ih bai sohn taim, dehn wahn noa da wat. If kotobroot ahn watsnat fi dehn you ask any Belizean what hard snak pan. He bought coconut times are, they’ll know what they sweets and additional things for are. them to snack on. See: adarels. wat ahn wat phr. what’s way1 v. weigh. Eech a di baks what, what it takes; the dehn way bowt ten pong. Each necessary information. Ah of the boxes weighed about ten need fi noa wat ahn wat di goh pounds. aan wid mi daata maaks, soh 2 Ah gwehn da ih skool. I need to way n. way. Pahn di way tu know what’s going on with my Belmopan, di kaa brok dong. daughter’s marks, so I’m going to On the way to Belmopan, the car her school. broke down. wat moa phr. what’s more. Mi wahn kain a way phr. kind Ah mi laik sista bring aal a ih pikni dehn fi of; to some extent. Vikto wahn kain a way, bot Ah Ah main; wat moa, ih noh neva soh shoar if Ah waahn bring notn fi dehn eet. My sister marid tu ahn. I kind of liked brought all of her children for me Victor, but I wasn’t too sure I to take care of; what’s more she wanted to marry him. didn’t bring anything for them to eat. waychris n. waitress. Di waychris tek lang fi bring wi wateva pro. whatever. Wateva food. The waitress took a long hapm, unu mos obay yu ma ahn time to bring our food. yu pa. Whatever happens, you should obey your mom and dad. wayd v. wade. Di riva mi soh loa dat wi kuda mi wayd rait kraas. watsaid n. 1) waterside; refers The river was so low that we to rivers and lagoons. Ah could wade right across. yoostu goh eena di waata lang di watsaid, an Ah doz kech di wayk v. wake. Wen wi wayk op, lee san schrimps deh. I used to wi hyaa di kyapmta bod dehn. go into the water along the When we woke up, we heard the waterside, and I’d catch the little carpenter birds. — n. wake, all- shrimps there. 2) waterside; night vigil for the dead. Lat a slang reference to public pipl kohn fi di wayk wen Sayra toilets built over the canal. Mi pa ded. Many people came to the pa tek perj laas nait, soh soon wake when Sarah’s father died. dis maanin ih ron gaahn da See: nain-nait, set-op. watsaid. My father took a purge wayr (var: wyaa) v. wear. Da 368 ways Kriol tu Inglish weed weh yu wahn wayr fi di paati? wayz ferda wi si too moa dyaa. What are you going to wear to the A little ways further, we saw two party? more deer. See: distans. ways1 v. waste. Noh ways di weda1 n. weather (often refers food. Lat a pikni eena di werl di specifically to bad weather). staav, yu noa. Don’t waste the Yu beta pik een yu kloaz fahn food; lots of children in the world aaf di lain kaa wahn lee weda di are starving, you know. kohn. You had better bring in ways2 n. waist. Dehn yong gyal your clothes from off the line oanli ku moov dehn ways pahn because bad weather is coming. di daans floa. Those young girls weda2 adv. whether. Ah noh noa can really move their waists on weda fi goh da di paati er stay the dance floor. hoahn. I don’t know whether to wayt1 v. wait. Di styoodent mi-di go to the party or stay home. wayt owtsaid fi taak tu di wedn n. wedding. Wi roas wahn teecha. The student was waiting hoal pig fi Haatens ahn Haabat outside to talk to the teacher. wedn. We roasted a whole pig for wayt2 n. weight. Wid fi hihn Hortense and Herbert’s wedding. wayt di chyaa noh mos mi wahn wee pro. 1) we. (Emphatic 1st brok! With his weight the chair person pl. form of ‘wi’.) Dehn surely had to break! seh dat da wee gwain da Jagwa wayta n. waiter. Di wayta chrip Paa, noh unu. They say that it’s dong ahn di jrink chro weh we who are going to Jaguar Paw, pahn di gyal priti jres. The not you. See: wi. 2) us. Di waiter tripped and spilled the teecha mek wee stay afta skool drink on the girl’s pretty dress. bot wi noh du notn. The teacher made us stay after school but we wayv v. wave. Ah wayv ahn didn’t do anything. wayv sotay mi daata playn pro.adj. . Dat disapyaa eena di klowdz. I fi wee our, ours da noh non a fi wee bizniz. That waved and waved until my is not any of our business. daughter’s plane disappeared in the clouds. — n. wave. Wen fi wee wan phr. ours. Da gyal harikayn kohn, di wayv dehn laik boasi bowt ih hows, bot fi oanli geh big. When hurricanes wee wan beta dan fi shee wan. come, the waves get very big. That girl likes to boast about her house, but ours is nicer than hers. wayz n. 1) ways, character. Yu wahn hafu chaynj yu wayz weebl n. weevil. Wen Ah mi-di bifoa yu ku marid da gyal. siv di flowa, Ah fain lat a weebl. You’ll have to change your way When I was sifting the flour, I of living before you’ll be able to found lots of weevils. marry that girl. See: karakta. weed v. weed. Mi bak di hat mi 2) distance, way. Wahn lee kaa Ah spen aal day di weed mi 369 week Kriol tu Inglish weh gyaadn. My back is hurting me ween v. wean. Mi breda mi hoal because I spent all day weeding a too yaaz wen dehn ween ahn my garden. — n. 1) weed. Dehn aaf a di bres. My brother was all priti yala ting mongz yu graas of two years old when they da noh flowaz; dehn da loan weaned him. weed. Those pretty yellow things weet n. wheat. — adj. weet. Mi in your grass aren’t flowers; ma laik bai weet bred evri they’re nothing but weeds. Sachudeh. My mother likes to 2) marijuana. Di polees kech di buy wheat bread every Saturday. man wid ten pong a weed. The weev n. weave; a piece of false police caught the man with ten hair. Mi aanti yooz ih weev wen pounds of marijuana. See: kali, ih waahn ga lang hyaa. My tubungu. auntie uses her weave when she 1 week n. week. Wi wan week wants to have long hair. shaat a Krismos. We’re one weewi v. urinate. Wen di weda week away from Christmas. koal, Ah weewi lat. When the 2 week adj. weak. Di gyal mi soh weather is cold, I urinate a lot. week dat ih faal dong aaf a ih See: nomba wan, peepi, pidl, chyaa. The girl was so weak that pis. she fell off of her chair. See: weewi aans n. leaf-carrying ant. fenkeh-fenkeh, waawa. Atta cephalotea. Di weewi aans weeken n. weekend. (weeKEN.) da di wan dehn weh kehr leef Ah spen di hoal weeken di du pahn dehn bak. The weewi ants mi hoamwerk. I spent the whole are the ones that carry leaves on weekend doing my homework. their backs. [ 370 weh Kriol tu Inglish wera weh2 adv. away. Mi onkl gaahn comes to Belize. — adj. weh. My uncle went away. welcome. Wi mi ga wahn weh3 conj. because. Ah slam di welkom paati fi mi ma wen ih doa haad haad weh Ah mi soh kohn fahn Stayts. We had a beks. I slammed the door hard welcoming party for my mother because I was so angry. See: when she came from the States. bikaaz, sayk a. wen conj. when. Di toar gaid wehpaa (var: wehpaat) adv. aalwayz si wahn lat a weewi where. Wehpaa evribadi deh? aans wen ih waak pahn di Where is everybody? See: weh, chrayl. The tour guide always wera, wichpaa. sees lots of leaf-carrying ants when he walks on the trail. See: wehpaat Variant: wehpaa. wentaim. weks Variant: waks. wench n. winch. Wen mi fren 1 wel adv. well, quite, very. Di kaa gaan eena kinel, dehn mi gyal mi wel kanfyooz wen ih hafu haal ahn owt wid wench. hyaa di nyooz. The woman was When my friend’s car went into quite confused when she heard the canal, they had to haul it out the news. See: oanli. with a winch. phr. wel dek dong dressed up wentaim adv. when, whenever. Rayman mi wel in one’s finest. Wentaim wi reech hoahn, dek dong eena ful soot fi di evribadi mi-di ekspek wi. When wedn. Raymond was well- we arrived home, everybody was dressed in a full suit for the expecting us. Wentaim ih kohn wedding. ya, ih aalwayz sidong ahn taak 2 wel int. well. Well, weh yoo ga tu wi lang. Whenever he comes fi seh bowt weh da man tel yu? here, he always sits and talks to Well, what do you have to say us for a long time. See: wen; about what that man told you? enitaihn. 3 wel n. well. Wi noa dat fresh Wenzdeh n. Wednesday. Evri waata ahn saal waata kyaahn Wenzdeh pipl pak op da kom owt a di sayhn wel. We minista aafis di bayg fi moni. know that fresh water and salt Every Wednesday people pack up water can’t come out of the same in the minister’s office begging well. for money. 4 wel v. weld. Ah wahn kehr mi wepan n. weapon. Di teef dehn mofla fi mek di man wel it tek di gyaad wepan fos, ahn den tudeh. I’ll take my muffler for dehn tek ih moni. The thieves the man to weld it today. took the guard’s weapon first, and welkom v. welcome. Wi mos then they took his money. welkom Mariyan Joanz wen ih wera adv. where. Archaic. Wera kohn da Bileez. We need to dehn pikni gwehn agen? Where welcome Marion Jones when she are the children going now? See: 371 werd Kriol tu Inglish widowtn weh, wehpaa, wichpaa. hows da fi wi. This house is ours. werd (var: wod) n. word. Yu wich1 adj. which. Wich wan a di mos aalwayz ga rispek fi di skert dehn yu waahn? Which Werd a Gaad. You should one of the skirts do you want? always have respect for the Word wich2 n. witch. Ah kyaahn of God. bileev dehn ga reel wich da werk (var: wok) v. work. Da Bileez now. I can’t believe that man di werk haad pan ih faam. they have actual witches in Belize That man is working hard on his now. See: oabya-man. farm. See: layba. — n. work. wichin conj. but then, on the Deez dayz ih haad fi fain werk. other hand. Ih neva gaahn da di These days it’s hard to find work. paati; wichin ih neva mi waahn See: jab. goh eena di fos plays. He didn’t werk beli n. diarrhea. If yu noh go to the party; but then he didn’t kuk poak meet gud, ih ku gi yu want to go in the first place. werk beli. If you don’t cook pork wichpaa adv. where. Ah noh well, it could give you diarrhea. noa wichpaa Ah gwehn fi mi See: bad beli, roninz, shitninz. haliday. I don’t know where I’m werl (var: wol) n. world. Yu hafu going for my holiday. See: weh, mek di hoal werl noa yu bizniz? wehpaa, wera. Do you have to make the whole wid (var: wit) prep. with. world know your business? Kungoh wid mi da cherch. wership v. worship. Ah wership Come with me to church. mi Gaad evri day, noh mata wida v. wither. Sayk a weh oal wat. I worship my God every man Jaaj ga kyansa, ih di wida day, no matter what. weh. Because old man George wes adv. west. Fi goh da has cancer, he’s withering away. Mongtin Pain Rij, yu hafu wido n. widow. Mi grayt chravl wes. To go to Mountain graama da wahn wido fi faiv Pine Ridge, you have to travel yaaz now sins ih hozban ded. west. See: ees, naat, sowt. My great-grandmother has been a wi pro (1st person pl.) 1) we. Wi widow for five years now since gwehn da wi ma hows. We are her husband died. going to our mother’s house. widowt (var: widowtn) prep. See: wee. 2) us. Dehn noh tel wi without. Ah noh wahn lef ya notn. They didn’t tell us widowt mi pikni. I won’t leave anything. here without my child. — pro.adj. our. widowtn (var: widowt) prep. phr. Wi mos tek fi wi. our. without. How unu ekspek mi fi kayr a fi wi hows. We should mek di kayk widowtn eg? How take care of our house. do you expect me to make the fi wi, fi wi wan phr. ours. Dis cake without eggs? 372 wigl Kriol tu Inglish wishwili wigl v. wiggle. Di snayk stil hows ahn lat fi mi eena ih wil. mi-di wigl op afta di man wap My grandfather left his house and ahn wid di big stik. The snake lot for me in his will. was still wiggling after the man wilin adj. willing. Di bwai wilin hit it with the big stick. fi du di werk, bot ih kyaahn du wik n. wick. Ton dong di wik it. The boy is willing to do the mek di lamp noh soh brait. work, but he can’t do it. Turn down the wick so the lamp win1 v. win. Bileez doz win op isn’t so bright. aal a di saaf baal gaym dehn wikid adj. 1) wicked, bad, evil. eena di Kyaribeeyan. Belize Dehn shuda ares da man fi di used to win all of the softball wikid ting weh ih du. They games in the Caribbean. should arrest that man for the win2 n. breeze. Sodn-wan di win wicked things that he did. See: pik op ahn sloa dong di baik bad, eevl. 2) really good. Slang. rays. Suddenly the breeze picked Ah geh wahn wikid tenis fi up and slowed down the bicycle Krismos. I got a great pair of race. See: breez. tennis shoes for Christmas. See: winda n. window. Luk chroo di bad, haad. winda ahn tel mi wen Ana di wikida adj. more wicked. kohn. Look through the window Tudeh Ah fain owt dat mi bes and tell me when Ana is coming. fren wikida dahn mee wen ih winspazam (var: spazam) n. kohn tu gi chrobl. Today I found muscle spasm. Noh mek di fan out that my best friend is more bloa schrayt pahn yu kaaz yu wicked than I when it comes to wahn kech winspazam. Don’t giving trouble. let the fan blow right on you wikidnis n. evil, wickedness. because you’ll get a muscle Da man wikidnis wahn kohn spasm. bak fi haant ahn. That man’s wintagreen n. wintergreen. wickedness will come back to Gaultheria procumbens. Mi haunt him. See: badnis, eevl, grani yoostu rob wintagreen oagli. alkahol pan ih nee fi ih wil n. 1) will, determination. aachraitis. My grandmother used Sayra ga wahn schrang wil; to rub wintergreen alcohol on her wen shee mek op ih main fi du knee for her arthritis. sohnting, notn ku stap ahn. wiself pro. ourselves. Fi get Sarah has a strong will; when she eniting don een ya wi hafu du makes up her mind to do ahn wiself. To get anything done something, nothing can stop her. in here we have to do it ourselves. 2) will; the legal statement of a person’s wishes concerning wishwili n. Spiny-tailed Iguana; the disposal of his property dark-striped and having a after death. Mi grampa lef ih comb down its head and back. 373 wiski Kriol tu Inglish wosa Ctenosaura similes Da Bileez wi mowt. I don’t like that word that noh eet wishwili, bot wi eet came out of your mouth. gwaana. In Belize we don’t eat wok Archaic. Variant: werk. ‘wishwili’, but we do eat iguana. wol Variant: werl. See: gwaana, lizad. [ 374 wosara Kriol tu Inglish wyaahows eena wosa chrobl dan bifoa. If hung and used to squeeze the you don’t obey your dad, you’ll poisonous juice from grated end up in worse trouble than cassava. before. — adv. worse. Fi shee woz v. had to. Ah had woz tu hows luk wosa dahn fo mee goh way da maakit fi fain wan, ahn fi si shee ga mayd an sapadili. I had to go all the way aal. Her house looks worse than to go the market to find sapodilla. mine, even though she has a fahn King Hatchit woz a maid. hama or fahn Devl woz a wosara adj. worse. Emphatic. bwai Idiomatic phr. very long Ah mi tink tingz mi wahn beta ago. (Literally: ‘from before wen Ah marid, bot Ah wosara King Hatchet was a aaf dahn wen Ah mi singl. I hammer/from before the devil thought things would get better was a boy) Aal a dehn ting mi when I married, but I’m worse off deh ya fahn bifoa King Hachit now than when I was single. woz a hama. All of those things wosis adj. worst. Dis da di wosis were there since the beginning of jab Ah eva ga. This is the worst time. job that I have ever had. See: wul n. wool, yarn. Ah noh laik badis. wayr sweta weh mek owt a wul wot n. worth, value. Yu ku tek kaa ih eechi. I don’t like to wear bak yu ring kaa dat noh wot sweaters that are made out of notn tu mi. You can take back wool because they’re itchy. your ring because it’s not worth wulf Variant: ulf. anything to me. wyaa Variant: wayr. wotlis adj. worthless. Yoo oanli wyaad adj. weird. Ah mi wotlis fi noh mantayn yu pikni aalwayz ga wahn wyaad feelin dehn. You’re really worthless bowt di man weh geh kech fi because you don’t maintain your moles lee gyal. I always had a children. — v. cheat, swindle. weird feeling about the man that Di man wotlis mi kaa ih tek mi they caught for molesting little moni an ih neva did fiks di roof girls. — adv. weird. Dehn fi mi. The man cheated me Amerikan song wyaad wen because he took my money but dehn chrai taak Kriol. didn’t fix the roof for me. See: Americans sound weird when cheet. they try to talk in Kriol. wowla (var: owla) n. 1) boa wyaahows n. warehouse. Di constrictor. Wahn big wowla wachi mi-di sleep wen dehn mi kwail op anda di faiyawud. brok eena di wyaahows. The A big boa constrictor was coiled watchman was sleeping when up under the firewood. [ 375 ya Kriol tu Inglish yaga Y - y ya adv. here. Kohn ya. Come because the grass is too high. here. See: ya soh. yaam n. yam; the edible tuber ya beef ya poak phr. an of the Dioscorea vine. Mi expression to signify mild grani seh dat yaam da wahn displeasure. Ah len ahn nais grong food fi put eena grampa oanli picha, bot ya beef soop. My grandmother says that ya poak, da picha gaahn jos yams are a nice root vegetable laik Sami mowt. I lent her my (ground food) to put in soup. See: only picture of my grandpa, but koako, yampa. wouldn’t you know it, she lost it yaan v. yawn. Ah neva geh nof just like that. sleep soh Ah di yaan op now. I ya soh adv. right here. Kohn ya didn’t get enough sleep so I keep soh mek Ah shoa yu sohnting. yawning now. — n. yawn. Main Come right here so I can show yu noh swala mi wid da big you something. See: ya. yaan. Be careful you don’t swallow me with that big yawn. yaa1 n. year. Ah waahn stap See: gyaap. smoak dis yaa. I want to stop smoking this year. yaanda adv. yonder; beyond, some distance away in time or yaa2 int. yes. Yaa, Ah gwain da space. Yu hafu waak way oava daans tunait. Yes, I’m going to yaanda fi reech di stanpaip. the dance tonight. See: yes. You have to walk way over Yaabra n. Yarborough; the yonder to get to the standpipe. southeastern part of Belize yaaz n. yaws; tropical disease City. Dehn yoostu kaal di causing infectious sores and Yaabra ayrya Eebo Tong kaa lesions on skin. Mi ma yooz di lat a di slayv dehn mi kohn gombolimbo leef fi klayr op di fahn di Eebo chraib. They used yaaz pahn di pikni fut. My to call the Yarborough area Ibo mother used gumbolimbo leaf to Town because many of the slaves clear up the yaws on the child’s came from the Ibo tribe. See: foot. Eebo Tong. [The Yarborough family granted a piece of land yafl v. eat greedily. Da wai yu from their plantation for a hafu yafl op yu dina soh? Why cemetery in this area around do you have to eat your dinner so 1790.] greedily? See: hag op, lash dong, manjeh, nyam, waks aaf. yaad n. yard. Ah wahn hafu chap mi yaad kaa di graas tu yaga n. sore, usually on the hai. I’ll have to chop my yard foot. Da yaga pahn yu fut big laik wahn shilin. That sore on 376 yaga-yaga Kriol tu Inglish yelo your foot is as big as a shilling. on my steps. See: taamigaaf. See: banja fut. yalahed paarat n. yellow- yaga-yaga adj. scaly; sore and headed parrot (southern type) itchy-looking. (Refers to Amazona ochrocephala. condition of the skin.) Dehn flai Sohnbadi tel mi seh yalahed da bait mek fi yoo fut luk di oanli paarat weh ku taak. yaga-yaga. Those mosquito bites Somebody told me that the have your feet looking sore and yellow head is the only parrot that itchy. See: fereh, hashishi. talks. yaha Variant: waha. yalatayl n. a large black and yaha chree n. tree also known brown bird with yellow as ‘sanpaypa chree’ because markings on the tail; it nests in its leaves contain silica and are hanging bag-like nests. rough like sandpaper, and it Montezuma Oropendola & can be used for this purpose; Gymnostinops montezuma. seeds are roasted and can be yalatayl snapa n. yellowtail used to flavor chocolate; snapper (fish). Ocyurus charcoal is made from the chrysurus. See: snapa. wood. Curatella americana. See: yalo Variant: yala. sanpaypa chree. yampa (var: yampi) n. a type of yaiy eye. Variant: aiy. yam. Yampa tays nais eena yala (var: yalo, yela, yelo) adj. bail-op. Yam tastes nice in boil- yellow. Noh kay wehpaat a di op. See: koako, yaam. [ 378 yoozhal Kriol tu Inglish zipa yooz lee stoari wen ih teech wi. usually. Mi ma yoozhwali geh The teacher always uses little bred fahn Pamela. My mother stories when he teaches us. usually gets bread from Pamela. yooz op v.phr. abuse verbally, yu pro. you. (2nd person berate, tell off. Mi baas yooz singular) Yu gwain wid mi er mi op front a mi fren dehn ahn nat? Are you going with me or shaym mi op. My boss told me not? — pro.adj. your. (2nd off in front of my friends and person singular) Bring yu Kriol shamed me. See: bles...aaf, dikshineri wen yu di kohn. chrays...aaf, kos aaf, tel aaf. Bring your Kriol dictionary when yoozhal Variant: yoozhwal. you come. yoozhali Variant: yoozhwali. fi yu phr. your. Dat da fi yu dina. That is your dinner. yoozhwal (var: yoozhal) adj. usual. Di yoozhwal big krowd yuka n. cassava, a variety of mi dehdeh fi di laas gaym. The tuber. usual big crowd was there for the yuself pro. yourself. Noh tek aal last game. a di meet fi yuself; lat a wi lef fi az yoozhwal phr. as usual. eet. Don’t take all the meat for Yoo layt, az yoozhwal. You’re yourself; there are still lots of us late, as usual. left to eat. yoozhwali (var: yoozhali) adv. Z - z zami n. lesbian. See: raba uman. originally made of zinc.] zink n. 1) zinc, galvanized zip Variant: zipa. building material. Harikayn zipa (var: zip) n. zipper. Yu zipa Airis bloa di zink rait aaf a mi kohn dong; mek Ah fiks it fi yu. howstap. Hurricane Iris blew the Your zipper came down; let me zinc right off of my roof. 2) sink. fix it for you. See: baysn. [Sinks were 379 English to Kriol USAGE NOTES (see Guide to Using the Dictionary in the Introduction for more information): The English to Kriol section of the dictionary is a simple directory for the main Kriol section. After some broad categories you will see the abbreviation sp. – which will have lists directing you to specific terms in Kriol. Homonyms in Kriol are indicated by superscript numbers following the Kriol word. Homonyms in English are indicated briefly by a word in parentheses following the main English word, or by the part of speech designation. The key word of a phrase, under which you will search in the Kriol part of the dictionary, will be in bold font. Words that can also have different senses of the same meaning are numbered and listed in the entries in the Kriol section of the dictionary, but not in the English section. However, these senses are sometimes indicated by the part of speech designations or sub-entries under the main entry. Variations in the way Kriol words are pronounced and spelled are separated by slashes (…/…). The spelling under which you will find the main entry in Kriol is listed first, and the variations follow. Ellipsis, marked by ..., indicate that various personal pronouns could fill that space. For example, in the following entry, the … could be replaced by ‘yu’ or ‘ih’ or ‘dehn’ or ‘shee’. British spelling rather than American spelling has been followed for most English words. Many Kriol words look and sound similar to English words, but they may have a different meaning, or they are used grammatically in a different way than in English. We would encourage users of this dictionary to check example sentences in the Kriol section of the dictionary to see how to correctly use the words in Kriol. 381 a English to Kriol aforementioned A - a a art. wahn2. acquire v. get. abandon v. chroa op, gi op. acre n. ayka. abate v. bayt2, jrap. across prep. kraas. able, be v. ku/kud. act v. ak, goh aan. aboard adv. boad. act as if v. mek fi. abort v. chro weh, dash weh, action n. akshan1. pich1 weh. actual adj. akchwal. about adv. bowt/bow, actually adv. akchwali, reeli. pahn/pan3. add v. ad. above adv. oava. prep. oava. addict n. adik. abrade v. peel, skrayp. additional items n. adarels1, abreast adv. bres. watsnat. abroad adv. owtsaid. address n. ajres. abundance n. nof nof. phr. adhere v. stik/tik. nof fi stoan daag. adjourn v. ajern. abuse v. abyooz. n. abyoos. admire v. admaiya. abuse (verbally) v. admit v. kanfes, oan op (tu). chrays...aaf, hag op, yooz adopt v. adap. op. adult n. adolt(s), big pipl. abuse (sexually) v. intafayr. adultery n. adolchri. v. sleep accent (imitate American) v. owt. speek, yenk. advance v. advans, geh hed. accept v. aksep. n. advans. accident n. aksident. advantage n. advantij, opa accompany v. kehr. han. according to prep. akaadn tu. take advantage v.phr. tek accordion n. akaadyan. advantij. account n. akonk. take unfair advantage give account of v. gi akonk v.phr. chaans, du op, hag a. op, tek chaans aaf, tek on account of prep.phr. een. akonk a, bikaaz a, sayk a. advertise v. alvataiz. accumulate v. pail op. advice n. advais. accurately adv. karek. advise v. advaiz, kongsl1. accusation n. akyoozayshan. adze n. adz/aaj. accuse v. akyooz. affect v. afek. accustomed adj. kostom2. afford v. afoad, aybl. aching adj. brok op, payni affordable adj. afoadabl. op. aforementioned adj. sed. 383 afraid English to Kriol an afraid adj. frayd. alike phr. sayhn way. become afraid v.phr. kech alive (human) adj. alaiv, ih kowad. livin. after prep. afta/aata. alive (nonhuman) adj. laiv. after all conj. aftaraal. all pro. aal1, evri, hoal2. afternoon n. aftanoon. all along adj. aal alang afterwards adv. aftawodz. all right adj. aarait. adv. again adv. agen. aarait. int. aarait. against adv. gens. at all adv. ataal. age n. ayj/ej1. allegation n. akyoozayshan. under age adj. anda ayj. alley n. aali. aggravating adj. jratid. alligator n. haligeta. aggressive adj. waasi. allow v. low, mek. aggressive woman n.phr. Almighty adj. Almaiti. waasi/waasa uman. almond n. hamanz. ago adv. abak. almost adv. nayli. agouti n. bush rabit. aloe vera n. sink-ahn-baibl. agree with v. chek. alone adj. loan3, wan. agreeable adj. pleezabl. along adv. lang3. agreement n. andastandin. already adv. aredi. v. don du. agriculture n. agrikolcha. also adv. tu, an aal. ahead of adv. hed a. altar n. alta. get ahead v.geh hed, alternately adv. wan een wan advans. owt. aim v. paint1. although conj. aldoa. air n. ayaa. always adv. aalwayz, aal air out v.phr. ayr owt, breez alang, aal taim/taihn, evri owt. taim/taihn put on airs v.phr. kak op, am v. da4, deh (ya). praps op, primz op. amass v. pail op. airplane n. playn2. amazement phr. mowt waid akimbo, stand v. kimbo. oapm. alarm v. alaam. n. alaam. ambulance n. amblans. albino n. albaino. amen int. aamen, aymen. alcalde n. alkaldeh. American n. Amerikan. alcohol n. alkahol. Amerindian n. injin2. alcohol sp. – byaa1, lika, rom. among/amongst prep. rubbing alcohol n. alkahol. mongz/monks. alert n. lukowt. amount n. amonk/monk. algae n. maraas. amuse v. sweet. alien n. aylyan. amuse oneself v. play, dabl. alight v. pich2. an art. wahn2. 384 Anancy English to Kriol apple sp. Anancy n. Anansi, Anaansi, annoying adj. hegin, siknin. Hanaansi, Hanansi. anoint (massage) v. naint. ancestor n. ansesta, grayt- another adj. wahn nada, grayt-grayt-granfaada. wahn tara2. anchor v. anka/enka. n. answer v. ansa. n. ansa. anka/enka. ant n. aans. and conj. ahn2/an. ant sp. – blak aans, faiyaans, anemic phr. poar a blod. flodflai, krayzi aans, angel n. aynjel. maachin aami aans, papapin, anger n. anga. v.get...beks, red aans, weewi aans. geh...owt. antic n. antik, paiyaso. unreasonable anger n. anteater n. aansbyaa. ignarantnis. antelope n. antiloap. angry adj. beks, braabo, chap anthill n. aans nes. op, raatid. any adj. eni. pro. non. be angry v. fyoom. any time adv. enitaihn/ angrier adj. beksa enitaim. animal n. animal. anybody pro. enibadi, enihoo, domesticated animal n. nobadi. kreeta. anyhow adv. enihow, nohow. animal (mammal) sp. – anymore adv. agen, nohmoh. aansbyaa, antiloap, baaboon, anyone pro. enibadi, enihoo, bush rabit, byaa2, chaali nobadi. prais, dyaa2, dongki/danki, anyplace adv. eniway1, no faks, foa-aiy pasam, givnat, way. haas, hag, halari2, hamadili, anything n. notn. pro. jagwa, kow, kwash, kyat, eniting. mongtin kow, mongki, anyway adv. myool, nait waaka, eniway2/eniwayz. paakyupain, pasam, pikayri, anywhere adv. eniway1, no poalkyat, raakoon, rat, way. ratbat, red taiga, skweril, apostle n. apaasl. taiga, taiga kyat, wulf/ulf, apparel n. kloaz. waari, waata daag. apparition n. bagabu. ankle n. ankl/enkl. see also mythical character. annatto n. naata. appear v. apyaa, dak op. anniversary n. aniversri. appendicitis n. apendiks. announce v. anonks. applaud v. klap. annoy v. anai, bada, bog, apple n. aapl. hasl. apple sp. – gov aapl, kostad exclamation of annoyance aapl, maami aapl, mongki int. cho. aapl, roaz aapl. 385 apply English to Kriol awkward apply v. put een. assertive adj. kakataari, apply oneself v.phr. bok op. waasi. appreciate v. preeshiyayt. assignment n. mishan. April n. Aypril. assistance (financial) n. apron n. aypran. asistans. architect n. aakitek. assistant n. saidman. arduous adj. ponishin. associate v. ranks (wid), heng are v. da4, deh. rong (wid). area n. ayrya. asthma n. asma, presn, area rug n. ayryal rog. shaatnis. argue v. aagyu. astray adv. aschray. argument n. aagyument. at prep. aata, da2, pahn/pan2. violent argument n. attack v. atak. merdarayshan. attach v. hich. arise v. get op. attend to v. ten tu, main, tek arm n. aam, han. kayr/kyaa a. armadillo n. hamadili. attention, pay v. pay...main, armpit n. aam. stodi. army n. aami. attention around adv. rong. draw attention to oneself around there adv. deh rong. v. ek, shoa aaf. arouse v. eksait. pay attention to v. arrest v. ares, bring op, kalek. pay...main, stodi. arrive v. reech/rech. attic v. aatik. arrow n. aro. auction v. akshan2. n. artery n. mayn vayn. akshan2. artful adj. aatful, braynzi. audience n. aadyans, krowd. arthritis n. aachraitis. aught num. aat, naat2. article n. aatikl. August n. Aagas. artist n. aatis. aunt n. aant, aanti. as prep. az. authority n. atariti. as well as pro. adarels1, automobile n. kaa1. watsnat. avocado n. pyaa1. ashes n. ashiz/hashiz. awake v. wayk. ashamed adj. shaym. avoid v. avaid, daj. ashore adv. shoa2. aware adj. kanchos. ask v. aks1/as. age of awareness phr. fan Ah askance (look) v. kot aiy. noa miself. asleep, fall v.phr. jrap asleep. away adv. weh2. ass (vulgar) int. raas. awe phr. mowt waid oapm. assemble v. gyada/geda. awkward adj. akwod/akwaad, blofoto. 386 awl English to Kriol barely awl n. aal2. axe handle n. aks stik axe n. aks2/eks. B - b baboon cap n. baaboon bamboo n. bambu. kyap/mongki kyap. banana n. banaana. baby n. baybi. banana sp. – aapl banaana, baby bottle n. baba. blogo, waika banaana. baby-sit v. main baybi. banana porridge n. back n. bak. adv. bak. kongkanteh. back out on v. badak. band n. ban. from the back phr. bak band sp.. – ban ahn myoozik, aan. boom ahn shain, tertl shel in back of phr. bak a. ban. back talk n bak-chat. bandage v. ban2 op. n. bandij. backwards adv. bakway. bang v. bang. back yard n. bakyaad. bangle n. banglz/benglz. bacon n. baykan. bangs (hairstyle) n. bangz. bad adj. bad, eevl, wikid. bank (financial institution) badly adv. bad. n. bank1/benk. badness n. badnis. bank (river) n. bank2/benk, bad-mouth v. bad-mowt. banksaid/benksaid, rivasaid, bad-smelling adj. smell-bad, watsaid. frowzi, swaati. banquet n. bankwit. bad-tempered adj. kraas. baptise v. baptaiz. bag n. beg/ bag1. baptism n. baptizm. bag sp. – kitbag, krokos beg, bar v. baar. n. baar. malayta, shatbeg. bar sp. – hanspeek, kroabaar, bail v. bayl, dip. rekin baar, peewee. bait v. bayt1. n. bayt1. barroom n. baaroom. bake v. bayk. bartender n. baatenda. baker n. bayka. barbecue v. baabikyoo. n. balance n. balans, res. baabikyoo. baldhead n. baalhed, peelhed. barbed wire n. bab waiya. ball n. baal1. barber n. baaba1. balls (testicles) n. baalz, toan2 bare adv. bayr3. (beg). barefaced adj. bayrfays. phr. balloon n. baloon, bloda. jrai fays, jrai aiy. ballot n. balat. barefoot adv. bayrfut/byaafut. ballyhoo n. balahu. barely adv. bayli/byaali. 387 bargain English to Kriol bee bargain v. baagin, beet dong. Baymen, the n. Bayman n. baagin. dehn. barge v. baaj. n. baaj. be v. deh. bark (sound) v. baak1. be (emphatic) v. bee1. bark (tree) n. baak2. be like v. stan (laik). bark sp. – gwanakasteh, beach n. beech. koncha, provizhan baak, beach sp. – sani bay. seeda. bead n. beed. barn n. staybl. bead sp. – jranko bead. barnacle n. banakl. beak n. beek. barracks n. bariks. bean n. beenz. barracuda n. baro. bear (animal) n. byaa2. barrel n. baril, jrom. bear (produce) v. bayr1. barring prep. baar. bear (endure) v. bayr2, stan, bartender n. baatenda. tek. base n. bays3. bear (birth) v. baan, ga bash (party) n. bashment. baybi, mek baybi. basin n. baysn. beard n. byaad/bayd2. basket n. baaskit. beast n. bees. basket sp. – pataki. beat v. beet, dip, fis...op, lada, bastard n. baastad, owtsaid lash, lays, tayr, pong2, pikni, shalai. ponish, wap. baste (moisten) v. bays1. beating n. bangin, beetn, beet baste (sew) v. bays2. op, fumfum, ladarin, lashin, bat n. ratbat. tayrin, wapin. bath n. baat. give a severe beating v.phr. sponge bath n. kowbwai bos...shot. baat. beautiful adj. byootiful. bathe v. bayd1. because conj. bathhouse n. baat hows. bikaaz/bikaa/bikaazn, bathroom n. baachroom. kaa2/kaaz, sayk a, weh3. bath soap n. sweet soap. because of prep.phr. akonk bathtub n. baat tob. a, sayk a. batter (sports) n. bata1. beaverboard n. beevaboad. batter (baking) n. bata2. become v. ton1. battery n. bachri. bed n. bed. battle v. waar. bed sp. – bonk, feel bed. bawl v. baal2. bed (truck) n. pan1. bawling n. baalin, kraiyin. bedroom n. bejroom. bay leaf (plant) n. bay leef. bedspread n. bedspred. bay leaf (tree) n. bay leef bed-wetter n. pis-a-bed2. chree, boataan. bee n. bee2. 388 beef English to Kriol bird beef n. beef. benefit v. benifit. n. benifit. beehive n. beehaiv. berate v. chrays...aaf, tel aaf, beer n. byaa1. yooz op. beet n. beets. berry n. beriz. beetle n. bog. beside prep. said a. before adv. bifoa. prep. hed besides prep. bisaidz/bisaidn. a. adv.moroava. beg v. bayg, bom2. besiege v. krayzi. beggarly adj. bayga. best adj. bes, gudis, taps. n. begin v. staat. bes. beginning n. biginin, staat. best effort n.phr. endeva from the beginning adv. bes. fahn taim, fahn di fos betray v. bichray, dobl-kraas, staat. sel1 owt. begrudge v.phr. groj, malis. better v. beta. adv. behave v. bihayv, stan. beta/betara, guda. bad behaviour n. bad stail. between prep. bitween. inappropriate behaviour bewitch v. fiks. adj. umanish, manish. beyond adv. yaanda. behind adv. bihain. biased adj. baiyas. phr. bak a. Bible n. Baibl. behind (buttock) n. bahain, bicycle n. baik, baisikl. bakyaad, bambam, batam, big adj. big. bati, staan. overly big (personal Belcan Bridge n. Belkan Brij. accessory) adj. papam. believe v. bileev. big shot n. big shat. Belize n. Bileez. big time adj. big taim. Belize City n. Bileez, Bileez bike n. baik, baisikl. Siti. bill n. bil2. Belizean n. Bileezyan. bind v. bain, ban2 dong. bell n. bel. binge v. parandyaa, spree. belly n. beli, stomok. binoculars n. spaiglaas. bellyache n. beli ayk, bird n. berd, bod1. graipinz, payn-a-beli. bird sp. – banaana bod, belong v. bilangz, bizniz. bilbod, blakbod, bloobod, belongings n. bilanginz, bloo gaalin, boobi bod, pozeshanz. damanika fowl, dok, dov, below prep. andaneet. eegl, faada redkyap, filis, belt n. belt. v. belt. gees, grong dov, haak, beneath n. andaneet, neeta. hominbod, hooyu, hows bench n. bench. bod, jabaroo, jranko/jankro, bend v. ben. king jranko, kiskidee, koopa, 389 bird of paradise English to Kriol bloom koraso, kowbwai bod, blackberry n. beriz. kreech owl, Krismos bod, blacken v. blakn. kokriko, kwam, kwail1, black magic spell n. oabya, kyapmta bod, lang nek du-soh, guzu. gaalin, maka paarat, man-a- blackout n. blakowt. waar, mongtin pijin, mongki bladder n. blada. bod, paali, paarat, paachrij, blade n. blayd. peekwam, peel-nek jranko, blame v. blaym. n. blaym. pijin, pikayri bod, pilikin, bland adj. brekish. poajoa, pyampyam, rabin blanket n. blankit/blenkit. redbres, rais bod, ramatutu, blaze v. blayz. red-nek jranko, san paipa, bleach n. bleech, kloaraks. seegol, sheg, sizaz-tayl, bleak adj. bleeki. staak2, terki, toabi fulpat, bleed v. bleed. tookan berd, tapnachik, wait bleeding n. bleedn. gaalin, udpeka, yalahed, bleeding heart n. bleedn yalatayl. haat. bird of paradise n. waha/yaha blemished adj. pekeh yekeh. plant, wail plantain. blend v. blen. birth v. baan, ga…baybi. bless v. bles. birth certificate n. bert blessed adj. blesid. paypa, ayj paypa. blessing n. blesin. birthday n. bertday. blind v. blain. adj. blain. biscuit n. biskit. blind (window) n. blainz, biscuit sp. – haad taim biskit jalosi. (polborong). blindfold v. blainfoal. n. bit by bit adv.phr. poako blainfoal. poako. blink v. kwint. bite v. bait. n. bait. Bliss Lighthouse n. Blis bite (fishing) v. pik2. Laithows. bite one’s tongue v.phr. blister v. blista. n. blista. bait een...tong. blistered adj. blista. bite to eat n. bitl. block v. blak2. n. blak2. biting adj. baitin. block up v. chak op. bitter adj. bita. blood n. blod. bitters n. bitaz. blood blister n. brooz blod. bitters sp. – biliweb, bitaz, blood money n. blod moni. sorosi blood pudding/sausage n. blabbermouth n. blabamowt. merseeya. n.phr. week jaa. blood vessel n. vayn. black adj. blak1. bloody v. blodi. adj. blodi. blackboard n. blakboad. bloom v. bloom. 390 blossom English to Kriol boy blossom v. blaasam. n. border n. boada1. blaasam. bore v. boar. blouse n. blowz. bored adj. boarin. blow v. bloa. n. slap. boring adj. boarin. blue adj. bloo. n. bloo. born adj. baan. boa constrictor n. wowla. borrow v. bara. board v. boad. n. boad, borrower v. baragumbeh. plenk. boss n. baas, hedman, hefeh, boarder n. boada2. maasa. boarding house n. boadin bossy adj. baasi. hows, ges hows. bossy woman n. champong boast v. boas, boasi. nani, waasa/wassi uman . boastful adj. boasi, bregin. both adj. too a dehn. boat n. boat. bother v. bada, bog, anai, boat sp. – baaj, chraala, doari, ayk, hasl, heg, moles. flat-batam boat, laita, bother with v.phr. wori wid. pitpan, san laita, saylin boat, bothersome adj. hegin, smak, togboat. siknin. boat floor n. plenkin. bottle n. batl/bakl, paint2. boatman n. boatman. baby bottle n. baba. body n. badi. bottom n. batam. bog v. bag2. bottom (buttocks) n. bahain, 1 2 boil v. bail . n. bail . bakyaad, bati, staan. boil sp. – blain bail2, kyat bail. baby’s bottom n. bambam. boil-up v. bail-op. boulder n. rakstoan. bold adj. faysi. bounce v. bonks. boldness n. sponks. bound v. bong. bolt n. boalt. boundary n. bongjri. Bolton Bridge n. Boaltan bouquet n. bokay. Brij. bow (knot) n. boa. bomb v. bom1. n. bom1. bow v. bow1. bondage n. bandij. bow down v. bow dong. bone n. boan. bow (of a ship) n. bow2. hit one’s funny bone v. bowel n. bowilz. shenk. have regular bowel bonus n. braata. movements v. goh owt. boogieman n. bagabu, bubu, loosen one’s bowels v. bubuman/bukuman, goas. aparayt1. book n. buk. bowl n. bowl. boost v. boots. box v. baks1. n. baks2. boot n. boot2. boy n. bwai. int. bwai. booth n. boot1. 391 boy crazy English to Kriol brother-in-law misbehaving boy n. Mista break out v. brok owt, Man. bos1. boy crazy adj. bwaizi. break wind v. faat, pum. boyfriend n. bwaifren, fela. breakfast n. tee. brace v. brays. n. brays. eat breakfast v.phr. jrink wood brace n. batan. tee. bracelet n. eksklaava. breast n. bobi, bres, ches, titi. braces n. braysiz. breath n. bret. brackish adj. brekish. breathe v. breed1. brag v. boas. breed (poultry) v. chred2. braggart n.phr. bregin tuba. breeze n. win2. braid v. plat. n. plat. brethren n. bredrin. braid sp. – kaanroa, janifilda bribe v. braib/braiv. plat, mum plat. brick v. brik. n. brik. brain n. braynz. bride n. braid. brake v. brayks. n. brayks. bridegroom n. groom. bramble n. brambl. bridesmaid n. braidzmayd. brand n. bran. v. bran. bridge n. brij. brand-new adj. nyoo bran. footbridge n. wan-man brij. brassiere n. braseeya. briefs n. breef, andapants, brave adj. brayv. jraaz. brawl n. braal. bright adj. brait, sensabl. phr. brazen adj. bayrfays, faysi. kwik hed. brazenly adv. jrai-wan. brightly adv. brait-wan. brazenness n. faysinis, brightness n. braitnis. bayrfaysidnis, jrai aiy, jrai bring in (clothes) v. pik een. fays. bring up (rear) v. bring op, bread n. bred. rayz. bread (flour products) sp. – bring legal action v. bring bayka bred, frai jak, frai op. kayk, janikayk, Kriol bred, brittle adj. britl/brikl. pak bred, toas bred, torteeya. broad adj. braad. see also under bun broadcast v. braadkyaas. breadfruit n. bredfroot. broiling adj. brailin. break v. brok, bos1, pap. n. broke adj. brok. brayk, breez owt. broom n. broom. break away/loose v. brok broom sp. – shooti broom. weh. brother n. brada, breda. break down v. brok dong. brother sp. – ful breda, Braa, break down (nervous) v. Bredz. chrip. brother-in-law n. braa-ahn- lee/braa-ahn-laa. 392 brothers English to Kriol bye brothers n. bradaz, bredrin. burial chamber n. vaalt. brown v. brong. adj. brong. burial ground n. bering bruise v. brooz. n. brooz. grong. brush v. brosh. n. brosh. burn v. bon1. n. bon1. brush (teeth) v. scrob. burning v. bonin. adj. bonin. brute n. broot. burr n. ber-ber. buck v. bok. burrito n. boreeto. buckteeth n. bof teet, faak burst v. bos1. teet. bury v. beri. bucket n. bokit. bus n. bos2. buckle v. bokl. n. bokl. bush n. bush, bakabush. buckle down v.phr. bok op. bush doctor n. bush dakta, bud n. bod2. herbz dakta, snayk dakta. bug v. bog, anai, bada, hasl. n. bush dog n. bush daag. bog. business n. bizniz. bugaboo n. bagabu. personal business n. geda. build v. bil1. businessman n. biznizman. building n. bildin. business-woman n. bulb n. bolf. biznizuman. bull n. bul. busy adj. bizi. bulldoze v. buldooz. but conj. bot, ata. prep. baar, bulldozer n. buldooza. sep/sepm/eksep. bullet n. bulit. but then conj. wichin. bully v. du op. n. bembeh, butcher n. bucha. bulireg. butcher shop n. meet shap. bullying adj. advantijos, butt v. bok. chaansi. butt in v.phr. dip eena, kot bum v. bom2. yu kraas. bump v. bomp. butter v. bota. n. bota. bumpy adj. bompi. butter up v. sweet op. bun n. bon2. butterfly n. botaflai. sweet bun sp. – bayka bon, buttocks n. bahain, bakyaad, Kriol bon, powda bon, bambam, bati, staan. sweet bred. button v. botn. n. botn. bunch up v. bongl op. buy v. bai1. bundle n. bongl/bondl. buyer n. baiya. bunk v. bonk. n. bonk. by prep. bai2. burden n. berdn. by and by adv. bumbai. bureau n. byooro. bye int. bai3, aarait. burial n. beriyin. 393 cab English to Kriol C - c cab n. kyab. hardened cane syrup n. cabbage n. kyabij. rapadoara. cabbage palm n. kyabij paam. cannot v. kyaahn/kyaahnt. cabinet n. kyabinet, laka. canoe n. doari, pitpan. cable n. kaybl. cant v. kyant. cacao n. kakao. cantankerous adj. cackle v. kekl, kya-kya-kya. kantangaros, kwaarilsam. cactus sp. – sink-ahn-baibl, cantaloupe n. mosmilan. skajineel. canvas n. kyanvis. cage n. kayj. cap n. kyap. cajole v. koaks capital n. kyapital. cake n. kayk. captain n. kyapm. inferior cake n. bruku. capture v. kyapcha. cake sp. – blak kayk, bruku, car n. kaa1. lait/laik kayk, wait kayk. carcass n. fraym. calabash n. kalbash. card game sp. – aal foaz, haats, calaloo n. kalalu. pikinz, pitipat, pokeeno, calendar n. kalinda. schrip-mi-naykid. calf n. kyaaf. cardboard adj. kyaadboad. call v. kaal, hayl. cardboard box n. kaatoon calm v. kyaam. adj. kyaam, baks. prekeh. care n. kayr/kyaa. camel n. kyamil. care for (attend to) v. tek camera n. kamara. kayr/kyaa a, main, ten tu. camp v. kyamp. n. kyamp. care for (feelings) v. kay fi, can v. ku/kud. kyaa fi, kyaaz fi, laik1, chek. can (tin) n. tin, pan. careful adj. kyaaful. canned adj. tin be careful v. kyaaful, main, can opener n. tin kota. tek kayr/kyaa. canal n. kinel. careless adj. kyaalis, kaylis. cancel v. kyansl. cargo n. kaago. cancer n. kyansa. Caribbean n. Kyaribeeyan. candle n. kyandl. carousing n. karowzin. candy n. sweet. carpenter n. kyapmta. candy sp. see sweets sp. carpenter bird n. kyapmta bod. cane (for walking) n. waakin carpet n. kyaapit. stik. carriage n. kehrij. cane (plant) n. kayn. carrot n. karats. 394 carry English to Kriol change carry v. bak, kehr. ceiba tree n. katn chree. carry across v. kraas, lang4. ceiling n. seelin. carry on v. kehri aan. celebrate v. selibrayt/salabrayt, carry out v. kehri owt. kip op. cart n. kyaat. celebrate with a party v. kip cart sp. – myool ahn kyaat, op. fresko kyaat. celebration n. selibrayshan, carton n. kaatoon baks. jalifikayshan. cartoons n. kyaatoonz. celery n. selari. cartridge n. kaachrij. cell n. sel2. carve v. kaav. holding cell n. lak dong, pis carving n. kaavin. hows. case v. skoot. n. kays. cell phone n. sel foan. cash v. kyash. n. kyash. cement v. siment. n. siment. cashew n. kashu. cemetery n. bering grong. cashier n. kyasheeya. cent n. sehn, sent, kapa. cassava n. kasaava, yuka. centipede n. santapi. cassava bread n. kasaava bred. centre n. senta, haat. cast v. kyaas1. n. kyaas2, plaasta. century n. senchri. cast net n. kyaas net. cerasee n. sorosi. castor oil n. kyastarail. ceremony n. serimoni. cat n. kyat, pus. certain adj. sertn. cat-eye marble n.phr. pus-aiy certainly adv. af koars/koas. maabl. certificate n. sertifikayt. catch v. kech. ceviche n. seveecheh. catch by roping v. kyaas. chafe v. blista. catch one’s breath v. fech. chain n. chayn. cater-corner n. kyata-kaana. chair n. chyaa1/chayr. caterpillar n. kyatapila, hayri chalk n. chaak. wom. challenge v. chalinj/chanilz. catfish n. botasi, kyato. chamber pot n. chemba/chimi, Catholic n. Kyaatlik. poa pat. cattle n. kyatl. chance v. chaans. n. chaans, caul n. kaal2. ris1. cauliflower n. kaliflowa. by chance v. jos mi han. caulk v. kaak (op). change v. chaynj. n. chaynj. cause v. kaaz. n. reezn. change one’s story v.phr. cave n. kayv. chaynj mowt. cave in v. kayv een. too much change n. oava- cay(e) n. kee2. chaynj. cay crab n. wairo kraab. small change phr. ahn cedar n. seeda. chaynj. 395 chap English to Kriol chuck chap n. fela. chicle process v. kwaharin. chaperone n. chaparong. chicle sap n. milk. chapter n. chapta. chicle tree n. sapadili. character n. karakta/kerikta, chicle worker n. chiklayro. roal2, wayz. unprocessed chicle n.phr. raa charcoal n. chaakoal. cheekleh. charge v. chaaj. n. chief n. cheef. akyoozayshan, chaaj. chigger n. chiga. chase v. chays, ron, wail3. n. child n. chail, pikni. chays. one’s last child n.phr laas chastise v. chektaiz, lekcha, plog. skoal. children n. chilren, pikni. chat v. chuk mowt, diskoas. to bear children v. mek chatterbox n. chatabaks, baybi. pyampyam. chills n. chilz. chatty adj. chati, taaki-taaki. chimole n. chimoaleh, blak chauffeur n. shoafa, jraiva. dina. cheap adj. cheep. china n. chayni. cheat v. cheet, wotlis, teef. Chinese n. Chaini. cheating adj. cheeta Chinese root n. chaini root. check v. chek. chip v. chip. cheek n. jaa. chisel n. chizl. cheeky adj. fresh. chocho n. choacho. cheer v. chyaa2. chocolate n. chaaklit. adj. cheesy adj. cheezi. chaaklit. chemical n. kemikal. choice n. chais. cherry n. cheriz. choke v. choak. chest (body) n. ches, stomok. cholera n. kalara. chest (box) n. chis. choose v. pik1. chest of drawers n. chest a jraa. choosy adj. pikipiki. chew v. choo. chop v. chap. chew vigorously v. chaa, chop down v. chap dong, choo op. faal. chicken n. chikin, fowl. chop op v. chap op. chicken anus n. paasn noaz. christen v. krisn. chicken sp. – damanika fowl, christening n. krisnin. ful pat bod, peel-nek fowl, Christian n. Kristyan. senseh fowl. Christmas n. Krismos. chicken pox n. chikin paks. celebrate Christmas in style chicken soup n. reyeno. v.phr mek/si Krismos. chicle n. cheekleh. christophine n. choacho. chicle cuts n. blaks. chuck v. chok weh. 396 church English to Kriol cohune church n. cherch/choch. cloth n. klaat. cigar n. sigaa, pooro. clothes n. kloaz. cigarette n. sigaret, waits. odd ragged assortment of cymbal n. simbal. clothes n. jengjeng. Cinderella Town n. Sindarela cloud n. klowd. Tong. cloudy adj. klowdi. cinnamon n. siliman stik. clove n. kloavz. circle v. serkl. n. serkl. clown n. klong. circumcise v. serkomsaiz. clownish actions n. paiyaso. circumcision n. serkomsizhan. cloy v. klaid. circus n. serkos. club v. klob. n. klob. citizen n. sitizn. cluck v. klok. city n. siti. clump n. klomp. civilized adj. sivilaiz. clumsy adj. blofoto. claim v. klaym. coach v. koach. n. koach. clammy adj. klami. coal n. koal3. clap v. klap. hot coal n. faiya koal3. clasp v. klaps. coast n. koas, see front, seesaid. class n. klaas. coat n. koat1. classroom n. klaasroom. coatimundi n. kwash. claw n. klaa. coax v. koaks. clean v. kleen. adj. kleen. cocaine n. kokayn, krak, prapa cleanliness n. kleenis. daim, sprang, wait laydi. clear v. klayr. adj. klayr/klyaa, use cocaine v. sprang. playn. cock n. roosta. clear land v. bush. cock and bull story n. kak ahn clearly adv. klayr/klyaa. bul stoari. more clearly adv. playna1. cock up v. kak op. adv. kak op. clerk n. klerk. cockroach n. kakroach, roach. clever adj. aatful, braynzi. coco n. koako2. click v. klik. n. klik. cocoa n. koako1. cliff n. klif. coconut n. koakanat/kuknat. climb v. klaim. coconut gratings n. kuknat clinic n. klinik. chrash. cloak v. kloak. coconut sweets n. kotobroot, clock n. klak. tablayta. clog v. stap op. coffee n. kaafi. close v. baar, shet. adv. kloas. coffee sp. – n. kaan kaafi, wail closed adj. kloaz. kaafi. closet. n. klazit. coffin n. kaafin, ded baks. clot n. klat. cohune n. kuhoon, waari feminine blood clot n. kladz. kuhoon. 397 coil English to Kriol condom coil v. kwail. n. kwail. commit v. komit. coin n. kain3. committee n. komiti. cold (temperature) adj. koal1. common adj. kaman. cold (sickness) n. koal2. common-law husband n. cold sp. – n. fresh koal2, sad jentlman, jenklman. koal2. commotion n. kamoashan, collapse v. kayv een, faynt kweneneh, oproal, rokshan, weh, gaahn fahn...self, jrap rugudungz. dong. community n. kamyooniti. adj. collar n. kala1. kamyooniti. collarbone n. kalaboan. companion n. kompni. collect v. kalek. company n. kompni. collection n. kalekshan. compare v. kompyaa. unusual collection n. compassion n. kampashan. rigmijig. compel v. kampel. collection box adj. kalekshan compete v. ron gens. baks. competent adj. taps. collector n. kalekta. complain v. kamplayn, rayl op. college n. kalij. complaining n. kamplaynin, colour v. kala2. n. kala2. raylin1. colour sp. – blak1, bloo, brong, complaint n. kamplayn. green1, lavenda, maav, areenj, complete v. don. red, yala, wait. completely adv. kompleetli. comal n. komaal. comport oneself v. stan. comb v. koam. n. koam. computer n. kompyoota. hot comb v. hat koam. n. hat comrade n. braa. koam. concern v. kansaan. n. kansaan. come v. kohn/kom. concern oneself with v.phr come together v. gyada/geda. wori rong wid/wori wid. comfort v. komfat. n. komfat. concerned adj. kansaan. comfortable adj. komfatabl. concert n. kansert. comfortably adv. conch n. konks. komfatabl-wan. concoction n. muks. command v. koman, aada. condemn v. kandem. commandment n. komanment. condemnation n. comment n. koment. kandemnayshan. have no comment phr. noh condensed milk n. kandens kehr ner bring ahn. milk, sweet milk. make a veiled negative condition n. kandishan, shayp, comment phr. chroa wod. stayt. commercial n. komershal. condom n. kandom, rabaz, commiserate v. swet feeva. spens bag. 398 conduct oneself English to Kriol corned conduct oneself v. stan. contrary adj. kanchrayri/ cone n. koanz. kanchraydi conference n. kanfrens. contrary to phr. kanchreri tu confess v. kanfes, oan op (tu). on the contrary v. iz. confide v. pinch…ayz. control v. kanchroal. n. confidence n. kanfidens. kanchroal. confident adj. kanfident. take control of v.phr. put confinement n. kanfainment. klaps pahn. confirm v. kanfaam. conversation n. kanvisayshan. confront v. bok. v.phr. boad have a long conversation aaf, goh aata. phr. hoal lang bench. confuse v. kanfyooz. converse v. chuk mowt, confused adj. kanfyooz. diskoas. confusion n. kanfyoozhan. convict v. kanvik. n. kanvik. conger eel n. kaangreel. convince v. kanvins. conjunctivitis v. pink aiy. cook v. kuk. n. kuk. connect v. kanek. cookie n. biskit. connection n. kanekshan. cool v. kool. adj. kool. connive v. shoola. coop n. kub. conscience n. kanshans. cooperative (co-op) n. koap. conscious adj. kanchos. cope with v.phr. handle, manij, consider v. kansida. hoal3 op. considerate adj. kansidarayt. copper n. kapa. console v. kansoal. copy (duplicate) v. kapi. n. conspire v. nak hed tugeda. kapi. constipate v. bain, kaak op. copy (imitate) v. falafut. constipated adj. kaastiv. copycat n.phr. falafut jompi. constipation n. coral n. koril. haadbonk/haadbong. coral snake n. beed-ahn-koril contain v. gat een, hoal3. snayk. container n. kantayna. cord n. kaad. contented adj. kantentid. core v. koar. n. haat. contention n. schraif. coriander n. silanchro. contest n. kantes. cork v. kaak op. n. kaak. continually adv. evri cormorant n. sheg. taim/taihn. corn v. kaan. n. kaan. continue v. kantinyu, kip aan, corn on cob n. bail kaan. stay, stodi (ting). ground roasted corn n. call to continue a story kaasham/kaansham. v.phr.hib ahn lang shoa. sweetened creamed corn n. contradict v. kantadik. shuga kaan. corned adj. kaan. 399 corn bread English to Kriol creature corn bread n. kaan bred. covetous adj. red aiy. corncob n. kaankob. cow n. kow. corner v. kaana. n. kaana. cowardly adj. kowad, frayda, cornrow v. kaanroa. n. kaanroa. waawa corporal n. kaapral. crab n. kraab. correct v. karek, maak, rang. crab sp. – janfilda, raati, soalja adj. karek, rait1. int. karek, kraab, wairo kraab, wash rait1, noh chroo. paam. correction n. karekshan. crab louse n. kraab lows. correctly adv. karek. crab stew n. kraab schoo. corruption n. koropshan. crabby adj. krabit. cost v. kaas. n. kaas. craboo adj. kraabu. cotton n. katn. crack v. krak. n. krak. couch n. setee, soafa. cracked (mentally) adj. krek, cougar n. red taiga. krayzi, plik/plektos. cough v. kaaf. n. kaaf. crackhead n. krakhed, cough up v. kaaf op, haak. spranghed. could (definitely) v. ku/kud. craft n. kraaf. could (possibly) v. kuda. crafty adj. braynzi. couldn’t v. kudn. cram together v. skwinj, pail council n. kongsl2. op, ramjam. counsel v. kongsl1, advaiz. n. cramp (muscular) n. kramp. advais. cramp (intestinal) v. graip. n. count v. konk. graipinz. counter n. kownta. cramp (stomach) n. graipinz. counterfeit n. fayk. crane v. krayn. n. krayn. country (nation) n. konchri. crash n. krash. country (rural) n. bush, crate n. krayt. bakabush. crave v. krayv. countryside n. konchrisaid. craving n. krayvin. couple n. kopl. crayfish n. krayfish, labsta. courage n. korij, sponks, baalz, crawl v. klaar. n. klaar. sponks. make one’s skin crawl v.phr. courageous adj. brayv. klaar mi blod. course n. koars. crayon n. kalarin. court n. koat. crazy adj. krayzi, krek, courteous adj. koarchos. plik/plektos. courthouse n. koat-hows. slightly crazy adj. haaflait. cousin n. kozn. crazy ant n. krayzi aans. cousin-in-law n. kozn-ahn-laa. creak v. krik2. cover v. kova/kiba, kloak. n. create v. kriyayt. kova/kiba. creature n. kreecha. 400 credit English to Kriol cute credit v. chros. cruelty n. kruwilnis. creek n. krik1. cruise n. krooz. creep v. kreep. crumbs n. kromz, pikinz. Creole n. Kriol. crush v. skrosh, skwoosh. common Creole person n. crusher (stone) n. roala. krofi. crust n. bred bak. Creole bread n. Kriol bred. crutch n. kroch1. Creole bun n. Kriol bon. cry v. krai. Creole language adj. Kriol. cry of pain n. aiy! broad Creole (basilectal) crying n. kraiyin, baalin. n.phr. braad Kriol. cucumber n. kukumba. cricket (insect) n. krikit1, cuddle v. hog. grayvdiga. cuff v. kof. n. kof. cricket (game) n. krikit2. culantro n. kolanchro. crime n. kraim. culture n. kolcha. criminal n. kriminal. cunning adj. braynzi. cripple n. kripl. cunning person n. jinal. crippled adj. kripl (op). cup n. kop. crispy adj. krispi/kripsi. cupboard n. laka. critter n. kreeta. curdle v. krodl. crochet v. krosheh. cure v. kyoar. n. kyoar. crocodile n. haligeta. curl v. kwail. crocus bag n. krokos beg. curassow n. koraso. crook n. kruk. current n. korant, lait1. crooked adj. krukid. curried adj. kori. crop n. krap. curry n. kori. cross v. kraas. n. kraas. adj. curse v. oabya, put mowt pahn, kraas. put kers pahn. n. kers/kos2. cross-eye n. kakaiy. curtain n. kertn. crotch n. kroch2. curtsy v. bow. crotchety adj. krachiti. curve n. kerv. croton n. kroatn. cushion n. kushn. crow v. kroa. cuss v. kos1. crowbar n. kroabaar, rekin cussing n. kosin. baar. custard apple n. kostad aapl. crowd n. krowd, aadyans, customs n. kostom1. jroav, kit. customs officer adj. crowd together v. skwinj, boadaman. pail op, ramjam. customer n. kostoma. crowded adj. krowdid. cut v. kot, jonk. crown n. krong. cut down v. faal, chap dong. cruel adj. kruwil, hagish. cute adj. kyoot. 401 dab English to Kriol delicate D - d dab n. daab. this very day phr. tideh tideh. dabble v. dabl. day sp. – Sondeh, Mondeh, daddy n. dadi, pa. Choozdeh, Wenzdeh, Terzdeh, dagger n. daga/dega. Fraideh, Satideh/Sachudeh. daily adj. evriday. daybreak n. day di brok. dainty adj. delikid. daylight n. daylait. damage v. damij. n. damij. dazzle v. dazl. damn v. dam. adj. dam. deacon n. deekan. damned adj. dam. dead n. ded. adj. ded. dampen clothes v. kwayl2. deaf adj. def. dance v. daans. n. daans. play deaf phr. stik brok dance sp. – brokdong, buru, eena...ayz. jankunu, jomp op, kunjai, deal v. deel. n. deel. lusho, punta, roosho, sambai, dear adj. dyaa1, ekspensiv. wala ahn punta, wain2. dearly adv. dyaali. danger n. daynja. death n. det1, ded. adj. det1. dangerous adj. deathbed phr. deh pahn daiyin, daynjaros/daynjaras. chravl2. dangle v. dangl. debt n. det2/dep. dare v. dayr/dyaa3/dyaaz. decay v. ratn. daring adj. kakataari. deceive v. chrik, play, fool. dark n. daak, daaknis. adj. December n. Disemba. daak. decent adj. deesant/deestant. look darkly v. mek op...fays. decide v. disaid, mek op...main. darken v. blak1 op. decision n. disizhan. darkness n. daak, daaknis. deck n. dek. darling n. daalin. decorate v. dekorayt. darn v. daan. dedicate v. dedikayt. dart(s) n. daat. deer n. dyaa2. dash v. dash. defame v. blakn, grain, date n. dayt. skyandalaiz. daub v. daab. defeat v. beet. daub with mud v. talawala. defecate v. nomba too, tutu. daughter n. daata. defend v. difen, taak op fi. daughter-in-law n. daata-ahn- defy v. bok. laa/daata-laa. degrade oneself v. loa rayt. dawdle v. didl-dadl. degrade others v. shaymin. dawn n. day di brok, til ih red. delay v. hoal3 op, kip bak. day n. day. delicate adj. delikid. 402 deliver English to Kriol discard deliver v. diliva. diaper n. daiyapa, napkin. demon n. deeman. cloth diaper n. napkin. denomination (religious) n. disposable diaper n. rilijan. pamperz. dentist n. dentis. diarrhea n. bad beli, werk beli, deny v. dinai. roninz, shitninz. deodorant n. aamstik. dictionary n. dikshineri. depart v. lef1. did actually/in fact v. did, iz. depend v. pen1 pahn. did already v. don du. describe v. diskraib. did not adv. neva/neba. desert n. dezert. die v. ded, kik di bokit, peg owt. deserted n. dizertid. die down v. bayt, jrap. deserve v. dizerv/dizaav. difference n. difrans. get what one deserves v.phr. different adj. difrant. da gud fi... difficult adj. aan, haad, kohn. design v. dizain. difficult economically v. bok. desire v. waahn/waahnt, adj. jred, pilinki/pelenkeh. krayvin. dillydally v. didl-dadl. desk n. des. dilapidated adj. jengereh. despise v. luk dong pahn. dilapidated vehicle adj. despite conj. in spait a. pemperem/prempereh. dessert n. dezert, sweet. dingy adj. bilji. dessert sp. – blak kayk, chraifl, dinner n. dina. mushla, pitayta pong, pudn, dinner (baby talk) n. dindin. wait kayk. dip v. dip. destined adj. bong. dipper n. dipa. destroy v. brok op, dischrai, direct v. paint1. kandem. direction n. dairekshan. destruction n. dischrukshan. directly adv. dairekli, ded, details n. deetaylz. schrayt. detain v. hoal3op. dirt n. dert. determination n. wil. dirtier adj. dotiya. develop (mature) v. divelop, dirtiness n. dotinis. blaasam. dirty v. beesli. v.phr. doti op. develop (film) v. divelop, wash. adj. doti. devil n. devl/debl. disagreeable adj. disagreeyabl, devilish adj. devlish/deblish. kanchrayri/kanchraydi, devious person adj. jinal. mizarabl. devoted adj. hatid. disappear v. disapyaa. devout adj. gaadli. disaster n. dizaasta. dew n. joo1. discard v. dash weh, chro weh, diabetes n. shuga, sweet blod. pich1 weh. 403 disciple English to Kriol drag disciple n. disaipl. dizzy adj. jronki, tonti. discourage v. diskorij. do v. du/doo. discouraging adj. diskorijin. do (emphatic) v. doo. discover v. fain. do one’s all v. neva play. discuss v. taak bowt. dock v. dak. discussion n. diskoas. dock worker n. dakman. disease n. dizeez, siknis. doctor n. dakta. disease sp. see sickness sp. doctor fly n. dakta flai. disgust v. disgos. document n. faam2, paypa. exclamation of disgust int. dodge v. daj. cho. dog n. daag. disgusting adj. disgostin. dog sp. – patlika, popi. disheveled adj. jekech. v.phr. dog days n. maaga seezn. haal ahn pul op. doll n. dali. dishpan n. pudn pan. dollar n. dala. dislike v. disgos. dollar coin n. dala kain. disobedient adj. haad-ayz/ayz dolphin n. dalfin, pampas. haad, ga no andastandin. domestic adj. domestik. disorderly phr. haal ahn pul domineer v. du op. op, hayrim-skayrim, jekech. dominoes n. blak stik, feech. disown v. disoan. done adj. don. dispose of v. dash weh, chro donkey n. dongki/danki. weh, pich1 weh. door n. doa1. dispute n. row. doorbell n. doabel. disrespect v. disrispek. doorway n. doa1 mowt. sound of disrespect v. sok dory n. doari. teet, choops. dose v. doas. n. doas. disrespectful adj. faysi, opstaat, dot n. dat. rood. double v. dobl. n. dobl. disrobe v. naykid. double-cross v. dobl-kraas. distance n. distans, wayz. double-minded phr. ga too very long distance idiomatic main. phr. walam paas mowt. doubt v. dowt. distant adj. faar/fer2. dough n. doa2. distract v. dischrak, abschrok, dove n. dov, grong dov. chroa...aaf. down adv. dong. distressful adj. haad. downstairs adv. dongstayz. district n. dischrik. downtown adv. owt a tong. disturb v. disterb. doze v. doaz, doado. n. doaz. dive v. daiv. draft n. jraaf. divide v. shayr, kot op. drag v. jreg. divorce v. divoas. n. divoas. 404 dragonfly English to Kriol dye drag one’s feet v.phr. heng drool v. baaba2, jrool. n. baaba, slek. jrool, mowt waata. dragonfly n. needlkays. drop v. jrap. n. jrap. drain v. jrayn. n. jrayn. droppings (food) n. pikinz. drainpipe n. gota. drought n. jrai. drama n. jraama. drove n. jroav. draw v. jraa1. drowned v. jrongdid. drawer n. jraa2. drowsy adj. jrowzi. drawers n. jraaz. drug v. jrog. n. jrogz. drawing n. jraain. druggist n. jrogis. dreadlocks n. jredz. drugstore n. jrogstoar. dream v. jreem. n. jreem. drum v. rakl. n. jrom, baril. come to one in a dream v. drum sp. – n. gumbeh, kota jreem tu. jrom, tum-tum. dreamy adj. jreemi. drunk adj. jronk, jronkin, blak1 dregs n. grongz. op. dress v. jres. n. jres, dandan, drunkard n. jronkad. frak, gong. drunken adj. jronk, jronkin. dress hastily v.phr. haal aan. drunkenness n. jronkinis. dress up in one’s best v.phr. dry v. jrai. adj. jrai. blayd op, jres op, jres op no dry season n.phr. maaga pus bak fut, shaap op, wel1 seezn. dek dong. dry skin adj. fereh. sharply dressed adj. slik, dryer n. jraiya. sproosi. duck v. dok2. n. dok1. dressing (medical) n. jresin. due adj. joo2. dress a wound v. ban2 op, due to prep. akonk a, bikaaz bandij. a, sayk a. dressing table n. jresn taybl. dull adj. dol. dribble v. baaba2, jrool. dumb adj. dom, donsi. drift v. jrif. dumpling n. domplin, bail drill v. jril. n. jril. kayk, matilda fut. drink v. jrink. n. jrink. dump truck n. domp chrok. drink sp. – kaafi, tee, saaf dung n. kow dong, haas domp, jrink, waata. manyoar. drip v. jrip. during prep. joorin. drippings n. jripinz. dust v. dos. n. dos. drive v. jraiv. duster n. dosta. driver n. jraiva, shoafa. dusty adj. dosi. drizzle v. jrizl. duty n. jooti. from the north v. naat1 jrizl. dwarf n. duwaaf. dye v. dai. 405 each English to Kriol end E - e each adj. eech1. great white egret n. lang nek each other phr. wan anada. gaalin. eager adj. eega, hatid. eight num. ayt. eagle n. eegl. eighteen num. ayteen. ear n. ayz. eighth adj. ayt. earache n. payn-a-ayz. eighty num. ayti. earlier adv. erliya. either conj. eeda/aida. adv. early adv. soon. needa. pro. non. earring n. ayzring/ayring. eke out v. simpa. earth n. ert. elbow n. elbo. earthquake n. ertwayk. strike one’s elbow v. shenk. ease v. eez. elder (church) n. elda. easier adv. eeziya. elders n. eldaz. easily adv. eezi-wan. elderly adj. ejabl. east n. ees1. election n. ilekshan. Easter n. Eesta. electrician n. lekchrishan. easy adj. eezi. electric adj. ilekchrik. eat v. eet, monch op, nyam. electricity n. korant, lait1. eat greedily v. hag op, hoks elephant n. elifant. aaf, lash dong, manjeh, eleven num. ilebm/ilevn. nyam, waks aaf, yafl. else adv. els. eat reluctantly v. eet wid embrace v. hog. lang teet. embroidery n. maak. eccentric adj. haaflait. embroidery thread n. maakin eclipse n. iklips. chred. eddy n. aydi. emergency n. imerjensi. edge n. ej2. empanada n. panaades. educated adj. ejukaytid. empty adj. emti. education n. ejukayshan. empty-handed phr. wid...too eel n. kangreel. lang han di heng da ih said. effective, be v. tek. enamel adj. inaamel. effort n. efert/efot. enclose with boards v. boad best effort n.phr. endeva bes. op. make the effort v. ayk. enclosure (fish) n. klaar/kraal, egg n. eg/ayg. fishwel. eggnog n. rompopo. enclosure (animal) n. pen, ron. eggplant n. gyaadn eg. encounter v. bok op. egret n. gaalin. encourage v. inkorij. end n. en. 406 endearment English to Kriol exact end up v. en op, lan op. eraser n. iraysa, robowta. in the end prep. phr. pahn di eraser (chalk) n. dosta. laas. error n. mistayk. endearment, term of adj. lee. error, in adj. mistaykn. endeavor n.phr. endeva bes. escabeche n. eskabaycheh. endlessly adv.phr. kyaahn don. escabeche fish n. eskabaych endure v. bayr2, stan. fish enema n. ineema. escape v. eskayp, brok owt. enemy n. enimi. especially adv. speshali. engaged adj. ingayj. evade v. daj. engagement n. ingayjment. evaporated milk n. karnayshan engine n. injin1. milk, pet milk. England n. Inglan. even adj. eevn/eebm, skwits. English n. Inglish. adv. eevn/eebm, an aal, dong engrave v. ingrayd. tu, fahn, op tu. enjoy v. injai. even (scores) adv. tai tai. enjoyment n. injaiment. even though conj. eevn doa. enough adj. nof/inof. adj. evening n. eevnin. nof/inof. evenly adv. eevn/eebm. more than enough phr. nof fi event n. hapmninz. stoan daag. eventually phr. pahn di laas1. enter v. goh een. ever adv. eva/eba. enter a pageant v. gwain op everlasting adj. evalastin. fi. every adj. evri/ebri. entertain v. entatayn. everybody pro. evribadi. entertainment n. entatayment. everyday adj. evriday. enthusiasm, initial n.phr. fos everyone pro. evribadi. adj. brok. evri jak man. entice v. invigl. everything pro. evriting. entrails n. inschralz, gots. everywhere adv. evriway. entrance n. mowt. evidence n. evidens. entrance sp. – doa mowt, riva evil n. eevl, badnis, mowt, road mowt. oagli/woagli, wikidnis. adj. envelope n. enviloap. bad, eevl, wikid. envious adj. grojful, red aiy. communicate with evil v. envy v. groj, red aiy. n. groj, red deel. aiy. evil eye n. bad aiy. v. oavaluk. epilepsy v. phr. chravl wid fits. evil spirit n.phr. eevl spirit. n. fits. evoke evil v.phr. put kers pahn, Epsom salts n. saal fizik1. put mowt pahn. equally adv. sayhn way. ex (husband or wife) n. eks1. erase v. iraysa. exact adj. egzak. 407 exactly English to Kriol fancy exactly adv. egzakli. expel v. ekspel. exaggerate v. egzajarayt. expensive adj. ekspensiv, dyaa1. exalt v. prayz op. experience v. exam n. egzam, tes. ekspeerens/ekspeerans. n. examine v. egzamin. ekspeerens/ekspeerans. example n. egzampl. expert n. eksport. except prep. sep/sepm/eksep, explain v. eksplayn. baar. phr. oanli kaa. expose v. ekspoaz. exercise v. ekzasaiz. extend v. lang1 owt, schrech, excessively adv.phr. kyaahn han owt...han. don. extinguish v. owt. exchange v. chaynji. extol v. prayz op. excite v. eksait. extort v.phr. schrang…moni. excited adj. eksaitid. extra adj. ekschra. exciting adj. eksaiting. behave in an extravagant exclamation sp. – cho, dam, way v. kehri aan. eiy, hek, mada ayz/madaz, extravagant adj. gooti. raas, sakra. extremely adv. deh-aan, kohn2, exclusively adj. loan2, pyoa, kwait, oanli, no mix, wap, wel. soaso. eye n. aiy1/yaiy. excuse v. ekskyooz. n. evil eye n. bad aiy. ekskyooz. eyeball n. aiybaal. exhausted adj. nak owt. eyebrow n. aiybrow. exist v. egzis, deh ya. eye-glasses n. glaasiz, spektikl. expect v. ekspek. F - f face v. fays. n. fays. fair-skinned adj. chaylo, facing v. faysn. klayr skin, payl kaypm. fact n. fak. faith n. fayt2. in fact prep.phr. in fak. faithful adj. faytful. did in fact prep.phr. did, iz. fake v. fayk, faam3. n. fayk. factory n. fakchri. fall v. faal dong, jrap, pail op. fade away v. fayd weh. fall asleep v. jrap asleep. fail v. fayl. false adj. faals. faint v.phr. faynt weh, gaahn falsehood n. lai. fahn...self, jrap dong. adj. family (extended) n. faamli. jaydi. family (immediate) n. famili. fair n. fyaa3. adj. fyaa2. famous adj. faymos. not fair phr. noh giv. fan v. fan2. n. fan2. fancy adj. fansi. v. fansi. 408 fanning English to Kriol finagle fanning n. fanin. February n. Febiweri. far adj. faar/fer2. adv. feces n. kaka, nomba too, faar/fer2. n. faar/fer2. tutu. very far idiomatic phr. feel v. feel1. walam paas mowt. feeling n. feelin. farm n. faam1. stuffed lazy feeling n. farm sp. – aachad, milpa, nigaraitis. plantaysh/plantayshan, feet n. fut. waak2. fell (a tree) v. faal, chap clearing farm land v. dong. prapra. fellow n. fela. farmer n. faama. fence v. fens. n. fens, raylin. fart v. faat, pum. n. faat, pum. fer de lance n. yala jaa, farther adv. farda. taamigaaf. farthest adv. fardares/fardis. fertilizer n. fertilaiza, fashion n. fashan, stail. manyoar. fast adv. faas1, kwik. v. faas2. fertilizer sp. – bagash. fasten v. faasn, fiks. fever n. feeva/feeba. fat n. ail, fat. adj. fat, blofoto. few adj. kopl, lee bit, sohn, fat, sweaty and smelly adj. too, wan ahn too. swaati. fiberboard n. beevaboad. fate n. fayt1. fiddler crab n. janifilda. father n. dadi, pa, papa. fidgety adj. fijiti. father (not vocative) n. field n. feel2. pupa1. field bed n. feel bed. Father (God) n. Faada. fierce adj. waasi. father-in-law n. faada-ahn- fifth adj. fif. laa. fifty num. fifti. fatigue n. badi-kohn-dong. fight v. fait. n. fos2. fatten v. fatn. quick to fight adj. faitasam. faucet n. fasit. words to instigate a fight fault n. faalt. phr. bom1 hat. find fault v. bad-mowt. figure v. figa. n. figa, faam2, favour n. fayva. v. fayva. shayp. favourite adj. frayvrit. fill v. ful. favouritism n.. fayvritizm. filled adj. ful. n.phr. kisiz bai fayva. film n. filim. fear v. fyaa1. film (show) n.phr. filim fearful adj. kowad, frayda, shoa. waawa. filth n. dotinis. feast n. fees. finagle v. shoola. feather n. feda. 409 finally English to Kriol fling finally adv. fainali, lang at kaangreel, kraana, kubaali, laas1. musmus, pupsi, stoan bas, find v. fain3. tingreh, tuba. fine n. fain2. adj. fain1. fish broth n. fish tee. finger n. finga. fish eggs n. roa2. fingernail n. finganayl. fishhook n. fishin huk. finish v. don, en, stap. adj. fisherman n. fishaman. finishin. fishing n. fishin, pragin, finished adj. don. schraikn. adj. fishin. fire n. faiya. spearfish v. schraik. start a fire v. kech op. fishing line n. fishin lain. start a fire accidentally v. fishing net n. fishin net. kaaz faiyabon. fishing pole n. babstaaf. strange ball of fire n. fish stew n. kaldo, schulala, jakolantan. sehreh. fire ants n. faiyaans. fish well n. fishwel. firecracker n. papshat. fist n. fis, noklz. fire engine n. injin pomp, fit v. fit. n. fit. faiya injin. fitting adj.fitn, karek, prapa, firefly n. nait bog, peeniwali, rait1. peewom. five num. faiv. fireman n. faiyaman. five cents phr. fai sehn. fireplace n. faiyahaat. fix v. fiks. fire truck n. injin pomp, fixed on v.phr. fiks pahn, faiya injin. faasn pahn. firewood n. faiyawud. fix up v.phr. fiks op. fireworks n. faiyawerks. flag n. flag1/fleg. firm adj. haad. flame n. flaym. first adj. fos1. adv. fos1. flap v. flata. at first adv. fos1. phr. fos1 flat adj. ded. brok. flat tyre n. pongcha. fish v. fishin. n. fish. flatten v. flatn. fish (sea) sp. – baro, blak flatter v. swel op...hed. snapa, bloo maalin, dalfin, flattering words n.phr. gront, grupa, joofish, sweet mowt. machaka, muchroos, flavour n. flayva, tays. musmus, red snapa, shaak flea n. flee. saafish, sheephed, silk flee v pul fut, tek fut. snapa, taapong, tingreh, flesh n. flesh. yalatayl snapa. fleshy adj. fleshi. fish (river) sp. – baaka, bay flimsy adj. fenkeh fenkeh. snuk, bilam, jermilongz, fling v. fling, chok weh. 410 flirting English to Kriol forehead flirting v. koatn. wid rais ahn beenz er schoo flock v. flak. n. flak. beenz ahn rais ahn salad. flog v. flag2/fleg. see also under soup sp., flood v. flod. n. flod. schoo sp. big flood n.phr. tap gyalan food (light or side dishes) sp. flod. – dukunu, frai jak, frai kayk, floor n. floa2. gaacho, garnaaches, flop back and forth v. flata. janikayk, pai, panaades, flounce v. flonks. parij, salbootes, sasij, flour n. flowa. seveecheh, tamaales, flounder v. bafu. torteeya. flourish v. blaasam, bloom. see also under bred sp., flow v. floa1. desserts sp., sweets sp. flower n. flowaz. mushy food n. pulaali. flower sp. – aakid, franjipani, savoury food n. saal mowt. mayflowa, red bel, waha. fool v. fool. flu n. flooz. make a fool of oneself or flush v. flosh. others v. joaki, jankunu, flute n. floot. papisho. v.phr. tek…mek flutter v. flata. papisho. fly v. flai. n. flai. old fool trying to act young fly sp. – batlaas/baklaas, n. tataram. dakta flai, jronkin bayman, person easily fooled n. bloo konkas, konkas, kunumunu. haasflai, shaat jekit. foolish adj. fool-fool1. fly brush n. flai brosh. foolishness n. fool, naansens, flying ant n. flodflai. papisho, schupidnis. foam v. fraat. foot n. fut. focus v. foakos. big foot/feet .n. peteh. folks n. foaks. abscessed foot (diabetic) follow v. fala, chrayl, daag, .n. sweet fut. staak. football (soccer) n. futbaal. follower n. falowa. footbridge n. wan-man brij. fondle v. fingl, hoal3 op, lov footstool n. futstool. op. for prep. fi/fa/fo/fu. fontanel n. moal2. for him/it prep. far ahn/it. food n. food, bitl, grob. force v. foas, kampel. n. foas. food scraps n. food, bitl, force one’s attentions on v. skraypinz. foas op anda. food (main dishes) sp. – bail- forefather n. ansesta, grayt- op, bondiga, eskabaych fish grayt-grayt-granfaada. kongkanteh, meet er fish forehead n. farid. 411 foreign English to Kriol from foreign adj. farin. frame v. fraym. n. fraym. foreman n. foaman. frangipani n. franjipani. Foreshore n. Foashoa. frankly adv. braad-wan. forest n. bush, bakabush. fray v. feg. foretell v. pridik. frayed adj. fegi. forever adv. fareva. n. freak n. freek. evalastin. free forget v. free of charge adv. figet/faget/figit/foget/fuget. kohnsolobeh/komsolobeh, forgive v. fagiv. gimi-tenkyu. forgiveness n. fagivnis. set free v. legoh, loos, fork n. faak. rilees. fork-tailed flycatcher n. free items n. freenis. sizaz tayl. freeza n. freeza. form v. faam2. n. faam2, figa, freeze v. freez. shayp. frequently adv. aafn, haaf fort n. foat2. ton. Fort George n. Foat Jaaj. fresh adj. fresh. adv. fresh. fortunate adj. blesid. fret v. fret. fortunately adv. loki ting. Friday n. Fraideh. forty num. faati. fried adj. frai. forward adj. persnal, stepish. friend n. bali, bombali, fren, adv. faawad, frontway. komaajreh/kompaajreh, put oneself forward v. kak kompeh, maku, too-faiv. op, praps op, primz op. dependable friend n. foul-smelling adj. ransid, penpan/pendapan. renkin, smel-bad, stinkin. make friends v. fren op. adv. renk. untrustworthy/fair- foundation n. fongdayshan. weather friend v. fowl teet four num. foa. bali. on all fours n.. aal foaz. frigate bird n. man-a-waar. fourteen num. foateen. frighten v. fraitn. fourth adj. foat1. frightened adj. fraitn, frayd. fowl n. fowl. more frightened adj. fowl sp. – bantan fowl, fraitna. damanika fowl, ful pat bod, frightening adj. fraitnin. peel-nek fowl, senseh fowl. fritters n. flitaz. fox n. faks. frock n. frak, jres. fraction n. frakshan. frog n. spring chikin. fracture v. frakcha. from prep. fractured v. frakchad. fahn/fan/frahn/fram. fraidy-cat n. fraydapus. 412 front English to Kriol gap from him/her prep.phr. fan1 fufu n. fufu. ahn. full adj. ful. front n. front. full-grown young man n. in front of prep. front a. man-bwai. froth v. fraat. n. fraat. full stop adj. ful stap. frown n. frong. fume v. fyoom. frowzy adj. frowzi. fun adj. fon, kiks. frozen adj. froazn. function v. fongshan. n. fruit n. froot. fongshan. fruit sp. – aapl, aapl banaana, funeral n. beriyin, finaral. v. hareenj, baaboon kyap, choch. banaana, beriz, bredfroot, funeral hymn n. sanki. cheriz, gov aapl, grayp, fungus n. jonjo. graypfroot, gwaava, kashu, funny adj. foni, kiksi, joaki. kinep, kokonoh/pokono fur n. fer1. bwai, kostad aapl, kraabu, furniture n. fernichaz. laim, leman, maami, mengo, further adv. ferda. mongki aapl, mongki kyap, furthermore conj. moroava, pain, papaaya, plaantin, bisaidz. prep.phr. pahn tap a plom, roaz aapl, sowasap, dat. tanjareen, waika banaana. furthest adj. ferdares. fruit cake n. blak kayk. adv.ferdares. fruit fly n. mini-mini flai. fuss v. fos2. n. fos2. frustrated adj. foschraytid. unnecessary fuss n. fry v. frai. simidimi. fry cake n. frai kayk. fussy adj. fosi, kamikl. fry jack n. frai jak. future n. fyoocha. frying pan n. fraiyin pan. fuzzy adj. fozi. G - g gain v. gayn. ahn baal, kaparoocheh, Gales Point n. Malanti krikit2, kyaadz, lachri, gallon n. gyalan. maabl, skipin roap. gallop v. gyalop. n. gyalop. see also under cards gallstone n. gaalstoan. game master n. der. galvanized building material game meat n. gaym meet. n. zink. gang banger n. gang banga. gamble v. gyambl. gangrene n. gangreen. game n. gaym. gang up v. geng op. game sp. – blak stik, boleedo, gap n. gyap. feech, haats, hat pepa, jaks 413 garbage English to Kriol godly garbage n. gyaabij, chrash1, gift n. gif. dert. gill n. gil. garbage can n. dert baks, gimmick n. moak. gyaabij kyan. ginger n. jinja. garden n. gyaadn. girl n. gyal. gardener n. gyaadna. girlfriend n. gyalfren. gargle v. gaagl/gegl. give v. gi/giv, han. garlic n. gyaalik. given free of charge n. gimi- garnaches n. garnaaches. tenkyu. garter n. gyaataz. gizzard n. gizad. gas n. gyas. glance v. glans. gasoline n. gyasoaleen. glass n. glaas. gasp v. bloa shaat. glasses n. glaasiz, spektikl. gate n. gayt. one who wears glasses gather v. gyada/geda. (slang) n.phr. foa-aiy gay (homosexual) n. pasam. batiman, ponk. adj. foni. gloomy n. bleeki. geese n. goos. glory n. gloari. general n. jenaral. adj. glorify v. big op, prayz op. jenaral. glove n. globz. generation n. jenarayshan. glue v. gloo. n. gloo. genitals n. praivat. glutton n. gaamandaiza, glot. gentle adj. jentl. gluttonous n. kraybm. gentleman n. gnat n. flai. jentlman/jenklman. go v. goh. germ n. jermz. go abroad v.phr. goh get v. geh/get. owtsaid, goh weh, goh da get back v.phr geh bak. farin. get ahead v.phr. geh hed, go ahead v.phr. goh chroo. advans. go away v. gwaahn/gwaan. get along (emotionally) go counter to v. kraas. v.phr. hoal3 op. go in v. get eena. get along with v.phr. gree, go on v. gwaahn/gwaan. kaskas, set haas. goal n. goal2. get in v.phr. get eena. goalie n. goali. get out v. git. gobbler n. gabla. get up v.phr. get op. God n. Gaad, Faada. ghost n. goas, bubu2, god n. gaad. bubuman. godfather n. gadfaada. giant n. jaiyant. godfather (of one’s child) n. gibnut n. givnat/gibnat. kompaajreh, kompeh. giddyup ono. bigidip/digidip. godly adj. gaadli. 414 godmother English to Kriol ground godmother n. gadi. grandmother n. graama, godmother of one’s child n. grani. komaajreh, makumeh. grandson n. granson. going v. gwain/gwehn. grape n. grayp. gold n. goal1. adj. goal1. grapefruit n. graypfroot. gone v. gaahn/gaan. grass n. graas. good n. gud. adj. gud, karek. grass sp. – Bahaama graas, fairly good adv. gudish. feeva graas, kayn, kotin good (slang) adj. bad, wikid. graas, pinch-yu-waybos, goodish adv. gudish. sweet graas, wail bambu, good morning sal. maanin. wail kayn. good night sal. gud nait, naiti. grasshopper n. graas-hapa. good-bye sal. gudbai, aarait. grate v. grayta. goodness n. gudnis. grateful adj. graytful. goods (groceries) n. gudz. grater n. grayta. goody-goody adj. gudi-gudi. grave n. grayv. goose n. goos. gravedigger n. grayvdiga. your goose is cooked n.phr. graveyard n. bering grong. yu koako roas. gravel n. gravl. goose-bumps n. koal seed. gravy n. grayvi. gossip v. gasip, seetful, grease n. grees. shush/shushu, skyat, taak op greasy adj. greesi. bowt. n. gasip, nyooz baka, great adj. grayt. toari, yehriso. greediness n. greedinis. gossipy v. seetful. greedy adj. greedi, govern v. rayn2, rool. grabalishos kraybm. government n. govament. green adj. green1. governor n. govna. grey adj. gray. gown n. gong, frak, jres. grill n. gril. grab hold of v. grabl. grilled adj. gril. grace n. grays. grimace v. mek op...fays. adj. grade v. karek, maak1, rang. mikays-mikays fays. n. maak1, rank. grimy adj. bilji. graduate v. grajuayt. grin v. green2. n. green2. grain n. grayn. grind v. grain. grammar n. grama. grip n. grip, valees. grandpa n. grampa. gripe v. graip. n. graip. grand adj. gran. groan v. groan, gront. grandchild n. grampikni. groin n. kroch. granddaughter n. grandaata. groceries n. groasriz. grandfather n. granfaada, grocery store n. shap. grampa, taata. ground n. grong. 415 ground food English to Kriol hamburger ground food (root vegetable) guarantee v. garantee. n. n. grong food, bred kain, garantee. grong bikl. guard v. gyaad. n. gyaad. ground food sp. – dasheen, guava n. gwaava. kasaava, koako2, guayabera shirt n. potayto/pitayta, yaam, waiyabayra. yampa. guess v. ges1. n. ges1. grounded n.phr. anda guest n. ges2. ponishment, anda guest house n. ges hows. rischrikshan. guide v. gaid. n. gaid. grounds n. grongz. guilty adj. gilti. group n. groop, kit. guinep fruit n. kinep. grouper n. grupa. guitar n. gitaar. grow v. groa. gulf n. golf. grub n. grob. gullible person n. kunumunu. grubby hand n. mikays- gully n. goli. mikays han. gum n. gom. grudge n. groj. chewing gum n. chingom, hold a grudge v.phr. hoal cheekleh. malis. gun n. gon, shatgon. share another’s grudge gun down v.phr. gon dong, v.phr. swet feeva. shat. grudging adj. grojful, red aiy. gush v. gosh. grumble v. grombl. gut v. gots, kleen. grungy adj. gronji. guts n. gots, inschralz. grunt v. gront. gutter n. gota. grunt (fish) n. gront. guy n. fela. guanacaste tree n. gym n. jim. gwanakasteh, tubroos. H - h habitually adv. evri hair sp. – bangz, brayd dong, taim/taihn. nati, piki, tof, weev. hacksaw n. hagsaa. slick down one’s hair v. had to v.phr. had woz tu. brayd dong. hag n. heg. hairy adj. hayri. hag-like adj. hagish. half adj. haaf. hail (call) v. hayl, kaal. hall (parlor) n. haal2. hailstone n. haylstoan. hallucinate v. ga haraz, si hair n. hyaa2/hayr, hed. doblz. hamburger n. berga. 416 hammer English to Kriol headway hammer v. hama. n. hama. hardhearted adj. haad- hammock n. hamak/hamik. haatid. hand v. han, giv. n. han. hardly adv. haadli, skaysli. on the other hand conj. harelip n. hyaalip. wichin. harm v. du…ting, hat3/hert, handcuff v. banglz. aynja. n. hankof, banglz. harmonica n. mowt aagan. handkerchief n. hankerchif. harpoon n. haapoon. handle v. handl, manij. n. harum-scarum adj. hayrim- handl. skayrim. handle (touch) v. fingl. harvest v. haavis. n. haavis. handle roughly v. bulireg, hassle v. hasl, anai, bada, bog. haal ahn pul. hasty (short-tempered) adj. handlebar n. handl. haysti. handsome adj. hansom. hat n. hat2. handspring n. hanspring. Hatacuma n. Hatakuma. handwriting n. hanraitin, hatch v. hach. raitin. hatchet n. hachit. hang v. heng. hate v. hayt. n. hayt. hang around (with) v. hateful adj. haytful. heng rong (wid), ranks haul v. haal1. (wid). Haulover Bridge n. Haloava hanging n. hengin. Brij. hangman n. jekech. Haulover Creek n. Haloava hangout n. bays. Krik. hangover n. goama. haunted adj. haantid. hanky n. hanki/henki. have v. ga/gat, ha/hav. haphazardly, do v. dabl. have to v. hafu/haftu, fi1, happen v. hapm, tek plays. mos. happening n. hapmninz. hawk (bird) n. haak1. happier adj. hapiya. hawk (cough up phlegm) v. happiest adj. hapiyis. haak2. happily adv. hapi. he pro. ih. happiness n. hapinis. he (emphatic) pro. hihn. happy adj. hapi. head n. hed, kalbash. harass v. haraas, heg, krayzi. head for v.phr. hed fi. harassment n. haraasment. headlight n. hedlait. harbour v. haaba. headman n. baas, hedman, hard adj. haad, deh-aan, hefeh. kohn. adv. haad. headache n. hedayk/hidayk. hardheaded adj. haad-hedid, headband n. hedayk ban. ga no andastandin. headway n. hedway. 417 headwind English to Kriol him headwind n. hedwin. herbs sp. – biliweb, bukut heal v. heel2, kyoar. leef, chaini root, chree a laif, health n. helt. feeva graas, gombolimbo, healthy adj. helti, karek. jinja, kloav, kolanchro, hear v. hyaa1, yehr. konchreebo, nak-mi-bak, hearsay n. yehriso. notmeg, pis-a-bed1, hearse n. hos. provizhan baak, sayj, heart n. haat. silanchro, sink-ahn-baibl, hearth n. faiyahaat. skajineel, sorosi, susumba, hearty adj. haati. swaylo konswaylo, taim3, heat n. heet. talawala, titai. heat wave n. jrai weda jombi. here adv. ya. int. hahn. heave v. hib. right here adv. yasoh. heaven n. hevn/hebm. heron n. gaalin. heavy adj. hevi/hebi. heron sp. – bloo gaalin, heck int. heks/hek. koopa, kyapmta bod, lang hedge n. hej. nek gaalin, poajoa, wait heed v. pay...main, stodi3. gaalin. heel n. heel1, fut bak. herringbone pattern v. shoe heel n. shooz heel. fiskayl. bread heel n. bred bak. hers pro.adj. fi shee, fi shee height n. hait. wan. heliconia (lobsterclaws, bird herself pro. ihself. of paradise) n. waha, wail hey int. eiy. plaantin. hibiscus n. red bel. hell n. hel. hiccatee n. hikiti. hello sal. heloa. hick n. bushi. hem n. frak tayl. hickey n. vamp. hemorrhage v. hemrij. hide v. haid. her pro. ahn1/am, shee, fi hide away v.phr. haid weh. shee. high adj. hai. her (emphatic) pro. shee high and mighty adj.phr. hai pro.adj. fi shee. ahn maiti. hers pro.adj. fi shee, fi shee high school n. hai skool. wan. high society n. shishifufu. herbal adj. herbal. higher adj. haiya1. herbal doctor n. herbz man, highest adj. haiyis. herbz uman. highway n. haiway. herbal drink n. bush tee. hill n. hil. herbal medicine n. bush hillside n. hilsaid. medisn. hilltop n. hiltap. herbs n. herbz. him pro. ahn1/am, hihn. 418 him (emphatic) English to Kriol human him (emphatic) pro. hihn. hoof n. huf. himself pro. ihself. hook v. huk. n. huk. hinges n. inchiz. hook-stick n. hukstik. hint v. spel. hooky, play v.phr. bang huki. hire v. haiya2. hop v. hap, jomp. his pro.adj. ih, fi hihn, fi hihn hope v. hoap. n. hoap. wan. hopscotch v. hapskach. hiss v. seet2. horn n. haan. history n. hischri. horrible adj. harabl. hit v. baks1, bang, kech, lik, horror adj. hara. nak, wap. horse n. haas. hitch v. hich. horsefly n. haasflai. hives n. mad blod. hose n. hoaz. hoarse adj. hoas. hospital n. haaspital. hobble v. hip ahn goh. hostile adj. sweti. hobgoblin n. bagabu. see hot adj. hat1. adv. heeti, also mythical character. spaisi. hoe n. hoa1. hot-headed adj. heeti, shaat. hog n. hag. hot-tempered adj. ignarant. hoist v. hais. hour n. owa. hoity-toity adv. haiti-taiti. house n. hows. hold v. hoal3. house sp. – n. baat hows, hold between one’s legs v. boad hows, boadin hows, kakakroch. daag sidong, dongstayz hold up v. hoal3op, kip bak. hows, ges hows, kuboos, hole n. hoal1. nak-ahn-stan-op, opstayz holiday n. haliday/haladay. hows. holiest adj. hoaliyis. housetop n. howstap. holler v. hala1. housefly n. konkas. hollering n. halarin. household n. hows-hoal, hollow adj. hala2. hoam. holster n. skyaabat. housework n. howswerk. holy adj. hoali. how adv. how. home n. hoam. adv. hoahn. how much adv. humoch. at home hoahn. however adv. howeva. hometown n. hoamtong. howler monkey n. baaboon. homework n. hoamwerk. hug v. hog. homosexual n. batiman, huge adj. masiful, saizabl. ponk. adj. foni. hull (seed husk) n. pikinz. honest adj. aanis. human adj. hyooman. honey n. honi. human being n.phr. honour v. aana. n. aana. hyooman been. 419 humble English to Kriol implement humble v. hombl. adj. hombl. hurtful adj. hatful, bonin. humiliate v. hag op. husband n. hozban. humiliating adj. shaymin. common-law husband n. hummingbird, n. hominbod. jentlman/jenklman. hundred num. honjrid. hush hush adj. hosh hosh. hungry adj. hongri, pekish. husk(coconut) v. hoks. n. hunt v. hont, pragin. hoks. hunting bag n. malayta. husk (corn) v. peel. n. hoks. hurl v. pich1. hustle v. hosl, kech ahn kil, hurricane n. pragin. harikayn/horikayn. hut n. hot, hutment. hurry v. hori, mikays, rosh. hypocrite n. hipokrit. n. hori. hysteria n. histeeriya hurt v. hat3/hert, bon1, du…ting. I - i I pro. Ah. share another’s ill-will v. I (emphatic) pro. Ai, mee. swet feeva. IboTown n. Eebo Tong. ill-tempered adj. ice n. ais. disagreeyabl, krabit, ice cream n. aiskreem. krachiti, mizarabl. ice cream cone n. koanz. imagination n. imajinayshan. ice pick n. ais pik. imagine v. imajin, fansi, icebox n. aisbaks. sopoaz. idea n. aidyaa. imitate v. falafut. idiot n. eedyat, bubu3. imitator n.phr. falafut jompi. idol n. aidal. immediately adv. rait1 away. if conj. if/ef. int. baps, braps. ignore v. ignoar. immigration officer n. iguana n. bambu chikin, boadaman. gwaana, wishwili. impact n. lik. ill adj. sik. impatient adj. shaat a ill-bred adj. kaman. payshans. illegitimate (child) adj. exclamation of impatience baastad, owtsaid pikni, int. cho. shalai. impatiently adv. kwik-wan. child passed off as another impede v. hoal3 op. man’s n. shalai. impertinence n. smaatnis. ill-will n. bad-main. implement v. kehri owt. 420 important English to Kriol island important adj. big taim, chraiyantiloap, waari tik, impoatant. waas, weebl, ud lais. impregnate v. beli aaf, inside adv. eensaid. breed2, faal, jak op, insist v. insis. pregnant. instance n. instans. impress v. impres. instead prep. steda, insted. impudent adj. faysi, opstaat. instead of prep. steda. in prep. eena, da2. adv. een. instrument n. inschrument. incense n insens. insult v. insolt. n. insolt. incompetent adj. shitn. glance insultingly v. kot indecent adj. indeesant. aiy. indecently adv. waasa/waasi. insult indirectly v. chroa independence n. wod. indipendens/indipendans. insurance n. inshoarans. Indian (Amerindian) n. intend v. inten, meen1. injin2. interest n. inchres, kansaan. Indian (East) n. Indyan, interested adj. inchrestid. Kooli. interfere v. intafayr/intafyaa, Indian sp. – Kooli, Maiya, dabl, faas3. Waika. interfering v. inexpensive adj. cheep. intafayrin/intafyaarin. inexperienced adj. green1. interpret v. interpit. inferior adj. cheezi. n. shish. interrupt v. intarop, dip infinitive marker fi1. eena, kot yu kraas. inflexible adj. stobant. interview v. intavyoo. n. informer n. pimpa. intavyoo. inheritance n. legisi. into prep. eena. adv. een. injection n. injekshan. turn into prep. ton intu. injure v. aynja/inja. intoxicant n. alkahol, lika. innocent adj. inosent. intravenous drip n. laif- insect n. insek. waata. insect sp. – batlaas/baklaas, introduce v. intajoos. bee2, bog, chiga, dakta flai, inveigle v. invigl. flee, debl raidin haas, flai, invest v. inves. graas-hapa, grayvdiga, invite v. invait. haasflai, kakroach, kiskideh, invited v. invaitid. konkas, kraab lows, krikit, iron v. aiyan, pres kloaz. n. maat, maskito/maskita, aiyan, koal pat. adj. aiyan2. mini-mini flai, nait bog, ironing n. presin. needlkays, peeniwali, irritate v. eech2. peewom, shaat jekit, is v. da4, deh (ya). skaapyan, schraika, island n. ailan, kee2. 421 isolated English to Kriol justice isolated adj. seklootif. itch v. eech2, eechi. Israel n. Izrel. itchy adj. eechi. it pro. ahn1/am, it. itself pro. ihself. it is/was v. da1. J - j jabiru n. jabaroo. Jewish adj. Jooish. jackass n. jekaas/jakaas. jittery adj. jichri. jackass bitters n. jekaas job n. jab, tas/taas. bitaz. part-time job n.phr. wahn jacket n. jekit. lee en. jack-o-lantern n. jakolantan. jog v. chrat. jacks n. jaks ahn baal. johnny-cake n. janikayk. jaded adj. jaydi. join v. jain. jaguar n. jagwa, taiga. joint n. jaint. jaguarundi n. halari2. joke v. joak. n. joak. jail n. jayl, bak-a-baptis, journey n. jerni, chrip. Glaas Batl Kee. joy n. jai. jailbird n. jaylbod. judge v. joj. n. joj. jalopy n. bokit, judgment n. jojment. pemperem/prempereh. jug n. jog. jalousie n. jalosi. water jug n. jimi jan. Jamaica n. Jumayka. juice n. joos. Jamaican male n.phr. Joo concentrated fruit juice n. Bwai. skwash. jam-packed adj. ramjam. frozen juice treat n. aideel. January n. Janiweri. juicy adj. joosi. jar n. jaar. July n. Joolai. jaw n. jaa. jump v. jomp, hap. jawbone n. jaaboan. jump rope v. skip. n. skipin jay (brown) n. pyampyam. roap. jealous adj. jelos/jalas. jumpy adj. jompi. jeans n. jeenz. June n. Joon. jellyfish n. jelifish. jungle n. bush, jongl. jerry rig n. kova benjamin. junk n. jonk. Jerusalem n. Jeroosalem. junkie n. krakhed, spranghed. Jesus Christ n. Jeezas Krais. junky adj. jengereh. Jew n. Joo. juror n. jooriya. jewelry (dangling) n. jury n. joori. jengjeng. just adv. jos. jewfish n. joofish. justice n. jostis. 422 keep English to Kriol large K - k keep v. kip. kiskadee n. kiskidee. keep back v. kip bak. kiss v. kis. n. kis, choops. keep on v. kip aan, stay, kit n. kit. stodi (ting). kite n. kait. kernel n. grayn. kitchen n. kichin. kerosene n. koroseen. kitchen counter n. kownta, kettle n. ketl/kitl. jresa. key n. kee1. kite n. kait. kick v. kik. kitty-corner adj. kyata- kicks n. kiks, fon. kaana. kidney n. kidni. knead v. need2. kill v. kil, merda, slaata. knee n. nee. killing n. kilin. kneecap n. neekyap. kilogram n. keelo. kneel v. neel, jrap dong kind adj. kain1. pahn…nee. kind n. kain2. knife n. naif. kind of phr. wahn kain a knock v. baks, bang, lik, nak. way2. knocking sound n. nakin, kindness n. kainis. bangin. kingfisher n. kingfisha. knot n. nat2. Kings Park n. Kingz Paak. knotty (hair) adj. nati. kinkajou n. nait waaka. know v. noa. kinky (hair) adj. nati, piki, knuckle n. nokl. tof. L - l labour v. layba. n. layba. lamb n. lam. lace v. laysn, schring op. n. land v. lan, pich2. n. lan. lays. landing n. laandin. shoelace n. laysn. Landivar n. Landeeva. ladder n. leda2. landlord n. lanlaad. ladies’ man n. sweet man. lane n. layn. ladle n. dipa. language n. langwij. lady n. laydi. lanky adj. lenki. lag v. lag1. lard n. laad. lagoon n. lagoon. large adj. big, saizabl. lake n. layk, lagoon. 423 lash English to Kriol life overly large (personal at least phr. at lees2. accessory) adj. papam. leather n. leda1. adj. leda1. lash v. beet, lash, dip, lada, lays, leave v. lef1. n. leev. tayr, wap. leave out overnight v. sleep lash (verbally) v. lays. owt. last adj. laas1. lecture v. lekcha. n. lekcha. at long last adv. lang at laas1. left adj. lef2,3. v. lef2, late adv. layt. gaan/gaahn. adv. lef2. later adv. bumbai. leftovers n. lefoavaz, skraypinz. lather v. lada, soapi. leg n. fut. latrine n. lachreen. legacy n. legisi. laugh v. laaf. n. laaf. leggings n. leginz. laugh at v. laaf aata. lemon grass n. feeva graas. laugh with gusto v. kya-kya- lend v. len. kya. length n. lent. make one laugh v. sweet. Lent n. Lent. laughingstock n. laafinstak. lesbian n. raba uman, zami. laundry n. laanjri, washin. less adj. les. laundry detergent n.phr. soap lessen v. bayt2. powda. lesson n. lesn1. laundry woman n. washa lest conj. rekli. uman. let v. low, mek. lavender adj. lavenda. let go v. legoh, loos, rilees. law n. laa. lethargic adj. loagi. lawbreaker n. laabrayka. let’s go v. kungoh, lesgoh. lawyer n. laaya. letter n. leta, noat. lawyer defending himself n. lettuce n. letis. bush laaya. level n. levl. lay v. lay. lewd adj. slek/slak. lazy adj. layzi. v.phr. layzi op. lewd person n. mantel, lead (metal) n. led. sketel. lead (guide) v. leed. liar n. becomes adj. laiyad. leading adj. impoatant. liberate v. free. leaf-carrying ants n. weewi library n. laibri. aans. lice see: louse. leak v. leek. license v. laisn. n. laisn, leev. lean v. leen. lick v. lik. leap v. jomp. lie (falsehood) v. lai. n. lai, learn v. laan. laiyadnis, stoari. lease v. lees1. n. lees1. lie (recline) v. lidong. leased adj. lees1. lie in wait for v. laywayt, daj. least n. lees2. adv. lees2. life n. laif. 424 lifestyle English to Kriol look lifestyle n. livin. little by little adv.phr. poako lifetime n. hoal a...laif. poako. lift v. lif, hais. n. lif, jrap, kraas. live v. liv/lib. light v. lait1. n. lait1. livelihood n. livin. light-skinned adj. chaylo, liver n. liva. klayr skin, payl kaypm. n. living n. livin. adj. alaiv, livin. kapa kala. barely make a living v. strange light n. jakolantan. simpa. light (weight) adj. lait2. living room n. haal2, paala. light bulb n. bolf. lizard n. lizad. lighten v. laitn. lizard sp. – bambu chikin, lighter (barge) n. laita. giliwaas, gwaana, maklala, lightning n. laitnin. v. laitnin. wishwili. lightning bug n. nait bog, loaded adj. loadid. peeniwali, peewom. loaf around v. lebeh. like v. laik1, chek, kay/kyaa fi. loaf bread (store-bought) n. adj. laik2. bayka bred, pak bred. have a liking for v. fansi. loan n. loan1. like that adv. rait1 soh. lobster n. labsta, krayfish. likeness n. dibz/dabz. local adj. loakal. lily n. lili. lock v. lak, baar. n. lak. limb n. lim. locker n. laka. lime n. laim, wait laim. lockdown n. lak dong, jayl. wash with lime v. laim. lodge v. laj. limey n. laimi. lodging n. lajin. limp v. limp. adj. limba. log n. lag2. line n. lain. logger n. lag kota. line up v. lain op. logwood n. lagwud. linger v. heng rong. logy adj. loagi. linoleum n. maali. loiter v. heng rong, lebeh. lion n. laiyan. lonely adj. loanli. lip n. batam lip, tap lip. long adj. lang1. v. lang2 fi, pain lips n. mowt. weh. protruding lips n. lang lip, long ago adv. fos1. phr. bifoa snuk mowt. taim, lang1 taim, fahn King liquor n. lika, alkahol. Hachit woz a hama, fahn lisp adj. tai-tong. Devl woz a bwai, walam list n. lis. paas mowt. listen v. lisn. longshoreman n. shipman. litter v.phr. chrash op, doti op. look v. luk. little adj. lee/leel, smaal. look after v. main, tek kayr/ kyaa a, ten tu. 425 looking glass English to Kriol maidenhood look askance v. kot aiy. loud (person) adj. balahu, look at v. luk pahn, wach. blagyaad, halari1. look carefully v.phr. luk gud. loudly adv. haad-wan. look down upon v.phr. luk louse n. lows, kraab lows. dong pahn. louse sp. – kraab lows, ud lais. look for v.phr. luk fa, saach. love n. lov. look like v. fayva. to make love v.phr. lov op. looking glass n. lukin glaas. love sickness n. kabanka, lookout n. lukowt. krisisisilo, makoabi, miskoabi. looks n. luks. lover n. sweethaat. loose adj. slek/slak. low adj. loa. loosen v. loos. lower v. loar. adj. loawa. adv. loosen one’s bowels v. loawa. aparayt1, goh owt. lowest adj. loawis. loot v. ramsak. luck n. lok, chereep. loquacious adj. chati, taaki- bad luck adj. saal2, badlokid. taaki. luckily adv. loki ting. Lord n. Laad. lucky adj. loki. Lord’s Ridge n. Laadz Rij. lucky draw n. wapi. lorry adj. chrok. lucky for me phr. jos mi han. lose v. laas2, looz. lucky sign n. rayk. lost v. laas2. adj. laas2. luggage n. logij. lot n. lat1. lumber n. lomba, ud. lots adj. lat2, plenti. lunch n. lonch. lotion n. loashan. lungs n. longz. lottery n. boleedo, lachri, lato. lust v. los. n. los. loud (sound) adj. haad. adv. lying adj. laiyad, stoari. haad. M - m ma’am n. mam, mami. made-up adj. mek-op. macaroni n. makaroani. magazine n. magazeen. macaw n. maka paarat. fashion magazine n. stail buk. machete n. machet, masheet. maggot n. megij. machine n. masheen. magic n. majik. mackerel n. makril. magician n. majishan. mad (angry) adj. beks. magistrate n. majischrayt. mad (insane) adj. krek, krayzi, magpie n. mongki bod. plik/plektos. mahogany n. mahagni. slightly mad adj. haaflait. maid n. mayd. madam n. mam, mami. maidenhood n. maydn. 426 mail English to Kriol may mail v. poas2. marble game terms sp. – mailbox n. poasbaks. dubzi, glaasi, kwaiyan, noklz mailman n. poasman. dong, pus-aiy, siks, spinz-tu- main adj. mayn. yu-naybl, taa, tek weh shenks. maintain v. mantayn, kip. March n. Maach. maintenance n. mantaynans. march v. maach. major adj. mayja. mare n. mayr. make v. mek. margarine n. maajareen. make one’s bed v.phr. mek margay n. taiga kyat. op...bed. marijuana n. kali, tubungu, make out (romantically) weed. v.phr. romans. mark v. maak. n. maak. make up again v.phr. mek op mark incorrect v. rang. bak. market n. maakit. make-up n. maykop. marriage n.marij. malaria n. malayrya. married adj. marid. male n. bali. marry v. marid. phr. male potency phr. schrang brok...nek. bak. mask n. maas2. diminish one’s potency phr. Mass n. Maas. kot…naycha. massage v. naint. malice n. bad-main. massive adj. masiful. malicious adj. bad-maindid, mast n. maas1. spaitful. master n. maasa. mama’s boy n. ma-lehleh. adj. match v. mach. n. mach. waawa. mate (poultry) v. chred2. man n. bali, man. int. material n. klaat. mayn/man. math n. mats, somz. manage v. manij, handl. mathematics n. mats, somz. manatee n. malanti, see kow. matilda foot n. matilda fut. manger n. feedn baks. matter v. mata1. mango n. mango/mengo. no matter v. noh mata1, noh mangrove n. mangro. kay. manipulate v. shoola. matter (pus) n. mata2, manners n. manaz. koropshan. bad manners n. bad stail. mattress n. machris/machraas. manure n. manyoar, kow dong, mature v. divelop, blaasam. haas domp, fertilaiza. maul n. maal. many adj. lat, plenti. mauve n. maav. map n. map1. maximum adv. no miks, maraca n. shaka. nohmoh nohmoh. marble(s) n. maabl. may v. ku/kud. 427 May English to Kriol minute may not v. maitn. mercy n. mersi/masi, piti. v.phr. May n. May. tek piti pahn, ga mersi pahn, Mayan n. Maiya. sari fi. maybe adv. maybi. v.phr. mos merely adv. jos. bi. merry-go-round n. meri-goh- mayor n. myaa. rong. me pro. mi2. mess n. mes. me (emphatic) pro. mee. mess up v. mes op, hambog. meal n. meel, kukin. phr. haal and pul op. mean (cruel) adj. hagish, message n. mesij. kruwil. Messiah n. Mesaiya. mean (intend) v. meen1, inten. messenger n. mesinja. mean (stingy) adj. hagish, Mesopotamia n. kruwil, meen2. Mesopotaymya. meaning n. meenin. Mestizo n. panya. meantime adv. meentaim. meter n. meeta. measles n. meezlz. microphone n. maik. measure v. meja/mezha. middle n. midl/migl. measurement n. midst adv. mids. mejament/mezhament. midwife n. midwaif, grandi. measurement (land) n. might v. mait. tas/taas. might have v. maita. meat n. meet. might not v. maitn. meat foods n. meet kain. mildew v. miljoo. meat pie scraps n. brok-op. mile n. mail. meatball n. bondiga. milk n. milk. meaty adj. fleshi. milk sp. – kandens milk, mechanic n. makyanik. karnayshan milk, klim, kow meddle v. dabl, faas3, intafayr. milk, pet milk, sweet milk. meddling adj. intafayrin. million n. milyan. medicine n. medisn. mimic v. mak, falafut. mediocre adj. poako-tyempo. mind v. main, tek kayr/kyaa a, meet v. bok op. ten tu. n. main. meeting n. meetn. be of two minds phr. ga too melon n. milan. main. melon sp. – mosmilan, make up one’s mind v. mek waatamilan. op...main, disaid. member n. memba2. mine pro. fi mi, fi mee wan, memory n. memri. mainz. mention v. menshan. minister n. minista. Merciful God n. Masi Maasa. minor adj. anda ayj. minute n. minit. 428 miracle English to Kriol mouldy miracle n. mirakl. monkey sp. – baaboon, spaida mirror n. miro, lukin glaas. mongki. mischief n. mischif. monkey around v. mongki miserly adj. cheep, geechi, rong. meen2, stinji. monkey apple n. mongki aapl. miss v. mis, misn. monkey spider n. mongki Miss n. Mis. spaida. missing adj. misn. month n. mont. mission n. mishan. month sp. – Janiweri, Febweri, missionary adj. mishineri. Maach, Aypril, May, Joon, mistake v. mistayk. Joolai, Aagas, Septemba, mistaken adj. mistaykn, rang. Aktoaba, Novemba, Disemba. mister sal. misa/mista. moody person phr. sohntaihn Mister ‘What’s His Name’ n. sohnbadi. Misa Man. vexatious or sulky mood n. mistress (female employer) n. taahnfoora. mischris. moonlight n. moonlait. mistress (paramour) n. mop v. map. n. map. sweethaat. more adj. moa. adj. moa. misunderstanding n. morgue n. ded hows. misandastandin. morning n. maanin. sal. mix v. miks. maanin. moan v. moan, gront. mortar n. maata. mock v. mak, klong. mortuary n. ded hows. model n. modl. Moses n. Moaziz. role model n. road modl. mosquito n. flai, modern adj. madan. maskito/maskita, schraika. molar n. jaa teet. mosquito net n. piblan. mole n. moal1. moss n. maraas. molest v. moles. most n. moas. adj. moas. mommy n. mami, mama. mostly adv. moasli. Monday n. Mondeh. moth n. maat. money n. moni. moth balls n. kyamfa baalz. money not broken into mother n. ma, mami, mama, change n. haad dala. muma. pay or shell out money n. mother-in-law n. shin owt. mada-ahn-laa/ mada-ahn-laa. play money n. chayni moni. motor n. moto. money-changer n. moni- motorboat n. toktok. chaynja. motorcycle n. motosaikl/saikl. mongrel dog n. patlika. mould (fungus) n. jonjo. monkey n. mongki. mouldy adj. jonjo. 429 mountain English to Kriol nasal mucus mouldy-looking adj. gronji. murderer n. merdara. mountain n. mongtin. murky adj. grongzi. mourn v. moan. muscle n. mosl. mourning n. moanin. muscle bulge n. rata2. mouse n. rat, rata. well-defined muscle adv. mouth n. mowt. chap op. mouth off v. mowt aaf. muscle shirt. n. mouth organ n. mowt aagan. schrangman. mouthy adj. mowti. muscle spasm n. winspazam. move v. moov. n. moov. mushy adj. pulaali. move over v. jres dong. music n. myoozik. movie n. moovi, picha2, shoa1. music sp. – brokdong, kungo Mrs. n. Mis. myoozik, punta, regeh, soaka. much n. moch. adj. moch. adv. musician n. myoozishan. moch. muskmelon n. mosmilan. how much adv. humoch. must v. aatu, fi1, hafu mucus n. bubu1, koal2, noaz must be v. mosi. naat. must not v. mosn, aatn, noh mud n. mod. fi. daub with mud v. talawala. mustache n. mostash. muddy adj. modi. mustard n. mostad. muffler n. mofla. musty adj. hoodi, frowzi. mug (rob) v. jak, hoal3 op. mute adj. dom. mule n. myool. my pro.adj. mi2, fi mi2. mule and cart n. myool ahn my (emphatic) pro.adj. mai. kyaat. myself pro. miself. Mule Park n. Myool Paak. mythical character n. Bush multiplication tables n. tayblz. Man, Hanaasi, Hashishi mumble v. mombl. Pampi, Hatakuma, Lang Bobi mumps n. momps. Suzi, Sisimait, Raahed ahn murder v. merda. n. merda. Blodi Boan, Tata Duhendeh. N - n nag v. neg, heg. n. neg. nape n. kobij hoal, nek bak. nagging adj. hegin. napkin (paper ) n. paypa nail v. nayl. n. nayl. napkin, servyet. naked adj. naykid. napkin (cloth) n. taybl napkin. get naked v. naykid. narrow adj. naro. name v. nayhn/naym. n. nasal mucus n. bubu1, koal2, nayhn/naym. noaz naat. nap n. doaz. 430 nasty English to Kriol north wind nasty (not hygienic) adj. never mind v. noh main. naasti/naasi. new adj. nyoo. nation n. nayshan. brand-new adj. nyoo bran. national adj. nashanal/nashnal. newcomer n. jos-kohn. natural adj. nachral. news n. nyooz. nature n. naycha. newspaper n. nyoozpaypa. naught num. aat, naat2. next adj. neks. navel n. naybl. next to adv. said a. near adj. kloas. nibble v. nibl. nearly adv. nayli. nice adj. nais, pleezabl, plezant. neat adj. neet. be nice to v. sweet op. neatly adv. neet. niece n. nees. necessary adj. nesiseri. night n. nait, oavanait. necessary information phr. nightgown n. wat ahn wat. naitgong/naigong, naiti. neck n. nek. nightie n. naiti, nape of neck n. kobij hoal, naitgong/naigong. nek bak. nightmare n. necktie n. tai1. naitmyaa/naitmayr. necklace n. neklis. nine num. nain. need v. need1, waahn/waahnt. nineteen num. nainteen. n. need1. nineteenth adj. nainteent. need not v. needn. ninety num. nainti. needle n. needl. nipple n. nipl, titi paint. neglect v. niglek. no n. no. adj. no. adv. no. neighbour n. nayba. no matter v. noh kay, noh neighborhood n. naybahud. mata. neither adv. needa/naida. conj. no more v. nohmoh. needa/naida. pro. non. nobody pro. nobadi. nephew n. nevyoo. nod v. nad. nerve n. baalz, bayrfaysidnis, noise n. naiz. faysinis, jrai fays/jrai aiy. noisy adj. naizi. nerves n. nervz. none pro. non1. nervous adj. naavis/nervos, nonsense n. fool, naansens, jichri, jompi. schupidnis. nest n. nes. nook and cranny n.phr. krik1 net n. net. ahn kaana. net sp. – kyaas net, fishin net, nor conj. ner/naa, needa/naida. gini sayn net, pers sayn net, normal adj. naamal, regyula. piblan, schrimps net, sayn net. north n. naat1. never adv. neva/neba, no taim1. northern adj. naadan. phr. wen fowl kot teet. north wind naat1. 431 nose English to Kriol old nose n. noaz. nuisance n. pes. nostril n. noaz hoal. number n. nomba. nosy adj. noazi, intafayrin. number sp. – naat2, wan, too, not neg. noh/na, nat1. chree2, foa, faiv, siks, sebm, not any adj. no. ayt, nain, ten, ilebm, twelv, not at all adj. no. terteen, foateen, fifteen, no one pro. nobadi. siksteen, semteen, ayteen, note n. noat. nainteen, tweni, tweni wan, nothing n. notn. n.phr. breez terti, foati, fifti, siksti, semti, bloa. ayti, nainti, honjrid, towzn, nothing but adj. loan2, pyoa, milyan. soaso. nun n. non2. notice v. noatis. nurse n. ners, nos. November n. Novemba. nut n. not. nowadays adv. nowadayz, nutmeg n. notmeg. tideh day, deez dayz. nylon n. nailon. nowhere pro. no way. O - o oath n. oat. offend v. ofen. obeah n. oabya. offended adj. ofendid. phr. feel1 obeah spell n. du-soh. wahn kain a way. use obeah v. oabya, fiks. offense n. ofens. obeah-man/-woman n. oabya- take offense v. tek ofens. man/oabya-uman. offer v. aafa. n. aafa. obedient adj. obeedyant. offering n. kalekshan. obey v. obay. off-guard adv. aaf-gyaad. occasion n. okayzhan. office n. aafis. occur v. hapm, tek plays. officer n. aafisa. ocean n. oashan, see. official n. ofishal. ocelot n. taiga kyat. often adv. aafn, evri haaf ton. o’clock adj. aklak. oh int. oah. October n. Aktoaba. oil v. ail. n. ail, fat. odd adj. foni, haaflait. cooking oil n. kukin ail. odds and ends n. kuchriments. olive oil n. aliv ail. odour n. smel, sent. ointment n. aintment. underarm odour n. aamsent. okay adj. aarait. adv. aarait, of prep. a1. aaraitish. int. aarait. of course adv. af koars/koas. okra n. okro. off adv. aaf. old adj. oal. 432 old-time English to Kriol owner older person trying to act ordinary adj. aadineri, poako- young n. oal hoks. adj. tyempo. haadbak. organ n. aagan. old-time adj. bifoa-taim. other adj. ada, nada, neks, tara2. olive oil n. aliv ail. others n. adaz. on adj. aan1. prep. pahn/pan3 otherwise adv. adarels2, once adv. wan taim. adawaiz, elswaiz. at once adv. wan lik. ought not v.aatn, noh fi, shudn. one num. wan. ought to v. aatu, beta, fi1, mos, one another n. wan anada. shuda. one-way street (wrong way ounce n. onks. on) adv. op-stap. our/ours pro.adj. wi, fi wi. onion n. oanyan. our/ours (emphatic) pro.adj. fi only adj. oanli, jos, loan2, pyoa, wee, fi wee wan. soaso. adv. oanli. ourselves pro. wiself. one and only adj. degeh. out adv. owt. open v. oapm. n. oapm. adj. outhouse n. lachreen. oapm. adj.phr. oapm paki. outlaw n. laabrayka. opening n. oapnin, mowt. outside adv. owtsaid. openly adv. braad-wan. outsider n. owtsaida. operate v. aparayt. outspoken adj.phr. oapm paki. operation (surgical) n. oven n. oavm, stoav. aparayshan. over adj. don. prep. oava. adv. operator n. aparayta. oava. opinions n. vyooz. overboard adv. oavaboad. opossum n. pasam. overcharge v. oavachaaj. four-eyed opossum n.phr. overdo v. oavadu. foa-aiy pasam. overflow v. oavafloa. opportunity n. apachooniti, overheat v. heeti. chaans. overnight adv. oavanait. opposite n. opozit. overpay v. oavapay. or conj. er/ar. overpower v. dobl-benk. orange n. hareenj/areenj. overseas adv. owtsaid. orchard n. aachad, waak2. overthrow v. oavachroa. orchestra n. okeschra/akeschra. owe v. hoa2. orchid n. aakid. own v. oan. adj. oan. order v. aada, koman. n. aada. own up (to) v. oan op (tu), in order to phr. fi mek. kanfes. owner n. oana. 433 pa English to Kriol past P - p pa n. pa. paper v. paypa. n. paypa. paca n. givnat/gibnat. paper money n. haad dala. pack v. pak. n. pak. parable n. parabl. package n. pakij. parade n. parayd. pad v. pad. n. pad. parakeet n. keeti. head pad for carrying n. paralyzed adj. paralaiz. kata. parch v. pach2. adj. pach2. paddle v. padl. pardon n. paadn. page n. payj. park v. paak. n. paak. pail n. bokit. parlour n. paala, haal2. pain v. payn. n. payn. parrot n. paarat. cause pain v.phr. bos…shot, parrot sp. – maka paarat, lik…shot. mangro paarat, paali, yalahed paint v. paynt. n. paynt. paarat. pair v. payr/pyaa3. n. parrotfish n. gilanboa. payr/pyaa3. part v. paat. n. paat. pajama n. pijaama. part (role) n. roal2. palace n. palis. particular adj. potikla. pale-skinned adj. payl kaypm. particularly want/care for v. pallet (chicle) n. angareya. potikla. palm (tree) n. paam. partition v. paataaf, takayda. n. palm sp. – baaskit titai, bay leef paataaf. paam/boataan, bonga, giv ahn partner n. paadna. tek, koakanat/kuknat, kokonoh partridge n. paachrij. bwai, kuhoon, kyabij paam, party v. paati, spree. n. paati, pimenta/primenta. bashment, bram. palm (of the hand) n. han party all night v. bleech. eensaid. Paslow Building n. Pazloa palmetto fan n. papta, Bildin. pimenta/primenta. pass v. paas1. pan n. pan1. passage n. pasij. panades n. panaades. passport n. paaspoat. panties n. panti. past n. paas2. adv. paas2. pants n. jeenz. past completive tense marker panty hose n. pantihoaz, don. stakinz. past continuous tense marker papa n. pa, papa. mi-di. papaya n. papaaya, papaa, past habitual doz, yoostu. pupa2. past tense marker mi1. 434 present English to Kriol pier present continuous tense best performance n. rekad. marker di2. perfume n. perfyoom. paste v. pays, talawala. n. pays. perhaps adv. maybi. v.phr. mos pastor n. paasta. bi. pasture n. paascha. period (menstrual) n. peeryad. pat v. pat2. period (punctuation) n. ful patch v. pach1. n. pach1. stap. path n. chrak, pikaado. permission n. permishan, leev patience n. payshans/payshens, er laisn. sens. permit v. low, mek. patient n. payshent. adj. persecute v. prasikyoot2. payshant. persevere v. hoal3 op. patio n. varanda. persist v. kip aan, stay, stodi patsy n. kunumunu. (ting). pattern n. patan. persistently adv. evri patty n. patiz. taim/taihn. pauper n. paapa. person n. persn. pave v. payv. personal adj. persnal. paw n. paa. personal accessories n. pawn n. paam2. kuchriments. payment n. riwaad. personally adv. persnali. peace n. pees2. pest n. pes. peaceful adj. peesful. pester v. heg. peacock n. peekak. pestle n. maata stik. peanut n. peenots, pinda. pet v. fingl, hoal3 op, lov op. n. pear n. Krismos pyaa1. pet. pearl n. perl. pharmacist n. jrogis. peas n. peez. pharmacy n. jrogstoar. peccary n. pikayri, waari. phone n. foan. peckish adj. pekish. phony adj. mek-op. peculiar adj. foni. physic nut n. fiziknat. peel (fruit) v. peel. n. peelin, piano n. piyaano. skin. pick v. pik1. pelican n. pilikin. pickaxe n. matok, pik eks. pen v. pen3op. n. pen2,3. pickle v. kaan. pencil n. pensl, led. pickled adj. kaan. penis n. pili, tili. pick up v. kalek. penny n. kapa, sehn. picky v. pikipiki. people n. pipl/peepl. picture n. picha2. pepper v. pepa. n. pepa. pie n. pai. perfect adj. perfek. piece n. pees1. perform v. pafaam. pier n. pyaa2. 435 pigeon English to Kriol plum pigeon n. pijin. plant v. plaant n. plaant. pigeon-toe n. paarat toa. plant sp. – bambu, baaskit titai, pile v. pail op. n. pail. bay leef, beliful titai, ber-ber, pill n. pilz. bleedin haat, bod pepa, chaini pillow n. pila. root, choacho, franjipani, pillowcase n. pilakays. gadbush, gyaalik, naata, pimple n. bomp. pinch-yu-waybos, plaantin, pimply adj. bompi, pekeh pongkin, rooda, seeweed, yekeh. skaan-di-ert, susumba, pin n. pin. tubaako, tumtum, twelv aklak, straight pin n. kaman pin. waha, weed, weet, wail pinch v. pinch. n. pinch. bambu, wail kayn, wail pine forest n. pain rij. plaantin, yong gyal bobi. pine tree n. pain chree. plantain n. plaantin. pineapple n. pain. plantain sp. – blogo. pine away v. pain weh. plantation n. pink eye n. pink aiy. plantaysh/plantayshan. pint n. paint2. plaster v. plaasta. pious adj. gaadli. plaster cast n. plaasta. pipe n. paip. plate n. playt. pipe sp. – fasit, stanpaip, gota. plat see plait piss-a-bed shrub n. pis-a-bed. platform n. platfaam. pitch v. pich1. n. pich1. play v. play, dabl, ramp. pitch in v. pich1 een. play hooky v.phr. bang huki. pitcher n. mog. play up to v. sweet op. pitcher (ball player) n. picha1. plaything n. playting. pitiful adj. poatingfaid/poatifai. plead v. bayg. pity n. piti, mersi. v. tek piti pleasant adj. plezant, pleezabl, pahn, ga mersi pahn, sari fi. nais. place n. plays, pozishan. please int. pleez. place (passage) n. pasij, plays. hard to please adj. kamikl. plain adj. playn1, aadineri. pleased adj. pleez. plainly adv. playn1. pleasure n. pleja/plezha. more plainly adv. playna1. give pleasure v. pleja. plait/plat v. plat. n. plat. plenty adv. plenti. adj. nof/inof, plait sp. – kaanroa, janifilda lat2. plat, mum plat. pliers n. plaiyaz/splaiyaz. plan v. nak hed tugeda. plop int. plaps. plane n. playn2. plot v.phr. nak hed tugeda. plane (tool) n. playna2. pluck v. pik1. plank n. plenk, boad. plug v. kaak op, stap op. planking n. plankin. plum n. plom. 436 plum sp. English to Kriol preaching plum sp. – goalden plom, position n. pozishan, plays, govna plom, hag plom, May rank, stan. plom, koko plom. put in a difficult position plural marker dehn2. v.phr. panya swet. plus adv. plos. possess v. ga/gat, ha. pocket v. pakit. n. pakit. possessions n. pozeshanz, pod n. pad2. bilanginz. poet n. poawet. possessive marker fi/fa/fo/fu. point v. paint1. n. paint1. possible adj. pasabl. become pointless v.phr. gaahn post v. poas2. n. poas1. baiyas. postman n. poasman. get to the point v.phr. lik post office n. poas aafis. road. postage n. poastij. poison v. paizn. n. paizn. pot n. pat1. poisonous adj. paiznos. pot sp. – , flowaz pat, klay pat, poke v. poak1, juk. koal pat, poa pat (chemba), pole n. poal. skilit. polecat n. poalkyat. potato n. pitayta/potayto. police n. polees, babilan. potato salad n. salad. policeman n. polees. potency see under male polish v. palish. n. palish. potency political adj. politikal. pound v. pong2. n. pong1. politician adj. palitishan. Pound Yard n. Pong Yaad. polka-dot n. perka-dat. pour v. poar. pollute v.phr. doti op. pout v. powt. polyester n. paliyesta. powder n. powda/poada. pond n. pan2. powder sp. – sweet powda, ponder v. kansida. wait powda. pone n. pong1. powdered milk n. klim. poor n. poa. adj. poa. power n. powa. poorly adv. poali. power failure n. blakowt. pop v. pap. powerful adj. powaful. porch n. poach, varanda. practise v. praktis. n. praktis. porcupine n. paakyupain. praise v. prayz, big op. n. pork n. poak meet. prayz. porpoise n. pampas. prance v. step. porridge n. parij. prayer(s) n. prayaa(z). porridge sp. – n. kongkanteh, praying mantis n. debl raidin lab. haas. port n. poat. preach v. preech. Port Loyola n. Poat Laiyoala. preacher n. preecha. portion n. paat, pees1. preaching n. preechin. 437 precious English to Kriol prosper precious adj. preshos. prick v. juk. precocious (boy) adj. manish. prickle n. prikl. precocious( girl) adj. umanish. prickly n. juki juki. predicament, put in a v. panya prickly heat n. prikl heet. swet. pride n. praid. phr. han napkin predict v. pridik. ton tayblklaat. prediction of misfortune phr. priest n. Faada, prees. goat mowt. prime n. praim. prefer v. prifa. primp v. primz op. pregnant adj. pregnant, jak op. principal n. prinsipal. get pregnant v.phr. prison n. jayl, Glaas Batl Kee. ga/geh/kech beli, kech prisoner n. prizna. pregnant, jak op, mek privately adv. praivit. baybi. private parts n. praivit. pregnant woman n. beli- privilege n. privilij, rait1. uman. prize n. praiz. premature phr. kohn bifoa probably adv. mosi. taim. problem n. prablem(z). premonition n. sain. procession n. proseshan. prepare v. pripyaa, fiks op. produce v. projoos. presence of mind n. prezant a profession n. chrayd. main. professional adj. profeshanal. present (gift) n. gif. profit v. prafit1. n. prafit1. presentation n. prezentayshan. programme n. shoa1. preserve v. kaan. project n. projek/prajek. preserved adj. kaan. prolong v. prolangyulayt. president n. prezident. promiscuous adj. rood. press v. pres, aiyan, pres kloaz. promiscuous person n. n. pres. mantel, sketel. press hair v. pres hyaa, hat behave promiscuously v.phr. koam. bad bowt, rot bowt, sleep pressing (asthma) n. presn. rong. pressing (ironing) n. presin. promise v. pramis/pramas. n. pressure v. presha. n. presha. pramis/pramas. pretend v. priten, faam3, fayk, promotion n. promoashan. play-play. propeller n. prapela. man who pretends to be in a proper adj. prapa, fitn, rait1. relationship n. jodik. property n. prapati. prettier adj. pritiya. prophet n. prafit2. prettiest adj. pritiyis. propose v. propoaz. pretty adj. priti. prosecute v. prasikyoot1. price n. prais, kaas. prosper v. praspa. 438 prostitute English to Kriol question prostitute n. prastichoot, hoar. puncture v. pongcha. n. protect v. protek, gyaad. pongcha. protection n. protekshan. punish v. ponish. proud adj. prowd, hai ahn punish physically v. beet, dip, maiti. fis...op, lada, lash, lays, pong2, prove v. proov. tayr, wap. proverb n. praverb. punishment n. ponishment, provide v. provaid. tayrin, wapin. provision tree n. provizhan puppy n. popi. chree. purchase v. bai. prune n. proonz. purely adj. loan2, soaso. pry v. rinch. purgatory n. pogatori. pry bar n. hanspeek. purge v. perj. n. perj. pshaw int. cho. purple adj. maav. Psalms n. Saamz. purpose n. perpos. public n. poblik. adj. poblik. purse n. pos/pers. publish v. poblish. pursue v. chrayl. pucker v. mek op...fays, pus n. koropshan, mata2. mash…mowt. become full of pus v. gyada. pudding n. pudn. push v. shub. puff v. bloa op. puss n. pus, kyat. puffer fish n. muchroos. pussyfoot adv. pus pahn hat pugnacious adj. faitasam. brik. pull v. pul, jreg, haal1, toa2. put v. put. pumice stone n. pombl stoan. put on hastily v. chroa aan, pump v. pomp. n. pomp. haal aan. pumpkin n. pongkin. put oneself down v.phr loa pumpkin seed (parched) n. rayt. pepeetos, makoabi seed. put others down adj. stewed pumpkin n. schoo shaymin. pongkin. put out (extinguish) v. owt. punch v. ponch, dash han, puzzle v. pozl. n. pozl. chroa han, jrap too han pahn. Q - q quail n. kwayl1. quart-like measure n. almood. quarrel v. kwaaril, fos2, kech, quarter n. kwaata, shilin. row. queen n. kween. quarrelsome adj. kwaarilsam, quench v. kwench. kantangaros. question v. kweschan. n. quart n. kwaat. kweschan. 439 queue English to Kriol reception queue n. lain. quick-tempered adj. haysti, quick adj. kwik. heeti, ignarant, shaat. quick movement (sound) quiet v. kwaiyat. adj. kwaiyat. ono. braps. quiet down v. kwaiyat, shet quickly adv. anda belz, faas1, op. kwik, kwik-wan. quietly adv. kwaiyat-wan, eezi- very quickly adv. kwik kwik, wan, saaf-wan. kwik taim. quite adv. kwait, oanli, wel1. more quickly adv. kwika. quits adj. skwits. R - r rabbit n. rabit. rat n. chaali prais. raccoon n. raakoon, nait waaka. small rat n. rat, rata1. race v. rays. n. rays. rather v. reda/rada. radio n. rayjo. ration v. rashan. n. rashan. raffle v. rafl. rattan n. titai, baaskit titai, rag n. rag/reg. beliful titai. ragged adj. tayr op. rattlesnake n. rakl/ratlin snayk. ragged clothes n. jengjeng. raw adj. raa. rail (complain) n. rayl op. ray (fish) n. tingreh. railing (complaining) n. razor n. rayza. raylin1. reach v. reech/rech. railing (barrier) n. raylin2. reach out v.phr. lang1 owt, rain v. rayn1, jrizl. n. rayn1, schrech, han owt...han. showa. read v. reed. rain forest n. rayn faris. reading n. reedin. rainy adj. rayni. ready adj. redi. raise v. rayz. n. rayz. make ready v. fiks op. raisin n. rayzn. real adj. reel. rake v. rayk. n. rayka. realize v. reeyalaiz. rally n. rali. really adv. reeli, akchwali. rancid adj. ransid, stinkin. reap v. reep, haavis. range n. raynj. rear v. bring op. rank n. rank. adj. renkin, reason n. reezn. stinkin. adv. renk. rebuke v. chrays...aaf, tel aaf. ransack v. ramsak. recado n. rikaado. rapidly adv. anda belz, faas1, receipt n. riseet. kwik, kwik taim, kwik-wan.. receive v. get. rare adj. ryaa. receive by good fortune v. rarely adv. haadli. fehfeh. Rastafarian n. Rasta. reception n. risepshan. 440 reciprocate English to Kriol rhythm reciprocate v. ritern. remember v. memba1, put recognize v. rekonaiz, big op. bihain yu ayz. record v. rikaad. n. rekad. as far back as one can recorder n. rikaada. remember phr. fan Ah noa recover v. geh bak. miself. red adj. red. remind v. rimain. red ants n. red aans. renege v. badak. red snapper n. red snapa. repair v. fiks. red-lored parrot n. mangro beyond repair phr.gaan een. paarat. repent v. ripent. reduce v. kehr dong. reply v. ansa. n. ansa. refer v. rifaa. report v. ripoat. n. ripoat. refrigerator n. frij/rifrij. represent v. stan fi. refuse v. rifyooz. reprimand v. skoal, chektaiz, regain v. geh bak. lekcha. regardless adv. eniway2. reputation n. repyutayshan. regatta n. regata. request v. rikwes. n. rikwes. reggae n. regeh. rescue v. reskyu, sayv. regiment n. rejiment. resemble v. fayva. region n. ayrya. exact resemblance n. dibz, register v. rejista. n. rejista. ded. registry n. rejischri. reserve v. rizerv. n. rizerv. regret v. sari. reserved adj. rizerv. regular adj. regyula. resin n. razam. regularly adv. regyula. resist v. bok. reign v. rayn2, rool. resolutely adv. schrang. reject v. rijek. respect v. rispek. n. rispek. rejoice v. rijais. respectable adj. rispektabl. rejoicing n. jalifikayshan. responsibility n. rispansabiliti. related n. rilaytid. responsible adj. rispansabl. relative n. relitiv. rest v. res. n. res, balans. relax v. rilaks, breez aaf, krak restaurant n. restorant. bak. restless adj. fijiti. release v. legoh, loos, rilees. restriction n. rischrikshan. relief n. rileef. result n. rizolt. religion n. rilijan. retire v. ritaiya. religious adj. chochi chochi, return v.phr. geh bak, kehr rilijos. bak, kohn bak. rely on v. pen1 pahn. reverse v. bakarop. remain v. stay. reward n. riwaad. remainder n. balans, res. rhyme v. raim1. remaining adj. lef3. rhythm v. ridim. 441 ribbon English to Kriol rowdy ribbon n. riban. roaming tendencies n. popi ribbons (shreds) n. ribinz. fut. rib n. ribz. Roaring Creek n. Roalin Krik. rice n. rais. roast v. roas. outer shell of rice n. pikinz. rob v. jak, hoal3 op, teef. rice sp. – swet rais, rais ahn robe n. roab. beenz. robin redbreast n. rabin rich adj. rich, tik1. redbres. riches n. richiz. rock v. raak. n. rak, rakstoan, riddle n. ridl/rigl. stoan. ride v. raid. n. raid, lif, jrap, big rock n. rakstoan. kraas. rocking chair n. raakin chyaa. ridge n. rij. rocky adj. raki. ridicule v. klong, mak, papisho. rod n. rad. v.phr. tek…mek papisho. roe n. roa2. rifle n. shatgon. role n. roal2. right n. rait1, privilij. adj. rait1, role model n. road modl. karek. adv. rait1. int. rait1. roll v. roal1. n. roal1. have a right v. bizniz. roller n. roala. right away adv. rait1 away. romp v. ramp. int. baps/braps. roof/rooftop n. rooftap, righteous adj. raichos. howstap. righteousness n. raichosnis. room rigmarole n. parambl. make room for v. jres dong. rim of glass or cup n. mowt. rooster n. roosta. rind n. raim2. root vegetables n. grong food, rinse v. rens. bred kain, grong bikl. riot n. raiyat. root vegetables sp. see rip v. tayr. n. tayr. ground food sp. ripe adj. raip. rope n. roap. rise v.get op. rope (cotton) n. shash kaad. risk v. ris1. n. chaans. rose apple n. roaz aapl. river n. riva/riba. rosewood n. roazwud. river boat n. Kaiyo boat, flat- rot v. ratn. batam boat. rotten adj. ratn. river mouth n. riva mowt. rough adj. rof, krofi. v. rof (op). river otter n. waata daag. round n. rong. adj. rong. riverside n. rivasaid. row v. padl. n. roa1. rivet n. ribit. row (quarrel) n. row. road entrance n. road mowt. rowdy adj. balahu, blagyaad. roadside n. roadsaid. act in a rowdy manner v.phr. halari1 op. 442 royal English to Kriol saviour rowdy person n. halari1. rule v. rool, rayn2. n. rool. royal adj. raiyal. rum n. rom. rub v. rob rumour n. rooma. rubber adj. raba. rumple v. rampl. rubber ball n. tunu baal. rumpled adj. rampl. rubber band n. raba.. run v. ron. n. ron, pen3. rudder n. roda. run away v. brok weh, pul rude adj. rood, rantantayram. fut, tek fut. ruffian n. rofyan, rompeh run into v. bok op. raaheh. running v. ronin. rug n. rog. rural area n. bush, bakabush. area rug n. ayryal rog. rush v. rosh, hori, mikays. ruin v. mes op, hambog. rust n. ros. ruins n. rooinz. rusty adj. rosti. S - s Sabbath n. Sabat. sand bar n. baar mowt, sani sabotage v. bad-main. bay sack n. sak. sandpaper v. sanpaypa. n. sacrifice v. sakrifais. n. sanpaypa. sakrifais. sandpiper n. sanpaipa. safe n. sayf. adj. sayf, aarait. sandwich n. sangwij. sage n. sayj. sapodilla n. sapadili. saggy adj. hengi, heng op. sapodilla bark n. koncha. sail v. sayl2. n. sayl2. sash n. swash. sailboat n. saylin boat. sash cord n. shash kaad. saint n. saynt, Sin(t). sass v. bak-chat. n. bak-chat. sake n. sayk. sassy adj. opstaat. salad n. salad. satisfy v. satisfai. sale n. sayl1. very satisfying adv. di wap. saliva n. baaba2, jrool, mowt Saturday n. Sachudeh/Satideh. waata. sauce n. saas. salivate v.phr. gyada/geda saucer n. saasa. waata, ron waata. sausage n. sachiz/sasij. salt n. saal1. blood sausage n. merseeya. salty adj. saalti. link sausage n. longaneesa. same adj. sayhn/saym, sed, veri. savannah n. savaana. sand n. san. save v. sayv, reskyu. sand sp. – kee san, pain rij san, saved adj. sayv. shel san, wash-dong. savings n. sayvinz. saviour n. sayvya. 443 saw English to Kriol season saw (past tense of see) v. sait. score (cut diagonally) v. koar. saw (tool) v. saa. n. saa. score (points) v. skoar. n. saw sp – n. hagsaa. skoar. sawdust n. saados. scorn v.phr. luk dong pahn. sawfish n. saafish. glance scornfully v. kot aiy. say v. seh. scorpion n. saying n. sayin. skaapyan/skyaapyan. scabbard n. skyaabat. scout v. skoot. n. Skowt. scaffold n. skyaafl. scowl phr. mek op...fays, scald v. skaalt. mikays-mikays fays. scale n. skayl. scramble v. skrambl. scale (fish) v. skrayp. scraps n. kromz. scalp n. hed. scrape v. skrayp/krayp, peel. n. scaly adj. fereh. skrayp/krayp. scam n. wap. scrape by v.phr. skrayp daag. scandal n. skyandal. scratch v. skrach. n. skrach. scar n. skaar, maak. scrawny adj. skraani/kraani. scarce adj. skays/skyaas. scream v. skreem. n. skreem. scarcely adv. screech v. skreech. skaysli/skyaasli/kaysli, haadli. screech owl n. kreech owl. scare v. fraitn. screen n. skreen. scared adj. fraitn, frayd. screen (mesh) n. skreem waiya. become scared v.phr. kech ih Scripture n. Skripcha. kowad. scrub v. skrob. scarf n. skaaf, hed rap, hed tai. sea n. see, oashan. scarred adj. skaar. sea bass n. joofish. scatter v. skyata. sea coast n. seesaid. scene n. seen. sea life sp. – banakl, dalfin, make a scene v.phr. mek janifilda, jelifish, konks, seenri. kraab, krayfish, labsta, oal scenery n. seenri. waif, pampas, raati, see kow, scent n. sent, smel. shaak, schrimps, soalja kraab. septic tank n. septik. sea sand n. kee san. scholarship n. skalaship. sea wall n. see waal. school n. skool. seafood n. fish kain. science n. saiyans. seagull n. seegol. scientist n. saiyantis. seal v. kapapin. scissors n. sizaz. seam n. seem. scold v.skoal, chektaiz, lekcha, seamstress n. seemschris. rayl op. search v. saach, luk fa. scone n. frai jak. seaside n. seesaid. scoop n. dip. season v. seezn. n. seezn. 444 seasoning English to Kriol shark seasoning n. seeznin. sermon n. preechin. seat n. seet1. servant n. saavant/servant. seaweed n. seeweed. serve v. serv/saav. secluded adj. seklootif. serves one right phr. da gud second adj. sekant/sekan. fi... secret n. seekrit. adj. seekrit. service n. servis/saavis. can’t keep a secret phr week sesame seed candy n. wangla. jaa. set v. set. secretly adv. eena seekrit, eezi- settee n. setee, soafa. wan. settle v. setl. secretary n. sekiteri. settle down v. krak bak. section n. sekshan. settlement n. setlment. section of citrus fruit n. plog. seven num. sebm/sevn. v. plog. seventeen num. semteen. sediment n. grongz. seventh adj. sevent. see v. si. seventy num. semti. see things v. si doblz. sew v. soa. seed n. seed. sew ineptly v. kabl. seed sp. – kakao, makoabi seed, sewerage n. soorij. pepeetos, wangla. sex n. seks. seine net n. sayn net. sexual ability n. pereetos. seize v. seez. sexual intercourse (slang) v. self n. self. juk, kwashi, play wid. selfishness n. selfishnis. give sexual favours v.phr. sell v. sel1. gi…waif. sell on credit v. chros. shack n. daag sidong, kuboos, sell out v. sel1 owt. nak-ahn-stan-op. send v. sen, poas2. shadow n. shado/shedo. sense n. sens. shake v. shayk. senses n. sensiz. shake one’s body v. hib op. sensible adv. sensabl. shaky v. krenki, shekreh. sensitive plant n. twelv-a-klak. shall v. wahn1/ahn3. sentence v. sentens. n. sentens. shallow(s) n. showl. adj. showl. sentinel n. gyaad. shame n. shaym. adj. shaymin. sentry n. gyaad. shameless adj. bayrfays, faysi. separate v. separayt, paat. adj. shamelessness n. bayrfaysidnis, separayt. faysinis, jrai aiy, jrai fays. separated (marriage) adj. shape n. shayp, faam2, figa. separaytid. out of shape adj. blofoto. September n. Septemba. share v. shayr/shyaa. n. serious adj. seeryos. shayr/shyaa. not serious adj. kiksi. shark n. shaak. 445 sharp English to Kriol sickness sp. sharp adj. shaap. short adj. shaat, doko-doko, sharply dressed v. blayd op. kungku. adj. shaap op, slik, sproosi. short (hair) adj. loa. sharp-tongued woman n. shortcut n. shaatkot. waasi/waasa uman. shorten v. shaatn. sharpen v. shaapm. shortness of breath n.phr. shave v. shayv, baal3, peel. shaatnis. shaved ice n. shayb ais. shorts n. shaats. shawl n. shaal. very short shorts n. pumpum. she pro. ih. short-tempered adj. shaat, she (emphatic) pro. shee. haysti, heeti, ignarant. shelf (outside for washing shot n. shat. dishes) n. jresa. shot bag n. shatbeg. shield v. gyaad, protek. shotgun n. shatgon. shell v. shel. n. shel. should v. mos, shuda, aatu, shell out money v.phr. shin beta, bizniz, fi 1, sopoas tu. owt. should not v. shudn, aatn, shelter v. shelta. n. shelta. noh fi. shepherd n. shepad. shoulder n. shoalda. shilling n. shilin. shout v. hala. shin n. shenk. shout at v. baal2 afta. strike one’s shin v. shenk. shove v. shub. shine v. shain. shovel n. shovl/shobl. shingle n. shingl. show v. shoa1. n. shoa1. ship crane n. jreg lain. show off v. shoa aaf., ek op. shirk v. heng slek. showoff n.phr. bregin tuba. shirt n. shot. shower n. showa. shirt sp. – andashot, kotong, showy adj. boasi, bregin. schrangman, ves, waiyabayra. shrimp n. schrimps. shiver v. shiva/shiba. n. shrink v. schrink. shiva/shiba. shriveled up adj. swibl op. shoal n. showl. shroud n. sherowd/sherowl. shock v. shak, fraitn. n. shak, shut v. shet, baar. adj. shet. sopraiz. shut up (silence) v. shet op. shoe n. shooz, joota. sick n. sik. adj. sik. one shoe n.phr. wan fut shooz. sick with v. chravl wid. shoe sp. – n. tenis, saal fizik2. sickly adj. delikid, haafa. shoe heel n. shooz heel. sickness n. siknis, dizeez. shoelace n. laysn. sickness sp. – achraitis, asma, shoot v. shat. chikin paks, chilz, chooma, shoot down v. gon dong. fits, flooz, fresh koal2, graip, shop v. shapin. n. shap. graipinz, hedayk, kaaf, kalara, 446 side English to Kriol sleep kramp, kyansa, leheeyo, skeleton n. skelintan, fraym. malayrya, meezlz, moal jrap, skeleton chart n. duki. poa a blod, presha, sad koal2, skillet n. fraiyin pan. shuga, sweet blod, sweet fut, skim milk v. nachral milk. tootayk, waks ahn kana, werk skin v. skin. beli, winspazam, witlo, yaaz. skin knee or elbow v. peel, side n. said. skrayp/krayp. sidle v. said op. person having dry scaly skin sieve n. siv. n. hashishi bambi. sift v. siv. skin condition sp. –banja fut, sigh v. sai. n. sai. chikin paks, fereh, hashishi, sight v. sait. n. sait. mad blod, meezlz, pekeh sign n. sain. yekeh, prikl heet, waks ahn superstitious sign for a lucky kana, yaga, yaga-yaga. number n. rayk. skin colour sp. – albaino, silent adj. sailent, kwaiyat. chaylo, kapa kala, klayr/klyaa silver n. silva. adj. silva. skin, payl kaypm, wait. simple adj. simpl. skinny adj. maaga, snaipi, tin1. simpleton n. simpltan. skip v. skip. sin v. sin. n. sin. skip rope v. skip. since conj. sins, laik2 how. skip school v. bang huki. since then phr. fahn taim. skipping rope n. skipin roap. sincere adj. sinsyaa. skirt n. skert. singe v. swinj. skull n. skol. single adj. singl. skunk n. poalkyat. sink n. zink, baysn. sky n. skai. sir n. sa. slack adj. slek/slak. Sisimite n. Sisimait. slander v. blakn, grain, sister n. sista. skyandalaiz. sister (older) n. tita. slapdash adj. hori kom op, sister-in-law n. sista-ahn-laa. mikays-mikays. sit v. sidong. slate n. slayt. sit in cocked up position v. slaughter v. slaata. kak op. slave v. slayv. n. slayv. sit up v. sidong op. slavery n. slayvri. situation n. sichyuayshan. sledge hammer n. slej hama. six num. siks. sleep v. sleep, doado. n. sleep. sixteen num. siksteen. sleep around v.phr. bad bowt, sixth adj. siks. rot bowt, sleep rong. sixty num. siksti. sleep (baby talk) v. doado. size n. saiz. sleep with (adultery) v.phr. sizeable adj. saizabl. sleep owt. 447 sleepy English to Kriol softly sleepy adj. sleepi. snapper n. snapa. sleeve n. sleev. snapper sp. – blak snapa, red slice v. slais. n. slais. snapa, silk snapa, yalatayl slide v. skayt. snapa. slight adj. slait. sneak v. sneek, teef chaans. slip v. skayt. sneaker n. tenis, saal fizik2. slippers n. slipaz. sneaky adj. sneeki, slik, slippery adj. slipri. slikaros. slipshod adj. hori kom op, sneeze v. sneez. mikays-mikays. sniff v. snif. sloppy adj. mekeh-mekeh. sniffer (nose) n. snifa. slow v. sloa. adj. sloa. snitch n. pimpa. v.phr. slow mentally adj. dol, dom, lang…mowt, ron aaf…mowt, donsi, haad hed. mowt aaf. slowly adv. sloa. snobbish adj. persnal. slurp v. soop2. snook n. snuk. sly adj. kyoot. snoop v. faas3. smack n. smak. snore v. snoar. small adj. chinchi, kungku, snot n. bubu1, noaz naat. lee/leel, smaal. snow cone n. snoa koanz, smaller adj. leela. fresko. smallest adj. leelis. snowy egret n. wait gaalin. smart adj. smaat, brait, braynzi, snub v. wait foaks. sensabl. phr. kwik hed. so conj. soh. smartness n. smaatnis. so that conj. mek. smash v. brok op. soak v. sap. smell v. smel. n. smel, sent. soap v. soapi. n. soap. smell adj. frowzi, hoodi, smel- soap powder n. soap. bad, swaati. soapy adj. soapi. smile v. smail. n. smail. sob v. baal2. smoke v. smoak. n. smoak. soca n. soaka. smoky adj. fyoomzi. soccer n. futbaal. smooth v. smoodn. adj. smood. society n. sosaiyati. snack v. snak. n. snak. high society n. shishifufu. snail sp. – hutis. sock n. saks. snake n. snayk. one sock n. wan fut a saks. snake sp. – beed-ahn-koril, sofa n. soafa, setee. klapansaiya, rakl/ratlin snayk, soft adj. saaf. taamigaaf, waata snayk, soft food n. pulaali. wowla, yala jaa. soft spot (fontanel) n. moal2. snake doctor n. snayk dakta, softly adv. saaf, saaf-wan, eezi- bush dakta, herbz dakta. wan. 448 soft drink English to Kriol spider soft drink n. saaf jrink. sound v. song. n. song. adj. soil v. beesli. n. dert. song. soil sp. – blak dert. sound sp. – bam brigidim buf, soldier n. soalja, laimi (British). bigidip/digidip, braps, budum, soldier crab n. soalja kraab. dabow, krik2, kya-kya-kya, sole (foot) n. fut batam. plaps, aiy2. sole (shoe) n. shooz batam, soup n. soop1. soal2. soup sp. – blak dina, solely adj. loan2, pyoa, soaso. chimoaleh, eskabaycheh, fish solid adj. salid. tee, reyeno. some adj. sohn/som, fyoo, kopl, soup bowl n. soop dish. too, wan ahn too. soupy adj.phr. lang1 waata. somebody pro. sohnbadi. sour adj. sowa. somehow adv. sohnhow. soursop n. sowasap. someplace adv. sohnweh. south n. sowt. somersault v. pupalik. n. space n. spays. pupalik. spade n. spayd. something adj. sohnting. spank v. spenk, pampam, stin. sometime adv. n. klap, stin. sohntaihn/sohntaim. spanking n. lashin, wapin. somewhere adj. sohnweh. spare v. spayr. adj. spyaa2. son n. son2. spark n. spaak. song n. sang. spasm n. winspazam/spazam. song sp. – sanki, serali. speak v. taak. son-in-law n. son-ahn- speak ill of v. bad-mowt. laa/sonarinlaa. spear n. spyaa1. soon adv. soon, direkli, rait1 spearfish v. schraik. now. special adj. speshal. soot n. sut. specially adj. speshali. sop v. sap. speck n. spek. sore n. soar. spectacles n. spektikl, glaasiz. sore sp. – n. bail, blain bail, speed v. speed. n. speed. banja fut, kyat bail, bomp, spell v. spel. n. spel. brooz blod, vamp, yaaz, yaga. spelling n. spelinz. having sore scaly skin adj. spend v. spen. soari, yaga-yaga. spend money lavishly v. sorrow n . saro. gooti. sorrowful adj. saraful. spend money wastefully v. sorry adj. sari. parandyaa. sort v. saat. n. kain2. spendthrift adj. gooti. so-so adv. aarait, aaraitish. spicy adj. spaisi. soul n. soal1. spider n. spaida. 449 spider sp. English to Kriol station spider sp. – chraiyantiloap, spunk n. sponks. mongki spaida. spur n. sper, per. spider monkey n. spaida spurt v. spin. mongki. spy v. spai. n. spai. spill v. chro weh. spyglass n. spaiglaas. spin v. spin. squall n. skwaal, staam. spinach n. spinij. squander v. gooti. spine n. bak. square n. skwyaa. adj. skwyaa. spineless n. waawa. square off v. skwayr aaf. spirit n. spirit. squash v. skwoosh, skrosh. n. spirit sp. – Hashishi Pampi, skwash, pongkin. Lang Bobi Suzi, Tata squeeze v. skweez/kweez. Duhendeh. squint v. kwint. spit v. spit. n. spit, mowt waata. squirrel n. skweril. spite n. spait. squirrel cuckoo n. peekwam. in spite of phr. in spait a. stable n. staybl. spiteful adj. spaitful, bad- stage n. stayj. maindid. stagger v. staga. spitting image n. dibz/dabz, stagnant adj. bilji. ded. stain n. stayn. splendid adj. splendishos. stair(s) n. step. splinter n. splinta. upstairs, downstairs n. split peas n. split beenz. opstayz, dongstayz. spoil v. spail. stale adj. stayl. spoil one’s plans phr. yu stalk v. staak1, chrayl, daag, koako roas. fala. spoiled adj. spail. stall n. staal. sponge n. sponj. stammer v. stama. sponge bath n. kowbwai baat. stand v. stan, stan op. n. stan. sponsor v. spansa. n. spansara. standard adj. standad. spool n. katn reel. standpipe n. stanpaip/paip, spoon (cooking) n. pat/spat fasit. spoon. star n. staar. sports n. spoats. starboard n. staabad. spot v. spat. n. spat. starch n. staach. sprain v. sprayn. stare v. stayr. spread v. spred, bota. start v. staat. n. staat, biginin. spree v. spree, parandyaa. starvation n. staavayshan. sprightly adj. spraitli/spraiti. starve v. staav. spring chicken (young girl) state n. stayt, kandishan. n.phr. spring chikin. States n. Stayts. sprout v. sprowt. station n. stayshan. 450 statue English to Kriol stretcher statue n. stachu. stoop v. stup. stay v. stay. stop v. stap. steal v. jak, play piyaano, teef. stop up v. stap op, kaak op. stealing v. teefin. store n. stoar, shap. stealthy adj. slik, slikaros. storeroom n. stoar room, steam n. steem. bodayga. steep (tea) v. jraa1. stork n. staak2. steer n. styaa. storm n. staam, skwaal. step v. step. n. step. stormy adj. staami. stern n. staan. story n. stoari. sternly adv. shaap-wan. ridiculous story n.phr. kak stethoscope, use v. song. ahn bul stoari, haas ded ahn stew n. schoo. kow fat stoari, naansi stoari. stew sp. – n. kaldo, kraab story (gossip) n. toari. schoo, schulala, sehreh, schoo stove n. stoav, oavm. pongkin. straight adj. schrayt. adv. stick v. stik/tik2. n. stik/tik2. schrayt, dairekli/dairek, ded. stick on v. pays. straighten v. schraytn. sticky adj. stiki/tiki. straighten hair v. pres hyaa, sticky (food) adj. labi. hat koam. stiff adj. stif, haad haad. straighten up v. taitn op. still adv. stil. adj. kyaam. strain v. schrayn. stilt n. jankunu stik. strand (of hair) n. grayn. sting v. stin. strange adj. schraynj, foni. sting ray n. tingreh. stranger n. schraynja. stingy adj. stinji, geechi, meen2. strangle v. schrangl. stinking adj. stinkin, renk, strap n. schrap. renkin. straw n. schraa. stir v. ster. stray v. schray. stir up v. ster op, eksait, rayz. stray dog n. schray-way stockings n. stakinz. daag. stockings with elastic tops n. stream n. krik1. pantihoaz, stay-ops. street n. schreet. stocky adj. doko-doko. wrong way on a one-way stomach n. stomok, beli. street adv. op-stap. pit of the stomach n.phr. beli strength n. schrent. batam. strengthen v. schrentn. stomachache n. beli ayk, payn- stress v. schres. n. schres. a-beli. stretch v. schrech. stomach cramp n. graipinz. stretch out v. lang1 owt, stone v. stoan. n. stoan, rak, schrech owt, han owt...han. rakstoan. stretcher n. schrecha. 451 strict English to Kriol sure strict adj. schrik. such adj. soch. strife n. schraif. suck v. sok. strike (clock, labour, lightning suck teeth v. sok teet. oil, baseball) v. schraik. sudden adv. sodn. strike (a physical blow) v. lik, suddenly adv. sodn-wan, plaps- nak, wap. wan. string v. schring. n. schring. suffer v. ponish, sofa. stripe n. schraip. suffer from v. chravl wid. striped adj. schraipid. suffering n. sofarin/sofrin. stroll v. basiflap. sugar n. shuga. strong adj. schrang. sugar cane n. kayn. not strong physically adj. sugar-daddy n. bups. haafa. suggest v. sojes. strong-arm v. schrang. suggestion n. sojeshan. struggle v. schrogl. n. schrogl. suicide, commit v. kil ihself. strut v. basiflap, bonks, step. suit n. soot. stub v. bok. n. stob, nuku. suitcase n. valees, grip. stubborn adj. stobant/stoban, suit coat n. koat1. ayz haad/haad-ayz, haad- summarize v. som op. hedid. phr. ga no andastandin summer n. soma. stik brok eena...ayz. summons n. samanz. stuck adj. stok. sums n. somz, mats. stud n. stod. sum up v. som op. student n. styoodent. sun v. son1. n. son1. studies n. stodiz. hot sun n. son-hat. study v. stodi. sunrise phr. day di brok, til ih stuff v. stof. n. stof. red. stuffed, lazy feeling n. Sunday n. Sondeh. nigaraitis. sunny adj. soni. stumble v. stombl. superior n. sopeerya. stump v. bok. n. stomp. supermarket n. soopamaakit. stunted growth adj. dongroa. supervisor n. soopavaiza. stupid adj. schupid/chupid, supper n. sopa, tee. dom, fool-fool1, simpl. eat supper v. jrink tee. stupidness n. schupidnis. supple adj. soopl. stutter v. stama. support v. sopoat, said wid, sty n. kyat bail. mantayn, ophoal. n. sopoat, style n. stail, fashan. mantaynans. styrofoam n. see bred. suppose v. sopoaz/sopoa. subject n. sobjek, tapik. supposed to v. sopoas tu, subside v. bayt, jrap. shuda, aatu, fi1, mos. succeed v. mek it. sure adj. shoar. 452 surname English to Kriol talk surname n. taitl. sweet pepper n. sweet pepa. surprise v. sopraiz. n. sopraiz. sweet personality phr. sweet exclamation of surprise int. blod. bwai! sweet potato n. sweet pitayta/ surprised adj. sopraiz, fraitn. sweet potayto. pleasantly surprised adj. sweet-talk v. sweet-taak. n. glad-fraitn. sweet-taak. surprising adj. sopraizin. sweets n. sweet. surround v. sorong. sweets sp.- goat shit, kotobroot, survive v. servaiv. schrech-mi-gots, soopa, suspect v. sospish. tablayta, tambran sweet, suspenders n. braysiz. wangla. swagger v. basiflap, bonks. swell v. swel op. swallow v. swala. swelling n. gwaava, waks ahn swampy adj. swampi. kana. swear v. sway/swayr. swim v. bayd. swearing n. kosin. swim clumsily v. bafu. sweat v. swet. n. swet. swindle v. cheet, wotlis. sweaty adj. sweti. Swing Bridge n. Swing Brij. fat, sweaty, and smelly adj. switch v. swich. swaati. sword n. soad. sweater n. sweta. sympathise with v.phr. said sweet adj. sweet. wid, tek said. sweet bread n. sweet bred. syndicate n. signigayt/sinigayt. sweeten v. sweetn. syrup n. sorop. sweetheart n. sweethaat. system n. sistim. T - t table v. taybl. n. taybl. take everything for oneself tablecloth n. tayblklaat. v. greedi op, hag op. tableta n. tablayta. take off hastily v. haal aaf. tack v. tak (on). n. taks2. take place v. tek plays, hapm. tackle v. takl/tekl. talcum powder n. taffy n. schrech mi gots. powda/poada, sweet powda, tail n. tayl. wait powda. tailor n. tayla. tale (tall) n. naansi stoari. take v. tek, kehr. talk v. taak. take away v. tek weh. talk back v. bak-chat. take care of v. tek kayr/kyaa talk excessively phr. hoal lang a, kyaa fi, main, ten tu. bench. 453 talkative English to Kriol than talk indiscreetly v.phr. tear v. tayr. n. tayr. lang…mowt, ron tears n. aiywaata, tyaaz. aaf…mowt, mowt aaf. tease v. teez, jinks. talk into v. invigl. teenager n. teenayja. talk too much v. goh aan. teeth n. teet. talkative adj. chati, taaki-taaki. teeth sp. – bof teet, faak teet, talkative person n. chatabaks, jaa teet, no teet shuga, piyaano pyampyam. teet. talking n. taakin. telephone n. foan. tall adj. taal. television n. telivijan, teevee. tall tale n. naansi stoari. tell v. tel. tamales n. tamaales. tell off v. tel aaf, bles...aaf, tamarind n. tambran. chrays...aaf, kos aaf, mowt tambourine n. tambareen. aaf, yooz op. tame v. taym. teller n. tela. tangerine n. tanjareen/tanjarinj. temper n. tempa. tangle v. tangl/tengl. n. nat2. hot temper n. ignarantnis. tape v. tayp. n. tayp. ill-tempered adj. tapir n. mongtin kow. disagreeyabl, krabit, krachiti, tar n. taar. mizarabl. tarantula n. chraiyantiloap. lose one’s temper n. goh aaf. tarpaulin n. chrapoalin. short-tempered n. shaat (a tarpon n. taapong. tempa), haysti, heeti tart n. taat. ignarant. having a tart flavour adj. temperature n. tempricha. taatish. temple n. templ. task n. tas/taas, jab. tempt v. temp. taste v. tays. n. tays. temptation n. temtayshan. taste good v. eet gud. ten num. ten. tasteless adj. brekish. tend v. ten tu, kyaa fi, main, tek tasty adj. taysti. kayr/kyaa a. tattler n. pimpa. tennis shoes n. tenis, saal fizik2. taw n. taa. tent n. tent1. tax v. taks1. n. taks1. tenth adj. tent2. taxi n. kaa1. termite n. ud lais. taxi driver n. taksiman. terrible adj. terabl. tea n. tee. territory n. teritori. tea sp. – blak tee, bush tee, test v. tes. n. tes, egzam. chaini root. testicle n. baalz, seed, teach v. teech, laan. toan2/toan beg. teacher n. teecha. testify v. testifai. teaching n. teechin. than conj. dahn/dan. 454 thank you English to Kriol tighten thank you phr. tenk yu. thorn n. prikl. thanks n. tanks. thorough adj. tara1. that pro. weh1, dat1. adj. da5, those pro. dehn1, dehndeh. datdeh/datideh, datira/ditira. though conj. doh, aldoa. adv. dat1. conj. seh, dat1. thousand num. towzn. that’s phr. dats. thrash v. dip, lada, lash, lays, thatch v. tach. tayr, wap. thatched adj. tach. thrashing n. beetn, ladarin. the art. di1. thread v. schring. n. chred1. theatre n. tayta. threaten v. chretn. their pro.adj. dehn1, fi dehn1. three num. chree2. theirs pro.adj. fi dehn wan. threaten v. chretn. them pro. dehn1. thrill v. chril. themselves pro. dehnself. throne n. chroan. then adv. den. throng n. jroav. there adv. deh. through adv. chroo2. right there adv. deh soh, rait throw v. chroa, belt, bom1, deh. chaans, chok, dash, faiya, therefore adv. soh. fling, hib, pich1. thermometer n. termomita. throw any object at v. stoan. thermos n. aisi-hat. throw away v.phr. chok weh, these adj. dehnya. chro weh, dash weh, pich1 these days adv. deez dayz, weh. nowadayz, tideh day. throw off v. chroa aaf, they pro. dehn1. abschrok, dischrak. thick adj. tik1. throw oneself down v. flonks. thief n. teef. throw up v. chroa op, vamit. thievery n. teefinis. thrush n. chrash2. thieving adj. teefin. thumb n. tom. thigh (chicken) n. tai2. thunder n. tonda. thimble n. timbl. Thursday n. Terzdeh. thin adj. tin, maaga, snaipi. thus conj. soh. adv. soh thing n. ting. thwarted adj. gaahn baiyas. think v. tink. thyme n. taim2. thinking n. tinkin. ticket n. tikit. third adj. terd. tickle v. tikl/tiklish. thirst n. ters/tos. ticklish adj. tiklish. thirsty v. tersti/tosti. tide n. taid. thirteen num. terteen. tie v. tai1, hich. n. tai1. thirty num. terti/toti. tied (scores) adv. tai-tai. this adj. dis, disya, disideh. pro. tight adj. tait. dis. tighten v. taitn. 455 tightly English to Kriol tough tightly adv. tait. tom-tom n. tum-tum. tile n. tail. ton n. ton2 (load). tilt v. kyant. tone n. toan1. time n. taim1/taihn, aklak. tongue n. tong2. all at one time phr. wan lik. tonight adv. tunait/tinait. all the time adv. aalwayz, aal too adv. tu, an aal. alang, aal taim/taihn. tool n. toolz. at this time adv. agen. tool sp. – aal, adz/aaj, aks, most times adv. evri hachit, hama, jril, hagsaa, taim/taihn. hanspeek, kroabaar, maal, tin n. tin2. adj. tinin. maata, maata stik, machet, tiny adj. chinchi/chini, kungku, matok, naif, pik eks, plaiyaz, leel. playna, rayka, rekin baar, tire n. taiya, weel. rinch, saa, shayba, tired adj. taiyad. shovl/shobl, skwyaa, slej get tired of v. klaid. hama, toanin adz, weelbaro. make tired v. taiyad. tools with sharp edge n. ej title n. nayhn. toolz. to prep. a2, da2, fi1/fa/fo/fu, tu. tooth n. teet. toast v. toas. n. toas bred. tool sp. see teeth sp. tobacco n. tubaako. toothache n. tootayk. today adv. tudeh/tideh. toothbrush n. tootbrosh. this very day phr. tideh tideh. toothpaste n. tootpays. toe n. toa1. top n. tap. toenail n. toa nayl. on top of that phr. pahn tap a together adv. tugeda. dat. toilet n. tailit. tops n. taps. indoor toilet n. soorij. topic n. tapik, sobjek. pit-hole toilet n. lachreen. torch n. toach. public toilet built over the torment v. taament. water n. watsaid. torn adj. tayrin. toilet (slang) n. chroan. tortilla n. torteeya. tolerance v. sens. tortilla (filled) sp. – gaacho, tolerate v. atalarayt/talarayt, garnaaches, panaades. bayr2, stan, tek. tortilla skillet n. komaal. tomato n. tomayto. torture v. taacha. n. taacha. tomb n. toom. v.phr. lik…shot. build a tomb v. brik. toss v. chok weh, chroa, pich1. tomboy n. taambwai. toucan n. tookan berd. tomcat n. ram-pus. toucan sp. – bilbod, filis. tomorrow adv. touch v. toch, fingl. tumaaro/tumaara/timaara. tough adj. tof, taari. 456 tour English to Kriol truck tour n. toar. adj. toar. tree sp. – banak, biliweb, tourist n. tooris. boataan/bay leef paam, bribri, tousle v. rampl. bukut, bulit, chrompit, tousled adj. rampl. fiziknat, giv ahn tek, goalden tow v. toa2. plom, gombolimbo, toward adv. tuwaadz. gwanakasteh, hamanz, kaafi, towel n. towil. kalbash, katn, kinep, tower n. towa. koakanat/kuknat, kraabu, town n. tong1. kuhoon, kwamwud, kyabij toy n. playting. paam, maaji kakao, mahagni, track n. chrak. malaydi, moho, nargosta, pain, track down v. chrak dong. pimenta, prikl yala, roazwud, traction n. grabiti. Santa Mareeya, sapadili, tractor n. chrakta. seeda, serikoateh, soopa, trade (exchange) v. chaynji. sproos, stinkin toa bukut, trade (profession) n. chrayd. tambran, tubroos, waari traffic n. chrafik. kuhoon, yaha/sanpaypa chree. trail v. chrayl, fala. n. pikaado. tree trunk n. beli. train v. chrayn. tremble v. chrimbl. training n. chraynin. trespass v. chrespas. traipse v. chrayps. trial n. chraiyal. traitor n. chrayta. trials n. chraiyalz, chroblz, trance n. chraans. prablem(z). translate v. chranslayt. tribe n. chraib. transparent adj. oapm paki. trick v. chrik. n. chrik. transportation n. chranspoat. tricky adj. chriki. trap v. chrap. n. chrap. trifle n. chraifl. trap with one’s own words triggerfish n. oal waif. v.phr. pik...mowt. trim v. chrim. trash n. dert, gyaabij, chrash1. trip v. chrip, chrip dong. n. trash bin n. dert baks, gyaabij chrip. kyan. trot v. chrat. travel v. chravl. trouble(s) n. chrobl(z), make a quick trip v. waak. chraiyalz, haraasment, trawler n. chraala. prablem(z). tread (poultry breeding) v. cause trouble v. hambog, chred2. mek bad. treasure v chrezha/chreja. give trouble v. gi bachri. treasury n. chrezhri. troubled with phr. treat v. chreet. n. chreet. chravl/chrobl wid. treatment n. chreetment. troublesome adj. hegin, siknin. tree n. chree1. truck (big) n. chrok. 457 true English to Kriol unfeeling truck bed n. pan1. turkey n. terki, ful pat bod, true adj. chroo1. gabla, Krismos bod. isn’t that true? int. noh? noh turn v. ton. n. tern. chroo? karek? rait1? turn a curve v. dobl2. truly adj. fi chroo1. turn into v. ton1. trumpet n. chrompit. turn off v. aaf, owt. trunk n. chronk. turn-off n. paas mowt. trust v. chros. turtle n. tertl/terkl. truth n. chroot/schroot. turtle sp. – aksbil, bokotora, in truth adv. fi chroo. hikiti, lagrahed, swanka. try v. chrai. turtle meat n. kalipash, kalipee. tub n. tob. turtle shell band n. tertl shel tube n. choob. ban. tuck one’s tail between one’s tuxedo n. tokseedo, sizaz tayl. legs v. lap...tayl. twelfth adj. twelft. Tuesday n. Choozdeh. twelve num. twelv. tuft n. tapnachik. twenty num. tweni. tugboat n. togboat. twenty-first num. tweni-fos. tumble v. tombl. twice adv. too taim. tumour n. chooma. twist v. twis, wain2. tune v. choon. n. choon. two num. too. tunnel n. tonil. two-facedness n. toofaystidnis. Turk (person of Middle- two-time v. too-taim. Eastern descent) n. Terk. type v. taip. n. bran, kain2. tyre n. taiya, weel. U - u ugly adj. oagli/woagli. underpants n. andapants, breef, umbrella n. ombrela/hambrelo. jraaz. uncle n. onkl. undershirt n. andashot, ves. unclean adj. naasti. understand v. andastan, hyaa1. uncomfortable adj. ponishin. understanding n. andastandin. phr. feel1 wahn kain a way. underwear n. andawayr/ uncultured adj. rantantayram. andawyaa. undecided phr. ga too main. undisciplined adj. rood. under prep. anda/aan2. uneasy phr. feel1 wahn kain a underarm odour n. aamsent. way. undermine v. bad-main. unfair adj. advantijos, chaansi. underneath prep. andaneet/ unfaithful, be v. cheet pahn, neeta. too-taim. unfeeling adj. haad-haatid. 458 ungainly English to Kriol version ungainly adj. blofoto. unusual collection n. rigmijig. ungrateful adj. angraytful. unyielding adj. stobant. uniform n. yoonifaam. up adv. op. unimportant matters n. peheh. up to phr. op tu. union n. yoonyan. upon adv. pahn/pan3. United States n. Stayts. upper hand n. opa han, university n. yooniversiti. advantij. unkempt adj. gronji, frowzy, uproar n. oproal, rokshan, swaati. rugudungz. unless conj. anles/lesn2. upset v. hambog. unlucky adj. badlokid, saal2. upstairs adv. opstayz. unpack v. anpak. urinate v. nomba wan, peepi, unpredictable person phr. pidl, pis, weewi. sohntaihn sohnbadi. urine n. peepi, pis, weewi. unreliable (to be) v. badak. us pro. wi. unruly adj. balahu, blagyaad. us (emphatic) pro. wee. unstable adj. krenki, shekreh. use v. yooz. n. yoos. unstarched adj. waata wash. used to v. yoostu. adj. yoostu, unsuccessful adj. gaahn baiyas. kostom2. untidy phr. haal ahn pul op. usual adj. yoozhwal/ yoozhal. untie v. loos. as usual prep.phr. az until conj. sotay, til. yoozhwal. until later adv. bumbai. usually adv. yoozhwali/ untruth n. lai. yoozhali. untruthful adj. laiyad, stoari. uterus n. oom. untruthfulness n. laiyadnis. utmost n.phr. endeva bes. V - v vacation n. haliday/haladay, kukumba, kyabij, letis, okro, leev. selari, skwash, tomayto. vagina n. bred, koako3, poak, vehicle n. veekl. punani, toatos, tunkush naani. dilapidated vehicle n. bokit, valley n. vali. pemperem/premereh. value n. wot. slow chugging vehicle n. various phr. lat a difrant, toktok. difrant difrant. vein n. vayn. vase n.phr. flowaz pat. venture v. vencha. vegetable n. vejitabl. veranda n. varanda, poach. vegetable sp. – beets, chaaya, verdict n. verdik. choacho, kaan, gyaadn eg, version n. verzhan. kalalu, kaliflowa, karats, 459 very English to Kriol washing very adv. deh-aan, kohn2, kwait, violent adj. vailent. no miks, oanli, soh, wap, wel. virgin n. verjin/berjin adj. veri. virginity n. maydn. vest n. ves, shimeez. visa n. veesa. vex v.phr. get beks, geh…owt. vision n. vizhan. vexation n. taahnfoora. visit v. vizit, hayl. v.phr. gi vexed adj. beks. wahn showt, luk fi. n. vizit. victim n. viktim. visitor n. vizita. victory n. vikchri. adj. vikchri. voice n. vais, mowt. victual n. bitl. volunteer v. valantyaa. n. views n. vyooz. valantyaa. vigil n. nain-nait, set-op, wayk. vomit v. vamit, chroa op. village n. vilij. vote v. voat. n. voat. vine n. vain. voucher n. vowcha. vine sp. – baaskit titai, beliful vulture n. jranko/jankro. titai, tyaa koat, titai. vulture sp. – king jranko, red- vinegar n. vineega. nek jranko, peel-nek jranko. violence n. vailens. W - w wade v. wayd. wallet n. walit. wagon n. wagan. wallpaper v. paypa. waist n. ways2. wander v. wanda1. wait v. wayt1. wangle v. shoola. waiter n. wayta. want v. waahn/waahnt. waitress n. waychris. war v. waar. n. waar. wake v. wayk op. n. wayk, ward n. waad. nain-nait, set-op. wardrobe n. waajroab, pres. walk v. waak1. warehouse n. wyaahows. walk around v. waak bowt. warm adj. waam. adv. waam. walk fast v. waak op. warm up v.phr. praim op. walk gingerly v. pus pahn hat warm-hearted adj. kain1. brik. warn v. waan. walk idly v. basiflap. warning n. waanin. adj. waanin walk haltingly v. hip ahn goh. was v. da-mi. walk in a showy fashion v. wash v. wash, bayd1. basiflap, bonks, step. wash basin n. wash-han walking stick n. waakin baysn. stik/tik. wash pan n. pudn pan. wall n. waal. wash stand n. washan stan. wall sp. – takayda. washing n. washin, laanjri. 460 wasp English to Kriol which wasp n. waas/waps. Wednesday n. Wenzdeh. waspish adj. waasi. weed v. weed. n. weed. waste v. ways1. week n. week1. wasteful spending v. weekend n. weeken. parandyaa, gooti. weep v. baal2, krai. wastebasket n. dert baks, weevil n. weebl. gyaabij kyan. weigh v. way1. watch v. wach. n. wach. weight n. wayt2. watchman n. wachi, wachman. weird adj. wyaad. adv. wyaad. water n. waata. v.phr. ron welcome v. welkom. adj. waata. welkom. Water Lane n. Waata Layn. weld v. wel4. water snake n. waata snayk. well n. wel3. adv. wel1, aarait, waterfall n. waatafaal. beta, gud-wan. int. wel2, doh. waterfront n. waatafront. well dressed phr. wel1 dek watermelon n. waatamilan. dong. waterside n. watsaid. went v. gaahn/gaan. watery adj. waachri. adj.phr. west n. wes. lang1 waata. wharf n. waaf. wave v. wayv. n. wayv. what pro. weh1. int. wat, wara. wax v. waks. n. waks. what it is phr.da wat. way n. way2. what’s what/what it takes in the same way phr. rait1 phr. wat ahn wat. soh, laik2 how. what’s more conj. wat moa. in such a way adv. soh. phr. pahn tap a dat. wrong way on a one-way whatnot n. adarels1, watsnat. street adv. op-stap. whatever pro. wateva. ways n. wayz. wheat n. weet. adj. weet. we pro. wi. wheedle v. shoola we (emphatic) pro. wee. wheel v. weel. n. weel. weak adj. week2, fenkeh- wheelbarrow n. weelbaro. fenkeh. when adv. wentaim. conj. wen. weak (spineless) adj. waawa. whenever adv. wentaim, wean v. ween. enitaihn/enitaim. weapon n. wepan. where adv. weh1, wear v. wayr/wyaa. wehpaa/wehpaat, wera, weary adj. taiyad. wichpaa. weasel n. bush daag. whether adv. weda2. weather n. weda1. whetstone n. robin stoan, weave n. weev. v. plat. shaapnin stoan. wed v. brok...nek, marid. which adj. wich1. pro. weh1. wedding n. wedn. 461 while English to Kriol wooden spool while n. wail1. conj. wail1, wind (dance) v. wain wails. window n. winda. in a while phr. rait1 now. windshield n. kaa glaas. whiner n. ma-lehleh. windy adj. breezi. whipping n. beetn, beet op, wine n. wain1. lashin, tayrin, wapin. wink v. kwint. whirlpool n. aydi. winnow v. breez, fan2. whiskey n. wiski. winnowing v. fanin. whisper v. wispa. wintergreen n. wintagreen. whistle v. wisl. wipe v. waip. white adj. wait. wire n. waiya. white cake n. wait kayk, wiry waist n. waiya ways. lait/laik kayk. wisdom n. wizdom, sens. white person n. bakra. wise adj. waiz. whiten v. waitn. witch n. wich2, oabya-man, whitlow n. witlo. oabya-uman. who pro. hoo/hoora. pro. weh1. witchcraft n. oabya, saiyans. who it is phr.da hoo. with prep. wid/wit. whoever pro. hooeva. wither v. wida. whole adj. hoal2. without prep. widowt/widowtn. whore n. hoar. witness n. witnis. whorehouse n. hoar hows. wobble v. wabl, bafu. whose pro.adj. hoofa. woeful adj. poatingfaid/poatifai. whosoever pro. husoeva. wolf n. wulf/ulf. why int. wai, weh mek. woman n. uman. wick n. wik. loud, aggressive woman n. wicked adj. wikid, bad, eevl. balahu, blagyaad, halari1, more wicked adj. wikida. champong nani, wickedness n. wikidnis, badnis. waasi/waasa uman. wide adj. waid. womb n. oom/woom. widow n. wido. wonder v. wanda2. n. wanda2. wife n. waif. wonderful adj. wandaful. wiggle v. wigl. wood n. ud, boad, lomba. wild adj. wail2. wood sp. – lagwud, maaji wilderness n. bush, bakabush. kakao, malaydi, mayflowa, will v. wahn1/ahn3. n. wil. roazwud, serikoateh. willing adj. wilin. woods n. bush, bakabush. win v. win. wood knot n. koa. winch n. wench. wood plane n. playna. wind n. breez. wood-rail n. tapnachik. wind sp. – hedwin, naat1. wood tick n. waari tik. break wind v. faat, pum. wooden spool n. katn reel. 462 wooden tongs English to Kriol yell wooden tongs n. kiskis. worthless person or thing n. wood-frame house n. boad shish. hows. would v. uda/da6. woodpecker sp. – faada would be v.phr. mi wahn. redkyap, pain rij udpeka. would have v.phr. mi wahn. wool n. wul. would not v. udn. word n. wod/werd. would you v.phr. yu ku? work v. werk. n. werk. wound sp. – chap, nayl-juk. work at v. ton...han. wrangle v. rangl/rengl. work at any available job n. wrap v. rap. kech ahn kil, wahn lee en. wrath n. anga. work energetically v. hosl. wreck v. rek. n. rek. is working out okay v. gaahn wrecking bar n. rekin baar. klayr. wrench v. rinch. n. rinch. world n. werl/wol. wren n. hows bod. worm n. wom. wrestle v. rasl. worries n. woriz. wring v. ring. worry v. wori, nak owt, fret. wrinkle n. rinkl. adj. swibl op. worse adj. wos, wosa, wosara. waata wash. adv. wos, wosa. wrist n. ris2. worsen (economically) v. bok. write v. rait3. worship v. wership. writer n. raita. worst n. wos. adj. badis, wosis, writing n. raitin, hanraitin. adj. wos. raitin. worth n. wot. adj. wot. wrong adj. rang, mistaykn. worthless adj. wotlis. mark wrong v. rang. wrong-doing n. rangdooin. X - x X-ray v. eks-chray. n. eks-chray. Y - y yam n. yaam, yampa, koako2, yaws n. yaaz. sweet potayto. year n. yaa1. Yarborough n. Yaabra. yearn v. lang2, pain weh. yard n. yaad. yearning n. krayvin. yarn n. wul. yeast n. ees2. yawn v. gyaap, yaan. n. gyaap, yell v. hala. yaan. yell at v. baal2 afta. 463 yellow English to Kriol zipper yellow adj. yala/yalo/yela/yelo. young girl n. spring chikin. yellow fever n. yala feeva. your (pl.) pro.adj. unu, fi unu. yes adv. ahaahn, yaa2, yes. your (sg.) pro.adj. yu, fi yu. yesterday n. yours (pl.) pro. fi unu, fi unu yestudeh/yesideh/estudeh. wan. yokel n. bushi. yours (sg.) pro. fi yoo, fi yoo yonder adv. yaanda. wan. you (pl.) pro. unu. yourself pro. yuself. you (sg.) pro. yu. yourselves pro. unuself. you (sg. emphatic) pro. yoo. youth n. yoot. young adj. yong. Z - z zealous adj. hatid. zero num. aat, naat2. zed/zee n. ized. zinc n. zink. zericote n. serikoateh. zipper n. zipa/zip. 464 References Allsopp, Richard. 1996. 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