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Kriol – Inglish DikshineriEnglish – Kriol DictionaryCompiled and edited byYvette HerreraMyrna ManzanaresSilvana WoodsCynthia CrosbieKen DeckerEditor-in-ChiefPaul CrosbieBelize Kriol Project
Cover design: Adapted from Yasser MusaCover photo: Courtesy Robert Spain at 2008 Crooked TreeCashew FestIllustrations in the Introduction are from The Art of Reading,SIL International Literacy Departmentwww.sil.orgSIL International provided linguisticconsultancy to this publication of the <strong>BelizeKriol</strong> Project. The Belize Kriol Project is thelanguage development arm of The NationalKriol Council.The National Kriol CouncilHouse of Culture, Regent StreetP.O. Box 2447 Belize City Belizewww.kriol.org.bzBelize Kriol ProjectP.O. Box 2120Office: 33 Central American Blvd.Belize City, BelizeThe first printing of this dictionary was in 2007 and was funded byThe Ministry of Education andThe National Institute of Culture and HistoryHouse of Culture, Regent StreetBelize City, BelizeFirst EditionCopyright © 2007 Belize Kriol ProjectSecond Printing <strong>2009</strong>ISBN # 978-976-95165-1-9Printed by Print BelizeBelmopan, Belize
CONTENTSList of Abbreviations .......................................... ivForeword by Sir Colville Young.............................vPreface ..................................................................... ixAcknowledgements.............................................. xiIntroduction.............................................................1Guide to Using the Dictionary...........................3The Kriol Writing System........................... 10Grammar Notes....................................................16KRIOL tu INGLISH .........................................19ENGLISH to KRIOL ..................................... 381References.............................................................465
List of Abbreviationsadj. adjective obj. objectadv. adverb phr. phraseAfr. African pl. pluralAm. American Port. Portugueseart. article poss. possessiveBK Belize Kriol prep. prepositionconj. conjunction pro. pronounEng.foc.Englishfocus markerpro.adj.pronominaladjectiveFr. French ref. referenceono. onomatopoeia sal. salutationint. interjection sg. singularn. noun sp. specificneg. negative Sp. SpanishNKC NationalKriol Councilsubj.v.subjectverbMisk. Miskito var: variantnum. number < originating from(etymological reference)iv
ForewordBy Sir Colville Young GCMG, Ph.DA language, like a people, can be marginalized — bywhich I mean, it can be treated as insignificant or evenunworthy of being called a language, or of scholarly interest.The creole and pidgin languages of the world have especiallysuffered in this regard. As the noted creolist Dell Hymes 1 put itin 1971, “The languages called pidgins and creoles have longbeen a stepchild, so far as serious attention, either public orscientific, is concerned.” He added, significantly, “Thestepchild may prove to be a Cinderella.”Most people now accept that it is most unreasonable toignore or denigrate the daily speech (and in many cases theonly speech) of millions of people.One reason for the slow acceptance of pidgins and creolesas “real” languages was the fact that they “lacked a dictionaryor grammar.” Of course, all languages at one time lackeddictionaries, or formal, codified exposition of theirgrammatical systems.As far as Belize Kriol grammar is concerned, a scholarlygrammar 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-sayerscompletely was a dictionary, and with this publication thatneed is met at last.I believe Belize Kriol to be the most widely used of all themany languages spoken in Belize. If for no other reason, itdeserves a published list of its words, with their meanings andvariety of usages as well as (if space permits) etymologies1 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 wordscorrectly used in sentences.Professor Richard Allsopp describes a dictionary as “areliable inventory of one’s environment, small or large.” 3The words which form that inventory of our Kriol are froma variety of sources, reflecting the language’s long existenceand development, and exposure to a variety of influences.There are words from African languages that date from thedays of slavery, for example juk, nyam and guzu. The first, juk,is so widely used that foreign nurses and doctors have toinclude “nail- juk” (not “nail-puncture”) in their vocabularywhen they come to work in Belize. Nyam (“eat”) is for mosturban Belizeans rather archaic if not obsolete — but is aliveand well in most rural communities, especially the villages ofthe Belize River valley. Guzu (“bad luck; something that bringsbad luck”) is least heard of the three examples I have given ofAfrican survivals.An African survival I find fascinating is Krofi, which isactually 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 quiteubiquitous bali/balidor (“friend”) from Mexican –Spanishvaledor of similar meaning.Faced with the flora and fauna of a new environment, theearly settlers (whether British or African) often used a wordfamiliar from their home usage. A good example is the berryCocoloba uvifera called “grape” in Belize because its colour,size and shape resemble the grape the early settlers knew fromBritain.3 Allsopp: Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage, Oxford University Press1996.vi
viii
PrefaceThe compilers of this dictionary subscribe to the words of thefollowing creed: “As the most uniquely human characteristic aperson has, a person’s language is associated with his self-image.Interest in and appreciation of a person’s language is tantamount tointerest in and appreciation of the person himself. All languages areworthy of preservation in written form by means of grammars,dictionaries, and written texts. This should be done as part of theheritage of the human race.” 5Therefore, the purpose of this dictionary is to provide anauthoritative, affordable reference guide to Kriol – the languagespoken by the majority of Belizeans. It is a bilingual dictionary, withthe second part in English – the official language of Belize.Myrna Manzanares and Silvana Woods played key roles in thedevelopment of this dictionary. Because of a deep love and respectfor the Belizean culture and language, they have been long-timeadvocates of the preservation and development of Kriol. They areamong the founding members of the Belize Kriol Project, thelanguage arm of the National Kriol Council. Ms. Manzanares iscurrently the president of the NKC. She is a writer and educator, andis at present working with the Belize Family Life Association.Silvana Woods, popularly known as Kriol Gyal, serves as secretaryand public relations officer for the NKC. She is a lecturer at theUniversity of Belize and is currently working on her doctorate,researching the use of Kriol in education.Yvette Herrera wrote many of the definitions and samplesentences, and helped with the final editing. She is the headtranslator for the Belize Kriol Project, and has participated incooperative efforts with other Kriol projects in the Caribbean region.Paul and Cynthia Crosbie, linguists from SIL International, havebeen working with the Belize Kriol Project since 2001. Paul Crosbiedid the major work of compiling, researching and editing each of theentries in the dictionary. Cynthia helped with editing and did thecomputer lay-out in preparation for publication. The Crosbies were5 The Linguistic Creed (authored by Dr. Benjamin Elson) was taken fromthe SIL web site: www.sil.org.ix
members of the language project which completed a translation ofthe New Testament and a bilingual dictionary in the French Creole ofSt. Lucia. In Belize they continue the work begun by Ken and SandyDecker, also of SIL. The Deckers came to Belize in 1993 in responseto a request from Dr. Colville Young and a number of otherBelizeans who shared a desire for Kriol language development. SILInternational is a non-profit organization whose purpose is tofacilitate language-based development through linguistic research,Scripture translation and literacy.Our hope is that the Belizean public will use this dictionary asthey learn to read and write and appreciate Kriol. We trust that it willhelp teachers as they educate our children, and that it will alsobenefit foreigners who want to learn Kriol. And we are glad to beable to add to the study of Creoles throughout the Caribbean region.Everyone on the dictionary team has enjoyed working with ourbeautiful Kriol language, and we believe that each of you will enjoyreading and using this publication.A final note: This first edition of the Kriol dictionary is awork in progress. We did not attempt to create an exhaustivedictionary, but instead prepared our current data for publicationto fill the immediate need for a reference tool such as this. Thereare many more Kriol words, senses of meanings, scientificnames, and etymological information that could and should beadded. We are relying on the public to give us feedback forfuture editions. The final page of this dictionary provides a placewhere you can record your revision notes.Comments, corrections, and additions can be sent to <strong>BelizeKriol</strong> Project, P.O. Box 2120, Belize City, Belize, or to one of thefollowing e-mail addresses: silvana@btl.net; paul_crosbie@sil.org;kriolk@yahoo.com; yvettept@hotmail.com.x
AcknowledgementsIt takes a whole community to make a dictionary such as this,and we are indebted to the many people who helped to make itpossible.We want to thank His Excellency Sir Colville Young,Governor-General of Belize, noted educator, musician, and preeminentCreole linguist. Wi tank ahn tu di nohmoh nohmoh! He hassupported the Belize Kriol Project from its inception, and willinglyshared his own research with us. We studied his books, articles andlectures to glean information about the etymologies of Kriol words.We are indebted to Ken and Sandy Decker, linguists from SILInternational, whose research of Belize Kriol spanned 11 years. Theyhelped to compile the popular Belize Kriol Glossary and SpellingGuide, and we used their data-base to develop this dictionary. Inaddition, we benefited from the descriptive grammar of Belize Kriolwritten by Ken Decker (see References at the end of this volume).We are also thankful for SIL literacy specialist, Naomi Glock, whoheld writers’ workshops in Belize from 2001-2005 to help develop abody of Kriol literature. The results of her work added greatly to ourknowledge. Paul Townsend, linguistic and dictionary consultant forSIL, did a final check of the whole dictionary to give SIL’sauthorization for its publication.Although the definitions and sample sentences are from our ownresearch, we checked many other sources to verify and refine ourfindings, especially regarding the origins of some words. We areindebted to the research of those who came before us, particularlythe late George McKesey, for The Belizean Lingo, and RichardAllsopp, for his Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage. Forinformation regarding English usage, we relied heavily on Webster’sDictionary and the Concise Oxford English Dictionary.Other knowledgeable Belizeans volunteered their help to editand write sample sentences for sections of this dictionary, includingNational Kriol Council members, Joey Belisle and Rev. LyndaMoguel; University of Belize librarians, Josephine Mendoza andMerlene Henkis; Delanni Romero. Several University of Belizeclasses did some of the research and editing as part of their classwork: Dr. Vilma Joseph’s Intro. to Linguistics class (Oct.-Dec. ‘03)xi
esearched the C and D sections of the dictionary; two of SilvanaWoods’ English classes (Fall semester ‘06) assisted in checking theU through Z sections.We must thank the hundreds of Belizean teachers who havebeen instilling pride in the Kriol language through their Kriolcultural appreciation exercises. We are particularly indebted to theMinistry of Education and Culture and the National Insitutute ofCulture and History (NICH) for the publication of this dictionary,and for their ongoing efforts at incorporating the benefits of mothertongueliteracy in curricula.Of course, the popularization of the spelling system would nothave been possible without the frequent calls from organizations andbusinesses who want the standard Kriol spelling for banners andlogos, and from the media, who have given broad coverage topublications of the Belize Kriol Project. In particular, weacknowledge Amandala columnist Colin Hyde, journalist Ann-MarieWilliams, talk-show host Rosalie T. Staines of Oapn Paki, and HarryLawrence, publisher of The Reporter newspaper which hosts theweekly Kriol column Weh Wi Ga Fi Seh.Some of our older citizens made themselves available to answerquestions about the meanings of words. These include Nella Woods,Meg Craig, Cashan Aspinall, Norma Flowers, Lorraine Williams andHarold Zuniga. Dozens of other Belizean friends and neighbours andpassers-by on the street patiently answered questions andparticipated in impromptu polls regarding word meanings andpronunciations. Hundreds more took time to give feedback whenthey visited booths hosted by the National Kriol Council at fairs andother public events in both urban and rural communities over the pastdecade. To each we say, “Tenk yu!”xii
IntroductionHistory and purpose of the Dictionary ProjectMuch has been written about the history of the Kriol languageof Belize (see: Young 2002; Decker 2005), and analysis of Creolelanguages has become a popular topic among linguists andeducators. 1 Suffice it here to say that for many years Kriol was notconsidered a true language, much less a language worthy of beingwritten. But in the post-colonial decades, Belizeans and Creolespeakersthroughout the Caribbean area have come to have agrowing pride in their culture and language. As more peopleattempted to write down their thoughts, stories and poems in Kriol,and to read what others had written, it became increasingly evidentthat the English writing system alone did not serve the purpose, and amore standardized system of writing Kriol was needed.In 1994 a workshop was held in Belize City to develop anorthography (writing system) for Kriol. Participants were people whohad been actively writing in Kriol, as well as representatives fromcommunity organizations and church and educational institutions.The result of this effort was a set of spelling rules based partially onthe English system of writing and partially on phonemics.In 1995 the National Kriol Council was formed. It is a nonprofitorganization whose members believe that appreciation of andliteracy in one’s mother-tongue is essential for self-enrichment andexpression of identity. The NKC is committed to producing literatureand training in the Kriol language so that everyone whose firstlanguage is Kriol, and anyone else who is interested in Kriol, has theopportunity to read and write in this rich language. The Council isalso committed to the preservation of Kriol culture. The Belize KriolProject was formed as the language-development arm of the Council.In 1997 the Kriol Project produced the Bileez Kriol Glassary anSpellin Gide. But after several years of testing, Kriol-speakerscomplained that it was difficult to remember all the rules; and the1 The editors of this dictionary use the spelling ‘Kriol’, which has beenpopularized in Belize over the last decade, to refer specifically to theBelizean language and people, while the spelling ‘Creole’ refers to thisgroup of languages in the general, world-wide sense.1
system required a person to be already proficient in English, alanguage which has one of the most complicated spelling systems inthe world.In 2002 the Kriol Project called together a committee to revisethe system to a completely phonological orthography, similar tothose used by many other languages. This writing system is based onsound rather than rules. Each sound is represented by only onesymbol. Once a person learns the symbol for each sound, he or shewill more easily know how to read and write any word in Kriol. Thegoal of the committee was not to dictate how Belizeans shouldspeak Kriol, but to help us all find a standardized method inwhich to write down what we say so that we can share it moreeasily with each other. Important advantages of this system are thatknowledge of English spelling rules is not required in order to writeBelize Kriol, and variants in regional and generational speech can berepresented. Those already literate in English will need to rememberthat English and Kriol are two separate languages, and they will needto make an effort to learn the symbols associated with the Kriolwriting system.As literature has been produced to test the new orthography andpeople are learning to use it, there has been an urgent call for adictionary to use as an authoritative reference, so work on it has beengoing on in earnest. This dictionary represents the current spellingdecisions, although some refinements may come about as morepeople use the orthography.Development of this editionMany Belizean educators find that their students do notunderstand key concepts if they are presented only in English. Ratherthan denigrating Kriol, some teachers are using it as a stepping-stoneto better education. They are finding that by explaining the contrastbetween English and Kriol, students gain a better understanding ofboth languages. Reference tools and literature in both languages areneeded. To help in this task, the dictionary committee decided tomake a bilingual dictionary that includes sample sentences in bothKriol and English.Deciding which words to include was a most difficult task, andin the end, our decisions were somewhat arbitrary. While we stroveto preserve the older Kriol forms of words for historical purposes,our focus was to reflect contemporary Kriol – the way in which Kriolis spoken today. Belize is blessed with a rich blend of cultures and2
languages, all of which are important. But in this dictionary we triedto focus on words and expressions that are associated with Kriolculture. Therefore, words from the Mestizo, Mayan or Garifunacultures have been represented only when they have been welladoptedinto the Kriol language and culture.Because of the advent of TV and Internet, many new Englishwords have been introduced and have become part of the Kriolvocabulary. They are part of our large database of words gleanedfrom conversations and stories told and written by Belizeans. Again,the decision as to which of these words to include in the dictionarywas somewhat arbitrary, but generally, we tried to follow theseguidelines:• If an English word, which is now used regularly amongKriol speakers, has a Kriol spelling which looks greatlydifferent from the English spelling, it might be included in thedictionary, so that the dictionary can be used as a spellingtool.• If an English word has the same meaning and the samespelling as the corresponding word in Kriol, it was notusually included in the dictionary.• If an English word is regularly heard, but there is a wellknownKriol word or phrase that better expresses the samemeaning, the English word was generally not included.Guide to Using the DictionaryThis dictionary is in two parts. The first part, Kriol-English, isarranged alphabetically according to Kriol key words, with anEnglish definition and other entry items as described in the sampleentries below.The second part of the dictionary, English to Kriol, is arrangedalphabetically according to the English key word. Only the part ofspeech 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 thecorrect spot in the Kriol-English section of the dictionary for morecomplete information.3
Kriol to EnglishSample Entry in the Kriol-English section of the dictionary:1. Kriol key word4. Kriol example sentence2. part of speech& English translation3. English definitionded v. die. If yu jrink paizn, yu wahn ded. If you drinkpoison, you'll die. See: kik di bokit, peg owt.— n. 1) dead. Mi pa, Gaad res di ded, yoostu seh yu mosaalwayz ga manaz fi di oalda pipl. My father, God rest hissoul, used to say that you must always have good mannerstoward older people. 2) death. Mayri staat tu si sain seh dedmi-di kaal ih grani. Mary started to see signs that death wascalling her grandmother. See: det.— adj. 1) dead. Dehn bileev seh ded pipl noh wahn rayz op5. sense number6. cross-reference1. Key wordEach entry in the dictionary begins with a keyword in bold type.Sub-entry: Sometimes an entry is a phrase rather than a singleword. It will appear as a subentry after the single word root entry, orin some cases, as its own main entry. For example, at the end of theentry for ayz (ear) are the sub-entries put bihain yu ayz and stikbrok eena ih ayz.Homonyms: Occasionally the key word is followed by a smallraised number. This number distinguishes two or more words that arespelled the same but are not related in meaning. Each word will havea separate entry. In the example below, bon 1 meaning ‘to burn’ is acompletely different word than bon 2 meaning ‘bun’.bon 1bon 2v. 1) burn. 2) hurt emotionally.n. bun.2. Part of speechIn this edition, we are using only broad categories of wordclasses, as follows: noun, verb, pronoun, adjective, article, adverb,preposition, conjunction, interjection, onomatopoeia (sound words),numbers, salutation, focus marker, phrase. We have not broken thecategories into their sub-categories, but further explanation of how4
Kriol verbs are formed and how pronouns are used is given in theGrammar Notes section. Abbreviations for parts of speech and otherwords used in this dictionary are given in the List of Abbreviations.Many Kriol words can function as parts of speech in addition to oneswe have listed, but we have focused on the main usages as we havecommonly heard them.3. Definition in EnglishA definition of the Kriol word is given in English. In mostcases, one or two words are adequate, but in other cases, additionalinformation is given (following a semicolon) to further define theword.4. Illustrative (sample) sentence in Kriol with a freetranslation into EnglishGenerally, the definition of each word or sense is followed byan example sentence (in bold print) to illustrate how the word is usedin context. This sentence is followed by a free translation intoEnglish.5. Senses of the same meaningSometimes there are different senses of a word – a shared threadof meaning. A primary sense will be listed first, and then secondarysense(s) will be numbered and listed under the same entry. In thefirst example above, ded, as an adjective, can mean either 1) dead or2) empty, flat.6. Cross-reference or synonymsSometimes a word will bring to mind a synonym (anotherword that means the same) or a word that is closely related inmeaning. (These will follow the word See:)7. Variant formsIn some cases, the key word will be followed by anindication of a variant form(s), in an effort to account fordifferences in pronunciation in various communities andamong the different generations of speakers. The form mostused by young adults today is generally selected as the mainentry. For words where we could not determine which variantis used most often, we made an arbitrary decision. (Forexample, fi/fa/fo/fu are used interchangeably, but we havechosen fi as the main entry.)5
In the following example, bubuman has been chosen asthe main form and all the information will be listed under thatentry. But bukuman is also a form used by some people, so inlooking up bukuman, one would find a minor entry listed likethis: bukuman Variant: bubuman.7. variant form 8. etymologybubuman (var: bukuman) n. boogieman. Noh stay owtdeh layt kaaz bubuman gwain wid yu. Don't stay outthere late because the boogieman will get you. See:bubu, goas. [
Blis Laithows n. Bliss Lighthouse; lighthouse locatedat Fort George, an area of Belize City at the northernentry to the harbour. [The monument to Baron Bliss, aphilanthropist who donated large sums of money to Belize,is situated on this same site.]Additional entry itemsUsage: Notes about special usage of a word sometimes appear(in italics) after the definition. In Kriol, a noun is usually pluralizedby following it with the word dehn, but in some cases ‘s’ (or ‘z’) areused, following the English system of pluralization. Often in thesecases, the plural form is used for both the singular and the plural, orvice versa.aans n. ants. (Both sg. & pl.)Additional notes concerning usage are sometimes listed in theentry, such as archaic, slang, religious. Note the followingexamples:bisaidn (Archaic) Variant: bisaidz.Stress is not marked in this dictionary, except in some caseswhen the Kriol word has a corresponding English word with asignificantly different stress. Then the stressed syllable is marked bycapital letters as in this example:lavenda n. lavender. (laVENda).Scientific name: When known, the scientific classification ofplants and animals has been included, as in the following example:baaboon n. howler monkey. Alouatta pigra.7
English to Kriol SectionThe English to Kriol section of the dictionary is a simpledirectory for the main Kriol section. It will help users find the fullentry in Kriol, including sample sentences and other information. Forexample, if you know how to spell the English word ant, but youeither do not know the word in Kriol or you do not know how tospell 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 thengo to the Kriol section and look for the word aans to find moreinformation 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 ofspecific types of ants, which you can also find in main entries in theKriol section. There are a number of broad categories that will havelists directing you to specific terms in Kriol.Homonyms in Kriol are indicated by superscript numbersfollowing the Kriol word, and it will correspond with the homonymnumber in the Kriol part of the dictionary. For example:black adj. blak 1 .block v. blak 2 . n. blak 2 .The entries above show that blak can have two completelydifferent meanings in Kriol. In the Kriol section of the dictionary, thefirst entry will be for blak meaning the colour ‘black’, and thesecond entry will be for blak meaning ‘block’ in English, which canbe a verb (v.) or a noun (n.).Homonyms in English are indicated briefly by a word inparentheses following the main English word, such as in thefollowing examples:palm (tree) n. paam.palm (of the hand) n. han eensaid.8
For Kriol entries that are phrases rather than a single word, thekey word under which you will search in the Kriol part of thedictionary will be in bold font. The example directs you to lookunder 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 theKriol section of the dictionary, but they are not numbered in theEnglish section. However, these senses are sometimes indicated bythe part of speech designations or sub-entries under the main entry.A number of words in Kriol, like in any other language, canhave variations in the way they are pronounced and spelled. Someof these variations are shown and separated by slashes (…/…). Thespelling under which you will find the main entry in Kriol is listedfirst, and the variations follow.for prep. fi/fa/fo/fu.truth n. chroot/schroot.The entry above shows that there are four main variations inKriol for the English preposition ‘for’, each of which is equallyvalid, but we have arbitrarily chosen to list ‘fi’ as the main entry inthe Kriol section of the dictionary. For many words, we have chosenthe more contemporary variation as the main entry and olderversions as secondary entries. For example, many young adults nowsay ‘chroot’ rather than ‘schroot’, so the fuller or main entry will beunder ‘chroot’, but ‘schroot’ is also a valid pronunciation andspelling.Ellipses (marked by ...) indicate that various personal pronounscould 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, butthey actually have quite different meanings, or they are usedgrammatically in a different way than in English. This is not easy toshow in the brief entries in the English section. We wouldencourage users of this dictionary to check example sentences inthe Kriol section of the dictionary to see how to correctly use thewords in Kriol.9
The Kriol Writing SystemThe Kriol writing system is phonemic, based on sound ratherthan rules. Each sound is represented by only one symbol. Forexample: a word containing the ‘long e’ sound will always be writtenas ee in Kriol, regardless of how it is spelled in English. Once aperson learns the symbol for each sound, he or she will more easilyknow how to spell any word in Kriol just the way that personpronounces it. As you will note in the chart below, in the Englishwriting system, sounds are represented in many different ways, andare governed by many rules that must be memorized.Below is a simple summary of some of the sounds of <strong>BelizeKriol</strong> and the symbols (or combination of symbols) used to representthem in writing. 2 Notes contrasting the English and Kriol symbolsare included. (Example words are in brackets).KriolLetteraSamplewordhataa waataainaifSamplepictureNotesNOTE: The a in Kriol issimilar to the a sound infather in EnglishNOTE: This sound is likethe one above but is drawnout for a longer time.English does not write thissound, but it is necessary inKriol.NOTE: This ‘long i’ soundcan be written in English asai [aisle], i [icon], ie [lie],igh [sigh], y [why], or iCe[bite] – note that ‘silentletters, such as ‘silent e’,are not used in Kriol.2 For a complete explanation of the Kriol writing system, see You can readand write Kriol, Belize Kriol Project 2005. For linguistic charts of thesound-symbol correlation and a detailed discussion of the sound system, seeThe Song of Kriol: A Grammar…, Decker 2005.10
aybchdeeefghayzbatlchayndaagbedleeffedagoathaasNOTE: This ‘long a’ soundcan be written in English asay [ray], ai [pail], aCe[lake], a [angel], eigh[eight].NOTE: The ‘c’ is never usedby itself in Kriol, only inthe combination ch. The‘hard c’ and ‘soft c’ ofEnglish, as in car and face,are represented by k [kaa]and s [fays]respectively inKriol.NOTE: In Kriol an ‘h’ isadded to this ‘short e’sound when it appears atthe end of a word, as in weh[where], seh [say], deh[there], tideh [today], geh[get].NOTE: This ‘long e’ soundcan be written in English asee [peel], ea [peal], eCe[mete], ie [relieve], ei[receive], eo [people], ey[key], ay [quay], i [ski].11
ijklmnngpigjekitkowlagmangonaylwingNOTE: Kriol does not havethe same ‘short i’ sound asEnglish. This sound inKriol is made further to thefront of the mouth (between‘short i’ and ‘long e’).NOTE: The ‘j’ sound isrepresented in English by j[jacket], or g [cage].NOTE: The ‘k’ sound isrepresented in English by k[kit], c [cap], or ck [peck].NOTE: The ‘n’ sound isrepresented in English by n,as in nail, or kn as in know.NOTE: There are numerouswords in Kriol with a strong‘ng’ sound which is notheard in English, such astong [town] and mongtin[mountain]. 3 On the otherhand, the ‘-ing’ ending inEnglish is usually shortenedto ‘-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 morestrongly in Kriol, than it is in English. Nevertheless, for the sake ofefficiency, the dictionary committee has decided to write it as nk, except fora few two syllable words like pongkin [pumpkin] and mongki [monkey].12
ooaooowprsshokroboanshoozhowspenslraynsonshoblNOTE: The ‘short o’ soundin Kriol is not exactly thesame as in English. In Kriolit is made by rounding thelips more. 4NOTE: The ‘long o’ soundis written in English as o[open], oa [boat], oe [toe],oCe [note], ow [crow], ough[though], eau [plateau], oroh [oh].NOTE: The ‘long u’ soundis written in English as oo[broom], oe [shoe], uCe[cute], ue [blue], ew [blew],ui [fruit], or ough[through].NOTE: This sound is writtenin English as ow [cow], ou[out], or ouCe [house].NOTE: This sound is writtenin English as s [sun] or ‘softc’ [face].4 When the ‘o’ appears at the end of a syllable or a word, some writers ofKriol prefer to add an ‘h’, but the makers of this dictionary have chosen toadd ‘h’ to the following words only: doh, goh, legoh, lesgoh, nohmoh, soh.13
ttaigauvwyzfutveeklwowlayaamzipNOTE: This ‘short u’ soundin English is written as u[put] or as oo [foot].NOTE: In archaic Kriolspeech, the ‘b’ sound wasoften used rather than ‘v’ asin riba [river].NOTE: Words ending in ‘y’in English are written withan ‘i’ in Kriol, as in baybi[baby]. In some Kriolwords, the initial consonantsound glides into a ‘y’sound, such as kyap [cap]. 5Nasal vowels:ahn wahnehn dehnihn hihnohn kohnNOTE: In Kriol, ‘hn’ following a vowel showsthat the vowel is nasalized (i.e. said throughthe nose). It is necessary to differentiatebecause wahn [a] is a different word fromwan [one]; dehn is different from den, etc.5 This glide occurs much more frequently in older Kriol speech, and amongother Caribbean Creoles, but seems to be dropping out of BK. For somewords 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 inEnglish: bw as in bwai [boy], gw as in gwaava [guava], skr as inskrach [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 arenot produced in quite the same way in Kriol, so they are betterrepresented 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 representedin Kriol as kw, as in kwik, and the x as ks, as in taks. The d sound andsymbol in Kriol replaces the ‘th blend’ of English; for example, datrather 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 thisdictionary. However, the spelling of proper nouns will be left to thewriter’s discretion.The personal pronouns Ah [I], Ai [emphatic I] are capitalized.Note the special treatment of the following words: No [oppositeof yes], noh [negation], noa [to know].Example: No! Ah noh noa weh yu noa. [No! I do not knowwhat you know.]Punctuation rules for Kriol are generally the same as thosefollowed for standard English.A hyphen is used to separate the following sets of words whenthey occur as parts of verbs: mi-di and da-mi.15
Grammar NotesFor a complete description of the grammar, read The Song ofKriol: A Grammar of the Kriol Language of Belize, by Ken Decker,published by the Belize Kriol Project in 2005. However, a few notesfollow here to help the users of this dictionary.NounsNouns are generally made plural by the addition of dehn afterthe word (unless otherwise noted in the dictionary).Nouns are often formed from verbs by adding the ending ‘er’ inEnglish or ‘a’ in Kriol, as in kaala [caller] or kota [cutter]. Not all ofthese nouns have been included in the dictionary.PronounsContrast of Kriol and English Personal Pronouns:Subject PronounsObject PronounsKriol English Kriol EnglishAh/Ai I mi/mee meyu/yoo you yu/yoo youih he/she/it ahn him/herhihn he/she hihn himshee, ih she shee herit it it itwi/wee we wi/wee usunu 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 thepronoun, as in di buk da fi yu [the book is yours].16
VerbsUnlike English, Kriol verbs are seldom inflected to show tense,person or number. In Kriol, these are shown by context, auxilaryverbs and tense markers. Generally speaking, tenses are formed bypreceding the root verb word with the markers di, mi, mi-di, wahn, asshown 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 ofthese combinations have been listed in the dictionary as sub-entriesunder the root word.AdjectivesThe most common way that a comparative adjective is formedis with the addition of –er in English, and –a in Kriol; and thesuperlative is formed with the addition of –est in English, and –is inKriol, as in the following example:big, biga, bigisbig, bigger, biggestGenerally these forms are not listed in the dictionary, unlessthey do not follow the regular pattern, as in the following examples:gud, guda/beta, gudis/bes good, better, bestwos/wosa, wosara, wosis worse, worse(intensified), worstAdverbsAdverbs function in Kriol much the same as they do in English,as modifiers of verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. In English, someadverbs are formed by adding ly to an adjective. In Kriol li is added17
to some words, as in haadli [hardly], but often the li is not added asin the following example:Ah mi waahn kohn hoahn bad. [I wanted to come home badly.]ReduplicationA favourite means of emphazing or intensifying an adjective oradverb in Kriol (but not allowed in English) is by reduplication, as inthe following example:Wi reech deh kwik kwik. [We reached there very quickly.]18
a Kriol tu Inglish aafnA - aa 1prep. of. Ah gaahn geh wahnplayt a rais ahn beenz. I went toget a plate of rice and beans.a 2prep. to. Di baybi staat a baal.The baby started to bawl. See: tu.aachad n. orchard; fruit-bearingtrees planted for agriculturalpurposes. Wen yu goh dong daVali, di areenj chree dehn lukpriti how dehn plaant owt eenadi aachad dehn. When you godown in the Stann Creek Valley,the orange trees look pretty in theway that they’re planted in theorchards. See: waak.aachraitis n. arthritis. Enitaimweda di kohn, mi grampaaachraitis staat tu ak op.Whenever bad weather is coming,my grandpa’s arthritis starts to actup.aada v. order, command. Poleeskohn wid gon ahn aada Henjrifi kom owt a di hows. The policecame with guns and orderedHenry to come out of the house.See: koman. — n. order,command. Di polees mi gi diaada fi ares di teef. Thepoliceman gave the order to arrestthe thief.aadineri adj. ordinary; plain,common. Misa Green da nohno aadineri man. Mr. Green isno ordinary man. See:poako-tyempo.aadyans n. audience. Di praimminista ihself mi deh eena diaadyans. The prime ministerhimself was in the audience. See:krowd.aaf adv. off. Di man chap aaf ihoan han. The man chopped offhis own hand. — v. turn off.Aaf di lait fi mi, noh. Turn thelight off for me, please. See: owt.goh aaf v.phr. lose one’stemper. Noh bada tel shee sehyu laas di moni kaa shee wahngoh aaf. Don’t bother telling herthat you lost the money becauseshe’ll lose her temper.aafa v. offer. Mi sista aafa fiwach di pikni dehn. My sisteroffered to watch the children.— n. offer. Dehn gi mi wahngud aafa pahn mi kaa soh Ahsel it. They gave me a good offeron my car so I sold it.aaf-gyaad adv. off-guard. Mima kech mi aaf-gyaad soh Ahkudn tink op no lai faas. Mymother caught me off-guard, so Icouldn’t think of a quick lie.aafis n. office. Mi aafis deh raitda mi hows. My office is right atmy house.aafisa n. officer; generallyreferring to police. Di aafisakohn, bot ih neva kech di teef.The officer came, but he didn’tcatch the thief.aafn adv. often, frequently. Wikip hosh hosh bowt da kain ating tu aafn. Too often we keepquiet about that kind of thing.See: haaf ton.19
aagan Kriol tu Inglish aanaagan n. organ. Di choch needwahn nyoo aagan. The churchneeds a new organ.Aagas n. August; the eighthmonth of the year. Aagas dawahn hat hat mont. August is avery hot month.aagyu v. argue. Da weh unu diaagyu bowt now? What are youarguing about now?aagyument n. argument. Wishuda hapi ahn noh gat op noaagyument. We should be happyand not have any arguments.aaj Variant: adz.aakid n. orchid. Di blak aakidda di nashanal flowaz a Bileez.The black orchid is the nationalflower of Belize.aakitek n. architect. Di aakitekdizain mi nyoo hows. Thearchitect designed my new house.aal 1 pro. all. Di man schrang noffi bak aal a wi. The man isstrong enough to carry all of us.See: evri.aal alang adv.phr. all along,all the time, always. Gladis mami noa aal alang dat ihpregnant, an ih neva tel ih panotn. Gladys’ mother knew allalong that she was pregnant, andshe didn’t tell her dad anything.See: aalwayz.aal 2 n. awl. Mi pa yooz wahn aalfi boar wahn hoal eena mi belt.My father used an awl to bore ahole in my belt.aal foaz n. 1) card game. Migrani laik play ‘aal foaz’ ahnada kyaad gaym. My grannylikes to play ‘all fours’ and other20card games. 2) position of beingon hands and knees. Ah gehdong pahn mi aal foaz fi skrobdi floa. I get down on my handsand knees to scrub the floor.aali n. alley. Wi luk eena evri leeschreet ahn aali fi di bwai. Welooked in every little street andalley for the boy.aalwayz adv. always. Shee dozaalwayz kohn da wi hows. Sheused to always come to ourhouse. See: aal alang.aam n. armpit; body part fromabove the elbow to theshoulder, including the armpit.Da bwai aam aalwayz stinkkaaz ih noh laik put ting andaih aam. That boy’s armpit alwaysstinks because he doesn’t like touse deodorant.aamen (var: aymen) int. amen.Evribadi seh, “Amen,” wen diprees don pray. Everybody said“Amen,” after the priest prayed.aami army. n. Mi son gaahn daStayts, gaahn jain di aami. Myson went to the States and joinedthe army.aamsent n. underarm odour. Migrani yooz laim fi geh rid apikni aamsent. My granny useslime to get rid of children’sunderarm odour.aamstik n. deodorant. Tudehday moas pipl yooz aamstiksteda Speero powda. These daysmost people use deodorantinstead of Spiro powder.aan 1 adj. on. Beti lef aan di laithoal nait. Betty left the light onall night long.
aan Kriol tu Inglish aataaan 2 Archaic. Variant: anda.aana v. honour. Mi hozban werkaana ahn fi ih lang yaaz aservis. My husband’s companyhonoured him for his long yearsof service.— n. honour. Da mi wahn bigaana fi di lee gyal fi meet diGovna-Jenaral. It was a bighonour for the little girl to meetthe Governor-General.aanis adj. honest. Da bwaiaanis; ih neva tel lai. That boy ishonest; he never lies.aans n. ant. (Both sg. & pl.) Oanliwan lee aans mi deh pahn dikayk fos, den aftawodz lat moakohn. Only one little ant was onthe cake at first, then afterwards,a lot more came. See: blak aans,faiyaans, flod flai, krayzi aans,maachin aami aans, papapin,red aans, weewi aans.aans nes n. anthill. Ah stan opeena wahn aans nes ahn gehbait op. I stood in an anthill andgot badly bitten.aansbyaa n. anteater. Twovarieties in Belize: Cyclopesdidactylus & Tamanduamexicana, the pygmy & vestedanteaters. Wi si di aansbyaalang owt ih tong ahn lik op lat aaans. We saw the anteater stickout his tongue and lick up a lot ofants.aant Variant: aanti.aanti (var: aant) n. aunt, auntie.Mis Mayri da mi ma sista, sohshee da mai aanti. Miss Mary ismy mom’s sister, so she’s myauntie.aapl n. 1) imported apple. Pyrusmalus Rosaceae Wan taim yukuda mi oanli get aapl rongKrismos taim. There was a timeyou could only get apples aroundChristmas time. 2) any ofvarious regional plants whichgrow apple-like fruits. See: govaapl, kostad aapl, maami aapl,mongki aapl, roaz aapl.aapl banaana n. type of smallbanana. Musa cavendishii. Aaplbanaana smaal bot dehn sweet.Apple bananas are small butthey’re sweet. [Perhaps namedbecause the firm, sweetsmoothness of the flesh remindsone of an imported apple]aarait adj. all right; safe, okay.Get op, bwai; yu aarait now.Get up, boy; you’re all right now.— adv. all right; acceptablywell. Evriting gaan aarait.Everything went all right. See:aaraitish, gud, gud-wan.— int. all right; okay. Aarait,wi wahn du weh yu seh. Okay,we’ll do what you say.— sal. ‘hello’or ‘good-bye’(informally). Aarait, Helingyal. Ah wahn si yu layta. Allright, Helen. I’ll see you later.See: bai, gudbai, heloa.aaraitish adv. so-so, okay. Eevndoa shee kyaahn kuk, di foodmi tays aaraitish. Even thoughshe can’t cook, the food wasokay. See: aarait.aat num. aught, zero. Aat, chree[03] play eena boleedo laas nait.Zero, three played in boledo lastnight. See: naat.aata (var: afta) prep. after, at.21
aatful Kriol tu Inglish adawaizNoh laaf aata mi. Don’t laugh atme.aatful adj. artful, clever. Ih dawahn aatful lee bwai; ihaalwayz di get eena mischif.He’s an artful little boy; healways gets into mischief. See:braynzi.aatik n. attic. Mai ma shee galoan jonk eena fi shee aatik. Mymother has nothing but junk inher attic.aatikl n. article. Mi pa rait wahnaatikl eena di nyoozpaypa. Myfather wrote an article in thenewspaper.aatis n. artist. Di aatis chaaj milat a moni fi paynt di picha. Theartist charged me lots of money topaint the picture.aatn v. ought not, should not.Archaic. Yu aatn du dat; yu nohfi tel lai. You shouldn’t do that;you’re not supposed to lie. See:mosn, noh fi, shudn.aatu v. ought to, should. Yuaatu aks permishan bifoa yuyooz op pipl ting. You ought toask permission before you usepeople’s things. See: fi, mos,shuda, sopoas tu.abak adv. ago. Mi ma ded chreeyaaz abak. My mother died threeyears ago.abschrok v. distract, throw offthe track. Ah neva kaal mihozban da werk kaaz Ah nevawaahn abschrok ahn. I nevercall my husband at work becauseI don’t want to distract him. See:dischrak, chroa aaf.abyoos n. abuse. Dehn aresHaatens fi chail abyoos kaa ihmek ih lee gyal neel dong pahngrayta. They arrested Hortensefor child abuse because she madeher little girl kneel down on agrater.abyooz v. abuse. Brenda lef ihhozban kaa ih abyooz ahn fiyaaz ahn shee kyaahn tek itnohmoh. Brenda left her husbandbecause he abused her for yearsand she can’t take it anymore.achrak v. attract. Di food wehjrap pahn di grong wahnachrak aans. The food that fallson the ground will attract ants.ad v. add. Evri day dehn ad aanmoa ahn moa pipl tu dehngroop. Every day they add moreand more people to their group.ada adj. other. Tumaaro wiwahn goh da di ada tong dehntu. Tomorrow we’ll go to theother towns too. See: nada, neks,tara.adap v. adopt. Mi sista adapwan lee baybi hoofa ma mi ded.My sister adopted a little boywhose mother had died.adarels 1 n. additional things,whatnot. Wi taak bowt rayz apay ahn adarels ting da dimeetn. We talked about salaryincrease as well as other things inthe meeting. See: watsnat.adarels 2 adv. otherwise. Nohklaim pahn di taybl, adarels yuwahn faal dong. Don’t climb onthe table, otherwise you’ll falldown. See: adawaiz, elswaiz.adawaiz adv. otherwise. Yubeta goh now; adawaiz yu wahn22
adaz Kriol tu Inglish afoadablgeh layt. You had better go now;otherwise you’ll be late. See:adarels, elswaiz.adaz n. others. Yu fi aalwayzbee kain tu adaz. You mustalways be kind to others.adik n. addict. Di jrog adik dehaal oava di plays di bayg. Thedrug addict is all over the placebegging.admaiya v. admire. Mi sistashee aalwayz di admaiya ihselfeena di miro. My sister is alwaysadmiring herself in the mirror.adolchri n. adultery. See: sleepowt.adolt n. adult. (pl. ‘adolts’) Dalee gyal oanli faiv an ih di gohaan laik big adolt. That little girlis only five and she acts like anadult. See: big pipl.advais n. advice, counsel. Digyal dehn disaid fi fala diadvais weh dehn ma mi gi dehn.The girls decided to follow theadvice that their mother hadgiven them.advaiz v. advise, counsel. Ah diadvaiz yu – lef da man. I amadvising you – leave that man.See: kongsl.advans v. advance, moveforward. Geh yu ejukayshansoh yu ku advans yuself. Getyour education so you canadvance yourself. See: geh hed.— n. advance; money beforeit’s due. Ah wahn aks di baas fiwahn lee advans kaaz Ah brok.I’ll ask the boss for a littleadvance because I’m broke.advantij n. advantage. Yoo gadi advantij kaa yu biga dahnmee. You have the advantagebecause you’re bigger than I. See:opa han.tek advantij v.phr. 1) takeadvantage of. Ah tek advantij adi lee son tudeh ahn wash mikloaz. I took advantage of thelittle bit of sun today and washedmy clothes. 2) take unfairadvantage of. Da noh di bigbwai weh di tek advantij a yu?Isn’t it the big boy who wastaking advantage of you? See:chaans, du op, tek chaans aaf,tek een.advantijos adj. very unfair orbullying. (adVANtijos) Mibreda hihn tu advantijos; aftami pa ded, ih tek aal a di lan fiihself jos kaa ih noa wi kyaahnpay laaya fi fait ahn. My brotheris too unfair; after my father died,he took all of the land for himselfbecause he knows we can’t pay alawyer to fight him. See: chaansi.adz (var: aaj) n. adze; a sharpwood-shaping tool. See: toaninadz.afek v. affect. Di breez mi bloahaad, bot ih noh afek wi howsataal. The breeze blew hard, butit didn’t affect our house at all.afoad v. afford. Wi kyaahnafoad fi pay fi hows ahn foodahn aal a dehn ting. We can’tafford to pay for a house, foodand all those things.afoadabl adj. affordable. Ah diluk fi wahn nyoo hows, bot Ahnoh fain notn weh afoadabl yet.I’m looking for a new house, butI haven’t found anything23
afta Kriol tu Inglish ailaffordable yet.afta (var: aata) prep. after. Wigaahn da wi fren hows, ahn wikohn bak afta chree dayz. Wewent to our friend’s house and wecame back after three days.aftanoon n. afternoon. Layt diaftanoon wi disaid fi goh hoahnbak. Late in the afternoon wedecided to go back home.aftaraal conj. after all. Ah miput aan di sleev pahn di jreskarek aftaraal. I put the sleeveon the dress correctly after all.aftawodz adv. afterwards. Dibwai faal dong, an ih ma kohntek kayr a ahn aftawodz. Theboy fell down, and his mom cameto take care of him afterwards.agen adv. 1) again; repeat anaction. If yu seh dat agen, Ahwahn sen yu hoahn. If you saythat again, I’ll send you home.2) anymore; implying changeof original plan, not repetition.Di bwai brok ih fut soh ih nohwahn ron agen. The boy brokehis leg so he won’t run anymore.See: nohmoh. 3) at this time;when there is negation in thesentence. Ah noh waahn singagen. I don’t want to sing at thistime.agrikolcha agriculture. Haabatgaahn da UB gaahn stodiagrikolcha, kaa ih waahn beewahn faama. Herbert went to theUniversity of Belize to studyagriculture because he wants tobe a farmer.Ah pro. (1st person singular,subjective case) I. Ah don wash24di baybi han an ih fays. I havealready washed the baby’s handsand face. See: Ai, mee.ahaahn adv. yes. Ahaahn, Ahmi tel yu noh fi goh deh. Yes, Itold you not to go there. See: yes.ahn 1 (var: am) pro. (3rd personobjective) him, her, it. Weh dalee gyal deh? Ah wahn beetahn. Where is that little girl? I’llbeat her. See: hihn, it, shee.ahn 2 (var: an) conj. and. Dihonta load di gon ahn shat dimongtin kow. The hunter loadedthe gun and shot the tapir.ahn 3 Variant: wahn. (‘ahn’ is theform often used in rapid speech.)Ai pro. (Emphatic 1st personsubjective form of ‘Ah’) I. Ai mitink yu mi wahn kohn tumaaro.I thought that you would cometomorrow. See: Ah, mee.aida Variant: eeda.aidal n. idol, false god. Dehnmek wahn aidal eena di shayp awahn yong bul. They made anidol in the shape of a young bull.aideel n. ideal; frozen juice in abag. Wen Ah fainali don aal ami werk, mi ma gi mi wahnaideel. When I finally finished allof my work, my mom gave me anideal. [Popular treat first broughtto Belize by Valencia’s IceCream Parlour]aidyaa n. idea. Da wahn gudaidyaa fi bil yu hows wen yuyong. It’s a good idea to buildyour house when you’re young.ail v. oil. Wai yu noh ail di baikweel, kaa ih di skweek bad?Why don’t you oil the bike wheel
ailan Kriol tu Inglish aiywaatabecause it’s squeaking badly?— n. oil (generally used torefer to kerosene) Di lamp owtkaa ih neva ga nof ail. The lampwent out because it didn’t haveenough oil. See: koroseen.kukin ail n.phr. cooking oil.See: fat.ailan n. island. Di man an ihwaif chravl chroo di hoal ailan.The man and his wife traveledthrough the whole island. See:kee.aintment n. ointment. If yu putdis aintment pahn yu skin, ihwahn klayr op. If you put thisointment on your skin, it willclear up.ais n. ice. Mi grani noh waahnno ais eena ih joos. Mygrandmother doesn’t want any icein her juice.ais pik n. ice pick. Di man da diais fakchri yoostu yooz ih aispik ahn juk aaf eni amonk a aisweh yu waahn bai. The man atthe ice factory used to use his icepick to break off any amount ofice that you wanted to buy.aisbaks n. icebox. Bifoa frij mideh, dehn yoostu yooz aisbaks fikip ting koal. Before people hadrefrigerators, they used to useiceboxes to keep things cold.aisi-hat n. thermos. Ful diaisi-hat wid hat tee. Fill thethermos with hot tea.aiskreem n. ice cream. Di leebwai eet op aal a di aiskreem.The little boy ate up all of the icecream.aiy 1 (var: yaiy) n. eye. Wen Ah sidi big snayk, Ah kudn bileev miaiy. When I saw the big snake, Icouldn’t believe my eyes.bad aiy n.phr. evil eye; evilworked by looking at anewborn baby. Da laydi wahngi yu baybi graipinz, kaaz sheega bad aiy. That lady will giveyour baby gripe because she hasthe evil eye. See: oavaluk.kot aiy See under entry: kot.aiy 2 ono. cry of pain orimpatience. Aiy! Ah bok mi toagens di chayr fut. Ouch! Istubbed my toe against the chair.aiyan v. iron; press clothes witha hot iron. Mi ma mi hafuaiyan owt da tayblklaat kaa ihmi mash op bad. My mom hadto iron that tablecloth because itwas very wrinkled. See: preskloaz.— n. iron; appliance used topress clothes. Di aiyan mi tuhat soh ih bon owt wahn hoaleena mi blowz. The iron was toohot so it burnt a hole in myblouse. See: koal pat.— adj. iron; metal. Wi hafu gohchroo di aiyan gayt fi geteensaid. We must go through theiron gate to get inside.aiybaal n. eyeball. Noh di roalyu aiybaal wen Ah di skoal yu.Don’t roll your eyes when I scoldyou.aiybrow n. eyebrow. Fi sheeaiybrow tik. Her eyebrows arethick.aiywaata n. tears; drops of thesalty liquid secreted by theeyes. Aiywaata oanli mi-di ronda di pikni finaral. Tears were25
ajern Kriol tu Inglish aksbilreally flowing at the child’sfuneral. See: tyaaz.ajern v. adjourn. Di joj ajern dikays agen. The judge adjournedthe case again.ajres n. 1) address. Ah moovgaahn da Korosaal, soh Ahwahn gi yu mi nyoo ajres. Imoved to Corozal, so I’ll giveyou my new address. 2) address;owner. Idiomatic. Noh figit diajres a dis buk. Please rememberto return this book to me.ak v. act. Shee laik ak laik sheebeta dahn pipl. She likes to actlike she’s better than otherpeople. See: goh aan.akaadn tu prep. according to.Di joj seh akaadn tu di laa, Ahgilti. The judge said, according tothe law, I’m guilty.akaadyan n. accordion; popularmusical instrument used in thetraditional Kriol boom andchime band. Misa Peetaz seh ihponish wen ih noh ga ihakaadyan wid ahn? Mr. Peterssays he suffers when he doesn’thave his accordion with himakchwal adj. actual. Tel mi wehda di akchwal amonk a moniweh wi mek aaf a di sayl. Tellme the actual amount of moneythat we made on the sale.akchwali adv. actually, really.Yu akchwali meen fi seh yu jakop fi hihn? You’re actuallysaying that you’re pregnant byhim? See: reeli.akeschra Variant: okeschra.aklak n. o’clock; time. Humochaklak yu gat? What time is it?26akonk n. 1) account, financialrecord. Jaaji hihn ga big akonkda bank an ih stil stinji wid ihwaif. That Georgie has a big bankaccount but he’s still stingy withhis wife. See: sayvinz.akonk fi v.phr. account for.Mi hozban waahn Ai akonk fievri peni weh Ah spen. Myhusband wants me to account forevery penny that I spend.gi akonk a v.phr. give accountof. Yoo wahn hafu gi akonk ayuself tu Gaad wan a deez dayz.You’ll have to give account ofyourself to God one of thesedays.akonk a prep.phr. on accountof, due to, because of. Akonk ahihn, Ah mek wahn bigmistayk. Because of him, I madea big mistake. See: bikaaz a,sayk a.aks 1 (var: as) v. ask. Di schreetbwai aks mi fi dala. The streetboy asked me for a dollar. See:rikwes.aks 2 (var: eks) n. axe; tool forchopping wood. Bwai, tek diaks ahn kot sohn ud. Boy, takethe axe and chop some wood.See: hachit.aks stik n. axe handle. Sapadilida di bes kain a ud fi mek aksstik owt a. Sapodilla is the bestkind of wood for making axehandles.aksbil n. hawksbill turtle; alarge sea turtle with beakshaped like a hawk’s bill.Dehn mek priti banglz owt aaksbil shel. They make prettybracelets out of the hawksbill
aksep Kriol tu Inglish alkaholturtle shells. See: tertl.aksep v. accept. Unu mos aksepweh Ah tel unu bikaa da chroo.You should accept what I tell youbecause it’s true.akshan 1 n. 1) action. Da mooviga lat a akshan. That movie haslots of action. 2) possession.Slang. Ron mi akshan, gyal.Give me what belongs to me, girl.akshan 2 v. auction. Dehn diakshan aaf fi dehn hows kaadehn kudn pay fer it. They’reauctioning off their housebecause they couldn’t pay for it.— adj. auction. Dehn di ga bigakshan sayl da di poleesstayshan. They’re having a bigauction sale at the police station.aksident n. accident. Dehn miga wahn bad aksident pahn dischreet. There was a bad accidenton the street.Aktoaba n. October. HarikaynHati mi kohn eena Aktoaba.Hurricane Hattie came inOctober.akwaad Variant: akwod.akwod (var: akwaad) adj.awkward. Da bwai kohn nakdong evriting wid ih akwod self.That boy’s so awkward, heknocked everything down. See:blofoto.akyooz v. accuse. Dehn akyoozdi man a wahn lat a bad ting,bot ih seh ih inosent. Theyaccused the man of many badthings, but he said he’s innocent.akyoozayshan n. accusation,allegation, charge. Di polees migat aal kain a akyoozayshan27gens di teef dehn. The police hadall kinds of accusations againstthe thieves. See: chaaj.alaam v. alarm; disturb or stirup sudden fear. Stap alaam dihoal naybahud wid yu haadbaalin. Stop disturbing the wholeneighbourhood with your loudbawling.— n. alarm (clock) Ah aalwayzsleep til di alaam goh aaf. Ialways sleep until the alarm goesoff.alaiv adj. alive. (‘Laiv’ refers tonon-humans, while ‘alaiv’ and‘livin’ refer to humans.) Mi paded bot mi ma stil alaiv. My dadis dead but my mom is still alive.See: livin.albaino n. albino. Jos kaa Ai daalbaino, dehn tink seh Ai dawahn freek. Just because I’m analbino, they think that I’m afreak.aldoa conj. although, though.Aldoa ih mi-di rayn, lat a piplmi dehdeh. Although it wasraining, many people were there.See: doh, eevn doa.aliv ail n. olive oil. Lat a pipl dikuk wid aliv ail now kaa dehnseh ih helti. Many people cookwith olive oil now because theysay it’s healthy.alkahol n. 1) rubbing alcohol.Wen aans bait yu, yu mos robyu fut wid alkahol fi eez dipayn. When ants bite you, youshould rub your feet with alcoholto ease the pain. 2) alcohol;intoxicant. Ah noh jrink notnweh gat een alkahol. I don’tdrink anything which has alcohol
Almaiti Kriol tu Inglish Anansiin it. See: lika.Almaiti adj. Almighty; refers toGod. Wi hafu pen pahn diAlmaiti fi tek kayr a wi. Wehave to depend on the AlmightyGod to take care of us. See: MasiMaasa.almood n. dry measure of abouta quart. Mi grandpa dozaalwayz sen mi fi bai wanalmood a kraabu. My grandpaalways used to send me to buy aquart of craboo. See: kwaat.[
anda Kriol tu Inglish ankaTaiga da neva reeli fren. Anansiand Brother Tiger were neverreally friends. [
ankl Kriol tu Inglish apendiksCaye.ankl (var: enkl) n. ankle. Ah twismi fut eena wahn hoal ahnsprayn mi ankl. I twisted myfoot in a hole and sprained myankle.anles (var: lesn) conj. unless. Ahnoh wahn du dat anles yu paymi. I won’t do that unless youpay me.anonks v. announce. Yu noh fianonks tu evribadi dat wi baramoni. You don’t have toannounce to everybody that weborrowed money.anpak v. unpack. Enitaim Ahgoh weh, di haadis ting da fianpak mi ting dehn wen Ahkohn bak. Whenever I go away,the hardest thing for me is tounpack my things when I comeback.ansa v. answer. Di man nevaansa non a wi kweschan. Theman didn’t answer any of ourquestions.— n. answer. Wen dehn aks dikweschan, wi ansa sopraizdehn. When they asked thequestion, our answer surprisedthem.ansesta n. ancestor, forefather.Fi wee ansesta dehn kohn fahnAfrika. Our ancestors came fromAfrica. See:grayt-grayt-grayt-granfaada.antik n. antic. Di lee bwai mi-dientatayn wi wid ih lee antiks.The little boy entertained us withhis antics. See: paiyaso.antiloap n. antelope; not a trueantelope but a species of small30deer (red brocket deer), havinga chestnut-red colour andstanding less than three feethigh. Mazama americana.apaasl n. apostle. Biblical.Jeezas mi pik Peeta az wahnapaasl. Jesus chose Peter as anapostle.apachooniti n. opportunity. Ahgeh wahn apachooniti fi ferdami stodiz wen Ah geh diskalaship. I got the opportunityto further my studies when I gotthe scholarship. See: chaans.aparayshan n. surgicaloperation. Alis geh wahnaparayshan fi gaalstoan laasweek. Alice had an operation forgallstones last week.aparayt 1 v. loosen one’sbowels. If yu jrink tu mochproonz joos, ih wahn aparaytyu. If you drink too much prunejuice, it will loosen your bowels.See: goh owt.aparayt 2 v. operate; conductone’s self in a certain way.Mee noh hoa moni ahn noh paykaa mee noh aparayt laik dat. Idon’t owe money and not pay itback because I don’t operate likethat.aparayta n. operator. Wi mihafu kaal di telifoan aparayta figeh di nomba. We had to call thetelephone operator to get thenumber.apendiks n. appendicitis. Oaltaim pipl seh dat wen yu swalagwaava seed, ih gi yu apendiks.Old people say that when youswallow a guava seed, it gives
apyaa Kriol tu Inglish aydiyou appendicitis.apyaa v. appear; comesuddenly. Weh yu apyaa fram?Where did you appear from? See:dak.ar Variant: er. or.aredi adv. already. (Usuallypreceded by ‘don’ + v.) Ah donbayd aredi. I’ve bathed already.areenj Variant: hareenj.ares v. arrest. Di polees ares diteef ahn put ahn da jayl. Thepolice arrested the thief and puthim in jail. See: kalek.aro n. arrow. Paint di aro aatadi ting. Point the arrow at thething.as Variant: aks.aschray adv. astray. Dehn badkompni weh yu di kip wahnleed yu aschray. That badcompany that you’re keeping willlead you astray.ashiz (var: hashiz) n. ashes. Mima sen mi fi sweep di ashiz owta di faiyahaat. My mom sent meto sweep the ashes out of thefireplace.asistans n. assistance, financialaid. Evri week Ah geh wahn leeasistans fahn mi son. Everyweek I get a little financial helpfrom my son.asma n. asthma, a breathingdisorder. Mayri kyaahn breedgud wen ih asma kom aan.Mary can’t breathe well when herasthma comes on her. See: presn,shaatnis.ata conj. but. (Generally denotesbad attitude.) Wai yu nak yusista? Ata da shee nak mi fos!Why did you hit your sister? Butit was she who hit me first! See:bot.ataal adv. at all. Noh kom een yawid fi yu fool ataal ataal. Don’tcome in here with yourfoolishness at all.atak v. attack. Di teef dehn kohnatak di oal man. The thievescame to attack the old man.atalarayt (var: talarayt) v.tolerate, bear, stand. Ah nohatalarayt fi shee fool ataal. Idon’t tolerate her foolishness atall. See: bayr, stan, tek.atariti n. authority. Wi kaal ahndi baas, bot ih noh ga no ataritioava wi. We call him the boss,but he doesn’t have any authorityover us.avaid v. avoid. Evri taim Ah sishee, ih goh dong wahn nadaschreet. Ih mosi di avaid mi.Every time I see her, she goesdown another street. She must beavoiding me. See: daj, dok.ayaa n. air. Kom owtsaid fi sohnfresh ayaa. Come outside forsome fresh air.aybl v. afford; able to dosomething without riskingserious consequences. Noh putdi baybi pahn di raylin – Ahnoh aybl fi mek ih faal dong.Don’t put the baby on the railing– I can’t afford to have him falldown.aydi n. eddy, whirlpool. If yunoh kyaaful, aydi ku sok yu eenahn haal yu da riva batam. Ifyou’re not careful, an eddy could31
ayg Kriol tu Inglish ayteensuck you in and pull you to thebottom of the river.ayg Variant: eg.ayj (var: ej) n. age. Mis Vaidanoh waahn tel nobadi ih reelayj, kaa ih noh waahn dehntink seh ih di geh oal. Miss Vidadoesn’t want to tell anyone herreal age because she doesn’t wantthem to think she’s getting old.anda ayj phr. under age,minor. Di lee bwai weh dehnput eena jayl mi anda ayj. Theboy that they put in jail was aminor.ayj paypa n. birth certificate.Da oal man mosi laas fi hihnayj paypa kaa ih oanli laik yonggyal. That old man must have losthis birth certificate because heonly likes young girls. See: bertpaypa.ayk v. bother, make the effort.Mi baybi pa kohn an Ah nevaeevn ayk miself fi get op fi gohtaak tu ahn. My baby’s fathercame and I didn’t even bother toget up and talk to him. See: bada.ayka n. acre. Mi pa ga ten aykaa lan. My dad has ten acres ofland.aylyan n. alien (generally refersto a person coming to Belizefrom another CentralAmerican country) Pipl laikhaiya dehn aylyan kaa dehnwerk cheep. People like to hirealiens because they work cheap.See: schraynja.aymen (var: aamen) int. amen.Wen wi don pray, wi fi seh,“Aymen.” When we’ve finished32praying, we should say, “Amen.”aynja (var: inja) v. injure. Tekweh da sizaz fahn di baybi bifoaih aynja ihself. Take the scissorsaway from the baby before hehurts himself. See: hat.aynjel n. angel. Wahn aynjelapyaa tu Mayri. An angelappeared to Mary.aypran n. apron. Put aan diaypran mek yu noh mes op yujres. Put on the apron so youdon’t mess up your dress.Aypril n. April. Wi laik wenEesta jrap eena Aypril kaa diweda aalwayz gud. We like itwhen Easter falls in Aprilbecause the weather is alwaysgood.ayr owt v. air, freshen with air.Mi ma tel mi fi put di swetikloaz pahn di lain fi ayr owt.My mom told me to put thesweaty clothes on the line to airout. See: breez owt.ayring earring. Variant: ayzring.ayrya n. area. Di hoal a fi weeayrya mi ga blakowt laas nait.Our whole area had a blackoutlast night.ayryal rog n. area rug. Ah wahnbai wahn nyoo ayryal rog fiKrismos. I will buy a new arearug for Christmas.ayt num. eight. Mi aanti gi miayt aapl. My auntie gave meeight apples.— adj. eighth. Mi ma ahn mi pami selibrayt dehn ayt aniversri.My mother and father celebratedtheir eighth anniversary.ayteen num. eighteen. Di laydi
ayti Kriol tu Inglish baaboon kyapmi kripl fi ayteen yaaz. The ladywas crippled for eighteen years.ayti num. eighty. Mis Haatensmi ayti yaaz oal wen ih ded.Miss Hortense was eighty yearsold when she died.ayz n. ear. (Both sg. & pl.) If yugat ayz fi hyaa, lisn gud. If youhave ears to hear, listen well.ayz haad/haad-ayz adj.phr.stubbornly disobedient. Ah telyu noh fi goh eena di waata –how yu soh ayz haad? I told younot to go into the water – why areyou so stubborn?put bihain yu ayz v.phr.remember. Put dat bihain yuayz. Remember that. See:memba.stik brok eena...ayz Idiomaticphr. playing deaf to warningsof others. (Literally: ‘stickbroke in...ear’) Ah taiyad a teldis pikni wan ting oava ahnoava, sayhn laik stik brok eenaih ayz. I’m tired of telling thatboy the same thing over and overbecause he acts like he can’t hearme. See: haad-hedid, ga noandastandin, stobant.ayzring (var: ayring) n. earring.Ih ga ayz laik shilin ahn sheewaahn ayzring! Her ears are likebig coins, yet she wants earrings!az prep. as. Az ih mi-di waaklang, ih si ih too breda di kohn.As he was walking along, he sawhis two brothers coming.B - bbaaba 1 n. barber. Wi kehr dibwai da di baaba kaaz ih hyaami tu lang. We took the boy tothe barber because his hair wastoo long.baaba 2 v. dribble, drool,salivate. Di baybi di baaba, sohwi put aan di bib. The baby isdribbling, so we put on the bib.See: jrool, geda waata. — n.dribble, drool, saliva. Di baybiwet op wid baaba sayk a weh ihdi kot teet. The baby is wet withdrool because he’s cutting teeth.See: jrool, mowt waata.baabikyoo v. barbecue. Mi mawahn baabikyoo ribz fi mibertday. My mom will barbecueribs for my birthday. — n.1) chicken prepared over coals.Evri Satideh yu loan si pipl disel baabikyoo owt a tong. EverySaturday you see a whole lot ofpeople selling barbecuedowntown. 2) a platform usedby woodcutters to stand higherthan the buttress or spur.baaboon n. howler monkey.Alouatta pigra. Wi kudn sleepkaaz di baaboon dehn baal hoalnait. We couldn’t sleep becausethe howler monkeys werehowling all night long.baaboon kyap n. baboon cap;kind of fruit with an orangepowdery texture around theseed. Couepia dodecandria.Baaboon kyap da wahn leefroot weh areenj areenj. Babooncap is a little fruit that has a deep33
aachroom Kriol tu Inglish baanorange colour. [Rarely seen thesedays; called ‘mongki kyap’ in thesouth.]baachroom n. bathroom. Dahoo di bayd eena di baachroomsoh lang? Who’s bathing so longin the bathroom?baagin v. bargain. Mek Ahbaagin oava dis prais. Let mebargain over this price. See: beetdong. — n. bargain. Wi fainwahn gud baagin pahn mangowen wi gaahn da maakit. Wefound a good bargain on mangoswhen we went to the market.baaj n. barge; flat-bottomedboat. Wen dehn swing di brij,da fi mek di baaj dehn paas.When they swing the bridge, itallows the barges to pass. — v.barge; push one’s way inrudely. Yu kyaahn jos baaj eenya laik dat. You can’t just bargein here like that.baak 1 v. bark. Ah taiyad a hyaada daag di baak. I’m tired ofhearing that dog bark.baak 2 n. bark; outer covering ofa tree. Sohn chree baak gud fimedisn. Some tree bark is goodfor medicine.baaka n. a large, edible riverfish. Mi hozban oanli laik rivafish, speshali baaka. Myhusband really likes river fish,especially ‘baaka’.baal 1 n. ball; spherical object.Dehn bwai mi deh owt deh dikik baal. The boys were out therekicking a ball. See: tunu baal.baal op v.phr. coil, roll, wind.Di lee bwai baal op di kaitschring. The little boy coiled upthe kite string. See: kwail, roal.baal 2 v. bawl; sob loudly. Ahoanli baal wen mi ma ded. Ireally bawled when my momdied. See: hala, krai, skreem.baal afta v.phr. shout or yellat. Mi baas baal afta mi bikaaAh laas di fail. My bossed yelledat me because I lost the file.baal 3 v. shave one’s head. Ahnoh noa wai Hari hihn gaahnbaal ih hed fa. I don’t know whyHarry went and shaved his head.See: peel, shayv.baalhed n. baldhead. Di manbaalhed mi-di shain eena di son.The man’s baldhead shone in thesun. See: peelhed.baalin n. bawling, crying.Lat abaalin mi deh da mi ma finaral.There was a lot of bawling at mymother’s funeral. See: kraiyin.baalz balls, testicles. Slang. Diman gaahn chrai faas wid digyal, bot shee kik ahn da ihbaalz. The man tried to interferewith the girl, but she kicked himin the testicles. See: seed, toan.2) nerve, courage. Jani mi ganof baalz fi stan op tu ih baas.Johnny had the nerve to stand upto his boss.baan v. give birth to, bear achild. Di taim kohn fi di umanbaan ih baybi. The time camefor the woman to have her baby.See: ga...baybi, mek baybi.— adj. born. Ih uda mi beta ifih da man neva baan. It wouldhave been better if that man hadnever been born.34
aar Kriol tu Inglish babilanbaar 1 v. bar; lock or closefirmly. Bubu di kohn! Baar didoa! Monsters are coming! Barthe door! — n. 1) a long,narrow piece of metal. Di manwap owt di ada man wid wahnlang aiyan baar. The man struckthe other man with a long ironbar. See: kroabaar, rekin baar,peewee. 2) bar, pub, tavern;counter from which alcoholicdrinks are served. Di man dehndeh eena di baar di jrink. Themen are in the bar drinking. See:baaroom.baar mowt n.phr. sand bar.Sohntaim wen yu gwehn da see,yu hafu paas di baar mowt.Sometimes when you’re going tosea, you have to pass the sandbar.baar 2 prep. barring, except. Mima wap aal a wi baar mi leebreda. My mother punished all ofus except my little brother. See:sep, oanli kaa.baaroom n. barroom. EnitaimHenjri geh pay, ih goh dabaaroom goh jrink. WheneverHenry gets paid, he goes to thebarroom to drink. See: baar.baas n. boss. Ah hafu aks dibaas if Ah ku goh hoahn soon. Ihave to ask the boss if I can gohome early. See: cheef, hedman,hefeh.baasi adj. bossy. Da marij nohwahn mek it kaaz shee tu baasi.That marriage won’t make itbecause she’s too bossy.baaskit n. basket. Di hoal a MisBeka baaskit a bred ton oava.All of Miss Becka’s basket of35bread turned over.baaskit titai n. a rattan palm:one of the largest vines in thetropics with sharp spinescovering the entire vine; theleaves are split to use inbasketry. Desmoncus schippii.See: titai, beliful titai.baastad n. bastard, illegitimatechild. See: owtsaid pikni,shalai.baat n. bath. Afta aal dehn dos,Ai hafu tek wahn baat. After allof the dust, I have to take a bath.See: kowbwai baat.baat hows n. bathhouse;outhouse for bathing. Fi weehows noh ga no baachroom, sohwi yooz wahn lee baat hows.Our house doesn’t have abathroom, so we use a littlebathhouse.baat tob n. bathtub. If da baattob doti, Ah noh di bayd eendeh. If that bath tub is dirty, I’mnot bathing in it.baatenda n. bartender. Jaajinoa how fi miks aal kain a jrinkkaa ih da baatenda. Georgieknows how to mix all kinds ofdrinks because he’s a bartender.bab waiya n. barbed wire. Ahtayr mi frak pahn di bab waiyafens. I tore my dress on thebarbed wire fence.baba n. baby bottle. (baBA.) Gidi baybi ih baba mek ih stapkrai. Give the baby his bottle sohe’ll stop crying.babilan n. police. Di bwai dehnron wen dehn si babilan dikohn. The boys ran when they
abstaaf Kriol tu Inglish badisaw the police coming. See:polees. [Term with biblicalreference, coming from theRastafarian movement and usedto express contempt for any partof the Caribbean Establishment.]babstaaf n. fishing pole; a setline left over night.bachri n. battery. Di bachri eenadi flashlait mi ded, soh wi nevaga no lait eena di blakowt. Thebattery in our flashlight was dead,so we didn’t have any light in theblackout.gi bachri v.phr. give trouble.Dis pikni oanli ku gi bachri. Ahnoh noa weh Ah wahn du widahn. This child gives a lot oftrouble. I don’t know what I’mgoing to do with him.bad adj. 1) bad. Wi hafu bayl diseptik tank kaaz ih di giv aafwahn bad smel. We have to bailout the septic tank because it’sgiving off a bad smell. See: eevl,haad, wikid. 2) good. Slang.Alison gat aan wahn bad shooz– Ah laik it. Allison has on somenice shoes – I like them. See:wikid. — adv. badly. Di piknimi-di bihayv bad; ih faiya kikaata mi an aal. The child wasbehaving badly; he was evenkicking at me.bad bowt v.phr. behavepromiscuously, sleep around.(Usually refers to women.) Dagyal ga AIDS sayk a di badbowt. That girl has AIDS becauseof her promiscuity. See: rotbowt, sleep rong.mek bad v.phr. cause trouble.Ah noh waahn tel Saydi how ihhozban di cheet pan ahn kaaAh noh waahn mek badbitween dehn. I don’t want to tellSadie how her husband ischeating on her because I don’twant to cause trouble for them.bad beli n. diarrhea. If yu eet tumoch mengo, yu wahn geh badbeli. If you eat too many mangos,you’ll get diarrhea. See: werkbeli, roninz, shitninz.bad stail n. bad manners,inappropriate andunacceptable behavior. Yoooanli ga bad stail; yu laik taakwen pipl di taak. You have verybad manners; you like to talkwhen others are talking.bada v. bother, annoy, hassle.Noh bada mi, bwai. Yu noh siAh di du sohnting? Don’t botherme, boy. Don’t you see I’m doingsomething? See: anai, ayk, bog,fos, hasl.badak v. back out on, renege,fail to follow through, beunreliable. Di man mi-di werkgud fos, bot ih staat tu badakpahn mi. The man was workingwell at first, but then he failed tofollow through for me. [Possiblyfrom ‘act bad’]badi n. body. Di bwai yooz ihhoal badi wen ih daans. The boyuses his whole body when hedances.badi-kohn-dong n.phr.fatigue. Sayk a weh Mis Sayrawerk soh haad, ih en op di gabadi-kohn-dong. Because MissSarah worked so hard, she endedup with fatigue.36
adis Kriol tu Inglish bahainbadis adj. worst. Dis da di badispikni owt a aal a dehn. This isthe worst boy out of all of them.See: wosis.badlokid adj. unlucky. Ah mosibadlokid kaaz evriting aalwayzdi goh rang. I must be unluckybecause everything always goeswrong. See: saal.bad-main v. sabotage,undermine. Ah di chrai helpdehn, ahn stil dehn di bad-mainmi. I’m trying to help them, butthey’re still undermining me.— n. ill-will, malice. Ahkyaahn mek no hedway widdehn kaaz dehn ga bad-maintuwaadz mi. I can’t make anyheadway with them because theyhave ill-will towards me.bad-maindid adj. malicious,spiteful. Hihn noh wahn gehhed kaaz ih tu bad-maindid. Hewon’t get ahead because he’s toomalicious. See: spaitful.bad-mowt v. bad-mouth, findfault with, speak ill of. Nohkay humoch Mayri bad-mowtBetsi bihain ih bak, Betsi stilchreet ahn gud. No matter howmuch Mary speaks ill of Betsybehind her back, Betsy still treatsher well.badnis n. badness, evil,wickedness. Aal dehn badnisweh ih du wahn kohn bak fihaant ahnn. All of the evil thathe does will come back to haunthim. See: eevl, oagli, wikidnis.bafu v. (baFU) 1) swim clumsilyor awkwardly. Di lee bwaikudn swim; ih oanli mi kudabafu. The boy couldn’t swim; he37could only splash around.2) flounder. Ah noh di mek iteena laif ataal, Ah jos di bafuahn kyaahn gama. I’m notmaking it at all in life, I’m justfloundering and can’t accomplishanything. 3) wobble. (Term fromthe game of tops, when a playermisses a point.) Aal di lee bwaitap du da bafu. All the littleboy’s top does is wobble. [
ai Kriol tu Inglish baitbuttocks. Yu wahn soonkyaahn fain no pants fi fit dabig bahain weh yoo gat deh.Pretty soon you won’t be able tofind pants to fit that big bottomthat you have there. See:bakyaad, bambam, batam, bati,staan.bai 1 v. buy, purchase. Janigaahn bai shuga da shap.Johnny went to buy sugar at theshop.bai 2 prep. by. Da oal umanaalwayz paas bai mai hows.That old woman always passes bymy house.bai 3 int. good-bye, farewell. Ahwahn si yu layta den – bai. I’llsee you later then – bye. See:aarait, gudbai.Baibl n. Bible. Di Baibl seh yunoh fi tel lai. The Bible says thatyou shouldn’t tell lies.baik n. bicycle. Too man stap dibwai ahn tek weh ih baik. Twomen stopped the boy and tookaway his bike. See: baisikl.bail 1 v. boil. Pleez bail sohnpitayta fi mi, noh? Please boilsome potatoes for me, okay?bail 2 n. boil; a painful, pussfilledswelling of the skincaused by a bacterial infection.Di bwai ga wahn big bail pan ihskin. The boy has a big boil onhis skin.blain bail n.phr. a boil thathas not broken the skin. Paalgeh wahn big blain bail anda ihaam sayk a yooz tu mochaamstik. Paul got a big boil in hisarmpit because he used too muchdeodorant. See: kyat bail.bail kayk n. round dumplingmade with flour and bakingpowder served in ‘bail-op’. Ifyu bail bail kayk fi tu lang, wikaal it ‘jrongdid man’ kaa dehngeh tu hevi. If you boil thosedumplings too long, we call them‘drowned men’ because they gettoo heavy. See: domplin.bail-op n. boil-up; a dish madewith boiled tubers and servedwith fish, pig-tail and acoconut oil sauce. Yestudeh Ahmi feel fi eet wahn big playt abail-op. Yesterday I felt likeeating a big plate of boil-up.bain v. constipate; bind thebowels. If yu eet tu moch kashuih wahn bain yu. Eating toomany cashews will constipateyou. See: kaak, kaastiv.baisikl n. bicycle. Janet laan firaid ih baisikl fahn ih faiv. Janetlearned to ride her bicycle fromwhen she was five. See: baik.bait v. 1) bite. Main da daag baityu. Be careful that dog doesn’tbite you. 2) give a suddengrabbing pain. Ih mosi wahnrayn kaa mi kot di bait mi. Itmust be going to rain because I’mgetting a sharp pain where I hadsurgery. — n. bite. Dehn diaalwayz pray bifoa dehn tekdehn fos bait. They always praybefore they take their first bite.bait een...tong v.phr. biteone’s tongue to preventspeaking so as to appearbrave, or to avoid responding.Ih bait een ih tong an ih seh tuihself, “Cho! Ai noh frayd.” He38
aitin Kriol tu Inglish baksbit his tongue to keep fromscreaming, and said to himself,“Ha! I’m not afraid.”baitin adj. biting. Noh goh eenada yaad kaa dehn ga baitindaag deh. Don’t go into that yardbecause they have biting dogsthere.baiya n. buyer. Yu geh wahnbaiya fi yu hows? Did you get abuyer for your house?baiyas adj. biased. Yvet baiyasweh ih daata kansaan. Yvette isbiased where her daughter isconcerned.gaahn baiyas v.phr. becomepointless unsuccessful, orthwarted. Aal mi plan dehn fidi paati gaahn baiyas sayk arayn. All of my plans for theparty were unsuccessful becauseof the rain.bak n. back; body part. Ihkyaahn waak schrayt kaaz ihschrayn ih bak. He can’t walkstraight because he strained hisback. — adv. back. Wash di egdehn, den yu paas dehn bak tumi. Wash the eggs, then passthem back to me. — v. carry. Wimi hafu get op soon fi bakwaata. We had to get up early tocarry water. See: kehr, kraas,lang.bak a phr. behind, in back of.Ah mi deh rait bak a yu. I wasright there behind you. See:bihain. [In Belize City, to go‘bak a’ means to go to someplaceon the outskirts of town.]bak aan phr. from behind orthe back. Eevn fahn bak aan,Ah noa da Paal. Even frombehind, I know that’s Paul.bak-a-baptis n. prison; used tobe located behind the QueenSt. Baptist church in BelizeCity, so it was referred toidiomatically as ‘bak-abaptis’.bakabush n. bush, country,rural area, woods. Mi onklgaahn way bakabush gaahnhontin. My uncle went way intothe bush to hunt. See: bush.bakarop v. go in reverse in acar. Ah wahn bakarop di kaa,soh moov owt a di way. I’mgoing to put the car in reverse, soget out of the way.bak-chat v. talk back, sass. Nohdi bak-chat mi, kaaz Ah wahnslap yu. Don’t talk back to me, orI’ll slap you. — n. back-talk,sass. Mari kohn di gi mi ihbak-chat dehn. Mary came backat me with her sass.bakl Variant: batl.baklaas Variant: batlaas.bakra n. white person or a lightskinned person who fancieshimself to be white. Dehnbakra kraas deh heng wid dehnwait pipl soh moch dat dehnstaat tu tink dat dehn wait tu.The ‘white wannabees’ fromacross there hang around withwhite people so much that they’restarting to think they’re white too.[
akway Kriol tu Inglish bambu chikinbaks fi wen Ah di moov. I needsome empty boxes for when Imove.bakway adv. backwards. Dihaal mi soh naro dat wi mi hafugoh een bakway. The hall was sonarrow that we had to go inbackwards.bakyaad n. 1) back yard. Mi mami eena di bakyaad di heng owtkloaz. My mother was in theback yard hanging out clothes.2) behind, bottom, buttocks.Da uman ga wahn big bakyaad.That woman has a large rear end.See: bahain, batam, bati, staan.balahu adj. loud, rowdy,unruly. Dehn balahu uman nohwahn welkom eena mai famili.Those loud women won’t bewelcome in my family. See:blagyaad, champong nani,halari. — n. ballyhoo.balans n. balance, remainder.Yu gi mi sohn a di moni, botwen Ah wahn geh di balans?You gave me some of the money,but when will I get the balance?See: res.balat n. ballot. Neks ilekshan Ahwahn mek shoar fi kyaas fi meebalat. In the next election, I’ll besure to cast my ballot.bali n. 1) close male friend. Mison an ih bali dehn aalwayzkohn hoahn fi heng owt. My sonand his friends always comehome to hang out. See: bombali,fren, too-faiv. [Sp. ‘valedor’friend] 2) any male; used asequivalent of ‘man’ when aperson’s name isn’t known.Wahn lee bali stodi di paas op40ahn dong owt deh. There’s a guyis going up and down out there.fowl teet bali n.phr.untrustworthy friend, fairweatherfriend.baloon n. balloon. Wi hafu bloaop wahn lat a baloon fi di paati.We have to blow up lots ofballoons for the party. See:bloda.bam brigidim buf ono. soundof someone falling orcolliding, or suddenoccurrence of something.(Each word can be used alone.The addition of ‘buf’ means thatwhatever has fallen cannot bestood up again.) Di fat man faaldong – bam brigidim buf! Thefat man fell down kaboom![
amsideh Kriol tu Inglish banginbamsideh ono. Expressionmeaning ‘see whathappened’or ‘just like that’.Bamsideh! Ih neva don til ihtombl. See! He kept on until hefell down!ban 1 n. band. Wahn loakal banwahn play da di Kriol Festival.A local band will play at theKriol Festival.ban ahn myoozik n.phr.marching band with drums. Dipikni dehn mi-di maach widban ahn myoozik. The childrenwere marching with the band.See: tertl shel ban, boom ahnshain.ban 2ban dong v.phr. bind the bellyto hide a pregnancy. Di gyalban dong ih beli mek ih ma nohnoa ih pregnant. The girl boundher belly so her mom wouldn’tknow she was pregnant.ban op v.phr. bandage, dress awound. Di dakta ban op di mankot, an ih feel beta rait away.The doctor dressed the man’scuts, and he felt better right away.— adj. bandaged. Afta diaksident, Ah mi aal ban op.After the accident, I was allbandaged up. See: bandij.banaana n. banana. Musasapientum or Musa paradisiacaL. Afta di harikayn, wi kudnfain banaana no way. After thehurricane, we couldn’t findbananas anywhere. See: aaplbanaana, blogo spekl banaana,waika banaana, wika banaana.banaana bod n. banana bird,yellow oriole. Dehn banaana41bod ga wahn priti yala kala.Banana birds have a pretty yellowcolour.banak n. large timber tree.[
anglz Kriol tu Inglish baragumbehthe thief a good beating whenthey caught him. See: beetn, beetop, ponch op.banglz (var: benglz) n.1) bangle. (Both sg. & pl.) Mibwaifren gi mi wahn naisbanglz wid mi nayhn pan it. Myboyfriend gave me a nice banglewith my name on it. See:eksklaava. 2) handcuffs. Slang.Polees wahn put banglz pahnyu sayk a teef. Police will putyou in handcuffs because of yourstealing. See: hankof. — v.handcuff. Dehn banglz di manahn kehr ahn da stayshan kaahihn hoa lat a chail sopoat.Police handcuffed the man andtook him to the station because heowed a lot of child support.bangz n. bangs; hairstyle. Digyal bangz aalwayz di get eenaih aiy. The girl’s bangs arealways getting in her eyes.banja fut n. sore on the foot.Luk pahn shee wid ih banja fut;ih ful a soar. Look at her withthat foot; it’s full of sores. See:yaga.bank 1 (var: benk) n. bank;institution for holding andlending money. Di lain da bankoanli lang wen payday. The lineat the bank is very long onpaydays.bank 2 (var: benk) n. river bank;area along a river consideredthe home territory of a certainfamily. Ah liv pahn di nadasaid a di bank. I live on the otherside of the bank. See: banksaid.[May have originated fromlogging rights to river access.]42banksaid (var: benksaid) n.bank, area alongside a river.Wi ron dong bai di banksaidahn hala fi wi pikni dehn. Weran down by the river bank andhollered to our children. See:bank.bankwit n. banquet. Wen wigoh da di bankwit, Ai wahn eetahn eet. When we go to thebanquet, I will eat and eat.baps (var: braps) int.immediately, right away. Fishee hozban jos haftu luk pahnshee, ahn baps, shee gehpregnant Her husband just has tolook at her, and what do youknow, she gets pregnant. See:rait away.baptaiz v. baptize. Jan di Baptismi-di baptaiz pipl eena JaadnRiva. John the Baptist wasbaptizing people in the JordanRiver.baptizm n. baptism. Wi gwehnda choch fi di baptizm. We’regoing to church for the baptism.bara v. borrow. Yu ku bara azlang az yu memba fi pay bak.You can borrow as long as youremember to pay it back.baragumbeh n. borrower (aperson who likes to borrowbut doesn’t return or pay back)Baragumbeh di kohn, soh nohmek ih noa yu jos geh pay. Theborrower is coming, so don’t lethim know that you just got paid.[‘Bara’ barrow + ‘gumbeh’ drum.This word comes from a proverb“Baragumbeh noh play tildaylait,” which originally meant“buy your own - what you borrow
ariks Kriol tu Inglish batlaasmight not be available when youneed it.”bariks n. 1) barracks; buildingsfor housing soldiers andworkmen.Bariks 2) section of BelizeCity on the north central shorewhere the West IndianRegiment was originallyquartered. Barracks Road, amajor thoroughfare, runsthrough this area. Ah needsohn fresh ayaa, soh Ah gwehnowt da Bariks. I need some freshair, so I’m going out to NewTown Barracks.baril n. barrel. Da bali rong laikwahn baril. That guy is roundlike a barrel. See: jrom.baro n. barracuda. Sphyraenabarracuda. Baro fish tays gudeena panaades. Barracuda tastesgood in empanadas.bashment n. bash; gala event orparty. Slang. Wi ga bigbashment fi bring een di nyooyaa. We’re having a big bash tobring in the new year. See:bram, paati.basiflap v. 1) stroll, walk idly.Di gyal dehn jos gaahn da tonggaahn basiflap. The girls justwent to town to stroll around.2) strut, swagger. Luk pahnhihn basiflap dong di schreet.Look at the way he is swaggeringdown the street. See: bonks, step.bata 1 n. batter; baseball orcricket player. Tideh yu wahnbee di fos bata. Today you’ll bethe first batter.bata 2 n. batter; mixture of43ingredients for making cakesetc. If yu kip di bata smood,den yu noa di kayk wahnaarait. If you keep the battersmooth, then you know the cakewill be okay.batam n. 1) bottom; lowest partof a place. Di pat batam midoti. The pot’s bottom was dirty.2) behind, bottom, buttocks.Gyal, fi yoo batam oanli di gehbig. Girl, your bottom is reallygetting big. See: bahain,bakyaad, bambam, bati, staan.batan n. wooden brace; ahorizontal brace on wallsmade of native woodenmaterials.bati n. behind, bottom,buttocks. Dehn laydi wid bigbati aalwayz laik wayr taitpants. It seems like ladies withbig bottoms always wear tightpants. See: bahain, bakyaad,bambam, batam, staan. [
ay leef Kriol tu Inglish bayrbay leef n. bay leaf; a plantused as a seasoning and as anherbal medicine. Bay leef mekgud seeznin fi soop. Bay leafmakes good seasoning for soup.bay leef chree n. bay leaf tree;a palm tree, the fronds ofwhich are highly-valued forroof- thatching. Sabalmorrisiana. See: boataan.bay snuk Variant: snuk.baybi n. baby. Pik op di baybimek ih stap krai. Pick up thebaby to make him stop crying.ga...baybi v.phr. birth a child.Di taim kohn fi ih ga di baybi.The time came for her to have thebaby. See: baan.mek baybi v.phr. bear or havechildren. Da uman stil di mekbaybi? Is that woman still havingchildren?bayd 1 v. 1) bathe, wash. Tek yutaim wen yu bayd di baybi.Take your time when you bathethe baby. See: wash. 2) swim.Mek wi goh da Bofa Hoal fi gohbayd. Let’s go to Buffer Hole toswim.bayd 2 beard. Archaic. Variant:byaad.bayg v. beg, plead. Di bwai baygih ma oava ahn oava noh fi senahn da skool. The boy beggedhis mom over and over not tosend him to school. See: bom.bayga adj. given to begging;beggarly. Ah noh waahn gi yunotn kaaz yu tu bayga. I don’twant to give you anythingbecause you beg too much.bayk v. bake. Bayk di chikin44insted a schoo it. Bake thechicken instead of stewing it.bayka n. baker. Mi pa da wahnbayka; dats wai ih ku mek bredsoh gud. My father’s a baker;that’s why he can make bread sowell.bayka bon n. loaf of sweet bunmade at the bakery. See: bon,Kriol bon.bayka bred n. packaged (storebought)loaves of bread. Maima noh laik bai bayka bred. Mymother doesn’t like to buy prepackagedbread. See: pak bred.baykan n. bacon. Mi mai fraibaykan evri maanin fi tee. Mymother fries bacon every morningfor breakfast.bayl v. bail; dip, or scoop aliquid. Wi mi hafu hori bayl didoari kaa ih mi-di leek. We hadto hurry and bail the water out ofthe dory because it was leaking.bayli (var: byaali) adv. barely.Da bwai soh fat, ih bayli kumoov. That boy is so fat, he canbarely move.Bayman n. the Baymen; someof the earliest white settlers ofBelize, which was originallyreferred to as the BaySettlement. Fahn wi leel, wi miyehr how di Bayman dehn mifait eena di batl a Sin JaajizKee. Since we were little weheard how the Baymen fought inthe battle of St. George’s Caye.bayr 1 v. bear, produce. Di priklbush dehn choak di plaants sohdehn noh bayr notn. The thornbushes choked the plants so they
ayr Kriol tu Inglish beedidn’t bear anything. See:projoos.bayr 2 v. bear, endure. Ih ma telahn noh fi marid, soh now ihhafu green ahn bayr it. Hismother told him not to getmarried, so now he will have tojust grin and bear it. See: stan,atalarayt, tek.bayr 3 adj. bare; empty, withoutcovering, equipment orembellishment. Teef brok eenadi hows ahn lef it bayr bayr.Thieves broke into the house andleft it completely empty.bayrfays adj. barefaced;brazen, shameless. Yoo oanlibayrfays fi kohn taak tu mi laikdat! You’re really shameless tocome talk to me like that! See:faysi, jrai fays.bayrfaysidnis n. brazenness,nerve, shamelessness. Dat daloan bayrfaysidnis how shee dikom aan tu mi hozban raitfront a mi. She has nerve tocome on to my husband right infront of me. See: faysinis.bayrfut (var: byaafut) adv.barefoot. Sayk a waak bayrfut,Ben geh nayl-juk. Because ofwalking barefoot, Ben stepped ona nail.bays 1 v. baste; moisten food asit cooks. Ah yooz di jripinz fibays di terki. I use the drippingsto baste the turkey.bays 2 v. baste; sew with long,loose stitches. Ah hafu bays opdi blowz bifoa Ah soa it. I haveto baste the blouse before I sew it.bays 3 n. 1) base; one of four45points on a baseball diamond.Jani bat di baal gud, bot dehnowt ahn bifoa ih reech fos bays.Johnny hit the ball well, but theyput him out before he got to firstbase. 2) neighbourhoodhangout where drugs can bepurchased. Da bwai beta nohtink hihn wahn heng pahn nobays. That boy better not thinkhe’ll hang out at any base.3) centre of operation, such asa military base.baysn n. enamel basin, sink.Goh wash yu fays eena dibaysn. Go wash your face in thebasin. See: pudn pan, wash-hanbaysn, zink.bayt 1 v. bait. Yu noh waahn baytdi huk wid da pees a chikinskin? Don’t you want to bait thehook with that piece of chickenskin?— n. bait. Put aan di bayt pahndi fishin huk. Put the bait on thefish hook.bayt 2 v. abate; become less inamount or degree. Di feevabayt wen di baybi geh dimedisn. The fever abated whenthe baby got the medicine. See:jrap.bed n. bed. Di sik chail mi dehpahn di bed. The sick child wason the bed. See: bonk.bedspred n. bedspread. Maigrani krosheh wahn byootifulbedspred. My granny crocheteda beautiful bedspread.bee 1 v. be. Emphatic. Mee ahnda gyal yoostu bee enimi, botden wi ton fren. That girl and Iused to be enemies, but then we
ee Kriol tu Inglish beetsbecame friends. See: deh.bee 2 n. bee. Wahn bee stin miwen Ah gaan anda di chree. Abee stung me when I went underthe tree.beech n. beach. (Refers tospecific beaches, but generallyone would ‘goh bayd da see’.)Wen wi mi smaal, lat a piplyoostu goh da Bileezyan Beechfi bayd. When we were small,many people used to go to theBelizean Beach to swim.[Belizean Beech was a favouritelocal beach a few miles west ofBelize City.]beed n. bead. Ah waahn si di leechayn weh mek owt a beed. Iwant to see the little chain that’smade out of beads.beed-ahn-koril n. coral snake;small poisonous snake withcoral-red, yellow and blackstripes around its body. Ahfrayd fi dehn beed-ahn-korilsnayk. I’m afraid of coral snakes.beehaiv n. beehive. Di piknidehn fain wahn beehaiv eena dichree. The children found abeehive in the tree.beek n. beak. Di roosta stodi midipik op di lee bwai wid ihbeek. The rooster kept peckingthe little boy with its beak.beenz n. beans. (Both sg. & pl.)Yestudeh Ah mi geh sohn naisbeenz da maakit. Yesterday I gotsome good beans at the market.bees n. beast. Da daag da wahnoagli bees. That dog is an uglybeast. See: broot.beesli v. dirty, soil; make orbecome very dirty. Wen yu gohplay eena mod, yu beesli op yukloaz. When you play in the mud,you get your clothes very dirty.beet v. 1) beat, thrash with anobject. Main Ah en op di beetyu wid da belt kaa yu wahnbaal. Watch out, because if I endup beating you with that belt,you’ll bawl. See: dip, lada, lash,lays, tayr, wap. 2) beat, defeat.Ah noh tink wi schrang nof fibeet di enimi. I don’t think we’restrong enough to defeat theenemy.beet dong v.phr. bargain for alower price. Ah beet dong diman pahn di prais a di shooz. Ibargained with the man on theprice of the shoes. See: baagin.beet op v.phr. beat with fists.Mi ma seh fahn ya goh bak Ahwahn geh beet op wid fis kaaAh tu big fi geh beet wid belt.My mother says that from now onshe’ll beat me on my back withher fists because I’m too big toget beaten with a belt. See:fis...op, pong. — n.phr. beating,whipping. If yu lef di man, yunoh wahn geh nohmoh beet opahn ponch op. If you leave theman, you won’t get any morebeatings.beetn n. beating, thrashing,whipping. Sayra wahn gehwahn gud beetn sayk a stay owtlayt. Sarah will get a goodbeating for staying out late. See:beet op.beets n. beet; root vegetable.(Both sg. & pl.) Wen yu bailbeets, ih mek di waata geh red46
eevaboad Kriol tu Inglish Belkan Brijred. When you boil beets, itmakes the water get very red.beevaboad n. beaverboard;fibreboard. Mi pa mek dipaataaf dehn fi di hows owt abeevaboad. My father made thepartitions for the house out ofBeaverboard.beg (var: bag) n. bag. Di bwai gawahn lat a buk eena ih beg. Theboy has many books in his bag.bejroom n. bedroom. Di howsoanli ga too bejroom fi ayt a wi.The house has only twobedrooms for eight of us.beks adj. vexed, angry. Yuaalwayz gat aan wahn beksfays. You always have an angryface. See: chap op, kraas,raatid. — v. anger, vex. Ihbeks mi how shee kohn yooz miperfyoom widowt aks mi. Itangers me that she uses myperfume without asking me.geh...beks v.phr. anger, getangry or vexed. Di bod dehngeh beks bikaaz Hanaasi tekdehn aapl. The birds got vexedbecause Anansi took their apples.See: geh...owt.beksa adj. more vexed,angrier. Nobadi noh beksadahn hihn wen hihn noh ga nomoni. Nobody is angrier than hewhen he doesn’t have any money.bel n. bell. Evri maanin dicherch bel ring. Every morningthe church bell rings.beli n. 1) belly; abdominalregion of the body. Sayk a eettu moch, mi beli di hat mi.Because I ate too much, my belly47hurts. See: stomok. 2) trunk of atree.ga/geh/kech beli v.phr. be orbecome pregnant. Daris ga belibot ih frayd fi tel ih ma. Doris ispregnant but she’s afraid to tellher mom. See: kech pregnant.beli aaf v.phr. impregnate. Aalweh Tamas du da beli aafSharon ahn gaahn lef ahn. AllThomas did was get Sharonpregnant and then he left her.See: breed, faal, jak op,pregnant.beli batam n.phr. lowest partof the belly, pit of thestomach. Di laaf staat deepdong eena ih beli batam ahnbos owt chroo ih mowt. Thelaugh started deep in his belly andburst out through his mouth.beli ayk n.phr. bellyache. Di leebwai kamplayn bowt beli ayk.The little boy complained about abellyache. See: graipinz,payn-a-beli.beliful titai n. vine similar torattan; used to make basketsand furniture. Yu hafu skraypahn kleen di baaskit titai bot yuku yooz beliful titai rait soh.You have to scrape and clean thebasket tie-tie vine but you can usebellyful tie-tie vine just as it is.See: baaskit titai, titai.beli-uman n. pregnant woman.Loan beli-uman mi deh daklinik dis maanin. Mostlypregnant women were at theclinic this morning.Belkan Brij n. Belcan Bridge;the westernmost of threebridges that cross Haulover
elt Kriol tu Inglish beriyinCreek in Belize City. Di sitisenta deh rait kraas BelkanBrij. The city centre is rightacross the Belcan Bridge.[BELize and CANada bridge;assistance for the constructioncame from Canada]belt n. 1) belt. Ah bai wahn nyooleda belt. I bought a new leatherbelt. 2) belt; throw. Ma, da leebwai kohn belt mi pahn mi futwid wahn stoan. Mom, that littleboy belted me on my foot with astone. See: chaans, faiya, fling,stoan.bembeh n. bully; tough person;generally a woman who won’tbe pushed around. Yu di playbembeh bot Ai noh frayd fi yoo.You’re pretending to be tough,but I’m not afraid of you.ben v. bend. If pin neva benNaansi stoari neva en. If the pendoesn’t bend, Anansi’s storynever ends. (Traditional ending tofolktales.)bench n. bench. Sidong ya raitya pahn dis bench. Sit downright here on this bench.lang bench n.phr. person whotalks endlessly. Bwai, si hoo dikohn. Ai gwain; shee da langbench! Boy, look who’s coming.I’m going; she’ll talk forever!hoal lang bench Idiomatic phr.talk with another person for avery long time. (Literally:‘hold long bench’) Mai ma ahnmai aanti laik stay op layt dihoal lang bench. My mom andmy auntie like to stay up latetalking.benglz Archaic. Variant: banglz.benifit v. benefit. Da hoo wahnbenifit fahn da moni deh. Whowill benefit from that money?— n. benefit. Wen Ah ritaiya,weh kain a benifit Ah wahngeh? When I retire, what kind ofbenefits will I get?benk Variant: bank.benksaid Variant: banksaid.ber-ber n. burr; plant thatleaves small thorny seedsstuck to clothing. Wi put berberpahn di prinsipal chyaa. Weput burrs on the principal’s chair.berd (var: bod) n. bird. (‘Berd’is the form generally used byyounger people today.)berdn n. burden. Mis Freeda sehdat ih noh waahn bee wahnberdn pan ih daata wen ih getoal. Miss Frieda said that shedoesn’t want to be a burden onher daughter when she gets old.berga n. hamburger. Ah laikwen dehn mek mai berga joosi.I like it when they make myhamburger juicy.beri v. bury. Dehn wahn beri diman dis aftanoon. They’ll burythe man this afternoon.bering grong n. burial ground,cemetery, grave-yard.Yestudeh wi gaahn da beringgrong gaahn kehr flowaz da mima grayv. Yesterday we went tothe cemetery to take flowers tomy mother’s grave.beriyin n. burial, funeral. Yu dibaal wosa dan wi ga beriyin ersohnting. You are bawling worsethan if we were having a funeralor something. See: finaral.48
eriz Kriol tu Inglish big taimberiz n. blackberry; a treewhich produces a small juicyfruit with a single seed, usedin local winemaking. (Both sg.& pl.) Wi eet beriz til wi mowtmaav maav. We ate blackberriesuntil our mouths were reallypurple. [This blackberry is adifferent species from theblackberry produced by abramble known in northernclimates.]berjin Variant: verjin.bert paypa n. birth certificate.Ah gaahn da Rejischri fi getowt mi bert paypa. I went to theRegistry to get a copy of my birthcertificate. See: ayj paypa.bertday n. birthday. Neks montAh wahn selibrayt mi bertday.Next month I’ll celebrate mybirthday.bes n. best. Ih mi-di chrai ih besfi du di jab. He was trying hisbest to do the job. — adj. best.Dis da di bes areenj joos Ahtays. This is the best orange juiceI’ve tasted. See: gudis, taps.beta (var: betara) adv. 1) better.Di smaal bwai du it beta dan dibig bwai. The small boy did itbetter than the big boy. See:guda. 2) well. If yu obay didakta, yu wahn geh beta. If youobey the doctor, you’ll get well.— v. better, ought to, should.Yu beta wach owt fi da mankaaz ih ga wahn gon. You betterwatch out for that man because hehas a gun. See: aatu, fi, hafu,shuda, sopoas.betara (var: beta) better. (Usedfor emphasis).49bichray v. betray. Wi nohwaahn bichray di wan weh helpwi di moas. We don’t want tobetray the one who helped us themost. See: dobl kraas, sel owt.bifoa adv. before. Wi aalwayzchek di weda bifoa wi goh owt.We always check the weatherbefore we go out.bifoa taim adv.phr. long ago, inthe past. Bifoa taim taksi nevadeh; wi yoostu waak. Long agowe didn’t have taxis; we used towalk. See: lang taim, walampaas mowt, woz. — adj.phr.old-time. Dis da wahn bifoataim stoari yu di tel mi. This isan old-time story you’re tellingme.big adj. big.big op v.phr. glorify, praise,recognize. Ah kaal KREMrayjo ahn big op mi ma fiMadaz Day. I called KREMradio and recognized my mom forMother’s Day. See: prayz op.[
igidip Kriol tu Inglish Bileezyanthe (political) party. See:impoatant.bigidip (var: digidip) ono. thesound of a galloping horse. Dilee bwai mi-di play haas an ihhala, “Bigidip, bigidip,bigidip.” The boy was playinghorse and hollering, “Giddyup,giddyup, giddyup.”biginin n. beginning. Wi yehr dibiginin a di ripoat bot wi nevaga taim fi yehr di en. We heardthe beginning of the report but wedidn’t have time to hear the end.See: staat.bihain adv. behind. Ah kudn sidi road sayk a di daaknis, sohAh mi-di waak rait bihain mipa. I couldn’t see the roadbecause of the darkness, so I waswalking right behind my father.See: bak a.bihayv v. behave. Di pikni dehnmi-di bihayv bad. The childrenwere behaving badly.bikaa Variant: bikaaz.bikaaz (var: bikaa, bikaazn, kaa,kaaz) conj. because. Ah nevagaahn da cherch bikaaz ihmi-di rayn. I didn’t go to churchbecause it was raining. See: weh.bikaaz a phr. because of.Bikaaz a di ting dehn weh diman du, ih en op da jayl.Because of the things that theman did, he ended up in jail. See:akonk a, sayk a.bikaazn Variant: bikaaz.bil 1 v. build. Misa Maatin bil dadoari bai ihself yu noa. Mr.Martin built that dory by himselfyou know.bil 2 n. bill. Wi noh ga nof moni fipay aal a dehn bil. We don’thave enough money to pay all ofthose bills.bilam n. small freshwater riverfish. Mexican Tetra. Wen wi gohbayd da riva, dehn lee bilamkohn pik yu fut. When we goswimming in the river, the littletetras come and bite us on ourfeet. [
iliweb Kriol tu Inglish biznizumanbiliweb n. a type of tree; thehard wood is used inconstruction and the bittertastingbark is used inremedies for coughs, fever,and diabetes. Acosmiumpanamense. See: bitaz.bilji adj. 1) dingy, grimy. Tekaaf da bilji shot ahn wash it.Take off that dirty-looking shirtand wash it. 2) stagnant (water.)Da waata bilji kaa ih mi lef owthoal nait. That water is stagnantbecause it was left out all night.bisaidn Archaic. Variant:bisaidz.bisaidz (var: bisaidn) prep.besides, furthermore. Dafnipikni dehn don bad aredi, ahnbisaidz dat, dehn noh eevn gohda skool. Daphne’s children arealready bad, and besides that,they don’t even go to school. See:moroava.biskit n. biscuit, cookie (inAm.Eng.). Goh goh bai sohnjinjasnap biskit fi mi. Go buysome gingersnap cookies for me.haad taim biskit n.phr. a hardinexpensive cookie; alsocalled ‘polborong’. Aiy gyal,Ah hongri ahn aal Ah ku bai dahaad taim biskit. Girl, I’m sohungry and all I can afford arethese hard cookies.bita adj. bitter. Ah noh laiksorosi kaaz ih oanli bita. I don’tlike cerasee because it’s verybitter.bitaz n. bitters; any of severalmedicinal herbs prepared fordrinking. Di wain mi miks wid51wahn kain a bitaz. The wine wasmixed with a kind of bitters. See:biliweb, sorosi.bitl n. a bite to eat; smallportion of food. At lees wi galee bitl fi eet dis maanin. Atleast we got a bite to eat thismorning. See: grob.bitween prep. between. Put dibaybi fi sleep bitween unu. Putthe baby to sleep between the twoof you.bizi adj. busy. Di lat a kukin miga mi bizi hoal maanin. All thecooking had me busy all morning.bizniz n. 1) business. Mi pa lefih faam ahn gaahn luk bowtada bizniz. My dad left his farmand looked into other business.2) personal affairs. Noh stodishee. Mek wee main fi wee oanbizniz. Don’t pay any attention toher. Let’s mind our own business.— v. 1) belong. Gyal, da wehyoo di du owt ya soh layt? Yubizniz eena yu bed. Girl, whatare you doing out here so late?You belong in bed. See: bilangz.2) to have a right, should. Yoobizniz fi tel yu daata wen fikohn hoahn. It’s your business totell your daughter when to comehome.biznizman n. businessman.Dehn Chaini biznizman dehnno taim chros nobadi notn; yuhafu pay kyash. The Chinesebusiness men never give credit;you have to pay cash. See:merchant.biznizuman n. businesswoman. Mai ma da reelbiznizuman; shee mek ih oan
laasam Kriol tu Inglish blakkloaz ahn sel dehn. My mom is areal businesswoman; she makesher own clothes and sells them.blaasam v. blossom, develop,flourish. Karin di blaasam eenawahn byootiful yong laydi.Karen is blossoming into abeautiful young lady. See:divelop. — n. blossom; theflowering part of a plant. Lat amango wahn deh dis yaa kaa dichree kova wid blaasam. We’llhave a lot of mangos this yearbecause the tree is covered withblossoms.blabamowt n. blabbermouth.Sohn blabamowt gaahn tel miwaif how Ah mi deh wid laydi.Some blabbermouth went andtold my wife that I was withanother woman. See: week jaa.blada n. bladder. Di lee gyal sehwen ih jrink tu moch waata, ihblada geh ful. The little girl sayswhen she drinks too much water,her bladder gets full. 2) balloon.Variant: bloda. See: baloon.blagaad Variant: blagyaad.blagyaad (var: blagaad) adj.loud, rowdy, unruly; generallydescribes such public behaviorby women. Da blagyaad gyalmek ih ma feel shaym sayk ahow ih mi-di goh aan pahnschreet. That loud girl made hermom feel ashamed because of theway she was acting on the street.See: balahu, champong nani,halari. [
lak aans Kriol tu Inglish blankitrong ahn rong di blak. We usedto ride the bike round and roundthe block.blak aans n. black ant. Dehnblak aans aalwayz waahn geteena di milk. Black ants alwayswant to get into the milk. See:krayzi aans.blak dert n. rich organic soil.Blak dert beta fi groa yuplaants. Black dirt is the best forgrowing your plants.blak dina n. chimole; soupmade with black recado andchicken. See: chimoaleh.blak kayk n. fruit cake that iscoloured black with burntsugar; traditionally made atChristmas time. Wi maaalwayz mek blak kayk, ham,ahn terki fi Krismos, ahn eenadi hows wi ga nyoo maali ahnkertn. Our mom always madefruit cake, ham and turkey forChristmas, and in the house wehad new linoleum and curtains.blak snapa black snapper; atype of fish. See: snapa.blak stik n. dominoes. Ah miwaahn kehr blak stik da diwayk, bot Ah noh noa wichpaaih deh. I wanted to takedominoes to the wake, but Ididn’t know where they were.See: feech.blak tee n. black tea; loose tea.Da maanin taim mi man laikeet janikayk wid bota, sachizahn eg, ahn jrink ih blak tee witPet milk. In the morning my manlikes to eat johnny-cake withbutter, sausage and egg, and drink53his black tea with Pet milk.blakboad n. blackboard. Diteecha iraysa evriting aaf a diblakboad bifoa wi don kapi it.The teacher erased everything offthe blackboard before we hadcopied it.blakbod n. blackbird; keeltailedgrackle. Ah yoostu laikwayk op da maanin ahn yehr diblakbod dehn di sing eena dichree bai mi winda. I used tolike to wake up in the morningand hear the blackbirds singing inthe tree by my window.blakn v. blacken, defame,slander. Noh blakn mirepyutayshan laik dat. Don’tblacken my reputation like that.See: grain, skyandalaiz.blakowt n. blackout, powerfailure. Sayk a di blakowt, wikudn du notn. Because of thepower failure, we couldn’t doanything.blaks n. chicle cuts; the crosscuts made in the trunk of thechicle tree for collecting thesap. Eena sohn paat yu ku stilfain di sapadili chree dehn widdi blaks weh di chiklayro dehnmek bak eena di day. In someplaces, you can still find thesapodilla trees with the cuts inthem that the chicle workersmade a long time ago.blankit (var: blenkit) n. blanket.Wi oanli ga wan blankit eena dihows, soh aal a di pikni dehnskwinj op anda it wen ih koal.We only have one blanket, so allof the children squeeze togetherunder it when it’s cold.
layd Kriol tu Inglish blesblayd n. blade. Main yu kot yuhan wid da blayd. Be carefulyou don’t cut your hand with thatblade.blayd op v.phr. dressed up inone’s best. Wen Jan gaahn dadi daans, ih mi blayd op tunainti-nain, wid wahn tokseedoahn wid wahn maav ban rongih ways an aal. When John wentto the dance, he was dressed inhis best clothes, with a tuxedo, amauve cummerbund andeverything. See: shaap op, slik,sproosi. [
lesid Kriol tu Inglish blodbles...aaf v.phr. tell off. Ahgaahn da di nayba an Ah blesahn aaf gud. I went to theneighbour and really told him off.See: tel aaf, chrays...aaf, kosaaf, yooz op.blesid adj. 1) blessed, fortunate.Beta noh goh da di faam pahnSondeh, weh da di blesid day adi Laad, kaa yu mait chap yufut. You’d better not go to thefarm on Sunday, the blessed dayof the Lord, because you mightchop your foot. 2) blessed;expressed as an ironical oath.Evri blesid day, di lee bwaikohn rong ahn bada mi fishilin. Every blessed day, thelittle boy comes around beggingme for a shilling.blesin n. blessing. Ah faal eenablesin; mi aanti sen honjriddalaz fi mi tudeh. I fell intoblessings; my aunt sent onehundred dollars for me today.gi...blesn v.phr. give a piece ofone’s mind. Mayri shee gi miwahn gud blesin kaa mi daaggaahn bait ih pikni. Mary gaveme a piece of her mind becausemy dog bit her child.Blis Laithows n. BlissLighthouse; lighthouse locatedat Fort George, an area ofBelize City at the northernentry to the harbour. [Themonument to Baron Bliss, aphilanthropist who donated largesums of money to Belize, issituated on this same site.]blista v. blister, chafe. Ah blistami han wen Ah mi-di hoal diroap. I blistered my hands when Iwas holding the rope. — n.blister. Ih geh sohn big blistaeena ih han sayk a weh ihgaahn chap graas wid machet.He got some big blisters on hishands because he went to chopgrass with a machete.bloa v. 1) blow. Haad breeznayli bloa dong mi hows. A hardbreeze nearly blew down myhouse. 2) expel a gust of air.Sami stay dong anda di waata fifaiv minits bifoa ih bloa. Sammystayed down under the water forfive minutes before he surfacedfor air. 3) play a brass musicalinstrument. Wen Kris bloa dasaks, ih mek ih song laik ih ditaak an aal. When Chris playsthe saxophone, he makes it soundlike it’s talking.bloa op v.phr. puff (bakingterm). Wen mi ma frai frai jak,dehn bloa op priti. When mymom fries scones, they puff upnicely.bloa shaat v.phr. gasp. Wen dibwai don ron di rays, ih mi-dibloa shaat. When the boyfinished running the race, he wasgasping.blod n. blood. Wen Ah kot mifinga, mi red red blod poar owt.When I cut my finger, my red redblood poured out.mad blod n.phr. hives,allergic reaction. Dakta sehBeti geh mad blod sayk a eetsoh moch konks. The doctor saidthat Betty got hives from eatingso much conch.poar a blod phr. anemic. WenAh mi gaahn da dakta, ih tel mi55
lod moni Kriol tu Inglish bloomAh poar a blod, kaa mi blod misoh loa. When I went to thedoctor, he told me that I’manemic because my blood islacking iron.blod moni n. blood money;money paid to a hired killer.Di man mi bai wahn pees a lanwid di blod moni weh ih getwen ih kil di man. The manbought a piece of land with theblood-money that he got fromkilling the man.bloda Archaic. (var: blada) n.balloon. Di lee gyal bloa dibloda tu big soh ih bos. Thelittle girl blew the balloon toomuch, so it burst. See: baloon.blodi v. bloody, stain withblood. Luk how yu blodi disheet, bwai. Look at how youbloodied the sheet, boy.— adj. 1) bloody; stained withblood. Wen Jan bos ih hed, ihma krai wen ih si di blodi towel.When John burst his head, hismom cried when she saw thebloody towel. 2) bloody. Vulgar.Dehn blodi pikni oanli rood kaadehn ku kos big bad wod. Thosebloody children are very rudebecause they like to use badwords. [
lowz Kriol tu Inglish boarroaz chree oanli bloom priti.The rose tree really bloomedbeautifully. See: blaasam.blowz n. blouse. Shee mi-diwayr wahn priti bloo blowzweh ga wahn loa nek ahn tinschrap. She was wearing a prettyblue blouse that had a lowneckline and thin straps.boa n. bow (knot) Di lee gyal matai wahn riban boa eena ih hed.The little girl’s mom tied a ribbonbow in her hair.pampam boa n.phr. verylarge bow for girl’s hair.boad n. board, wood. Yu si howJan wap owt di man wid wahnpees a boad? Did you see howJohn hit the man with a piece ofwood? See: plankin, plenk.— v. 1) board, enter, goaboard. Wen wi gaahn pahn dikrooz, wi boad di ship sooneena di maanin. When we wenton the cruise, we boarded the shipearly in the morning. 2) board(up) Wen harikayn di kohn,pipl yooz plaiwud fi boad opdehn winda. When hurricanesare coming, people use plywoodto board up their windows.boad aaf v.phr. confront. Sandishee kohn boad mi aaf kaadehn tel ahn Ah tel lai bowtahn. Sandy confronted mebecause they told her that I toldlies about her. See: goh aata.[Possibly
oarin Kriol tu Inglish bof teetpaint. He bored a big hole in hisshirt with the point of thescissors.boarin adj. 1) bored. Ah miboarin hoahn kaa Ah neva ganotn fi du. I was bored at homebecause I didn’t have anything todo. 2) boring. Di man speech mioanli lang ahn boarin. Theman’s speech was very long andboring.boas v. brag, boast. Maikl hihnlaik boas bowt how gud hihn kusing. Michael likes to boast abouthow well he can sing.boasi v. boast, brag. Da mankuda boasi sayk a weh ihschrang. That man could boastbecause he’s strong. — adj.boastful, showy. Yoo oanliboasi wid yu nyoo kaa. You’rereally boastful with your new car.See: bregin.boat n. boat. Bwai, ih jos baiwahn nyoo boat weh ku hoaltweni pipl. Boy, he just bought anew boat that can hold twentypeople.flat-batam boat n.phr.flatboat; used on rivers.boataan n. bay leaf tree; a typeof palm of which the frondsare used for thatching, and thetrunk is used for posts. Sabalmorrisiana. Wi mi yooz boataanfi bil wi fos hows. We used bayleaf to build our first house. See:bay leef chree.boatman n. boatman. Yu gabowt foa er faiv boatman pahndi boat. You have about four orfive boatmen on the boat.bobi n. large breast. Di laydi mifeel shaym wen ih bobi mi jompowt a ih blowz. The lady feltembarrassed when her breastjumped out of her blouse. See:bres.bobl v. bubble. Di waata mi-dibobl op eena di pat. The waterwas bubbling up in the pot.— n. bubble. Di baybi mi-dibloa boblz wid ih spit. The babywas blowing bubbles with hisspit.bod 1 Variant: berd. n. bird. Dibod dehn mi-di mek naiz eenadi chree. The birds were makingnoise in the tree.ful pat bod n.phr. chicken orturkey large enough to fill apot. Dis terki da ful pat bod; wiwahn ga lat a meet. This turkeyis large enough to fill a wholepot; we’ll have lots of meat.bod 2 n. bud. Mi ma roaz chreega wahn lat a bod. My mom’srose tree has lots of buds.bod pepa n. a small, very hotpepper that birds like to eat.Ah mi feel laik mi mowt mi dehpahn faiya wen Ah eet wan leebod pepa. My mouth felt like itwas on fire when I ate one littlebird pepper.bodayga n. storehouse; thecompany store at chiclecamps. See: stoar room. [
ofoto Kriol tu Inglish bombuckteeth just like a rabbit. See:faak teet.bofoto (var: blofoto) adj. fat,clumsy, ungainly.bog n. hard shelled bug. Yuaalwayz si bog di flai rong lamppoas. You always see bugs flyingaround lamp posts. — v. annoy,bug, bother. Ai, dehn pikni bogmi hoal day! Ay, those childrenbugged me all day! See: anai,bada, hasl.bok 1 v. 1) confront, defy, resist.Da man get eena chrobl kaa ihbok di polees. That man got introuble because he defied thepolice. See: boad aaf, goh aata.2) run into the end ofsomething; go as far aspossible. Goh dong da schreettil yu bok, ahn yu wahn si wahnyala hows. Go down that streetuntil it ends, and you’ll see ayellow house. 3) butt. Main dakow bok yu, yu noa. Be carefulor that cow will butt you.4) become difficult or rougheconomically. Ting di bok sinsAh laas mi jab. Things are roughsince I lost my job. See: jred,pilinki. 5) stub, stump. Ah bokmi toa pahn da big rak. Istubbed my toe on that big rock.bok op v.phr. 1) meet,encounter, run into. Ah bok opmi eks owt a schreet yestudeh! Iran into my ex-husband on thestreet yesterday! 2) buckledown, apply oneself. Yu betabok op eena skool er yu wahnfayl. You had better buckle downin school or you’ll fail.59bokay n. bouquet. Wen di braidchroa ih bokay, Roazi kech it.When the bride threw herbouquet, Rosy caught it.bokit n. 1) bucket, pail. Kehr dibokit da di fasit fi goh ful. Carrythe bucket to the faucet to befilled. 2) dilapidated vehicle,jalopy. Slang. Da kaa da dedbokit. That car is nothing but awreck. See: pemperem.bokl v. buckle. Di bwai put aanwahn shot ahn pants an ih boklop ih pants. The boy put on ashirt and pants and buckled up hispants. — n. buckle. Mi ma wapmi eena mi bak wid di belt bokl.My mom knocked me in the backwith the belt buckle.bokotora n. a kind of riverturtle. Bokotora moov sloapahn lan, bot eena waata ih kumoov faas. Turtles move slow onland, but in water they can movefast. See: tertl.boleedo n. type of lottery game.Haabat bai boleedo evri nait anih nomba noh play. Herbertbought boledo tickets every nightbut his number never played. See:lachri, lato. [
om Kriol tu Inglish bonglwid wahn stoan kaa Ah mi beetop ih lee breda. The boy threw astone at me because I beat up hislittle brother.bom hat phr. words used toinstigate a fight. Aii di bomhat! Nak owt di bom ahn tochdi man. Ay the bomb is hot!Knock out the bomb and touchthe man.bom 2 v. bum, beg. Ih noh waahnwerk; aal hihn du da bom monifahn pipl. He doesn’t want towork; all he does is bum moneyfrom people. See: bayg.bombali n. good friend. Aiwahn sopoat ahn kaaz mee ahnshee da bombali. I’ll support herbecause she and I are goodfriends. See: bali, fren, too-faiv.bomp n. 1) bump. Weh Benigaan oava di bomp soh faas, ihmek wi lik wi hed pahn di kaatap. Because Benny went overthe bump so fast, he made usknock our heads on the car top.2) pimple. Janet neva waahngoh da di paati kaa wahn bigbomp mi deh pan ih farid. Janetdidn’t want to go to the partybecause she had a big pimple onher forehead.bompi adj. 1) bumpy. Ih haad fijraiv pahn da schreet weh ihsoh bompi. It’s hard to drive onthat street because it’s so bumpy.2) pimply. See: pekeh yekeh.bon 1 v. 1) burn. Di big faiyami-di bon dong di hows. The bigfire was burning down the house.2) hurt; refers to internalfeelings. Ih bon mi fi noa datmi bwaifren mi deh wid wahnneks gyal. It hurt me to know thatmy boyfriend was with anothergirl. See: hat, hert.— n. burn. Ah geh wahn badbon fahn hat fat wen Ah mi-difrai chikin. I got a bad burn fromhot oil when I was fryingchicken.bon 2 n. a sweet bread or bunmade with spices and raisins,and often baked in a loaf. MisMayri mek bred ahn bon fi selevri week. Miss Mary makesbread and buns to sell everyweek. See: bayka bon, Kriolbon.bonch n. bunch. Di man pikwahn bonch a flowaz fi ihgyalfren. The man picked abunch of flowers for hisgirlfriend.bondiga n. meatball; groundbeef with egg and rice mixedin.bondl Variant: bongl. n. bundle.bong v. bound, destined. Dabwai mi bong fi goh da jayl kaaih bad fahn ih leel. That boy wasbound to go to jail because sincehe was little, he was bad.bonga n. the cape-shapedcovering of the flowering partof the cabbage palm.bongjri n. boundary. Di bongjrifi fi wee lan deh rait bai dapoas. The boundary for our landis right by that post.bongl (var: bondl) n. bundle. Ahga wahn big bongl a kloaz figoh wash. I have a big bundle ofclothes to wash.bongl op v.phr. bunch up. Ih60
onin Kriol tu Inglish botaflaisiknin wen yu slip bongl opanda yu jres. It’s annoying whenyour slip bunches up under yourdress.bonin adj. hurtful, burning. Mima tel mi sohn bonin werdz.My mom told me some hurtfulwords. See: hatful.bonk v. bunk (bed) Aal a wiwahn hafu bonk it pahn di floa.All of us will have to sleep on thefloor. — n. bunk. Wen wi mismaal, aal a wi mi hafu sleeppahn bonk fi sayv spays. Whenwe were small, all of us had tosleep on bunks to save space.See: bed.bonks v. 1) bounce. Stap bonksda baal eena di hows. Stopbouncing that ball in the house.2) strut, swagger; a style ofwalking done by young men.See: basiflap, step.boobi bod n. booby bird; gulllikeseabirds. Sula dactylatra,Sula leucogaster, Sula sula.boom ahn shain n. boom andchime, the traditional Creoleband. Boom ahn shain wahn diplay brokdong da di Krismosbram. The boom and chime bandwill be playing traditional musicat the Christmas party.boot 1 n. booth. Da di fyaa wiwahn sel dina da fi wi boot. Atthe fair we’ll sell dinner at ourbooth.boots 2 n. boot. (Both sg. & pl.)Ah laas wahn fut a boots eenadi mod. I lost one of my boots inthe mud.boots v. boost. Aal a wi kohn fiboots op di teem. All of us cameto boost the team. [‘Boost’becomes ‘boots’ by metathesis]boreeto n. burrito; cheese, meatand cabbage sauce rolledinside of a flour tortilla. [
otasi Kriol tu Inglish braadkyaashold a butterfly’s wing, youshouldn’t rub your eye or you’llget blind.botasi n. catfish. (botaSI) Mamafrai too botasi fi tee. Mama friedtwo catfish for supper. See:kyato. [
aad-wan Kriol tu Inglish branI’m pregnant.braad-wan adv. 1) openly. Dijronkin man tek aaf ih kloazbraad-wan pahn schreet. Thedrunk man took off all of hisclothes openly on the street.2) frankly. Di laydi tel mibraad-wan dat ih noh laik mishot. The lady told me franklythat she doesn’t like my shirt.braal n. brawl. Big braal brokowt eena di klob. A big brawlbroke out in the club.braata n. extra; bonus given toa buyer to encourage futuresales. Di shap oana gi mi toosweet fi braata. The shop ownergave me two candies extra. [
aps Kriol tu Inglish bred kainbraps (var: baps) int.immediately, right away. Di leegyal mek wahn sodn moov,braps, ahn get weh fahn diman. The little girl made asudden move, and right away shegot away from the man.braseeya n. brassiere. If yu nohwayr braseeya, yu titi wahn gehhengi. If you don’t wear abrassiere your breasts will sag.brayd dong v.phr. slick downone’s hair. Mi onkl mi ga ihhed wel brayd dong wid greesahn waata. My uncle had his hairslicked down with grease andwater.brayk n. break; a pause in one’swork or intermission in aprogramme. Mek wi tek wahnkwaiyat lee brayk wee wan.Let’s take a little break just forthe two of us. See: breez owt.brayks v. brake. (Both sg. & pl.)If Ah neva brayks, Ah mi wahnnak dong di man. If I hadn’tbraked, I would have knocked theman down. — n. brake. Mi pahori mash di brayks fi noh nakdi lee bwai. My dad quickly hitthe brakes to keep from hittingthe little boy.braynz n. brain. (Both sg. & pl.)Wai yoo du sohnting schupidlaik dat? Fi yoo braynz leek owter sohnting? Why did you dosomething stupid like that? Didyour brains leak out orsomething?braynzi adj. artful; clever,crafty, cunning. Yu hafu wachBerti, yu noa, kaa ih oanlibraynzi an ih uda chrai put64eniting oava yu. You have towatch Bert, you know, becausehe’s really shrewd and he’ll try toput one over on you. See: aatful.brays v. brace; strengthen ormake firm with a support.Gyal, yu beta brays yuself fi diwers. Girl, you had better braceyourself for the worst. — n.brace; device used for support.Di bwai mi-di wayr wahn brayspan ih bak. The boy was wearinga brace on his back.braysiz n. 1) braces,suspenders. Jaymzi hafu yoozbraysiz fi hoal op ih pans.Jamsie had to use suspenders tohold up his pants. 2) dentalbraces. Di dentis mi hafu putbraysiz pahn Jeni teet. Thedentist had to put braces onJenny’s teeth.brayv adj. brave, courageous.Da preecha mi brayv fi gohpreech tu dehn gang banga.That preacher was brave to gopreach to those gang bangers.bred n. 1) bread. Wi gaahn damaakit fi bai bred ahn fish. Wewent to the market to buy breadand fish. See: bayka bred, kaanbred, kasaava bred, Kriol bon,Kriol bred, pak bred, powdabon. 2) vagina. See: koako.bred bak n. crust, heel (ofbread). Enitaim mai ma eetbayka bred, ih peel aaf di bredbak. Whenever my mother eatspackaged bread, she peels off thecrust.bred kain n. ground food;includes coco, dasheen, yams,yampa, sweet potato. See:
eda Kriol tu Inglish breezgrong bikl, grong food.breda n. brother. (Both sg. &pl.) See: brada, bredrin.ful breda n.phr. brother withsame mother and father. Meeahn hihn da ful breda, sayhnma, sayhn pa. He and I are fullbrothers, with the same motherand the same father.breda-ahn-lee Variant:braa-ahn-lee.bredfroot n. breadfruit; a tree,the fruit of which is large andround, and has an ediblestarchy pulp which can beboiled, fried or baked.Artocarpus communis. Bredfroottays naisa wid beef dan widchikin. Breadfruit tastes betterwith beef than with chicken.[This plant was brought fromTahiti to the Caribbean in 1793 asa cheap food source for slaves. Itwas thought to be responsible forthe infamous mutiny on the‘Bounty’.]bredrin n. brethren; malemembers of the same faith orgroup (but sometimes femalesare included in this title too).Di Rasta dehn kaal wan anadabredrin. The Rastas call eachother brethren. See: brada,breda.Bredz n. Brother. (vocative form)breed 1 v. breathe. Mi hozbanhog mi op soh tait dat Ah kudami haadli breed. My husbandhugged me so tightly that I couldhardly breathe.breed 2 v. impregnate. Da bwaibreed ih gyalfren evri yaa. Thatboy gets his girlfriend pregnantevery year. See: beli aaf, faal,jak op, pregnant.breef n. briefs; fittedunderpants for males. Yu nevayoostu kech yong bwai di yoozlang andapants; dehn oanli dozyooz loan breef. You never usedto catch young boys using boxers;they only used to wear briefs.See: andapants, jraaz.breez n. strong wind. Di breezstap ahn evriting geh kyaamkyaam. The strong wind stoppedand everything got very calm.See: win.— v. fan, winnow. Wen Ah miyong, Ah mi hafu breez di rais.When I was young, I had towinnow the rice. See: fan.breez aaf v.phr. relax. Wimi-di breez aaf afta wi donwerk. We were relaxing after wefinished working. See: krak bak,rilaks.breez bloa Idiomatic phr. not aword, absolutely nothing. Ahnoh hyaa breez bloa bowtSheela sins ih gaahn da Stayts.I haven’t heard anything aboutShiela since she went to theStates. See: notn.breez owt v.phr. air out. Putyu shot fi breez owt kaa ih oanlisweti. Air out your shirt becauseit’s very sweaty. See: ayr owt.— n. a break from work;usually done in a vehicle. Wigaahn fi wahn lee breez owteena di kaa, kaa eena di howsfeel hat. We went for a littlebreak in the car because it’s hotin the house. See: brayk.65
egin Kriol tu Inglish brokbregin adj. boastful, showy. Diman reeyalaiz seh sayk abregin, ih oan big mowt kechahn. The man realized thatbecause of his boastful ways, hisown big mouth caught him. See:boasi.bregin tuba n.phr. braggart,showoff. Yu kom een ya laikdehn bregin tuba. You come inhere like those showoffs.[
okdong Kriol tu Inglish brooz blodSee: frakcha. 2) break; fail tofollow terms of the law or ofan agreement. If yu goh hed dibrok di laa, yu wahn en op eenajayl. If you continue to break thelaw, you’ll end up in jail. — adj.having little or no money. Ahbrok, soh noh aks mi fi nomoni. I’m broke, so don’t ask mefor any money.brok dong v.phr. break down.Wi kaa brok dong midl a tong.Our car broke down in the middleof town.brok ih nek Idiomatic phr.marry, wed. (Literally: ‘brokehis neck’) Ih brok ih nek laasnait, soh aal dehn gyal hafu lefahn loan now. He got marriedlast night, so all the girls have toleave him alone now. See:marid.brok op v.phr. break severely,destroy, smash. Mi sista brokop di miro tu peesiz. My sisterbroke the mirror to pieces. See:dischrai, kandem.— adv. aching. Flooz lef mi difeel brok op. The flu left meaching all over. See: payni op.brok owt v.phr. 1) break out,escape. Too prizna brok owt ajayl yestudeh. Two prisonersbroke out of jail yesterday. See:bos, eskayp. 2) break out; beaffected by skin condition.Soar brok owt aal oava di yongbwai badi. Sores broke out allover the young boy’s body. See:bos.brok weh v.phr. break away,break loose, run away. Az diteef si di polees, ih brok weh. Asthe thief saw the police, he ran67away See: pul fut, tek fut.brokdong n. traditional style ofCreole music usually played atChristmas. Misa Peetaz mi-diplay loan brokdong da di paati.Mr. Peters was playing onlytraditional music at the party.See: buru.brok-op n. pieces or scraps ofmeat pie that didn’t come outwhole. Goh bai dala brok-opda di meet pai shap. Go buyscraps at the meat pie shop.brong v. brown. Ah laik yoozshuga fi brong di meet. I like touse sugar to brown the meat.— adj. brown. Wen Ah mekjanikayk, Ah bayk it til ihbrong brong. When I makejohnny-cakes, I bake them untilthey’re dark brown.broom broom. See: shootibroom.broot n. brute. Fi shee hozbanda wahn reel broot, ih aalwayzdi rof ahn op. Her husband is areal brute, he always roughs herup. See: bees.brooz v. bruise. Ah brooz mi toawen Ah nak it gens di taybl fut.I bruised my toe when I knockedit against the table foot. — n.bruise. Wen mi breda wap miwid wahn stik, ih gi mi wahnbig brooz. When my brother hitme with a stick, he gave me a bigbruise.brooz blod n. blood blister;blood trapped under the nail orskin because of an injury. Ahnak mi finga wid di hama an ihgi mi brooz blood. I knocked my
osh Kriol tu Inglish bulitfinger with the hammer and I gotblood trapped under my nails.brosh v. brush. Gyal, goh broshyu hyaa kaa ih luk fegi. Girl, gobrush your hair because it looksfrayed. — n. brush. Da broshhert mi skol kaa ih tu stif. Thatbrush hurts my scalp because it’stoo stiff.bruku n. a cake that didn’t turnout well; a simple cake throwntogether. (bruKU) Jayn sheekyaahn eevn mek kayk gud; ihoanli ku mek bruku. Jane can’teven bake a good cake; they arealways a failure. See: kayk.bubu 1 n. dry nasal mucus. Di leegyal mi-di dig bubu owt a ihnoaz. The little girl was pickingher nose. See: koal, noaz naat.[
ulit chree Kriol tu Inglish bush rabitthat killed the man.bulit chree n. 1) balata; a talltree; the hard wood of whichis used for building materials.[Perhaps the hardness of thewood suggests that it would resistbullets] 2) Bullet Tree; a villagein Cayo District.bumbai adv. until later. (Oftensaid in connection withborrowing something.) Sayv itfu bumbai. Save it for later.[
ush rat Kriol tu Inglish chaakare smaller.bush rat n. gibnut; a species ofrodent. Cuniculus paca. See:givnat.bush tee n. herbal drink oftendrunk for medicinal purposes.Mai pa reda jrink bush tee dandehn wan weh yu bai da shap.My father prefers an herbal drinkrather than the tea sold in shops.bushi n. hick, yokel,unsophisticated person; ruralperson unfamiliar with urbansocial customs. Di lee gyal dareel bushi; ih noh eevn noh howfi yooz di soorij. That little girl isreally unsophisticated; shedoesn’t even know how to useindoor plumbing.bwai n. 1) boy. Ah ga faiv pikni,too bwai ahn chree gyal. I havefive children, two boys and threegirls. 2) boy; term of addressused for boys as well as men.Wat, yu jres op doh, bwai! Boy,you are all dressed up! — int.boy; exclamation of surpriseor disbelief. Bwai! Ah mi tinkyoo mi ga moa sens dan dat.Boy! I thought you had moresense than that.bwaifren n. boyfriend. Di gyalnainteen, bot ih noh ga nobwaifren. The girl is nineteen,but she doesn’t have a boyfriend.bwaizi adj. boy crazy. Gyal, yutu bwaizi. Girl, you’re too boycrazy.byaa 1 n. beer. Di bwai an ih palaik jrink byaa tugeda. The boyand his dad like to drink beertogether.byaa 2 n. bear. Di byaa klaim dichree sayk a di honi. The bearclimbed the tree because of thehoney.byaad (var: bayd) n. beard. Dikmek ih byaad groa lang lang.Dick let his beard grow verylong.byaafut Variant: bayrfut.byaali Variant: bayli.byooro n. bureau, chest. Juditga lat a lipstik pan ih byooro.Judith has lots of tubes of lipstickon her bureau.byootiful adj. beautiful. Ah siwahn byootiful pees a lan opbai Kaiyo. I saw a beautiful pieceof land up by Cayo.C - cchaa v. chew vigorously. Stapdi chaa laik chingom gaan owta stail. Stop chewing likechewing gum has gone out ofstyle. See: choo op.chaaj v. charge. Di man da distoar chaaj mi wahn lat a moni.The man in the store charged melots of money. — n. charge.Wich chaaj dehn bring gens yuwen yu nak dong di man? Whatcharge did they bring against youwhen you knocked the mandown? See: akyoozayshan.chaak n. chalk. Di lee bwai raitop pahn di waal wid chaak. The70
chaaklit Kriol tu Inglish chaisboy scrawled all over the wallwith chalk.chaaklit n. chocolate. Dehn mekdi baybi eet tu moch chaaklit;dats wai ih soh fat. The let thebaby eat too much chocolate;that’s why he’s so fat. — adj. Ahmi laik di chaaklit aiskreemweh yu mi gi mi. I liked thechocolate ice cream you gave me.chaakoal n. charcoal. Bwai, gohgeh sohn chaakoal mek wi dusohn baabikyoo. Boy, go getsome charcoal so we can do somebarbecue.chaali prais n. charley price; alarge rat; possibly Norwegianrat. Wi hafu set wahn chrap fikech da big chaali prais. Wehave to set a trap to catch that bigrat. See: rat. [Named for SirCharles Price, a Jamaican planter,who may have introduced the ratinto the Jamaican cane fields.]chaans n. 1) chance,opportunity. Di lee gyal laas ihchaans fi goh da kalij wen ihneva geh di skalaship. The girllost her chance to go to collegewhen she didn’t get thescholarship. See: apachooniti.2) chance, risk. Di soalja dehnmi-di tek chaans wid dehn laifeena di waar. The soldiers tookrisks with their lives in the war.— v. 1) take the chance or risk.Ah waahn goh owt, bot ih luklaik ih wahn rayn. Ah wanda ifAh shuda chaans it. I want to goout, but it looks like it’s going torain. I wonder if I should chanceit. 2) throw. Mi pa mi soh beksdat ih chaans mi wid wahnpaint batl. My dad was so angrythat he threw a pint bottle at me.See: belt, faiya, fling, stoan.3) take unfair advantage of(usually followed by ‘op’) Dabig bwai aalwayz di chaans opdi lee pikni dehn. That big boyalways takes advantage of thelittle children.tek chaans aaf v.phr. takeunfair advantage of. Unu bigbwai laik tek chaans aaf a di leebwai. You big boys like to takeadvantage of the little boy. See:du op, tek advantij, tek een.chaansi adj. bullying. Chaali tuchaansi; jos kaa ih biga dahnmee, ih tek weh mi baik. Charlieis too much of a trouble-maker;just because he’s bigger than I, hetook away my bike.chaaya n. spinach-like leafvegetable. Mi ma aalwayz kukop chaaya lang wid di meet. Mymom always cooked chaayaalong with the meat.chail n. child. (pl. chilren) Didakta tel dehn fi gi di chailsohnting fi eet. The doctor toldthem to give the child somethingto eat. See: pikni.Chaini n. Chinese, or anyone ofAsian descent. Lat a Chaini livda Bileez. Many Chinese live inBelize.chaini root n. Chinese root; aroot used in making tea. Yukyaahn geh yong pipl tideh fijrink chaini root tee. You can’tget young people today to drinkChinese root tea.chais n. choice. Da fi yoo chais71
chak op Kriol tu Inglish chayloweda yu waahn stay da konchrier kohn da siti. It’s your choicewhether you want to stay in thecountry or come to the city.chak op v. block. Mi pa chak opdi chrok weel wid wahn bigstoan fi mek ih noh ron dong dihil. My father blocked the wheelsof the truck to keep it fromrolling down the hill.chalinj (var: chanilz) v.challenge. Tinait Ah wahnchalinj mi fren dehn pahn dibaaskitbaal koat. Tonight I’mgoing to challenge my friends onthe basketball court.champong nani n. bossy,quarrelsome woman.Gerchrood da wahn regyulachampong nani; shee baas op diaali mowt. Gertrude is a realbossy woman; she bosses thewhole alley. See: halari,blagyaad, balahu. [
chayn Kriol tu Inglish cheetchayn n. chain. Di teef pap aafdi chayn fahn rong di laydi nekahn rong. The man tore the chainoff the lady’s neck and ran away.chayni adj. china, breakabledinnerware. Oanli wenKrismos mi ma tek owt dichayni playt dehn. Only atChristmas time would my momget out the china plates.chayni moni n.phr. playmoney made out of brokenchina. Wi mi glad wen mi maplayt brok, kaa wi ku yooz ahnfi chayni moni. We were gladwhen my mother’s plate brokebecause we could use it for playmoney.chaynj v. change; to put a thingin place of something else. Ahhafu chaynj mi kloaz bifoa Ahgoh. I have to change my clothesbefore I go. — n. change; coinsor bills given in exchange formoney of a largerdenomination. Ah uda gi yu yumoni, bot Ah noh ga no chaynj.I’d give you your money, but Idon’t have any change. See:oava-chaynj.ahn chaynj n.phr. price plussmall change. Ah pay bowt faivdalaz ahn chaynj fi di buk. Ipaid five something for the book.chaynj mowt v.phr. changeone’s story. Lesta hihn horichaynj ih mowt wen ih si Ah mikech ahn eena lai. Lester quicklychanged his story when he sawthat I had caught him in a lie.chaynji v. exchange, trade.Chaynji mi yu wach fi disshaydz, noh? Trade me yourwatch for these shades, okay?chayr chair. (var: chyaa)chays v. chase. Di big bwaichays di lee bwai dong dischreet. The big boy chased thelittle boy down the street. See:ron, wail. — n. chase, pursuit.Wi laik goh teez Mis Mayridaag kaa ih gi wi hat chays. Welike to tease Miss Mary’s dogbecause he gives us hot pursuit.cheef n. chief. Weh yu waahnAh du neks, cheef? What do youwant me to do next, chief? See:baas, hedman, hefeh.cheekleh n. chewing gum. Wenteecha kech yu di choo cheekleheena klaas, ih mek yu stik itpahn yu noaz. When the teachercaught you chewing gum in class,she’d make you stick it on yournose. See: chingom.raa cheekleh n.phr. boiled sapfrom the sapodilla tree, used inmaking chewing gum. Dehndoz ship owt raa cheekleh tudehn ada konchri fi mekchingom owt a. They used toship the raw chicle to othercountries to make chewing gum.cheep adj. 1) cheap;inexpensive. Da Chaini gacheep cheep shooz fi sel. ThatChinese man has very cheapshoes for sale. 2) miserly. Meenoh waahn goh pahn dayt widhihn kaa ih tu cheep. I don’twant to go on a date with himbecause he’s too cheap. See:geechi, meen, stinji.cheet v. cheat, swindle.Sohntaim di pikni dehn waahn73
cheeta Kriol tu Inglish chikin pakscheet pahn di egzam dehn.Sometimes the children want tocheat on the exams. See: wotlis.cheet pahn v.phr. beunfaithful to one’s mate. See:too-taim.cheeta adj. apt to cheat. Ah nohlaik play gaym wid Delaani kaashee tu cheeta. I don’t like toplay games with Delanni becauseshe’s always cheating.cheezi adj. cheesy, inferior,poor quality. Yu pay soh mochmoni fi da cheezi jres? You paidso much for that cheesy dress?chek v. Slang. (Older people use‘chek owt’.) 1) check on, checkout. Wi pa sen wi fi chek pahndi nyoo hows. Our father sent usto check on the new house.2) like, agree with. Ah nohchek fi fi shee wayz. I don’t likeher ways. See: kay/kyaa fi, laik.chektaiz v. chastise, reprimand,scold. Mis Mayri mi haftuchektaiz ih daata kaa ih mibak-chat ahn. Miss Mary had toscold her daughter because shehad sassed her. See: lekcha, raylop, skoal.chemba n. chamber pot. Wineva ga no soorij soh wi mihaftu yooz chemba. We didn’thave an indoor toilet, so we hadto use chamber pots. See: chimi,poa pat.cherch (var: choch) n. church.Modern. Az wi get op tu dicherch, wi si wahn braid ahngroom deh. As we got to thechurch, we saw a bride andgroom there.74chereep n. Archaic. good luck,stroke of luck.cheriz n. cherry; usually refersto the imported cherry fruit,but there is also a smalltropical cherry which isknown in rural areas. (Both sg.& pl.) Di oanli taim wi eetcheriz da eena blak kayk. Theonly time we eat cherries is inblack cake.ches n. chest. (This may bereferred to as ‘stomok’, especiallyin males.) Dehn madaz laiksleep wid dehn nyoo baybi pahndehn ches. Mothers like to sleepwith their new babies on theirchests.chest a jraa n. chest ofdrawers; a cabinet withdrawers for holding clothes.Wi need wahn chest a jraa fiput di pikni kloaz eena. Weneed a chest of drawers to put thechildren’s clothes in.chiga n. chigger. Yu kyaahn kipstil jos laik yu ga chiga eena yu.You can’t keep still as if youhave chiggers.chikin n. chicken. Bileez pipl lovchikin soh moch, Ah noh noahow dehn noh staat tu groafeda yet. Belizeans love chickenso much that I don’t know whythey haven’t started sproutingfeathers. See: fowl.chikin paks n. chicken pox.Pipl seh dat wan a di loakalkyoar fi chikin paks da fi bail digreen kaan waata ahn jrinkahn. People say that one of thelocal cures for chicken pox is toboil the water from corn greens
chiklayro Kriol tu Inglish chochi chochiand drink it.chiklayro n. one who works inchicle. Ah ku memba di dayzwen di chiklayro dehn dozbring di wad a cheekleh da fiwee vilij. I can remember thedays when the chicle workersused to bring the wad of chicle toour village.chilren n. children. (sg. chail)Wahn lat a chilren goh da daskool. Many children go to thatschool. See: pikni.chimi n. chamber pot. See:chemba, poa pat.chimoaleh n. chimole; soupmade with black recado andchicken. Mi hozban laik wenAh mek chimoaleh wid lat apepa. My husband likes it when Imake chimole with lots of pepper.See: blak dina.chinchi (var: chini) adj. tiny,very small or short. Di bwai michinchi wen ih mi baan. Theboy was very small when he wasborn. See: kungku, lee, smaal.chingom n. chewing gum.Teecha no taim mek wi choochingom eena klaas. The teachernever lets us chew gum in class.See: cheekleh.chini Variant: chinchi.chip v. break the shell off of acoconut with a machete. Jan,kohn chip dis kuknat mek Ahmek janikayk. John, come breakthe shell on this coconut so I canmake johnny-cake.chis n. chest; box with lid usedfor storing things. Laik how Ahneva did marid, Ah disaid fi75yooz di ting dehn owt a mi hoapchis. Since I didn’t get married, Idecided to use the things in myhope chest.chizl v. cut or shape with achisel. Mi pa neva ga no jril,soh ih mi hafu chizl owt di hoaleena di siment waal wid wahnchizl ahn wahn hama. My fatherdidn’t have a drill, so he had tochisel out a hole in the cementwall with a chisel and hammer.cho int. exclamation ofannoyance, disgust, orimpatience. Cho! Mee noh laikda bwai ataal! No way! I don’tlike that boy at all! [
chok Kriol tu Inglish chraiyalzshe’s too religious.chok v. throw down carelessly.Luk how yu chok mi bag eenadi kaana. Look yow you threwmy bag down in the corner. See:chroa, dash, fling, hib, pich.chok weh v.phr. chuck, throwaway, fling, toss. Chok weh dioal baik kaa ih wahn neva gudagen. Throw away the old bikebecause it’ll never be any goodanymore. See: chro weh, fling,hib, pich weh.choo v. chew. Evri minit dehn siyoo di choo. Yoo eva stap eet?They always see you chewing.Do you ever stop eating?choo op v.phr. chewvigorously. Luk how dis daagga mi slipaz choo op choo op.Look how this dog has myslippers all chewed up. See: chaa.choob n. tube. Nowadayz dehnga wahn choob weh yu ku gohdong di riva eena. Nowadaysthey have a tube that you can godown the river in.chooma n. tumour. Dakta sehhow Henjri ga wahn bigchooma eena ih stomok. Thedoctor says that Henry has a bigtumour in his stomach.choon v. tune, adjust a musicalinstrument or car. Dis oalgitaar waahn choon op. This oldguitar needs to be tuned up.— n. tune. Ah noh noa di choona da sang. I don’t know the tuneto that song.choops n. a light audible kiss.Ih gi mi wahn lee choops raitpahn mi mowt. He gave me alittle kiss right on my mouth. See:kis. — v. make a kissing soundthrough the teeth to showdisapproval. See: sok teet.Choozdeh n. Tuesday.Choozdeh da di day wen yu kugeh di bes froots fahn dimaakit. Tuesday is the day thatyou can get the best fruit from themarket.chraala n. trawler, deep seanet-fishing boat.chraans n. trance. Di man migaan eena wahn chraans wen ihmi-di pray an ih si wahnvizhan. The man went into atrance when he was praying, andhe saw a vision.chrafik n. traffic. Evri daychrafik tik rong faiv aklak.Every day traffic is thick aroundfive o’clock.chrai v. try. Di man chrai aalkain a way fi get eena di hows.The man tried all kinds of waysto get into the house.chraib n. tribe. Deez dayzevribadi di chrai fain owt wichchraib dehn kohn fram. Thesedays everybody is trying to findout which tribe they come from.chraifl n. a cake-like dessertmade with coconut. Mi ma senmi fi bai kuknat fi mek chraifl.My mom sent me to buy coconutto make trifle.chraiyal n. trial. Rabat chraiyallaas ten dayz, den dehn fainahn gilti. Robert’s trial lasted forten days, and then they found himguilty.chraiyalz n. trials; troubles,76
chraiyantiloap Kriol tu Inglish chravlhard times. Marta gaahn chroolat a chraiyalz eena fi shee laif.Martha went through lots of trialsin her life. See: chroblz,prablemz.chraiyantiloap n. tarantula.Wahn big blak chraiyantiloapstin di baybi. A big blacktarantula stung the baby.chrak n. track, path. Yoo fi helpyu pikni dehn fi geh bak pahndi rait chrak. You must helpyour children get back on theright track.chrak dong v.phr. track down,pursue. Roaz loan chrak dongih hozban sins hihn geh selfoan. Rose can really track downher husband since he got a cellphone.chrakta n. tractor. Wan a dehnbig chrakta mi jreg dong dilaydi lee boad hows. One ofthose big tractors dragged downthe lady’s little wooden house.chranslayt v. translate. Di KriolProjek di chranslayt di Baiblintu Kriol. The Kriol Project istranslating the Bible into Kriol.chranspoat n. transportation.Wi noh ga no chranspoat fi gethoahn. We don’t havetransportation for getting home.chrap v. trap. Di lee pus gehchrap op eena di chree. Thelittle cat got trapped up in thetree. See: pik...mowt.— n. trap. Mi pa set chrap aaloava di hows kaa wi ga lat arat. My dad set traps all over thehouse because we have lots ofrats.chrapoalin n. tarpaulin. Dipikni dehn eena di chrok bakhaal di chrapoalin oava dehnhed mek di rayn noh wet dehn.The children in the truck bedhauled the tarpaulin over theirheads to keep the rain fromgetting them wet.chrash 1 n. 1) garbage, trash. Ahkyaahn tek ahn wen pipl chroadehn chrash aal oava di plays. Ican’t take it when people throwtheir trash all over the place. See:dert, gyaabij. 2) sugar cane orcoconut residue after theliquid has been extracted.Coconut residue is discardedor fed to livestock. Sugar caneresidue is used to makefertilizer. See: bagash.chrash op v.phr. litter. Stap dichrash op di konchri. Stoplittering up the country. See: dotiop.chrash 2 thrush; a fungal diseasecausing scum to form in aninfant’s mouth. Di baybi kechchrash sayk a weh ih ma yoozloan doti baba. The baby caughtthrush because his mother uses somany dirty baby bottles.chrat v. jog, trot. Mi hozban gohchrat too mailz evri day. Myhusband jogs two miles everyday.chravl 1 v. travel. Da man an ihwaif chravl aal oava di werl.That man and his wife traveled allover the world.chravl 2 v. euphemism for beingon one’s death bed. Wi mi noadi sik oal man mi-di chravl kaaih staat tu kaal roal. We knew77
chravl wid... Kriol tu Inglish chrespasthat the sick old man was dyingbecause he started to call thenames of his loved ones. See: dehpahn daiyin.chravl wid... (var: chrobl wid...)phr. be troubled with, sufferfrom; have a recurring medicalproblem. Da lee bwai chravlwid fits fahn ih leel. That boyhas been troubled with epilepsysince he was small.chrayd n. trade, profession. Ahsen di pikni dehn fi laan wahnchrayd. I sent the children tolearn a trade.chrayl v. trail, follow, pursue.Da man chrayl di gyal til ih gethoahn. That man trailed the girluntil she got home. See: daag,fala, staak.chrayn v. train. Yu hafu chraynop di pikni gud fi mek it eenalaif. You have to train a childwell so he can make it in life.chraynin n. training. Da leebwai noh ga no kain a hoamchraynin. That little boy was notat all well brought up.chrayps v. traipse, walk. Wihafu chrayps goh weh kraasyaanda fi geh waata. We have towalk way over yonder to getwater. See: waak.chrays...aaf v. abuse verbally,berate, rebuke harshly, tell off.Ih kohn way da mi hows kohnchrays mi aaf. She came all theway to my house to tell me off.See: bles...aaf, kos aaf, tel aaf,yooz op. [Perhaps this reflectsthe ‘tracing’ of another’s lineageor past in a derogatory way.]chrayta n. traitor. Yu chraytayu! Yu gaahn bak gaahn telMayri evriting weh Ah tel yu.You traitor! You went back andtold Mary everything that I toldyou.chred 1 n. thread. Di chred wehdi laydi soa di jres wid mi oanliratn. The thread that the ladysewed the dress with was reallyrotten.chred 2 v. tread, mate, breed;generally refers to poultry. Diroosta chred di hen. The roosterbred with the hen.chree 1 n. tree. Mi pa plaantwahn lat a chree eena di yaad.My father planted lots of trees inthe yard.chree 2 num. three. Ih rayn fichree dayz laas week. It rainedfor three days last week.chree a laif n. plant with greenleaves with black edges; usedfor making a cough medicine.Kalanchoe pinnatachreet v. treat. Dadi chreet wi tuaiskreem laas nait. Daddytreated us to ice cream last night.— n. treat. Ah gaahn da hyaajresa ahn gi miself wahn chreet.I went to the hairdresser and gavemyself a treat.chreetment n. treatment. Ahhoap ih noh ekspek no speshalchreetment jos bikaa ih da dimyaa son. I hope he doesn’texpect any special treatment justbecause he’s the mayor’s son.chreja Variant: chrezha.chrespas v. trespass. Noh gohchrespas pahn di man lan.78
chretn Kriol tu Inglish chroaDon’t trespass on the man’s land.chretn v. threaten. Daaleenbwaifren kohn kohn chretn miwid wahn naif. Darlene’sboyfriend came and threatenedme with a knife.chrezha (var: chreja) v. treasure.Ah oanli chrezha dis ring wehmi grani gi mi. I really treasurethis ring that my granny gave me.chrezhri n. treasury. Ah wahnpay yu wen Ah kyash mivowcha da chrezhri. I’ll pay youwhen I cash my voucher at thetreasury.chrik v. deceive, trick. Di manmi du dehn ting fi chrai chrikwi. The man did those things totry to trick us. See: fool, play.— n. trick. Ah noa how fi duwahn lee chrik wid kyaad. Iknow how to do a little trick withcards.chriki adj. tricky. Ah noh chrosda man kaa ih luk chriki. Idon’t trust that man because helooks tricky.chril v. thrill. Di singa weh dehngeh fi di daans mi-di chril diyong gyal dehn wid ih priti vais.The singer that they got for thedance thrilled the young girlswith his nice voice.chrim v. trim. Mi lee bwai hihnoanli laik luk pan ihself wen ihdon geh chrim. My little boyreally likes to look at himselfwhen he’s been trimmed.chrimbl v. tremble. Ah mi sohfraitn, Ah staat tu chrimbl laikleef. I was so frightened, I startedto tremble like a leaf. See: shiva.chrip n. trip. Wi kohn bak fahnwi chrip ahn tel evribadi bowtit. We came back from our tripand told everybody about it. See:jerni. — v. show signs of anervous breakdown. Da bwaimosi di chrip kaa ih aalwayz distayr aaf eena spays. That boymust be about to have abreakdown because he’s alwaysstaring off into space.chrip dong v.phr. trip; tostumble. Dehn lat a waiya wehmi hozban ga kraas di floa mekAh chrip dong. All of that wirethat my husband has across thefloor made me trip.chro weh v. 1) spill. If yu nohkyaaful, yu jrink wahn chroweh. If you’re not careful, you’llspill your drink. 2) throw away,discard, dispose of. Wi gaahnchro weh gyaabij op di road.We went up the road to disposeof the garbage. See: chok weh,dash weh, pich weh. 3) abort achild. Di gyal noh marid, soh ihwaahn chro weh di baybi. Thewoman is not married, so shewants to abort the baby. See:dash weh, pich weh.chroa v. throw. Chroa di baal tumi breda. Throw the ball to mybrother. See: belt, chaans, chok,chro weh, dash, faiya, fling, hib,pich, stoan.chroa...aaf v.phr. throw off,distract. Wen dehn play dimyoozik haad, ih chroa mi aafkaa Ah kyaahn tink. When theyplay the music loud, it distractsme so that I can’t think. See:dischrak, abschrok.79
chroan Kriol tu Inglish chroochroa aan v.phr. put onhastily. Chroa aan pees a kloazahn lesgoh wid mi. Put on someclothes and let’s go. See: haalaan.chroa han v.phr. punch. Dibwai dehn neva kwaaril tu langbifoa dehn staat chroa han. Theboys didn’t quarrel very muchbefore they were punching eachother. See: dash han, jrap toohan pahn, ponch.chroa op v.phr. 1) vomit,throw up. Di jronkin man kohnchroa op aal oava mi chyaadehn. The drunken man cameand threw up all over my chairs.See: vamit. 2) abandon. Di faamjos lef chroa op sins mi onklded. The farm is just abandonedsince my uncle died. See: gi op.chroa wod v.phr. make aveiled comment; indirectinsult. Mee noh bileev eenachroa wod; mee wahn tel yuweh Ai ga fi seh rait tu yu fays.I don’t believe in droppingremarks; I’ll tell you what I haveto say right to your face.chroan n. 1) throne. Di king ahndi kween di sidong pahn dehnchroan. The king and queen aresitting on their throne. 2) toilet.Euphemism. Peeta aalwayz deheena baachroom pan ih chroan.Peter is always there on histhrone in the bathroom. See:lachreen, tailit, watsaid.chroat n. throat. Di waata gaahndong di rang chroat ahn dibaybi choak. The water wentdown the baby’s windpipe andmade him choke.80chrobl wid... Variant: chravlwid...chrobl(z) n. trouble(s), trial(s)Ah di goh chroo lat a chroblzdeez dayz. I’m going through lotsof troubles these days. See:kraas, chraiyalz, prablem(z).chrok n. large truck, lorry. Mihozban ga wahn big chrok wehih haal san eena. My husbandhas a big truck that he hauls sandin.chrompit n. trumpet. Maigrampa ku bloa chrompit gud.My grandfather can play thetrumpet well.chrompit chree n. trumpet tree;tree that looks like a largepapaya plant; ants live in thetree and protect it by bitinganything that touches it.Crecropia obtusifolia. Enitaimwi si chrompit chree wi hafubring sohn a di leef dehn fi migrani fi ih presha. Whenever wesee a trumpet tree, we have tobring some of the leaves for mygrandmother for her bloodpressure. [Name was given bythe ancient Maya who used it tomake ceremonial trumpets.]chronk n. trunk.chroo 1 adj. true. Evriting weh diman seh da-mi chroo.Everything the man said was true.fi chroo phr. in truth, truly.Dehn fain owt seh di man midid gaan eena di laydi hows fichroo. They found out that theman really did go into the lady’shouse.noh chroo int. isn’t that true?
chroo Kriol tu Inglish daab(Request for affirmativeresponse from listener) Jaymzhihn ga lat a moni, noh chroo?James has lots of money, doesn’the?chroo 2 adv. through. Di bwaidehn mi-di ron chroo ahn chroodi hows. The boys were runningall through the house.chroot (var: schroot) n. truth. Ihtel wi di hoal chroot; ih nevahaid notn. He told us the wholetruth; he didn’t hide anything.chros v. 1) trust. Afta aal distaim, yu stil noh chros mi yet?After all this time, you still don’ttrust me? See: pen. 2) givebusiness credit. Chros mi wahnbred til tumaaro. Give me creditD - dfor a loaf of bread untiltomorrow.chuk mowt v.phr. chat,converse. Mee ahn Mageemi-di chuk mowt kaa lang taimwi neva si wan anada. Maggieand I were chatting because wehadn’t seen each other for a longtime. See: diskoas.chupid Variant: schupid.chyaa 1 (var: chayr) n. chair. Dischyaa weh Ah di sidong panoanli haad. This chair that I’msitting on is very hard.chyaa 2 v. cheer. Aal a wi kohnkohn chyaa fi wi teem. All of uscame to cheer for our team.da 1 foc. it is, it was. Da Haabatsayhn wan brok mi playt.Herbert is the one who broke myplate.da 2 prep. 1) at. Di paati wahndeh da mi breda hows. Theparty will be at my brother’shouse. 2) in. Ahn da eni vilijweh di pipl poa, yu mos helpdehn. And in any village wherethe people are poor, you shouldhelp them. See: een. 3) to. Wigoh da maakit evri Satideh. Wego to the market every Saturday.da 3 Question marker. Da wehHanansi wahn du now? What isAnansi going to do now?da 4 v. is, are. Dis da di ripoatbowt di aksident. This is thereport about the accident. See:deh.da 5 adj. that. Mee noh waahn dating eena fi mee hows. I don’twant that thing in my house. See:datdeh, datira.da 6 Variant: uda. v. would. Hooda tink seh hihn da mi eva kil ihwaif? Who would have thoughtthat he would ever kill his wife?daab v. daub; paint or coverunskillfully. Rong Krismosevribadi daab dehn hows widlee paynt. Around Christmaseverybody daubs his house with alittle bit of paint. — n. dab; softor moist bit of something. Ahgaan owt deh ahn geh wahn leedaab a mod pahn mi shooz. Iwent out and got a little dab of81
daadi Kriol tu Inglish dablmud smeared on my shoes.daadi n. father. Derogatory.(‘Dadi’ becomes ‘daadi’ whenused in an insulting way.) Yu oaldaadi hihn noh bring di monitudeh. That no-good daddy ofyours didn’t bring the moneytoday. See: dadi.daag n. dog. If yu noh kyaaful,da daag wahn bait yu. If you’renot careful, that dog will bite you.See: patlika. — v. follow,stalk. Rabat daag ih gyal frenday ahn nait til ih kech ahn widdi ada bwai. Robert followed hisgirlfriend day and night until hecaught her with the other boy.See: chrayl, fala, staak.daag sidong n. small,dilapidated house that sits flaton the ground. Ah waahn wahnnais big hows; Ah noh waahnno daag sidong. I want a nice bighouse, not a little tiny house onthe ground. See:nak-ahn-stan-op, kuboos.daak n. dark, darkness. Di leepikni dehn frayd fi daak. Thelittle children are afraid of thedark. See: daaknis. — adj. dark.Di son gaahn dong an ih gehdaak daak. The sun went downand it got very dark.daaknis n. dark, darkness. Wenblakowt, wi si loan daaknis aaloava di plays. When there’s noelectricity, we see nothing butdarkness all over the place. See:daak.daalin n. darling. Ah wahn beedi wan fi yoo, daalin. I’ll be theone for you, darling.82daan v. darn. Da lee oal laydiaalwayz di daan sohn tayrinsaks. That little old lady isalways darning torn socks.daans v. dance. Di gyal midaans rait deh front a evribadi.The girl danced right there infront of everybody. See: jompop, wain. — n. Aal a di yongpipl goh da daans Satideh nait.All of the young people godancing on Saturday nights.daat n. 1) darts. Evribadi da diklob mi-di play daat. Everybodyat the club was playing darts.2) dart; a stitched fold used insewing. Mi ma put too daateena di jres soh dat ih kuda mifit mi gud. My mom put twodarts in the dress so that it wouldfit me well.daata n. daughter. Di king daatami yong ahn priti. The king’sdaughter was young and pretty.daata-ahn-laa (var: daata-laa)n. daughter-in-law. Da umanan ih daata-ahn-laa jos kudnset haas. That woman and herdaughter-in-law just couldn’t getalong.daata-laa Variant:daata-ahn-laa.dabl v. 1) dabble; meddle,interfere. Mai mada-ahn-laashee aalwayz di dabl eena fi weebizniz. My mother-in-law alwaysmeddles in our business. See:faas, intafayr. 2) do things in ahaphazard manner. Di gyal josdabl di doti tingz ahn gaahnbowt ih bizniz. The girl hurriedlywashed the dirty things and wentabout her business. 3) play idly,
dabow Kriol tu Inglish daktagenerally in water. Di piknidehn mi-di dabl eena mod. Thechildren were just playing in themud. See: play, ramp.dabow ono. sound of impact inwater. Yu oanli yehr ‘dabow’wen di lee bwai slip ahn jrapeena waata. You only heard‘dabow’ when the little boyslipped and fell into the water.dabz Variant: dibz.dadi n. father. Mi dadi di kohntudeh. My dad is coming today.See: daadi, pa, papa, pupa.daga (var: dega) n. dagger.Polees tek weh wahn daga fahndi man wen dehn saach ahn.The police took a dagger from theman when they searched him.See: naif.dahn (var: dan) conj. than. Yoogeh moa mango dahn mee. Yougot more mangos than I did.dai v. dye. Mi ma dai ih hyaakaa ih mi-di geh gray. My momdyed her hair because she wasgetting grey.dairek Variant: dairekli.dairekli (var: dairek) adv.directly, straight. Di man gi miwahn lif an ih kehr mi dairekliweh Ah mi waahn goh. The mangave me a lift and took medirectly where I wanted to go.See: ded, schrayt.dairekshan n. direction. Dawich dairekshan yu waahn goh,soh er soh? Which direction doyou want to go, this way or thatway?daiv v. dive. Dehn lee piknidehn fahn Kaiyo ku daiv laikfish. The little children fromCayo can dive like fish.daiyapa n. diaper. Di laydi tekaaf di baybi daiyapa. The ladytook off the baby’s diaper. See:napkin, pamperz.daiyin used in the prep.phr.:deh pahn daiyin phr. about todie, on one’s death bed. Migrampa mi noa seh ih mi dehpahn daiyin, soh ih kaalevribadi rong ahn. Mygrandfather knew that he wasabout to die, so he called all of usto be around him. See: chravl.daj v. 1) lie in wait for. Di mandaj ih waif wen if lef fi si if ihmi gwehn meet wahn nadaman. The man lay in wait for hiswife when she left to see if shewas going to meet another man.See: laywayt. 2) dodge; avoid,evade. Jos bikaaz ih hoa mi ditweni dalaz, ih di daj mi. Justbecause he owes me the twentydollars, he avoids me. See: avaid.dak v. 1) dock. Di boat dehnweh goh da San Payjro dak raitda Koat-Hows Waaf. The boatsthat go to San Pedro are dockedright by the Courthouse Wharf.2) appear suddenly . Afta sohmoch yaaz Flaid hihn dak op dami doa. After so many yearsFloyd suddenly appeared on mydoor step. See: apyaa.dakman n. dock worker. Dehndakman werk haad di loaddehn baaj. Dock workers workhard loading barges.dakta n. doctor. Mek di daktaegzamin yu, ahn yu wahn noa if83
dakta flai Kriol tu Inglish dashyu sik. Let the doctor examineyou, and you’ll know if you’resick.dakta flai n. doctor fly; aninsect resembling a largehouse-fly with black spots ona yellowish body. Tabanus spp.Noh mek da dakta flai bait yukaa ih wahn swel yu op. Don’tlet that doctor fly bite youbecause it will cause you to swellup. [The name comes from itssharp bloodsucking sting which islike a doctor’s injection.]dala n. dollar. (pl. dalaz.) Di leebwai bayg fi dala fi kehr daskool. The little boy begged for adollar to take to school.dala kain n.phr. dollar coin.Wi doz sayv aal a wi dala kaindehn eena wahn batl. We usedto save all of our dollar coins in ajar.haad dala n.phr. a dollar billnot broken into change.Chaynj dis haad dala intu foashilin fi mi. Change this dollarbill into four quarters for me.dalfin n. dolphin. See: pampas.dali n. doll. Di laydi gi wi wahnlat a pees a klaat fi mek kloaz fimi lee daata dali. The lady gaveus lots of pieces of cloth to makeclothes for my little daughter’sdoll.dam v. damn; condemn. Yuwahn dam if yu noh geh wahngud ejukayshan eena dehn haadtaim ya. You’ll be damned if youdon’t get a good education inthese hard times. See: kandem.— adj. damned; expressinganger or annoyance. Gi mi didam pen mek Ah sain di paypa.Give me the damned pen so that Ican sign the paper.damanika fowl n. a type ofchicken. Damanika fowl dawahn priti chikin; ih luk laiksohnbadi tek wahn lee payntbrosh ahn mek lat a blak ahngray spat aal oava ahn TheDominican fowl is a prettychicken; it looks like somebodytook a little paintbrush and madea lot of black and grey spots allover it.da-mi v. was. Mi pa da-mi diteecha eena mi klaas. My fatherwas the teacher of my class.damij v. damage. Luk how dipikni dehn damij mi nyoo branaiyan. Look how the childrendamaged my brand new iron.— n. damage. Da harikayn duwahn lat a damij. That hurricanedid a lot of damage.dan (var: dahn) conj. than. Laifda moa dan jos food ahn kloaz,yu noa. Life is more than justfood and clothes, you know.dandan n. a child’s prettydress. Krismos di kohn an Ahwaahn geh wahn nais leedandan fi mi lee gyal. Christmasis coming and I want to get a nicedress for my little girl. See: jres.dangl (var: dengl) v. dangle. Dibokit mi-di dangl pahn di en adi roap. The bucket was danglingon the end of the rope.danki Variant: dongki.dash v. 1) dash, rush, moveswiftly. Ah dash gaahn baydbifoa mi bwaifren kohn. I84
dat Kriol tu Inglish dazlquickly went to bathe before myboyfriend came. 2) throw, fling,toss. Ih gens di laa fi dash tingeena di see. It’s against the law tothrow anything into the sea. See:chok, chroa, fling, hib, pich.dash han v.phr. punch. Wioanli si di man di dash han panih son. We only saw the manpunching his son. See: chroahan, jrap too han pahn, ponch.dash weh v.phr. abort,discard. Di lee gyal dash weh dibaybi kaa ih neva waahn ihbwai noa ih pregnant. Theyoung girl aborted the childbecause she didn’t want herboyfriend to know that she waspregnant. See: chro weh, pichweh.dat 1 conj. that. Flaid seh dat ihnoh waahn no dina. Floyd saidthat he doesn’t want any dinner.See: seh. — pro. that; person orthing mentioned. Wen dehnyehr dat, dehn mi oanli beks.When they heard that, they werevery angry.dat 2 n. dot. Di teecha tel wi fikanek aal a di dat dehn tugeda.The teacher told us to connect allof the dots.datdeh (var: datideh) adj. that.Datdeh bwai oanli haad-ayz.That boy is very disobedient. See:da, datira/ditira.datideh Variant: datdeh. adj.that. (Older form now used foremphasis.)datira (var: ditira) adj. that.Archaic. See: da, datdeh,datideh.dats phr. that is. Hihn mi teefmoni fahn mi; dats wai ih nohkohn bak da mi hows nohmoh.He stole money from me; that’swhy he doesn’t come to my houseanymore.day n. day. Plenti pipl kohn fivizit wi da day. Many peoplecame to visit us that day.day di brok phr. daybreak. Wenday di brok, ih gaan owt fi chekaal a bilanginz. At daybreak, hewent out to check all of hisbelongings. See: til ih red.daylait n. daylight. Wi fishinhoal nait til wen daylait kohn.We fished all night until daylightcame.daynja n. danger. Aal yu du wenyu goh raid pahn da saikl daput yu laif eena daynja. All youdo when you go riding thatmotorcycle is put your life indanger.daynjaras Variant: daynjarasdaynjaros (var: daynjaras) adj.dangerous. Da leda daynjarosfi klaim op pan kaa ih ratn.That ladder is dangerous to climbup on because it’s rotten.dayr (var: dyaa, dyaaz) v. dare.Yu beta noh dayr tek mi tingahn noh aks mi. You had betternot dare take my stuff withoutasking me.dayt n. date. Di man soh oal, ihnoh eevn memba di dayt. Theman is so old, he doesn’t evenremember the date.dazl v. dazzle. Shee oanli mariddi oal man kaa di man monidazl ih aiy. She only married the85
debl Kriol tu Inglish defold man because his moneydazzled her eyes.debl Variant: devl.debl raidin haas n. prayingmantis. Mantidae.deblish Variant: devlish.ded v. die. If yu jrink paizn, yuwahn ded. If you drink poison,you’ll die. See: kik di bokit, pegowt. — n. 1) dead. Mi pa, Gaadres di ded, yoostu seh yu mosaalwayz ga manaz fi di oaldapipl. My father, God rest his soul,used to say that you shouldalways have good mannerstoward older people. 2) death.Mayri staat tu si sain seh dedmi-di kaal ih grani. Mary startedto see signs that death was callingher grandmother. See: det. —adj. 1) dead. Dehn bileev sehded pipl noh wahn rayz op bak.They believe that dead peopledon’t come back to life.2) empty, flat. Di baal ded; ihwaahn pomp op. The ball’s flat;it needs to be pumped up. — adv.1) exactly resemble. Yu da dedyu pa. You look just like yourdad. See: dibz, fayva. 2) directly(generally referring todirection or time). Wi mi fraydno miks kaa di harikayn mi-dikohn ded fi Bileez. We werereally frightened because thehurricane was coming directly atBelize. See: dairekli, schrayt.ded baks n. coffin. Siks manbak owt di ded baks owt achoch. Six men carried the coffinout of the church. See: kaafin.ded hows n. morgue, mortuary.Wen mi grani ded, dehn kehr ih86badi da ded hows ahn weegaahn peep pan ahn. When mygrandmother died, they took herbody to the mortuary and wewent to peep at it.dedikayt v. dedicate; set apartfor special use. Misa Jandedikayt ih hoal laif tu digovament. Mr. John dedicatedhis whole life to the government.deel v. 1) deal; attend to,handle. Ah wahn mek di poleesdeel wid da man. I’ll let thepolice deal with that man.2) communicate with the devilor evil spirits. Da man deel widdi devl; dats wai ih soh rich.That man deals with the devil;that’s why he’s so rich. — n.deal; bargain. Ah geh wahngud deel pahn di kaa. I got agood deal on the car.deeman n. demon, evil spirit.Dehn seh da gyal ga deeman -dats wai ih goh aan soh krayzi.They say that girl has a demon -that’s why she acts so crazy. See:eevl spirit.deesant (var: deestant) adj.decent. No deesant yong gyalwahn deh pahn schreet aftatwelv aklak da nait. No decentyoung girl will be on the streetafter twelve o’clock at night.deestant Variant: deesant.deez dayz adj. these days. Deezdayz Ah di ga lat a hedayk.These days I have lots ofheadaches. See: nowadayz, tidehday.def adj. deaf, unable to hear.Sayk a weh ih mi def, di lee
dega Kriol tu Inglish dehnbwai geh nak dong kaa ih nevahyaa di kaa di kohn. Because hewas deaf, the little boy gotknocked down because he didn’thear the car coming.dega Variant: daga. dagger.Archaic.degeh adj. one last one, one andonly. Mi aanti ga wan degehdala lef. My auntie has only onelast dollar left.deh v. am, is, are. Di hows deheena bad shayp afta diharikayn. The house is in badshape after the hurricane. See: da.— adv. there. Put di rayjo opdeh pahn di shelf. Put the radioup there on the shelf. See:dehdeh.deh rong adv.phr. aroundthere. Yu wahn geh fraitn ahnnobadi noh wahn deh rong fihelp yu. You’ll get frightenedand nobody will be around thereto help you.deh soh adv.phr. there, rightthere. Di pen deh rait deh sohpahn di taybl. The pen is rightthere on the table.deh ya v.phr. (Present tense ofv. with locative complementstated or implied) am, is, are.Aal a dehn ting mi deh ya fahnbifoa King Hachit woz a hama.All of those things were therefrom before King Hatchet was ahammer. See: bee, stan.deh-aan adj. very, extremely(good or bad). Intensifier. Dajres weh Glorya mi-di wayr mideh-aan! That dress that Gloriawas wearing was reallysomething! Ah dowt Ah paas dates kaa dat mi deh-aan! I doubtthat I passed that test because itwas very difficult! See: kohn,wap.dehdeh adv. there. Ah gaahn daSoozi hows, bot ih neva dehdeh.I went to Susie’s house but shewasn’t there. See: deh.dehn 1 pro. 1) they. (3rd personpl. subj.) Dehn neva noa datdehn mi fi pik op mee. Theydidn’t know that they weresupposed to pick me up.2) them. (3rd person pl. obj.)Kehr sohn mango fi dehn. Takesome mangos for them.3) family or friends includedwith the subject noun. Martadehn di kohn da mi hows diseevnin. Martha and her familyare coming to my house tonight.— pro.adj. 1) those. Aal a dehnpipl weh gwehn pahn di chriphafu pay. All of those peoplewho are going on the trip have topay. See: dehndeh, dehnya.2) their. (pl. poss.) Aal a di piknidehn bring dehn buk da skool.All of the children brought theirbooks to school.fi dehn Emphatic. 1) their. Dafi dehn kaa di braid mi raidrong eena. It is in their car thatthe bride rode around in.2) theirs. Da mango chree da fidehn. That mango tree is theirs.fi dehn wan pro. theirs. Maikaa da beta bran dahn fi dehnwan. My car is a better brandthan theirs.dehn ga(t) v.phr. there is,there are. Dehn ga aal kain adifrant rilijan da Bileez. There87
dehn Kriol tu Inglish detare many different religiousdenominations in Belize.dehn 2 plural marker (placedafter a noun). Jan put di bukdehn pahn di taybl. John put thebooks on the table.dehndeh pro.adj. those. Eenadehndeh dayz, laydi doz washpahn han, bot eena dehnyadayz ya evribadi ga masheen. Inthose days, ladies washed clothesby hand, but these dayseverybody has a washingmachine. See: dehn, dehnya.dehnself pro. themselves.Evribadi mi waahn si ahn yehrdi man fi dehnself. Everybodywanted to see and hear the manfor themselves.dehnya pro.adj. these. Kehrdehnya bred bak da di shap kaadehn stayl. Take these loaves ofbread back to the shop becausethey are stale. See: dehn,dehndeh.dek n. deck. Bring mi di dek akyaad, mek Ah play wahn leegaym. Bring me the deck of cardsso I can play a little game.dekorayt v. decorate. Evri yaadi hoal famili dekorayt diKrismos chree tugeda. Everyyear the whole family decoratesthe Christmas tree together.delikid adj. 1) delicate; sickly.Shee aalwayz hafu put aansweta kaa ih oanli delikid. Shealways has to put on a sweaterbecause she’s really sickly.2) delicate; dainty, fine. MisMaaji aalwayz yooz dehn leedelikid hankerchif wid layspahn di ej a it. Miss Margiealways used those dainty littlehandkerchiefs with lace on theedge of them.den adv. then. Wi gwehn goh pikop Mayri fos, den wi gwehn dadi paati. We’re going to pick upMary first, and then we’re goingto the party.dengl Variant: dangl.dentis n. dentist.dep debt. Variant: det.der v. control a gambling game.Gyal, kohn der di gaym. Girl,some control the game.— n. game master; one whocontrols the bets of a cardgame. Di der noh play bot ihaalwayz kalek. The game masterdoesn’t play, but he alwayscollects.dert n. 1) garbage, trash. Tek opda dert fahn deh ahn put iteena di dert baks. Pick up thatgarbage from there and throw itin the trash can. See: chrash,gyaabij. 2) dirt, soil. Yu nohtaiyad a play eena dert, bwai?Aren’t you tired of playing in thedirt, boy?dert baks n. garbage can, trashbin. Noh chroa di paypa aaloava di plays; put it eena didert baks. Don’t throw papers allover the place; put it in thegarbage can. See: gyaabij kyan.des n. desk. Di teecha aalwayzga wahn Baibl pan ih des. Theteacher always has a Bible on herdesk.det 1 n. death. Di uman dehn minayli fraitn tu det. The women88
det Kriol tu Inglish dinawere frightened nearly to death.See: ded. — adj. death. Di jojpaas di det sentens pahn diman. The judge gave the man thedeath sentence.det 2 (var: dep) n. debt. Yu donpay aaf di det weh yu mi hoa?Have you already paid off thedebt that you owed?devl (var: debl) n. devil. Wai yunoh stap di devl fahn rab yusoal? Why don’t you stop lettingthe devil rob your soul?devlish (var: deblish) adj.devilish. Da lee bwai oanlidevlish; ih di haraas dehn leepikni hoal day. That little boy isreally devilish; he harasses thelittle children all day long.dezert n. dessert. Wi neva ga nodezert afta dina. We didn’t haveany dessert after dinner. See:sweet.di 1 art. the. Di daag bait di man.The dog bit the man.di 2 v. -ing (present continuoustense marker) Hihn di bil wahnhows fi ih ma. He’s building ahouse for his mother.dibz (var: dabz) n. exactresemblance, perfect likeness,spitting image. Ih da di ful dibza ih oal man. He looks just likehis father. See: ded, fayva.did v. did actually, did in fact.Ah neva noa if ih mi did finishih hows. I don’t know if he didactually finish his house.didl-dadl v. dillydally, dawdle.Evri maanin unu geh layt fiskool kaa aal unu du dadidl-dadl ahn ways lat a taim.Every morning you are late forschool because all you do isdillydally and waste a lot of time.difen v. 1) defend (physically).Mi ma noh laik wen Ah kecheena fait, bot sohntaim yu haftudifen yuself. My mom doesn’tlike it when I get into fights, butsometimes, you have to defendyourself. 2) defend; plead one’scase. Dehn tel lai pahn mi ahndehn noh eevn gi mi wahnchaans fi difen miself. They toldlies about me and didn’t evengive me a chance to defendmyself. See: taak op fi.difrans n. difference. Ah noh sino difrans bitween di too fut ashooz dehn. I don’t see anydifference between the left andright shoes.difrant adj. different. Yoo gadifrant shooz fahn mee. Yourshoes are different from mine.lat a difrant/difrant difrantphr. various.digidip (var: bigidip) ono. thesound of a galloping horse.dikshineri n. dictionary. If yunoh noa how fi spel wahn werdeena Kriol, luk it op eena diKriol dikshineri. If you don’tknow how to spell a word inKriol, look it up in the Krioldictionary.diliva v. deliver. Ah hoap dehndiliva mi chyaa dehn tudeh. Ihope they deliver my chairstoday.dina n. dinner; main meal,generally eaten at midday. Wiinvait dehn fi eet dina da wi89
dinai Kriol tu Inglish disgoshows, bot dehn kaa brok dong.We invited them for dinner at ourhouse, but their car broke down.See: dindin.dinai v. deny. Ah noa da bwaigilti bot ih dinai seh da hihnteef di moni. I know that boy isguilty but he denied that he’s theone who stole the money.dindin n. dinner; used whenspeaking to babies. Kohn eetyu dindin, baybi. Come eat yourdinner, baby. See: dina.dip v. 1) dip; immerse for amoment in liquid. Ah dip mihan eena di waata fi si how hatih hat. I dipped my hand in thewater to see how hot it was.2) beat, thrash. If yu noh kohnschrayt fahn skool, Ah wahndip yu. If you don’t come straighthome from school, I’ll beat you.See: beet, lash, lada, lays, tayr,wap.dip eena v.phr. interrupt, buttin. Yu aalwayz hafu dip eenapipl bizniz. You always have tobutt into people’s business. See:intarop, kot yu kraas.dipa n. dipper. Geh di dipa mekAh dip sohn waata. Get thedipper so I can dip some water.direkli adv. soon. Ah di kohndirekli. I’ll be there soon. See:rait now, soon.dis adj. this. Dis buk tayr op.This book is all torn up. — pro.this. Dis da mi breda. This is mybrother. See: disideh, disya.disagreeyabl adj. disagreeable,ill-tempered. Yu tu yong fi beesoh disagreeyabl. You’re tooyoung to be so disagreeable. See:krabit, krachiti, mizarabl.disaid v. decide. Wen yu wahndisaid fi geh marid? When willyou to decide to get married? See:mek op...main.disaipl n. disciple; generallyrefers to the twelve disciplesof Jesus.disapyaa v. disappear. Da wehyu mi disapyaa tu afta di paati?Where did you disappear to afterthe party?dischrai v. destroy. Harikayndischrai di hoal a da lee ailan.The hurricane destroyed thewhole of that little island. See:brok op, kandem.dischrak v. distract. Lef miloan; yu di dischrak mi fahn dumi hoamwerk. Leave me alone;you’re distracting me from doingmy homework. See: abschrok,chroa aaf.dischrik n. district. Dehn sen diners owt dischrik fi too yaaz.They sent the nurse out to thedistricts for two years.dischrukshan n. destruction. Diharikayn lef loan det ahndischrukshan. The hurricane leftonly death and destruction.Disemba n. December. EenaDisemba evribadi bizi di gehredi fi Krismos. In Decembereverybody is busy getting readyfor Christmas.disgos v. feel disgust, can’tstand, dislike immensely. Ahdisgos how da laydi goh aan. Iam disgusted with how that ladyacts.90
disgostin Kriol tu Inglish dizaastadisgostin adj. disgusting. Datdisgostin how yu aalwayz kohndi aks fi moni. That’s disgustinghow you always come asking formoney.disideh adj. this. Archaic. See:dis, disya.disizhan n. decision. Ah gawahn haad disizhan fi mek. Ihave a hard decision to make.diskoas v. chat, converse. Daweh unu too dehdeh di diskoasbowt? What are you two chattingabout? See: chuk mowt. — n.discussion. Mee ahn di teechami ga wahn lee diskoas bowthow mi pikni di bihayv. Theteacher and I had a littlediscussion about how my child isbehaving.diskorij v. 1) discourage. Mi madiskorij mi fahn marid tu Toni.My mom discouraged me frommarrying Tony. 2) becomediscouraged. Ah diskorij kaanotn noh di goh gud eena milaif. I’m discouraged becausenothing is going well in my life.diskorijin adj. discouraging. Ihmi diskorijin how nobadi nevakohn fi di meetn. It wasdiscouraging how nobody cameto the meeting.diskraib v. describe. Wen widiskraib di bwai, evribadi minoa hoo hihn. When wedescribed the boy, everybodyknew who he was.disoan v. disown. Keesha padisoan ahn kaa ih geh pregnanteena skool. Keisha’s fatherdisowned her because she gotpregnant while in school.disrispek v. disrespect. Di manmi-di disrispek di polees sohdehn ares ahn.The man wasdisrespecting the police so theyarrested him.distans n. distance. Ih ron wahngud distans ahn den ih stap. Heran a good distance and thenstopped. See: wayz.disterb v. disturb. Di lee piknidehn kohn disterb mi aftanoonnap wid dehn naiz. The childrencame to disturb my afternoon napwith their noise. See: bada, bog.disya adj. this. Ah hoap disyapikni noh ton owt laik yoo. Ihope this little child doesn’t turnout like you. See: dis, disideh.ditira Variant: datira.divelop v. 1) develop, mature.Da lee gyal oanli ten an ih badidon divelop aredi. That little girlis only ten and her body hasalready developed. See: blaasam.2) develop (film) Ah kehr tooroal a filim fi divelop. I took tworolls of film to develop. See:wash.divoas v. divorce. Di man josdivoas ih waif an ih don di lukfi wahn neks uman aredi. Theman just divorced his wife andhe’s already looking for anotherwoman. — n. divorce. Afta yumarid, yu noh fi eevn tink bowtdivoas. After you’re married, youmust not even think aboutdivorce.dizaasta n. disaster. Di paatida-mi wahn hoal dizaasta! Theparty was a complete disaster!91
dizaav Kriol tu Inglish dobldizaav Variant: dizerv.dizain v. design. Mi sista dizainih oan kloaz. My sister designsher own clothes.dizeez n. disease. Shee kechwahn dizeez weh nobadi nohnoa bowt. She caught a diseasethat nobody knows about. See:siknis.dizertid adj. deserted. Ih da-midon twelv aklak da nait ahn dischreet mi dizertid. It wasalready twelve o’clock at nightand the street was deserted.dizerv (var: dizaav) v. deserve.Ih noh dizerv wahn gud waiflaik Beti. He doesn’t deserve agood wife like Betty.doa 1 n. door. Ah mi aks di gyal fishet di doa. I asked the girl toshut the door.doa mowt n.phr. doorway. Dioal laydi an ih hozban mi-disidong bai dehn doa mowt fikech breez. The old lady and herhusband were sitting in thedoorway catching the breeze.doa 2 n. dough. Di doa hafu rayzbifoa wi ku bayk di bred. Thedough has to rise before we canbake the bread.doabel n. doorbell. Ah ring didoabel bot nobadi neva ansa didoa. I rang the doorbell butnobody answered the door.doado v. 1) sleep or dozeunaware. Yoo dehdeh di doado;sohnbadi wahn kohn teef wehyu waif fahn yu. While you’rethere dozing, somebody is goingto steal your wife from you.2) sleep in reference tochildren. Kohn baybi, lesgohdoado. Come baby, let’s gosleep. See: doaz, sleep. [
dobl-benk Kriol tu Inglish donmust be seeing things; that can’tbe a baby that I’m seeing in thecanal. See: haraz.dobl-benk v. overpower. Faivbwai dobl-benk di oal man ahntek weh ih moni. Five boysoverpowered the old man andtook away his money.dobl-kraas v. double-cross. Wimi chros da man til ihdobl-kraas wi. We trusted thatman until he double-crossed us.See: bichray, sel owt.doh conj. though. Mi ma tel ahnnoh fi kaal mi, bot Ah stil wahntaak tu ahn doh. My mom toldhim not to call me; I still want totalk to him though. See: aldoa,eevn doa. — int. Well! (Alwaysused sentence final.) Ah si yu ganyoo shooz, doh. Well! I see youhave new shoes.dok 1 n. duck; a type of fowl. Mima noa humoch Ah laik dok,soh ih kuk wan fi mi bertday.My mom knows how much I likeduck, so she cooked one for mybirthday.dok 2 v. duck; to quickly lowerthe head or body to avoid ablow or to hide. Dok bihain didoa, gyal, soh dat dehn kyaahnsi yu. Duck behind the door, girl,so that they can’t see you.doko-doko adj. person of short,stocky stature. Di leedoko-doko man kudn eevnreech di shelf. The stocky littleman couldn’t even reach theshelf. See: loa, shaat. [
dong Kriol tu Inglish dostamom sent him to buy.2) complete, finish. Ah don aalmi werk, ahn now Ah ku tekwahn lee res. I’ve finished all mywork, and now I can take a littlerest. 3) end, to be finished. If wiwaahn dis meetn don bai aytaklak, wi beta staat now. If wewant this meeting to end by eighto’clock, we’d better start now.See: en, stap. — adj. done,finished, over, used upcompletely. Di moni weh Ahbring don. The money that Ibrought is finished.don du v.phr. did already. Ahdon du aal mi wok aredi. I havedone all of my work already.kyaahn don phr. endlessly,excessively. Da gyal tel laikyaahn don! That girl tells liesendlessly!dong adv. down. Wen wi waakeena di mod, wi sink dong deepeena it. When we walked in themud, we sank down deep in it.dong tu phr. even. Dong tu dilaas baybi gaahn da paati. Eventhe youngest baby went to theparty. See: an aal, eevn, fahn, optu.dongki (var: danki) n. donkey.Dehn fain di dongki tai op fronta wahn hows. They found thedonkey tied up in front of ahouse. See: myool.dongroa adj. having stuntedgrowth. Dis lee bwai soh smaal,hihn mos dongroa. This littleboy is so small, his growth mustbe a stunted. See: duwaaf.dongstayz adv. downstairs; firstfloor, ground floor. Wi mi dehdongstayz eena di yaad wen digyal dehn reech. We weredownstairs in the yard when thegirls arrived.dongstayz hows n.phr. lowerflat or storey of a house. Miaanti bil wahn opstayz ahndongstayz hows kaa shee waahnAi liv dongstayz a shee. My auntbuilt a two-storied house becauseshe wants me to live downstairsfrom her.donsi adj. dumb, mentally slow.Yoo oanli donsi! Yu noh laanyu tayblz yet? You’re such adunce! You mean you haven’tlearned your times tables yet?See: dol, dom, haad hed.doo Variant: du. v. do. EmphaticAh doo ga di moni fi chroo, botAh noh waahn len ahn. I reallydo have the money, but I don’twant to lend it.dos v. dust. Wen di man faaldong aaf a ih baisikl, ih get opahn dos aaf ihself. When theman fell off his bicycle, he got upand dusted himself off. — n.dust. Shee noh reed ih Baibl sohlang til dos di setl pan it. Shehasn’t read her Bible in so longthat dust is settling on it.dosi adj. dusty. Anda di bed midosi dosi. Under the bed wasvery dusty.dosta n. 1) chalk eraser. Diteecha stoan di dosta aata di leebwai kaaz ih mi-di taak. Theteacher flung the eraser at thelittle boy because he was talking.2) feather duster. Get di dostamek Ah dos aaf di shelf. Get theduster so I can dust off the shelf.94
doti Kriol tu Inglish duwaaf3) duster; a covering wornover the nightgown. Noh gohowt deh rait soh; haal aan wahndosta oava da naitgong. Don’tgo out there like that; put a dusterover your nightgown.doti adj. dirty. Chroa da dotiting da grong. Throw that dirtything on the ground.doti op v.phr. dirty, pollute.Aal dehn gyaabij weh dehnchroa eena di see di du da dotiop di see. All that garbage thatthey throw in the sea pollutes it.See: chrash op.dotinis n. dirtiness, filth. Sheedu aal kain a dotinis wen sheekuk. She does all kinds ofunsanitary things when shecooks.dotiya adj. dirtier. Fi yoo howsdotiya dan fi mee wan. Yourhouse is dirtier than mine.dov n. dove. Columbidae. Di dovflai weh az di bwai mi gwehn figrab ahn. The dove flew awaywhen the boy was going to catchit. See: grong dov, pijin.dowt v. doubt. Ai dowt weh sheetel mi da chroo. I doubt thatwhat she tells me is true.doz v. past continuous tensemarker. Wen wi mi smaal, widoz play maabl. When we weresmall, we used to play marbles.See: yoostu.du (var: doo) v. do. Yu mos duweh di teecha seh. You shoulddo what the teacher says.du...ting / du...notn. v.phr.harm, hurt. Mee noh waakschreet layt da nait kaa Ah noh95waahn nobadi du mi ting. Idon’t walk the streets late at nightbecause I don’t want anyone toharm me. See: aynja, hat/hert.du op v.phr. bully, domineer,take advantage of. Da laydiloan du op ih hozban ahn gatahn laik fool. All that lady doesis take advantage of her husbandand play him for a fool. See:chaans, tek advantij, tek chaansaaf, tek een.dubzi n. dun-colored glassmarble.dudu daalin sal. darling.[Phrase coined by Miss Bev, apatroness of Belize theater.]duki n. skeleton chart used as aguide to interpret dreams bythose who purchase lotterytickets. See: jreem buk.[
dyaa Kriol tu Inglish eendyaa 1 n. dear; term of affection.Mai dyaa, Ah gwehn da Staytsneks mont. My dear, I’m goingto the States next month.— adj. dear, expensive. Labstaoanli dyaa deez dayz. Lobster isreally expensive these days. See:ekspensiv.dyaa 2 n. deer. Di man shat didyaa weh mi-di ron eena dibush. The man shot the deer thatwas running into the bush.E - edyaa 3 dare. Variant: dayr.dyaali adv. dearly. Yu wahn paydyaali fi weh yu beet mi op.You’re going to pay dearly forbeating me up.dyaaz Variant: dayr. v. dare. (Aform used for emphasis.) Ah nohdyaaz goh eena da klob kaa Ahwahn get eena chrobl. I don’tdare to go into that club becauseI’ll get into trouble.eba Variant: eva.ebri Variant: evri.eebm Variant: eevn.Eebo Tong n. Ibo Town;traditionally the area on thesouth side of the old BelizeCity where African slaveslived, now known asYarborough. See: Yaabra.[
eena Kriol tu Inglish eevn doagoh een v.phr. enter, go in.Dehn seh goas deh eena dahows, soh Ai noh waahn goheen deh. They say that ghosts arein that house, so I don’t want togo in there.eena in, into. prep. Di faamagaan owt fi skyata sohn seedeena ih feel. The farmer went outto scatter some seeds in his field.eensaid adv. inside. Di piknidehn mi-di play owtsaid, botsayk a rayn, dehn mi hafu goheensaid. The children wereplaying outside, but because ofthe rain, they had to go inside.ees 1 n. east. Bileez Siti deh da diees paat a di konchri. BelizeCity is in the east part of thecountry. See: sowt, wes, naat.ees 2 n. yeast. If yu put tu mochees eena di bred, ih wahn taysransid. If you put too much yeastin the bread, it will taste rancid.eesideh Variant: yestudeh.Eesta n. Easter. Eesta da wen wiselibrayt wen Jeezas ded, ahnwen ih beri, ahn wen ih rayz opbak. Easter is when we celebratethe death of Jesus, and when hewas buried, and when he roseback to life.eet v. eat. Wi gaahn da wi frenhows fi eet dina. We went to ourfriend’s house for dinner. See:monch op.eet gud v.phr. taste good. Ahaalwayz bai bred fahn da laydikaa ih bred eet gud. I alwaysbuy bread from that lady becauseher bread tastes good. See: tays.eet wid lang teet v.phr. eat97reluctantly (eat with longteeth). phr. Wen Haatens gi mieniting fi eet Ah eet ahn widwahn lang teet kaa shee noh tukleen. When Hortense gives meanything to eat I eat it reluctantlybecause she’s not too clean.eevl n. evil. Da oal laydi gawahn lat a eevl eena ih haat fisoh oal. That old lady has a lot ofevil in her heart, considering thatshe’s so old. See: oagli.— adj. evil. Lat a eevl pipl deheena dis werl weh waahn hertyu. There are lots of evil peoplein this world who want to hurtyou. See: bad, wikid.eevl spirit n.phr. demon, evilspirit. Eevn di eevl spirit dehnbileev eena di wan chroo Gaad.Even the evil spirits believe in theone true God. See: deeman.eevn (var: eebm) adj. even. Ditap a di man hed eevn eevn wendi baaba don kot it. The top ofthe man’s hair was completelyeven after the barber cut it.— adv. 1) even (used as anintensifier). Eevn mi breda mibawl rong mi ma grayv. Evenmy brother cried around mymother’s grave. See: an aal,dong tu, fahn, op tu. 2) evenly.Mek shoar yu kot di pees aschring dehn eevn. Make surethat you cut the pieces of stringevenly.eevn doa conj. even though.Eevn doa mi pa lov mi, ihaalwayz mek Ah werk haad.Even though my father loves me,he always makes me work hard.See: aldoa.
eevnin Kriol tu Inglish ejeevnin n. evening; from 4o’clock until darkness sets in.Da eevnin wi lef di hows ahngaan owt a tong. That eveningwe left the house and wentdowntown.eez v. ease. Di pregnant laydieez ihself eena di chyaa kaa ihmi deh pan ih fut aal day. Thepregnant lady eased herself intothe chair because she had been onher feet all day.eezi adj. easy. Di egzam mi eezikaa Ah stodi haad. The test waseasy because I studied hard.noh eezi phr. compliment toshow a person or thing isexceptionally good. Slang.Gyal, yu noh eezi; Ah si yu ganyoo shooz! Girl, you’re doingwell; I see you have new shoes!eezi-wan adv. 1) easily. Ah gehdi lak fi oapm eezi-wan. I gotthe lock to open easily.2) quietly, secretly. Mi sistaslip eena di hows eezi-wan mekmi pa noh yehr. My sisterslipped into the house veryquietly so my father wouldn’thear. See: eena seekrit,kwaiyat-wan, saaf-wan.eeziya adv. easier. Da wich kaina werk eeziya fi du? Which kindof work is easier to do?ef Variant: if.efert (var: efot) n. effort. Di bwaiput een lat a efert fi win di rays,bot ih jos noh wahn mek it. Theboy made lots of effort to win therace, but he just won’t make it.efot Variant: efert.eg (var: ayg) n. egg. (Both sg. &98pl.) Di fowl neva lay no egtudeh. The fowl didn’t lay anyeggs today.egzajarayt v. exaggerate. Gyal,stap di egzajarayt; fi yoo howsnoh soh big. Girl, stopexaggerating; your house isn’t sobig.egzak adj. exact. Ah waahn miegzak amonk a moni bak fahnyu. I want the exact amount ofmoney back from you.egzakli adv. exactly. Yu wahnmek it if yu du egzakli weh Ahtel yu. You’ll succeed if you doexactly what I tell you. See:dairekli.egzam n. exam. Neks week dawi big egzam fi si if wi gwehneena wi nyoo klaas. Next weekis our big exam to see if we gointo our new class. See: tes.egzamin v. examine. Goheensaid ahn mek di daktaegzamin yu. Go inside and let thedoctor examine you.egzampl n. example. Wi di lukfi wahn gud egzampl fi fala.We’re looking for a goodexample to follow.egzis v. exist. Bwai, mee noheevn memba seh yoo egzis! Boy,I don’t even remember that youexist. See: bee, deh.eiy int. hey; informal greeting,or used to attract someone’sattention. Eiy, weh di goh aan?Ah noh si yu lang taim! Hey,what’s going on? I haven’t seenyou for a long time!ej 1 age. Variant: ayj.ej 2 n. edge. Noh put da kop rait
ejabl Kriol tu Inglish ekskyoozpahn di ej a di taybl kaasohnbadi ku nak it aaf. Don’tput that cup on the edge of thetable because somebody couldknock it off.ej toolz n.phr. Tools with acutting edge, such as knife orscissors. Ah noh laik no ej toolzkloas mi baybi. I don’t like anything with a cutting edge near mybaby.ejabl adj. elderly. Mi grani dawahn ejabl laydi, soh ih kyaahnwash fi ihself agen. My granny isan elderly lady, so she can’t doher own laundry anymore.ejukayshan n. education.Widowt wahn gud ejukayshan,yu wahn kyaahn geh hed eenalaif. Without a good education,you won’t be able to get ahead inlife.ejukaytid adj. educated. Yu kusi ih da wahn ejukaytid mankaa ih taak gud. You can seethat he’s an educated manbecause he speaks well.ek op v. show off with bodylanguage; draw attention toone’s self. Da gyal di ek op joskaa shee ga lang hyaa. That girlis showing off just because shehas long hair. See: shoa aaf.eks 1 n. ex-husband or wife, orex-boyfriend or girlfriend. Ahbok op mi eks owt a schreetyestudeh! I ran into my exhusbandon the street yesterday!eks 2 axe. Variant: aks.eksait v. excite; arouse, stir up.Ma, stap di eksait op yuself; Aiaarait. Mom, stop getting soexcited; I’m all right. See: ster,rayz.eksaitid adj. excited. Dehn misoh eksaitid wen dehn si dat digyal mi heel fi chroo. They wereso excited when they saw that thegirl was really healed.eksaiting adj. exciting. Ah hyaawahn eksaiting stoari yestudeh.I heard an exciting storyyesterday.eksasaiz v. exercise. Evri day wigoh da jim goh eksasaiz. Everyday we go to the gym to exercise.ekschra adj. extra. Ah nevakehr no ekschra kloaz pahn dichrip. I didn’t carry any extraclothes on the trip.eks-chray v. x-ray. Wen Ahbrok mi han, di daktaeks-chray it. When I broke myhand, the doctor x-rayed it.— n. x-ray. Wen yu luk pahn dieks-chray, yu ku si playn howdi boan brok. When you look atthe x-ray, you can see plainly thatthe bone is broken.eksep Variant: sep.eksklaava n. bracelet. Mi goaleksklaava jrap aaf a mi hanahn laas kaa wan a di link pap.My gold bracelet fell off of myhand and got lost because one ofthe links broke off. See: banglz.[
ekspeerans Kriol tu Inglish enwerk layt. The boy made allkinds of excuses as to why hecame to work late.ekspeerans Variant: ekspeerens.ekspeerens (var: ekspeerans) v.experience. Laas yaa da mi difos taim Ai mi ekspeerens wahnharikayn. Last year was the firsttime I experienced a hurricane.— n. experience. Ah neva gehdi jab kaa Ah noh ga nofekspeerens. I didn’t get the jobbecause I don’t have enoughexperience.ekspek v. expect. Wi ekspek diteecha fi goh da skool evri day.We expect the teacher to go toschool everyday.ekspel v. expel. Dehn ekspelWilfred fahn skool sayk a bakgon. They expelled Wilfred fromschool for carrying a gun.ekspensiv adj. expensive.Evriting mi ekspensiv, soh winoh bai notn. Everything wasexpensive, so we didn’t buyanything. See: dyaa.eksplayn v. explain. Eksplaynegzakli weh yu waahn Ah dusoh Ah ku andastan. Explainexactly what you want me to doso I can understand.ekspoaz v. expose. Di haiyamongki klaim, di moa ihekspoaz ihself. The higher amonkey climbs, the more heexposes himself.eksport n. expert. Shee ku shoayu how fi soa kaa shee da wahneksport. She can show you howto sew because she’s an expert.elbo n. elbow. Jooni faal dongahn peel op ih elbo. Junior felldown and scraped his elbow.elda n. elder; church leader. Mipa da-mi wahn elda eena dicherch wen ih ded. My fatherwas an elder in the church whenhe died.eldaz n. elders; people olderthan oneself. Yu mos aalwayzrispek yu eldaz. You shouldalways respect your elders.elifant n. elephant. Wen yu gohkloas dehn elifant, dehnaalwayz stink. When you goclose to elephants, they alwaysstink.els adv. else. Wi mos fala diroolz laik evribadi els. Weshould follow the rules likeeverybody else.elswaiz adv. otherwise. Noh gohbayd eena da pan; elswaizhaligeta wahn eet you. Don’tswim in that pond; otherwisealligators will eat you. See:adarels, adawaiz.emti adj. empty. Wen MisMayri gaahn da di vat fi gehwaata, ih fain di vat emti. WhenMiss Mary went to the vat to getwater, she found it empty.en n. end; last part of anything.Wi gaahn layt soh wi mi hafukech di en a di lain. We wentlate so we caught the end of theline. —v. end, finish. Unu endis kwaaril er els Ah beet di tooa unu. You had better finish thisquarrel or I’ll beat both of you.See: don, stap.en op v.phr. end up, result inbeing. If yu jrink, yu wahn en100
endeva bes Kriol tu Inglish erliyaop jos laik yu pa. If you drink,you’ll end up just like yourfather. See: lan op.wahn lee en n.phr. part-timejob. Mi breda mi-di luk fi wahnjab, ahn Misa Jo gi ahn wahnlee en da ih fakchri fi mekKrismos moni. My brother waslooking for a job, so Mister Joegave him a part-time job in hisfactory to make some money forChristmas. See: kech ahn kil.endeva bes n.phr. best endeavoror effort, utmost. Ah chrai miendeva bes fi rayz mi pikni gud.I endeavored to do my best toraise my child well.eni adj. any. Eni a unu noa howfi kuk gud? Do any of you knowhow to cook well?enibadi pro. anybody, anyone.Bad lok fala enibadi weh goh liveena da hows. Bad luck followsanyone who lives in that house.See: enihoo, nobadi.enihoo pro. anybody (evenundesirables). Enihoo ku goheena da uman hows. Anyone cango in that woman’s house. See:enibadi, nobadi.enihow adv. anyhow. Wai yukohn tel mi dat? Ah noh waahnnoa notn bowt da gyal enihow.Why did you come tell me that? Idon’t want to know anythingabout that girl anyhow.enimi n. enemy. Sayk a uman,Kalvin ahn Jeri ton big enimi.Because of a woman, Calvin andJerry became great enemies.enitaihn (var: enitaim) adv. anytime, whenever. Enitaihnchoch doa oapm, shee dehdeh.Whenever the church door isopen, she’s there. See: wentaim.enitaim Variant: enitaihn.eniting pro. anything. Ah waahnwin da rays moa dan eniting. Iwant to win that race more thananything.eniway 1 adv. anyplace,anywhere. Eniway weh yu siMaagrit shee, yu si Jayn.Anywhere you see Margaret,you’ll see Jane.eniway 2 (var: eniwayz) adv.anyway; in any case,regardless. Ah tel di bwai fistay hoahn, bot ih gaan owteniway. I told the boy to stayhome, but he went out anyway.eniwayz Variant: eniway.anyway.enka anchor. Variant: anka.enkl ankle. Variant: ankl.entatayment n. entertainment.Unu wahn ga eni entataymentda skool fi Krismos? Will youhave any entertainment at schoolfor Christmas?entatayn v. entertain. Di leebwai mi-di entatayn wi wid ihlee antiks. The little boyentertained us with his antics.enviloap n. envelope. Dehn putaal a dehn moni eena wahnenviloap. They put all of theirmoney in an envelope.er (var: ar) conj. or. Yu fi nevajrink no kain a wain er lika.You should never drink any kindof wine or liquor.erliya adv. earlier. Joa mi deh ya101
ert Kriol tu Inglish evriwayerliya, bot den ih ron gaan. Joewas here earlier, but then he ranout.ert n. earth. Pipl kohn fahn difardares kaana a di ert. Peoplecame from the farthest corners ofthe earth.ertwayk n. earthquake. Dehn miga wahn ertwayk weh dischraidi hoal siti. There was anearthquake that destroyed thewhole city.eskabaych fish n.phr.escabeched fish; fish fried andpickled in vinegar, onion andspices. [Sp. ‘escabeche’ sousedfish]eskabaycheh n. escabeche;chicken cooked in an onionand vinegar broth. Ah noh sohlaik eskabaycheh kaa ih gat eentu moch oanyan een deh. I don’treally like escabeche because ithas too much onion in it. [Sp.‘escabeche’ pickle]eskayp v. escape. Di uman mihelp di teef dehn fi eskayp. Thewoman helped the thieves toescape. See: brok owt.estudeh Variant: yestudeh.eva (var: eba) adv. ever. If yu evagoh owt deh agen, Ah wahnbeet yu. If you ever go out thereagain, I’ll beat you.evalastin adj. everlasting. Hariaalwayz ga wahn evalastingreen pan ih fays. Harry alwayshas that everlasting grin on hisface. —n. forever. Evrimaanin yu haftu tek evalastin fikoam yu hyaa. Every morningyou have to take forever to combyour hair. See: fareva.evidens n. evidence. Dehn miwaahn sen di man da jayl, botdehn neva ga no evidens gensahn. They wanted to send theman to jail, but they didn’t haveany evidence against him.evri (var: ebri) adj. every, all.Evri wan a unu wahn hafukleen unu room. Every one ofyou will have to clean his room.See: aal.evribadi pro. everybody,everyone. Evribadi mi deh daMaak wedn. Everybody was atMark’s wedding.evriday adj. daily, everyday;suitable for ordinary days. Ahwahn gi yu aal a dehn evridaytingz weh yu need. I’ll give youall of your daily needs.evriting pro. everything. Tel mievriting weh hapm ahn noh lefnotn owt. Tell me everything thathappened and don’t leaveanything out.evriway adv. everywhere.Evriway yu ton, pipl mi-di taakbowt da man. Everywhere youturn, people were talking aboutthat man.102
fa Kriol tu Inglish faamF - ffa Variant: fi .(All senses).Faada n. 1) Father; Anglican orCatholic priest. Wi ga wahnnyoo Faada da fi wee choch. Wehave a new priest at our church.See: prees. 2) God the Father;term of respect for 1st personof the Trinity. Gaad wi Faadaweh deh op da hevn, mek wi kipyu naym hoali. Our Father inheaven, hallowed be your name.faada redkyap n. woodpecker;lineated woodpecker; or palebilledwoodpecker. Dryocopuslineatus or Campephilusguatemalensis. Sohn pipl kaaludpeka ‘faada redkyap’ sayk aweh di tap a ih hed red. Somepeople call the woodpecker‘father redcap’ because the top ofits head is red. See: udpeka.faada-ahn-laa n. father-in-law.Mee ahn mi faada-ahn-laa getlang gud gud gud. My father-inlawand I get along very well.faak n. fork. Mee noh laik eetwid naif ahn faak. I don’t like toeat with a knife and fork.faak teet n. bucktooth. Pikniweh sok dehn finga yoozhwalien op wid faak teet. Childrenwho suck their thumbs usuallyend up with buck teeth. See: bofteet.faal v. 1) fell or cut down a tree.Dehn mi hafu faal da big chreekaa ih mi-di heng oava diilekchrik waiya dehn. They hadto cut down that big tree becauseit was hanging over the electricwires. See: chap dong.2) impregnate. Ih faal di yonggyal. He got the young girlpregnant. See: beli aaf, breed,jak op, pregnant.faal dong v.phr. fall down. Dibwai faal dong ahn brok ih han.The boy fell down and broke hisarm. See: jrap, pail op.faals adj. false. Di faals prafitmi-di kanfyooz di pipl dehn widweh ih seh. The false prophetconfused the people with what hesaid.faalt n. fault. Da fi yoo faalt mekdi baybi jrap aaf a di bed. It’syour fault that the baby fell offthe bed.faam 1 n. farm. Wi gaahn da difaam dehn weh mi deh kloassoh dat wi kuda mi fainsohnting fi eet. We went to thenearby farms so that we couldfind something to eat. See: milpa,plantaysh.faam 2 v. form, shape. Di piplfaam wahn groop fi aks digovament fi help. The peopleformed a group to ask thegovernment for help. — n.1) form, shape. Ah kuda mi si fishee hoal faam bihain di kertn.I could see her whole formbehind the curtain. See: figa,shayp. 2) form, document. Tekwan a di faam dehn fahn aaf adi des ahn ful it owt. Take one103
faam Kriol tu Inglish fahnof the forms off the desk and fillit out. See: paypa.faam 3 v. pretend; fake aperformance to get one’s way.Di baybi noh di krai fi chroo; ihjos di faam. The baby isn’t reallycrying; he’s just pretending. See:fayk, play-play, priten.faama n. farmer. Di faama dehnrent owt di aachad tu wahnnada man. The farmers rentedout the orchard to another man.See: gyaadna.faamli n. family (extended)Wahn lat a aanti ahn onkl ahnkozn deh eena fi wee faamli.There are lots of aunties, unclesand cousins in our family. See:famili.faar (var: fer) n. far. Wahn lat apipl mi dehdeh, ahn dehn kohnfahn faar. Many people werethere, and they came from far. —adj. far, distant. — adv. far; toa certain distance or degree.faas 1 adv. fast, quickly, rapidly.Di nyooz bowt di waar spredfaas. The news about the warspread fast. See: anda belz,kwik.faas 2 v. fast; abstain from all orcertain foods for religious ordietary purposes. Jeezas faas fifaati dayz ahn faati naits. Jesusfasted for forty days and fortynights.faas 3 v. 1) interfere, meddle.Stap faas eena mi bizniz. Stopinterfering in my business. See:dabl, intafayr. 2) snoop. Ai nohchros fi lef shee eena mi hows;rekli wen yu luk, ih goh faaseena mi ting dehn. I don’t trusther enough to leave her in myhouse; before you know it, she’llgo snooping in my things.faasn v. fasten. Kohn mek Ahfaasn yu belt gud. Come let mefasten your belt properly.faasn pahn v.phr. be fixed orfastened on. Wen di pipl dehnyehr weh di man seh, evri aiyeena di plays mi faasn pan ahn.When the people heard what theman said, every eye in the placewas fastened on him. See: fikspahn.faat Vulgar. v. fart, break wind.— n. fart; passing of gas fromthe intestines. Yoo kyaahn eevnoapm da batl, bwai? Yu nohwot wahn faat! Can’t you evenopen that bottle, boy? You’re notworth a fart! See: pum.faati num. forty. Di man ga bowtfaati kow pan ih ranch. Theman has about forty cows on hisranch.faawad adv. forward. Ah mi-ditel ahn fi goh faawad, bot ihneva yehr mi. I was telling himto go forward, but he didn’t hearme. See: frontway.faget Variant: figet.fagiv v. forgive. Ah don fagiv diman weh brok eena mi hows. Ihave forgiven the man who brokeinto my house.fagivnis n. forgiveness. Wishuda ton rong wi laif ahn gehfagivnis. We should turn ourlives around and get forgiveness.fahn (var: frahn, fram, fan) prep.from. Ah kleen di hows fahn104
fain Kriol tu Inglish faiyahaatkaana tu kaana. I cleaned thehouse from corner to corner.— adv. even. Fahn mi ma diraid baik! Even my mother ridesa bike! See: an aal, eevn, dongtu, op tu.fahn taim phr. from thebeginning, since then. Dehntoo mi laik wan anada fahntaim. Those two have liked eachother from the beginning.fain 1 adj. fine. Di baybi ga sohnfain lee hyaa di groa da tap a ihhed. The baby has some fine littlehair growing on top of her head.fain 2 n. fine; penalty. If dehnkech yu di jraiv widowt yulaisn, yu hafu pay wahn fain dakoat. If they catch you drivingwithout your license, you’ll haveto pay a fine in court.fain 3 v. find, discover. Ah wahnhaid miself weh nobadi kyaahnfain mi. I will hide myself whereno one can find me.fainali adv. finally. Wen Ahfainali don aal a mi werk, mima gi mi wahn aideel. When Ifinally finished all of my work,my mom gave me a frozen juicetreat. See: lang at laas, pahn dilaas.fait v. fight. Di man mi-di faitgens ih oan fren dehn. The manwas fighting against his ownfriends. See: dash han.faitasam adj. pugnacious; quickto fight (physically). Eevaoanli faitasam; evri minit sheedi kech eena fait wid sohnbadi.Eva really likes to fight; shealways comes to blows with105somebody.faiv num. five. Da fish don paasfaiv pong lang taim. That fish ismuch more than five pounds.fai sehn n.phr. five cents.(‘faiv’ becomes ‘fai’ before theword ‘sehn’) Dehn yoostu selkaasham eena wahn paypakoanz fi fai sehn. They used tosell ‘kaasham’ in a paper cone forfive cents.faiya v. throw. Di bwai faiya toopaint afta mi, bot dehn nevakech mi. The boy threw twobottles at me, but they didn’t hitme. See: belt, chaans, fling,stoan. — n. fire. Di faiyamandehn mi chrai fi owt di faiya.The firemen tried to put the fireout. See: flaym.kaaz faiyabon v.phr. cause afire to start accidentally. Nevalef kyandl di bon eena yu howskaa yu ku kaaz faiyabon. Neverleave candles burning in yourhouse because you could cause afire to start.faiya injin n. fire engine, firetruck. Wen mi grani tel wi fikaal di injin pomp fi owt difaiya, wi neva noa dat ih mimeen faiya injin. When mygrandmother told us to call the‘engine pump’ to put out the fire,we didn’t know that she meant‘fire engine’. See: injin pomp.faiyaans n. fire ants. (Both sg. &pl.) Wahn faiyaans kohn ahnbait mi rait pahn mi toa paint.A fire ant came and bit me righton the tip of my toe. See: aans.faiyahaat n. hearth, fireplace.Ah neva yoostu laik faiyahaat
faiyaman Kriol tu Inglish faninbikaaz di smoak mi-di bon miaiy. I didn’t used to like thefireplace because the smoke burntmy eyes.faiyaman n. fireman. Difaiyaman ron eena di hows wehmi deh pahn faiya ahn sayv dibaybi. The fireman ran into thehouse that was on fire and savedthe baby.faiyawerks n. fireworks. Difaiyawerks fi Indipendens mioanli priti dis yaa. The fireworksfor Independence were verypretty this year.faiyawud n. firewood. Wahnbig wowla mi kwail op anda difaiyawud. A big boa constrictorwas coiled up under the firewood.fak n. fact.in fak prep.phr. in fact. Di mannoh gilti; in fak, ih noh mi eevndehdeh. The man isn’t guilty; infact, he wasn’t even there. See:iz.fakchri n. factory. Wen wi mismaal, wi yoostu goh bai ais daais fakchri pahn MagazeenRoad. When we were small, weused to buy ice at the ice factoryon Magazine Road.faks n. fox. Ai neva noa wi gafaks da Bileez til wen Ah gaahnda zoo ahn si wan. I didn’t knowwe had foxes in Belize until Iwent to the zoo and saw one.fala v. follow. Di man fala ihwaif fi si if ih mi wahn meet widwahn nada man. The manfollowed his wife to see if shewas going to meet another man.See: chrayl, daag, staak.falafut v. copy, imitate, mimic.Ah noh hafu tel yu how mongkiku falafut. I don’t have to tellyou how monkeys can imitate.See: kapi.falafut jompi n.phr. copycat,imitator. Evriting weh Ai du,shee du; shee da reel falafutjompi. Everything I do, she does;she is a real copycat.falowa n. follower. Jim Jonesmi ga ih falowa dehn wel foolop fi chroo. Jim Jones really hadhis followers deceived.famili n. family (immediate)Evri week Ralf tek owt taim fikehr ih famili sohnweh. Everyweek Ralph takes some time outto take his family somewhere.See: faamli.fan 1 Variant: fahn. prep. from.(Generally used before thepronouns ‘Ah, Ai and ahn’) Miaanti kohn fahn Stayts bot Ahneva geh notn fan ahn. Myauntie came from the States but Ididn’t get anything from her.fan 2 v. 1) fan. 2) winnow. WenAh mi redi fi fan di rais, Ahhayl mi ma. When I was ready towinnow the rice, I called mymom. See: breez.— n. fan.fanin n. 1) fanning. Yu si loanfanin aal oava cherch weh ih misoh hat. There was a whole lotof fanning all over churchbecause it was so hot. 2)winnowing. Ah mi oanli taiyadwen di taim kohn fi di laasfanin a di rais. I was so tiredwhen the time came for the lastwinnowing of the rice.106
fansi Kriol tu Inglish faykfansi adj. fancy. Ih mi liv wahnsimpl laif; ih da neva no fansiman. He lived a simple life; hewas not a fancy man.— v. 1) fancy; have a likingfor. Ah noh fansi da hat ataal. Idon’t fancy that hat at all.2) fancy, imagine. Ah fansi Ahyehr sohnbadi kaal mi nayhn. Ifancied that I heard somebodycall my name.far prep. for. (A form of ‘fa’generally used only before thewords ‘ahn’ or ‘it’) Wi aks diman fi mek wi bil wahn howsfar ahn. We asked the man to letus build a house for him.farda adv. farther. Wi shub diboat owt farda eena di waata fichrai kech sohn fish. We pushedthe boat farther out in the water totry to catch some fish. See: ferda.fardares (var. fardis) adv.farthest. Yoo liv di fardares owta aal a wi. You live the farthestof all of us. See: ferdares.fardis (var. fardares) adv.farthest. See: ferdares.fareva adv. forever. Da weh Ahhafu du fi liv fareva wid Gaad?What do I have to do to liveforever with God? See: evalastin.farid n. forehead. Di ministamek di sain a di kraas pahn dibaybi farid wid aliv ail. Theminister made the sign of thecross on the baby’s forehead witholive oil.farin adj. foreign.goh da farin v.phr. go abroador come from overseas. Gyal,Ah noh si yu lang taim. Da weh107hapm? Yu gaahn da farin? Girl,I haven’t seen you in a long time.What happened? Did you goabroad? See: goh owtsaid, gohweh.fashan n. fashion, style. Sheefat fat ahn stil waahn wayrevriting weh eena fashan. She’sreally fat, but she still wants towear everything that’s in fashion.See: stail.fasit n. 1) faucet. Wen Ah tonaan di fasit, no waata mi deh.When I turned on the faucet, nowater was there. 2) standpipe;centrally located water supplyfor public use. Wen wi mismaal, fait doz aalwayz brokowt wen wi goh da fasit fiwaata. When we were small,fights always broke out when wewent to the standpipe for water.See: stanpaip.fat n. 1) fat, oil. Peeta, geh dikuknat fat fi frai di meet. Peter,get the coconut oil to fry themeat. See: ail. — adj. 2) fat.Laik how da gyal soh fat, sheeshudn wayr ih skert soh shaat.Since that girl is so fat, sheshouldn’t wear her skirts so short.See: blofoto.fatn v. fatten. Wi di fatn op dikow fi di day wen wi wahnslaata ahn. We’re fattening upthe cow for the day when we willslaughter it.fayd weh v. fade away. Wi miyehr wahn vais di taak haad,bot den ih jos fayd weh. Weheard a loud voice talking, butthen it just faded away.fayk v. fake. Di bwai mi hafu
fayl Kriol tu Inglish fayvafayk ih det ahn ron gaahn daStayts fi get weh fahn polees.The boy had to fake his death andrun to the States to get away fromthe police. See: faam, play-play,priten. — n. fake. Da goalchayn weh hihn sel mi fi faivhonjrid dalaz da loan fayk. Thatgold chain that he sold me forfive hundred dollars is nothingbut a fake.fayl v. fail. Wi wahn beks if dipikni dehn fayl dehn tes. We’llbe angry if the children fail theirtests.faymos adj. famous. Di man misoh faymos, evribadi kohn fi siahn. The man was so famous,everyone came to see him.faynt weh v.phr. faint, collapse.Wen di laydi si di snayk front aahn, ih faynt weh. When thelady saw the snake in front of her,she fainted. See: gaahnfahn...self, jrap dong.fays v. face. Wen wi gaahn dakoat, wi mi hafu fays di jojdairekli. When we went to court,we had to face the judge directly.— n. face. Ah noa fi hihn faysbot Ah noh memba ih nayhn. Iknow his face but I don’tremember his name.mek op...fays v.phr. 1) pucker,grimace. Da laim mi soh sowa,ih mek Ah mek op mi fays. Thatlime was so sour that it made megrimace. See: mash...mowt.2) having a scowl or dark lookon one’s face. Teecha mosi getop pahn di rang said a di bedkaa ih fays mek rait op. Theteacher must have gotten up onthe wrong side of the bed becauseshe came with a scowl on herface. See: mikays-mikays fays.faysi adj. shamelessly bold,brazen, disrespectful,impudent. Shee oanli faysi! Ihbara mi shooz ahn noh eevn aksmi. The nerve of her! Sheborrowed my shoes and didn’teven ask me. See: bayrfays,persnal, stepish.faysinis n. brazenness, nerve,shamelessness. Da loan faysinishow hihn kom eena mi howskohn krak bak laik ih liv deh.It’s nothing but brazenness forhim to come into my house andsettle down like he lives there.See: bayrfaysidnis, jrai aiy, jraifays.faysn v. facing. Haligeta mi dehfaysn di riva, soh ih neva si wehHanaasi du. Alligator was facingthe river, so he didn’t see whatAnansi did.fayt 1 n. fate. Da mosi fayt wehbring wee tugeda. It must befaith that brought us together.fayt 2 n. faith. Wi hafu ga fayteena Gaad. We must have faithin God.faytful adj. faithful. Ah wish mihozban mi az faytful az midaag. I wish my husband were asfaithful as my dog.fayva v. favour, look like,resemble. Aal a fi yu piknidehn kom owt fayva yu. Allyour children look like you. See:ded, dibz. — n. favour. Wi gawahn fayva fi aks di baas. Wehave a favour to ask of the boss.108
fayvritizm Kriol tu Inglish feeva graaskisiz bai fayva n.phr.favouritism. Di bwai geh di jabbai kisiz bai fayva. The boy gotthe job by favouritism. See:fayvritizm.fayvritizm n. favouritism. NowAh noa di chroot dat Gaad nohshoa fayvritizm. Now I know thetruth that God doesn’t showfavouritism. See: kisiz bai fayva.Febiweri n. February. Flowazsel plenti eena Febiweri sayk aValentainz Day. Flowers sellwell in February because ofValentine’s Day.fech v. catch one’s breath. Yuwahn geh soh fraitn dat yuwahn kyaahn fech. You’ll be sofrightened that you won’t be ableto catch your breath.feda n. feather. Dehn makapaarat ga sohn brait feda pahndehn. The macaws have somebright feathers on them.feeba Variant: feeva.feech n. dominoes. Mi bredagoh play feech da Henjri howsevri day. My brother goes toHenry’s to play dominoes everyday. See: blak stik.feedn baks n. manger; troughwhere animals are fed. Ah donput graas eena di haas dehnfeedn baks. I have put grass inthe horses’ feeding trough.feel 1 v. feel.feel wahn kain a way v.phr.1) feel uneasy oruncomfortable. Ah noh noa dawat bowt da man bot enitaimAh si ahn, Ah feel wahn kain away. I don’t know what it is109about that man, but I feel uneasywhenever I see him. 2) feeloffended. Anjela seh ih mi feelwahn kain a way wen Delsi telahn dat ih jres luk oagli. Angelasaid that she felt kind of offendedwhen Delsy told her that her dresswas ugly.feel 2 n. field. Stan Krik vali gadi bes futbaal feel eena di hoal aBileez. Stann Creek Valley hasthe best football field in all ofBelize.feel bed n. field bed; atemporary bed made for guestson the floor. Wi mi hafu mekfeel bed wen wi mi ga disleep-oava. We had to maketemporary beds when we had thesleep-over.feelin n. feeling. Weh ih mi sohkoal, Ah neva ga no feelin eenami han dehn. Because it was socold, I didn’t have any feeling inmy hands.fees n. feast. Di pipl mi kil wahnhoal hag fi di big fees. Thepeople killed a whole hog for thebig feast.feeva (var: feeba) n. fever. Wenwi si di man, ih mi sik eena bedwid wahn feeva. When we sawthe man, he was sick in bed witha fever.feeva graas n. lemon grass;used for tea and as an herbalmedicine for treating highblood pressure. Andropogoncitratus. Fos wen pipl nevayoostu ga teebag, dehn dozjrink feeva graas. Long agowhen people didn’t have teabags,they used to drink tea made from
feg Kriol tu Inglish filemon grass.feg v. fray. Mi pa yooz ih schraahat til ih feg rait weh. My fatherwore his straw hat until itcompletely frayed away.fegi adj. frayed. Ah kyaahn stansoa dehn klaat weh fegi. I can’tstand to sew those fabrics thatfray.fehfeh v. receive by goodfortune. Ah neva fehfeh notnfahn Stayts dis yaa ataal. Ididn’t receive a thing from theStates this year. See: get.fela n. boyfriend, fellow, guy,chap. Ah si yoo ahn yu fela distep dong Albert Schreet. I sawyou and your boyfriend strollingdown Albert Street.fenkeh-fenkeh adj. weak,flimsy. Da wai dehn bring disfenkeh-fenkeh chyaa fi meesidong pan, ahn dehn si Ai fat?Why did they bring that flimsychair for me to sit on, and theycan see how fat I am? See: week,waawa.fens v. fence. Di man plaant owtwahn gyaadn ahn fens it rong.The man planted a garden andfenced it. — n. fence. Tonigaahn jomp Misa Jak fens fiteef mango. Tony jumped overMr. Jack’s fence to steal mangos.fer 1 n. fur. Di kyat fer feel naisahn saaf. The cat’s fur feels niceand soft.fer 2 Variant: faar.ferda adv. further. Wen wi gehlee ferda, wi si wahn man difala wi. When we got a littlefurther on, we saw a manfollowing us. See: farda.ferdares adv. furthest.— adj. furthest. Ai liv da diferdares hows dong di aali. Ilive in the house that is thefurthest one down the alley. See:fardares, fardis.fereh adj. dry and scaly. Diskoal weda ga mi skin luk fereh.This cold weather has my skinlooking dry and scaly. See:hashishi, yaga-yaga.fernichaz n. furniture;moveable household articles.(Both sg. & pl.) Paaleen sheebai loan nyoo fernichaz fiKrismos. That Pauline bought alot of new furniture forChristmas.fertilaiza n. fertilizer. Notnmi-di groa eena mi gyaadn tilwen Ah staat tu yooz fertilaiza.Nothing was growing in mygarden until I started usingfertilizer. See: manyoar.fi 1 (var: fa, fo, fu) v.(pre-verbalauxiliary) 1) must, ought to,should. Unu fi wayt sotay Ahget aal weh Ah waahn. Youmust wait until I get all that Iwant. See: aatu, mos, shuda,sopoas tu. 2) to (infinitivemarker). Dehn tel yu fi lef di leebaybi hoahn. They told you toleave the little baby at home.fi 2 (var: fa, fo, fu) prep. 1) for.Dehn gaahn fi wahn lang taimnow. They have been gone for along time now. 2) of. Ah nohfrayd fi goas! I’m not afraid ofghosts!fi 3 (var: fa, fo, fu) possessive110
fif Kriol tu Inglish finglmarker used before a pronounor proper noun. Dis hows da fimee. This house is mine.fif adj. fifth. Di fif persn wehkohn wahn geh wahn praiz. Thefifth person who comes will get aprize.fifti num. fifty. Fifti pipl mi dehda cherch laas Sondeh. Fiftypeople were in church lastSunday.figa v. figure, believe. Ih figadat wahn goas mi-di fala bak aahn wen ih mi-di paas di beringgrong. He figured that a ghostwas following him when he waspassing the burial ground. See:tink. — n. figure. Da laydi kuwayr eniting kaa ih ga wahnnais figa. That lady can wearanything because she has a nicefigure. See: faam, shayp.figet (var: faget, figit, foget,fuget) v. forget. Ih gaahnschrayt fahn deh ahn figet wehdi man luk laik. He went straightfrom there and forgot what theman looked like.figit Variant: figet.fijiti adj. fidgety, restless. Dipikni mi fijiti fi di hoal servis;ih jos kudn kip stil. The childwas fidgety for the whole service;he just couldn’t keep still.fiks v. 1) fix, repair. Wahn mankohn fiks mi frij tideh. A mancame to fix my fridge today.2) bewitch, use obeah to put aspell on. Shee beta noh mes widmi er els Ah wahn mek MisSayra fiks ahn gud. She hadbetter not mess with me or I’ll111have Miss Sarah put a spell onher.fiks op v.phr. fix up, makeready, prepare. Brenda sheereeli fiks op ih hows fi Krismos.Brenda really fixed up her housefor Christmas.fiks pahn v.phr. be fixed orfastened on. Di gyal gat ih aiyfiks rait pahn da bwai. The girlhas her eyes fixed right on thatboy. See: faasn pahn.filim n. film. Ah hafu goh baifilim fi mi kamara. I have to gobuy film for my camera.filim shoa n.phr. film show.(Generally shown in places otherthan a theatre.) Dehn di ga filimshoa da cherch tunait. They’reshowing a film at church tonight.See: moovi, picha.filis n. aracari toucan; collaredaracari. Pteroglossus torquatus.finaral n. funeral. Wen di poleesded, dehn mi ga big finaral farahn. When the policeman died,they had a big funeral for him.See: beriyin.finga n. finger. Jos kaa Mayvisshee ingayj, ih waak wid ihfinga stik owt soh dat evribadiku si ih ring. Just because Mavisis engaged, she walks with herfinger stuck out so everybody cansee her ring.finganayl n. fingernail.Taneesha finganayl soh langdat dehn luk laik klaa.Tanisha’s fingernails are so longthat they look like claws.fingl v. 1) handle, touch. Ih finglop di froot dehn ahn neva eevn
finishin Kriol tu Inglish fitsbai dehn. He handled the fruitand didn’t even buy them. See:toch. 2) fondle, pet. If Ah udaeva kech da oal man di fingl milee gyal Ah noh noa weh Ahuda du. If I caught that old manfondling my little girl, I don’tknow what I would do. See:hoal...op, lov op.finishin adj. finish. Wi wahnhafu push fi reech di finishinlain. We’ll have to push to reachthe finish line.fis n. fist. Mi too fis dehn swel opweh Ah nak ahn soh haad. Mytwo fists swelled up because I hithim so hard. See: noklz.fis...op v.phr. beat; punish(usually with fists). Mi ma fismi op kaaz Ah tek lang. Mymother beat me because I took solong. See: beet, pong.fish n. fish. Wi bai too bred ahnwahn lee fish fi frai. We boughttwo loaves of bread and one littlefish to fry.fish kain n.phr. seafood.Maakit neva ga no fish kainataal dis maanin. There was noseafood at the market thismorning.fish tee n.phr. fish broth. Mima dash di lee fish dehn eena dipat a waata ahn bail dehn fimek fish tee. My mother threwthe little fish into the pot andboiled them to make fish soup.fishaman n. fisherman. Mibreda dehn spen lat a taim dasee kaa too a dehn da fishaman.My brothers spend a lot of timeon the sea because they’re bothfishermen.112fishin v. fishing. Mee ahn Raygwehn fishin Sondeh. Ray and Iare going fishing on Sunday.— adj. fishing. Da man jos baiwahn nyoo fishin boat. Thatman just bought a new fishingboat.fishin huk n.phr. fishhook. Difishaman put di bayt pahn difishin huk an ih mi redi fi staattu fishin. The fisherman put thebait on the fishhook and wasready to start fishing.fishin lain n.phr. fish line. Dafishin lain noh schrang nof fihoal da big fish deh. That fishline isn’t strong enough to holdthat big fish.fishin net n.phr. net, fishingnet. Di too man mi dehdeh difiks dehn fishin net. The twomen were there fixing their nets.fishwel n. fish well; anenclosure for keeping live fish.fiskayl v. fish scale; the processof making shallowherringbone pattern cuts inwood with an axe to removewood for close work.fit v. fit. Izmay wedn jres nevafit ahn gud ataal. Ismay’swedding dress didn’t fit her wellat all. — n. fit. Gyal, di shoozda wahn perfek fit. Girl, theshoes are a perfect fit.fitn adj. due, fitting, proper,right. Gyal, ih mi fitn fi yu kehrahn da koat. Girl, it was right foryou do take him to court. See:karek, prapa, rait.fits n. epilepsy. Jan kech fitswen ih mi eena di boat, an ihjrap da waata ahn jrongdid.
fiziknat Kriol tu Inglish fleeJohn had an attack of epilepsywhen he was in the boat, and hefell into the water and drowned.fiziknat n. physic nut; a kind oftree. Mi ma aalwayz gi wifiziknat waata fi jrink wen diweda hat soh dat ih ku kool wibadi. My mother always soaks abranch from the physic nut tree inwater and gives us to drink whenthe weather is hot, so as to keepour bodies cool. [The gum of thetree is usually white; however, itis said that on Good Friday it runsred (or brown), and people call it‘Jeezas Blod’.]flag 1 n. flag. Aal di lee piknidehn wayv dehn flag wen dipraim minista paas. All thechildren waved their flags whenthe prime minister passed.flag 2 (var: fleg) v. flog. Yu pawahn flag yu gud ahn prapa ifyu noh du yu hoamwerk. Yourfather will flog you good andproper if you don’t do yourhomework.flai v. fly. Di oanli way yu kudaget deh da fi flai. The only wayyou could get there is by flying.— n. 1) fly, gnat. Flai stodi dipich pahn mi. Flies were all overme. See: batlaas, bloo konkas,dakta flai, jronkin bayman,haasflai, konkas, shaat jekit.2) mosquito. Flai oanli tik diseevnin. Mosquitos are reallythick this evening. See: maskito.flai brosh n. fly brush; a devicefor keeping insects away. Wenflai tik, mi grampa aalwayzhaal ih flai brosh fi brosh dehnweh. When mosquitos are thick,my grandpa always gets out hisfly brush to brush them away.[Made from the cohune stalk; thepart of the stalk above where thenuts grow is beaten until itbecomes hairy - a fibrous brush;the brush end is soaked, and it isthen dried and used to swat flies.]flak v. flock; gather or travel ina crowd. Sayk a da man, wahnlat a pipl mi-di flak da di tong.Because of that man, manypeople flocked to the town.— n. flock. Wahn hoal flak aberd flai oava wi hows. A wholeflock of birds flew over ourhouse.flata v. 1) flutter. Wach how dibotaflai di flata ih wing dehn.Look at how the butterfly isfluttering his wings. 2) flap orflop back and forth. Wen mi pachap aaf di fowl nek, di fowlflata til ih ded. When my fatherchopped off the chicken’s head, itflopped around until it was dead.flatn v. flatten. Yu flatn dijanikayk dehn tu moch, man.You flattened the johnny-cakestoo much, man.flaym n. flame. Di kyandl mi gawahn lee lee flaym pan it. Thecandle had a very small flame onit. See: faiya.flayva n. flavour. Dis dina nohga no flayva; ih need moaseeznin. This dinner doesn’t haveany flavour; it needs moreseasoning. See: tays.flee n. flea. Fi yoo daag hihn fulop a flee. That dog of yours isfull of fleas.113
fleg Kriol tu Inglish flowaz patfleg flog. Variant: flag.flesh n. flesh. Di chap pahn diman leg mi soh deep dat di hoalflesh mi-di heng. The cut on theman’s thigh was so deep that theflesh was hanging off of the bone.fleshi adj. fleshy, meaty. Ah nohlaik chikin bres kaa ih tu fleshi.I don’t like chicken breastbecause it’s too meaty.fling v. fling, throw. Di bwaidehn fling dehn koat dong ahngaan owtsaid. The boys flungtheir coats down and wentoutside. See: belt, chaans, chokweh, faiya, stoan.flitaz n. fritters; food, such asconch, bananas or plantain,deep-fried in batter. Mai malaik put lat a pepa eena ihkonks flitaz. My mom likes toput lots of pepper in her conchfritters.floa 1 v. flow. Stan Krik riva floarait owt tu di see. Stann Creekflows right out into the sea.floa 2 n. floor. Wen wi gaahnspen di haliday da mi aanti, wimi hafu sleep pahn di floa.When we spent the holiday withmy auntie, we had to sleep on thefloor.flod v. flood. Wen ih raynplenti, mai hows aalwayz flodowt. When it rains a lot, myhouse always floods badly.— n. flood. (Both sg. & pl.)Afta wahn harikayn, flodaalwayz deh. After a hurricane,floods always happen.tap gyalan flod n.phr. bigflood. Kaiyo Riva aalwayz gatap gyalan flod. The Cayo Riveralways has high floods.flodflai n. flying ant. Enitaim yusi flodflai di flai rong, yu noaseh rayn di kohn. Whenever yousee flying ants around, you knowthat rain is coming.flonks v. flounce. Maagrit gehbeetn sayk a flonks wen ih maskoal ahn. Margaret got a beatingfor flouncing when her motherscolded her.floot n. flute. Mai faada-ahn-laaku play floot gud. My father-inlawcan play the flute well.flooz n. flu; an upperrespiratory virus. Jani mi-diwerk eena rayn aal day, soh ihkech flooz. Johnny was workingin the rain all day, so he got theflu.flosh v. flush. Di septik waahnbayl kaa evri taim wi flosh, ihoavafloa. The septic tank needsto be pumped out because everytime we flush, it overflows.flowa n. flour; powder thatcomes from milling corn orwheat. Mi grani don bai ihflowa fi mek bred. My grannyhas already bought the flour tomake bread.flowaz n. flower. (Both sg. & pl.)Tifani bwaifren gi ahn sohnpriti flowaz fi ih bertday.Tiffany’s boyfriend gave hersome pretty flowers for herbirthday.flowaz pat n.phr. vase. Sayk adi fait, dehn bwai lik dong dihoal flowaz pat a flowaz fahnaaf a di taybl. Because they were114
fo Kriol tu Inglish fongshanfighting, the boys knocked thevase of flowers from off of thetable.fo Variant: fi .(All senses).foa num. four. Bowt foa towznpipl mi deh eena di krowd daday. About four thousand peoplewere in the crowd that day.(‘Foa’ becomes ‘foar’ in thephrase ‘foar aklak’.)foakos v. focus. Peeta aiy dehnneva mi-di foakos gud afta ihgeh di lik pan ih hed. Peter’seyes didn’t focus well after he gothit on the head.foaks n. folks. Yu hafu laan fi garispek fi oalda foaks. You haveto learn to respect older folks.foaman n. foreman. Mi hozbanda di foaman wichpaa ih werk.My husband is the foreman wherehe works.foan n. phone. Wi mi-di werk,bot den di foan staat ring. Wewere working, but then the phonestarted to ring.foas v. force. Di king foas di pipldehn fi werk haad. The kingforced the people to work hard.See: kampel. — n. force. Dehnares di man bot dehn neva yoozno foas. They arrested the manbut they didn’t use any force.See: presha.foas op anda v.phr. forceone’s attentions on. Jeni laikfoas op anda dehn rich gyalmek dehn laik ahn. Jenny likesto force herself on the rich girls inthe hopes that they’ll like her.Foashoa n. Foreshore; area ofBelize City on the south side115of Haulover Creek facing theHarbour. Dehn gyal ahn bwailaik goh da Foashoa goh kis op.The girls and boys like to go tothe Foreshore to make out.foat 1 adj. fourth. Hihn da mi foatpikni. He is my fourth child.foat 2 n. fort. Baran Blis grayvdeh da foat. Baron Bliss’ graveis there near the fort.Foat Jaaj n. Fort George, anarea on the northeast part ofBelize City between Hutsonand N. Park St. aroundMemorial Park; used to be anestate belonging to theTurtons, a major land andslave-owning family. Da paatiaalwayz win eena Foat Jaajayrya wen ilekshan. That partyalways wins in the Fort Georgearea during elections.foateen num. fourteen. Roaz mioanli foateen wen ih gehpregnant. Rose was onlyfourteen when she got pregnant.foget Variant: figet.fon adj. fun. Gyal, da paatida-mi fon fi chroo! Girl, thatparty was really fun! See: kiks.fongdayshan n. foundation. Yuhafu put dong wahn gudfongdayshan if yu noh waahnharikayn bloa dong yu hows.You have to put down a goodfoundation if you don’t wanthurricanes to blow your housedown.fongshan v. function. Wen Ahtaiyad, mi braynz kyaahnfongshan. When I’m tired, mybrain can’t function.
foni Kriol tu Inglish fosi— n. function. Ah ga wahnfongshan fi goh dis eevnin, sohAh wahn hafu geh wahn nyoofrak. I have a function to attendthis evening, so I’ll have to get anew dress.foni adj. 1) funny. Chaali joakdehn mi soh foni dat wi laaf tilwi beli hat wi. Charlie’s jokeswere so funny that we laugheduntil our bellies hurt. See: joaki.2) odd, peculiar, strange. Datfoni how sodn-wan Maashastaat tu geh fat. It’s odd howMarsha suddenly started to getfat. — adj. gay (homosexual)See: batiman, ponk.food n. food. (Generally implies afull meal.) Wi uda need wahnbig amonk a food fi feed diskrowd. We’d need a largeamount of food to feed thiscrowd. See: bitl, grob.fool v. fool, deceive. Bileev miahn noh mek nobadi fool yu.Believe what I say and don’t letanyone fool you. See: chrik,joaki, play. — n. foolishness.Peeta du loan fool wid ih laif anih en op da jayl. Peter didnothing but foolishness with hislife, and he ended up in jail. See:naansens, papisho, schupidnis.fool-fool 1 adj. foolish, stupid.Da man ga Sheli fool-fool kaashee bileev evriting ih seh. Thatman has made Shelly look reallyfoolish because she believeseverything he says. See: dom,schupid, simpl.fool-fool 2 n. a type of bird;either a vireo or a flycatcher,with yellow chest and grey116back.fos 1 adj. first. Wi ga nyoo kloazfi di fos day a skool. We havenew clothes for the first day ofschool. — adv. 1) first. Da meesi di aapl dehn fos! I was first tosee the apples! 2) at first. Fos Ahneva laik da man ataal, bot denAh fain owt dat ih mi oanli nais.At first I didn’t like that man atall, but then I found out that hewas very nice. 3) long ago. Fospipl doz wash pahn skrobinboad, bot now dehn ga washinmasheen. Long ago used to washon scrub boards, but now theyhave washing machines.fos brok n.phr. initialenthusiasm. Cho! Shee nohseeryos bowt goh ron damaanin. Dat da oanli fos brok;ih wahn soon geh taiyad.Humph! She isn’t serious aboutrunning in the morning. That’sjust her initial enthusiasm; she’llsoon get tired of it.fos 2 v. fuss, quarrel. Unu laik fosop wid wan anada, man. Youlike to quarrel with each other,man. See: kech, kwaaril.— n. fuss, fight. Jan an ihbreda mi ga big fos oava hoowahn geh dehn pa moni wen ihded. John and his brother had abig fuss over who will get theirdad’s money when he dies.foschraytid adj. frustrated. Dismats prablem ga mifoschraytid. This math problemhas me frustrated.fosi adj. fussy. Di lee baybi gehfosi wen ih di kot teet. The littlebaby gets fussy when she’s
fowl Kriol tu Inglish fraiyin pancutting teeth. See: kamikl.fowl n. chicken. Mi onkl an ihwaif laik rayz fowl soh dat dehnku ga fresh eg. My uncle and hiswife like to raise chickens so theycan have fresh eggs. See: chikin.wen fowl kot teet Idiomaticphr. never (Literally: ‘whenchickens cut teeth’- similar tothe Eng. expression ‘whenHell freezes over’). Ai wahnmarid tu yoo wen fowl kot teet.I’ll marry you when chickens cutteeth.fozi adj. fuzzy. Mi hed feel fozisayk a dis koal. My head feelsfuzzy because of this cold.fraat v. froth; cause to foam.Wen di laydi kech fits, ih mi-difraat da ih mowt. When the ladyhad epilepsy fits, she was frothingat the mouth. — n. froth. Di leebwai pa beet ahn til fraat komowt a ih mowt. The boy’s fatherbeat him until froth came out ofhis mouth. See: foam.frahn from. Variant: fahn.frai v. fry. Ih smel gud wen mima frai baykan soon damaanin. It smells good when mymom fries bacon early in themorning. — adj. fried. Krofilaik di bai op dehn greesiChaini frai chikin. Creoles liketo buy that greasy Chinese friedchicken.frai jak (var: frai kayk) n. fryjack; a scone fried in oil. If yunoh put nof baykin powda eenayu frai jak, ih noh wahn bloaop. If you don’t put enoughbaking powder in your fry jacks,117they won’t puff up.frai kayk (var: frai jak) n. frycake. Frai kayk eet gud widcheez ahn raip pyaa. Fry cakereally tastes good with cheese andripe avocado.Fraideh n. Friday. Evribadiaalwayz glad wen Fraidehkohn. Everybody is always gladwhen Friday comes.fraitn v. frighten, scare. Loosibreda fraitn ahn wid wahnsheet mek ih tink seh da goas.Lucy’s brother frightened herwith a sheet to make her think itwas a ghost. — adj.1) frightened, scared. Di leegyal mi fraitn wen di daag roshahn. The girl was frightenedwhen the dog rushed at her. See:frayd. 2) shocked, surprised.Ah fraitn wen Ah si Karenpregnant kaa Ah neva si ahnwid no bwai. I was shockedwhen I saw Karen pregnantbecause I had never seen her withany boys.fraitna adj. more frightened. Dikloasa di bwai geh tu di beringgrong, di fraitna ih staat tu feel.The closer the boy got to thegraveyard, the more frightened hestarted feeling.fraitnin adj. frightening. Wi siaal kain a fraitnin ting wen wigaahn si da hara moovi. We sawall kinds of frightening thingswhen we went to see that horrormovie.fraiyin pan n. frying pan. Dehnaiyan fraiyin pan gud fi frai fisheena. Iron frying pans are goodfor frying fish.
frak Kriol tu Inglish freezafrak n. dress, frock. Evri weekshee haftu geh nyoo frak. Everyweek she has to get a new dress.See: dandan, gong, jres.frakcha v. fracture. Edi faaldong ahn frakcha ih han. Eddyfell down and fractured his arm.See: brok.frakchad adj. broken,fractured. Ah geh mi futfrakchad wen Ah jrap aaf a dibaisikl. I got a fractured footwhen I fell off of the bicycle. See:brok.frakshan n. fraction. (Both sg. &pl.) Wi mi laan fi du frakshanda skool. We learned to dofractions at school.fram Variant: fahn. from. (Usedsentence final) Ah noh noa wehyu kohn fram. I don’t knowwhere you came from.franjipani n. frangipani;tropical American shrub ortree with large fragrantflowers. Plumeria acuminataAit.frayd adj. afraid, fearful,frightened, scared. Unu mosneva frayd fi weh pipl seh. Youshould never be afraid of whatpeople say. See: fraitn.frayda adj. cowardly, fearful.Gyal, yu tu frayda. No goas noheena di room. Girl, you’re toofearful. There aren’t any ghosts inthe room. See: kowad, waawa.fraydapus n. fraidy-cat; personeasily frightened. Yu nohwaahn goh eena di room baiyuself? Yoo da reel fraydapus!You don’t want to go in the roomby yourself? You’re a real fraidycat!fraym v. frame. Fi wee mafraym aal a di sertifikayt dehnweh wee geh fahn skool. Ourmother frames all of thecertificates that we get fromschool. — n. 1) frame. Da fatgyal sidong pahn mi glaasiz ahnben op di fraym. That fat girl saton my glasses and bent the frame.2) poultry carcass or skeleton.Pipl kohn da mi hows Krismosday ahn eet owt aal a mi terkiahn lef loan fraym. People cameto my house on Christmas Dayand ate up all of my turkey andleft me nothing but the carcass.frayvrit adj. favourite. Dat daSaiman frayvrit sang. That isSimon’s favourite song.freek n. freak. Jos kaa Ai daalbaino, dehn tink seh Ai dawahn freek. Just because I’m analbino, they think that I’m afreak.freenis n. free items. MisMaybel ga lat a moni fi baikloaz bot ih stil goh da RedKraas kaa ih laik tu mochfreenis. Miss Mabel has enoughmoney to buy clothes, but shestill goes to the Red Crossbecause she likes free items toomuch.freez v. freeze. Ah mi figet fifreez ais tudeh. I forgot to freezeice today.freeza n. freezer. Wi ga lat ameet stak op eena di freeza. Wehave a lot of meat stocked up inthe freezer.118
fren Kriol tu Inglish fulfren n. friend. Da day wi invaitsohn a wi fren da wi hows fi eetdina. That day we invited someof our friends to the house fordinner. See: bali, bombali,too-faiv.fren op v.phr. make friends.Shee fren op wid mee jos kaa ihwaahn moni. She made friendswith me just because she wantedmoney.fresko n. snow cone; shaved iceserved with a sweet flavoredsyrup poured over it. Archaic.Ah laik mai fresko wid too kalasorop pan it. I like my snowcone with two colours of syrup onit. See: snoa koanz. [
ful stap Kriol tu Inglish gaacho— adj. 1) full, filled. Ah mi tinkdi bokit mi ful, bot ih mi gawahn lee hoal da batam. Ithought the bucket was full, but ithad a little hole in the bottom.ful stap n. full stop; period(punctuation mark). Yu fi putwahn ful stap da di en a wahnsentens. You should put a fullstopat the end of the sentence.fut n. 1) foot. Wich paat a yu futyu brok? Which part of your footdid you break? 2) leg. Ah brokmi fut rait bitween mi ankl ahnmi nee. I broke my leg rightbetween my ankle and my knee.pul fut/tek fut v.phr. flee, runaway. Wen di gang bwai dehnsi polees di kohn, dehn tek futahn ron. When the boys in thegang saw police coming, they ranaway. See: brok weh.fut bak n. heel. Pipl mi-di mashop mi fut bak eena di parayd.People mashed up my heel in theparade. See: heel.fut batam n. sole of the foot.Mi fut batam mi-di bon mi wehAh stan op soh lang. The solesof my feet were burning because Iwas standing for so long.futbaal n. football, soccer.Dehn bwai mi-di play futbaalaal eena rayn. The boys wereplaying football even in the rain.futstool n. footstool. Mi payoostu laik put ih fut pahn difutstool. My father used like toput his feet on the footstool.fyaa 1 v. fear. Deez dayz pipl livlaik dehn noh fyaa Gaad ataal.These days people live like theydon’t fear God at all.fyaa 2 adj. fair. Mi onkl mi nevafyaa wid mi ataal. My unclewasn’t fair with me at all.fyaa 3 n. fair. Wi cherch di gawahn big fyaa en a mont. Ourchurch is having a grand fair atthe end of the month.fyoocha n. future. Aal a wiwaahn noa weh wi wahn dueena di fyoocha. We all want toknow what we’ll do in the future.fyoom v. fume; be angry.Klaadya mi-di fyoom wen ih sihow di pikni dehn mi ga dihows dig op. Claudia was fumingwhen she saw how the childrenhad torn up the house.fyoomzi adj. smoky. Enitaim misista frai fish, ih ga di howsfyoomzi. Whenever my sisterfries fish, she gets the housesmoky.G - gga (var: gat) v. have. Dadi noh gano moni fi bai mi buk dehn.Daddy doesn’t have any moneyto buy my books. See: ha.gaacho n. flour tortilla withbeans, cabbage, ketchup andcheese. (Both sg. & pl.) Meenoh bai gaacho fahn da laydikaa di beenz aalwayz sowa. Idon’t buy gachos from that ladybecause the beans are always120
Gaad Kriol tu Inglish gadbushsour. [
gadfaada Kriol tu Inglish gaynareenj chree dehn eena diaachad. Some men came andcleaned all of the godbushes thatwere strangling the orange treesin the orchard. See: skaan-diert.[Perhaps so named because itgrows in the air without evertouching the ground]gadfaada n. godfather. Babzigadfaada gi ahn ten dalaz fi ihbertday. Babsy’s godfather gaveher ten dollars for her birthday.gadi n. godmother. Afta mi maded, Ah mi gaahn liv wid migadi. After my mom died, I wentto live with my godmother.[
gayt Kriol tu Inglish gilgayt n. gate. Wi mi hafu klaimoava di big aiyan gayt. We hadto climb over the big iron gate.geda Variant: gyada. n. personalbusiness. Get owt a mi geda.Get out of my business.geechi adj. miserly, stingy. Maibwaifren oanli geechi; ih nevabai notn fi mi fi Krismos. Myboyfriend is so stingy; he didn’tbuy anything for me forChristmas. See: cheep, meen,stinji.gegl Archaic. Variant: gaagl.geh (var: get) v. get. Pleez gohgeh sohn waata fi mi. Please goget some water for me.geh bak v.phr. 1) recover,regain. Di blain man geh bak ihsait. The blind man regained hissight. 2) get back, return. WenAh geh bak hoahn, Ah fain dimoni weh Ah mi laas. When Igot back home, I found themoney that I had lost.geng op v. gang up. Faiv bwaigeng op pahn di lee man ahnbeet ahn op. Five boys gangedup on the man and beat him up.gens adv. against. Ih gens di laafi raid widowt lait. It’s againstthe law to ride without lights.ges 1 v. guess. Ges hoo di kohnda mi bertday paati. Guesswho’s coming to my birthdayparty. — n. guess. Tel mihumoch maabl deh eena disbatl. Ah wahn gi yu chree ges.Tell me how many marbles are inthis bottle. I’ll give you threeguesses.ges 2 n. guest. Da laydi aalwayzga wahn lat a ges da ih hows.That woman always has lots ofguests at her home. See: vizita.ges hows n. guest house. Dehnaalwayz stay da wahn ges howswen dehn kohn da Bileez. Theyalways stay in a guest housewhen they come to Belize. See:boadin hows.get (var: geh) v. get, acquire,receive. (Conditioned variantoften used clause final or beforewords beginning with vowels.)Di moa moni unu ga, di moaunu wahn get. The more moneyyou have, the more you will get.get eena v.phr. get in. Get eenadis hows bifoa Ah wap yu. Getin this house before I beat you.get op v.phr. arise, get up,rise. Mi ma doz aalwayz get opsoon da maanin. My motherused to always get up early in themorning.gi (var: giv) v. give. Sayra ma giahn wahn gud beetn kaa ih teefmoni fan ahn. Sarah’s mom gaveher a good beating because shestole money from her.gi...op v.phr. abandon. Sins yugeh rich, yu jos gi mi op. Sinceyou got rich, you’ve justabandoned me. See: chroa op.gibnat Variant: givnat.gif n. gift. Sayk a weh da mi mabertday, wi bring wahn gif farahn. Because it’s my mother’sbirthday, we brought a gift forher.gil n. gill. Dehn fish gil haad fihaal owt a dehn mowt. It’s hardto get the fish gills out of their123
gilanboa Kriol tu Inglish glaasmouths.gilanboa n. parrotfish; havingbright colors and a mouthresembling a parrot’s beak.Scaridae. Gilanboa da wahnpriti fish wid aal kala. Theparrotfish is a beautifulmulticoloured fish.giliwaas n. type of lizard. See:lizad. [
Glaas Batl Kee Kriol tu Inglish goamaher husband’s windshield.lukin glaas n.phr. lookingglass. Mi ma aalwayz kova opdi lukin glaas wen ih di laitnin.My mother always covers themirror when there’s lightning.See: miro.Glaas Batl Kee n. city jail.Slang. Taam tel di man seh ihmi deh da Glaas Batl Kee kaaih neva tink seh ih mi noa datdat meen jayl. Tom told the manthat he was on Glass Bottle Cayebecause he didn’t think that heknew that that meant jail. See:jayl, bak-a-baptis, pis hows.glaasi n. glass marble.glaasiz n. eye-glasses. Jan wahnhafu wayr glaasiz kaa ihkyaahn si gud. John will have towear glasses because he can’t seewell. See: spektikl.glad-fraitn adj. pleasantlysurprised. Di gyal ma ahn pami glad-fraitn wen dehn si datih mi geh heel. The girls parentswere pleasantly surprised whenthey saw that she had beenhealed.glans v. glance. Karen shee paasmi ahn neva soh moch az glansmi way. Karen just passed mewithout even glancing my way.gloari n. glory. Mayri shee deheena fi shee gloari now laik howshee marid tu rich man. ThatMary is in her full glory sinceshe’s married to a rich man.globz (var: glovz) n. glove. (Bothsg. & pl.) Di braid mi gat aanlang wait globz pan ih handehn. The bride had long whitegloves on her hands.gloo v. glue. Gloo di picha pahndi paypa ahn heng it op. Gluethe picture on the paper and hangit up. — n. glue. Joazi put tumoch gloo pahn di paypa soh dipicha kudn stik. Josie put toomuch glue on the paper so thepicture couldn’t stick.glot n. glutton. Wai yoo di gohaan laik wahn glot? Yu tugreedi. Why do you act like aglutton? You’re too greedy. See:gaamandaiza, kraybm.glovz Variant: globz.goal 1 n. gold.— adj. gold. Mi pa gi mi wahngoal chayn fi mi bertday. Mydad gave me a gold chain for mybirthday.goal 2 n. goal. Albert kik di baalrait eena di goal ahn mek dehnwin di futbaal gaym. Albertkicked the ball right into the goal,and because of that, they won thefootball game.goalden plom n. golden plum;a fruit or the tree which bearsthe fruit. Anacardiaceae.Goalden plom seed oanli jukijuki. Golden plum seed is reallyprickly.goali n. goalie, goal-keeper.Yoo da di bes goali dis futbaalteem eva gat. You’re the bestgoal-keeper this football team hasever had.goama n. hangover. Sayk agaahn jrink, Henjri ga goama.Because he went out drinking,Henry has a hangover. [
goas Kriol tu Inglish gombolimbohangover]goas n. ghost. Wen dehn si diman, dehn mi tink seh da-miwahn goas. When they saw theman, they thought he was a ghost.See: bagabu, bubu, bubuman.goat mowt n. prediction orprophecy particularly offailure or misfortune. Yu putgoat mowt pahn mi, ahn si, Ahgeh pregnant. You said thatabout me, and look, I gotpregnant. [Perhaps from thebelief that certain plants die if agoat’s mouth touches theirleaves]goat shit n. candy made withflour; has a bumpy top. Haadlienibadi noa how fi mek goatshit agen. Hardly anyone knowshow to make ‘goat shit’ candyanymore.goh v. go. Tumaaro Ah waahngoh da maakit. Tomorrow I wantto go to the market.goh aan v.phr. 1) go on, talktoo much. Aant Maaji aalwayzdi goh aan bowt sohnting er diada. Aunt Margie is always goingon about something or the other.2) act. Sherli laik goh aan badwen shee jronk. Shirley alwaysacts badly when she’s drunk. See:ak.goh aata v.phr. confront;physically or verbally. Miaanti seh how ih wahn goh aatadi gyal sayk a weh ih seh bowtahn. My aunt said that she willconfront that girl because of whatshe said about her. See: boad aaf.goh chroo v.phr. go ahead.Goh chroo ahn bai di hows kaada wahn gud deel. Go ahead andbuy the house because it’s a gooddeal.goh oava v.phr. go across theSwing Bridge to the other sideof the river. Ah hafu waak gohoava fi goh da polees stayshan. Ihave to walk across the SwingBridge to get to the police stationon the other side of town.goh owt v.phr. loosen one’sbowels. Wen yu eet proonz, ihwahn mek yu goh owt gud.When you eat prunes, it willloosen your bowels. See:aparayt.goh owtsaid v.phr. go abroad.Ih mi hafu goh owtsaid fi siwahn dakta. He had to go abroadto see a doctor. See: goh dafarin, goh weh.goh weh v.phr. go abroad. Ahhafu goh weh goh si bowt mihelt. I have to go abroad to seeabout my health. See: goh dafarin, goh owtsaid.golf n. gulf. Wen yu goh daHonduras eena boat yu haftukraas di golf. When you go toHonduras by boat, you have tocross the gulf.goli n. gully. Di kaa ron aaf a diroad ahn en op eena wahn deepgoli. The car ran off the road andended up in a deep gully.gom n. gums; the firm fleshcovering the jaws on the insideof the mouth and surroundingthe base of the teeth. EnitaimSami skrob ih teet, ih gom dehnbleed. Whenever Sammy brusheshis teeth, his gums bleed.gombolimbo n. gumbolimbo126
gon Kriol tu Inglish graamatree; bark of which is used inmedicine for infections and asan antidote for the effects ofthe poisonwood tree; its sap isused as a gum or resin. Burserasimaruba. Gombolimbo chreesmood, smood, smood. Thegumbolimbo tree is very smooth.gon n. gun. Pachrik tek di bwaigon ahn ton rong ahn shoot ahnwid it. Patrick took the boy’s gunand turned around and shot himwith it.gon dong v.phr. gun down,shoot down. Polees gon dong dibwai kaaz ih mi-di chrai ronweh. The police gunned down theboy because he was trying to runaway. See: shat.gong n. gown. Yu shuda mi sihow aal a wi mi jres op widpriti gong fi goh da wedn. Youshould have seen how all of uswere dressed up in pretty gownsfor the wedding. See: dandan,frak, jres.goos n. goose. (Both sg. & pl.)Haatens kuk too goos fiKrismos. Hortense cooked twogeese for Christmas.gooti v. spend money lavishly.(Applies to males) Reeta laikman weh gooti pahn shee. Ritalikes men who spend their moneyon her.— adj. extravagant. Ih liv ih laiflaik wahn gooti man. He wastedall his money on extravagantliving. See: bups.gosh v. gush. Wen di paip bos,yu oanli si waata di gosh owt.When the pipe burst, you onlysaw water gushing out.127gota n. gutter, drainpipe. Laikhow rayni weda di kohn, mi paput gota rong ahn rong dihowstap fi mek di waata ronaaf. Because the rainy season iscoming, my father put drainpipesall around the roof so that thewater can run off.gots v. gut. Di fish don gots botih noh skrayp yet. The fish havebeen gutted but they haven’t beenscaled yet. — n. 1) guts. Di manbadi bos oapm ahn aal a ih gotskom owt. The man’s body burstopen and all of his guts came out.See: inschralz. 2) guts; a line inthe game of marbles thatdetermines order of play.gov aapl n. a type of fruit;similar to custard apple butwith a smooth skin. Gov aaplda wahn froot weh yu haadli siagen. Gov apple is a fruit thatyou hardly see anymore.govament n. government. Dipipl waahn di govament fi duevriting. The people want thegovernment to do everything.govna n. governor. Fi weekonchri yoostu ga loan Inglishgovna. Our country used to haveonly English governors.govna plom n. a small fruitwith many seeds in a brownpulp. Flacourtia indica. Govnaplom green, an ih ga wahn rofseed. Governor plum is greenwith a rough seed.graama n. grandmother. Aida-mi lee baybi wen mi graamaded. I was a little baby when mygrandmother died. See: grani.
graas Kriol tu Inglish granfaadagraas n. grass. Jaaj noh laikrayk op di graas wen hihnchap. George doesn’t like to rakethe grass when he cuts it.graas-hapa n. grasshopper.grabalishos adj. greedy. Da wehshee grabalishos mek sheewaahn aal a di moni. It’sbecause she’s so greedy that shewants all of the money. See:greedi.grabiti n. traction. Ah noh hafuwori dat Ah wahn slip dong kaami tenis ga gud grabiti. I don’thave to worry about slippingbecause my tennis shoes havegood traction.grabl v. grab hold of a personwith intent to harm. Soozigrabl ih hozban sweethaat ahnput wahn gud beetn pan ahn.Susie grabbed hold of herhusband’s mistress and gave her agood beating. See: kech.grain v. 1) grind. Mi grani gawahn oal taim mil weh sheegrain meet eena. Mygrandmother has an old time millthat she grinds meat in.2) defame, slander. Sayra dawahn hipokrit; ih di grainMayri bihain ih bak ahn den ihagree wid ahn wen dehn dehfays tu fays. Sarah is a hypocrite;she slanders Mary behind herback and then she agrees with herwhen they are face to face. See:blakn.graip v. gripe; cause sharp painin the bowels. If yu eet greenmango, ih wahn graip yu beli. Ifyou eat green mangos, it willcause you to have stomachcramps.graipinz n. gripe; stomach orintestinal cramp. Ah ga badgraipinz sayk a eet tu mochmango. I have bad crampsbecause I ate too many mangos.See: beli ayk, payn-a-beli.grajuayt v. graduate. Now datAh don grajuayt, Ah di werk fimi oan moni. Now that I’vegraduated, I’m working for myown money.grama n. grammar. Mee nohlaik stodi Inglish grama ataal. Idon’t like to study Englishgrammar at all.grampa n. grandpa,grandfather. Enitaim dehnpikni grampa kohn, ih gi dehnmoni. Whenever those kids’grandfather comes, he gives themmoney. See: granfaada, taata.grampikni n. grandchild.Sheela ma ga ten grampikni.Sheila’s mom has tengrandchildren.gran adj. grand. Kayti an ihhozban mi ga wahn gran wedn.Katie and her husband had agrand wedding.grandaata n. granddaughter.Mis Roazi grandaata aalwayzgoh reed far ahn. Miss Rosie’sgranddaughter always goes toread to her. See: granson.grandi n. midwife. Wen Pamelami redi fi ga baybi, ih sen fi digrandi. When Pamela was readyto have her baby, she sent for themidwife. See: midwaif.granfaada n. grandfather. Migranfaada mi ga lat a pig pan ih128
grani Kriol tu Inglish grayvdigafaam. My grandfather had manypigs on his farm. See: grampa,taata.grani n. grandmother. Ai da-milee baybi wen mi grani ded. Iwas a little baby when mygrandmother died. See: graama.granson n. grandson. Ah mirayz mi lee granson kaa ih magaahn da Stayts. I raised mylittle grandson because his motherwent to the States. See:grandaata.gravl n. gravel. Mi pa chroasohn gravl front a di yaadwichpaa ih mi wet. My dadthrew down some gravel in frontof the yard where it was wet.grayn n. grain, kernel; a singleunit of anything in mass suchas rice, hair on one’s head,bead of sweat, etc. Wail Jenimi-di eet, wahn rais grayn flaida ih chroat ahn choak ahn.When Jenny was eating, a grainof rice got into her throat andchoked her.grayp n. grape. Rong Krismostaim lat a grayp aalwayz deh fibai. Around Christmas time thereare always lots of grapesavailable.see grayp n.phr. sea grape; talltree native to the Caribbeanregion bearing a purple berryused in preserves and wines.Coccoloba uvifera[The colour and shape remindedthe early settlers of the grape thatthey knew in Britain.]graypfroot n. grapefruit.Graypfroot nais wen yu dig owtdi midl ahn poar kandens milkeen deh. Grapefruit is good whenyou dig out the middle and pourcondensed milk inside.grays n. grace. Da oanli bai digrays a Gaad wi di mek it chroodehnya haad taim. It’s only bythe grace of God that we make itthrough these hard times.grayt adj. great. Wi yehr bowtaal a di grayt ting dehn wehhapm deh. We heard about all ofthe great things that happenedthere.grayta v. grate. Main yu graytayu finga wen yu di grayta dikuknat. Be careful that you don’tcut your finger while you’regrating the coconut. — n. grater.Dis grayta oanli dol, ih di kipmi bak. This grater is really dull,it’s keeping me back.graytful adj. grateful. Gyal, Ahreeli graytful fi aal weh yu du fimi. Girl, I’m really grateful forall that you do for me.grayt-grayt-grayt-granfaadan. ancestor, forefather. Migrayt-grayt-grayt-granfaadadehn kohn fahn Afrika. Myancestors came from Africa. See:ansesta.grayv n. grave; the hole inwhich a dead body is buried.Enitaim Ah goh da mi magrayv, Ah krai. Whenever I goto my mom’s grave, I cry. See:toom.grayvdiga n. 1) gravedigger.Dehn grayvdiga yoostu diggrayv siks fut deep wan taim,bot now da oanli chree fut. The129
grayvi Kriol tu Inglish gripgravediggers used to dig gravessix feet deep, but now it’s onlythree feet. 2) cricket; type ofinsect. Sohntaim yu ku tekgrayvdiga fi krikit. Sometimesyou mistake the grave digger fora cricket. See: krikit.grayvi n. gravy. Di jripinz aaf aterki nais fi mek grayvi. Thedrippings off of a turkey are goodfor making gravy.gree v. get along with. Mee ahnPaal kyaahn gree ataal. Pauland I can’t get along at all. See:kaskas, set haas.greedi adj. greedy. Da laik fishee beli ga wahn hoal; ih sohgreedi dat ih eet wen ih noheevn hongri. It’s like her bellyhas a hole; she’s so greedy thatshe eats even when she’s nothungry. See: grabalishos.greedi op v.phr. takeeverything for oneself.(Generally refers to food) Janhihn greedi op di mango dehnahn neva lef non fi wee. John ateall of the mangos and didn’t leaveany for us. See: hag op.greedinis n. greediness. Di adaanimal mi beks wid Hanaasisayk a ih greedinis. The otheranimals were angry with Anansibecause of his greediness.green adj. 1) green. Dis taim a diyaa di leef dehn pahn di chreedehn green, green, green. Thistime of the year the leaves on thetrees are very green. 2) green;inexperienced. Luk ya man, daweh yu haiya dis bwai fa? Hihngreen green ahn noh noa weh fidu. Now why did you hire thatboy? He’s completelyinexperienced and doesn’t knowwhat to do.green 2 v. grin. Jan oanli mi-digreen op wen ih yehr seh ih winlato. John was really grinningwhen he heard that he had wonthe lotto. See: smail.— n. grin. Yu shuda mi si howih luk eena ih kaafin; ih mi gawahn evalastin green pan ihfays. You should have seen howshe looked in her coffin; she hadan everlasting grin on her face.grees n. grease. Da gyal hedaalwayz pak op wid lat a grees;yu noh eevn waahn toch ihhyaa. That girl’s hair is alwaysfull of grease; you don’t evenwant to touch it.greesi adj. greasy. Dehn manweh lif wayt laik grees opdehnself til dehn luk laik GreesiMan. Men who lift weights liketo grease themselves up until theylook like Greasy Man. [‘GreesiMan’ was an infamous criminalwho eluded the police bygreasing his naked body. Theyfinally caught him by puttingsand on their hands.]gril n. grill. Mama roas di chikinrait pahn di gril. Mom roastedthe chicken right on the grill.— adj. grilled. Wail wi mi owt atong, wi geh gril fish fi lonch.While we were downtown, wehad grilled fish for lunch.grip n. grip, suitcase. Ah reelicherish da grip weh mi kloazeena kaa ih yoostu bee fi migrayt grani. I really cherish thatgrip that has my clothes in it130
groa Kriol tu Inglish grontbecause it used to belong to mygreat grandmother. See: valees.[
groom Kriol tu Inglish gudnisdatideh room, an Ai hayt si ahndi ponish laik dis. All day mygranny moans and groans in thatroom, and I hate to see her sufferlike that. See: moan. — n.grunt; a variety of salt-waterfish having a red mouth,which makes a grunting soundwhen removed from the water.Haemulidae.groom n. bridegroom. Evribadimi shak wen di groom nevashoa op da choch. Everybodywas shocked when thebridegroom didn’t show up atchurch.groop n. group. Wahn lee groopa man gaahn da di baas aafis fiaks ahn fi rayz a pay. A smallgroup of men went to the boss’office to ask him for a raise inpay.grupa n. any of a number ofedible saltwater fish in thegrouper family. Ai neva noadat wen grupa geh big, dehnkaal dehn Joofish. I didn’t knowthat when groupers get big, theycall them Jewfish. See: joofish.[
gud-wan Kriol tu Inglish gwanakastehdi tank Gaad fi ih gudnis. Wealways thank God for Hisgoodness.gud-wan adv. well. Ah mi-disidong deh gud-wan wen mihaat staat tu beet faas faas. Iwas sitting there doing well whenmy heart started beating veryrapidly. See: gud.gudz n. goods, groceries. Mi magaahn bai sohn gudz fi geh redifi harikayn. My mom went tobuy groceries to get ready for thehurricane. See: groasriz.gumbeh n. large drum used fordances; made from mahoganyabout 18” high and 18” long,with the head on both ends,.Bara gumbeh neva play tildaylait. The borrowed drum doesnot play until the end of thedance. (Belizean proverb) [
gwehn Kriol tu Inglish gyalname for tubroos tree isguanacaste. See: tubroos.gwehn (var: gwain) v. going, inthe process of going. (futuretense of ‘to go’) Yu gwehn daskool tumaaro? Are you goingto school tomorrow?gyaabij n. garbage, trash. Minayba pail op di hoal lat astinkin gyaabij rait da mi gayt.My neighbour piled up a bunch ofstinking garbage right by mygate. See: dert, chrash.gyaabij kyan n. garbage can,wastebasket. See: dert baks.gyaad v. guard, protect, shieldfrom danger. Di soalja dehnmi-di gyaad di kween. Thesoldiers were guarding the queen.See: protek. — n. guard,sentinel, sentry. Di priznakudn get weh kaa di gyaaddehn mi-di stan op rait da di seldoa. The prisoner couldn’t getaway because the guards werestanding right at the cell door.gyaadn n. garden. Dehn roazeena yu gyaadn oanli luk priti.The roses in your garden reallylook pretty.gyaadn eg n. eggplant. Gyaadneg gud fi yu, bot Ai noh laik it.Eggplant is good for you, but Idon’t like it.gyaadna n. gardener. Evri dayyu si Mis Mayri gyaadna di tentu ih roaz chree dehn. Every dayyou see Miss Mary’s gardenertaking care of her rose bushes.gyaalik n. garlic; an onion-likeplant; bulb is used in cookingand herbal medicines. Alliumsativum. Wen yu eet tu mochgyaalik, ih mek yu paas lat agyas. When you eat too muchgarlic, it makes you pass a lot ofgas.gyaap v. yawn. Wi kuda mi sidat di baybi mi sleepi kaa ihstodi mi-di gyaap ahn gyaap.We could see that the baby wassleepy because he kept yawningand yawning. — n. yawn. Dehnseh jos bifoa dehn oal pipl ded,dehn aalwayz gi wahn biggyaap. They say that just beforeold people die, they always give abig yawn. See: yaan.gyaataz n. garter. (Both sg. &pl.) Wi yoostu put aan gyaatazfi hoal op wi saks. We used toput on garters to hold up oursocks.gyada (var: geda) v. 1) gather,pick up. Dehn gyada op aal a dimoni weh di pipl dehn mi jrap.They picked up all of the moneythat the people had dropped.2) assemble, come together,gather. Ih mi luk laik di hoaltong mi gyada front a di manhows. It looked like the wholetown had gathered in front of theman’s house. 3) gather (cloth)Ah gyada wahn lat a lays fi putpahn di ej a di kertn. I gatheredlots of lace to put on the edge ofthe curtain. 4) become full ofpus. Di soar pahn mi fut staattu gyada, an Ah mi hafu skweezowt di koropshan. The sore onmy foot got infected and I had tosqueeze out the pus. — n.personal business. See: geda.gyal n. 1) girl; young female.134
gyalan Kriol tu Inglish haadLoan gyal goh da da skool. Onlygirls go to that school. 2) girl;female friend of any age. SohLidya gyal, yu wahn siksti neksweek. So Lydia girl, you’ll turnsixty next week.gyalan n. gallon. Gyas da nayliten dalaz a gyalan. Gas is almostten dollars per gallon.gyalfren n. girlfriend. Di yongman ahn di yong laydi geh fibee bwaifren ahn gyalfren. Theyoung man and woman becameboyfriend and girlfriend.gyalop v. gallop. Jenifa skreemahn hala wen di haas gyalopweh wid ahn. Jennifer screamedand hollered when the horsegalloped away with her. See:chrat. — n. gallop. Di haasmi-di goh sloa fos, ahnsodn-wan ih brok owt eenawahn faas gyalop. The horse wasgoing slowly at first and suddenlyit broke out in a fast gallop.gyambl v. gamble. Sayk agyambl, Jan looz aal a ih moni.Because of gambling, John lostall of his money.gyap n. gap. Wahn big gyap mideh eena di parayd. There was abig gap in the parade.gyas n. gas. (Short for gyasoleen)Wi ron owt a gyas pahn diroad, ahn no gyas stayshanneva deh rong. We ran out of gason the road, and there was no gasstation nearby. See: gyasoleen.gyasoleen n. gasoline. Wi mi fiput gyasoleen eena di kaa, botwi neva mi ga no moni. We weresupposed to put gas into the car,but we didn’t have any money.See: gyas.ha (var: hav) v. have, possess.Humoch maabl yoo ha? Howmany marbles do you have? See:ga/gat.haaba v. harbour. Ah noh noawai da laydi laik haaba dehn lata lee yong bwai da ih hows. Idon’t know why that lady likes tohave that bunch of young boys ather house.haad adj. 1) hard, difficult,distressful. Mi breda stan baimi said eena aal mi haad taimdehn. My brother stood by myside in all of my hard times. See:kohn. 2) firm, stiff.H - hSchrech-mi-gots da waahnhaad sweet. Taffy is a firmcandy. 3) loud. Di laydi mi-dikamplayn bowt di haad naizweh di bwai dehn mi-di mekowtsaid. The lady wascomplaining about the loud noisethat the boys were makingoutside.haad hed phr. dumb, mentallyslow. Luk how lang Ah di chraiteech dis gyal ih abc, bot disyalee gyal hed haad, sa! Look howlong I’ve been trying to teach thisgirl her abc’s but man she’s slow!See: dol, dom, donsi.135
haad-ayz Kriol tu Inglish haaflait— adv. 1) hard; with strengthor effort. Di man yoostu werkhaad fi feed ih pikni, bot now ihnoh di du notn. The man used towork hard to feed his children,but now he doesn’t do anything.2) loud, loudly. Noh kay howhaad yu hala, hihn noh wahnyehr yu kaa ih def. No matterhow loudly you holler, he won’thear you because he’s deaf.3) excellent, really nice. Slang.Gyal, da shooz luk haad! Girl,those shoes look really nice. See:bad, wikid.haad-ayz (var: ayz haad) adj.stubbornly disobedient. Yoonoh hyaa weh Ah seh? Da howyu soh haad-ayz? Didn’t youhear what I said? How can you beso disobedient?haadbak adj. mature; usedsatirically of a male who’s oldenough to know or do better.Wai dis big haadbak bwai diramp pahn di lee pikni dehnmeri-goh-rong fa? Why is thatbig boy playing on the children’smerry-go-round? See: hoks.haadbong Variant: haadbonk.haadbonk (var: haadbong) n.constipation. Dehn seh haafraip banaana gi yu haadbonk.They say that half ripe bananawill give you constipation. See:bain, kaak, kaastiv. [
haak Kriol tu Inglish haasflaisomething.haak 1 n. hawk; a raptor-typebird. Da gyal ma wach ahn laikhaak, an ih stil geh pregnant.That girl’s mom watches her likea hawk, and still she got pregnant.haak 2 v. hawk; cough upphlegm. Az Ah mi redi fi eetaiskreem, di lee oal laydi kohnhaak rait front a mi. Just as Iwas getting ready to eat my icecream, the old lady came andhawked right in front of me. See:kaaf op.haal 1 v. haul, pull. Soh mochfish mi deh eena dehn net datdehn kudn eevn haal it een. Somany fish were in their net thatthey couldn’t even pull it in. See:jreg, pul, toa.haal aan/aaf v.phr. put on ortake off clothing hastily.Mikays haal aan yu dosta ahngoh owtsaid goh geh ditamaales fahn di man bifoa ihgoh. Put on your housedressquickly and go out and get thetamales from the man before hegoes. See: chroa aan.haal ahn pul op phr.1) disheveled, disorderly,untidy, messed up. Di piknidehn ga dis hows haal ahn pulop. The children have this houseall messed up. See:hayrim-skayrim. 2) handleroughly. Noh kohn di haal ahnpul mi soh kaa yu wahn geh mibeks. Don’t come handling meroughly like that because you’llmake me angry. See: bulireg.haal 2 n. 1) hall; living room orparlour. Wen wi mi leel, wi137yoostu sidong eena di haal ahnplay jaks. When we were little,we used to sit in the living roomand play jacks. See: paala.2) large room in a publicbuilding used for socialfunctions. Wen mai ma miyong, shee ahn mai pa doz gohdaans da Rivasaid Haal. Whenmy mother was young, she andmy father used to go dancing atRiverside Hall.haan n. horn. Dehn taksimanstodi ting di bloa dehn kaa haansayk a weh dehn aalwayz eenawahn hori. The taxi drivers areconstantly honking their hornsbecause they’re always in a hurry.haantid adj. haunted. Dehn gasohn hows rong Bileez weh piplseh haantid. There are somehouses around Belize that peoplesay are haunted.haapoon n. harpoon, or themetal point on the harpoon.Jan chroa ih haapoon wid aal ihschrent ahn schraik wahn fishrait eena ih hed. John threw theharpoon with all of his strengthand struck the fish right in itshead.haas n. horse. Wen Ai mi smaal,Ah doz laik raid haas lat lat.When I was younger, I reallyliked riding horses.haas domp n. horse dung ormanure. Dehn seh haas dompda gud fertilaiza fi yu plaants.They say that horse manure isgood fertilizer for your plants.See: kow dong, manyoar.haasflai n. horsefly. Tabinadae.Dehn big haasflai oanli bait hat.
haaspital Kriol tu Inglish hagishIt really stings when those bighorseflies bite.haaspital n. hospital. Mi ma tekeen wid bad payn a beli, soh wirosh ahn da haaspital. Mymother suddenly got a bad pain inher stomach, so we rushed her tothe hospital.haat n. 1) heart. Gaad da dioanli wan weh noa evribadihaat. God is the only one whoknows everybody’s heart. 2) thecentre of something; the core.Ih nais wen yu kot owt di haat adi bredfroot ahn stof it widbaykan ahn bayk it. It’s nicewhen you cut out the core of thebreadfruit and stuff it with baconand bake it.haati adj. hearty. Ah kyaahn telyu di laas taim Ah mi geh fisidong ahn eet wahn haati meel.I can’t tell you the last time that Iwas able to sit down and eat ahearty meal. See: helti.haavis v. harvest. Misa Peetgaahn da ih plantaysh gaahnhaavis ih froots dehn fi sel. Mr.Pete went to his plantation toharvest his fruit to sell. See: reep.— n. harvest. Haavis da Bileezda laik Tanksgivin da Stayts.Harvest in Belize is likeThanksgiving in the States.hach v. hatch. Nain lee baybimaklala eg hach bihain di hows.Nine little lizards were hatchedbehind the house.hachit n. hatchet. Di man gawahn lee hachit weh ih chap opdehn big fish wid. The man has alittle hatchet that he chops up thebig fish with. See: aks.138haftu Variant: hafu.hafu (var: haftu) v. have to,must. Di oanli ting yu hafu dueena laif da ded. The only youhave to do in life is to die. See: fi,mos, shuda, sopoas.hag n. hog. Wahn lat a hagmi-di feed eena di feel. Manyhogs were feeding in the field.hag op v.phr. 1) takeeverything for oneself. (Refersto things.) Di lee bwai hag opaal a di kalarin dehn ahn non adi ada pikni dehn kudn get. Thelittle boy hogged all of thecrayons and none of the otherchildren could get any. See:greedi op. 2) eat greedily. Evritaim Jani hihn hafu hag op aaldi mango dehn, den di adapikni dehn noh geh non. ThatJohnny always eats up all themangos, and then the otherchildren don’t get any. See: lashdong, manjeh, nyam, waks aaf,yafl. 3) abuse verbally,humiliate. Da teecha sheeaalwayz di hag op Chaali fronta evribadi mek ih feel shaym.That teacher always humiliatesCharlie in front of everybody andmakes him feel ashamed.hag plom n. a type of plumtree; the bark, leaves andflowers are used in localmedicines. Spondias mombin. Ainoh laik hag plom kaa da moaseed dan eniting els. I don’t likehog plum because it’s more seedthan anything else.hagish adj. cruel, mean, haglike.Nobadi noh goh rong daoal laydi, kaa ih tu hagish.
hagsaa Kriol tu Inglish halariNobody goes around that old ladybecause she’s too mean. See:kruwil.hagsaa n. hacksaw. Misa Jansen bara mi pa hagsaa fi kot dipees a aiyan. Mr. John borrowedmy dad’s hacksaw to cut thepiece of iron.hahn int. here. Hahn, si sohnmoni ya fi yu lonch. Here’ssome money for your lunch.hai adj. high. Wi klaim wahn haichree fi geh di froot. Weclimbed a high tree to get thefruit.hai ahn maiti adj.phr. highand mighty, proud. Aal dehnwan weh tink dehn hai ahnmaiti wahn geh bring dong. Allthose who are so proud will bebrought down. See: prowd.haid v. hide. Hori haid anda dibed mek yu ma noh si yu. Hurryand hide under the bed so yourmom won’t see you.haid weh v.phr. hide away.Mis Mayri hafu haid weh ihmoni mek ih hozban noh fain it.Miss Mary has to hide her moneyso that her husband can’t find it.hais v. hoist, lift. Hais op yu futmek Ah sweep anda di chyaa.Lift your feet so I can sweepunder the chair. See: lif, rayz.hai skool n. high school. Dipikni dehn hafu werk haadeena di hai skool. The childrenhave to work hard in high school.hait n. height. Sheri ga gud haitfi bee wahn modl. Sherry hasgood height to be a model.haiti-taiti adv. hoity-toity. Yudehdeh di play haiti-taiti laikyu beta dahn mee. You’re actingso hoity-toity, as if you’re betterthan I.haiway n. highway. Magi liv daterteen mailz pahn di WestanHaiway. Maggie lives at thethirteen mile marker on theWestern Highway.haiya 1 adj. higher. Di govna shetop kaa di man mi ga haiyapozishan dan hihn. Thegovernor shut up because the manhad a higher position than he.haiya 2 v. hire. Mi ma haiyawahn man fi chap di graas. Mymom hired a man to cut the grass.haiyis adj. highest. Jan geh dihaiyis maak eena di klaas. Johngot the highest mark in the class.hala 1 v. holler, shout, yell. Nohkay how haad yu hala, hihn nohwahn yehr yu kaa ih def. Nomatter how loudly you holler, hewon’t hear you because he’s deaf.See: baal, krai, skreem.hala 2 adj. hollow. Yong paarataal taim deh eena dehn halachree. You can often find youngparrots in hollow trees.haladay Archaic. Variant:haliday.halari 1 n. a loud, rowdy, unrulyperson. Ah noh waahn yu digoh aan laik dehn halari pahnschreet, yu noa. I don’t want youto act like those rowdy girls onthe street, you know. See:balahu, blagyaad, champongnani.halari op v.phr. act in anunruly or rowdy manner. Pati139
halari Kriol tu Inglish hambogmi feel shaym wen ih si how ihma di halari op ihself pahnschreet. Patty was embarrassedwhen she saw how unruly hermom was in public. [Perhaps ametaphorical ref. to a wild cat ofthe same name, which sounds likea noisy bird]halari 2 n. jaguarundi, thesmallest, species of wild cat inBelize; it makes a sound likethe chirping of a bird. Felisyagouaroundi. Di halari noh gano spat. The jaguarundi doesn’thave any spots.halarin n. hollering, shouting,yelling. Hanaasi yehr dihalarin, bot di too bwai dehnmi def. Anansi heard thehollering, but the two boys weredeaf.haliday (var: haladay) n.holiday, vacation. Wen mai padehn mi smaal, dehn doz gohda Mongki Riva fi haliday.When my dad and his familywere small, they used to go toMonkey River for vacation. See:leev.haligeta n. crocodile, alligator.(Species found in Belize is acrocodile – Crocodylusamericanus. Unu noh fi gohbayd eena da pan kaa ih gat eenhaligeta. You shouldn’t swim inthat pond because it has alligatorsin it.Haloava Brij n. HauloverBridge; bridge on the NorthernHighway crossing the BelizeOld River. [Name is said tocome from the fact that logs were‘hauled over’ to the river-side at140this point before floating into thesea; another story is that cowsbrought down from the northwere ‘hauled’ across the riverhere; also an early map of theYucatan identifies a (Mayan)settlement in the same area as‘Holzuz’.]Haloava Krik n. HauloverCreek; the main water coursethrough Belize City.hama v. hammer. Ah hama mifinga insted a di nayl. Ihammered my finger instead ofthe nail. — n. hammer. Wi mihafu bara Misa Joa hama finayl op di shelf. We had toborrow Mr. Joe’s hammer to nailup the shelf. See: maal, slejhama.hamadili n. armadillo.Cabassous centralis & Dasypusnovemcinctus. Kohn eet da wihows noh kaa mi ma kukhamadili ahn wait rais. Whydon’t you come eat with usbecause my mom cookedarmadillo and white rice.hamak (var: hamik) n.hammock. Wen Ah di raakeena di hamak, Ah geh tonti.When I rock in the hammock, Iget dizzy.hamanz n. almond tree; a typeof ornamental shade tree withlarge leaves. Dehn seh dat goasaalwayz deh anda hamanzchree. They say that ghosts arealways under almond trees.hambog v. 1) mess up, ruin. Ahnoh wahn len yu mi rayjonohmoh kaa yu hambog it op.I’m not going to lend you my
hambrelo Kriol tu Inglish handlradio anymore because youmessed it up. See: mes op.2) upset one’s plans, keep oneback. Wen Mayri kohn, ihhambog mi kaa Ah mi waahngoh owt. When Mary came, sheupset my plans because I wantedto go out.hambrelo Archaic. Variant:ombrela.hamik Archaic. Variant: hamak.han v. hand, give. Mis Beka hanJaaji di moni ahn di baaskitahn sen ahn da maakit. MissBecka handed Georgie the moneyand basket and sent him tomarket. See: giv. — n. hand andany part of the arm up to theshoulder. Di oal man brok ihhan rait kloas ih elbo. The oldman broke his hand right close tohis elbow.han owt...han v.phr. extend,reach or stretch out one’shand. Di lee baybi han owt ihhan tu mi, an Ah noh eevn noaahn. The little baby reached outher arms to me, and I don’t evenknow him. See: lang owt,schrech.jos mi han phr. by chance,lucky for me. Ah mi waahnsohnbadi fi goh bai fi mi, ahnda-mi jos mi han dat Jaaji kohnda sayhn taim. I was wantingsomebody to go buy for me, andlucky for me Georgie came byright then.han eensaid n.phr. palm ofthe hand. Di lee gyal haneensaid mi mes op wid paynt.The girl’s palms were stainedwith paint.ton...han v.phr. work at. Ah dimek sohn bred ahn bon fi chraiton mi han fi mek sohn ekschramoni fi Krismos. I’m makingsome bread and buns to work atwhat I can to make some extramoney for Christmas.wid his too lang han di hengda ih said Idiomatic phr.empty-handed. (Literally:‘with his two long handshanging by his side’) Di mangaahn fi kalek fi hihn shayr a dimoni, bot di baas sen ahn wehwid ih too lang han di heng daih said. The man went to collecthis share of the money, but theboss sent him away emptyhanded.Hanaasi (var: Anaansi, Anansi,Hanansi) n. Anancy; a clevercharacter in Kriol folklorewho looks like a spider. Weelaik wen fi wee ma tel weestoari bowt Hanaasi. We like itwhen our mom tells us storiesabout Anancy. [Afr. Twi:‘ananse’ spider]Hanansi (var: Anansi, Anaansi,Hanaasi, Hanansi) n. Anancy; aclever character in Kriolfolklore who looks like aspider.handl v. handle, manage, copewith. Ah kyaahn handl dehnyapikni; dehn gi mi tu mochchrobl. I can’t handle thesechildren; they give too muchtrouble. See: manij.— n. 1) handle. Di handl fi dijraa brok aaf. The drawer handlebroke off. 2) handlebar. Hoal dihandl gud er yu wahn faal141
hankerchif Kriol tu Inglish haradong. Hold the handlebars wellor you’ll fall.hankerchif n. handkerchief. Ihbeta fi yooz wahn rag fi waipswet wid kaa hankerchif wahnwet op kwik taim. It’s better touse a rag to wipe sweat because ahandkerchief gets wet tooquickly. See: hanki.hanki (var: henki) n.handkerchief. Mek shoar yukehr wahn hanki fi waip yufays, hyaa? Make sure that youtake a hanky to wipe your face,okay? See: hankerchif.hankof n. handcuffs. Di manbrok di hankof ahn ron weh.The man broke the handcuffs andran away. See: banglz.hanraitin n. handwriting. Dahow fi yoo hanraitin soh terabl?How can your handwriting be soterrible? See: raitin.hansom adj. handsome. Wen ihmi yong, da man mi oanlihansom. When he was young,that man was very handsome.See: priti.hanspeek n. pry bar; long polesused by loggers to rollmahogany logs. See: kroabaar.hanspring n. handspring. Dibwai dehn mi-di du pupalikahn han spring joorin diparayd. The boys were doingsomersaults and handspringsduring the parade.hap v. hop, jump over. Keeshami-di hap pahn wahn fut kaa ihgeh nayl-juk. Keisha washopping on one foot because shestepped on a nail. See: jomp.hapi adj. happy. Di laydi mioanli hapi laik how dehn fain ihson. That lady was really happysince they found her son.— adv. happily. Ah hoap dat ditoo a dehn wahn liv hapitugeda. I hope the two of themwill live happily together.hapinis n. happiness. Di piknidehn di gi mi wahn lat ahapinis. The children give memuch happiness.hapiya adj. happier. Ih luk laikDaris hapiya wid dis man wehih ga now. It looks like Doris ishappier with this man that she’sgot now.hapiyis adj. happiest. Ai da dihapiyis uman eena di werl laikhow Ah win di kaa. I’m thehappiest woman in the worldsince I won the car.hapm v. happen, occur, takeplace. Wi mi sopraiz wen wiyehr weh mi-di hapm. We weresurprised when we heard whatwas happening. See: tek plays.hapmninz n. happening, event.(Both sg. & pl.) Aal kain aschraynj hapmninz deh deezdayz. All kinds of strange thingsare happening these days.hapskach n. hopscotch.Hapskach da-mi wan a di gaymdehn Ai mi play di moas whenAh da-mi wahn leel gyal.Hopscotch was one of the gamesthat I played the most when I wasa little girl.hara adj. horror. Wi si aal kain afraitnin ting wen wi gaahn si dahara moovi. We saw all kinds of142
haraas Kriol tu Inglish hat pepafrightening things when we wentto see that horror movie.haraas v. harass. Dehn mandehn mi-di haraas sohn a dimembaz a mi famili. Those menwere harassing some members ofmy family. See: heg, krayzi.haraasment n. harassment,trouble. Evribadi mi skyatabowt di plays sayk a diharaasment wid di teef.Everybody scattered about theplace because of the trouble withthe thief. See: haad taim.harabl adj. horrible. Wi si wahnlat a harabl tingz eena di waar.We saw many horrible things inthe war. See: terabl.haraz n. hallucination; causedby withdrawal from drugs. Ihmi-di ga haraz wen ih mi-dichrai stap yooz jrogz. He washaving hallucinations when hewas trying to stop using drugs.See: si doblz.hareenj (var: areenj) n. orange.Di hareenj mi soh sowa dat ihmek Ah mek op mi fays. Theorange was so sour that it mademe pucker up my face.harikayn (var: horikayn) n.hurricane. Harikayn bloa dongmi ma hows laas yaa. Thehurricane blew down my mom’shouse last year.hashishi adj. dry and scaly.Gyal, goh put sohn loashanpahn yu fut kaa ih luk hashishi.Girl, go put some lotion on yourfeet because they look dry andscaly. See: fereh, yaga-yaga.hashishi bambi n. person whohas dry, scaly skin. Dehn staattu teez di poa lee bwai‘Hashishi Bambi’ sayk a weh ihfut mi soari. They started teasingthe boy, calling him ‘HashishiBambi’ because his feet had somany sores. See: hashishipampi.Hashishi Pampi n. a mythicalcharacter that comes out andplays in the ashes after theplantation fields are burned.See: Hashishi Bambi.hashiz Variant: ashiz.hasl v. hassle, annoy, bother. Diman staat tu hasl di yong piplsayk a di way dehn ways moni.The man started to hassle theyoung people because of the waythey waste money. See: anai,bada, bog.hat 1 adj. 1) hot. Noh toch diaiyan kaa ih stil hat. Don’ttouch the iron because it’s stillhot. See: heeti. — adj. 2) hot;full of sexual desire for. Ih dehhat afta di man, bot di man nohwaahnt ahn. She’s pursuing thatman, but he doesn’t want her.hat 2 n. hat. Jozef bai wahn hat fiwen ih hafu werk eena di son.Joseph bought a hat for when hehas to work in the sun.hat 3 (var: hert) v. hurt, harm. Ihoanli hat wen prikl get eena yufinga. It really hurts whenprickles get in your finger. See:aynja, bon.hat pepa n. ‘hot pepper’; agame played while skippingrope. Wen dehn spin di skipinroap faas faas faas, dehn seh143
Hatakuma Kriol tu Inglish heddehn di gi yu ‘hat pepa’. Whenthey spin the skipping rope veryfast, they say they’re giving you‘hot pepper’.Hatakuma n. Hatacuma; son ofAnansi, a mythical characterin folktales.hatful adj. hurtful. Dat da wahnhatful ting weh yu tel mi. That’sa hurtful thing that you told me.See: bonin.hatid adj. 1) eager. Weh yoo misoh hatid fi goh da di paati, yugaahn lef mi. Because you wereso eager to go to the party, youleft me behind. See: eega.2) devoted, zealous. Dehn piplmi soh hatid fi Gaad, dehn giweh moas a dehn moni. Thosepeople were so zealous for God,they gave away most of theirmoney.hav Variant: ha.hayl v. 1) hail, call. Si Beti deh;hayl ahn fi mi. See Betty there;call her for me. See: kaal.2) make a short, casual visit,for no specific purpose. Ahwahn kohn da yu hows kohnhayl yu. I’ll come to your houseand visit you. See: gi wahnshowt, luk fi, vizit.haylstoan n. hailstone. Ih raynsoh moch dat haylstoan jrap anaal. It rained so much that evenhailstones fell.hayr Variant: hyaa. n. hair.hayri adj. hairy. Fi wee onkl hanhayri hayri hayri. Our uncle’shands are very hairy.hayri wom n. caterpillar withstinging hairs along its body.Wen yu ga plaants, yu ku shoardat yu ga hayri wom. When youhave plants, you can be sure thatyou have the stinging caterpillars.See: kyatapila.hayrim-skayrim adj. harumscarum;disordered, done in areckless manner. Mayvis howsaal taim luk hayrim-skayrim.Things in Mavis’ house alwayslook harum-scarum. See: haalahn pul op.haysti adj. hasty, shorttempered.Weh yu nak di leebwai fa? Yu too haysti. Why didyou hit the boy? You’re too shorttempered.See: heeti, ignarant,shaat.hayt v. hate. Ih noh gud fi sehdat yu hayt enibadi. It’s notgood to say that you hateanybody. — n. hate. Dehn sehdat lov ahn hayt deh kloas.They say that love and hate areclose.haytful adj. hateful. Di man misoh haytful dat nobadi nevalaik ahn. The man was so hatefulthat nobody liked him.hebi Variant: hevi.hebm Archaic. Variant: hevn.hed n. 1) head; foremost part ofthe body. Neeta baybi baan widwahn big hed. Nita’s baby wasborn with a big head. See:kalbash. 2) head, chief; theperson who is foremost or incharge. Di hed a di choch mi-ditaak wen wi reech deh. Thehead of the church was talkingwhen we arrived there. 3) hair,scalp. Goh koam yu hed. Go144
hed rap Kriol tu Inglish heeticomb your hair. See: hyaa.geh hed v.phr. advance, getahead. Yu kyaahn geh hed wenyu bad-maindid. You can’t getahead when you’re spiteful. See:advans.hed a... prep.phr. ahead of;before. Karen mi deh hed amee eena di lain. Karen wasahead of me in the line. See:front a.hed fi v.phr. head for; aim orturn in a given direction. Aftadi paati, wi hed fi wi oan hows.After the party, we headed for ourown house.hed rap n. scarf, turban. Migrani aalwayz ga ih hed tai widwahn bloo hed rap. My grannyalways has her hair tied with ablue scarf. See: hed tai, skaaf.hed tai n. scarf. Evri nait Ai taimi hed wid wahn hed tai. Everynight I tie my hair with a scarf.See: hed rap, skaaf.hedayk (var: hidayk) n.(heDAYK) headache. Afta diaksident, Leena stodi ting mi-diga hedayk. After the accident,Lena always had headaches.hedayk ban n. stretchyheadband. Wen Ah mi yong,hedayk ban mi deh eena stail.When I was young, stretchyheadbands were in style.hedlait n. headlight, headlamp;light worn on the head, usedfor hunting; or a light locatedat the front of a vehicle. Dipolees dehn mi gat aan hedlaitwen dehn mi-di luk fi di man.The police had on headlampswhen they were looking for the145man.hedman n. headman, boss. Gohaks di hedman fi wahn jab. Goask the headman for a job. See:baas, cheef, hefeh.hedway n. headway. Afta aal adi taak bowt hoo rait ahn hoorang, wi mi mek wahn leehedway. After all the talk aboutwho is right and who is wrong,we were able to make someheadway.hedwin n. headwind. Wahn stifhedwin mi-di bloa midl a dilagoon. A stiff headwind wasblowing in the middle of thelagoon.heel 1 n. heel of the foot. Piplmi-di mash op mi heel eena diparayd. People were stepping onmy heel in the parade. See: futbak.heel 2 v. heal. Mi kot fahn miaparayshan di heel op kwaitgud. The scar from my operationis healing up very nicely. See:kyoar.heet v. heat. Lat a heet mi-dikohn fahn di oavm. Lots of heatwas coming from the oven.heeti v. overheat. Stap di heetiop yuself eena di son, noh?Don’t overheat yourself in thesun, okay? — adj. hot-headed,quick or short-tempered. Noheevn chrai taak tu ahn kaazshee heeti bad; shee wahn kosyu aaf rait now. Don’t even tryto talk to her because she’s hotheaded;she’ll cuss you out rightaway. See: haysti, ignarant,shaat. — adv. hot. Da blak jres
hefeh Kriol tu Inglish henginluk heeti. That black dress lookshot. See: hat.hefeh n. boss. Unu beta stap digoh aan soh, kaaz di hefeh dikohn. You all had better stopcarrying on that way because theboss is coming. See: baas, cheef,hedman. [< Sp. ‘jefe’]heg v. bother, harass, nag,pester. Di baybi mi heg ih matil ih gi ahn ih oan way. Thebaby pestered his mom until shegave him his own way. See:haraas, krayzi, neg. — n. hag.Mi mada-ahn-laa da wahnwikid oal heg. My mother-in-lawis a wicked old hag.hegin adj. annoying,bothersome, nagging,troublesome. Datdeh baybioanli hegin wen ih hongri. Thatbaby is very bothersome whenhe’s hungry. See: siknin.hej n. hedge. Mi pa mek wahnpriti hej owt a red bel. Myfather made a pretty hedge out ofthe hibiscus bushes.hek (var: heks)heks (var: hek) int. heck.(Euphemism for ‘Hell’.) Welheks! Da how yoo soh naasti?Well heck! Why are you sonasty?hel n. Hell. Mek yoo ahn yumoni goh da hel! Let you andyour money go to Hell!heloa sal. hello; formalgreeting. Tel yu ma heloa fi mi,hyaa. Tell your mom hello forme, okay? See: aarait.helt n. health. Gyal, wi hafu tenkGaad fi wi helt, noh? Girl, we146have to thank God for our health,don’t we?helti adj. healthy. Di oal laydi mihelti helti. The old lady was veryhealthy. See: haati, karek.hemrij v. hemorrhage. Dehn sehdat Jan mi-di hemrij eena ihbraynz. They say that John washemorrhaging in his brain.heng v. hang. Da nayl da weh mipa heng ih hat pan. That nail iswhere my dad hangs his hat.heng op phr. saggy. Fi sheekloaz luk heng op pahn sheesins ih looz wayt. Her clotheslook saggy on her since she lostweight. See: hengi.heng rong (wid) v.phr. hangaround, linger or loiteraimlessly. Ah noh waahn yuheng rong wid dehn bad bwaiweh deh da schreet kaana. Idon’t want you to hang aroundwith those bad boys who are onthe street corner. See: ranks(wid)heng slek v.phr. shirk one’swork or duties; neglect orevade work; drag one’s feet.Nobadi noh laik haiya Danyel fibil hows kaa ih laik heng slekpahn di jab. Nobody likes to hireDaniel to build a house becausehe drags his feet on the job.hengi adj. saggy. Fi yoo kloazluk hengi pahn yoo; yoo loozwayt er wat? Your clotheslooked saggy on you; did youlose weight or something? See:heng op.hengin n. hanging. If dehnbring bak hengin, lat a di kilinuda stap. If they bring back
henki Kriol tu Inglish hihnhanging, much of the killingwould stop.henki Archaic. Variant: hanki.herbz n. herbs, plants or plantparts used for makingmedicine. (Both sg. & pl.) Maigrani mi noa how fi miks ihherbz dehn fi kyoar pipl. Mygranny knew how to mix herbs tocure people.herbz man/uman n.phr.herbal doctor; a specialist inherbal medicines. Wen snaykbait di lee baybi, ih ma kehrahn da di herbz man. When asnake bit the baby, his mom tookhim to the herbal doctor. See:bush dakta, snayk dakta.hert Variant: hat.hevi (var: hebi) adj. heavy.Fyona bag mi tu hevi far ahn,soh Maaki bak it. Fiona’s bagwas too heavy for her, so Markiecarried it.hevn (var: hebm) n. heaven.Bifoa wi eet, wi luk op tu hevnahn giv tanks tu Gaad fi difood. Before we ate, we lookedup to heaven and gave thanks toGod for the food.hib v. heave, throw. Mi naybahib di ded daag midl schreet.My neighbor heaved the dead doginto the middle of the street. See:belt, chaans, chok, chroa, dash,faiya, fling, pich, stoan.hib op v.phr. shake one’sbody in dance. Aal a wi mi-dihib op pahn schreet wid dimyoozik. All of us were shakingto the music on the street.hib ahn lang shoa v.phr. call147to continue after aninterruption in story-telling.(Literally: throw it along theshore) Ah laik wen mi grampadi tel stoari ahn sohnbadiintarop bikaa aal a wi ku hala,“Hib ahn lang shoa!” I like itwhen my grandfather is telling astory and someone interruptsbecause then all of us can shout,“Let the story continue!”hich v. 1) hitch; tie or fasten. Migrampa hich di roap rong dipoas mek di boat noh jrif way.My grandpa hitched the ropearound the post so that the boatwouldn’t drift away. 2) attachoneself emotionally to anotherperson. Da bwai aal taim dihich op said a Glenda. That boyis always tagging along withGlenda.hidayk Variant: hedayk.hihn pro. 1) he. (Emphatic 3rdperson sg.) Hihn noh waahnnotn fi du wid da gyal. Hedoesn’t want anything to do withthat girl. See: ih. 2) he (usedafter the noun referent in aderogatory manner) Mihozban hihn kohn hoahn jronkagen. That husband of mine camehome drunk again. 3) him.Taam waif shaym hihn op fronta evribadi. Tom’s wifeembarrassed him in front ofeverybody. See: ahn.fi hihn phr. his, for him. (sg.poss.) Da fi hihn kaa wi si paakbai di seesaid laas nait. It washis car we saw parked by theseaside last night.fi hihn wan phr. his own. Aal
hikiti Kriol tu Inglish hoaldi pikni dehn geh wahn gif fidehnself, soh Peeta mi waahn fihihn wan. All the children got agift for themselves, so Peterwanted his own.hikiti n. hiccatee; type of smallfreshwater turtle. Hikiti naislang wid wait rais. Hiccateeturtle is nice with white rice. See:tertl.hil n. hill. Ah klaim op di hil, botAh noh fain mi daag. I climbedthe hill, but I didn’t find my dog.hilsaid n. hillside. Wahn lat ahag mi-di feed pahn di hilsaidbai di lagoon. Many pigs werefeeding on the hillside by thelagoon.hiltap n. hilltop. Wi klaim da dihiltap, bot den wi kohn rait bakdong. We climbed to the hilltop,but then we came right backdown.hip ahn goh v. hobble, walkhaltingly or unevenly. Mi onklkohn di hip ahn goh kaa wan aih fut langa dan di ada. Myuncle came walking with a littlehop because one of his legs islonger than the other.hipokrit n. hypocrite. Wikyaahn chros dehn pipl kaazdehn da hipokrit. We can’t trustthose people because they’rehypocrites.hischri n. history. Mee noh laikhischri kaa yu hafu memba tumoch dayt. I don’t like historybecause you have to remembertoo many dates.histeeriya n. hysteria. Mi manayli ga histeeriya wen Ah telahn dat Ah pregnant. My momwas almost hysterical when I toldher that I was pregnant.hoa 1 n. hoe. Bring di hoa mekAh dig op di grong fi plaant michree. Bring the hoe so that I candig up the ground to plant mytree.hoa 2 v. owe. Wi don pay di moniweh wi mi hoa. We have alreadypaid the money that we owed.hoahn adv. 1) home. (Refers toplace of one’s residence.) Ahgwehn hoahn afta di daans. I’mgoing home after the dance. 2) athome. Di bwai ma ahn pa tekkayr a ahn hoahn fi chreemonts. The boy’s mother andfather took care of him at homefor three months.hoal 1 n. hole. Di daag dig hoalaal oava di yaad. The dog dugholes all over the yard.hoal 2 adj. whole. Wi stan opfront a di hoal choch. We stoodup in front of the whole church.— adv. all. Di dakta seh da manwahn sik fi di hoal a ih laif. Thedoctor says that man will be sickall of his life. See: aal, evri.hoal 3 v. hold. Aal a wi wach howdi lee oal laydi krai wen ihmi-di hoal di baybi. We allwatched how the little old ladycried when she was holding thebaby.hoal op v.phr. 1) hold up inthe face of adversity, copewith, get along, persevere. Dahow yu ma di hoal op sins yu paded? How’s your mom holdingup since your dad died? See:148
hoali Kriol tu Inglish hokshandl, manij. 2) delay, detain,impede. Ah noh waahn hoal yuop kaa Ah noa dat yu di hori. Idon’t want to detain you becauseI know that you’re in a hurry.See: kip bak. 3) hold up; mug,rob. Dehn hoal mi op wid gonahn tek weh mi moni. They heldme up with a gun and took mymoney. See: jak. 4) paw; pet,fondle. Noh mek dehn bwaihoal yu op laik dat. Mek dehnga rispek fi yu. Don’t let thoseboys paw you like that. Makethem have respect for you. See:fingl, lov op.hoali adj. holy. Da man tink ihsoh raichos ahn hoali. That manthinks he’s so righteous and holy.hoaliyis adj. holiest. Hihn tinkdat hihn da di hoaliyis wankaaz hihn di goh da choch now.He thinks he’s the holiest onebecause he’s attending churchnow.hoam n. home, household.(Refers to one’s family, whereas‘hoahn’ refers to one’sresidence.) Da man mek rombrok op ih hoam. That man letrum break up his home.hoamtong n. hometown. Aal awi mi sad wen wi lef wihoamtong. All of us were sadwhen we left our hometown.hoamwerk n. homework. Ahspen di hoal weeken di du mihoamwerk. I spent the wholeweekend doing my homework.hoap v. hope. Ah hoap ih nohrayn tunait kaa Ai waahn gohowt. I hope it doesn’t rain tonightbecause I want to go out.149— n. hope. Di dakta neva gi wino hoap; ih seh mi ma nohwahn mek it. The doctor didn’tgive us any hope; he says mymother won’t make it.hoar n. whore, prostitute. See:prastichoot.hoar hows n.phr. whorehouse.Evri Fraideh nait yu si veekllain op da di hoar hows. EveryFriday night you see vehicleslined up at the whorehouse.hoas adj. hoarse. Weh Ahskreem soh moch da di gaym,Ah geh hoas an aal. Because Iscreamed so much at the game, Ieven got hoarse.hoaz n. hose. Di faiyaman dehnhoaz bos wen dehn mi-di owt difaiya. The firemen’s hose burstwhen they were putting out thefire.hog v. hug, cuddle, embrace.(Often followed by ‘op’) Di manmi soh hapi fi si ih ma, ih hogahn op ahn kis ahn. The manwas so happy to see his mom, hehugged her and kissed her.— n. hug, embrace. Kohn gi miwahn hog ahn wahn kis, Pet.Come give me a hug and a kiss,Pet.hoks v. remove the husk fromcoconut. (Coconut is ‘husked’but corn is ‘peeled’ in Kriol.)Hoks dehn koakanat fi mi bifoaAh kohn bak. Remove the shellfrom the coconut for me before Icome back. — n. husk; theprotective sheath on grains orcoconuts. (The fibrous first layerof the coconut is called ‘hoks’ butthe outer layer of an ear of corn
hombl Kriol tu Inglish hooyuis called ‘skin’.) Mi ma aalwayzyooz koakanat hoks fi mekfaiya wid. My mother alwaysused coconut husk to make fires.hoks aaf v.phr. eat greedily.See: waks aaf.oal hoks n.phr. older,hardened person who tries toact young. (Used satirically)Shee da big oal hoks ahn stil dijres laik yong gyal. She’s agrown woman, but she’s stilldressing like a young girl. See:haadbak. [
hori Kriol tu Inglish hufyou’ bird sing, you would swearthat somebody is calling you.[
huk Kriol tu Inglish hyoomansong a di haas huf dehn fahnfaar. We could hear the sound ofthe horse’s hooves from far away.huk v. hook. Di kait pap wehahn huk op eena di chree. Thekite string broke and the kite gotcaught in the tree. — n. hook.Heng yu rayn koat pahn di hukbihain di doa. Hang up yourraincoat on the hook behind thedoor.hukstik n. hook-stick; forkedlimb of a tree used to hook andlift grass to make it easier tochop with a machete. Di mantek lang fi chap di yaad kaa ihneva ga no hukstik. The mantook a long time to chop the yardbecause he didn’t have a hookstick.humoch adv. how much.Humoch ih wahn kaas fi mekda chrip? How much will it costto make that trip?husoeva pro. whosoever,whoever. Husoeva noh gamersi, Gaad wahn joj hihnwidowt mersi. Whoever doesn’thave mercy, God will judge himwithout mercy.hutis n. a kind of small riversnail with a conical shell.hutment n. settlement of hutsin the city along the river onN. Front street in Belize City.Kweeni mi shaym fi mek ih frendehn si dat ih liv eena dehn leehutment. Queenie was ashamedto let her friends see that she livesin that little settlement of huts.See: hot.hyaa 1 (var: yehr) v. 1) hear. Sehdat agen; Ah neva hyaa weh yuseh. Say that again; I didn’t hearwhat you said. 2) understand.Weh Ah seh noh meen notn tuyoo kaa yu no taim hyaa weh Aidi chrai tel yu. What I saydoesn’t mean anything to youbecause you never understandwhat I’m trying to tell you. See:andastan.hyaa 2 (var: hayr) n. hair. WehAh ga soh moch woriz, aal mihyaa dehn ton gray. Because Ihave so many worries, all my hairturned grey. See: hed.hyaalip n. harelip. Wi mi sari fidi lee gyal weh mi ga hyaalipkaa dehn stodi teez ahn. We feltsorry for the little girl with theharelip because they were alwaysteasing her.hyooman adj. human. Gaad nohliv eena hows weh mek widhyooman han. God doesn’t livein a house built by human hands.hyooman been n.phr. humanbeing. Yu noh di goh aan laikhyooman been; yu di goh aanlaik wahn animal. You are notacting like a human being; you’reacting like an animal.152
if Kriol tu Inglish impresI - iif (var: ef) conj. if. If yu lai mi,Ah wahn beet yu. If you lie tome, I’ll beat you.ignarant adj. hot-tempered.Noh fool wid da man kaa ihignarant bad. Don’t bother withthat man because he’s very hottempered.ignarantnis n. hot temper,unreasonable anger. Da loanignarantnis mek hihn beet dilee pikni soh bad. It’s onlybecause of his hot temper that hebeats the little child so badly.ignoar v. ignore. Ah mi-di chraitaak wid mi hozban, bot ih josignoar mi. I was trying to talkwith my husband, but hecompletely ignored me.ih pro. he, she, it. (3rd personsg.subjective) Verna seh ihwaahn goh pahn di chrip, bot ihnoh ga no moni. Verna said shewants to go on the trip, but shedoesn’t have any money. See:hihn, shee. — pro.adj. his, her,it. Jaaj bring ih kamara. Georgebrought his camera.ihself pro. himself, herself,itself. Di krayzi man kot opihself wid shaap stoan. Thecrazy man cut himself with sharpstones.iklips n. eclipse. Dehn seh dat ihbeta fi pregnant uman kom owtkohn luk pan iklips mek ihbaybi noh baan wid hyaalip.They say that it’s better forpregnant women to come out andlook at an eclipse so that her babywon’t be born with a harelip.ilebm (var: ilevn) num. eleven.Peeta mi-di taak wid di adailebm apaasl dehn. Peter wastalking with the other elevenapostles.ilekchrik adj. electric. Wehdehn kohn fram noh eevn gailekchrik lait. They don’t evenhave electric lights where theycome from.ilekshan n. election. Evri foayaaz Bileez ga jenaral ilekshan.Every four years Belize hasgeneral elections.ilevn Variant: ilebm.imajin v. imagine. Jos imajinweh wi ku du wid aal a damoni! Just imagine what we cando with all of that money!imajinayshan n. imagination.Wi neva si no goas; da jos yuimajinayshan. We didn’t see anyghosts; it’s just your imagination.imerjensi n. emergency. Ah putop wahn lee moni fi imerjensi. Iput aside a little money foremergencies.impoatant adj. important. Ihimpoatant fi mek yu geh wahnejukayshan. It’s important foryou to get an education. See: bigtaim.impres v. impress. Da rich manoanli waahn impres yoo wid fihihn moni. That rich man only153
inaamel Kriol tu Inglish injaimentwants to impress you with hismoney.inaamel adj. enamel. Dehn oaltaim pipl doz aalwayz yoozdehn big inaamel chemba pat.The old timers always used to uselarge enamel chamber pots.inchiz n. hinges. Di doa oanlimi-di heng bai di inchiz dehnafta polees kik it oapm. Thedoor was only hanging by itshinges after the police kicked itopen.inchres n. 1) interest. Ah noh gano inchres eena hihn. I don’thave any interest in him. See:kansaan. 2) interest; moneypaid for the use of money. Ifwi mi put di moni da bank, wikuda mi kalek inchres. If wehad put the money in the bank,we could have collected interest.inchrestid adj. interested. Mi pami reeli inchrestid eena how widi geh lang. My father was reallyinterested in how we’re gettingalong.indeesant adj. indecent. Aalkain a indeesant ting kom owt adi pikni mowt. All kinds ofindecent things came out of thechild’s mouth.indipendans Variant:indipendens.indipendens (var: indipendans)n. independence. Di gyal mikom owt a ih ma hows kaa ihmi waahn ih indipendens. Thegirl came out of her mom’s housebecause she wanted herindependence.Indyan n. East Indian154immigrant; referring only torecent immigrants. Indyan oanaal a dehn stoar owt a tong.Indians own all of the storesdowntown. See: Kooli.ineema n. enema; a medicalprocedure for cleaning thelower intestinal tract.ingayj adj. engaged. Wee ingayjfi ten yaaz ahn kyaahn maridyet. We’ve been engaged for tenyears and can’t get married yet.ingayjment n. engagement. Ahbrok aaf mi ingayjment widPaablo kaa Ah kech ahn widwahn neks gyal. I broke off myengagement with Pablo because Icaught him with another girl.Inglan n. England. Pati seh wenih gaahn da Inglan, ih geh fi siweh di kween liv. Patty said thatwhen she went to England, shegot to see where the queen lives.Inglish n. English. Da fi weehows, wi taak loan Inglish kaami ma noh waahn wi taakKriol. At our house, we only talkEnglish because my motherdoesn’t want us to speak Kriol.ingrayd v. engrave. Aal diadvais weh mi ma gi mi ingraydeena mi hed. Ah noh wahn figetdehn ataal. All of the advice thatmy mother gave me is engravedin my head. I won’t forget that atall.inja Variant: aynja. v. injure.injai v. enjoy. Wi gaahn da dipaati ahn wi oanli injai wiself.We went to the party and reallyenjoyed ourselves.injaiment n. enjoyment. Mi
injekshan Kriol tu Inglish instansgrani bai wahn teevee fi ih leeinjaiment. My granny bought aTV for her little enjoyment.injekshan n. injection. Di daktagi mi baybi wahn injekshan kaaih mi ga wahn hai feeva. Thedoctor gave my baby an injectionbecause he had a high fever.injin 1 n. engine. Wen wi migwain da kee, sodn-wan di injinfi di boat shet dong. When wewere going to the caye, suddenlythe boat’s engine shut down.injin 2 n. Amerindian. Kaythozban da Maiya, ahn di baybikom owt laik reel injin jos laikih pa. Kate’s husband is Mayan,and the baby came out veryIndian-looking, just like his dad.See: Maiya.injin pomp n. fire engine, firetruck. Wen mi grani tel wi fikaal di injin pomp fi owt difaiya, wi neva noa dat ih mimeen faiya injin. When mygrandmother told us to call the‘engine pump’ to put out the fire,we didn’t know that she meant‘fire engine’. See: faiya injin.inkorij v. encourage. (Often usednegatively) Yu laik inkorij daman eena fi hihn fool. You liketo encourage that man in hisfoolishness.inof Variant: nof.inosent adj. innocent. Di manmi inosent, bot di pipl dehnneva bileev ahn. The man wasinnocent, but the people didn’tbelieve him.inschralz n. guts, entrails. Dichrok ron oava di man ahn mekaal a ih inschralz kom owt. Thetruck ran over the man and madeall of his entrails come out. See:gots.inschrument n. instrument. Maigrampa ku play eniinschrument weh yu bloa. Mygrandpa can play any windinstrument.insek n. insect. Enitaim yu gohda bush, aal kain a insek baityu op. Whenever you go into thebush, all kinds of insects bite you.insens n. incense. Lang taimabak dehn yoostu bon insenseena Gaad templ. Long ago theyburned incense in God’s temple.inshoarans n. insurance. Diman di sel inshoarans fi mekmoni. The man is sellinginsurance to make money.insis v. insist. Cheri insis pahnmarid Haabat aldoa ih ma telahn di bwai noh gud. Cherryinsisted on marrying Herbert eventhough her mom told her the boywas no good.insolt v. insult. Da gyal insolt miwen ih tel mi bowt mi tenis aftaAh werk soh haad fi bai it. Thatgirl insulted me with what shesaid about my tennis shoes after Ihad worked so hard to buy them.— n. insult. Da wahn big insoltfi wahn bwai aks yu if di baybida fi hihn. It’s a big insult for aboy to ask you if the baby is his.instans n. instance. Ah udn a migoh da di daans, bot laik how dibwai kohn aks mi owt fos, eenada instans, Ah gwain. I wouldn’thave gone to the dance, but since155
insted Kriol tu Inglish iraysathe boy asked me out first, in thatinstance, I will go.insted (var: steda) prep. insteadof. (Usually occurs clause final.)Unu waahn goh da kee er unureda goh da Kaiyo insted? Doyou want to go to the cayes, orwould you rather go to Cayoinstead?intafayr (var: intafyaa) v.1) interfere, meddle. Mimada-ahn-laa aalwayz diintafayr eena fi wee bizniz. Mymother-in-law is alwaysmeddling in our business. See:dabl, faas. 2) abuse sexually. Aifeel laik da oal man intafayrwid da lee gyal wen ih goh da fihihn hows. I feel like that oldman abuses that girl sexuallywhen she goes to his house.intafayrin (var: intafyaarin) adj.interfering, meddling, nosy.Stap aks mi bowt mi persnallaif; yu tu intafayrin. Stopasking me about my personal life;you’re too nosy. See: noazi.intafyaa Variant: intafayr.intafyaarin Variant: intafayrin.intajoos v. introduce. Yu nevaeevn intajoos mi tu yu fren. Youdidn’t even introduce me to yourfriend.intarop v. interrupt. Da lee bwailoan intarop ih ma wen ih ditaak. That little boy is alwaysinterrupting his mom while she’stalking. See: dip eena, kot yukraas.intavyoo v. interview. Da manintavyoo mi fi di jab weh Ahneva did geh. That maninterviewed me for the job that Inever got. — n. interview. Ahgaahn fi wahn intavyoo fi wahnjab, bot Ah noh noa if Ah wahnget it. I went for an interview fora job, but I don’t know if I’ll getit.inten v. intend, mean. Now daweh yu inten fi du laik how yustap skool? Now what do youintend to do since you quitschool? See: meen.interpit v. interpret. Kohn kohninterpit weh dis baybi di sehkaa Ah noh andastan ahn ataal.Come interpret what this baby issaying because I don’t understandhim at all.intu prep. into. (Generally usedonly after ‘ton’ or ‘chaynj’.)Jeezas mek waata ton intuwain. Jesus made water turn intowine.invait v. invite. Laas nait wiinvait sohn a wi fren da wihows. Last night we invited someof our friends to our house.invaitid v. invited. Ah neva didgeh invaitid tu di wedn. I didn’tget invited to the wedding.inves v. invest. Ah inves aal mitaim ahn moni eena dis pikni anih stil du fool. I’ve invested allmy time and money in this childand he still does foolishness.invigl v. inveigle, entice, or talkinto doing something. Sheelami hafu invigl ih ma fi mek ihsen ahn da di paati. Sheila hadto talk her mom into letting hergo to the party.iraysa v. erase. Di teecha iraysa156
it Kriol tu Inglish jabaroodi noats dehn aaf a di blakboadbifoa wi don kapi it dong. Theteacher erased the notes off theblackboard before we had copiedthem down. — n. eraser. Diiraysa pahn di pensl mek yubuk luk doti. The eraser on thepencil makes your book lookdirty. See: robowta.it pro. it. Bring di buk ahn put itpahn di taybl. Bring the bookand put it on the table. See: ahn.iz v. did in fact, on the contrary.(Auxiliary verb used to showemphatic contrast to what hasbeen said.) Yoo goh aan laik yuneva noa notn, ahn yu iz mi noaweh Maak mi-di du di hoaltaim. You act like you don’tknow anything, but on thecontrary, you did know whatMark was doing the whole time.See: in fak.ized n. the letter ‘z’or zed. Ihhaad fi fain lat a wod weh staatwid ized It’s hard to find lots ofwords that begin with zed.Izrel n. Israel. Lat a di Jooishpipl dehn gaahn bak gaahn livda Izrel. Many Jewish peoplehave gone back to Israel to live.J - jjaa n. 1) jaw. Di dentis hoal mitait anda mi jaa fi tek owt miteet. The dentist held me tightunder my jaw to take out mytooth. See: jaaboan. 2) cheek. Ihlaik kohn kis mi pahn mi jaaahn lef lat a baaba. He alwayscomes and kisses me on the cheekand leaves a lot of saliva there.week jaa n.phr. blabbermouth;one who can’t keep a secret.(Literally: weak jaw) Noh telMayvis non a yu bizniz kaa ihga week jaa an ih wahn televribadi weh yu seh. Don’t tellMavis any of your businessbecause she can’t keep a secretand she’ll tell everybody whatyou say. See: blabamowt.jaa teet n. molar. Ah gwehn dadentis kaa mi jaa teet di hat mi.I’m going to the dentist becausemy molars are hurting me. See:teet.jaaboan n. jawbone. Wen diman ponch mi, ih nayli brok mijaaboan. When the man punchedme, he almost broke my jawbone.See: jaa.jaar n. jar. Oanli too pees asweet mi lef eena di jaar wen dipikni dehn gaan eena di kichin.There were only two pieces ofcandy left in the jar when thechildren went into the kitchen.See: klay pat.jab n. job. Ah hafu luk fi wahnjab kaa Ah noh ga no moni fipay mi bil dehn. I have to lookfor a job because I don’t have anymoney to pay my bills. See:layba, tas, werk.jabaroo n. jabiru stork. Jabirumycteria. Di jabaroo berd da dibigis berd da Bileez. The jabirustork is the biggest bird in Belize.157
jagwa Kriol tu Inglish janifilda platjagwa n. jaguar. Panthera onca.Di blak jagwa fer shain shainshain. The black jaguar’s fur isvery shiny. See: taiga.jai n. joy. Yu si di jai pahn Darelfays wen ih win di moni. Youcould see the joy on Darrell’sface when he won the money.jain v. join. Sins mi kozn jainchoch, ih stap jrink. Since mycousin joined the church, he hasstopped drinking.jaint n. joint; place where twobones join. Wen koal wedakohn, aal mi jaint dehn hat mi.When cold weather comes, all ofmy joints hurt me.jaiyant n. giant. Ah si dis manweh mi luk laik wahn jaiyantweh ih mi soh taal. I saw thisman who looked like a giantbecause he was so tall.jak v. 1) rob, steal, mug.(Contemporary usage) Chreebwai jak Rayman baik fan ahnlaas nait. Three boys held upRaymond and stole his bike lastnight. See: teef.jak op v.phr. impregnate.Maikl jak op Silvya ahn den ihlef ahn. Michael got Sylviapregnant and then he left her.See: beli aaf, breed, faal,pregnant. — adj. pregnant.Dehn lee gyal noh wahn donmes rong til dehn geh jak op.Those little girls won’t stopmessing around until they getpregnant. See: pregnant.evri jak man n.phr. everysingle one, every last one. Diteecha lash evri jak man eenaklaas yestudeh. The teacherlashed every single person inclass yesterday.jakaas Variant: jekaas.jakolantan n. ball of fire, astrange light. Wen mi onkldehn goh hontin, dehn seh moadahn wan taim dehn si disschraynj lait eena di bush wehdehn seh da jakolantan. Whenmy uncle and his friends gohunting, they say that more thanonce they have seen this strangelight in the forest that they call‘jakolantan’.jaks ahn baal n. game of jacks.Dehn pikni deez dayz haadliplay jaks ahn baal agen.Children these days hardly playjacks anymore.jalas Variant: jelos.jalifikayshan n. rejoicing,celebrating. Wahn lat ajalifikayshan mi deh eena da leetong afta di futbaal gaym. Therewas lots of rejoicing in the littletown after the football game. See:selibrayshan.jalosi n. jalousie; slattedwooden blinds. Ah peep chroodi jalosi an Ah si di teef wen ihjomp di fens. I peeked throughthe jalousie and saw the thiefwhen he jumped over the fence.See: blainz.janifilda n. fiddler crab. Dehnlee janifilda kraab oanli ku baithat. Those little fiddler crabs cansurely bite. See: kraab.[‘Fiddler’ becomes ‘filda’ bymetathesis]janifilda plat n. tight little hairbraids or plaits. Gyal, da wai158
janikayk Kriol tu Inglish jekaasyu ma put dehn lat a leejanifilda plat eena yu hed? Girl,why did your mother put thosetight little braids in your hair?See: plat. [The plaits resemblethe legs of the janifilda crab.]janikayk n. johnny-cake, smallround bread made from flour,milk and shortening. Hatjanikayk goh gud wid frai fish.Hot johnny-cakes go well withfried fish. [Possibly from‘journey cake’]Janiweri n. January. Biznizaalwayz bad eena Janiweri.Business is always bad inJanuary.jankro Variant: jranko.jankunu n. 1) A performanceby masked dancers; heldbetween Christmas and NewYear throughout theCaribbean. In early times inBelize the dancers were onstilts (jankanu stik) near thecourthouse; but now theycome down the streets anddance in front of peoples’houses for money. They areusually Garifuna people. Indays of slavery, the performerswould use the occasion tomimic their masters in theirdress and dance. Ma, dijankunu dehn di kohn! Yuwahn pay dehn fi daans fi wee?Mom, the John Canoe dancers arecoming! Are you going to paythem to dance for us? [Afr.Kikoongo: ‘nza’ means territory,people, universe, and ‘kunu’means root, origin, ancestor; theKikoongo festival is called ‘kinza-nkunu-nkunu’meaning‘according to the world of the oldancestors’. On the Miskito Coastit was originally performed as amemorial for the dead.]— v. 2) make a fool of oneselfor others. Jaaji mi deh waypahn schreet di jankunu ihselfan ih luk schupid. Georgie wasthere on the street making a foolof himself and he looked stupid.See: joaki.jankunu stik n. stilt. Yu hafu gagud balans fi waak pahnjankunu stik. You have to havegood balance to walk on stilts.[In times past the Jankunuperformers would walk on stilts]jaydi adj. jaded, faint. Weh Ahdeh owt eena di son aal day, Ahfeel jaydi jaydi. Being out in thesun all day long makes me feeljaded.jayl n. jail. Di polees dehn aresdi man ahn kehr ahn da jayl.The police arrested the man andput him in jail. See: Glaas BatlKee.jaylbod n. jailbird. Ah noh tinkyu waahn yu daata marid tujaylbod. I don’t think you wantyour daughter to be married to ajailbird. See: prizna.jeenz n. jeans. Sheela sheeaalwayz gat aan jeenz laik man.Sheila always wears jeans justlike a man.Jeezas Krais n. Jesus Christ.Jeezas Krais mi ded pahn wahnkraas. Jesus Christ died on across.jekaas (var: jakaas) n. jackass.159
jekaas bitaz Kriol tu Inglish jentlmanYoo da wahn big jekaas if yoobileev weh hihn seh. You are abig jackass if you believe what hesays.jekaas bitaz n. jackass bitters;an herbal medicine, purgative.Neurolaena lobata. Mai granidoz jrink jekaas bitaz fi ihshuga. My grandmother used todrink jackass bitters for herdiabetes.jekech n. hangman. ( jeKECH)Wen di jekech don heng diman, hihn geh pees a di roap.When the hangman had hung theman, he got a piece of the rope. [
jermilongz Kriol tu Inglish joakihusband. Hihn da mi sistajentlman kaa dehn noh marid.He is my sister’s common-lawhusband; they’re not married.See: hozban.jermilongz n. small brown riverfish; has a broad head andtubular body, and sits on thebottom.jermz n. germs. Wen yu waakrong bayrfut tu moch, yu kukech jermz. If you walk aroundbarefoot too much, you couldcatch germs.jerni n. journey. Mek Ah staatpahn mi jerni kaa Ah ga wahnlang wayz fi goh. Let me start onmy journey because I have a longway to go. See: chrip.Jeroosalem n. Jerusalem; cityin Israel. Sohn a di Jooish pipldi liv da Jeroosalem. Some ofthe Jewish people live inJerusalem.jichri adj. jittery, nervous.Jaymz mi jichri eena koat kaaih mi wel noa seh da hihn kil dipoa man. James was jittery incourt because he knew full-wellthat he was the one who killed thepoor man. See: jompi, nervos.jim n. gym. Evri day wi goh dajim goh eksasaiz. Every day wego to the gym to exercise.jimi jan n. ceramic water jug.Mi ma ga wahn jimi jan wehshee ful op wid joos evri day.My mother has a jug that she fillswith juice every day. See: jog,mog.jinal n. devious, cunningperson. Da man da wahn reeljinal kaa ih lef mi hows haafway ahn gaahn wid mi moni.That man is a devious personbecause he left my house halfdoneand went away with mymoney. [
jodik Kriol tu Inglish JooIf she comes and makes a fool ofherself around my husband, I willslap her off of her feet. See:jankunu, papisho.— adj. funny. Di big hat mi lukjoaki pahn di baybi. The big hatlooked funny on the baby. See:foni.jodik n. man who pretends tobe in a relationship with awoman. Jaymz da reel jodik;hihn oanli di mek bileev dat dalaydi laik ahn. James is a realphony; he makes everybody thinkthat that woman likes him.jog n. jug. Di man waak aal oavadi konchri wid ih lee jog awaata. The man walked all overthe country with his little jug ofwater. See: jimi jan, mog.joj v. judge. Da hoo yoo soh fijoj mee? Who are you to judgeme? — n. judge. Di joj gi diman wahn det sentens. Thejudge gave the man a deathsentence.jojment n. judgment. Di day ajojment wahn kohn. The day ofjudgment will come.jomp v. jump, leap. Di man geteena di doari ahn di bwai dehnjomp een tu. The man got in thecanoe and the boys jumped intoo. See: hap.jomp op v.phr. vigorousdancing; often in the streets.Ah yehr yu mi-di jomp op eenaparayd. I hear that you weredancing in a parade. See: daans,wain. — n.phr. dancing by acrowd; such as at Carnival.Dehn wahn ga big jomp oppahn Albert Schreet dis week.There will be a big dance onAlbert Street this week.jompi adj. jumpy, nervous. Digyal staat tu geh jompi kaa ihhozban mi soon kohn hoahn.The girl started getting jumpybecause it was almost time for herhusband to come home. See:jichri, nervos.jongl n. jungle; generally refersto places in Africa (in Belizethe jungle is generally called‘bush’) Lat a taiga ahn soh liveena jongl. Lots of tigers andanimals like that live in thejungle.jonjo n. mould, fungus. Di leebwai ga lat a jonjo pan ih teet.The little boy has lots of mouldon his teeth. — adj. mouldy. Dilaydi gi di pikni loan jonjo bredfi eet. The lady only gave thechildren mouldy bread to eat.jonk 1 n. junk. Da oal kaa da wanbig pees a jonk. That old car isone big piece of junk.jonk 2 v. cut off a chunk. Mibreda jonk aaf wahn big pees ami mango. My brother cut off abig chunk of my mango. See: kot.[Possibly originates from loggingdays, having to do with ‘crosscutting’]joo 1 n. dew. Joo mi-di jrap hevilaas nait. Dew was fallingheavily last night.joo 2 adj. due. Noh wori, Janiwahn geh egzakli weh joo ahn.Don’t worry, Johnny will getexactly what’s due him.Joo n. Jew. Dehn kaal pipl wehkohn fahn Izrel Joo. They call162
Joo Bwai Kriol tu Inglish jraapeople who come from IsraelJews.Joo Bwai n. Jamaican male.Slang. Mi daata hozban kohnfahn Jumayka, soh evribadikaal ahn Joo Bwai. Mydaughter’s husband comes fromJamaica, so everybody calls himJoo Boy. [Probably comes froma shortened form of the Belizeanpronunciation of Jamaica as ‘Jumayka’]joofish n. jewfish; a largeedible saltwater fish, largest ofthe grouper family; alsoknown as sea bass. Epinephelusitajara. Joofish nais fi mek fishbaalz. The Jewfish is good formaking fish balls.Jooish adj. Jewish. Di Jooishleeda dehn mi waahn aresJeezas. The Jewish leaderswanted to arrest Jesus.Joolai n. July. Kyamp daaalwayz di sekant week eenaJoolai. Camp is always thesecond week of July.Joon n. June. Wee mi geh marideena Joon. We got married inJune.joori n. jury. Di joori fain diman gilti. The jury found theman guilty.joorin prep. during. Dadi hihnsleep joorin di hoal play. Daddyslept during the whole play.jooriya n. juror. Ai da-mi wahnjooriya pahn wahn merda kayswahn taim. I was once a juror ona murder case.joos n. juice. Di gyal di selareenj joos da maakit. The girlsells orange juice in the market.joosi adj. juicy. Dehnya mangojoosi joosi. These mangos arevery juicy.joota n. shoe. Big joota, smaaljoota, da aal di sayhn ting. Bigshoes, little shoes, it’s all thesame thing. See: shooz. [
jraaf Kriol tu Inglish jranko beedkeep a special drawer to keep ourpanties in.jraaf n. draft. Put aan wahnjekit mek yu noh kech jraaf. Puton a jacket so you won’t catch adraft.jraain n. drawing. Jaymi bringaal ih jraain dehn kohn shoa ihma. Jamie brought all of hisdrawings to show his mother.jraama n. drama, dramaticexperience. Da aalwayz jraamafi koam Amaari hed. It’s alwaysa dramatic experience to combAmari’s hair.jraaz n. briefs, drawers,underpants. Berti ron owt a dihows eena loan jraaz. Bertie ranout of the house in just hisdrawers. See: andapants, breef.jrai v. dry. Di plaant mi jrai raitop fahn ih root. The plant driedup from its roots.— adj. dry. Ah pik een aal a dijrai kloaz aaf a di lain. I broughtin all of the dry clothes off of theline. — n. drought. Di faamadehn di wori bowt dehn krapsayk a di lang jrai wi mi ga disyaa. The farmers are worryingabout their crops because of thelong drought that we had thisyear.jrai aiy Variant: jrai fays.jrai fays (var: jrai aiy) phr.barefaced, brazenness, nerve,shamelessness. Shee lukschrayt pahn mi wid ih jrai faysahn kohn tel lai bowt how Aimi-di taak bowt ahn. She lookedat me barefaced and told liesabout how I was talking abouther. See: faysinis, bayrfays.jrai weda jombi n. heat waves.Weh di son soh hat, ih mek yusi jrai weda jombi front a yu.Because the sun is so hot, itmakes you see heat waves infront of you.jraiv v. drive. Wen wi si ahn, diman mi-di jraiv wahn nyoo kaa.When we saw him, the man wasdriving a new car.jraiva n. driver. Mai pa da-miwahn chrok jraiva aal a ih laif.My father was a truck driver allof his life. See: shoafa.jrai-wan adv. brazenly. Ih kohnjrai-wan kohn tel mi seh ihwahn tek weh mi hozban fahnmi. She came and told mebrazenly that she’s going to takemy husband away from me.jraiya n. drier. Pati gaahn putmi sweta eena jraiya ahnschrink ahn. Patty put mysweater in the drier and shrank it.jranko (var: jankro) n. vulture(carrion crow) Cathartidae.Nobadi noh eet jranko kaadehn feed pahn loan ded meet.Nobody eats vulture because theyfeed only on dead flesh. See:king jranko, peel-nek jranko,red-nek jranko. [
jrap Kriol tu Inglish jreem bukjranko beed blak ahn red, dehnluk priti eena di ail fi di lamp.Because the John Crow beads areblack and red, they look beautifulin the oil for the lamp. [Perhapsnamed because both the bead andthe jranko bird (vulture) areassociated with death, or becauseboth are black with red parts]jrap v. 1) drop. Ah neva eevnnoa Ah jrap mi pos pahnschreet til wahn laydi bring itkohn gi mi. I didn’t even knowthat I had dropped my purse onthe street until a lady brought it tome. 2) fall. Main yu jrap ahnbos yu hed. Be careful that youdon’t fall and hurt your head.See: faal, pail op. 3) abate, diedown, subside. Wahn badskwaal mi-di bloa, bot bifoalang di breez jrap. A bad squallwas blowing, but before long thewind died down. See: bayt.— n. 1) drop. Afta Ah kotmiself, Ah si wahn big jrap ablod pahn di grong. After I cutmyself, I saw a big drop of bloodon the ground. 2) lift, ride. Gi miwahn jrap da cherch, noh?Would you give me a ride tochurch? See: lif, raid.jrap asleep v.phr. fall asleep.Main yu jrap asleep wail yu dijraiv. Be careful that you don’tfall asleep while you’re driving.jrap dong v.phr. collapse,faint. Di lee gyal jrap dong owtdeh kaa di teecha mi ga dehn distan op eena son tu lang. Thegirl fainted out there because theteacher kept them standing in thesun too long. See: faynt weh,gaahn fahn...self.jrap too han pahn v.phr.punch. If yu noh shet yu mowt,Ah wahn jrap too han pahn yu.If you don’t shut your mouth, I’mgoing to punch you. See: chroahan, dash han, ponch.jratid adj. dratted, aggravating.Da jratid bwai don teef mimoni. That dratted boy stole mymoney.jrayn v. drain. Mek shoar yujrayn da rais gud wen yu washit. Make sure that you drain thatrice well when you wash it.— n. drain. Shaaleen laas ihring eena da modi jrayn.Charlene lost her ring in thatmuddy drain.jred adj. economically difficult.Tingz jred deez dayz kaa Ahnoh ga no jab. Things are tougheconomically because I don’thave a job. See: bok, pilinki.[
jreemi Kriol tu Inglish jrinkfi si weh ih jreem dehn meen.Lucy’s grandmother likes to lookin her dream book to find themeaning of her dreams. See:duki.jreemi adj. dreamy. Da Luwisjreemi aiy dehn di fool di gyaldehn. It’s Lewis’ dreamy eyesthat are deceiving the girls.jreg v. drag, pull. Di teecha jregop Magi eena ih hyaa kaa ihsok ih teet aata ahn. The teacherpulled Maggie by the hairbecause she sucked her teeth ather. See: haal, pul, toa.jreg lain n.phr. ship crane.jres v. dress. Di laydi ga sohnnyoo kloaz an ih jres kwaitprapa. The woman has some newclothes and she’s dressed quiteproperly. — n. dress. Da laydidi luk fi wahn nyoo jres. Thatwoman is looking for a newdress. See: dandan, frak, gong.jres dong v.phr. move over,make room on a seat forothers. Jres dong, mek di leegyal sidong said a yu. Moveover so the little girl can sit nextto you.jres op v.phr. dress up. Dehnlee gyal laik jres op eena dehnma kloaz. Little girls like to dressup in their mothers’ clothes.jres no pus bak fut Idiomaticphr. dress up in one’s best.(Literally: ‘dress no puss backfoot’) Mee dehdeh aal jres opno pus bak fut, ahn hihn kohnpik mi op eena wahn oalpemperem. I was all dressed upin my nicest things when he cameto pick me up in a junky old car.166jresa n. shelf hanging outsideof a window for washingdishes. Evri week mi sista mihafu skrob dong di jresa weh wiwash op pan. Every week mysister had to scrub down the shelfwhere we washed dishes.jresin n. medical dressing. Aftami aparayshan, Ah mi hafu gohevri week fi chaynj di jresin.After my operation, I had to go inevery week to change thedressing.jresn taybl n. dressing table.Aal kain a perfyoom deh pahnKlaara jresn taybl. There are allkinds of perfume on Clara’sdressing table.jrif v. drift. Gyal, yoo noh taiyada jrif bowt? Wai yu noh stayhoahn sohn taim? Girl, aren’tyou tired of drifting around? Whydon’t you stay home sometimes?See: popi fut, waak bowt.jril v. 1) drill; instill or teach byrepeated exercises. Fan Ahleel, mi ma jril eena mi hed datAh noh fi teef. Since I wassmall, my mother drilled it intomy head that I shouldn’t steal. 2)1) drill; bore a hole. Jril wahnhoal eena di waal soh Ah kuheng op dis picha. Drill a holein the wall so I can hang thispicture. — n. drill. Teena onklsen bara di jril fi boar wahnhoal eena di waal. Tina’s unclesent to borrow the drill to bore ahole in the wall.jrink n. drink. Wi oanli aksdehn fi wahn jrink a waata. Weonly asked them for a drink ofwater. — v. drink. Ih beta fi
jrip Kriol tu Inglish jronkinjrink fresh hareenj joos dan fibai it da shap. It’s better to drinkfresh orange juice than to buy itat the store.jrink tee v.phr. eat breakfastor supper. Ah waahn yu kohnjrink tee wid mi kaa Ah mekfrai fish ahn janikayk. I wantyou to come eat supper with mebecause I made fried fish andjohnny-cakes.jrip v. drip. Di man mi-di werksoh haad dat ih swet mi-di jripdong aaf a ih hed. The man wasworking so hard that his sweatwas dripping off his head.jripinz n. drippings. Di jripinzaaf a terki nais fi mek grayvi.The drippings off of a turkey arenice for making gravy.jrizl v. drizzle; very light rain.Ih staat tu jrizl fos, den ih raynhaad. It started to drizzle at first,and then it rained hard. See:rayn.jroav n. drove, crowd, throng.Wahn big jroav a pipl fahn aalrong mi dehdeh. Droves ofpeople from all around werethere. See: kit, krowd.jrog v. drug. Dehn jrog di haasahn put ahn tu sleep soh datdehn kuda mi fiks ih fut. Theydrugged the horse and put it tosleep so they could fix its leg.— n. drug. Variant: jrogz.jrogis n. druggist, pharmacist.Wilma son gaahn weh gaahnstodi fi bee jrogis. Wilma’s sonwent abroad to study to become adruggist.jrogstoar n. drugstore,pharmacy. Goh da di jrogstoargoh bai di medisn. Go to thepharmacy to buy the medicine.jrogz (var: jrog) n. drug. Da sayka sel jrogz mek hihn geh rich. Itwas by selling drugs that he gotrich.jrom n. 1) drum; percussioninstrument. Noh beet di jromsoh haad, man. Don’t beat thedrum so loud, man. See:tum-tum, gumbeh, kota jrom.2) drum, barrel. Mis Haatensset ih jrom fi kech rayn waataenitaim ih rayn. Miss Hortenseset her drum to catch rain waterwhenever it rains. See: baril.jrongdid (var: jronglid) v.drown. Dehn mi jrongdid eenaNaadan Lagoon. They drownedin the Northern Lagoon.jronglid Variant: jrongdid.jronk adj. drunk. Di man jrinkwahn lee bit a wain, bot ih nevajronk. The man had drunk a bitof wine, but he wasn’t drunk.See: blak op, jronkin.jronkad n. drunkard. Melvinnoh wahn seh dat hihn dajronkad, bot hihn jrink haad.Melvin won’t admit that he’s adrunkard, but he drinks too much.jronki adj. dizzy. Sayk a gohraid meri-goh-rong, Ah gehjronki. Because I rode on themerry-go-round, I got dizzy. See:tonti.jronkin adj. drunk, drunken. Wisi wahn jronkin man di stagadong di schreet. We saw a drunkstaggering down the street. See:blak op, jronk.167
jronkin bayman Kriol tu Inglish kaafijronkin bayman n. type of fly.Dehn jronkin bayman sikninwen dehn flai rong yu. Thoseflies are bothersome when theyfly around you. See: flai.jronkinis n. drunkenness. WenGari eena fi hihn jronkinis,hihn noh noa weh ih di du. Inhis drunkenness, Gary doesn’tknow what he’s doing.jrool v. dribble, drool. Put aanwahn bib pahn di baybi kaahihn loan di jrool op. Put a bibon the baby because he’s droolingso much. See: baaba, gedawaata.— n. dribble, drool, saliva. Dalee bwai hoal shot front mi wetop wid jrool. The front of thatlittle boy’s shirt was soaked withdrool. See: baaba, mowt waata.jrowzi adj. drowsy. Wi mi sohK - ktaiyad ahn jrowzi, wi jos jrapasleep. We were so tired anddrowsy, we just fell asleep. See:sleepi, taiyad.juk v. 1) poke, prick. Di pin jukmi finga hat. The pin pricked myfinger and it hurt. See: nayl-juk.[
kaafin Kriol tu Inglish kaanajrink kaafi, ih gi mi hedayk.Whenever I drink coffee, it givesme a headache.kaan kaafi n.phr. coffee madefrom ground, parched corn.Wen Ah get op, mi ma dongrain di kaan fi mek kaankaafi. When I got up, my momhad already ground the corn tomake corn coffee.wail kaafi n.phr. wild coffee;tree with large thick roundleaves. Rinorea spp.kaafin n. coffin. Dehn loar dikaafin eena di hoal wid roap.They lowered the coffin into thehole with a rope. See: ded baks.kaago n. cargo. Di ship bring lata kaago. The ship brought lots ofcargo.kaak n. cork; used as a stopperfor a bottles or cask, and as afishing float; traditionallymade from bark of a tree. Dikaak brok haafway eena di batlnek. When the cork was half-waythrough the bottle neck, it broke.kaak op v.phr. 1) caulk, cork,plug, stop up. Di boat mi-dileek, soh dehn mi hafu kaak opdi hoal. The boat was leaking, sothey had to stop up the hole. See:stap op. 2) constipate. Wen yuga roninz, if yu jrink laim, ihwahn kaak yu op faas. Whenyou have diarrhea, if you drinklime, it will constipate youquickly. See: bain, kaastiv.kaal 1 v. call. Wi mi-di kaal dipikni dehn bot dehn noh yehrwi. We were calling the children,but they didn’t hear us. See: hayl.kaal 2 n. caul; a white membrane169that is sometimes over ababy’s head at birth. There aresuperstitions about babies bornwith caul. Wen Helin si dat dibaybi baan wid kaal, ih mek disain a di kraas. When Helen sawthat the baby was born with caul,she made the sign of the cross.kaan v. corn; to preserve orpickle meats with salt. Oaltaim pipl yoostu kaan dehnmeet ahn heng it op oava dehnfaiyahaat. In the old days peopleused to salt their meat and hang itover their fireplace. — adj.corned, pickled, preserved.Kaan fish ku laas fi dayz owteena di oapm. Corned fish couldlast for days out in the open.— n. corn, a grain plant. Zeamays. Di man mi-di plaant kaaneena di bak a ih yaad. The manwas planting corn in his backyard.bail kaan. n.phr. corn on thecob. Wen wi eet bail kaan, wilaik eet aaf di roa dehn, wan baiwan. When we eat corn on thecob, we like to eat off the rows,one by one.shuga kaan n.phr. cannedcreamed corn sweetened withcondensed milk. Ai laikaiskreem weh mek owt a shugakaan. I like ice cream that’smade out of sweetened corn.kaan bred n. corn bread. Ahmek kaan bred wid di kaanmeel Ah geh fahn Red Kraas. Imade corn bread with the cornmeal that I got from Red Cross.kaana v. corner. Di pus kaana dirat; den ih kil ahn. The cat
kaangreel Kriol tu Inglish kabankacornered the rat and then killed it.— n. corner. Noh paak da dischreet kaana. Don’t park at thecorner of the street.kaangreel n. conger eel. Yuhafu main how yu waak eenadehn mod bai watsaid kaakaangreel ku bait yu. You haveto be careful when walking in themud by the waterside becauseyou could be bitten by an eel.[
kabl Kriol tu Inglish kakroachkabl v. sew ineptly. Ah kyaahnsoa gud, bot Ah chrai kabl mioan kertn dehn. I can’t sew well,but I try to sew my own curtains.kain 1 adj. kind, warm-hearted.Shee da-mi wahn kain teecha.She was a kind teacher.kain 2 n. kind, sort, type. Piplwid plenti difrant kain a siknismi dehdeh. People with manydifferent kinds of sicknesses werethere. See: bran. (See phr. wahnkain a way under way 2 )kain 3 n. coin. Mi aanti bringwahn goal kain fi mi wen ihkohn fahn Stayts. My auntbrought a gold coin for me whenshe came from the States. See:dala kain.kainis n. kindness. Wi mos shoakainis eevn tu wi enimi dehn.We should show kindness even toour enemies.kait n. kite. Di lee bwai mi-di flaiih kait tu hai an ih pap weh.The little boy was flying his kitetoo high and the string broke andit blew away.Kaiyo boat n. shallow draftriver boat, with a tunnelprotected prop, that workedthe Belize Old River andSibun Rivers into the 1960’s.kak op v. 1) cock up; sticksomething up in a noticeableposition. Di man kak op ih pilaanda ih hed. The man cocked upthe pillow under his head.2) assume an air ofimportance, put on airs, putoneself forward. Ih aalwayz dikak op ihself eena hai sosaiyati.171He likes to put on airs when he’swith important people. See:primz op. — adv. cocked up;sit inappropriately with one’sfoot up. Mi ma seh wahn naisyong laydi noh fi sidong wid ihfut kak op. My mother says thata nice young lady doesn’t sit withher foot cocked up.kaka n. excrement. Slang. See:nomba too, tutu.kakaiy n. cross-eye. Di baybibaan wid kakaiy, bot di daktaseh ih ku fiks it. The baby wasborn with cross-eye, but thedoctor says he can fix it.kakakroch v. render helplessby holding someone betweenone’s legs. Mi lee gyal noh laikkoam ih hyaa, soh Ah hafukakakroch ahn mek ih noh ronfahn mi. My little girl doesn’tlike to comb her hair, so I have tohold her tightly between my legsso that she doesn’t run away fromme.kakao n. the cacao plant andseeds; used for makingchocolate. Theobroma cacao.[Native to the Caribbean and S.Am.; introduced to Europe byColumbus; Mayans used thebeans for money.]kakataari adj. assertive, daring.Taiga maaga bot ih kakataari.Even though a tiger looks timid,by nature it’s very daring. See:waasi.kakroach n. cockroach. (Oftenshortened to ‘roach’.) Noh eetda pees a kayk kaa kakroachklaar aal oava it. Don’t eat thatpiece of cake because
kala Kriol tu Inglish kaliflowacockroaches were crawling allover it.kala 1 n. collar. Dis kala chroaaaf di blowz. This collar spoilsthe looks of the blouse.kala 2 n. colour. Di kala luk laikdehn di wash owt. The coloursseem to be fading. — v. colour.Adeen mi waahn kala eena ihbuk, bot di lee bwai gaahn widdi hoal baks a kalarin. Adinewanted to colour in her book, butthe boy went away with thewhole box of crayons.kalaboan n. collarbone. Dipikni mi soh maaga dat aal ihkalaboan mi-di shub owt. Thechild was so skinny that even hiscollarbone was sticking out.kalalu n. calaloo; plant withedible leaves, similar tospinach, which are cooked as agreen vegetable. Wen yu kukeg lang wid kalalu, yu ga naisdina. When you cook eggstogether with calaloo, you have anice dinner.kalara n. cholera. Eena flodtaim yu noh fi jrink waata fahndi riva kaa ih wahn gi yukalara. In flood times youshouldn’t drink water from theriver because it will give youcholera.kalarin n. crayon. Adeen miwaahn kala eena ih buk, bot dilee bwai gaahn wid di hoal baksa kalarin. Adine wanted tocolour in her book, but the boywent away with the whole box ofcrayons.kalbash n. 1) calabash; the172large, smooth gourd-like fruitsof this tree were used ascontainers. Crescrentia cujete.Wi dip op waata da riva wid dikalbash. At the river we used thecalabash to dip up water. [It issaid that if a candle is floated in acalabash in the river whensomeone drowns, it will float towhere the body is.] 2) head.Slang. Yu kalbash tu haad,man. Your head is too hard, man.See: hed.kaldo n. stewed fish and groundfood. See: schulala, sehreh.[
kalij Kriol tu Inglish kanchrayriyoostu plaant mi oan kaliflowa.I used to plant my owncauliflower.kalij n. college. Di pikni dehnwaahn goh da kalij wen dehngroa op. The children want to goto college when they grow up.kalinda n. calendar. (kaLINda)Evri yaa di Kriol projek putowt wahn kalinda. Every yearthe Kriol Project puts out acalendar.kalipash n. meat of the greenturtle; the meat nearest theshell is good for soup. See:kalipee.kalipee n. turtle meat attachedto the lower shell. See:kalipash.kaman adj. common; ill-bred.Stap di mek soh moch naizpahn schreet laik yu kaman.Stop making so much noise onthe street as if you’re an ill-bredperson.kamara n. camera. Ah miwaahn tek wahn picha a mibaybi bot di kamara bachri mided. I wanted to take a picture ofmy baby, but the camera batterywas dead.kamikl adj. fussy, hard toplease. Ah noh laik kuk fi Ivetkaa shee too kamikl. I don’t liketo cook for Yvette because she’stoo fussy. See: fosi.kamoashan n. commotion. Wata kamoashan! Soh moch piplmi-di baal ahn krai. What acommotion! So many peoplewere shouting and crying. See:kweneneh, oproal, rokshan,rugudungz.kampashan n. compassion. Dibwai pa beet ahn widowtkampashan. The boy’s fatherbeet him mercilessly.kampel v. compel, force. Digovament kampel wi fi paytaks. The government compels usto pay taxes. See: foas.kamplayn v. complain. Diteecha mi-di kamplayn tu Peetama how ih noh du hoamwerk.The teacher was complaining toPeter’s mother about how hedoesn’t do his homework.— n. complaint. Mi ma seh ihnoh ga no kamplayn; ih seh ihfeel gud. My mother says thatshe’s feeling well and has nocomplaint.kamplaynin n. complaining.Ah taiyad a yehr soh mochkamplaynin bowt how nof tingnoh deh fi eet. I’m tired ofhearing so much complainingabout not having enough to eat.See: raylin.kamyooniti n. community.— adj. community. Di meetnmi deh da di kamyooniti senta.The meeting was held at thecommunity centre.kanchos adj. aware, conscious.Yu mi kanchos seh da mee dehbak a yu? Were you aware that itwas I who was behind you?kanchraydi Variant: kanchrayri.kanchrayri (var: kanchraydi)adj. (kanCHRAYri) contrary,disagreeable. Nobadi noh laikda lee oal laydi kaa ih tukanchrayri. Nobody likes that173
kanchreri tu Kriol tu Inglish kanfrenslittle old lady because she’s toocontrary.kanchreri tu phr. (KANchreri)contrary to. Weh Frank tel mikompleetli kanchreri tu wehyoo seh. What Frank told me iscompletely contrary to what yousaid.kanchroal v. control. Nobadikudn kanchroal da masheen.Nobody could control thatmachine. — n. control. Mi pami-di jraiv, bot ih loozkanchroal a di chrok. My fatherwas driving, but he lost control ofthe truck.kandem v. 1) condemn. Di jojnoh waahn kandem wahninosent man. The judge doesn’twant to condemn an innocentman. See: dam. 2) destroy.Bwai, if yu stan op pahn di leegyal dali, yu wahn kandem it.Boy, if you stand on the littlegirl’s dolly, you’ll destroy it. See:brok op, dischrai.kandemnayshan n.condemnation. Dehn noh yehrdi hoal stoari, ahn dehn don gami anda kandemnayshan. Theydon’t know the whole story, butthey already have me undercondemnation.kandishan n. condition. Wehkandishan yu fain yu hows eenawen yu kohn bak fahn Stayts?What condition did you find yourhouse in when you came backfrom the States? See: shayp,stayt.kandom n. condom. Mee ahnmi hozban disaid fi yoozkandom mek Ah noh geh174pregnant. My husband and Idecided to use condoms toprevent my getting pregnant. See:rabaz, spens bag.kanek v. connect. Di masheennoh wahn du notn til wi kanekdi too waiya dehn. The machinewon’t do anything until weconnect the two wires.kanekshan n. connection. Ahga gud kanekshan wid di praimminista. I have good connectionswith the prime minister.kanfaam v. confirm. Mee ahnmi sista wahn kanfaam daKyaatlik cherch neks week. Mysister and I will be confirmed inthe Catholic church next week.kanfainment n. confinement;relates to women undergoingchildbirth. Mis Eedit ga wahnplays weh dehn laydi ku goh fidehn kanfainment. Miss Edithhas a nursing home where womencan go to have their babies.kanfes v. confess, admit. Gaadfagiv wi wen wi kanfes wirangdooinz. God forgives uswhen we confess ourwrongdoings. See: oan op.kanfidens n. confidence. Wi gakanfidens dat wi pa wahn gehwahn nyoo jab. We haveconfidence that our father will geta new job.kanfident adj. confident. Ahkanfident dat mi laaya wahnwin di kays. I’m confident thatmy lawyer will win the case.kanfrens n. conference. Digovament di ga wahn kanfrensfi teechaz. The government is
kanfyooz Kriol tu Inglish kanvikhaving a conference for teachers.kanfyooz v. confuse. Di mankanfyooz wi wid aal a dikweschan dehn weh ih mi-diaks. The man confused us withall the questions he was asking.See: krayzi.— adj. confused. Di bwai feelkanfyooz wen ih yehr di chrootbowt ih pa. The boy feltconfused when he heard the truthabout his father.kanfyoozhan n. confusion. Pegilaas ih ma eena di kanfyoozhanwen di raiyat staat. Peggy losther mom in the confusion whenthe riot started.kansaan v. concern. Nohkansaan yuself wid weh Ah gafi du. Don’t concern yourselfwith what I have to do. — n.concern, interest. Da man oanlikansaan da fi mek moni. Thatman’s only concern is to makemoney. See: inchres. — adj.concerned. Da bwai tu selfish;ih oanli kansaan bowt ih oanself. That boy is too selfish; he’sonly concerned about himself.kansert n. concert. Wi cherchban di ga wahn kansert daSivik. Our church band is havinga concert at the Civic Centre.kanshans n. conscience. Yukanshans shuda tel yu dat wehyu du mi rang. Your conscienceshould tell you that what you didwas wrong.kansida v. 1) consider, beconsiderate. Da wahn gud tingfi kansida wan anada. It is agood thing to be considerate ofone another. 2) ponder; be deep175in thought. Yoo aalwayz dehbai yuself di kansida. You’realways off by yourself deep inthought.kansidarayt adj. considerate.Misa Paal da wahn kansidaraytlee man. Mr. Paul is aconsiderate man.kansoal v. console. Wi mikansoal di laydi afta ih hozbanded. We consoled the womanafter her husband died.kantadik v. contradict. Da badmanaz kantadik yu ma wen ihdi taak. It’s bad manners tocontradict your mom when she’stalking.kantangaros adj. cantankerous.Da lee laydi oanli kantangaros;ih aalwayz di kaaz chroblmongz di famili. That lady is soquarrelsome; she always causestrouble in the family. See:kwaarilsam.kantayna n. container. Wi mi-diluk fi wahn kantayna fi dilefoavaz. We were looking for acontainer for the left-overs.kantentid adj. contented. Vilmakwait kantentid fi stay eena ihhows. Vilma is quite contented tostay in her house.kantes n. contest. (KANtes)Dehn di ga wahn daans kantestumaaro nait. They’re having adance contest tomorrow night.kantinyu v. continue. Di teechakantinyu di stoari di neks day.The teacher continued the storythe next day. See: kip aan, stodi.kanvik v. convict. Di joorikanvik di man a merda. The
kanvins Kriol tu Inglish karekjury convicted the man of murder.kanvins v. convince. Noh kayweh yu du, yoo kyaahn kanvinsmee dat hihn neva lai mi. Nomatter what you do, you can’tconvince me that he didn’t lie tome.kanvisayshan n. conversation.Too pipl mi-di taak, ahn wiyehr di hoal kanvisayshan. Twopeople were talking, and weheard the whole conversation.See: lang bench.kapa n. copper cent or penny.Yu kyaahn bai notn fi kapadeez dayz. These days you can’tbuy anything for a penny. See:sehn, sent. [Copper coin is nolonger minted in Belize.]kapa kala n. fair skin or lightskin (a little darker than‘chaylo’). Di teecha oanli laikhihn sayk a fi hihn kapa kala.The teacher favours him becausehe’s light-skinned. See: klayrskin.kapapin v. seal; prepare a boathull to prevent leaks.kaparoocheh n. game: a postand tube connected by string,the post is held and the tube isswung to try to get it on thepost. Sohntaim wen yu playkaparoocheh, di batam paatlaik nak op yu han wen yuswing it. Sometimes when youplay kaparoochen, the bottomtends to hit your hand when youswing it.kapi v. 1) copy; duplicate. Ahkapi dong evriting weh diteecha rait pahn di blakboad. Icopied down everything that theteacher wrote on the blackboard.See: falafut. 2) copy; refers tocheating in school. Teechakech Stanli di kapi aaf a Joapaypa eena klaas. The teachercaught Stanley copying off ofJoe’s paper in class. — n. copy.Wi mi sen wahn kapi a di aatikltu wi ma. We sent a copy of thearticle to our mom.karakta (var: kerikta) (kaRAKta)n. 1) character. Ih gud fi gawahn gud karakta soh dat piplku chros yu. It’s good to havegood character so that people cantrust you. See: wayz.2) reputation. Neva du notn fiblakn yu karakta. Never doanything to blacken yourreputation.karats n. carrot. (Both sg. & pl.)Daucus carota sativa. Dakta sehhow karats gud fi yu aiy.Doctors say that carrots are goodfor your eyes.karek v. 1) correct. If Ah dueniting rang, mi breda dozaalwayz karek mi. If I didanything wrong, my brotherwould always correct me. See:maak, rang. 2) grade. Ah gawahn lat a tes paypa fi karektunait. I have a lot of test papersto grade tonight. — adj. correct,right. Put aan yu shot pahn dikarek said. Turn your shirt onthe right side. See: rait. — adv.1) correctly, accurately. Ah miput aan di sleev pahn di jreskarek aftaraal. I had put thesleeve on the dress correctly afterall. 2) good, healthy. Da fish176
karekshan Kriol tu Inglish kaynoh tays tu karek. That fishdoesn’t taste too good. See: helti.— int. correct? right? Ah tonrait da di sekant layn, karek? Iturn right at the second lane,right? See: noh, noh chroo, rait.karekshan n. correction. MisTaamsn mek wahn lat akarekshan pahn mi paypa. MissThompson made lots ofcorrections on my paper.karowzin n. carousing. Ih nohluk gud fi wahn yong laydi dikehri aan wid dehn lat akarowzin pahn schreet. Itdoesn’t look good for a younglady to be carrying on with a lotof carousing on the street.kasaada Variant: kasaava.kasaava (var: kasaada) n.cassava; a plant with a starchyedible root. Manihot. Kasaavada wahn grong food wehGarifuna pipl oanli laik.Cassava is a ground food that theGarifuna people really like.kasaava bred n. cassava bread.Kasaava bred da wahn waid,flat, krispi ting laik torteeyaweh dehn mek owt a kasaava.Cassava bread is a wide, flat,crispy food like a tortilla that theymake from cassava.kaschoom n. costume. Wee mihafu mek aal a di kaschoomdehn fi di play. We had to makeall of the costumes for the play.kashu n. cashew. Anacardiumoccidentale. Wen yu eet tu mochkashu, ih ku eech yu mowt.When you eat too much cashew,it can irritate your mouth.177kaskas v. get along with.(Always used in the negative)Mee ahn shee kyaahn kaskasataal. She and I can’t get along atall. See: gree, set haas. [
kaybl Kriol tu Inglish kechthis child, he still doesn’t listen.See: noh mata.kaybl n. cable television. Weekyaahn afoad kaybl. We can’tafford to have cable TV.kayj n. cage. Wen serkos kohn,dehn hafu kip di laiyan dehneena kayj. When the circuscomes, they have to keep thelions in cages.kayk n. cake. Mi ma neva mekno kayk fi mi bertday. My momdidn’t make any cake for mybirthday. See: blak kayk, bruku,lait kayk, wait kayk.kaylis Variant: kyaalis.kayn n. sugar cane; a tall grasswith a woody stalk, the sapfrom which is used for makingsugar, rum, and molasses, theproduction of which is a majorindustry in the Orange Walkdistrict. Saccharum oficinarum.Wee doz peel kayn wid wi teetwen wee mi smaal. We used topeel sugar cane with our teethwhen we were children. See:shuga.kayr (var: kyaa) n. care.tek kayr v.phr. be careful. Tekkayr pahn di road. Be careful onthe road. See: kyaaful, main.tek kayr a v.phr. care for,look after, take care of, attendto. Wi hafu tek kayr a wi maahn pa. We have to take care ofour mom and dad. See: main, tentu.kays 1 n. case; container, as acrate or box. Ah bai too kays asaaf jrink fi Krismos. I boughttwo cases of soft drinks forChristmas.kays 2 n. case; person or matterundergoing medical or legalinvestigation. Di joj chroa owtdi kays yestudeh. The judgethrew out the case yesterday.kaysli Variant: skaysli.kayv n. cave. Lat a bat mi deheena di kayv. There were lots ofbats in the cave.kayv een v.phr. cave in,collapse. Di tonil kayv eenpahn di man dehn. The tunnelcaved in on the men.kech v. 1) catch, grab hold of.Wi kech wahn lat a fish da day.We caught many fish that day.See: grabl. 2) quarrel. Mee ahnmi mada-ahn-laa stodi kech kaashee noh laik mee. My motherin-lawand I keep quarrelingbecause she doesn’t like me. See:kwaaril, fos. 3) hit, strike. Di leebwai stoan di bod bot ih nevakech ahn. The boy threw stonesat the bird but he didn’t hit it.kech ahn kil v.phr. work atany available job. Sheelahozban noh ga wahn schraytjab; hihn oanli kech ahn kil.Sheila’s husband doesn’t have asteady job; he works at anythingthat’s available. See: hosl,pragin, wahn lee en.kech ih tee v.phr. hang aroundin hopes of getting a free meal.Evri maanin Taam kohn da mihows kohn kech ih tee laik howih noh di werk. Every morningTom comes hanging around myhouse for breakfast since he’s notworking.kech op v.phr. start a fire.178
kee Kriol tu Inglish kersMek Ah kech op wahn faiya.Let me start a fire.kee 1 n. key. Sintya lak op ihhows kee eena di hows. Cynthialocked her house key in thehouse.kee 2 cay(e) Dadi kehr wi da keefi haliday. Daddy took us to thecayes for vacation. See: ailan.[
kertn Kriol tu Inglish Kingz Paakwahn kers pahn Kayn kaa ih kilih breda. God put a curse onCain because he killed hisbrother. See: oabya, put mowtpahn.kertn n. curtain. Wen di piknidehn brok di winda, dehn tayrdi kertn tu. When the childrenbroke the window, they tore thecurtain too.kerv n. curve. Wen Taami bosrong di kerv, ih nak dong dipoa man. When Tommy camespeeding around the curve, heknocked the poor man down.ketl (var: kitl) n. kettle; cookingutensil with a spout. Foaraklak evri day Mayri put aan ihketl fi mek tee. At four o’clockevery day Mary puts on her kettleto make tea.kiba Archaic. cover. Variant:kova.kichin n. kitchen. Mi maaalwayz deh eena kichin di kuk.My mother is always in thekitchen cooking.kidni n. kidney. Yu mos jrinkplenti waata fi mek yu kidnidehn werk gud. You shoulddrink plenty of water to makeyour kidneys function properly.kik v. kick. Bwai, da wai yu kikdi daag? Boy, why did you kickthe dog?kik di bokit v.phr. die.Euphemism. Di oal man jos kikdi bokit laas nait ahn dehn dondi beri ahn tudeh. The old manjust died last night and they’realready burying him today. See:ded, peg owt.kiks n. kicks, fun. Di yong bwaidehn fraitn di poa lee laydi josfi kiks. The young boysfrightened the poor little lady justfor kicks. See: fon.kiksi adj. funny, not serious.Hihn tu kiksi, hihn nevaseeryos. He’s always makingjokes, he’s never serious. See:foni, joaki.kil v. kill. Kevin neva don til ihkil ih waif sayk a jelos. Kevinkept on until he killed his wifebecause of his jealousy. See:merda, slaata.kil ihself v.phr. commitsuicide.kilin n. killing. Tu moch kilin dihapm eena Bileez deez dayz.Too many killings are happeningin Belize these days.kimbo v. stand akimbo. Da leegyal di kimbo laik shee big.That little girl is standing akimboas if she’s big.kinel n. canal. Evan jrap eenakinel an ih jrongdid kaa ihkudn swim. Evan fell into thecanal and drowned because hecouldn’t swim.kinep n. guinep fruit or tree.Melicorea. Dehn kinep fahnkraas di boada tays laik wetkatn. The guineps from acrossthe border taste like wet cotton.king jranko n. king vulture;large scavenger bird.Sarcoramphus Papa. See:jranko.kingfisha n. kingfisher, ringedkingfisher. Ceryle torquata.Kingz Paak n. Kings Park;180
kip Kriol tu Inglish klaarnorth central area of BelizeCity. Laik how yu liv da KingzPaak, yoo mosi rich. You mustbe rich because you live in theKing’s Park area.kip v. 1) keep. If yu put di sachizeena di frij, ih wahn kip sotaytumaaro. If you put the sausagein the fridge, it will keep untiltomorrow. 2) maintain as amistress. Darel hihn di kip toolaydi; dats wai ih aalwayz brok.Darrell has been maintaining twowomen; that’s why he’s alwaysbroke.kip aan v.phr. continue, keepon, persist. If yu kip aan duweh yoo di du, yu wahn geteena big chrobl. If you keep ondoing what you’re doing, you’llget in big trouble. See: kantinyu.kip bak v.phr. keep back,delay, hold up. Sayk a weh ihlayt, ih kip bak di hoal chrip.Because she was late, she held upthe whole trip. See: hoal...op.kip op v.phr. celebrate abirthday or anniversary with aparty. Wen Ah mi smaal, mi maahn mi pa neva doz kip op fidehn aniversri. When I waslittle, my mother and father nevercelebrated their anniversary. See:selibrayt.kis v. kiss. Mi onkl laik kohn kismi pahn mi jaa an Ai noh laikit. My uncle always comes to kissme on my cheek and I don’t likeit.— n. kiss. Di groom gi di braidwahn lang kis da di alta. Thegroom gave the bride a long kissat the altar. See: choops181kisiz bai fayva n.phr. See:fayva.kiskidee n. kiskadee; aflycatcher bird which gets itsname from it repeated call.kiskideh n. a type of insect.kiskis n. wooden tongs; madefrom the fronds of the kokonobwai palm and used formoving coals in a fire or forcatching crabs. Da kiskis dehrong fi lat a jenarayshan ahnmi grani stil yooz it fi moov ihfaiya koal dehn wid. Thosewooden tongs have been aroundfor generations, and my grannystill uses them to remove hotcoals.kit n. group. Dayvid an ih frendehn gaahn teef plom, soh diteecha wap di hoal kit a dehn.David and his friends went tosteal plums, so the teacherspanked the whole group of them.See: groop, krowd.kitbag n. duffle bag, overnightbag. Oanli kehr wahn smaalkitbag kaa wi noh wahn staylang. Just take a small overnightbag because we’re not going tostay long.kitl Variant: ketl.klaa n. claw. Mee noh laik puskaa dehn klaa tu shaap ahndehn laik skrach yu. I don’t likecats because their claws are toosharp and they like to scratchyou.klaar 1 (var: kraal.) v. crawl. Dilee bwai klaar chroo di hoaleena di fens fi geh di baal. Thelittle boy crawled through the
klaar Kriol tu Inglish klay pathole in the fence to get the ball.[Eng. ‘crawl’ – kraal becomesklaar by metathesis]klaar mi blod v.phr. makeone’s skin crawl. Wen diteecha skrayp pahn diblakboad, ih klaar mi blod.When the teacher scrapes on theblackboard, it makes my skincrawl.klaar 2 n. crawl; enclosure inwater for containing fish.Govament bil wahn klaar fi kipowt di big fish dehn.Government built an enclosure tokeep out the big fish.klaas n. class. Evri maanin soonwi ga wahn mats klaas. Earlyevery morning we have a mathclass.klaasroom n. classroom. Wigeh wahn nyoo blakboad fi wiklaasroom. We got a newblackboard for our classroom.klaat n. cloth. Di laydi pach ihkloaz wid wahn bran nyoo peesa klaat. The woman patched herclothes with a brand new piece ofcloth.kladz n. feminine blood clots.Afta di laydi ga ih baybi, ihpaas wahn lat a kladz. After thelady had her baby, she passed alot of blood clots.klaid v. get tired of; generallyreferring to food, oftenbecause it is too sweet. Wi eetmango til wi klaid a it. We atemangos until we got tired ofthem. [English: ‘cloy’]klaim v. climb. Di mongki dehnlaik klaim di big chree. Themonkeys like to climb the bigtree.klak n. clock. Sayk a weh diklak stap werk, wi geh layt.Because the clock stoppedworking, we were late.klami adj. clammy. Ah staat tufeel bad; den mi han dehn gehklami. I started to feel nauseated,and then my hands got clammy.klap v. clap, applaud. Di baybilaan fi klap ih han fahn ih chreemonts. The baby learned to clapher hands from when she wasthree months old. — n. spank.Yoo wahn geh too klap pahn yubati if yu noh bihayv yuself.You’ll get two spanks on yourrear end if you don’t behaveyourself. See: pampam, spenk,stin.klapansaiya n. a type of snake.Di klapansaiya snayk moov sohfaas dat dehn haad fi kech. The‘klapansaiya’ snake moves so fastthat it’s hard to catch.klaps n. clasp.put klaps pahn v.phr. takecontrol of. Yoo hafu put klapspahn yu daata kaa shee di getowt a han. You have to takecontrol of your daughter becauseshe is getting out of hand. [Eng.‘clasp’ became ‘klaps’ bymetathesis]klat n. blood clot. Dakta seh datAh ga wahn blod klat kloas mihaat. The doctor says that I havea blood clot close to my heart.klay pat n. clay pot. DehnMaiya laik kip torteeya eenaklay pat. The Mayas like to keep182
klaym Kriol tu Inglish kloaktortillas in clay pots. See: jaar,pat.klaym v. claim. Wen polees aksdehn, dehn klaym seh dat dehnpa neva dehdeh. When thepolice asked them, they claimedthat their father wasn’t there.klayr (var: klyaa) v. clear. Wenwi don eet, Sherli kohn klayraaf di taybl ahn wash op. Whenwe had finished eating, Shirleycame and cleared off the tableand washed up. — adj. plain,clear. Dehn dairekshanz wehyoo gi mee noh klayr ataal. Thedirections that you gave me arenot clear at all. See: playn.— adv. clearly, plainly. Ih di sievriting playn ahn klayr now.He sees everything plainly andclearly now.gaahn klayr v.phr. is goingokay now. Slang. Mi baas sehAh ku geh di ekschra weekhaliday soh Ah gaahn klayr. Myboss said that I could have theextra week holiday, so everythingis working out okay.klayr skin adj. fair or lightskinned. Wahn klayr skin manron dong di schreet. A lightskinned man ran down the street.See: chaylo, kapa kala, paylkaypm.klazit n. closet. Da loan oalkloaz heng op eena fi mi klazit.There’s nothing but old clotheshanging in my closet.kleen v. 1) clean. Di preechami-di tel pipl fi kleen op dehnlaif. The preacher was tellingpeople to clean up their lives.2) gut. Ah kyaahn stan kleenfish kaaz evri taim Ah geh mifinga juk. I can’t stand guttingfish because I always stick myfinger. See: gots. — adj. clean.Fi shee hozban noh stay hoahnkaa ih hows no taim kleen. Herhusband doesn’t stay homebecause her house is never clean.kleenis n. cleanliness. Jos fahndi loan way how shee kip ihhows yu noa dat ih ma mi teechahn bowt kleenis. Just from theway she keeps her house, youknow that her mother had taughther about cleanliness.klerk n. clerk. Wilyam gehwahn jab az wahn klerk dapoas aafis. William got a job as aclerk at the post office.klif n. cliff. Rayman jrap aaf awahn hai klif ahn ded. Raymondfell off of a high cliff and died.klik v. click. Ah neva seh ‘cheez’yet wen ih klik di kamara. Ihadn’t said ‘cheese’ yet when sheclicked the camera.— n. click.klim n. powdered milk. Wiyoostu kaal eni powda milk‘klim’ kaa dat da-mi di oanlikain weh mi deh. We used tocall all powdered milk Klimbecause that was the only brandthere was. [Brand name ‘Klim’ isused generically.]klinik n. clinic. Dehn kehr dibaybi da klinik kaa ih mi gakoal. They took the baby to theclinic because he had a cold.kloak v. cloak; cover withexcessive clothing. Wai yukloak op yuself eena dis heet?183
kloaraks Kriol tu Inglish koakoWhy are you covering yourselfup in this heat?kloaraks n. bleach. Beti mi hafuyooz kloaraks fi tek owt distayn owt a ih jres. Betty had touse bleach to take the stains outof her dress. See: bleech. [Brandname ‘Clorox’ is usedgenerically.]kloas adv. close, near. Mee ahnshee da-mi kloas fren. She and Iwere close friends.kloavz n. clove; a spice used onham. Kloavz mek yu ham ahnterki tays nais. Cloves makeyour ham and turkey tastedelicious.kloaz n. clothes, apparel. Wioanli ga wan chaynj a kloaz.We have only one change ofclothes.klob v. club. Wen dehn bwai gichrobl, polees klob dehn. Whenthe boys give trouble, the policeclub them. — n. club. Yu kuaalwayz fain Berti da klob dijrink. You can always find Bertieat the club drinking.klok v. cluck. Enitaim hen layeg, dehn aalwayz klok fi lang.Anytime a hen lays an egg, theyalways cluck for a long time.klomp n. clump. Di fowl gaahnbitween too klomp a bush ahnmek ih nes deh. The hen wentbetween two clumps of bush andmade her nest there.klong v. mock, ridicule. Di bwaidehn staat tu laaf ahn klong opdi man. The boys started to laughand ridicule the man. See: mak,papisho.— n. clown. Dehn bring wahnklong da di pikni paati. Theybrought a clown to the child’sparty.klowd n. cloud. Az eevnin mi-diset een, wahn klowd kohn dongoava di mongtin. As eveningwas falling, a cloud came downover the mountain.klowdi adj. cloudy. Ken kudn sinotn eena di waata kaa ih mi tuklowdi. Ken couldn’t seeanything in the water because itwas too cloudy.klyaa Variant: klayr.koa n. wood knot; a weaknessin wood formed where abranch once grew.koach v. coach. Da mai pakoach fi wee futbaal teem. Myfather is the one who’s coachingour football team. — n. coach.Wi ga wahn gud koach kaa wiwin aal a wi baaskitbaal gaym.We have a good coach becausewe won all of our basketballgames.koakanat (var: kuknat) n.coconut; coconut palm tree orits fruit. Cocos mucifera. Dehnlaydi weh mek koakanat ailhafu grayta lat a koakanat.Women who make coconut oilhave to grate many coconuts.[
koako Kriol tu Inglish koamgud da maanin taim. Hot cocoatastes good in the morning.[
koanz Kriol tu Inglish kohnuse a hot comb to press orstraighten hair. Bifoa permkohn da Bileez wi doz hafu hatkoam wi hyaa. Before relaxerscame to Belize, we had to use ahot comb to straighten our hair.See: pres.— n. hot comb, straighteningcomb.koanz n. cone. (Both sg. & pl.)Oanli bai wan koanz ahn di resa aiskreem eena kop. Only buyone cone and the rest of the icecream in cups.koap n. cooperative, co-op. Wiaalwayz goh da koap fi bai fish.We always go to the co-op to buyfish.koar v. score; cut meat or wooddiagonally. Koar di fish bifoayu seezn it op. Score the fishbefore you season it.koarchos adj. courteous. Diyong man mi koarchos fi gi dilaydi ih seet. The young man wascourteous for giving the lady hisseat.koars n. course. Ah di tek wahnSpanish koars da nait skool. I’mtaking a Spanish course at nightschool.af koars/koas phr. of course;certainly. Af koars di piknidehn mi noa dat dehn ma nevadehdeh. Of course the childrenknew that their mother wasn’tthere.koas n. coast. Lan weh deh langdi koas oanli dyaa. Land that isalong the coast is very expensive.See: see front, seesaid.koat 1 n. suit coat. Wen yu goh186da da restorant, yu hafu putaan koat ahn tai. When you goto that restaurant you have towear a suit coat and tie. See:jekit.koat 2 n. court. Saiman kehrMisa Maatn da koat kaa ih sehih shat ih daag. Simon took Mr.Martin to court because he saidhe shot his dog.koat-hows n. courthouse. Wahnhoal lat a pipl mi gyada owtsaida koat-hows. A whole lot ofpeople gathered outside of thecourthouse.koatn v. flirting. Big oal MisaJaaj laik di koatn dehn yonggyal. As old as he is, Mr. Georgelikes flirting with young girls.kobij hoal n.phr. back of theneck; the hollow in the nape ofthe neck. Dehn seh wen yu gadeep kobij hoal, dat shoa dat yumeen. It is said that when youhave a deep hollow at the nape ofthe neck, that shows that you’restingy. See: nek bak. [Eng.‘covet’ - supposed to indicategreed or miserliness; perhapsoriginating from very thin peoplewho are prone to show thisphysical feature.]kof v. cuff. Mis Laana kofSheela eena ih hed wen ih paasfi goh eensaid. Miss Lornacuffed Sheila in the head as shepassed to go inside.— n. cuff. Di kof a yu shot gehdoti gens di doa. The cuff ofyour shirt got dirty against thedoor.kohn 1 (var: kom) v. come. Dibraid ahn di groom mi-di kohn
kohn Kriol tu Inglish komaajrehda di choch. The bride andgroom were coming to thechurch.kohn bak v.phr. come back,return.kohn bifoa taim v.phr. comeprematurely.kohn 2 adj. very, extremely.Intensifier. Da tes mi-di kohn!That test was very difficult! See:deh-aan, wap.kohnsolobeh (var: komsolobeh)adv. free of charge. Wai yu tekdis playt a food? Yu tink dis dakohnsolobeh? Why did you takethis plate of food? Do you thinkthis is free? See: gimi-tenkyu.kokayn n. cocaine. Sayk a tekkokayn, Maikl geh krayzi.Because of using cocaine,Michael lost his mind. See: krak,sprang, wait laydi.koko plom n. a type of plum;small brown fruit with whitesharp tasting pulp and oneseed. Koko plom da wahn frootweh mee noh laik kaa ih tayslaik wet katn. Coco plum is afruit that I don’t like because ittastes like wet cotton.kokono bwai (var: pokonobwai) n. a palm tree withmany long stems armed withsharp black spines; used formaking kiskis, pataki, and fishpots; it bears red nuts with asour sticky pulp and an ediblekernel. Bactris major. Maindehn prikl pahn di kokonobwai chree juk yu. Be carefulthat the prickles on that littlepalm tree don’t poke you.[
komaal Kriol tu Inglish kompniSee: makumeh. [
kompyaa Kriol tu Inglish Koolikompyaa v. compare. Ih nohgud fi kompyaa yu pikni dehnwid wan anada. It’s not good tocompare your children with eachother.kompyoota n. computer.Nowadayz yu kyaahn du notn ifyu noh ga wahn kompyoota.These days you can’t do anythingif you don’t have a computer.komsolobeh Variant:kohnsolobeh.koncha n. bark of the sapodillatree; chicle cutters have toshave this off before collectingsap. [Sp. ‘concha’]konchreebo n. a plant, the stickof which is boiled and used inherbal medicine as a purgativeand to increase appetite. Az yubeli hat yu, fi mee grani sheewaahn gi yu konchreebo fijrink. Whenever your belly hurts,my grandmother gives you‘konchreebo’ to drink. [
koolin Kriol tu Inglish kosdong Faabaz Road. Many EastIndians live down Fabers Road.See: Indyan.koolin n. drink used to cleansethe body internally. Dehn sehtambran joos da gud koolin fiyu badi. They say that tamarindjuice is good for cleaning outyour system.koopa n. boat-billed heron.Cochlearius cochlearius.kop n. cup. Yu waahn wahn kopa tee? Do you want a cup of tee?kopl n. 1) couple. Da bwai ahnda gyal mek wahn nais kopl,noh chroo? That boy and girlmake a nice couple, don’t they?2) a few, some. (used withadjectival force) Di van ku hoalwahn kopl moa pipl, maybi faiver siks. The van could hold somemore people, maybe five or six.See: sohn, too, wan ahn too.korant n. 1) current; the fullflow of a river. Di korant eenadi riva mi oanli schrang. Thecurrent in the river was verystrong. 2) electricity; electricalpower. Ah kudn aiyan mi kloazkaa korant mi gaan. I couldn’tiron my clothes because thepower was out. See: lait.koraso n. curassow; largeturkey-like bird with a strongbill and long feathers on itscrest. Crax rubra. Dehn korasoberd dehn priti. The curassowbirds are really pretty.kori n. curry. Wen yu put korieena rais, ih geh yala yala.When you put curry in rice, itgets really yellow. — adj.curried. Wi mi-di eet korichikin ahn wait rais. We wereeating curried chicken and whiterice.korij n. courage. Taam ga lat akorij fi rayz dehn pikni hihnwan. Tom has a lot of courage toraise those children all byhimself.koril n. coral. Dehn big shiploan di damij di koril anda disee. Those big ships are doing alot of damage to the coral underthe sea.koropshan n. 1) corruption.Skyandal brok owt eena dicherch sayk a koropshan.Scandal broke out in the churchbecause of corruption. 2) pus,matter. Lat a koropshan komowt a di bail pahn Sayra fut.Lots of pus came out of the boilon Sarah’s foot. See: mata.koroseen n. kerosene. Di lampowt kaa aal a di koroseen midon. The lamp went out becauseall of the kerosene was gone. See:ail.kos 1 Variant: kers. n. curse.kos 2 v. cuss, curse; use badlanguage. Di bwai kohn wayeena mi yaad kohn kos badwod. The boy came right into myyard and started cussing.kos aaf v.phr. tell off usingbad words. Wen di laydi kohnkos aaf mi ma, da den shee gehbeks fi chroo. When the ladycame and told off my mom, thatwas when she really got angry.See: bles...aaf, chrays...aaf, telaaf, yooz op.190
kosin Kriol tu Inglish kotongkos op v.phr. cuss out. Babzikos op ih ma pahn schreet.Babsy cussed out her mother inthe street.kosin n. cussing, swearing. Wioanli yehr loan kosin di komowt a di lee bwai mowt. All weheard was cussing come out ofthe little boy’s mouth.kostad aapl n. custard apple;round fruit about the size of abaseball. Anona reticulata.Sondeh wi mi ga kostad aaplmiks wid kandens milk fidezert. On Sunday we hadcustard apples with condensedmilk for dessert.kostom 1 n. customs; placewhere duty is charged. Dehnchaaj mi onkl lat a moni dakostom fi ih kaa weh ih bringfahn Stayts. At customs theycharged my uncle lots of moneyfor his new car that he broughtfrom the States.kostom 2 adj. accustomed to,used to, in the habit of. Weenoh kostom fi du dat. We’re notaccustomed to doing that. See:yoostu.kostoma n. customer. Oanliwan kostoma kohn eena di shapsins maanin. Only one customercame into the shop since thismorning.kot v. cut. Di myaa kot di ribanwen dehn oapm di nyoo laibri.The mayor cut the ribbon whenthey opened up the new library.See: jonk.kot aiy Idiomatic phr. lookaskance; insult by scornfully191casting a sidelong glance atsomeone, then closing the eyeswhile turning the head away.(Literally: ‘cut eye’) WenSharon si mi afta wi kwaaril, ihkot ih aiy afta mi, soh Ah noa ihstil beks. When Sharon saw meafter we quarreled, she turned hereyes away, so I know that she’sstill angry. [Gesture well-knownin a number of African cultures.]kot op v.phr. divide. See:shayr. — adj. muscular. SinsTaam di lif wayt, ih badi lukkot op now. Since Tom is liftingweights, his muscles look welldevelopednow. See: chap op.kot yu kraas v.phr butt in,interrupt. Noh fi kot yu kraas,bot Ah waahn tel yu sohntingbifoa Ah figit. Not to cut in onyou , but I want to tell yousomething before I forget. See:dip eena, intarop.kota jrom drum used to cutinto the steady rhythm of thebass drum during the sambaidance.kotin graas n. a tough grasswith sharp edges; grows inbushy clusters up to 3 ft. high.Ah geh kot op pahn mi fut sayka weh mi breda dehn mek Ahgaahn luk fi baal eena kotingraas. My legs got cut upbecause my brothers made me golook for the ball in the sharpgrass.kotobroot n. coconut sweet. Ailaik kotobroot wen ih saaf ahnstiki. I like kotobroot when it’ssoft and sticky.kotong n. a straight cut dress or
kova Kriol tu Inglish kraab schooshirt worn outside the pants.Maybl aalwayz wayr wahnkotong oava ih pants dehn fihaid ih beli. Mabel always wearsa straight dress over her pants tohide her belly.kova (var: kiba) v. cover. Di dertneva deep nof fi kova di lee rak.The dirt wasn’t deep enough tocover the little rock.— n. cover. Evri nait wen wigoh sleep, mai sista shee haalaal a di kova fi ihself. Everynight when we go to sleep, mysister takes all the covers forherself.kova benjamin n. jerry-rig. Wiwaahn dehn du wahn gud jabpahn di hows; no kovabenjamin wahn werk ya. Wewant them to do a good job on thehouse; no jerry-rig will workhere. [
kraabu Kriol tu Inglish kraiyinkraabu n. craboo; a smallyellow fruit and the tree itcomes from. Byrsonimacrassifolia. Kraabu ga wahnshaap smel weh stay pahn yuhan. Craboo has a pungent smellthat stays on your hand. [
krak Kriol tu Inglish krayzithere was a lot of crying. See:baalin.krak v. crack. Di man krak disnayk nek wid wahn stik. Theman cracked the snake’s neckwith a stick. — n. crackcocaine. Da bwai sel owt aal aih ma tingz sayk a deh pahnkrak. That young man sold all ofhis mother’s things because hewas on crack. See: kokayn,sprang, wait laydi.krak bak v. relax with anattitude of being in control,settle down. Luk how yu krakbak rong di laydi taybl laik yuliv deh. Look at the way you’rerelaxing around the lady’s table,as if you live there. See: breezaaf, rilaks.krakhed n. crackhead, junkie.See: spranghed.kramp n. muscular cramp. Jankech kramp bihain ih leg wenih mi-di swim da riva, an ihnayli jrongdid. John got a crampin his leg when he was swimmingin the river, and he almostdrowned.krap n. crop. Di faama aalwayzekspek wahn gud krap. Thefarmer always expects a goodcrop.krash v. crash. Siksti pipl mideh pahn di bos wen ih krash.Sixty people were on the buswhen it crashed. — n. crash.kraybm adj. gluttonous,greedy; especially for food.Sayk a kraybm, Mayvis hag opaal a di kayk an ih nayli choak.Mavis was so greedy, she ate upall of the cake and almost choked.See: glot, gaamandaiza.[
krayzi aans Kriol tu Inglish krikitmoni! You must have been crazyto give that man all of yourmoney! See: krek, plik.— v. 2) besiege, harass. Diteecha staat tu krayzi di bwaiwid aal kain a kweschan. Theteacher began to besiege the boywith all kinds of questions. See:haraas, heg, kanfyooz.krayzi aans n. crazy ant; smallblack ant that moves veryswiftly. Krayzi aans mi deh aaloava mi floa. Crazy ants were allover my floor. See: blak aans.kreech owl n. 1) screech owl.Otus assio Wahn big graykreech owl mi deh tap a diwashin bowl di sayhn day misista ded. A big grey screech owlwas on top of the washtub thesame day that my sister died.[Considered by some to be aharbinger of death]2) Derogatory term used todescribe an ugly woman. Fimee mada-ahn-laa soh fayvadehn kreech owl weh di hala danait. My mother-in-law looks justlike those screech owls that hootin the night.kreecha n. creature. Dehn sehwahn kreecha kom owt a diriva twelv aklak da nait. Theysay that a creature comes out ofthe river at midnight.kreep v. creep. Da nait Steevnkreep een afta too aklak. Thatnight Stephen crept in after twoo’clock.kreeta n. critter, domesticatedanimal. Archaic. Dehn mi gawahn big plays wid aal kain akreeta. They had a big place withall kinds of critters. See: animal.krek adj. cracked, crazy. Mayrimosi mi krek fi goh bak tu daman afta ih beet ahn soh bad.Mary must have been crazy to goback to that man after he beat herso badly. See: krayzi, plik.krenki adj. shaky, unstable,wobbly. Di doari mi soh krenkidat Ah mi frayd fi goh een dehkaa Ah mi tink ih mi wahn tonoava. The dory was so unstablethat I was afraid to get into itbecause I was afraid that it wouldcapsize. See: shekreh.krik 1 n. creek, stream. Wi dozlaik goh dong da di krik fi gohfishin. We used to like goingdown to the creek to fish.krik ahn kaana n.phr. nookand cranny. Ah luk eena evrikrik ahn kaana, bot Ah nevafain di moni weh Ah laas. Ilooked in every nook and cranny,but I didn’t find the money that Ilost.krik 2 n. creak; sharp abruptsound. Evri lee krik weh Janetshee yehr da nait fraitn shee.Every little noise that Janet hearsat night frightens her.krikit 1 n. cricket; an insect.Gryllidae. Wen dehn krikitstaat mek naiz da nait, yukyaahn sleep. When cricketsstart chirping at night, it’s hard tosleep. See: grayvdiga. [
kriminal Kriol tu Inglish kriplinkorij di yonga wan dehn filaan fi play krikit. The olderfolks are encouraging the youngerones to learn to play cricket.[Probably a form of ‘crutch’(stick) because the game isplayed with a bat or stick]kriminal n. criminal. Di poleesdehn chroa di man eena jayllaik wahn kaman kriminal. Thepolicemen threw the man in jaillike a common criminal.Kriol n. 1) Creole; ethnicgroup: traditionally in thecolonies, people born ofEuropean or African descentor a mixture of both; today inBelize, the term refersspecifically to anyone withany mixture of African andany other ancestry. Di Krioleena Bileez ga lat a difrantkala; fahn blak blak tu waitwait – ahn noh mek wi figitdehn red gyal ahn bwai! Creolesin Belize have many differentcolours; from very black to verywhite – and let’s not forget thered-skinned guys and gals.2) Creole; a language bornfrom the contact of primarilyEnglish-speaking colonialmasters, and slaves who spokea variety of West Africanlanguages; Belize Kriolconsists of vocabulary that isprimarily English-based, and agrammatical system thatfollows West African patterns.Evribadi tink seh ih haad filaan fi reed Kriol, bot ih eezi.Everybody thinks that it’s hard tolearn to read Kriol, but it’s easy.196braad Kriol n.phr. broad,unrefined Kriol. Ah tel mi mafi chrai laitn ih tong, bot sheeoanli taak loan braad Kriol. Itold my mom to try to refine herspeech, but she speaks onlyunrefined Kriol. 3) Creoleculture. — adj. Creole;referring to the people,language, or culture. Ah laikgoh da di Kriol festival fi eetsehreh ahn tablayta, ahn daanstu boom ahn shain myoozik,ahn laan moa bowt wi hischri. Ilike to go to the Creole Festival toeat fish stew and coconut candy,dance to boom and chime music,and learn more about our history.Kriol bon n. Creole bun;homemade sweet bread orbun. Da sayk a weh mai mamek Kriol bon fi sel mek weekuda mi gaahn da kalij. It’sbecause of my mother’s makingbun to sell that we were able toattend high school. See: bon,bayka bon.Kriol bred n. Creole bread. MisMati Kriol bred oanli saaf. MissMattie’s Creole bread is very soft.kripl n. cripple. Mek yu daatawash ih oan kloaz, ata ih da nohno kripl. Let your daughter washher own clothes – after all, she’sno cripple. — adj. crippled. Wisi wahn man deh wid wahnkripl han eena choch. We saw aman with a crippled hand inchurch.kripl op adj.phr. crippled.Aachraitis ga mi grani handehn kripl op. Arthritis has mygranny’s hands all crippled.
kripsi Kriol tu Inglish krodlkripsi Variant: krispi. adj.[
krofi Kriol tu Inglish kujrink di milk kaa ih mi krodlop. He didn’t want to drink themilk because it had curdled.[
kub Kriol tu Inglish kukumbaplease’. Yu ku pleez jres dongmek di lee bwai sidong? Wouldyou please move over so the littleboy can sit down?kub n. coop; cage for fowl. Teefget eena mi ma fowl kub ahngaahn wid aal a ih eg dehn.Thieves got into my mother’schicken coop and stole all of hereggs. See: ron.kubaali n. a river fish. Gadfrikech chree kubaali wen ihgaahn fishin da riva. Godfreycaught three ‘kubali’ fish whenhe went fishing in the river.kuboos n. small, dilapidatedhouse. Yu noh di kehr mi daatafi liv eena da lee lee kuboosataal! You are not taking mydaughter to live in thatdilapidated little house at all! See:daag sidong, nak-ahn-stan-op.kuchriments n. personalaccessories, odds and ends. Migrani pak op aal a ihkuchriments eena di bak room.My grandmother packed all ofher personal odds and ends in theback room. [
kungku Kriol tu Inglish kwaiyatweh mee noh laik. Cucumber isthe only vegetable that I don’tlike.kungku adj. very small or veryshort. Mi aanti oanli gi mi wahnkungku pees a meet bot ih nevanof kaa Ah mi oanli hongri. Myaunt gave me just a very smallpiece of meat, but it wasn’tenough because I was reallyhungry. See: chinchi, lee, smaal.[
kwaiyat-wan Kriol tu Inglish kwikluk fi wahn kwaiyat plays fisleep. We were looking for aquiet place to sleep.kwaiyat-wan adv. quietly. Diman kohn tu wi laik ih soh bad,bot wen mi pa kom owt wid ihmachet, ih lap ih tayl ahngaahn kwaiyat-wan. The mancame to us like he was so bad, butwhen my father came out with hismachete, he tucked his tailbetween his legs and went awayquietly. See: eezi-wan, saaf-wan.kwaliti n. quality. Yu geh betakwaliti fish wen yu bai fahnkoap. You get better quality fishwhen you buy at the co-op.kwam n. crested guan; turkeylikefowl. Penelopepurpurascens. [>Misk. ‘kwamu’]kwamwud a tall spreading treewith yellow blossoms.Schizolobium parahybum. [Nameis derived from the Crested Guan‘kwam’ - a large forest birdwhich feeds on the seed pods.]kwash n. coatimundi. Nasuaprocyonidae. Da man aalwayzga wahn lee kwash pan ihshoalda. That man always has acoatimundi on his shoulder.kwashi v. have sexualintercourse. Noh goh bak dehwid da bwai kaa ih mait chraikwashi yu. Don’t go back therewith that boy because he mighttry to have sexual relations withyou. See: juk. [
kwik taim Kriol tu Inglish kyaasbright, she’ll learn that jobquickly. See: brait, sensabl,smaat.kwik taim adv. very quickly.Az Maybl yehr seh Ai kohn bakfahn Stayts, kwik taim ih fainihself da mi hows. As soon asMabel heard that I was back fromthe States, she found herself atmy house in no time. See: faas,kwik, kwik-wan.kwika adv. faster, morequickly. Ah get ya kwika danAh ekspek. I got here morequickly than I expected.kwik-wan adv. impatiently,quickly. Afta di rayn staat, wigaahn bak hoahn kwik-wan.After the rain started, we quicklywent back home. See: faas, kwik,kwik taim.kwint v. blink, wink, squint orpartially close the eyes. Da oalman mi-di kwint ih aiy afta mi.That old man was winking at me.kyaa Variant: kayr.kyaa fi v.phr. Variant: kay fi.kyaad n. card. Dehn man dehnlaik play kyaad fi moni. Thosemen like to play cards for money.kyaadboad adj. cardboard. Wenwaata wet di kyaadboad baks,ih kandem. When water wet thecardboard box, it was destroyed.See: kaatoon baks.kyaaf n. calf. Mi pa kil dispeshal kyaaf weh ih mi-di fatnop. My father killed the specialcalf that he had been fattening up.kyaaful adj. (be) careful.Kyaaful how yu waak pahn daoal brij. Be careful how youwalk on that old bridge. See:main, tek kayr.kyaahn (var: kyaahnt) v. cannot.Yu kyaahn bak da hevi krayt.You can’t carry that heavy crate.kyaahn don adv.phr. endlessly,excessively, nothing. Wen wigaahn da Malanti, wee mi gamango kyaahn don! When wewent to Gales Point, we hadendless mangos!kyaahnt Variant: kyaahn.kyaalis (var: kaylis) adj.careless. Yu tu kyaalis wid yubaik; dats wai dehn teef it.You’re too careless with yourbike; that’s why they stole it.kyaam v. calm. Wen da pikniget eena tempa, nobadi kyaahnkyaam ahn dong. When thatchild gets angry, nobody cancalm him down. — adj. calm;still. Soon da maanin di lagoonsoh kyaam, ih luk laik glaas.Early in the morning, the lagoonis so calm, it looks like glass.See: prekeh.kyaapit n. carpet. Ah noatis yuga nyoo kyaapit fi yu floa doh.Well! I noticed that you have newcarpet for your floor.kyaas 1 v. cast, catch by roping.Di haas ron weh soh dehn mihafu kyaas ahn ahn bring ahneen. The horse ran away, so theyhad to rope it and bring it in.kyaas 2 n. cast (plaster). Daktaseh Ah hafu kip aan di kyaaspahn mi fut fi siks monts. Thedoctor said that I have to keep thecast on my leg for six months.See: plaafasta.202
kyaas net Kriol tu Inglish kyantkyaas net n. cast net; a netthrown for catching small fish.Misa Jan yoostu mek fi hihnoan kyaas net fi goh kech fishwid. Mr. John used to make hisown cast nets to go fishing with.kyaat n. cart; a wheeled vehiclefor carrying things. Wen weemi smaal, wi doz bak waataeena kyaat. When we weresmall, we used to carry water in acart.Kyaatlik n. Catholic. Mee daKyaatlik ahn mi hozban daAdventis. I am Catholic and myhusband is a Seventh-DayAdventist. — adj. Catholic.Wee groa op eena Kyaatlikcherch. We grew up in theCatholic church.kyaaz Variant: kay fi. v. carefor, have feelings for.kyabij n. cabbage. Dehn sehbail kyabij gud fi yu. They saythat boiled cabbage is good foryou.kyabij paam n. tall palm tree;having a smooth green uppersection of the trunk and a largecrown of fronds; the trunk isused for making planks fortraditional board houses.[Cabbage-like texture of the leafbud, which is used in salads,gives this palm its name]kyabinet n. cabinet. Fi sheekichin ga sohn priti kyabinet.Her kitchen has some prettycabinets. See: laka.kya-kya-kya v. (ono.) cackle,laugh with gusto. Kweeni sheeoanli di kya-kya-kya weh di203joak sweet shee soh. Queeniewas really cackling because thejoke made her laugh so much.See: kekl.kyamfa baalz n. moth balls.Kyamfa baalz mek yu sheetdehn smel nais. Moth balls makeyour sheets smell nice. [
kyanvis Kriol tu Inglish kyatlthe boat tilted, we all screamed.kyanvis n. canvas. Wahn pees akyanvis mi chroa kraas wi mekrayn noh wet wi. A piece ofcanvas was thrown over us so therain wouldn’t get us wet.kyap n. cap. Put aan wahn kyapmek son noh bon yu hed. Put ona cap to protect your head fromthe sun.kyapcha v. capture. Poleeskyapcha di teef weh get wehlaas nait. The police captured thethief who got away last night.kyapital n. capital. Belmopanda di kyapital a fi wee konchri.Belmopan is the capital of ourcountry.kyapm n. captain. Di kyapm sehfi mek wi kip stil eena di boat.The captain said for us to keepstill in the boat.kyapmta n. carpenter. Dehnman weh da kyapmta aalwayzga di wosis hows. Men who arecarpenters always have the worsthouses.kyapmta bod n. carpenter bird,night heron. Yellow CrownedNight Heron. Wi aalwayz sidehn kyapmta bod eena di yaadda nait. We always see thosecarpenter birds in the yard atnight.Kyaribeeyan n. Caribbean.Dehn taak aal kain a Kriol oavadi Kyaribeeyan. All differentkinds of Creole are spokenaround the Caribbean.kyash v. cash. Pleez goh kyashdis chek fi mi. Please go cashthis cheque for me. — n. cash.Len mi sohn moni, noh. Ah nohga no kyash pahn mi. Pleaselend mi some money, I have nocash on me.kyasheeya n. cashier. Pay dimoni da di kyasheeya. Pay themoney to the cashier.kyastarail n. castor oil. Enitaimyu si skool shet fi haliday, maima shee doas wi aaf widkyastarail. Whenever schoolswere closed for vacation, mymother would give us a gooddose of castor oil.kyat n. cat. (‘pus’ is the wordmore generally used.) Di kyatskrach mi op wid ih klaa. Thecat scratched me with its claws.See: pus.kyat bail n. sty. Mi grani sehdat wen yu gi sohnbadisohnting ahn tek it bak, yuwahn geh kyat bail. My grannysays that if you give somebodysomething and then take it back, asty will appear on your eye.kyata-kaana adv. cater-corner,kitty-corner; at an angle,diagonally. Marta put di TVkyata-kaana soh dat ih ku gamoa spays fi put di sofa. Marthaput the TV at an angle so that shecould have more space to put thesofa.kyatapila n. caterpillar. Wenkyatapila ton botaflai, ih oanlipriti. When the caterpillarbecomes a butterfly, it is reallypretty. See: hayri wom.kyatl n. cattle. Di man ga lat akyatl ahn pig ahn faam lan. Theman has a lot of cattle and pigs204
kyato Kriol tu Inglish laandinand farm land.kyato n. catfish. Loan kyato liveena di kinel dehn da Bileez.Mostly catfish live in the canalsin Belize. See: botasi.kyoar v. cure, heal. If yu jrinkdis medisn, ih wahn kyoar yu. Ifyou drink this medicine, it willcure you. See: heel. — n. cure.Dehn noh ga no kyoar fi dadizeez weh shee gat. There’s nocure for the disease that she has.kyoot adj. 1) cute, attractive. Yuga wahn kyoot lee baybi. Youhave a cute little baby. 2) sly. Ahkyaahn chros da lee Diki kaa ihga sohn kyoot wayz bowt ahn. Ican’t trust that little Dickiebecause he has some sly waysabout him.L - llaa n. law. Noh eevn chrai kraasdi laa. Don’t even try to doanything that goes against thelaw.laabrayka n. lawbreaker,outlaw. Da man da wahn reellaabrayka kaa evri minit hihnget eena chrobl wid di laa. Thatman is a real outlaw becauseevery minute he gets into troublewith the law.Laad n. Lord, reference to Godor Jesus Christ. Pray tu diLaad fi gi yu schrent. Pray to theLord to give you strength.laad n. lard. Noh put tu mochlaad eena di doa. Don’t mix toomuch lard in the dough.Laadz Rij n. Lord’s Ridge;main cemetery for Belize City,located on the WesternHighway in west centralBelize City. Enitaim Ah paasLaadz Rij mee wan da nait, mihayr stan op. Whenever I passLord’s Ridge alone at night, myhair stands on end.laaf v. laugh. Evribadi staat laafwen wi tel dehn weh di bwai du.Everybody started to laugh whenwe told them what the boy did.laaf aata v.phr. laugh at, tomake fun of. Dehn pikni laiklaaf aata mi spektikl dehn. Thechildren like to laugh at myspectacles. — n. laugh. Fos laafda noh laaf. First laugh is nolaugh. (Your perceived triumphmay not be a real victory.)laafinstak n. laughingstock. Mikaschoom neva fit mi gud, sohdehn tek mi mek laafinstak. Mycostume didn’t fit me well, so theaudience made a laughingstockout of me.laan v. 1) learn. Ah laan fi mekbred fahn mi ma. I learned tomake bread from my mother.2) teach. Mek wi laan di bwai fiobay ih ma ahn pa. Let’s teachthe boy to obey his mom and dad.See: teech.laandin n. landing. Di boat stapda wahn lee laandin lang di rivafi mek sohn pipl get aaf. Theboat stopped at a little landing onthe river so some people could205
laanjri Kriol tu Inglish lagget off.laanjri n. laundry. Di jraiya dadi laanjri brok dong dismaanin. The drier at the laundrybroke down this morning. See:washin.laas 1 adj. last. Di laas taim wi sidi laydi, ih hayr mi shaat shaat.The last time we saw the woman,her hair was very short.lang at laas adv.phr. finally, atlong last. Lang at laas di bwaireech di maakit. At long last, theboy reached the market. See:fainali.pahn di laas adv.phr.eventually, in the end. Pahn dilaas, Ah wahn hafu klap yu kaayu noh waahn lisn tu mi.Eventually, I’ll have to spank youbecause you don’t want to listento me.laas 2 v. lose. Sayk a weh ih misoh daak, Ah laas mi kaa keedehn. Because it was so dark, Ilost my car keys. — adj. lost.Dehn mi oanli hapi kaa di bwaiweh mi laas kohn bak hoahn.They were very happy becausethe boy who was lost came backhome.laaya n. lawyer. Evribadi noadat dehn laaya tel lai sohntaim.Everybody knows that lawyerstell lies sometimes.lab n. porridge; a breakfastcereal made with a grain.Disya lab tik laik oats. Thisporridge is thick like oats. See:kongkanteh, parij.labi adj. soft, sticky (food). Ahnoh laik wen Helin kuk rais kaa206ih aalwayz kom owt labi. I don’tlike it when Helen makes ricebecause it always comes outsticky. See: pulaali.labsta n. lobster. Sertn taim ayaa yu kyaahn kech labsta. Atcertain times of the year youaren’t permitted to catch lobster.See: krayfish.lachreen n. latrine; outhouse orpit-house toilet. Laik how wiliv da bush wi noh ga soorij; wiga lachreen. Since we live in thecountry we don’t have an indoortoilet; we have an outhouse. See:chroan, tailit, watsaid.lachri n. lottery. Ah mi bai toopees a lachri an Ah win. Ibought two lottery numbers and Iwon. See: boleedo, lato.lada v. 1) lather, work the soapinto suds. Ah laik wash widrayn waata kaa ih lada gud. Ilike to wash with rain waterbecause it causes the soap tolather well. See: soapi. 2) beatseverely with belt, lather.Sayra lada ih daata gud sayk atel lai. Sarah gave her daughter agood beating because she lied.See: beet, dip, lash, lays, tayr,wap.ladarin n. beating, thrashing,lathering. Di bwai pa put wahngud ladarin pan ih bahain. Theboy’s father gave his bottom agood thrashing. See: beetn.lag n. log; the trunk of a treeafter it has been cut down; canalso refer to a specific lengthof 8 to 10 feet of log. Di lagfloat dong di riva wid eez. Thelog floated downstream quite
lag kota Kriol tu Inglish laimieasily.lag kota n. logger. Sayk a wehdehn lag kota kot dong sohmoch chree, oanli lee bit lef.Just a few trees are left becausethe loggers have cut down somany of them.lagoon n. lagoon, lake. Di boatsink midl a di lagoon. The boatsank in the middle of the lagoon.lagrahed n. loggerhead turtle;having both saltwater andfreshwater varieties. Caretta.Soop owt a lagrahed oanli nais.Soup made from the loggerheadturtle is delicious. See: tertl.lagwud n. logwood.Haematoxylum campechianum.Dehn yoostu ship di lagwuddong di riba fi goh da Yoorup fimek dai. They used to send thelogwood down the river to go toEurope to make dye.lai v. (Transitive). lie. Di gyal laimi wen ih tel mi seh da nohshee teef mi moni. The girl liedto me when she said that it wasn’tshe who stole my money.— n. lie, falsehood, untruth. Diwitnis dehn mi-di tel lai front adi joj. The witnesses were tellinglies before the judge. See: stoari.laibri n. library. Di myaa kot diriban wen dehn oapm di nyoolaibri. The mayor cut the ribbonwhen they opened the newlibrary.laif n. life. Di man mi brayv ahnwilin fi ris ih oan laif. The manwas brave and willing to risk hisown life.hoal a...laif n.phr. lifetime. Ihuda tek yu di hoal a yu laif fifain datideh man. It would takeyou a lifetime to find that man.laif-waata n. intravenous drip.Ah mi deh eena haaspital di gehlaif-waata fi wahn bad floozweh Ah mi ga. I got intravenousdrip in the hospital because of abad flu that I had.laik 1 v. like, care for. Wi nohlaik weh ih seh ataal. We don’tlike what he said at all. See:chek, kay/kyaa fi.laik 2 adj. like, in the same wayas. Da bwai wahn bee polees,jos laik ih pa. That boy will be apoliceman, just like his father.laik how conj. since. Laik howyu di kohn da mi hows, yu kubring di kayk. Since you’recoming to my house, you couldbring the cake. See: sins.laik kayk Variant: lait kayk.laim n. lime; greenish citrusfruit. Citrus aurantifolia. Wenyu mek laim joos, yu hafu yoozlat a shuga kaa laim oanli sowa.When you make lime juice, youhave to use lots of sugar becauselimes are very sour.— v. wash with lime. Wen yunoh laim di chikin gud, ih smelrenk. When you don’t wash thechicken well with lime, it smellsrank.laimi n. limey; refers to Britishmilitary personnel. Slang. Wana mi fren mi geh marid tu wana dehn laimi an ih mi gaahn daInglan, gaahn liv wid ahn. Oneof my friends got married to aBritish soldier and went to live in207
lain Kriol tu Inglish laiyadEngland with him.lain n. 1) line; a mark. Jraawahn lain dong di midl a dipayj fi mi. Draw a line down themiddle of the page for me.2) line, queue or straightformation. Di way how yoo distan op di mek di lain krukid.The way you are standing ismaking the line crooked.lain op v.phr. line up, form aline. Tel dehn pikni fi lain opeena too schrayt lain. Tell thechildren to line up in two straightlines.lais See: ud lais.laisn v. license. Di laas taim Ahgaahn fi laisn mi kaa, Ah mihafu pay wahn lat a moni. Thelast time I licensed my car, I hadto pay a lot of money.— n. 1) license. Eena lang taimdayz yu yoostu hafu geh laisn fiyu baik an aal. In the old daysyou even had to get a license foryour bike. 2) permission. See:leev er laisn.lait 1 v. light. Sohnbadi lait wahnlamp, soh at lang laas wi kudami si. Somebody lit a lamp, so wecould finally see. — n. 1) light.Wi kudn si notn wen di laitgaan aaf. We couldn’t see a thingwhen the light went off.2) electricity. Wi waahn mooveena di hows, bot ih noh gat eenno lait yet. We want to move intothe house, but it doesn’t have anyelectricity yet. See: korant.lait 2 adj. light in weight. Di baksneva hevi, ih mi lait lait. Thebox wasn’t heavy, it was verylight.208laita n. sail barge or lighter;used for hauling sand orcarrying goods from cargoships to the shore. Dehn sanlaita doz kohn fahn fer wid sanweh dehn dig fahn riva batam.Sand barges used to come from along distance with sand that wasdug from the river bed.lait kayk (var: laik kayk) whitecake. Rong Krismos taim piplmek lat a lait kayk. AroundChristmas time people make a lotof white cake. See: wait kayk.laitn v. lighten. Wi mi hafu laitndi boat kaa tu moch ting mi eendeh. We had to lighten the boatbecause there was too much stuffin it.laitnin v. give off a discharge ofatmospheric electricity in thesky. Mi ma aalwayz kova op dilukin glaas wen ih di laitnin.My mother always covers themirror when there’s lightning.— n. lightning. Wahn lat alaitnin mi deh laas nait, ahn aala di daag dehn staat baak.There was lots of lightning lastnight, and all the dogs startedbarking.laiv adj. live, alive, living.(‘Laiv’ refers to non-humans,while ‘alaiv’ and ‘livin’ refer tohumans.) Noh goh deh; disnayk stil laiv. Don’t go there;the snake is still alive.laiyad adj. untruthful, given tolying. Yu kyaahn bileev notnweh Joani seh kaa shee tulaiyad. You can’t believeanything that Joanie says becauseshe’s such a liar.
laiyadnis Kriol tu Inglish langlaiyadnis n. lie, falsehood,untruthfulness. Noh bileevhihn; da loan laiyadnis komowt a fi hihn mowt. Don’tbelieve him; nothing but liescome out of his mouth. See:stoari.laiyan n. lion. Wen serkos kohndehn hafu kip di laiyan dehneena kayj. When the circuscomes, they have to keep thelions in cages.laj v. lodge. Mi ma gaahn daskool gaahn laj kamplayn genswahn lee bwai weh beet mi op.My mother went to school tolodge a complaint against a boywho beat me up.lajin n. lodging. Di laydi seh ihtaiyad a di bayg lajin fi shee anih pikni dehn. The lady said thatshe was tired of asking forlodging for her children andherself.lak v. lock. Unu beta lak unudoa kaa dehn bad bwai di serkl.You had better lock your doorsbecause those bad boys arehanging around. — n. lock. Wimi hafu bai wahn nyoo lak fi didoa afta teef brok eena wihows. We had to buy a new lockfor the door after thieves brokeinto the house.laka n. locker, cabinet,cupboard. Mi graama ga wahnhoal ton load a oal ting eena dilaka. My grandmother has a tonof old things in the cupboard.See: kyabinet.lakdong n. lockdown, holdingcell. Polees aatu put di karekteef dehn anda lakdong. The209police ought to put the correctthieves under lockdown. See: pishows.lam n. lamb. Yestudeh dehn kildi lam fi dehn paati. Yesterdaythey killed the lamb for theirparty.lan n. land. Wi yooz di moni fibai wahn nyoo pees a lan. Weused the money to buy a newpiece of land. — v. land. Diprizna lan flat pan ih bak wenih jomp oava di waal. Theprisoner landed flat on his backwhen he jumped over the wall.See: pich.lan op v.phr. end up. Sayk a diway how yu di liv, yoo wahn lanop rait da jayl. Because of theway you live, you’ll end up rightin jail. See: en op.Landeeva n. Landivar; anorthwestern area of BelizeCity, where the University andTeachers’ College are located.Lat a hai klaas hows deh rongbai Landeeva. There are lots ofclassy houses in the Landivararea.lang 1 adj. long; denoting length,distance, duration of time. Diteecha wap di bwai wid wahnlang stik. The teacher hit the boywith a long stick.lang owt v.phr. extend, reachor stretch (out) Di lee baybilang owt ih han dehn fi mek Ahpik ahn op. The little babystretched out his hands so I wouldpick him up. See: schrech,han...han.lang taim adv.phr. long ago.Wi don get oava wi prablem
lang Kriol tu Inglish latofahn lang taim. We got over ourproblems long ago. See: bifoataim, walam paas mowt, woz.lang waata adj.phr. soupy,watery stewed beans. Ahkyaahn stan lang waata beenz. Ican’t stand soupy stewed beans.lang 2 v. long, yearn. Az moch azAh laik Stayts, Ah stil lang figoh hoahn. As much as I like theStates, I still long to go home.See: pain weh.lang 3 adv. along. Wi mi-di waaklang di road wen wi si di man.We were walking along the roadwhen we saw the man.lang 4 v. carry, bring. Big wedadi kohn soh dehn hafu mikayslang di man kraas di riva. Badweather is coming so they have tohurry to carry the man across theriver. See: bak, kehr, kraas.Lang Bobi Suzi n. mythicalwoman who lives in the bushwith large, long breasts; onebreast has milk, the otherpoison; she forces children tochoose a breast to suckle.lang nek gaalin See: gaalin.langwij n. language. Kriol! Disda fi wee langwij! Kriol! This isour language!lanlaad n. landlord. Fi meelanlaad kohn fi ih moni ihself.My landlord collects the rentpersonally.lap...tayl v.phr. tuck one’s tailbetween one’s legs. Di mankohn tu wi laik ih soh bad, botwen mi pa kom owt wid ihmachet, ih lap ih tayl ahngaahn kwaiyat-wan. The mancame to us like he was so bad, butwhen my father came out with hismachete, he tucked his tailbetween his legs and went awayquietly.lash v. beat, thrash with anobject. Mama lash mi lee sistakaa ih kohn hoahn layt fahnskool. Mommy beat my littlesister because she came home latefrom school. See: beet, lada,lays, tayr, wap.lash dong v.phr. eat greedily.Ah mi soh hongri wen Ah donswim dat Ah lash dong tooplayt a rais ahn beenz ahnwahn gyalan a waata. I was sohungry when I finishedswimming that I tossed down twoplates of rice and beans and agallon of water. See: hag op,manjeh, nyam, waks aaf, yafl.lashin n. beating, spanking,whipping; parental-typediscipline. Jani geh wahn gudlashin, sayk a gaahn bayd dariva. Johnny got a good whippingbecause he went swimming in theriver. See: tayrin, wapin.lat 1 n. lot. Dehn wahn sel dihows ahn di lat tu. They will sellthe house and the lot too.lat 2 adj. lots, a lot, many,plenty. Wahn lat a hareenj milef pahn di grong. Lots oforanges were left on the ground.See: nof, plenti.lato n. lottery. Mi nayba kechbak pahn di lato at laas. Myneighbour recouped her losses byfinally winning the lottery. See:boleedo, lachri.210
lavenda Kriol tu Inglish lebehlavenda adj. lavender.(laVENda) Mi ma noh laik wenwi wayr eniting weh lavendakaa ih seh da kala da fi ded. Mymother doesn’t like to see us wearanything lavender because shesays it’s a colour for the dead.lay v. lay. Luk laik di hen staplay. It looks like the hen hasstopped laying eggs.layba v. labour. Widowtejukayshan, yu wahn layba fi dires a yu laif. Without education,you’ll labour for the rest of yourlife. See: werk. — n. labour.Dehn shuda gi dehn priznadehn sentens wid haad laybaagen. They should give theprisoners their sentences withhard labour like they used to do.See: en, jab, tas, werk.laydi n. lady. (Acceptable termfor a specific woman, while‘uman’ tends to be offensive.)Mis Jooli hoal op ihself laikwahn laydi rait chroo di koatkays. Miss Julie carried herselflike a lady right through the courtcase. See: uman.layk n. lake. Weh ih rayn sohmoch, mi yaad luk laik wahnlayk. It rained so much that myyard looks like a lake.layn n. lane. Yu ton dong disekant layn fi goh da mai hows.You turn at the second lane to getto my house.lays v. 1) lash verbally. Di kaalapahn di taak shoa lays een tu diwaata boad man. The caller onthe talk show lashed into thewater board man. 2) beat, thrash.Maaki pa lays ahn gud ahn211prapa kaa ih get hoahn layt.Markie’s dad beat him badlybecause he got home late. See:beet, dip, lada, lash, tayr, wap.— n. lace; fine openworkfabric. Di gyal mikays gaahnbai lays fi ih wedn jres. The girlhurried to buy lace for herwedding dress.laysn v. lace. Ai hafu laysn opmi shooz bifoa Ah goh. I have tolace my shoes before I go. See:schring op. — n. shoelace.Bwai, tai di laysn fi yu shoozdehn bifoa ih chrip yu dong.Boy, tie your shoelaces beforethey trip you up.layt adv. late. Wi mos kaal wima ahn wi pa bifoa ih geh tulayt. We should call our momand dad before it gets too late.laywayt v. lie in wait for. Poleeslaywayt di teef ahn kech ahnwen ih mi-di kom owt a di laydihows. The police lay in wait forthe thief and caught him when hewas coming out of the lady’shouse. See: daj.layzi adj. lazy. Haas weh layzi fibak ih oan graas wahn staav.The horse that is too lazy to carryits own grass will starve.layzi op v.phr. be lazy. Aalday yu jos di layzi op yuself ahnnoh du notn, ahn yet yu ekspekmi fi feed yu? All day you havebeen lying around, not doinganything, and yet you expect meto feed you?lebeh v. loiter, loaf around. Waiyu dehdeh di lebeh? Git op ahnwerk! Why are you loafingaround like that? Get up and
led Kriol tu Inglish leeswork!led n. lead. 1) Dis bag hevi noled! This bag is as heavy as lead!2) lead pencil. Archaic. Pleezlen mi yu led mek Ah rait dongdis nomba. Lend mi your pencilso I can write down this number.See: pensl.leda 1 n. leather. Ah laik enitingweh mek owt a leda. I likeanything that’s made of leather.— adj. leather. Di man mi gawahn leda belt rong ih ways.The man had a leather belt aroundhis waist.leda 2 n. ladder. Dehn seh dat dabad lok if yu paas andaneet awahn leda. They say that it is badluck if you pass underneath aladder.lee (var: leel) adj. 1) little, small.Wi tel di pikni dehn wahn leestoari bifoa dehn mi gaahnsleep. We told the children a littlestory before they went to bed.See: chinchi, kungku, smaal.2) word used to call attentionto someone; may have nothingto do with physical size, but itoften does have a slightderogatory or conciliatory toneinferring inferior intelligenceor social standing. Da lee balidong di schreet oanli teef. Thatyoung man down the street isnothing but a thief. 3) term ofendearment. Da wahn nais leebuk. It’s a nice little book.lee bit phr. few. Laik howdehn hont di dyaa dehn fi gaymmeet, di dyaa dehn di geh leebit now. Since the deer werehunted for meat, there are only afew of them now.leed v. lead. Di big bwai mi-dileed wi chroo di bush. The bigboy was leading us through thebush.leek v. leak; allow liquid to passthrough. Wan a fi wee foaksang da bowt wahn man weh miga wahn doari weh leek. One ofour folksongs is about a man whohas a dory with a leak.leel Variant: lee.leela adj. smaller. Ah geh wahnleela pees a kayk dan yoo! I gota smaller piece of cake than you!leelis adj. smallest. Ah kyaahnchros yu fi du di leelis a ting. Ican’t trust you to do the smallestof things.leen v. lean. Fi dehn daag sohmaaga, dehn hafu leen op fibaak. Their dogs are so weak andskinny, they have to lean onsomething to bark.lees 1 v. lease. Wi noh oan dislan, wi oanli lees it fahn digovament. We don’t own thisland, we’re only leasing it fromthe government. — n. lease. Ahhafu goh da siti kongsl fi pay milees. I have to go to the citycouncil to pay my lease. — adj.leased. Dis lan weh wi ga dalees lan fahn govament. Thisland that we have is leased landfrom the government.lees 2 n. least. Dat da di lees a miworiz. That’s the least of myworries. — adv. least. Ah wahnkohn wen yu lees ekspek mi. I’llcome when you least expect me.at lees phr. at least. At lees Ah212
leev Kriol tu Inglish lengeh fi si mi pa wan moa taimbifoa ih ded. At least I got to seemy father one more time beforehe died.leev n. leave, vacation. Ah wahntek sohn leev kaa Ah need wahnhaliday. I’ll take some leavebecause I need a holiday. See:haliday.leev er laisn n.phr. leave orlicense, permission. Da leebwai hihn bos eena mi howswidowtn leev er laisn. The littleboy burst into my house withoutasking any type of permission.See: laisn.lef 1 v. leave, depart. Ah lefhoahn fan Ai foateen. I lefthome at the age of fourteen.lef 2 adj. left; position asopposed to ‘right’. Dehn mi-difait ahn di bwai juk owt ih lefaiy. They were fighting and theboy poked out his left eye.— adv. left. Goh dong too laynahn den yu ton lef. Go down twolanes and then turn left.lef 3 adj. left, remaining. Oanliwan ting lef fi yu du, den yu kugoh play. There’s only one thingleft for you to do and then youmay go play.lefoavaz n. leftovers, as food.Di laydi aalwayz mek gud food,an ih neva ga no lefoavazneeda. The woman always makesgood food, and she never has anyleftovers either. See: skraypinz.leginz n. leggings. Di polees mihav aan ih boots an ih leginz, anih waid polees bush hat. Thepoliceman had on his boots andleggings, and his wide policebush hat.legisi n. legacy, inheritance. Diman get eena legisi wen ih paded. The man inheritedeverything when his father died.legoh v. let go, release, set free.Ah tel yu legoh mi man er elsAh wahn du yu ting. I’m tellingyou to leave my man alone orelse I’ll do something to you.See: loos.leheeyo n. ill effects, especiallyon children, which come fromhaving contact with a recentlydead body. Di pikni di sofafahn leheeyo. Gi ahn lee waatamek ih kyaam dong. The child issuffering from ‘leheeyo’. Givehim some water so he can calmdown.lekcha v. lecture, chastise,reprimand, scold. Wi lekcha dipikni dehn bot dehn stil nohlisn. We reprimand the children,but they still don’t listen. See:chektaiz, rayl op, skoal. — n.lecture. Wahn ners mi kohn daskool fi gi wahn lekcha pahnAIDS. A nurse came to school togive a lecture about AIDS.lekchrishan n. electrician.lemanayd lemonade; acarbonated soft drink, locallyproduced and available in avariety of fruit flavours. Redlemanayd da mi frayvrit saafjrink. Red lemonade is myfavourite soft drink. See: saafjrink.len v. lend. Jan neva waahn lenmi ih baik kaa ih frayd213
lenki Kriol tu Inglish liksohnbadi wahn teef it. Johndidn’t want to lend me his bicyclebecause he was afraid somebodywould steal it.lenki adj. lanky. Ih tek ih langlenki fut ahn fling ahn pahn mi.He took his long lanky leg andflung it on me.Lent n. Lenten season; said tobe a time when evil spirits aremore active; this iscompounded during leapyears. Mai ma shee noh laikchravl joorin Lent kaa ih fraydih kech eena aksident. My momdoesn’t do any traveling duringLent because she’s afraid she’llget into an accident.lent n. length; a horizontalmeasurement or chronologicaltime. Afta wahn lang lent ataim hihn jos staat sel owt diting dehn cheep cheep. After along length of time he has juststarted selling everythingcheaply.les adj. less. Rajrik ga les monidahn mee. Roderick has lessmoney than I.lesgoh v. let’s go. Lesgoh tekwahn kwaiyat lee brayk. Let’sgo take a quiet little break. See:kungoh.lesn (var: anles) conj. unless.Archaic. Noh goh eena da yaadlesn yu waahn da daag bait yu.Don’t go in that yard unless youwant that dog to bite you.lesn 1 n. lesson. Di bwai pa miwaahn teech ahn wahn lesn fichroo. The boy’s father reallywanted to teach him a lesson.leta n. letter. Wi mi-di wayt fiwahn leta fahn mi ma. We werewaiting for a letter from mymom.letis n. lettuce. Dehn Bileezpikni noh laik letis dat moch.Children in Belize don’tparticularly like lettuce.levl n. level. Luk ahn si how haidi waata levl deh eena di vat.Look and see how high the waterlevel is in the tank.lib Archaic. Variant: liv.libin Variant: livin.lidong v. lie (down) Ah noh laikwen yu lidong op pahn mi bed.I don’t like it when you lie downon my bed.lif v. lift. Lif op di bokit aaf a digrong. Lift the bucket up off theground. See: hais, rayz.— n. lift, ride. Gi mi wahn lifda cherch, noh? Would you giveme a ride to church? See: jrap,raid.lik v. lick (with tongue) 1) Di leebwai lik di aiskreem dong tunotn. The little boy licked the icecream down to nothing. 2) hit,knock, strike. Rabat lik ih leefren eena ih bak. Robert hit hislittle friend on his back. See:baks, bang, nak, wap.— n. impact. Pipl mi-di ded fihongri, an Ai staat a feel di liktu. People were dying of hunger,and I started to feel the impacttoo.lik...shot Idiomatic phr.torture, cause severe pain.(Literally: ‘lick my shirt’)Tootayk lik mi shot hoal nait214
lika Kriol tu Inglish livinlaas nait, soh fos ting dismaanin, Ah gaahn da dentis.My toothache really tortured meall of last night, so first thing thismorning I went to the dentist.See: taacha.lik road Idiomatic phr. getstraight to the point. Stap beetrong di bush ahn lik road. Stopbeating around the bush andcome straight to the point.[Perhaps original reference was todriving fast to get to where oneneeded to go.]wan lik n.phr. all at one time,at once. Wi noh ga taim fiways, soh mek wi kehr aal a dichyaa dehn wan lik. We don’thave any time to waste, so let’scarry all the chairs at one time.lika n. liquor, alcoholicbeverage. Di man mi-di faaldong op bowt di plays sayk a dilat a lika weh ih mi-di jrink.The man was falling all over theplace because he drank so muchliquor. See: alkahol.lili n. lily. Wahn lat a lili groaeena di jrayn front a mi hows.Lots of lilies grow in the drain infront of my house.lim n. limb. Di man chap dongdi chree lim bai lim. The manfelled the tree by chopping off thelimbs one by one.limba adj. limp. Wen dehn pikop poa Mis Maadi, ih mi limbalimba. Miss Maudy was verylimp when they picked her up.limp v. limp. Da haas mi-di limpkaaz wahn prikl gaan op eenaih fut. That horse was limpingbecause of a prickle that waslodged in its foot.lip n. lip; always specified asbottom lip or top lip. ‘Mowt’or ‘lip dehn’ is used whenreferring to both lips.batam lip n.phr. bottom lip.tap lip n.phr. top lip.lang lip n.phr. thick,protruding lips. Wen yu ga langlip, yu noh fi yooz lat a lipstik.When you have thick lips, youshouldn’t use a lot of lipstick.See: snuk mowt.lis n. list. Kehr dis lis da shapahn wayt fi yu chaynj. Take thislist to the shop and wait for yourchange.lisn v. listen. Yu mos lisn tu yuteecha. You should listen to yourteacher.liv (var: lib) v. live. Mi ma ahnmi pa mi liv deh. My mother andfather lived there.liva n. liver. Dakta seh rom dikuk mi liva. The doctor says thatrum is pickling my liver.livin (var: libin) n. 1) living,livelihood. Di man sel tamaalesfi mek wahn livin. That mansells tamales to make a living.2) lifestyle. Sheela tek op badlivin afta ih hozban lef ahn.Sheila resorted to an immorallifestyle after her husband lefther. 3) good life. Wen Ah si aala dehn ting, aal Ah ku seh dalivin! When I saw all of thosethings, all I could say is, this isthe life! — adj. 1) living. Mandon taym aal kain a livin ting.Man has already tamed all kindsof living things. 2) alive, living.215
lizad Kriol tu Inglish loki(‘Laiv’ refers to non-humans,while ‘alaiv’ and ‘livin’ refer tohumans.) Da don tweni yaazsins mai ma ded, ahn mai pa stillivin. It’s already twenty yearssince my mother died and myfather is still living. See: alaiv.lizad n. lizard. See: bambuchikin, giliwaas, gwaana,maklala, wishwili.loa adj. 1) low. Dis des tu loa fiAh rait pan. It’s difficult for meto write on this low desk.2) short. Mairan kot ih hyaa loaloa. Myron cut his hair veryshort. See: shaat.loa rayt v.phr. degrade or putoneself down. Weh mek yoo miloa rayt yuself fi lai fi hihn?Why did you put yourself downby lying to please him?loadid adj. loaded. Di chree dafaam mi loadid wid mango. Themango tree at the farm wasloaded with mangos.loagi adj. lethargic, logy. Ahstof miself til Ah feel loagi. Iover ate to the point of feelinglethargic.loakal adj. local. Wi mi-di luk fidi hed a di loakal skool. Wewere looking for the head of thelocal school.loan 1 n. loan. Ah waahn goh eenda bank fi wahn loan fi baiwahn kaa. I want to go the bankfor a loan to buy a car.loan 2 adj. exclusively, only,solely; nothing but, purely. Daloan blak mod eena di riva.There’s nothing but black mud inthe river. See: pyoa, soaso.loan 3 alone. Wi bayg di man figoh fahn deh ahn lef wi loan.We begged the man to go fromthere and leave us alone. See:wan.loanli adj. lonely. Ah mi feelkain a loanli eena haaspital. Inhospital, I felt somewhat lonely.loar v. lower. Dehn mek wahnoapnin eena di roof ahn loar diman dong. They made anopening in the roof and loweredthe man down.loashan n. lotion. Rob disloashan pahn di han weh dieech yu. Rub some of this lotionon the hand that is itching.loawa adj. lower. Di loawavaranda mi kova wid flodwaata. The lower veranda wascovered by the flood.— adv. lower. Sayk a weh ih misik, mi son jrap loawa eena ihklaas dis term. Owing to illness,my son ranked lower in his classthis term.loawis adj. lowest. Maaki geh diloawis maak eena di klaas.Markie got the lowest grade in hisclass.logij n. luggage. Mi sista kohnfahn Stayts, bot ih logij nevakohn. My sister came from theStates, but her luggage didn’tcome.lok n. luck. Noh pen pahn lok fimek yu paas yu egzam. Don’tdepend on luck to get youthrough the exam.loki adj. lucky. Mis Maybl oanliloki wid di lachri. Miss Mabel isunusually lucky in winning the216
lomba Kriol tu Inglish luklottery.loki ting phr. luckily,fortunately. Loki ting Ah gaanowt deh kaa di baybi mi jrapeena di bokit a waata. Luckily, Iwent out there because the babyhad fallen into the bucket ofwater.lomba n. lumber; wood that hasbeen sawn into squared-offpieces. Ah kyaahn don fiks mihows, kaaz nohmoh lomba nohdeh. I can’t finish repairs to myhouse because lumber is nolonger available. See: ud.lonch n. lunch; sandwich orother light food. Mi ma nohkuk pahn Satideh, ih oanli meklonch. My mother doesn’t cookon Saturday, she only makeslunch.longaneesa n. local linksausage. Goh da di meet shapahn geh sohn longaneesa fi mi.Go to the meet shop and get somelink sausage for me. See: sachiz.longz n. lungs. Maaji shee betamain ih noh geh kyansa eena ihlongz sayk a weh ih smoak sohmoch. Margie had better becareful about lung cancer becauseshe smokes so much.loos v. 1) loosen. Ah loos fi mishooz laysn ahn tek aaf mishooz. I loosened my shoe lacesand took off my shoes. 2) let go,release, set free, untie. Loos didaag afta di vizita goh. Let thedog go when the visitor leaves.See: legoh.looz v. lose. (Generally used inregard to abstract items.) Bileez217gaahn play gens Mexico butdehn looz. Belize played againstMexico but they lost.los v. lust; feel an intensedesire. Ih noh gud fi los aafaada pipl waif. It’s not good tolust after another man’s wife.— n. lust. Di Baibl seh los dawan a di sebm sin dehn.According to the Bible, lust isone of the seven sins.lov v. love. Mai onkl oanli lov fihihn waif. My uncle really loveshis wife. See: chek, kay fi, laik.— n. love. Lov noh ga nofrayvrit. Love has no favourites.lov op v.phr. pet (fondle)Enitaim yu si dehn too, dehn dilov op. Whenever you see thosetwo, they are fondling each other.See: fingl, hoal...op.low v. allow, let, permit.Archaic. Eena jrai weda dehnoanli low yu wan bokit a waatafi di day. During drought theyonly allow one bucket of waterfor the day. See: mek.lows n. head louse. (Both sg. &pl.) Di pikni hed mi pak op widlows. The child’s head was full oflice.kraab lows n.phr. louse whichattacks the pubic areas of thebody; often spread throughsexual contact. Mi hozban hihnkohn hoahn wid kraab lows anih ekspek mee fi sleep wid ahn!My husband comes home withcrab lice and he expects me tosleep with him!luk v. look. Di teecha luk pahnaal a di styoodent dehn weh midehdeh. The teacher looked at all
lukowt Kriol tu Inglish maagaof the students who were there.luk dong pahn v.phr. lookdown upon, despise, scorn. Dinayba dehn staat tu luk dongpahn Peeta afta ih kom owt ajayl. The neighbours started tolook down on Peter after hisrelease from prison.luk fa/fi v.phr. 1) look for,search for. Wi lef gaahn daBileez fi luk fi wi ma ahn pa.We went to Belize City to lookfor our mom and dad. See: saach.2) visit. Laas nait wi gaahn lukfi Mis Bernis. Last night we wentto visit Miss Bernice. See: hayl,gi wahn showt, vizit.luk gud v.phr. 1) lookcarefully. Luk gud ahn yuwahn fain di moni weh yu laas.Look carefully and you’ll find themoney that you lost. 2) lookgood, make a favourableimpression. Unu laik luk gudfront a pipl. You like to lookgood in front of people.luk pahn v.phr. look upon,look at. Di teecha ton rong ahnluk pahn aal a di pikni dehn.The teacher turned around andlooked at all of the children. See:wach.lukowt n. lookout, alert. Staypahn di lukowt ahn kip wachoava mi hows. Stay on thelookout and keep watch over myhouse.luks n. looks. No kay humochluks shee gat, ih kyaahn win.No matter how beautiful she is,she’s not likely to win.luku v. look at. Luku maku dikohn jres noh pus bak fut. Lookat my friend coming dressed tothe hilt.lusho n. a kind of traditionalCreole dance.M - mma n. mother. Di lee bwai ma mioanli sopraiz wen ih fos staat tutaak. The little boy’s mom wasvery surprised when he firststarted to talk. See: mami,mama, muma.maabl n. marble, small spheresused to play a game. (Both sg.& pl.) Di bwai dehn di playmaabl oava deh. The boys areplaying marbles over there.Maach n. March; third month.Wi kip op Baron Blis Day eenaMaach. We celebrate Baron BlissDay in March.maach v. march. Yu aalwayz sipipl di maach wid kraas pahnGud Fraideh. You always seepeople marching with crosses onGood Friday.maachin aami aans n. a type offorest ant which moves incolumns. Nat eevn wan blayd agraas mi lef afta di maachinaami aans dehn paas chroo diyaad. Not even one blade ofgrass was left after the marchingarmy ants passed through theyard.maaga adj. skinny, thin. Sari fi218
maajareen Kriol tu Inglish maaninmaaga daag, maaga daag tonrong ahn bait yu. If you feelsorry for a skinny dog, it will turnaround and bite you. (Kriolproverb similar to the saying inEnglish ‘it will bite the hand thatfeeds it’.) See: snaipi, tin.maaga seezn n.phr. 1) dry,calm, hot season in August.Joorin maaga seezn ih noh raynataal. During the hot season itdoesn’t rain at all. 2) Dog Days;season of hard economictimes. Afta Krismos da maagaseezn kaa nobadi noh ga nomoni. After Christmas is a hardtime because nobody has anymoney. [
Maas Kriol tu Inglish madaneni bred tudeh? Good morning,Miss Mary. Did you make anybread today?Maas n. Mass; religiousservice. Faada wahn seh Maasda di finaral. Father willcelebrate Mass at the funeral.maas 1 n. mast. Di maas brokwen di haad breez bos di sayl.The mast broke when the hardwind burst the sail.maas 2 n. mask. Wi kudn mekowt di teef kaa ih mi gat aanmaas. We couldn’t recognize thethief because he wore a mask.maasa n. master; reference tothe boss or the head of thehouse in colonial times.maat n. moth. Az Ah put aan dilait, di maat dehn kohn rong.As I turned on the light, themoths came around.maata n. mortar; kitchen toolused for grinding foods. Diman yooz wahn maata fi graindi kaan. The man used a mortarto grind the corn.maata stik n. pestle. Yu haftuhoal di maata stik karek wen yudi beet rais. You have to hold thepestle correctly when you’rebeating rice.maav adj. mauve, purple. Ahneva laik wayr maav frak kaaih mek Ah luk laik Ah gwehnda finaral. I never like to wear apurple dress because it makes melook like I’m going to a funeral.mach 1 v. match, go together. Ahnoh tink da bwai ahn da gyalmach op ataal. I don’t think thatboy and that girl match up at all.220— n. match. Maak ahn Jeni dawahn gud mach. Mark andJenny are a good match.mach 2 n. match. (Both sg. & pl.)Di pikni dehn staat faiya kaazdehn mi-di play wid mach. Thechildren started the fire becausethey were playing with matches.machaka n. species offreshwater trout.machet (var: masheet) n.machete. Di polees di stap dehnman weh di waak wid dehnmachet weh noh kova. Thepolice are stopping men who arewalking around with uncoveredmachetes.machraas Archaic. Variant:machris.machris (var: machraas) n.mattress. Mee aks hihn fi wahngud machris an ih kohn kohn gimi wahn oal tayr op wan fisleep pan. I asked him for a goodmattress and he gave me an oldtorn up one to sleep on.mad blod See: blod.mada ayz (var: madaz) int.exclamation similar to ‘mygoodness’. Mada ayz! Da fishoanli big! My goodness! Thatfish is really big!mada-ahn-laa (var:mada-ahn-lee) n. mother-inlaw.Fi shee mada-ahn-laa laikfaas eena ih pikni dehn bizniz.Her mother-in-law likes tomeddle in her children’s business.mada-ahn-lee Variant:mada-ahn-laa.madan adj. modern. Mi poagraama kyaahn deel wid aal a
madaz Kriol tu Inglish maindehn madan ting dehn. My poorgrandmother can’t deal with all ofthose modern things.madaz Variant: mada ayz.magazeen n. magazine. Wen Aimi-di groa op, wi neva doz gamagazeen, oanli nyoozpaypa.When I was growing up, wedidn’t have magazines, onlynewspapers. See: stail buk.mahagni n. mahogany; a talltropical tree which is thenational tree of Belize. Forover 200 years it washarvested for its valuablereddish-brown wood. Swieteniamahogani. Misa Fyaaweda da diman weh mi deh bihain diBileez pipl dehn fi plaant bak dimahagni chree dehn. Mr.Fairweather is the man who urgedthe Belizean people to plantmahogany trees again. [Themahogany tree is on the BelizeCoat of Arms, with the motto‘Sub Umbra Florero’ (under itsshade I flourish)]mai pro.adj. my. Emphatic. Maima shee da baas a tel stoari! Mymom is a master story teller!See: fi mee.maik n. microphone. Di manmi-di taak chroo wahn maik.The man was talking through amicrophone.mail n. mile. Wi doz liv bowthaaf mail fahn mi ma ahn pahows. We used to live about halfa mile from my parents’ house.main n. mind; a person’s wayof thinking. Tek yu main aaf ada man kaa ih noh di kohn bak.221Take your mind off of that manbecause he’s not coming back.— v. 1) mind, look after, takecare of, tend to. Wen wi miyong, wi yoostu main di hagahn di kow dehn. When we wereyoung, we tended the hogs andcows. See: tek kayr a, ten tu.2) be careful. Main di snayknoh bait yu. Be careful that thesnake doesn’t bite you. See:kyaaful, tek kayr.main baybi v.phr. act as ababy sitter.mek op...main v.phr. decide,make up one’s mind. Ah nohnoa wai Soashal noh mek opdehn main if dehn wahn gi midi pikni. I don’t know why thepeople at Social Services don’tmake up their minds if they’regoing to give me the child or not.See: disaid.noh main v.phr. never mind.Noh main daalin, yu ma wahnsoon kohn bak. Never minddarling, your mom will returnsoon.pay...main v.phr. payattention to, heed. Da man nohpay ih pikni no main; ih jos lefahn tu di masi a di wol. Thatman doesn’t pay any attention tohis child; he just left him to themercy of the world. See: stodi.ga too main Idiomatic phr. bedouble-minded, be of twominds, be undecided.(Literally: ‘have two minds’)Ah ga too main bowt da hows.Wan main di tel mi fi tek it ahndi ada main di tel mi noh badawid it. I have two minds aboutthat house. One mind tells me to
mainz Kriol tu Inglish makutake the house and the other mindtells me not to bother with it.mainz pro. mine. Dat da noh fiyoo buk, dat da mainz. That’snot your book, it’s mine. See: fimi wan.mait v. might. If yu noh luk,dehn mait teef yu ting dehn. Ifyou’re not careful, they mightsteal your things.maita v. might have, wouldhave. Ah mi-di hoap dat yumaita du wan ahn too lee jab fimi. I was hoping that you mighthave done a few little jobs for me.See: uda.maitn v. may not, might not. Ahmaitn goh da di paati kaa Ahnoh ga no gif. I may not go to theparty because I don’t have a gift.Maiya adj. Mayan. Dehn leeyong gyal weh da Maiya gehmarid fahn dehn bowt twelv.The young Mayan girls getmarried when they’re abouttwelve years old. See: injin.majik n. magic (trick) Ai ku dumajik kaa Ah ku mek dis shilindisapyaa. I can do magic becauseI can make this quarter disappear.majischrayt (var: majischreet)n. magistrate. Di majischraytda famili koat aada di pikni pafi pay chail sopoat. Themagistrate at family court orderedthe child’s father to pay childsupport.majischreet Variant:majischrayt.majishan n. magician. Dimajishan mi-di chril di pipl widaal a ih chrik dehn. Themagician thrilled the people withall of his tricks.mak v. mock, ridicule, mimic.Evriting weh Ah seh, di piknidehn mak mi. The children mockeverything that I say. See: klong.maka paarat n. macaw; largebrightly colored parrot. Aramacao.makaroani n. macaroni, pastaof any type. Aal mi waif noa fikuk da makaroani ahn cheez.The only thing my wife knowshow to cook is macaroni andcheese.maklala n. a species of smalllizard. Also called ‘kakmaklala’ (presumably becausethe male has a comb-like tuft)Pus laik kech maklala fi eet.Cats like to catch lizards to eat.See: lizad. [
makumeh Kriol tu Inglish mamiwent shopping all day. 2) friend(used in a slightly derisivemanner) Ah si maku gat aanhai heel tudeh. I see ‘our friend’has on high heels today.makumeh (var: maku) n.relationship term used to referto the godmother of one’schild, or godmother of one’schild; or by extension, a closefriend. See: komaajreh.makyanik n. mechanic. Dimakyanik chaaj mi hoal a faivhonjrid dalaz fi fiks mi kaa. Themechanic charged me all of fivehundred dollars to fix my car.Malanti n. another name for thevillage of Gales PointManatee, located in the BelizeDistrict on a spit of landjutting into the SouthernLagoon; an area now part of anature reserve because of themany manatee (malanti) in thelagoon.malanti n. manatee; largehairless mammal which livesin both salt and fresh waterand which can grow to 13 feetlong and weigh over 1000pounds. Trichechus manatus.Dehn malanti sok titi sayhn laikhow hyooman baybi sok dehnma wan. Manatees nurse in thesame way that human babies do.See: see kow.malaydi n. very hard wood;shouldn’t be used where it canget wet.malayrya n. malaria. Eenarayni taim Helt Dipaatmentkohn rong kohn spray aal adehn swamp ayrya fi mek wi223noh kech malayrya. In the rainyseason the Health Departmentcomes around to spray all of theswampy areas so that we don’tcatch malaria.malayta n. hunting bag. OnklJan kip ih bulit dehn eena ihmalayta. Uncle John keeps hisbullets in his hunting bag.ma-lehleh (var: mama-lehleh) n.a mama’s boy; whiny male. Dalee man da wahn ma lehleh; ihaalwayz di kamplayn. That littleman is a mama’s boy, he isalways whining. See: waawa.malis v. hold a grudge,begrudge. Mee ahn Glorya nohtaak fi too weeks kaa shee dimalis mi. Gloria and I haven’tspoken for two weeks becauseshe’s holding a grudge againstme.hoal malis v.phr. hold agrudge. Greta noh taak tu yurait now kaa shee laik hoalmalis. Greta won’t talk to youright now because she likes tohold a grudge. See: groj.[‘malice’]mam n. ma’am, madam; termof respect used by some youngmen when addressing olderwomen. Mam, Ah tel yu dat danoh mee gaan eena yu yaad.Ma’am, I told you that it wasn’t Iwho went into your yard. See:mami.mama See: ma.mama-lehleh Variant:ma-lehleh.mami n. 1) ma’am, madam;term of respect used by some
man Kriol tu Inglish mapyoung men when addressingolder women. Mek Ah help yukehr yu bag, mami. Allow me tocarry your bag, ma’am. See:mam. 2) mama or mommy;term used by little children.See: mama.man n. man.— int. Man! Variant: mayn.man-a-waar n. Frigate bird;large sea bird. Fregatamagnificens. [‘man-of-war’probably because it attacks otherfish-eating birds]manaz n. manners. Sohn a dehnyong bwai pahn di schreet nohga no manaz. Some of the youngboys on the street have nomanners.man-bwai n. full-grown youngman. (Usually useddisparagingly) Hihn da bigman-bwai an ih ma stil di washih kloaz far ahn. He’s a fullgrownyoung man and his motherstill washes his clothes for him.mango (var: mengo) n. mango.Mangifera indica. Laik how damango seezn, aal kain a mangodeh bowt di plays. Because it’smango season, you find all kindsof mangos around the place.mangro n. mangrove. Dimangro dehn da Bileez da fimek di lan noh wash weh. Themangrove in Belize keeps theland from washing away.mangro paarat n. red-loredparrot. Amazona autumnalis.manij v. manage; succeed inaccomplishing one’s goal. Tooman mi eena di mod, bot wan a224dehn manij fi get owt. Two menwere in the mud, but one of themmanaged to get out. See: handl.manish adj. precocious(sometimes inappropriately);refers to behavior by a boy.Sins da bwai di goh aan sohmanish, mek ih goh werk. Sincethat boy is behaving as if he’s agrown-up, let him get a job. See:umanish.manjeh v. eat greedily. Wen diman dehn si di lat a food, dehnstaat tu manjeh. When the mensaw all the food, they started toeat greedily. See: hag op, lashdong, nyam, waks aaf, yafl.[
maraas Kriol tu Inglish matokweh di oal map kaa ih mi-dijrap lat a schring pahn di floa. Ithrew the old mop away becauseit was dropping a lot of string onthe floor.maraas n. algae, moss. Dibatam a di see mi luk greenkaaz a aal a di maraas weh midong deh. The bottom of the sealooked green because of all thealgae that’s down there.marid v. marry, wed. (Eng. pasttense form is infinitive form inKriol.) Wai yu noh marid dagyal if yu lov ahn? Why don’tyou marry that girl if you loveher? See: brok ih nek. — adj.married. Ah tel shee fi stap playwid da marid man. I told her tostop having an affair with thatmarried man.marij n. marriage. Fi dehnmarij laas lang kaa dehn lovwan anada bad. Their marriagehas lasted a long time becausethey love each other deeply.— adj. marriage. Datdeh marijservis mi lang, lang, lang. Thatmarriage service was very long.masheen (var: misheen) n.machine; any gas poweredmechanical device or vehicle.Ah wish Ah mi ga wan a dehnlee masheen fi kot mi yaad. Iwish I had one of those littlemachines to cut my yard.masheet Variant: machet.masi (var: mersi) n. mercy. Daman noh pay ih pikni no main,ih jos lef ahn tu di masi a diwol. That man doesn’t pay anyattention to his child, he justleaves him to the mercy of the225world.Masi Maasa n.phr. MercifulGod. Masi Maasa, hav mersipahn mi soal. Merciful God,have mercy on my soul. See:Almaiti.masiful adj. massive, huge. Miaanti sen moni fi mek dehn bilwahn masiful hows far ahn. Myaunt sent money to have a hugehouse built.maskita Archaic. Variant:maskito.maskito (var: maskita) n.mosquito. Laik how rayni wedadi kohn, lat a maskito wahndeh. Since the rainy weather iscoming, there will be lots ofmosquitos. See: flai, schraika.mata 1 n. matter.noh mata v.phr. no matter,regardless of. Noh mata weh yugoh, Ah wahn fain yu. No matterwhere you go, I’ll find you. See:noh kay.mata 2 n. matter (pus) Lat amata ron owt a di bomp pan ihfays. Lots of pus ran out of thepimple on his face. See:koropshan.matilda fut n. matilda foot; adumpling made of greenplantain or banana and put instews. Grayta di green plaantinmek wi mek sohn matilda fut fiput eena di sehreh. Grate thegreen plantain so we can makesome matilda foot for the fishstew. See: bail kayk, domplin.matok n. pickaxe. Goh baraMisa Jan matok mek Ah dig opdi grong kaa Ah waahn plaant
mats Kriol tu Inglish meesohn sweet pepa. Go borrow Mr.John’s pickaxe so I can dig up theground because I want to plantsome sweet peppers. See: pikeks.mats n. mathematics. Mi sonbring hoahn wahn lat a mats fidu fi hoamwerk. My son broughtlots of math to do for homework.See: somz.May n. May. May da wan a dihatis mont eena di yaa. May isone of the hottest months of theyear.May plom n. type of plum.Wom laik deh eena dehn raipraip May plom. Worms arealways in over-ripe May plums.[Named because they are inseason during the month of May]maybi adv. maybe, perhaps.Maybi if yu stodi gud, yu wahnpaas yu egzam. Maybe if youstudy hard, you will pass yourexam.mayd n. maid. Ai noh laik dehnchreet mi laik no mayd. I don’tlike them treating me like a maid.See: saavant.maydn n. virginity,maidenhood. Di man foas ihselfpahn di lee yong gyal, an ih tekweh ih maydn. The man forcedhimself on the young girl andtook her virginity.mayflowa n. Mayflower; typeof tree, the wood of which isused for paneling and whichhas masses of pink blossomsin dry season. Tabebuia rosea.Dehn ga wahn ayrya da BileezSiti weh dehn kaal Mayflowa,kaaz lang taim ih yoostu ga lata mayflowa chree. There’s anarea in Belize City calledMayflower because long agothere were a lot of mayflowertrees there.mayja adj. major, great inimportance or rank. Di mayjating weh hapm eena mi laif disyaa da dat Ah geh marid. Themajor thing that happened in mylife this year was that I gotmarried.maykop n. make-up. Da gyallaik put aan tu moch maykoppan ih fays. That girl likes to puton too much make-up.mayn 1 adj. main, chief, mostimportant. Di mayn ting wehrang wid hihn da ih greedinis.The main thing wrong with him ishis greediness.mayn 2 (var: man) int. man.Mayn, ih oanli hat tudeh! Man,it’s hot today!mayr n. mare. Di man raid daoal mayr til ih jrap. The manrode that old mare until shedropped.medisn n. medicine. Mi graamadi get aan eena yaaz now an ihkyaahn eevn tek ih medisn baiihself. My grandmother is gettingold now and she can’t even takeher medicine by herself.[frequently this refers to herbalmedicines.]mee pro. I. (Emphatic 1st personsubjective form of ‘Ah’) Ah dondu it, soh mee noh kay wehdehn seh bowt mi. I’ve alreadydone it, so I don’t care what they226
meel Kriol tu Inglish mejamentsay about me. See: Ai. 2) me.(Emphatic 1st person objectiveform of ‘mi’) Di teecha aalwayzdi pik pahn mee bot da noh meedi faas wid hihn. The teacheralways picks on me, but I wasn’tthe one who was bothering him.fi mee my. phr. (Emphaticpossessive) Dat da fi mee man,da noh fi yoo! That’s my man,not yours!fi mee wan phr. mine. Mek wistap aagyu; dis da fi mee wan,ahn dis da fi yoo wan. Let’s stoparguing; this is mine, and this isyours. See: mainz.meel n. meal. Betsi shee nevadid laan fi kuk, soh Ah nevageh wahn gud meel eena wahnlang taim. Betsy didn’t learn tocook, so I haven’t had a goodmeal for a long time. See: kukin.meen 1 v. intend, mean. Yu meenfi du dat! You meant to do that!See: inten.meen 2 miserly, stingy. Yu si daMis May? Ih meen bad badbad; ih neva gi, ih oanli tek.You see Miss May? She’s reallystingy. She never gives, she onlytakes. See: cheep, geechi, stinji.meenin n. meaning. Di teechaeksplayn di ful meenin aevriting tu wi. The teacherexplained the full meaning ofeverything to us.meentaim adv. meantime. Meeahn mi sista di play hapskach;meentaim mi breda hihn mi-diget eena chrobl. My sister and Iwere playing hopscotch; in themeantime my brother was gettingin trouble.227meet n. meat. Di oanli meet wehmi hozban laik da gaym meet.The only meat that my husbandlikes is wild meat.meet kain n.phr. meat foods.Weh meet kain deh da maakit?What kind of meat is at themarket?meet shap n. butcher shop. Ahsen di man da di meet shap fibai fish, an ih bring chikin! Isent the man to the butcher shopto buy fish, and he broughtchicken! See: bucha.meeta n. meter. Da noh no joakwen dehn tek aaf yu waatameeta midl a di day. It’s no jokewhen they turn off your water inthe middle of the day.meetn n. meeting. Wi gaahn dadi meetn soon soon bot nobadineva dehdeh yet. We went to themeeting very early but nobodywas there yet.meezlz n. measles. Dehn yoostugi wi bail kaan waata fi mek dimeezlz no eech. They used togive us water in which corn hadbeen boiled to make the measlesnot itch.megij n. maggot. Di gwaava misoh raip dat ih mi ful op amegij. The guava was so ripe thatit was full of maggots.meja (var: mezha) v. measure.Di man dehn kohn fi meja fi sihow lang fi mek di jrayn. Themen came to measure to see whatlength to make the drain.mejament (var: mezhament) n.measurement. Wi gaahn tekmejament fi soa skool
mek Kriol tu Inglish merdarayshanyoonifaam. We went to have ourmeasurements taken to have ourschool uniforms made.mek v. 1) make. Di teecha mekwi rait dong evriting weh ihseh. The teacher made us writedown everything that she said.2) allow, permit, let. Mek Ahdu weh Ah waahn. Let me dowhat I want. See: low. — conj.so that. Ah put aan wahn swetapahn mi baybi mek ih noh kechkoal. I put a sweater on my babyso that he wouldn’t catch coldfi mek phr. in order to. Fi mekunu get unu dina, unu hafu geteena lain. In order to get yourdinner, you’ll have to get in line.mek fi v.phr. act as if. Ih mekfi wap mi wid di stik, bot dehnhoal ahn bak. He acted as if hewas going to hit me with thestick, but they held him back.mek it v.phr. succeed. If yuwaahn mek it eena laif, yu hafuwerk haad. If you want tosucceed in life, you have to workhard.mek op bak v.phr. make upagain. Mee ahn mi gyal mibrok, bot wi mek op bak. Mygirl and I broke up, but we madeup again.mek op...bed v.phr. makeone’s bed. Mek op yu bed bifoayu goh da skool. Make your bedbefore you go to school.mek op...fays See: fays.mek op...main. See: main.mekeh-mekeh adj. sloppy; wayin which food is presented.How di dina luk sohmekeh-mekeh laik sohnbadimi-di play een deh? Why doesthe dinner look so sloppy as ifsomeone was playing in it?mek-op adj. phony, made-up.Mi bwaifren aalwayz kohn widsohn mek-op stoari fi tel mi, botAh noh bileev ahn ataal. Myboyfriend always comes withsome phony story to tell me, but Idon’t believe him at all.memba 1 remember. Yoo nevamemba yu oan bertday? Youdidn’t remember your ownbirthday? See: put bihain yu ayz.(var: rimemba)memba 2 n. member. Ih da-miwahn memba a da politikalpaati. He was a member of thatpolitical party.memri n. memory. Misa Jaaj gawahn gud memri fi soh oal. Mr.George has a good memory forbeing so old.mengo Variant: mango.menshan v. mention. Ihmenshan oava ahn oava weh mihapm tu ahn. He mentioned overand over what had happened tohim.merda v. murder. Dehn seh Janmerda ih waif jos fi kalekinshoarans. They say that Johnmurdered his wife just to collectinsurance. See: kil, slaata.— n. murder. Di joori fain diman gilti a merda. The juryfound the man guilty of murder.merdara n. Da merdara kil mioanli son. That murderer killedmy only son.merdarayshan n. violent fight,argument or riot that could228
meri-goh-rong Kriol tu Inglish mi wahnlead to murder. Di too familidehn dong di schreet mi-dikwaaril soh haad dat wi mi tinkdat da merdarayshan mi-di gohaan. The two families down thestreet were quarreling so muchthat we thought that a murder wastaking place.meri-goh-rong n. 1) merry-goround,carrousel. Wen Dayzikom aaf a di meri-goh-rong, ihmi tonti tonti. When Daisy cameoff of the merry-go-round, shewas very dizzy. 2) carnival ridescollectively. Wenmeri-goh-rong kohn da tong, wilaik raid di feris weel. When thecarnival comes to town, we liketo ride the Ferris wheel.merseeya n. blood pudding orsausage. Mee laik wen dehnkuk di merseeya wid eg. I like itwhen they cook the bloodpudding with eggs. See:longaneesa, sachiz.mersi (var: masi) n. mercy. Daoanli bai Gaad mersi yu stil diliv tudeh. It’s only by God’smercy that you’re still livingtoday.ga mersi pahn v.phr. havemercy on. Noh beet ahn sohhaad, man; ga lee mersi panahn. Don’t hit him so hard, man;have some mercy on him. See:piti, sari.mes n. mess. Di baybi mek wahnbig mes pahn di floa wid ihdina. The baby made a big messon the floor with his dinner.mes op v.phr. mess up, ruin.Mi breda dehn laik mes op mihyaa wen Ah don tek mi taim fikoam ahn. My brothers like tomess up my hair after I’ve takenmy time to comb it. See:hambog.mesij n. message. Wi ma noh midehdeh, soh wi lef wahn mesijfar ahn. Our mom wasn’t there,so we left a message for her.mesinja n. messenger. Da bwaidi werk az wahn speshalmesinja. That boy works as aspecial messenger.Mesopotaymya n.Mesopotamia; a central area ofBelize City on the south side;called ‘Mesop’ for short.[Named in honour of the Belizeansoldiers who fought in that areaof the world during WWII]mezha Variant: meja.mezhament Variant: mejament.mi 1 v. past tense marker. Wi migaahn da Beti bertday paatilaas nait. We went to Betty’sbirthday party last night.mi 2 pro. me. (1st person singular)Pleez poas dis leta fi mi. Pleasemail this letter for me. (1stperson singular, objective case)See: mee. — pro.adj. my. Mipen jrap eena jrayn. My pendropped in the drain.fi mi .phr. my. Dis da fi mi buk.This is my book.mi wahn v.phr. 1) was going to,would have. Mi ma mi wahnkohn fi Krismos bot ih neva gehih haliday. My mother was goingto come for Christmas but shedidn’t get her vacation. 2) wouldbe. Di prafit dehn seh datJeezas mi wahn baan da229
mi-di Kriol tu Inglish milkBetlihem. The prophets said thatJesus would be born inBethlehem.mi-di v. past continuous tense.Wen Ah mi-di wash, Ah fainfifti dalaz eena mi hozbanpakit. When I was washing, Ifound fifty dollars in myhusband’s pocket. See: doz,yoostu.midl (var: migl) n. middle. Wimi-di sidong pahn wahn rak damidl a di riva. We were sittingon a rock in the middle of theriver.mids n. midst. Eena di mids aaal a di kanfyoozhan mi mashee gaahn jrap dong. In themidst of all the confusion mymother fainted.midwaif n. midwife. Eenadehnya madan taim, pipl nohlaik wen midwaif diliva dehnbaybi agen. In these moderntimes, people don’t like midwivesto deliver their babies anymore.See: grandi.migl Variant: midl. n. middle.mikays v. hurry. Goh da maakitahn mikays, yehr, bikaaz ih dondi geh layt. Go to the market andhurry, because it’s already gettinglate. See: hori, rosh.mikays-mikays adj. slapdash,slipshod. See: hori-kom-op.mikays-mikays han n.phr.grubby hand. Tek yumikays-mikays han owt a miflowa. Take your grubby handsthat have been who knows whereout of my dough.mikays-mikays fays n.phr.230sour face, grimace ofdisapproval, scowl. Yu nohhafu put aan da mikays-mikaysfays jos kaa yu noh laik mi fren.You don’t have to put on thatsour face just because you don’tlike my friend.miks v. mix. Yu noh fi miks ailahn waata. You are not supposedto mix oil and water.milan n. melon. Di milan wehAh jos bai jrap ahn bos! Themelon that I just bought fell andburst!miljoo v. mildew. Sayk a chroadi wet kloaz dehn eena di kloazbaaskit, dehn geh miljoo op.Because the wet clothes werethrown in the clothes basket, theygot mildewed.milk n. 1) milk.kow milk n.phr. pasteurizedmilk. Dehn laydi jrink lat akow milk wen dehn pregnantkaa dehn seh dat mek dehn galat a bres milk. Ladies drink lotsof pasteurized milk when they’repregnant because they say it givesthem more breast milk.nachral milk n.phr. skimmilk. Mee noh laik jrinknachral milk kaa ih tayswaachri. I don’t like skim milkbecause it taste’s watery.kandens milk/sweet milkn.phr. condensed milk. Sheelayooz loan kandens milk fisweetn ih tee. Sheila uses onlycondensed milk to sweeten hertea.karnayshan milk/pet milkn.phr. evaporated milk. Ai laikmi pet milk eena mi blak tee. I
milpa Kriol tu Inglish mischiflike pet milk in my black tea.(Brand names ‘Carnation’ and‘Pet’ have become generic forevaporated milk.) 2) milk; thechicle sap.milpa n. a small farm; a plot ofland. See: faam, plantaysh.[
mischris Kriol tu Inglish moaldehn wahn get op tu mischif.We can’t leave the children bythemselves because they’ll getinto mischief.mischris n. mistress; refers to awoman for whom anotherwoman works. Mai mischris gimi mi ham ahn mi terki fiKrismos. My mistress gave memy ham and turkey forChristmas.miself pro. myself. Mee miselfnoh noa weh Ah wahn du wentaim fi pay mi rent. I myselfdon’t know what I’m going to dowhen it’s time to pay my rent.mishan n. mission, assignment.Wen dehn finish dehn mishan,dehn gaahn bak hoahn. Whenthey finished their mission, theywent back home.misheen Archaic. Variant:masheen.mishineri n. missionary. Bileezga dehn oan mishineri weh digoh da ada konchri now. Belizehas their own missionaries whogo to other countries now.miskoabi n. love sickness;female version of ‘makoabi’.See: makoabi.misn v. miss; notice the absenceof. Ah di misn mi wach aaf a mibyooro; sohnbadi mos a teef it.I’m missing my watch from offthe bureau; somebody must havestolen it. — adj. missing, lost.Di bwai pa mi nayli geh bakhoahn wen ih reeyalaiz dat dibwai mi misn. The boy’s dad hadalmost got back home when herealized that the boy was missing.232mista (var: misa) sal. mister, sir.(Respectful term used whenaddressing a man whose nameone doesn’t know.) Mista, pleezluk ya wahn minit, noh? Mister,please look here a minute.mistayk n. mistake, error. Yumek wahn big mistayk wen yulef yu doa oapm. You made a bigmistake when you left your dooropen.mistaykn adj. mistaken, inerror, wrong. Yu mosimistaykn; da noh mee mi dehda di daans. You must bemistaken; it wasn’t I who was atthe dance. See: rang.mizarabl adj. disagreeable, illtempered.Noh bada goh aks daman fi mango kaa ih noh wahngi yu, kaa hihn tu mizarabl.Don’t bother to ask that man formangos because he won’t giveyou any because he’s toodisagreeable. See: disagreeyabl,krabit, krachiti.moa adj. more. Dayvid gi mimoa moni, soh now Ah wahn gainof. David gave me moremoney, so now I’ll have enough.— adv. more. Mi breda kaamoa powaful dan mai wan. Mybrother’s car is more powerfulthan mine.moak v. use somethingdishonestly. — n. gimmick.moal 1 mole. Mayvis mi ga wahnbig moal pan ih noaz, bot dehntai haas hyaa pan it an ih jrapaaf. Mavis had a big mole on hernose, but they tied horse hair on itand it fell off.
moal Kriol tu Inglish molesmoal 2 n. fontanel; the soft spoton a baby’s head. Noh kehr dabaybi owt deh eena di rayn kaaih wahn kech koal eena ih moal.Don’t take that baby out in thecold because he will catch a coldthrough his soft spot.moal jrap n.phr. conditionwhen babies becomedehydrated and the soft-spoton the top of the head sinks. Dimidwaif mi yooz eg wait,notmeg ahn bloo fi put op dibaybi moal jrap. The midwifeused egg white, nutmeg andbluing to cause the baby’s softspot to come back up.moan v. 1) mourn. Wi moan fidi man ahn den wi beri ahn. Wemourned for the man and then weburied him. 2) moan. Sareetamoan ahn groan wid payn hoalnait. Sarita moaned and groanedwith pain all night. See: gront.moanin n. mourning. Di hoalfamili eena moanin bikaa dehngrampa ded soh sodn. Thewhole family is in mourningbecause their grandfather died sosuddenly.moas n. most. Owt a aal a dibwai dehn eena di klaas, Ahlaik Danyel di moas. Out of allthe boys in the class, I like Danielthe most. — adj. most. Di gyaldehn mi-di aagyu bowt wichwan a dehn mi ga di moas hyaa.The girls were arguing aboutwhich of them had the most hair.moasli adv. mostly. Dehnschrimps da moasli lee wan; Aimi waahn biga wan. Thoseshrimp are mostly small ones; I233wanted bigger ones.moch n. much. Ah noh ga mochbot Ah stil shayr weh Ah ga. Idon’t have much but I still sharewhat I have. — adj. much. Ahnoh ga moch moni bot at leesAh chrai luk gud. I don’t havemuch but at least I try to lookgood. — adv. much. Aajri kraisoh moch dat ih aiy dehn swelop. Audrey cried so much thather eyes swelled up.mod n. mud. Di mod mi deep,bot wi manij fi get owt. The mudwas deep, but we managed to getout.modi adj. muddy. Wi hafu kraaswahn modi krik. We have tocross a muddy creek.modl n. model. Mi daata waahnbee wahn modl wen ih donskool. My daughter wants to be amodel when she finishes school.mofla n. muffler. Ah shaym fijraiv mi kaa. Ih mek lat a naizsayk a di big hoal eena di mofla.I’m embarrassed to drive my car.It makes a lot of noise because ofthe big hole in the muffler.mog n. pitcher. Bring da mog yamek Ah ful ahn wid waata.Bring that pitcher here so I canfill it with water. See: jimi jan,jog.moho n. maho; tall tree withpink flowers in February. [Thebark comes off in a long pliablesheet. In the past it is reportedthat the Mayans used it as a burialshroud.]moles v. 1) molest. (May havesexual connotations.) Dehn fain
mombl Kriol tu Inglish moni-chaynjaowt dat di lee gyal pa mi-dimoles ahn. They found out thatthe little girl’s father wasmolesting her. 2) bother. Stap dimoles di laydi wid yu lat akweschan. Stop bothering thelady with your many questions.mombl v. mumble. Di gyalmombl sohnting bot Ah nevaandastan weh ih seh. The girlmumbled something but I didn’tunderstand what she said.momps n. mumps. Di hoal aSteev jaa mi swel op sayk amomps. All of Steve’s jaw wasswollen up because of mumps.monch op v. eat. Di bwai mi-dimonch op pahn di panaadesdehn. The boy was eating theempanadas. See: eet.Mondeh n. Monday. Mek wigoh da Gaylz Paint Mondeh.Let’s go to Gales Point onMonday.mongki n. spider monkey.Ateles geoffroy. Yu aalwayz sidehn mongki di heng bai dehntayl da di zoo. You always seespider monkeys hanging by theirtails at the zoo.mongki rong v.phr. monkeyaround. Stap di mongki rongbifoa yu brok sohnting. Stopmonkeying around before youbreak something.mongki aapl n. monkey apple.Moquilea platypus. Ai noh laikmongki aapl kaa ih big ahn galee bit a flesh. I don’t likemonkey apple because it’s bigwith a little bit of flesh.mongki bod n. magpie. Mongkibod laik baal da nait taim.Magpies like to bawl during thenight.mongki kyap Variant: baaboonkyap.mongki spaida n. monkeyspider. Dehn mongki spaidadehn laik klaim pahn pipl waal.The monkey spiders like to climbon people’s walls.mongtin n. mountain. Wen wireech di tap a di mongtin, wikuda mi si di hoal a di siti.When we reached the top of themountain, we could see the entirecity.mongtin kow n. mountain cow,tapir; largest land mammal ofthe American tropics,weighing up to 600 pounds,vegetarian and related to thehorse. Tapirus bairdii. Mongtinkow da Bileez nashanal animalahn wan deh da di zoo wehevribadi noa weh nayhn Aypril.The tapir is Belize’s nationalanimal and there’s one at the zoothat everybody knows, namedApril.mongtin pijin n. mountainpigeon, the scaled pigeon.mongz prep. among, amongst.Wahn teef mi deh mongz wiahn wi neva eevn noa. A thiefwas there among us and we didn’teven know.moni n. money. Ah waahn gohda kee, bot Ah laas mi moni. Iwanted to go to the cayes, but Ilost my money.moni-chaynja n. moneychanger.Di moni-chaynja dehn234
monk Kriol tu Inglish mowtdi werk op da Korosaal. Themoney-changers are working inCorozal Town.monk Variant: amonk.mont n. month. Wi gaahn daMexico ahn wi stay deh bowtchree monts. We went to Mexicoand stayed there for about threemonths.moonlait n. moonlight. Di oalman an ih waif mi-di injai dimoonlait. The old man and hiswife were enjoying themoonlight.moov v. move. Wi yoostu livdong Yaabra ayra, bot wi nohlaik di ayrya, soh wi moov. Weused to live in the Yarborougharea, but we didn’t like it, so wemoved. — n. move. Di groomrich, soh di gyal noh di mekwahn bad moov ataal. Thegroom is rich, so the girl isn’tmaking a bad move at all.moovi n. movie. Tideh day dimoovi dehn ga tu moch vailenseena dehn. These days movieshave too much violence in them.See: picha, shoa.moroava conj. moreover,furthermore, besides. Mi gadiaalwayz rait mi fahn Stayts ahnmoroava, ih sen moni fi mi tu.My godmother always writes tome from the States, and moreovershe sends money for me too. See:bisaidz.mos v. should. Yu mos aalwayzobay yu grani. You shouldalways obey your grandmother.See: aatu, fi.mos bi v.phr. maybe, perhaps;235used in response to a question.Yu tink Mama wahn kohntudeh? Mos bi. Do you thinkMama will come today? Maybe.mosi Auxiliary verb. must be,must have been. Dehn pipl yamosi mi-di jrink tu moch wain!Those people must have beendrinking too much wine!mosl n. muscle. Shoa mi yu moslmek Ah si if yu schrang. Showme your muscle so I can see ifyou’re strong.mosmilan n. muskmelon,cantaloupe. Ah eet mosmilanbot Ah noh laik how ih smel. Ieat muskmelon but I don’t likethe way it smells.mosn v. must not, mustn’t. Yumosn brok di laa. You mustn’tbreak the law. See: aatn, noh fi.mostad n. mustard. Ah noh laikmostad pahn mi berga kaa ih tusowa. I don’t like mustard on myhamburger because it’s too sour.mostash n. mustache. Mihozban mostash juk op mimowt enitaim ih kis mi. Myhusband’s mustache sticks me inthe mouth whenever he kissesme.moto n. motor. Staat di moto fidi chrok. Start the truck’s engine.motosaikl (var: saikl) n.motorcycle. Dehn bwai laik rondehn motosaikl op ahn dong dischreet laik dehn krayzi. Thoseboys like to run their motorcyclesup and down the street likethey’re crazy.mowt n. 1) mouth. Mi breda telmi fi kip mi mowt shet bowt
mowt aagan Kriol tu Inglish mum platweh hapm. My brother told meto keep my mouth shut aboutwhat happened. 2) voice. Ah joshafu yehr yu mowt an Ah noada yoo. I only have to hear yourvoice and I know it’s you. See:vais. 3) rim of a glass. Wen diman don jrink waata, ih lef lata baaba rong di mowt a diglaas. When the man finisheddrinking water, he left lots ofsaliva around the rim of the glass.4) opening. See: doa mowt,paas mowt, riva mowt, roadmowt.chuk mowt v.phr. chat orconverse in a relaxed manner.v.phr. Mek wi sidong ahn chukmowt lee bit. Let’s sit down andchat a bit. See: diskoas.mash...mowt v.phr. pucker upto cry. Aal yu hafu du da lukpahn di baybi an ih don dimash ih mowt fi krai. All youhave to do is look at the baby andhe puckers up to cry. See: mekop...fays.mowt aaf v.phr. tell off. Sherlishee kohn ya kohn mowt mi aafkaa ih seh mee tek ih moni.Shirley came here and told me offbecause she said I had taken hermoney. See: tel aaf.lang...mowt/mowt aaf/ronaaf...mowt v.phr. mouth off,snitch, talk indiscreetly.Haabat gaahn mowt aaf tu miwaif ahn tel ahn seh Ah gasweethaat. Herbert went andsnitched to my wife that I have agirlfriend.mowt waid oapm phr.amazement, awe. Di majishanlef di pikni dehn wid dehnmowt waid oapm. The magicianleft the children with their mouthswide open with amazement.pik...mowt See under: pik.put mowt pahn v.phr. curse,evoke evil upon. Mis Maaji putmowt pahn di gyal soh ihkyaahn geh pregnant. MissMargie cursed the girl so shecan’t get pregnant. See: kers,oabya.mowt aagan n. mouth organ;harmonica. Wi wahn sing ahndaans, soh bring yu mowtaagan. We’re going to sing anddance, so bring your harmonica.mowt waata n. drool, saliva,spit. Mi mowt waata staat turon wen Ah si aal a da food. Mymouth started to water when Isaw all of that food. See: baaba,jrool.mowti adj. mouthy. Kip kwaiyat– yu tu mowti. Keep quiet –you’re too mouthy.muchroos n. puffer fish; smallcheckered puffer. Sphoeroidestestudineus. Wen wi mi smaal wiyoostu skrach dehn muchroosbeli mek dehn bloa op. Whenwe were little we used to scratchthe puffer fishes’ bellies andmake them puff up.muks n. concoction. Da wehkain a muks yu di mek? Whatkind of concoction are youmaking?mum plat n. thick, loose braidor plait. Wai yu put dehn mumplat eena di pikni hed mek ihluk laik dehn lee oal laydi? Whydo you put those thick braids in236
muma Kriol tu Inglish naastithe child’s hair that make herlook like a little old lady? See:plat. [Short for ‘muma’affectionate name forgrandmother or older lady inKriol.]muma n. mother. (Not used whenone is addressing one’s ownmother.) Fi yoo muma da maima sista. Your mother is mymom’s sister. See: ma.mushla n. a dessert made ofboiled ripe plantain, gratedfresh ginger, and coconutmilk.musmus n. small river fish.myaa n. mayor. Dehn wahnsoon ga ilekshan fi pik wahnnyoo myaa. They’ll soon haveelections to choose a new mayor.myool n. mule. Wen Ramzimyool ded, ih mi oava terti yaazoal. When Ramsey’s mule died, itwas over thirty years old. See:dongki.myool ahn kyaat n.phr. muleN - nand cart; a cart pulled by mule.[This is the way supplies weremoved around Belize until recentyears when the carts wereoutlawed on the streets of Belize;they are still occasionally seen insome rural villages.]Myool Paak n. Mule Park; areawhere Regent and AlbertStreets meet with the SwingBridge in front of theCommercial Centre. [When theCommercial Centre was theCentral Market, mules used forbringing produce to market weretethered in this area.]myoozik n. music. Ai mek mipikni dehn lisn tu aal kain amyoozik. I let my children listento all kinds of music.myoozishan n. musician. Mionkl da-mi wahn gudmyoozishan; ih play aal kain ainschrument. My uncle was agood musician; he played allkinds of instruments.na Variant: noh.naa Variant: ner.naadan adj. northern. Weegwehn da Naadan Lagoon fihaliday. We are going toNorthern Lagoon for vacation.naamal adj. normal. Wen dibaybi baan, ih mi ga kakaiy,bot now ih luk naamal. Whenthe baby was born, he was crosseyed,but now he looks normal.naansens n. nonsense,foolishness. Mi pa hihn mi-ditaak loan naansens weh ih mijronk. My father was talkingnothing but nonsense because hewas drunk. See: fool, papisho,schupidnis.naansi stoari See: stoari.naasi Variant: naasti.naasti (var: naasi) adj. nasty(not hygienic), unclean.(Generally refers to people ratherthan conditions) Mis Mayri237
naat Kriol tu Inglish nain-naitnaasti kaa ih bloa ih noaz eenaih han ahn neva bada wash itbifoa ih staat tu kuk. Miss Maryis nasty because she blew hernose in her hand and didn’tbother washing it before shestarted cooking.naat 1 n. 1) north. Pipl da disaym weda yu goh naat, sowt,ees ahn wes. People are the samewhether you go north, south, eastor west. See: ees, wes, sowt.2) north wind. Naat di bloa, sohdi weda feel nais. The northwind is blowing, so the weatherfeels nice.naat jrizl n.phr. north drizzle.Dehn seh dat da naat jrizl wehwet op fool fool man. They saythat only a foolish person willwalk through a drizzle from thenorth. See: jrizl.naat 2 num. naught, zero. Wiltangeh wahn big naat pan ih tespaypa. Wilton got a big zero onhis test paper. See: aat.naata n. annatto; a small tree,the seeds of which are used tomake a red dye, and locally tomake recado seasoning. Bixaorellana. Ivet shee mosi oanliput lee bit a naata eena ihrikaado kaa dehn luk pink wendehn shuda luk red. Yvette musthave only put a little bit ofannatto in her recado becausethey look pink when they shouldlook red. See: rikaado.naavis (var: nervos) adj.nervous. (Older form used foremphasis.) Mi oal grani tel weeshee yoostu geh naavis, naaviswen ih mi hafu paas beringgrong. My old grandmother toldus that she used to get verynervous when she had to pass thecemetery.nachral adj. natural. Beti wig miluk soh nachral dat ih mi luklaik ih oan hyaa. Betty’s wiglooked so natural that it lookedlike her own hair.nad v. nod. Di man mi agree widmi, an ih staat fi nad ih hed.The man agreed with me, and hestarted nodding his head.nada adj. other. Wi yoostu livpahn di nada said a di schreet.We used to live on the other sideof the street. See: ada, neks,tara.wahn nada phr. another. Ahga wahn nada pen eena mi bag.I have another pen in my bag.naida Variant: needa.naif n. knife. Ah kot aaf di bredbak dehn wid da naif kaa ihshaap shaap. I cut off the breadcrusts with that knife because it’svery sharp. See: daga.naigong Variant: naitgong.nailon n. nylon. Jooli frak mimek owt a nailon. Julie’s dresswas made out of nylon.nain num. nine. (There aremany superstitionssurrounding the number 9.)Dehn oal taim pipl bileev dat yufi stay eena bed nain dayz aftayu ga baybi. The old folksbelieve that you should stay inbed for nine days after givingbirth.nain-nait n. a vigil or wake thatlasts for nine nights after the238
naint Kriol tu Inglish nakburial of a dead person;usually held by people ofGarifuna and East Indiandescent. Dehn pipl op dischreet mi ga nain-nait kaadehn pa ded. The people up thestreet held a wake for nine nightsbecause their father died. See:set-op, wayk.naint v. massage muscles withoil, etc. Kohn naint mi fut fimi. Come massage my foot forme. [
nak-ahn-stan-op Kriol tu Inglish natabout paying me back the moneythat you owe me. See: wori.nak hed tugeda Idiomatic phr.plan, plot, conspire. (Literally:‘knock heads together’) Winak hed tugeda ahn kom op widwahn nyoo plan. We put ourheads together and came up witha new plan.nak-ahn-stan-op n. shack(rougher than ‘daag sidong’)Dehn lee pikni liv eena wahn leelee nak-ahn-stan-op hows rongdi layn. Those children live in avery tiny shack around the lane.See: daag sidong, kuboos.nakin n. knocking sound. Wahnhaad nakin wayk mi op. A loudknocking woke me up.nak-mi-bak n. an herbalmedicine made from theboiled bark of a tree. Sheelabak mi-di hat ahn, soh ih granigi ahn nak-mi-bak fi jrink.Sheila’s back was hurting her, soher grandmother gave her someherbal medicine to drink.napkin n. cloth diaper. Laikhow pamperz deh een, wi nohhafu wash napkin agen. Sincedisposable diapers are in, we nolonger have to wash diapers. See:daiyapa, pamperz.paypa napkin n.phr. papernapkin. Ah mi hafu waip mihan wid tailit paypa kaa wi ronowt a paypa napkin. I had towipe my hands with toilet paperbecause we ran out of papernapkins. See: servyet.taybl napkin n.phr. clothnapkin. Mi ma aalwayz yooztaybl napkin wen Krismos; ihseh paypa napkin luk tu cheep.My mother always used clothnapkins at Christmas; she saidthat paper napkins look toocheap.han napkin ton tayblklaatn.phr. pride that causes one toforget his roots. Sins dehn shubhihn op eena pozishan, ih fagitdat hihn da han napkin tontayblklaat. Since they put him ina position, he forgot where hecame from. See: praid.nargosta n. a tree with verystrong hard wood, used formaking veneers and furniture.Terminalia amazonia.naro adj. narrow. Di brij minaro, bot wi manij fi geh kraas.The bridge was narrow, but wemanaged to get across.nashanal (var: nashnal) adj.national. Ai da wahn memba aNashanal Kriol Kongsl. I’m amember of the National KriolCouncil.nashnal Variant: nashanal.nat 1 neg. not. (Limited usage) Ihneva bring nat wan singl ting fimi fahn Stayts. He didn’t bring asingle thing for me from theStates.nat 2 v. tangle. Di man bringwahn baal a schring, bot ihoanli nat op. The man brought aball of string, but it was reallytangled up. See: tangl.— n. knot. Da bwai eena skowt,ahn evri yaa ih laan how fi taiwahn nyoo kain a nat. That boyis in the Scouts, and every year helearns to tie a new kind of knot.240
nati Kriol tu Inglish neenati adj. knotty, kinky; refers tocoarse, short hair, often foundon Black people. Aal a Sayrapikni dehn kohn wid nati hed.All of Sarah’s children were bornwith kinky hair. See: piki, tof.nayba n. neighbour. Di naybadehn aalwayz mi-di taak bowtwat dehn si eena wi hows. Theneighbours always talked aboutwhat they saw in our house.naybahud n. neighbourhood.Mai kozn groa op eena wahnbad naybahud. My cousin grewup in a bad neighbourhood.naybl n. navel. Wen dehn leebaybi baal plenti, ih mek dehnnaybl shub owt. When littlebabies cry a lot, it makes theirnavels push out.spinz-tu-yu-naybl phr. spinto-your-navel;a call in thegame of marbles enabling aplayer to play from in front ofhis navel instead of on theground.naycha n. nature. Da mainaycha fi ga wahn tempa. It’smy nature to have a temper.kot...naycha v.phr. diminishone’s potency. Dehn man nohlaik jrink tu moch laim joos kaadehn seh ih wahn kot dehnnaycha. Men don’t like to drinktoo much lime juice because theysay that it will diminish theirpotency. See: schrang bak.nayhn Variant: naym. v. name.Di gyal mi ingayj tu wahn manweh nayhn Jak. The girl wasengaged to a man named Jack.— n. name. Wi aks di man wehih nayhn bot ih neva ansa. We241asked the man what was hisname, but he didn’t answer.naykid v. get naked; disrobe. Dikrayzi man naykid ihself ahnwaak dong di schreet. The crazyman disrobed and walked downthe street. — adj. naked. Di leebwai mi-di ron rong naykid azih baan. The little boy wasrunning around as naked as whenhe was born.nayl v. nail. Haabat nayl op diwinda dehn wen harikayn mi-dikohn. Herbert nailed up thewindows when a hurricane wasthreatening. — n. nail. Oanli toonail mi-di hoal op di doa. Therewere only two nails holding thedoor.nayli adv. nearly, almost. Distaam mi soh bad, wi mi naylifraitn tu det. The storm was sobad, we were frightened almost todeath.nayl-juk n. wound caused bystepping on a nail. Keeshami-di hap pahn wahn fut kaa ihgeh nayl-juk. Keisha washopping on one foot because shestepped on a nail. See: juk.naym Variant: nayhn. v. name.Afta di baybi baan, dehn naymahn Jak. After the baby wasborn, they named him Jack.nayshan n. nation. Di bignayshan dehn di mek waar genswan anada. The big nations aremaking war against each other.See: konchri.neba Archaic. Variant: neva.nee n. knee. Kerk get dong panih nee ahn aks Babzi fi marid tu
need Kriol tu Inglish nekahn. Kirk got down on one kneeand asked Babsy to marry him.jrap dong pahn...nee v.phr.kneel. See: neel.need 1 v. need. Evri now ahnagen, dehn uda mi sen wahn leesohnting wen Ah mi need it.Every now and then, they wouldsend a little something when Ineeded it. See: waahn. — n.need. Wi shayr op wi moni widdehn wan weh mi eena need.We shared our money with thosewho were in need.need 2 v. knead. Evri eevnin MisJayni shee need bred. Everyevening Miss Janie kneads doughto make bread.needa (var: naida) adv. either. Ifyu noh help mi, Ah noh wahnhelp yu needa. If you don’t helpme, I won’t help you either. —conj. 1) neither. Needa yoo neryu ma neva kohn luk fi mi wenAh mi deh eena haaspital.Neither you nor your mothercame to visit me when I was inthe hospital. 2) nor. Ah nohwaahn unu kehr notn pahn dischrip – no ekschra moni naabag, needa ting fi eet. I don’twant you to carry anything onthis trip – no extra money nor bagor things to eat. See: ner.needl n. needle. Needl juk miaanti finga wen ih mi-di soa. Aneedle stuck my aunt’s fingerwhen she was sewing.needlkays n. dragonfly. Wen wida-mi pikni, wi yoostu tai wahnpees a schring pahn dineedlkays ahn mek ih flai rongwail wi di hoal di schring. Whenwe were children, we used to tie apiece of string to the dragonflyand make it fly around while weheld the string.needn v. need not. Ah needn telyu how mongki kuda falafut. Idon’t have to tell you howmonkeys can imitate.neekyap n. kneecap. Wen Janmi-di play baal, dehn kik ahnpan ih neekyap. When John wasplaying ball, they kicked him inthe kneecap.neel v. kneel. Di man neel dongfront a Jeezas ahn aks Ahn fikyoar ahn. The man knelt infront of Jesus and asked him toheal him. See: jrap dongpahn...nee.nees n. niece. Rayman mi-di gehmarid tu ih oan nees ahn nevanoa. Raymond was gettingmarried to his own niece anddidn’t even know it.neet adj. neat. Fi mee sonkyaahn eevn mek wahn neetbed. My son can’t even make aneat bed. — adv. neatly. Maajiaalwayz jres neet. Margie isalways neatly dressed.neeta Variant: andaneet.neg v. nag. Stap neg di man,noh? Stop nagging the man,won’t you? See: heg.— n. nag. Sohntaim hihn dawahn oal neg kaa ih heg mi aalday. Sometimes he is an old nagbecause he pesters me all day.nek n. neck. Da hoofa da chaynrong yu nek? Whose chain isthat around your neck?nek bak n.phr. nape of the242
neklis Kriol tu Inglish noneck. Wahn bee bait Henjrirait pan ih nek bak. A bee stungHenry right on the nape of hisneck. See: kobij hoal.neklis n. necklace. Veerahozban bai wahn priti perlneklis far ahn. Vera’s husbandbought a pretty pearl necklace forher.neks adj. 1) next. Neks yaa wigwehn da Nyoo Yaak. Next yearwe’re going to New York.2) other. Wi reech kraas di nekssaid a di riva fos. We reachedthe other side of the river first.See: ada, nada, tara.ner (var: naa) conj. nor. Needamee ner Jan noh gwehn da difinaral. Neither John nor I aregoing to the funeral. See:needa/naida.ners (var: nos) n. nurse. Ners, mibeli di hat mi. Nurse, mystomach is hurting.nervos (var: naavis) adj.nervous. Ah mi feel nervoswentaim fi Ah gi mi speech. Ifelt nervous when it was time forme to give my speech. See:jichri, jompi.nervz n. nerves. Dis pikni baalindi geh pahn mi nervz! Thischild’s bawling is getting on mynerves!nes n. nest. Foa lee eg mi eena dines. There were four little eggs inthe nest.nesiseri adj. necessary. Aal a daraylin op weh mi ma du nevanesiseri. All of the railing up thatmy mom did wasn’t necessary.net n. net. See: kyaas net, fishinnet, gini sayn net, pers sayn net,schrimps net, sayn net.neva (var: neba) adv. 1) never.Ah wahn neva goh bak tu daman agen kaa ih jrink tu moch.I’ll never go back to that managain because he drinks toomuch. See: no taim, ‘wen fowlga teeth’. 2) did not. Ah mi-diluk fi mi breda bot Ah nevafain ahn. I was looking for mybrother but I didn’t find him.nevyoo n. nephew. Mi nevyookohn kohn liv wid wi. Mynephew came to live with us.nibl v. nibble. Di rat dehnaalwayz di nibl pahn di cheez.The mice are always nibbling onthe cheese.nigaraitis n. the stuffed andlazy feeling after eating a largemeal. Afta di big Krismos dina,aal a wi mi ga nigaraitis. Afterthe big Christmas dinner, we allfelt stuffed and lazy.niglek v. neglect. Jayn niglek ihpikni dehn fi goh play kyaad.Jane neglected her children to goplay cards.nipl n. nipple. Naama nipl dehnmi bos op weh di baybi sokdehn soh haad. Norma’s nippleswere cracked and sore becausethe baby sucked them so hard.See: titi paint.nit v. knit. Jaaja nit wahn payr abooti fi ih baybi. Georgia knit apair of booties for her baby.no adv. no; the opposite of‘yes’. (Pronounced with a long‘o’ sound due to common usage –this is an exception to the Kriol243
no miks Kriol tu Inglish nohspelling rules.) No, wi nevaneed notn. No, we didn’t needanything.— n. no. Jan neva tel mi yes erno. John didn’t tell me yes or no.— adj. not any. Ah noh ga nobred fi eet. I don’t have anybread to eat.no miks adv. extremely, to themaximum extent, very. Dipikni dehn mi fraitn no mikswen dehn si di snayk. Thechildren were extremelyfrightened when they saw thesnake. See: nohmoh nohmoh.no way pro. nowhere, anyplace,anywhere. Sodn-wan owt a noway wahn man eena brait braitkloaz apyaa. Suddenly, out ofnowhere a man in bright clothesappeared.noa v. know. Mee noh noa hooshee. I don’t know who she is.fan Ah noa miself v. phr. asfar back as I can remember;age of awareness. (Literally:‘Since I have known myself’)Fan Ah noa miself Misa Jan gada lee shap. As far back as I canremember Mr. John has had thatlittle shop.noat n. note, short letter. Mayvislef wahn noat seh ih gaahnhoahn. Mavis left a note sayingthat she went home.noatis v. notice. Wi noatis dat diman bihain wi mi oanli ga wanhan. We noticed that the manbehind us had only one arm. See:sait, si.noaz n. nose. Karen noaz mi sonbon op. Karen’s nose was badlysun burned.noaz hoal n. nostril. Di baybinoaz hoal mi wel stap op widkoal. The baby’s nostrils werestopped up with mucus.noaz naat n. snot, nasal mucus.Da lee laydi aalwayz di dig owtnoaz naat owt a ih noaz. Thatlittle lady is always diggingmucus from her nose. See: bubu,koal.noazi adj. nosy. Dat da wahnnoazi lee laydi. That is a nosylittle lady. See: intafayrin.nobadi pro. 1) nobody, no one.Nobadi neva noa weh Ah mi-dikrai fa. Nobody knew why I wascrying. 2) anybody, anyone. Ahneva tel nobadi weh Ah mi-dikrai fa. I didn’t tell anyone why Iwas crying.nof (var: inof) adj. 1) enough.(Often duplicated for emphasis‘nof nof’.) Wi ga nof dina fifeed evribadi. We have enoughdinner to feed everybody.2) plenty. Da man ga nof monian ih stil geechi. That man hasplenty of money and he’s stillstingy. See: lat, plenti. — adv.enough. Yu mi don sleep nofnow. You have already sleptenough now.nof fi stoan daag phr.abundance, more than enough.Dis yaa wi ga nof mango fistoan daag wid. This year wehave more than enough mangos.[Idiom: enough to throw at thedogs.]noh (var: na) neg. not. Ah nohnoa weh yu di taak bowt. I don’t244
nohmoh Kriol tu Inglish notmegknow that you’re talking about.— int. isn’t that so? Yoo waahngoh hoahn bad, noh? You reallywant to go home, isn’t that so?See: karek, noh chroo, rait.noh fi v.phr. ought not, shouldnot, must not. Yu noh fi teef.You shouldn’t steal. See: aatn,mosn, shudn.nohmoh adv. anymore, nomore. Dehn mi-di luk, bot dehnkudn si ahn nohmoh. They werelooking, but they couldn’t seehim anymore. See: agen.nohmoh nohmoh phr. to themaximum extent, to theextreme. Ah lov yu tu nohmohnohmoh. I love you witheverything I have. See: no miks.nohow adv. anyhow. Yu nohgwehn no way, nohow, noh kayhumoch yu krai! You’re notgoing anywhere, anyhow, nomatter how much you cry!nokl n. knuckle. Di teecha beetdi lee bwai pan ih nokl dehn.The teacher hit the little boy onhis knuckles.noklz n. fist. Ah wahn gi yu wana dehnya noklz rait eena yumowt. I will punch you in themouth with one of my fists. See:fis.noklz dong n.phr. knucklesdown; a call in the game ofmarbles forcing a player tospin his marble with hisknuckles in contact with theground.nomba n. number. Di nombaweh play eena boleedo laas naitda-mi 60. The number thatplayed in boledo last night was60.nomba too v. defecate.Euphemism. Di lee gyal nombatoo op ihself. The little girldefecated on herself. See: tutu.— n. feces. See: kaka, tutu.nomba wan v. urinate.Euphemism. Teecha, Ah waahnnomba wan. Teacher, I wish tourinate. See: peepi, pidl, pis,weewi.non 1 pro. 1) none, any. Ah mitink Ah mi ga moni eena mi posbot Ah neva ga non. I thoughtthat I had money in my purse butI didn’t have any. 2) either,neither. Di too lee bwai dehnmi-di bihayv bad bot di teechaneva ponish non a dehn yet.Both boys were misbehaving butthe teacher hasn’t punished eitherof them yet.non 2 n. nun. Paaleen gaahn tonnon kaa Jaaj lef ahn fi wahnnada gyal. Pauline went tobecome a nun because Georgeleft her for another girl.nos nurse. Variant: ners.not n. nut. Jeri kudn fain di notweh goh lang wid di boalt. Jerrycouldn’t find the nut that wentalong with the bolt.notmeg n. nutmeg; treeproducing an aromatic seedwhich is grated and used as aspice. Myristica fragrans. Dehnmiks notmeg ahn eg wait fi putpahn dehn oal pipl bak fischraytn dehn. They mixnutmeg and egg white to put onthe old people’s backs to245
notn Kriol tu Inglish oabya-manstraighten them.notn n. nothing, anything. Wineva gi di man notn. We didn’tgive the man anything.Novemba n. November. Da midon di en a Novemba ahnharikayn stil mi deh owt. It wasthe end of November andhurricanes were still out there.nowadayz adv. nowadays, thesedays. Nowadayz wi ekspek piplfi werk ful taim. Nowadays weexpect people to work full-time.See: deez dayz, tideh day.nuku adj. stub; remaining partof an appendage after the resthas been cut off or broken off.Haligeta mi bait aaf Hari hanahn lef ahn wid loan nuku. Analligator bit off Harry’s hand andleft him with just a stub.nyam v. eat; usually with theconnotation of eating greedily.Aal weh pipl kohn da yu howsfa Krismos day da fi nyam opyu food. The only reason peoplecome to your house on Christmasis to eat up your food. See: hagop, lash dong, manjeh, waksaaf, yafl. [
oabya-uman Kriol tu Inglish oapmoabya-man hows. They say thatthey found a skeleton of a littleboy in the obeah-man’s house.oabya-uman n. obeah-woman;one who deals in casting spellsand other witchcraft. Dehn sehdat Mis Kuna da wahnoabya-uman weh ku du ting fimek yu geh bak yu hozban.They say that Miss Kuma is anobeah-woman who could cast aspell to make your husband comeback to you. See: oabya, wich.oagli (var: woagli) adj. ugly. Daweh Jaki geh da oagli jresfram? Where did Jackie get thatugly dress? — n. evil. Gaad nohlaik oagli. God doesn’t like evil.See: badnis, eevl, wikidnis.oah int. oh! Oah! Da dat yumeen? Oh! Is that what youmeant?oal adj. old. Mi pa mi hoal asemti yaaz oal wen ih disaid fibil wahn hows. My dad was afull seventy years old when hedecided to build a house.oal waif n. old wife, queentriggerfish; pinkish ovalshapedfish with very roughskin. Balistes vetula. Yu ku fainlat a oal waif rong fi wee reef.You can find a lot of the fishcalled ‘old wife’ around our reef.oan v. own, to possess or holdas personal property. Wi nohoan nohmoh lan kaa mi bredadon sel di laas pees. We don’town any more land because mybrother sold the last piece.— adj. own; belonging tooneself or itself (used tostrengthen a preceding247possessive) Di bwai mi-di taaksohn bad ting bowt ih oan ma.The boy was saying bad thingsabout his own mom.oan op (tu) v.phr. own up,admit, confess. Di man noa ihmi gilti, bot ih udn oan op tu it.The man knew he was guilty, buthe wouldn’t admit it. See: kanfes.oana n. owner. Di oana a di lannoh waahn sel ih faam. Theowner of the land doesn’t want tosell his farm.oanli adj. 1) only. Mi pa da dioanli wan weh ku ansa datidehkweschan. My dad is the onlyone who can answer thatquestion. See: jos, loan, pyoa,soaso. — adv. 2) extremely,quite, very. Di laydi mi oanlibeks wen ih si ih son noh obayahn. The woman was quite angrywhen she saw that her son didn’tobey her.oanli kaa phr. except. Yuhows sayhn laik fi mi oan oanlikaa mai room dehn lee biga.Your house is just like mineexcept that my rooms are a littlebigger. See: baar, sep.oanyan n. onion. Mee noh laikpeel oanyan kaa ih mek mi aiyron waata. I don’t like to peelonions because it makes my eyeswater.oapm (var: oapn) v. open. Diman oapm di doa ahn mek wigaan een. The man opened thedoor and let us in.— n. open;public knowledge. Aal a yuseekrit wahn kom owt eena dioapm. All of your secrets willcome out in the open. — adj.
oapn Kriol tu Inglish oavanaitopen; free from restriction. Ihlisnaz lef wid dehn mowt waidoapm wid sopraiz. His listenerswere left with their mouths wideopen in surprise.oapm paki adj.phr. open,outspoken, transparent. Sheeda reel oapm paki; ih wahn telyu bowt yuself. She’s veryoutspoken and would tell youwhat she thinks of you. [perhapsfrom Misk. ‘pataki’ tightly wovenbasket with a lid.]oapn Variant: oapm.oapnin n. opening. Dehn mekwahn oapnin big nof fi wahnman klaar chroo. They made anopening big enough for a man tocrawl through.oashan n. ocean. Mi Afrikanansestaz mi hafu kraas wahnbig oashan bifoa dehn get ya.My African ancestors had tocross a big ocean before they gothere. See: see.oat n. oath. Mi ma tek oat seh ihwahn neva taak tu Mayvisagen. My mother took an oaththat she would never talk toMavis again. See: pramis.oava prep. over, above, on topof. Chroa di blankit oava dibaybi mek ih noh feel koal.Throw the blanket over the babyso he doesn’t feel cold. — adv. InBelize City, crossing the river(over the Swing Bridge) fromthe side where you live to theother side of the city. Ah hafugoh way oava fi bai sohnting fimi ma. I have to go way over tothe north side of the city to buysomething for my mother.oavaboad adv. overboard. Eenadi doari rays, wahn man jrapoavaboad eena di lagoon.During the dory race, one of themen fell overboard in the lagoon.oavachaaj v. overcharge. Diman da di shap oavachaaj mi fidi bota. The man at the shopovercharged me for the butter.oava-chaynj n. too muchchange. Ah gaahn bai da MisaJan shap an ih gi mi oava-chaynj,bot Ah kehr it bak. I went to buysomething at Mr. John’s shop andhe gave me too much change, but Itook it back.oavachroa v. overthrow. Di heda di aami mi waahn oavachroadi govament. The head of thearmy wanted to overthrow thegovernment.oavadu v. overdo, do to excess.Maybl shee aalwayz hafuoavadu wen shee jres. Mabelalways overdoes it when shedresses.oavafloa v. overflow. Ah poareen tu moch waata ahn di kopstaat tu oavafloa. I poured in toomuch water and the cup started tooverflow.oavaluk v. working evil bylooking at a small child to getat the parent. Ah noh laik tumoch pipl kohn si mi baybi kaadehn mait oavaluk ahn ahn giahn graipinz. I don’t like toomany people to come see mybaby because they might causeevil to come on him and give himcramps. See: bad aiy.oavanait adv. overnight. Pak248
oavapay Kriol tu Inglish onksaal a yu kloaz laik how yu wahnstay oavanait. Pack all of yourclothes since you’ll stayovernight. — n. night. Ahgaahn da Belmopan an Ah staytoo oavanait. I went to Belmopanand stayed for two nights. See:nait.oavapay v. overpay. Ai don gehpay ahn oava pay, soh Ah nohneed notn. I’ve been paid andoverpaid, so I don’t needanything.oavm n. oven. Di laydi miwaahn mek bred, bot ih oavmneva mi-di werk gud. Thewoman wanted to make bread,but her oven wasn’t workingproperly. See: stoav.obay v. obey. Yu di du di raitting if yu di obay di laa. You’redoing the right thing if you areobeying the law.obeedyant adj. obedient. Yumos bee obeedyant tu yu maahn pa. You should be obedientto your mom and dad.ofen v. offend. Ah sari if Ahofen yu wid weh Ah tel yu. I’msorry if I offended you with whatI told you.ofendid adj. offended. Jeen mikwait ofendid kaaz Ah nevainvait ahn da di paati. Jean wasquite offended because I didn’tinvite her to the party. See: feelwahn kain a way.ofens n. offense. Da wahn ofensfi jraiv op-stap. It is an offenseto drive the wrong way on a onewaystreet.tek ofens v.phr. take offense.Yu hafu wach how yu taak tuAlis shee kaa shee redi fi tekofens. You have to watch howyou talk to Alice because she’salways ready to take offense.ofishal n. official. Wi meetwahn impoatant ofishal fahn digovament. We met an importantofficial from the government.okayzhan n. occasion.Indipendens Day da diokayzhan fi selibrayt da Bileez.Independence Day is the occasionto celebrate in Belize.okeschra (var: akeschra) n.orchestra. (oKESchra) Wendehn schraik op di okeschra,evribadi staat tu daans. Whenthey struck up the orchestra,everybody started to dance.okro n. okra; the sticky greenpods are used in soups andstews. Abelmoschus esculentusor Hibiscus esculentus. Wan wanokro ful baaskit. One by one, theokra fills the basket. [
oom Kriol tu Inglish owtthis and an ounce of that, and shenever brings it back.oom (var: woom) n. womb,uterus. Dehn mi hafu tek owt dilaydi oom kaa ih mi ga kyansa.They had to take out the lady’swomb because she had cancer.op adv. up. Ah tel da lee bwainoh fi goh op deh! I told thatlittle boy not to go up there!op tu adv.phr. 1) up to,dependent upon. Ih op tu yoo ifyoo waahn marid tu hihn. It’sup to you if you want to marryhim. — adv.phr. 2) even.Evribadi gaahn da tong, op tumi pa. Everybody went to town,even my father. See: an aal, dongtu, eevn, fahn.opa han n. upper hand. Wen dibwai geh di opa han, ih win difait widowt no prablem. Whenthe boy got the upper hand, hewon the fight without anyproblem. See: advantij.ophoal v. uphold, support.Elinoa ophoal ih son eena ihteefinis kaa ih mek ih kip diting weh ih teef. Elinor supportsher son in his thievery becauseshe allows him to keep the thingsthat he steals. See: sopoat.opozit n. opposite. Paal du diegzak opozit a weh wi miekspek ahn fi du. Paul did theexact opposite of what weexpected him to do.oproal n. commotion, noisyuproar. Big oproal mi deh eenami lee gyal klaas kaa wahn mangaan een deh, gaahn fraitndehn. There was a big uproar inmy daughter’s class because aman went in there and frightenedthem. See: kamoashan,kweneneh, rokshan,rugudungz.opstaat adj. cheeky,disrespectful, impudent, sassy.Sayk a opstaat Sharon ma slapahn. Sharon’s mother slapped herbecause she was sassy. [Eng.‘upstart’ - n. becomes adj. withslightly different meaning inKriol]op-stap adv. the wrong way ona one-way street. Polees stap diman kaa ih mi-di jraiv op-stap.The policeman stopped the manbecause he was driving the wrongway on a one-way street.opstayz adv. upstairs. Wi kehrdehn opstayz da wahn bigroom. We took them upstairs to alarge room.opstayz hows n.phr. upstairshouse; a house built high offthe ground or on stilts, in thetraditional Creole style. MisaJaymz bil wahn hai opstayzhows in kays harikayn kohnahn waata rayz. Mr. James builta house high off the ground incase a hurricane comes and theflood water rises.owa n. hour. Wi mi soh taiyad,wi kudn stay op fi eevn wanowa. We were so tired, wecouldn’t stay up for even an hour.owla Variant: wowla.owt adv. out. Ah neva dehhoahn, kaa Ah mi gaan owt. Iwasn’t home because I had goneout. — v. 1) extinguish, put250
owt a tong Kriol tu Inglish paakyupainout. Di faiyaman dehn mi chraiowt di faiya, bot fi dehn hoazbos. The firemen were trying toput the fire out, but their hoseburst. 2) turn off. Owt owt dilait bifoa yu goh. Turn off thelight before you go. See: aaf.get...owt v.phr. anger, getangry or vexed. Noh get miowt, gyal. Don’t make me angry,girl. See: geh...beks.owt a tong adv. downtown. Ahhafu goh owt a tong fi bai wahnshooz. I have to go downtown tobuy a pair of shoes.owtsaid adv. 1) outside. Ih miluk laik di hoal tong mi gyadaowtsaid a wi hows. It looked likethe whole town had gatheredoutside of our house. — adv.2) abroad, overseas. Maagritgwehn goh finish ih stodizowtsaid. Margaret is going tofinish her studies abroad.owtsaid pikni n.phr.illegitimate child, bastard. Mipa hihn ga foateen a wee, ahntwelv owtsaid pikni tu. Myfather has fourteen of us, andtwelve illegitimate children too.See: baastad, shalai.owtsaida n. outsider. Helinsista dehn luk pan ahn laikwahn owtsaida kaa dehn danoh sayhn ma. Helen’s sisterslook on her as an outsiderbecause they don’t have the samemother.P - ppa n. pa, father. Mai pa werkhaad fi main aal ten a ih piknidehn. My father worked hard totake care of all ten of his children.See: dadi, papa, pupa.paa paw. n. Di daag hoal op ihpaa fi mek di man shayk ahn.The dog held up its paw so theman would shake it.paachrij n. tinamou; a varietyof Central Am. birdsresembling the partridge butrelated to the ostrich family.Tinamidae. Di paachrij da wahnkaman bod rong Bileez. Thepartridge is a common bird inBelize. [Fr.
paala Kriol tu Inglish walam paas mowtih bak. My teacher said that theporcupine protects itself with allof the quills that it has on itsback.paala n. parlour, living room.Mel laik lidong op eena mipaala, eevn wen ih noa dat Ahnoh laik it. Mel likes to liearound in my living room, eventhough he knows that I don’t likeit. See: haal.paali n. a nickname for thegreen parrot. AmazoniaAutumnalis. Az Ah oapm dikayj, di paali flai weh. As Iopened the cage, the parrot flewaway.paam 1 n. palm; tropical tree orshrub from the Palmae familyof which there are manyvarieties in Belize. Wi gehsohn paam ahn dekorayt op diyaad fi di paati. We got somebranches of palm and decoratedthe yard for the party. See:baaskit titai, bay leefpaam/boataan, bonga, giv ahntek, koakanat/kuknat, kokonohbwai, kuhoon, kyabij paam,papta, pimenta/primenta.paam 2 v. pawn. Ah kyaahnbileev Hayzl paam owt ih mawedn ring. I can’t believe thatHazel pawned her mother’swedding ring.paapa n. pauper. Blain AiyJaymzi di waak rong laik wahnpaapa bowt di plays wid wanhan da bak ahn wan da front.Blind Jamsie walks around like apauper with one hand in back andone in the front (covering hisprivate parts.)paarat n. parrot. Mi graama miga wahn lee paarat weh ih teechfi kos owt ih hozban sweethaat.My grandmother had a parrot thatshe taught to cuss out herhusband’s mistress. See: makapaarat, mangro paarat, paali,yalahed paarat.paarat toa n. pigeon-toe;physical condition of the feetturning in when one walks. Ihwaak laik dok kaa ih ga paarattoa. He walks like a duck becausehe’s pigeon-toed.paas 1 v. 1) pass. Ai wahn paas didaag laik Ai noh frayd. I’mgoing to pass the dog as if I’m notafraid. 2) pass. Joan luk yongbot ih don paas fifti lang taim.Joan looks young but she passedfifty long ago.paas 2 n. past. Shee dehdeh diplay dis ahn dat, ahn nobadinoh noa weh eena fi shee paas.She’s there pretending to be thisand that, and nobody knowswhat’s in her past. — adv. past.Di man an ih waif waak raitpaas di hows. The man and hiswife walked right past the house.paas mowt n.phr. entrance to aminor road or picado, turn-off.Ton lef da di neks paas mowt.Turn left at the next turn-off.walam paas mowt Idiomaticphr. 1) long ago. Dehndeh tingdehdeh fahn walam paas mowt.Those things have been theresince long ago. See: bifoa taim,lang taim. 2) a remote villagethat has come to mean any faror distant place. (Also known as‘wakamaayo paas mowt’) Da252
paascha Kriol tu Inglish padvilij deh faar – da walam paasmowt. That village is very faraway.paascha n. pasture. Di faamakehr owt ih kow dehn evri dayfi eet graas eena di paascha.The farmer takes his cows outeveryday to eat grass in thepasture.paasn noaz n. parson’s nose;referring to the anus of achicken. Ah bet yu noh noaweh dehn kaal ‘paasn noaz’ –da di bati paat a di fowl. I betyou don’t know what they call‘parson’s nose’ – it’s the anus ofthe chicken.paaspoat n. passport. If yuwaahn chravl owtsaid a dikonchri, yu wahn need yupaaspoat. If you want to traveloutside of the country, you willneed your passport.paasta n. pastor. Wi sen di letatu di paasta a di choch. We sentthe letter to the pastor of thechurch.paat v. part, separate. Wahnman an ih waif paat sayk arom. A man and his wifeseparated because of rum. See:separayt. — n. part, portion.Wen mi pupa ded, Ah ekspek figeh paat a fi hihn moni. Whenmy father dies, I expect to getpart of his money.paataaf v. partition. Mi ma mihafu paataaf di room wid sheettil wen mi pa kuda mi put opwahn waal. My mother had topartition the room with sheetsuntil my father was able to put upa wall. See: takayda.253— n. partition that separatesrooms. Mi pa mek di paataafdehn fi di hows owt abeevaboad. My father made thepartitions for the house out ofBeaverboard.paati v. party. Az soon az dibwai geh bak hoahn, ih staat tupaati. As soon as the boy gotback home, he began to party.See: bleech, spree. — n. party.Ah mi ga wahn sopraiz bertdaypaati fi mi daata. I had a surprisebirthday party for my daughter.See: bashment, bram.pach 1 v. patch. Loosi pants misoh tayr op dat ih ma stodi hafudi pach ahn op. Lucy’s pantswere so torn up that her motherwas always having to patch them.— n. patch. Aal a wi mi-di laafaata wi pa wen ih kom owt widdi big red pach pan ih pantsbati. All of us were laughing atour dad when he came out withthe big red patch on the seat ofhis pants.pach 2 v. parch. Kayla pach dipepeetos dehn tu lang soh dehnbon op. Kayla parched thepumpkin seeds too long so theyburned. — adj. parch. Sohn a dipikni dehn reda di bail kaanoava di pach kaan. Some of thechildren prefer the boiled cornover the parched corn.pad 1 v. pad. Naama pad op dibench wid wahn sponj fi mek ihnoh soh haad fi sidong pan.Norma padded the bench with apiece of sponge so it wouldn’t beso hard to sit on. — n. pad. Gievribadi weh deh da di
pad Kriol tu Inglish pain rij sanwerkshap wahn raitin pad.Give everybody who’s at theworkshop a writing pad.pad 2 n. pod. Wi tek owt di seeddehn owt a di pad fi goh plaantdehn. We took the seeds out ofthe pods so we could plant them.padl v. paddle, row. Wi yoostupadl di doari fahn way dong diriva fi goh da skool. We used topaddle the dory from all the waydown the river to go to school.pafaam v. perform. Sanjrapafaam wahn priti sang da dikansert laas nait. Sandraperformed a pretty song at theconcert last night.pahn (var: pan) prep. 1) on,upon. Dehn put di kripl manpahn wahn schrecha. They putthe crippled man on a stretcher.2) at. Stap di luk pahn mi laikdat. Stop looking at me like that.3) about. Weh yu ga fi seh pahnweh wi mi-di taak bowt? Whatdo you have to say about what wewere talking about?pahn tap a dat phr. on top ofthat, furthermore. Mi naybasen ih son fi bara mi hama; ahnpahn tap a dat, ih waahn nayltu. My neighbour sent his son toborrow my hammer; and on topof that, he wants nails too.pai n. pie. Wahn lat a di toorisdehn weh kohn da Bileez laikgoh da Dits restorant fi kuknatpai. Many of the tourists whocome to Belize like to go to Ditsrestaurant for coconut pie.pail n. pile. Hoo lef dis pail adoti kloaz dong ya pahn digrong? Who left this pile of dirtyclothes here on the floor?pail op v.phr. 1) pile up,amass, accumulate. Mi naybahihn kohn pail op wahn hoal lata oal boad front a mi hows. Myneighbour piled up a big bunch ofold boards in front of my house.2) crowd against, cramtogether. Di bwai dehn pail opgens wan anada. The boyscrowded against each other. See:ramjam, skwinj. 3) fall. Garimi-di raid ih baik pahn schreetan ih pail op ahn skrayp op ihnee dehn. Gary was riding hisbike on the street and he fell andscraped up his knees. See: faaldong, jrap.pain n. pineapple; tropical plantbearing a large edible fruit.Owt a aal a di froots dehn, mison laik pain di moas. Of all thefruits, my son likes pineapple themost.pain chree n. pine tree; tropicalvariety. Sohn pipl yooz painchree fi Krismos chree. Somepeople use pine trees forChristmas trees.pain rij n. pine ridge; a areathat is heavily forested withpine trees. Wen Ah da-mi wahnlee gyal, wi mi hafu waak chroodi Matamoros pain rij fi goh daMulinz Riva. When I was a littlegirl, we had to walk through theMatamoros pine forest to get tothe Mullins River.pain rij san n. fine grey sandused for fill (consideredinferior to sea sand) Wen yuful op yu yaad wid pain rij san,254
pain rij udpeka Kriol tu Inglish pak bredevri way dosi dosi. When you fillyour yard with that fine grey sandfrom the pine ridge, everywheregets dusty. See: san.pain rij udpeka n. pine ridgewoodpecker. See: udpeka.pain weh v. pine away, yearn.Wen yu ga makoabi, yu painweh fi di persn weh yu lov.When you’re lovesick, you pineaway for the one that you love.See: lang.paint 1 v. point, aim, direct. Dilee bwai paint dong di road fishoa mi weh di daag gaan. Thelittle boy pointed down the roadto show me where the dog went.— n. point; a feature of landprotruding into water. Ahgaahn way dong da di paint a diailan. I walked way down to thepoint of the island.paint 2 n. 1) pint; liquidmeasurement. Di lee bwaigaahn way da gyas stayshan fibai wan paint a koroseen. Thelittle boy went all the way to thegas station to get just one pint ofkerosene. 2) pint; soft-drinkbottle. Di too man mi-di fait,ahn wan a dehn bos wahn paintkraas di neks man hed. The twomen were fighting, and one ofthem broke a bottle on the otherman’s head. See: batl.paip n. 1) public water pipe,standpipe. Wen wi mi smaal, wiyoostu lain op da paip fi ful opwi bokit. When we were small,we used to line up at the publicwater faucet to fill our buckets.See: stanpaip. 2) pipe; used forsmoking. Mee neva noa dat255uman smoak paip tu. I didn’tknow that women smoked pipestoo.paiyaso n. antic, clownishactions. Albert kohn daans opahn du lat a paiyaso front a digyal. Albert came dancing up anddid lots of antics in front of thegirl. See: klong. [Sp. ‘payaso’ aclown]paizn v. poison. Ah mi feel badbad bad wen wan a mi frendrink rat paizn ahn paizn ihselfI really felt bad when one of myfriends drank rat poison andpoisoned himself. — n. poison.Wi hafu set paizn fi dehn bigchaali prais weh waak bowteena wi hows. We have to setpoison for the big rats that arearound our house.paiznos adj. poisonous.Taamigaaf da wan a di moaspaiznos snayk da Bileez. Fer-delanceis one of the mostpoisonous snakes in Belize.pajaama Variant: pijaama.pak v. pack. Wen yu si mai mahafu goh da Malanti, shee pakih kloaz fahn too dayz bifoa.When you see my mom has to goto Gales Point, she packs herclothes from two days before.— n. pack. Dehn ulf aalwayzchravl eena pak. Wolves alwaystravel in packs.pak bred n. packaged (storebought)loaf of bread. Sohnuman spail dehn man dat dehnnoh waahn pak bred nohmoh,oanli Kriol bred. Some womenspoil their men so much that theydon’t want store-bought bread
pakij Kriol tu Inglish panaadesanymore, just Creole bread. See:bayka bred.pakij n. package. Ah deh rait yadi wayt fi wahn pakij fahn dipoas aafis. I am right herewaiting for a package from thepost office.pakit v. pocket. — n. pocket.Ah neva waahn ih pakit mimoni; Ah mi oanli waahn ih tekahn owt a mi pakit! I didn’twant him to pocket my money; Ionly wanted him to take it out ofmy pocket!palis n. palace. Aal a di soaljadehn eena di palis mi ga gon.All of the soldiers in the palacehad guns.palish v. polish. Mis Gladiswaahn mee palish ih chyaadehn chree taim a week. MissGladys wants me to polish herchairs three times a week.— n. polish. Wilma put sohmoch palish pahn di floa datevribadi mi-di slip dong. Wilmaput so much polish on the floorthat everybody was slipping on it.palitishan n. politician. Hyaa disanki Ah waahn sing fi dehnteefin palitishan dehn. Hear theSankey hymn that I want to singfor those thieving politicians.paliyesta n. polyester. Kloazweh mek owt a paliyesta oanlihat. Clothes made out ofpolyester make you feel very hot.pampam v. spank lightly; i.e.punishment for a baby. Mamiwahn pampam yu if yu tochdat. Mommy will spank you ifyou touch that. See: klap, spenk,256stin.pampas n. porpoise. Pipl yoostukaal dalfin pampas. We used tocall the dolphin ‘pampas’. See:dalfin.pamperz n. disposable diaper.Sins Bileez krofi noa bowtpamperz now, ih luk laik dehnstap yooz klaat daiyapa. SinceBelizeans know about pampersnow, it looks like they’ve stoppedusing cloth diapers. See: daiyapa,napkin. [Brand name ‘Pampers’has become generic for alldisposable diapers.]pan 1 n. 1) can. Ah need wahnpan fi put sohn paynt eena. Ineed a pan to put some paint in.2) bed of a truck. Sayk a weh diman di stan op eena di pan a dichrok, ih jrap owt wen di chrokbrayks. Because the man wasstanding in the truck bed, he fellout when the truck braked.pan 2 n. pond. Dadi aalwayz sihaligeta eena di lee pan front awi hows. Daddy always seesalligators in the little pond infront of our house.pan 3 Variant: pahn. prep. on,upon. (Conditioned variantgenerally used before thepronouns ‘ih’ and ‘ahn’ and atthe end of a sentence or clause.)Mi breda gaahn da skool, ahnpan ih way ih fain wahn dala.My brother went to school, andon his way he found a dollar.panaades n. empanada,panades; a folded corn tortillafried with fish or beans inside.Mis Delsi fish panaades taysgud kaa ih noh greesi. Miss
panti Kriol tu Inglish papishoDelsy’s fish empanadas tastegood because they’re not greasy.[Sp. ‘machete’]panya swet v. to be caught inan unsolvable predicament. Miaanti panya swet mi lee koznkaa ih tu greedi. Ih tel ahn, “Ifyu eet aal, Ah waahn lash yu,ahn if yu noh eet, Ah stil wahnlash yu.” My auntie put my littlecousin in a difficult positionbecause he’s so greedy. She toldhim, “If you eat all of that, I’llbeat you, and if you don’t eat it,I’ll still beat you.”pap v. pop, break. Rabat pap dischring wid ih loan han. Robertbroke the string with his barehands.papaa Variant: papaaya.papaaya (var: papaa, pupa) n.papaya: the sweet juicy fruit isvery high in vitamin C; theleaves, flowers and seeds areused in meat tenderizer,chewing gum, cosmetics, andin traditional medicines forindigestion and high bloodpressure. Carica papaya. Wenwi gaahn da maakit wi bai opwahn lat a papaaya. When wewent to market we bought a lot ofpapayas.papam adj. overly largepersonal accessory. Wai yu putda big papam boa eena di leepikni hed? Why did you put thatgreat big bow in the child’s hair?papapin n. type of ant. See:aans.papisho v. mock, ridicule, makea fool of. Stap di papisho opyuself. Stop making a fool ofyourself. See: joaki, klong.tek...mek papisho. v.phr.person, event or thing made tolook foolish or ridiculous. Mipa tel ih fren fi stap goh aanschupid kaaz pipl waahn tekahn mek papisho. My father toldhis friend to stop acting stupidbecause people would take himfor a fool. See: fool, schupidnis.[Probably Scottish ‘pappy-show’257
papshat Kriol tu Inglish pasijpuppet show]papshat n. firecracker. RongKrismos taim da wen yu si aal adi pikni dehn di bos papshat.Around Christmas time is whenyou see all the children burstingfirecrackers.papta n. palmetto fan; the leafyhead of the palmetto orprimenta palm. Mi ma yoostumek aal kain a ting wid dipapta leef – hat, baaskit, fanahn ada tingz tu. My motherused to make all kinds of thingsfrom the palmetto leaves – hats,baskets, fans and other things too.See: pimenta. [Misk. ‘papta’]parabl n. parable; words withhidden meaning. Stap di taaktu mi eena parablz ahn komowt playn ahn tel mi weh yuwaahn tel mi. Stop talking to mein parables and come out and tellme plainly what you want to tellme.paralaiz adj. paralyzed. Mikozn geh paralaiz sayk a wahnbad aksident. My cousin wasparalyzed because of a badaccident.parambl n. unnecessaryrigmarole. Di prinsipal sen wichroo wahn lat a parambl bifoaih sain di paypa. The principalran us through one big rigmarolebefore he signed the paper.parandyaa v. spree, binge;spend money excessively orwastefully. Govament shudastap di parandyaa wid wi moni.Government should stopspending our money wastefully.[
pat Kriol tu Inglish payntbuk ahn han it een laik da sheerait it ihself. Caroline copied thewhole passage out of the bookand handed it in as if it was sheherself who wrote it.pat 1 n. pot. Dehn aalwayz washdi pat dehn gud. They alwayswash the pots well. See: klay pat.pat spoon/spat spoon. n.phr.large cooking spoon. If yumarid da man, yu wahn soksaroz bai di pat spoon. If youmarry that man, you will havelots of sorrows. [Kriol idiom -literally: ...you will suck largespoonsful of sorrow.]pat 2 v. pat. Misa Jaaj hihn laikdi pat mee pahn mi hed laikmee da wahn lee popi. Mr.George likes to pat me on thehead as if I were a little puppy.patlika n. mongrel dog. Bileezga lat a patlika daag; dehn miksop wid aal kain. Belize has manymongrels; they’re a mix of manybreeds. See: daag. [> pot licker:in the days when people did mostof their cooking outside, straydogs would eat from any pot theycould find.]pataki n. basket with lid;double woven with ‘waha’leaf between layers to make itwater-resistant. Pataki gud fikehr yu food eena wen yu hafugoh eniway bai boat. The patakibasket is good for carrying foodwhen you have to go anywhereby boat. [
paypa Kriol tu Inglish peelhows. At Christmas time,everybody paints his house.— n. paint. Wi neva ga nohmoha di kala paynt weh wi miwaahn. We didn’t have any moreof the colour paint that wewanted.paypa n. 1) paper; sheet ofwriting material. Wen Ah miyong, wi neva ga paypa fi raitpan, oanli slayt. When I wasyoung, we didn’t have paper towrite on, only slates. 2) paper,official document. Yu mi yehrseh dat shee geh ih paypaz fahnStayts? Did you hear that she gother permanent papers from theStates? See: faam. — v. paper;to cover with wallpaper. Wiyoostu paypa di waal wid oalmagazeen. We used to paper thewalls with old magazines.payr (var: pyaa) v. pair. Wen yuwaak lang di seesaid yu oanli sidi bwai ahn gyal dehn payr aaf.When you walk along the seasideyou can see guys and girls pairedoff. — n. pair. Mi ma bai wahnnyoo payr a shooz fi mee fiKrismos. My mother bought anew pair of shoes for me forChristmas.pays v. paste. Weh yu pays sohmoch maykop pahn yu fays fa?Why did you paste so muchmake-up on your face? See:talawala.— n. paste. Mi son mek ih oanpays owt a flowa. My son madehis own paste out of flour.payshans (var: payshens) n.patience. Da man da wahn gudegzampl a chroo chroopayshans. That man is a goodexample of true patience. See:sens.shaat a payshans phr.impatient. Ah kyaahn wayt sohlang fi hihn pay mi mai monikaa mee shaat a payshans bad.I can’t wait so long for him to payme my money because I’m veryimpatient.payshant adj. patient. Noh kayhow lang ih tek, Ah wahn waytkaaz Ai da wahn payshantpersn. I don’t care how long ittakes, I’ll wait because I’m apatient person.payshens Variant: payshans.payshent n. patient. Sohn adehn ners dehn laik hag op dipayshent dehn eena haaspital.Some of the nurses are mean tothe patients in the hospital.payv v. pave. Dehn hafu mikssan ahn gravl fi payv di road.They have to mix sand and gravelto pave the road.Pazloa Bildin n. PaslowBuilding; the main Post Officeof Belize located in BelizeCity on the north side of theSwing Bridge; it wasdestroyed by fire in 2002.peekak n. peacock. Wen dipeekak oapm op ih feda dehn,ih luk laik wahn big fan. Whenthe peacock opened its feathers, itlooked like a big fan.peekwam n. squirrel cuckoo.Piaya cayana.peel v. 1) shave. Da man yoostupeel ih oan hed. That man usedto shave his own head. See: baal,260
peelhed Kriol tu Inglish peewomshayv. 2) abrade, scrape, skin.Lee bwai aalwayz di peel op fidehn nee. Little boys are alwaysscraping their knees. See: skrayp.3) peel; remove skin from fruitor the husk from corn. Peeldehn kaan fi mi mek Ah baildehn. Husk the corn for me so Ican boil them.peelhed n. baldhead. Dehn gyalseh dehn laik man wid peelhed.Those girls say they likebaldheaded men. See: baalhed.peelin n. peel of an orange. Diail owt a areenj peelin aalwayzbon yu aiy. The oil out of anorange peel always burns youreye. See: skin.peel-nek fowl n. bare-neckedfowl. Ih schraynj how dehnpeel-nek fowl noh ga no fedapahn dehn nek. It’s strange howthose bare-necked chickens don’thave any feathers on their necks.peel-nek jranko n. bare-neckedvulture. See: jranko.peeniwali n. firefly. Dehnpeeniwali luk priti wen dehnlait op da nait. Fireflies lookpretty when they light up at night.See: nait bog, peewom.peenots n. peanut. (Both sg. &pl.) Goh bai wahn bag a peenotsfahn di kyaat fi mi. Go buy abag of peanuts from the cart forme. See: pinda.peepi v. urinate. Dehn stap pahndi road kaa di lee bwai miwaahn peepi. They stoppedalong the road because the littleboy wanted to urinate.— n. urine. Fred hihn stink a261peepi kaa ih peepi op di bedevri nait. Fred smells like urinebecause he wets the bed everynight. See: nomba wan, pidl, pis,weewi.peepl Variant: pipl.peeryad n. menstrual period.Dehn oal pipl neva doz tel dehnyong gyal bowt dehn peeryad.Old people never used to tellyoung girls about their monthlyperiod.pees 1 n. 1) piece, portion. Ma,Jani oanli gi mi wahn lee leepees a sweet. Mom, Johnny onlygave me a very small piece ofcandy. — n. 2) a piece of landor a field. Ah ga wahn pees alan da Laadz Bank. I have apiece of land in Lord’s Bank.pees 2 n. peace. Wen mi pa si ditoo man di fait, ih chrai mekpees bitween dehn. When myfather saw the two men fighting,he tried to make peace betweenthem.peesful adj. peaceful. Wi hoapdi pipl weh liv eena da konchrida peesful pipl. We hope thepeople who live in that countryare peaceful people.peesiz n. pieces, portions. Dehnkot op di lan eena lat a peesiz.They cut up the land in manypieces.peewee n. pointed wood andmetal bar for turning logs andpoles. Di lagwud kotaz yoostuyooz di peewee fi ton di lag. Thelogwood cutters used to use thebar to turn the logs.peewom n. firefly. Da nait taim
peez Kriol tu Inglish pepeetoseena di vilij yu ku si di peewomdehn lait op aal oava di plays.At night in the village the fireflieslight up all over the place. See:nait bog, peeniwali.peez n. peas. (Both sg. & pl.) DiJumaykan dehn noh seh raisahn beenz; dehn seh rais ahnpeez. Jamaicans don’t say ‘riceand beans’; they say ‘rice andpeas’.peg owt v. die. Euphemism. Diman mi yong bot sodn-wahn ihpeg owt. The man was young butsuddenly he died. See: ded, kikdi bokit.peheh n. unimportant matters orconcerns. Noh bada mi wid dat– da loan peheh. Don’t botherme with that – those are justunimportant things.pekeh yekeh adj. skinblemished,pimply. Gwaahnfahn ya wid yu pekeh yekehfays. Get away from here withyour pimply face. See: bompi.pekish adv. slightly hungry.Wen Ah smel aal dehn naisfood, Ah geh pekish. When Ismelled all that appetizing food, Igot kind of hungry. See: hongri.pelenkeh Variant: pilinki.pemperem (var: prempereh) n.dilapidated vehicle, jalopy.Mee dehdeh aal jres op no pusbak fut, ahn hihn kohn pik miop eena wahn oal pemperem. Iwas all dressed up in my nicestclothes when he came to pick meup in a junky old car. See: bokit.pen 1pen pahn v.phr. depend on,rely on. Yu ku pen pahn mee figi yu di nyooz evri day. You candepend on me to give you thenews every day. See: chros.pen 2 n. pen, writing instrument.Mi pen di kaal mi fi rait bowtdat. My pen is calling me to writeabout that.pen 3 n. pen; enclosure fordomestic animals or fowl.Chroa di kyabij eena di pigpen. Throw the cabbage in thepig pen. See: ron.pen op v.phr. pen. Tel yubreda fi pen op di chikin dehn.Tell your brother to pen up thechickens.pendapan Variant: penpan.penpan (var: pendapan) n.dependable friend. Ai ku aks digyal fi du eniting kaa shee dami lee penpan. I can ask the girlto do anything because she’s mydependable friend.pensl n. pencil. Di pensl paintbrok. The pencil point broke.See: led.pepa n. pepper. Di lee bwai robhat pepa eena ih breda aiy. Thelittle boy rubbed hot peppers inhis brother’s eyes. — v. pepper,cause trouble. Mi grani yoostuseh, “Di sayhn ting weh sweetyu wahn pepa yu.” My grannyused to say, “The same thing thatyou are enjoying right now willpepper you with trouble later.”pepeetos n. pumpkin (squash)seeds. Dehn seh fi get oavamakoabi yu hafu eet pepeetosahn jrink kinel waata. It is saidthat if you want to get over a262
per Kriol tu Inglish pesheartbreak, you should eatpumpkin seeds and drink waterfrom the canal. See: makoabiseed.per n. spur; the protrudingbuttress shapes at the base ofthe mahogany tree trunk, usedto make large round flatbowls.perfek adj. perfect. Wen Ah aksdi kweschan, mi son kom opwid di perfek ansa. When Iasked the question, my son cameup with the perfect answer.perfyoom n. perfume. Di laydimi-di sel wahn ekspensiv batl aperfyoom. The lady was sellingan expensive bottle of perfume.perj v. purge. Az skool shet, mima shee doz perj owt aal a wi.When school ended, my motheruse to purge all of us.— n. purge.perka-dat n. polka-dot. Mayzikohn da di paati eena wahnbrait red ahn wait perka-datjres. Mazie came to the party in abright red and white polka-dotdress.perl n. pearl. Dehn fain perleena konks tu, yu noa. They findpearls in conch too, you know.permishan n. permission. Diyong gyal ron weh gaahn dadaans kaa ih ma neva waahn giahn permishan fi goh. Theyoung girl ran away to the dancebecause her mother didn’t want togive her permission to go.perpos n. purpose. Ih seh da miwahn aksident, bot ih du aal adehn ting pahn perpos. He saidit was an accident, but he did allthose things on purpose.pers Variant: pos.pers sayn net n. purse seinenet; a large fishing net that canbe closed like a purse. Weh dipers sayn net ku shet op laikpos, dehn ku kech lat a fish eendeh. Because the purse seine netcan be closed like a purse, manyfish can be caught in it. See: ginisayn net, sayn net.persn n. person. Hihn da noh disayhn persn weh kohn ya laasnait. He’s not the same personwho came here last night.persnal adj. 1) personal. Pipllaik aks yu sohn persnal tinglaik humoch moni yu mek.People like to ask personal thingslike how much money you make.2) forward, presumptuous.Hari laik goh aan persnal wenih kohn da yu hows laik hihn livdeh. Harry likes to act in aforward manner whenever hecomes to your house as if he livesthere. See: stepish. 3) snobbish.Ah noh noa wai Sanjra shee digoh aan soh persnal laik sheebeta dan wee. I don’t know whySandra acts so snobbish as ifshe’s better than us.persnali adv. personally.Persnali, Ai reda wahn kaa tumotosaikl. Personally, I’d ratherhave a car than a motorcycle.pes n. pest, nuisance. Ah wishyu uda get fahn rong mi kaa yuda wahn reel pes! I wish youwould get away from around mebecause you are a real pest!263
pet Kriol tu Inglish pijinpet n. 1) pet. Bileez pipl ga daagfi pet bot dehn noh kip dehneena di hows. Belizeans havedogs for pets, but they don’t keepthem in the house. 2) pet; termof endearment. Kohn ya, Pet,mek Ah rob yu hed fi yu. Comehere, Pet, let me rub your headfor you.pet op v.phr. take special careof. Ah di pet op dis playt kaada mi grayt grani gi mi it an Ahnoh waahn ih brok. I takespecial care of this plate becauseit came from my greatgrandmother and I don’t want itto get broken.peteh n. big feet. Tek fi yoo bigpeteh aaf a di lee bwai bak.Take your big feet off of the littleboy’s back.piblan n. mosquito net. Mi oalaanti stil yooz wahn piblan fikip weh di maskito dehn. Myold auntie still uses a mosquitonet to keep the mosquitos off.[>Sp. ‘pabellon’ pavilion,canopy]pich 1 v. throw, toss, hurl, pitch.Pich weh da oal chyaa fahn owtya. Throw away that old chairfrom here. See: chaans, chok,chroa, dash, faiya, fling, hib,stoan. — n. pitch. Datdeh manga wahn gud pich wen ih diplay baal. That man has a goodpitch when he plays ball.pich een v.phr. pitch in, help.Unu hafu pich een if unu waahngeh di werk don kwik. You haveto pitch in if you want to get thework done quickly. See: help.pich weh v.phr. abort a child.264Di gyal noh marid, soh ihwaahn pich weh di baybi. Thewoman was not married, so shewants to abort the baby. See:chro weh, dash weh.pich 2 v. land, alight. Di boddehn pich pahn di chree. Thebirds landed on the tree. See: lan.picha 1 n. pitcher; one whothrows a ball in a game. Weega wahn gud picha pahn fi weeteem kaa hihn owt dehn manwan afta di neks. We have agood pitcher on our team becausehe strikes out the players oneafter another.picha 2 n. 1) picture. Wen mibwaifren mi gwehn weh, ih gimi wahn picha a ihself fi mekAh memba ahn bai. When myboyfriend was going away, hegave me a picture of himself toremember him by. 2) movie.Wen yu faal dong eena di modowt deh, da jos laik yu mi-di akpicha. When you fell down in themud out there, it was just like youwere acting in a movie. See:moovi, shoa.pidl v. urinate. Dehn oal piplyoostu seh dehn waahn pidl fiwen dehn waahn peepi. The oldpeople used to say that theywanted to piddle when theywanted to urinate. See: nombawan, peepi, pis, weewi.pijaama (var: pajaama) n.pajama. Lat a pikni di wayrpijaama laik how ih soh koal.Many children wear pajamas,since it’s so cold.pijin n. pigeon. Columbidae.Dehn pijin weh flai bowt eena
pik Kriol tu Inglish pilidi siti ku gi yu dizeez. Thepigeons that fly around in the citycould give you diseases. See:dov, grong dov.pik 1 v. 1) pick, choose. Mi mapik bred pudn oava pitaytapong. My mother chose breadpudding over potato pudding.2) pluck. Yu hafu pik di chikinafta yu don chap aaf ih hed.You have to pluck the chickenafter you’ve chopped off its head.pik een v.phr. bring in. Pik eendi kloaz aaf a di lain fi mi. Bringthe clothes in off the line for me.pik...mowt Idiomatic phr. trapwith one’s own words.(Literally: ‘pick...mouth’) Dipolees ares di man ahn dehnstaat tu krayzi ahn wid aal kaina kweschan fi chrai pik ihmowt. The police arrested theman and then they started tobesiege him with all kinds ofquestions to trap him with hisown words. See: chrap.pik 2 v. to bite; as in fishing. Damosi wahn big fish pik mi lain.That must have been a big fishthat bit my line. [
pilikin Kriol tu Inglish pisSee: tili.pilikin n. pelican; a large seabird. See breez bloa pilikinsayhn plays ih waahn goh. Seabreezes blew the pelican justwhere he wanted to go.pilinki (var: pelenkeh) adj.economically difficult. Bwai,Ah kyaahn len yu da moni kaaztingz pilinki. Boy, I can’t lendyou that money because thingsare difficult. See: bok, jred.pilz n. pill. (Sg. ‘pilz’; pl. ‘pilzdehn’.) Da pilz deh mek Ah feeljrowzi jrowzi. That pill makesme feel very drowsy.pimenta (var: primenta) n.palmetto palm; the stalk ofwhich is used as a buildingmaterial and to make lobstertraps, and the leafy part is usedto make woven products.Acoelorrhaphe wrightii. Lat apipl bil hows owt a pimenta ahnplaasta it wid siment. Manypeople build their houses out ofpalmetto and plaster it withcement. See: papta.pimpa n. informer, snitch,tattler. Grays da wahn pimpakaa evriting weh hapm, ih gohkaal 922. Grace is a snitchbecause for everything thathappens, she calls 922. See:nyooz baka.pin n. pin. An if di pin neva ben,di stoari neva en. And if the pindidn’t bend, the story wouldnever end. (Traditional ending tofolk tales)kaman pin n.phr. straight pin.Di laydi put aan wahn hat widwahn big kaman pin stok eenait. The lady put on a hat with abig straight pin stuck in it.pinch v. pinch. Fi wee teechalaik kohn pinch wi wid ih langfinga nayl wen wi gi chrobl. Ourteacher is always pinching uswith her long fingernails whenwe misbehave.pinch...ayz v.phr. confide. Mibes fren pinch mi ayz ahn gi midi laytis nyooz bowt wi nayba.My best friend confided the latestnews about our neighbour to me.pinch-yu-waybos n. bush usedin folk medicine. Wi nevanoatis wi mi-di waak chroopinch-yu-waybos bush til wenwi geh huk op een deh. Wedidn’t notice that we werewalking through ‘pinch yuwaybos’ bushes until we gothooked up in them. [Literally‘pinch your huevos’
pis hows Kriol tu Inglish plaantinsheet oanli stink a pis. The sheetreally smells like urine. See:nomba wan, peepi, pidl, weewi.pis hows n. holding cell at thepolice station. Dehn bwai dehnlak dong da pis hows. Thoseboys are locked up in the city jail.See: lakdong.pis-a-bed 1 n. a shrub withyellow flowers: a tea madefrom the flowers is thetraditional remedy for urinarytract infections (hence thename), and kidney and liverconditions; the juice from theleaf is used to treat skinconditions. Senna alata. Ahgwehn bail op wahn lee bit apis-a-bed fi di payn weh Ah gateena mi bak. I’m going to boilup some of those piss-a-bedflowers for the pain I have in myback. [
plaasta Kriol tu Inglish playnvegetable. Musa paradisiaca.Ah neva geh no plaantin wid mirais ahn beenz. I didn’t get anyplantain with my rice and beans.plaasta v. plaster. Dehn diplaasta mi hows wid siment.They’re plastering my house withcement. — n. plaster cast. Dibwai han geh brok, soh ih haftugoh put aan plaasta. The boy’shand got broken, so he needed toput on a cast. See: kyaas.plaiwud n. plywood. Wenharikayn di kohn, pipl yoozplaiwud fi boad op dehn winda.When hurricanes are coming,people use plywood to board uptheir windows.plaiyaz (var: splaiyaz) n. pliers.Lari kot di waiya wid diplaiyaz. Larry cut the wire withthe pliers.plankin n. planking, boat floor.Geh sohn nyoo boad fi mekplankin fi di doari. Get somenew boards to make planking forthe dory. See: boad.plantaysh (var: plantayshan) n.plantation, farm. Tumaaro wigwehn da plantaysh goh plaantsohn kaan. Tomorrow we’regoing to the farm to plant somecorn. See: faam, milpa, waak.plantayshan Variant: plantaysh.plaps int. plop! Di spring chikinjomp pahn di taybl – plaps! Thefrog jumped on the table – plop!plaps-wan adv. suddenly. Diboat mi gwehn gud gud wenplaps-wan ih ron eena di reef.The boat was running well whensuddenly it ran into the reef. See:268sodn-wan.plat v. plait, braid, weave. Aaldi pikni dehn plat dehn hyaa figoh parayd. All of the childrenbraided their hair to go to theparade.— n. braid, plait. Mi grani putsohn big fat plat eena mi hed.My grandmother put some big fatbraids in my hair. See: janifildaplat, kaanroa, mum plat.platfaam n. platform. Wen diman gaan op pahn di platfaamfi gi ih speech, di hoal platfaamjrap da grong. When the manwent up on the platform to givehis speech, the whole platformfell to the ground.play v. 1) play; amuse oneself,engage in recreation. Di piknidehn play aal day eena di yaad.The children played all day in theyard. See: dabl, ramp. 2) dosomething in fun or todeceive. Bra Rabit play wahnbig chrik pahn Hanaasi. Br’erRabbit played a big trick onAnansi. See: chrik, fool.play wid v.phr. have sexualrelations with. Ah tel yu fi stapplay wid mi man! I told you tostop sleeping with my man!neva play v.phr. do one’s all.Soh moch food mi dehdeh, Ahneva play fi eet. There was somuch food, I ate all I could.play piyaano v. steal skillfully.Slang. Yu hafu wach da bwaikaa ih laik play piyaano. Youhave to watch that boy becausehe’s light-fingered. See: jak,teef.playn 1 adj. clear, plain. In taim,
playn Kriol tu Inglish plezhaevriting wahn kohn playn ahnklayr. In time, everything will beplain and clear. See: klayr.— adv. plainly. Di shap manneva tel wi playn da how rayjowerk. The salesman didn’t tell usplainly how radios work.playn 2 n. plane, airplane. Diplayn weh grani di kohn pahnwahn reech chree aklak. Theplane that Granny’s coming onwill arrive at three o’clock.playna 1 adv. plainer, moreclearly. Taak lee playna fi mi.Talk a little more clearly for me.playna 2 n. wood plane. Mai padoz yooz wahn playna fismoodn boad wid; now dehn gailekchrik wan. My father used touse a planer to smooth woodwith; now there are electric ones.play-play v. pretend, makebelieve. Play-play yoo da di maan Ai da di pa. Pretend that youare the mom and I’m the dad.See: faam, fayk, priten.plays n. place. Wi gaahn da diplays weh di man werk evriday, bot wi neva si ahn. Wewent to the place where the manworks every day, but we didn’tsee him.tek plays v.phr. happen,occur, take place. See: hapm.playt n. plate. Bring di playtmek Ah gi yu yu food. Bring theplate so I can give you your food.playting n. plaything, toy. Pikop da playting fahn aaf a difloa. Pick up that toy from off thefloor.pleez adj. pleased. Wi mi giv dibwai wahn gif weh Ih mi pleezwid. We gave the boy a gift thathe was pleased with.— int. please. Pleez tel mi wehdi hows deh. Please tell mewhere the house is.pleezabl adj. pleasant,agreeable, nice. Ah mi soh beksdat Ah neva aks ahn eena wahnpleezabl way. I was so angry thatI didn’t ask him in a pleasantway. See: nais, plezant.pleja (var: plezha) v. givepleasure. Datdeh gaym nohpleja mi nohmoh, soh Ah stapplay. That game doesn’t give mepleasure anymore, so I stoppedplaying. — n. pleasure. Migrani bigis pleja da fi tel goasstoari anda di hamanz chree.My grandmother’s biggestpleasure is to tell ghost storiesunder the almond tree.plektos Variant: plik.plenk n. board, plank. Di bwaijrap chroo di varanda kaa ih galat a ratn plenk. The boydropped through the verandabecause it has many rottenplanks. See: boad.plenti adv. plenty, many, a lot.Ih teech wi plenti moa tingbifoa wi gaahn hoahn. He taughtus many more things before wewent home. See: lat, nof.plezant adj. pleasant, nice. Datda wahn plezant lee oal laydikaa ih aalwayz di smail. That isa pleasant little old lady becauseshe is always smiling. See: nais,pleezabl.plezha Variant: pleja.269
plik Kriol tu Inglish poalplik (var: plektos) adj. mad,crazy. Aivan mosi gaahn plikkaa aal ih du aal day da stan oppahn schreet ahn luk op eena diskai. Ivan must have gone madbecause all he does is stand in thestreet and stare into the sky. See:krayzi, krek.plog n. section of an orange orgrapefruit. Sayv wahn plog a dihareenj fi mi. Save a section ofthe orange for me. — v. section.Kohn mek Ah plog di hareenj fiyu. Come, let me section theorange for you.laas plog n.phr. one’s lastchild. Jooli oanli spail da piknikaa da ih laas plog. Julie reallyspoils that child because it’s herlast one.plom n. plum. Mis Mayri plomchree bayr sweet plom. MissMary’s tree bears sweet plums.See: goalden plom, govna plom,hag plom, may plom, kokoplom.plos adv. plus. Jaaji beet ih waif,plos put ahn owt a di hows.Georgie beat his wife, plus he puther out of the house.poa n. poor; people who arepoor or in need. Wi di kalek opkloaz fi gi tu di poa. We arecollecting clothes to give to thepoor. — adj. poor. Da poa manga wahn lat a pikni an ih liveena wahn lee lee hows. Thatpoor man has a lot of children buthe lives in a very small house.poa pat n. chamber pot (oftenshortened to ‘poa’) Grani dozaalwayz emti ih poa pat midl adi nait. Granny used to always270empty her chamber pot in themiddle of the night. See:chemba, chimi.poach n. porch. Aal weh Betsiahn Haatens du aal day dasidong pahn dehn poach ahnshush bowt pipl. Betsy andHortense do nothing but sit ontheir porch all day and talk aboutpeople. See: varanda.poada Variant: powda.poajoa n. green heron. Butoridesvirescens. [
poali Kriol tu Inglish poblishlong pole.poali adv. poorly. Mi onkl di dupoali kaa ih fut di ak op agen.My uncle is doing poorly becausehis leg is acting up again.poalkyat n. polecat, skunk;small mammal, known for itsbad smell. Conepatussemistriatus. Goh goh bayd kaayu aam smel laik poalkyat. Gobathe yourself because you smelllike a skunk.poar v. pour. Di gyal ma aks ahnfi poar di waata. The girl’s momasked her to pour the water.poar a blod See: blod.poas 1 n. post. Rong ilekshantaim yu uda tink lamp poaskuda voat. Around election timeyou would think that lamp postscould vote (because every posthas a campaign poster)poas 2 v. post, mail, send. Ahwahn poas wahn leta tu mi sistada Stayts. I’ll send a letter to mysister in the States. See: sen.poas aafis n. post office. Laikhow wahn poas aafis deh eenadi ayrya, wi noh hafu goh faarfi poas leta nohmoh. Becausethere’s now a post office in ourarea, we don’t have to go far tomail letters anymore.poasbaks n. mailbox. Laas taimAh chek, di poasbaks mi emti.Last time I checked, the mailboxwas empty.poasman n. mailman, postman.Mi daag hihn mek wahn hoallat a naiz wen di poasmankohn. My dog makes a lot ofnoise when the postman comes.poastij n. postage. Ah needshilin moa fi mek op di poastijpahn di pakij. I need twenty-fivecents more to make up thepostage on the package.poat n. port. Mi breda ga moslzkaa ih load ting pahn di shipdehn da poat. My brother hasmuscles because he loads ships atthe port.Poat Laiyoala n. Port Loyola;southwestern area of BelizeCity. Wahn big harikayn mibrok op Poat Laiyoala eena1931. A big hurricane broke upPort Loyola in 1931.poatifai Variant: poatingfaid.poatingfaid (var: poatifai) adj.pitiful, woeful. Kalvin hihnkohn luk pahn mi wid ihpoatingfaid fays fi mek Ah sarifar ahn ahn noh beet ahn.Calvin came with his woeful faceto make me feel sorry for him andnot beat him.poawet n. poet. RaymondBarrow da wahn faymospoawet da Bileez. RaymondBarrow is a famous poet inBelize.poblik n. public. Dehn aalwayzinvait di poblik fi goh da di sitikongsl meetn dehn da tonghaal. They always invite thepublic to go to the city councilmeetings at town hall. — adj.public. Dehn put di man pahnpoblik chraiyal. They put theman on a public trial.poblish v. publish. Yu noa ifdehn stil di poblish diGovament Gazet? Do you know271
pogatori Kriol tu Inglish pongkinif they still publish theGovernment Gazette?pogatori n. purgatory. Sohn pipllaik tel dehn pikni dat dehngwain da pogatori if dehn telstoari. Some people like to telltheir children that they will go topurgatory if they tell lies.pokeeno n. type of card game.Di oanli kyaad gaym wi noa fiplay da pokeeno. The only cardgame we know how to play is‘pokeeno’.pokono bwai Variant: kokonobwai.polees n. policeman, police. Dipolees mi figet dat ih mi ga ihgon. The policeman forgot that hehad his gun. See: babilan.politikal adj. political. Di yongman dehn da-mi membaz awahn politikal paati. The youngmen were members of a politicalparty.pombl stoan n. pumice stone.Wi yooz di pombl stoan fi skrobaaf ded skin fahn wi fut batam,ahn fi skrob pat tu. We usepumice stone to scrub dead skinoff of the bottom of our feet, andalso to scrub pots.pomp v. pump. Ah mi layt kaaAh mi hafu pomp op di taiya. Iwas late because I had to pumpup the tire. — n. pump. Wikudn geh waata kaa di pompmi brok. We couldn’t get waterbecause the pump was broken.ponch v. punch. Jeri ponch diman wan taim ahn di fait midon. Jerry punched the man onceand the fight was over. See:chroa han, dash han, jrap toohan pahn.pong 1 n. 1) pound;measurement of weight. WenChaali goh lif wayt, ih lif toohonjrid pong! When Charliewent to lift weights, he lifted twohundred pounds! 2) pone;pudding-like dessert. See:pitayta pong.pong 2 v. pound, beat, punish.Wan taim dehn yoostu pong dirais eena di maata fi tek aaf dishel. At one time they used topound the rice in the mortar totake off the shell. See: beet,fis...op.Pong Yaad n. Pound Yard; areaof Belize City whereCemetery Road crosses ColletCanal. Name is derived fromthe fact that stray animals usedto be impounded there.pongcha v. puncture. Ah ronoava wahn nayl ahn pongchami weel. I ran over a nail andpunctured my tyre. — n.puncture, flat tyre. Ah nevanoa mi baik mi ga wahnpongcha. I didn’t know that mybike had a puncture.pongkin n. pumpkin, squash.Mee neva noa seh di seed owt apongkin da di sayhn ting wehwee kaal pepeetos. I didn’t knowthat the seed out of pumpkins isthe same thing that we callpepitos. See: skwash.272
ponish Kriol tu Inglish powdaschoo pongkin n.phr. stewedpumpkin. Ah laik schoopongkin wen di sorop tik. I likestewed pumpkin when the syrupis thick.ponish v. 1) suffer. Misa Peetazseh ih ponish wen ih noh gaakaadyan wid ahn. Mr. Peterssays he suffers when he doesn’thave his accordian with him. See:sofa. 2) punish. (Notnecessarily physical whenapplied to children.) If yu nohdu weh yu pa tel yu, ih wahnponish yu. If you don’t do whatyour dad tells you, he will punishyou.ponishin adj. arduous,uncomfortable. Di weda mi sohbad, di boat raid mi oanliponishin. The weather was sobad, the boat ride was veryuncomfortable.ponishment n. punishment. See:lashin, tayrin, wapin.anda ponishment phr.grounded. Mi pa ga mi andaponishment soh ih neva mek Ahgaahn da di paati. My father hadgrounded me so he didn’t allowme to go to the party. See: andarischrikshan.ponk n. male homosexual. Ditoo bwai dehn da ponk ahndehn neva shaym fi hoal hanpahn schreet. The two boys arehomosexuals and they weren’tashamed to hold hands on thestreet. See: batiman, foni.pooro n. large cigar used inobeah ceremonies. Mi hozbangrani doz smoak pooro pahnpipl. My husband’s grandmotherused to smoke a large cigar tocast spells on people. See: sigaa.popi n. puppy. Di popi mi eetsohn a di kromz weh jrap fahndi pikni playt. The puppy atesome of the crumbs that fell fromthe child’s plate.popi fut n.phr. roamingtendencies. Dehn yong gyal gapopi fut ahn neva deh hoahn.Those young girls have roamingtendencies and are never home.See: waak bowt.pos (var: pers) n. purse. Di teefron wid mi pos, ahn aal mimoni mi een deh. The thief ranaway with my purse, and all mymoney was inside.potayto Variant: pitayta.potayto pong Variant: pitaytapong.potikla adj. particular. Da laydioanli potikla bowt ih hows; ihnoh laik nobadi goh een deh.That lady is very particular abouther house; she doesn’t likeanyone to go in. — v.particularly care for,particularly want. Ah nohpotikla fi hihn kohn da mihows. I don’t particularly care forhim coming to my house.powa n. power. Da lee kaa gawahn lat a powa. That little carhas lots of power.powaful adj. powerful. Fi weeGaad oanli powaful! Our God isvery powerful!powda (var: poada) n. talcumpowder. Maadi put soh mochpowda pan ih fays dat ih luklaik mongki jrap eena flowa.273
powda bon Kriol tu Inglish praivitMaudy put so much powder onher face that she looked like amonkey that had dropped into abarrel of flour. See: sweetpowda, wait powda.powda bon n. sweet bun. If yunoh put nof baykin powda eenayu powda bon, ih wahn komowt tof. If you don’t put enoughbaking powder in your powderbuns, they’ll be tough. See: bon.powt v. pout. Adeen deh rong dipowt kaa Ah mek ih kleen op ihroom. Adine is pouting aroundhere because I told her to cleanher room.pozeshanz n. possessions;items owned by a person. If yunoh protek yu hows, yu wahnlaas aal a yu pozeshanz. If youdon’t protect your house, you willlose all of your possessions. See:bilanginz.pozishan n. position, place.Afta di man ded, evribadi elsmi waahn tek ih pozishan. Afterthe man died, everybody elsewanted to take his position. See:plays.pozl v. puzzle. Ih pozl mi howAh kyaahn fain mi pos, an Ahlef it rait ya pahn di taybl. Itpuzzles me that I can’t find mypurse, and I left it right here onthe table. — n. puzzle. Jeenismaat kaaz ih werk owt di pozlkwik-wan. Jeanie is smartbecause she worked out thepuzzle very quickly.prablem(z) n. problem, plight,trouble. Afta dehn lat aprablemz di klob shet dong.After having all those problems,274the club shut down. See: chrobl.prafit 1 v. profit. Weh ih prafityu if yu ways aal a di moni?What does it profit you if youwaste all of the money?— n. profit. If wi noh mek noprafit, wi noh mek no moni. Ifwe don’t make any profit, wedon’t make any money.prafit 2 n. prophet. Di prafitshuda seh egzakli weh Gaad telahn. The prophet should sayexactly what God told him.pragin v. hunt or fish to bringin some money. Mi pa doz gohpragin op riva bai LayborinKrik fi goh hontin fi gaym meetahn kech fish. My father used togo upriver by Labouring Creekfishing to hunt for game andcatch fish. See: hosl, kech ahnkil.praid n. pride. Sayk a praid,hihn neva did tel ih waif ih sarifi weh ih du ahn. Because ofpride, he never told his wife thathe was sorry for what he did toher. See: han napkin tontayblklaat.praim n. prime. Mi oal aantieena ih praim kaa ih stil lukgud. My old auntie is in herprime because she still looksgood.praim op v.phr. warm up. Diban praim op fahn soon fi didaans tinait. The band warmedup early for the dance tonight.prais n. price. See: kaas.praivit adv. privately, inprivate. Ah wahn si yu praivit. Iwant to see you privately.
praiz Kriol tu Inglish praverb— n. private parts, the genitals.Yu mos kova yu praivit kaa ihdeh owt a doa. You should coveryour private parts because they’reshowing.praiz n. prize. Mi daata win fospraiz fi rait di bes paypa. Mydaughter won first prize forwriting the best paper.prajek Variant: projek.praktis v. practise. Ih mek ditoo wing dehn, ahn den ih staatpraktis fi flai. He made the twowings, and then he started topractise flying. — n. practise. Ihnoh haad fi du dat, bot ih jostek praktis. It’s not hard to dothat, but it just takes practise.pramas Variant: pramis.pramis (var: pramas) v.promise. Yu pramis fi marid tumi, bot wen? You promised tomarry me, but when?— n. promise. Aal a wi yehr diman mek di pramis. We allheard the man make the promise.See: oat.prapa adj. fitting, proper, right.Az wahn uman, yu mos laan fitek prapa kayr a yu hows. As awoman, you should learn to takeproper care of your house. See:fitn, karek, rait.prapa daim n. cocaine; a $10quantity of crack cocaine. See:kokayn, krak, sprang, waitlaydi.prapati n. property.prapela n. propeller. Di prapelapahn di speed boat kot wahnhaligeta eena haaf wen wi migaahn da Malanti. The speed275boat’s propeller cut an alligator inhalf when we went to GalesPoint, Manatee.prapra v. farm clearing; theprocess in plantationpreparation in which all theburned brush is cleared off theland. Afta dehn bon diplantayshan, dehn hafu prapradi lan fi klayr aaf aal a di bushweh bon. After they’ve burnedthe plantation, they have to clearthe land of all the bush that wasburned.praps op v. put oneself forwardin a showy way, or to put onairs. See: primz op.prasikyoot 1 v. prosecute. Poleesdi tek lang fi prasikyoot di teef.The police are taking a long timeto prosecute the thief.prasikyoot 2 v. persecute. Noh diprasikyoot mi fi aal dehn tingweh yu tink Ah du. Don’tpersecute me for all the thingsthat you think I did.praspa v. prosper. Di konchrimi-di praspa anda dagovament. The country wasprospering under thatgovernment.prastichoot n. prostitute. Ihoanli sad how soh moch yonglee gyal di ton prastichoot. It’ssad to see how many young girlsare becoming prostitutes. See:hoar.praverb n. proverb. ‘Oalfaiyawud noh haad fi kech’ dawahn praverb weh meen dat ihnoh haad fi oal lovaz staat opagen. ‘Old firewood is not hard
prayaa(z) Kriol tu Inglish presto catch afire’ is a proverb whichmeans that it is easy for oldlovers to start up again.prayaa(z) n. prayer(s) Ah noadat wid fi unu prayaaz, Ahwahn mek it. I know that withyour prayers, I’ll succeed.prayz v. praise. If yu prayz dichail, ih wahn laan faasa. If youpraise the child, he’ll learn morequickly.prayz op v.phr. exalt, extol,glorify. Jeri oanli mi-di prayzop fi hihn self fi weh ih du fi dipoa pikni dehn. Jerry was reallypraising himself for what he didfor the poor children. See: big op.— n. praise. Wi haat oanli feelglad wen wi mowt sing Gaadprayz. Our hearts feel very gladwhen our mouths sing praise toGod.preech v. preach. Mi graamadoz laik preech tu mi bowt midoti room. My grandmother usedto like to preach to me about mydirty room.preecha n. preacher. Di preechami soh gud dat wi mi sari wenih don preech. The preacher wasso good that we were sorry whenhe finished preaching.preechin n. preaching, sermon.Di man du wan pees a preechindeh. The man did some greatpreaching there.prees n. priest. Wee ga wahnnyoo prees da fi wee cherch. Wehave a new priest in our church.See: Faada.preeshiyayt v. appreciate. Mima ahn mi pa noh preeshiyaytaal weh Ah di du fi dehn. Myparents don’t appreciate all that Iam doing for them.pregnant v. impregnate. Jakhihn pregnant di lee gyal ahnlef ahn rait deh. Jackimpregnated the young girl andleft her. See: beli aaf, breed,faal, jak op. — adj. pregnant.See: jak op.kech pregnant v.phr. get orbecome pregnant. Ah kechpregnant agen ahn mi laasbaybi jos too monts. I ampregnant again and my last babyis just two months old. See:(ga/geh/kech) beli.prekeh adj. calm; nothinggoing on. Evriting prekeh;notn di hapm wid mee.Everything is calm; nothing ishappening with me. See: kyaam.prempereh Variant: pemperem.pres v. press. Ah pres di doabelbot nobadi neva deh hoahn. Ipressed the doorbell but there wasnobody home. — n.1) wardrobe; cabinet forhanging clothes. Eena oal taimdayz dehn yoostu heng op kloazeena pres, weh da di sayhn tinglaik waajroab. In the old daysthey used to hang clothes in aclothes press, which is like awardrobe. See: waajroab.2) printing or publishingestablishment.pres hyaa v.phr. press orstraighten hair. Di gyal pres mihyaa mek ih kohn schrayt. Thegirl pressed my hair to make itstraight. See: hat koam.pres kloaz v.phr. press, iron276
presha Kriol tu Inglish prinsipalclothes. Ma, shee aalwayz dipres kloaz wen pipl kohn haylahn. Mother is always pressingclothes when someone comesover. See: aiyan.presha v. force, pressure. Ahwahn du it, soh stap di preshame. I’ll do it, so stop pressuringme. See: foas. — n. high bloodpressure. Gyal, stap di wori kaayu wahn kech presha. Girl, stopworrying or your blood pressurewill go up.preshos adj. precious. Enitingdeh weh moa preshos dan yusoal? Is there anything moreprecious than your soul?presin n. pressing, ironing. Ahga lat a presn fi fu. I have a lotof pressing to do.presn n. pressing; symptom ofasthma. Da bwai ga presn panih ches sayk a ih asma. That boyhas pressing on his chest becauseof his asthma. See: asma,shaatnis.prezant a main phr. presenceof mind. Gud ting Ah mi gaprezant a main fi ton aaf diswich wen di baybi mi-di gehshak. Fortunately I had thepresence of mind to turn off theswitch when the baby was gettingshocked.prezentayshan n. presentation.Evri Fraideh wi havprezentayshan da skool. EveryFriday we have a presentation atschool.prezident n. president. Diprezident a di kompni neva dehda fi hihn aafis. The president ofthe company was not in hisoffice.pridik v. predict, foretell. Daman pridik dat wahn bad badtaim wahn spred oava di hoalkonchri. That man predicted thata very bad time would spreadover the whole country.prifa v. prefer. Ah prifa fi gohda maakit da maanin. I prefer togo to the market in the morning.See: reda.prikl n. prickle, thorn. Maindehn prikl pahn roaz chree jukyu. Be careful that the prickles onthe rosebush don’t poke you.prikl heet n. prickly heat. Dipoa baybi ful a bomp sayk a diprikl heet. The poor baby is fullof bumps because of prickly heat.prikl yala n. prickly yellow;several species of trees in thecitrus family, having yellowwood and large pricklescovering the trunk.Zanthoxylum sp. See: katn chree.primenta Variant: pimenta.primz op v. 1) primp. Di gyalprimz op front a di miro bifoaih gaahn da di daans. The girlprimped in front of the mirrorbefore she went to the dance.2) put oneself forward in ashowy way, or to put on airs.Pati shee primz op da di paatilaik shee da-mi di ges a aana.Patty put herself forward at theparty, just as if she were the guestof honour. See: kak op, prapsop.prinsipal n. principal. Wen diprinsipal deh rong, di pikni277
pripyaa Kriol tu Inglish protekdehn kwaiyat. When theprincipal is around the childrenare quiet.pripyaa v. prepare. Aal di laydidehn di pripyaa food fi di wedntunait. All the women arepreparing food for the weddingtonight.priten v. pretend. Grampa laikpriten dat ih di sleep wen graniaks ahn fi du sohnting far ahn.Grandpa likes to pretend to besleeping when granny asks him todo something for her. See: faam,fayk, play-play.priti adj. pretty. Da lee gyal nohoanli priti bot ih smaat tu. Thatlittle girl is not only pretty butshe’s smart too.pritiya adj. prettier. Dehn gyaldeh laik aagyu bowt hoo pritiyadan hoo. The girls like to argueabout who’s prettier than who.pritiyis adj. prettiest. Mi aantiwin di fos praiz fi di pritiyisjres. My auntie won first prizefor the prettiest dress.privilij n. privilege. Mi sistaaalwayz geh di privilij fi goh daskool daans. My sister alwaysgets the privilege of going toschool dances. See: rait.prizn n. prison. See: Glaas BatlKee, jayl.prizna n. prisoner. Di priznadehn mi chrai ahn ron weh. Theprisoners tried to run away. See:jaylbod.profeshanal adj. professional.Wen dehn skool gyal deh pahnjab chraynin, dehn oanli lukprofeshanal. When the schoolgirls are on job training, they lookvery professional.projek (var: prajek) n. project.Aal a wi mi werk tugeda pahndi sayhn projek. All of usworked together on the sameproject.projoos v. produce. Wi gyaadnwahn projoos froot dat wi kusel da maakit. Our garden willproduce fruit that we can sell inthe market. See: bayr.prolangyulayt v. prolong. Ahnoh waahn yu prolangyulaytdis aagyument. I don’t want youto prolong this argument.promoashan n. promotion.Kirk dizerv da promoashanweh ih geh kaa ih werk haad.Kirk deserves the promotion thathe got because he works hard.proonz n. prunes. (Both sg. &pl.)proov v. prove. Wi hafu proovdat di lee bwai neva teef dimoni widowt no dowt. We haveto prove without a doubt that thelittle boy did not steal the money.propoaz v. propose. Wail dipaati mi-di goh aan, Steev stapdi myoozik fi propoaz tu Janet.While the party was going on,Steve stopped the music andproposed to Janet.proseshan n. procession. Wahnlang proseshan a pipl mi-di gohlang di road. A long processionof people was going along theroad.protek v. protect. Di man baiwahn pit bul fi protek ih yaad.The man bought a pitt bull to278
protekshan Kriol tu Inglish pupalikprotect his yard. See: gyaad.protekshan n. protection. Wendi polees di chranspoat prizna,ih aalwayz hav ih gon fiprotekshan. When the policemantransports prisoners, he alwayshas his gun for protection.provaid v. provide. Da yongbwai reeli provaid gud fi ih leebaybi. That young man reallyprovides well for his little baby.provizhan tree n. provisiontree: tree found alongriversides, producing colorfulflowers and very large fruits;the bark of the tree is used tomake a blood tonic. Pachiraaquatica. Wen di man blod miloa, ih jrink provizhan baak fibil ih blod. When the man wasanemic, he drank a tea made fromthe bark of the provision tree tobuild up his blood.prowd adj. proud. Wi mi prowda fi wi pikni dehn. We wereproud of our children. See: haiahn maiti.pudn n. pudding. Dits Restorantsel nais bred ahn rais pudn.Dits Restaurant sells deliciousbread and rice pudding.pudn pan n. dishpan or washpan. Bifoa yu chro weh di washop waata owt a di pudn pan,mek shoar no faak er spoon nohdeh een deh. Before you throwaway the wash water out of thedishpan, make sure that there areno forks or spoons in it. See:baysn.pul v. pull. See: haal, jreg, toa.pulaali adj. soft, mushy food.Nobadi noh laik yu pulaali raiskaa ih tu saaf. Nobody likesyour rice because it’s too mushy.See: labi.pum v. fart, break wind. Yu mosgoh owtsaid wen yu waahnpum. You should go outsidewhen you want to break wind.See: faat. — n. fart. Fi yoo pumstink op di hoal room. Your fartstunk up the whole room. See:faat.pumpum n. very short shorts.Sohn a dehn gyal goh way owt atong eena pumpum. Some girlsgo all the way downtown in veryshort shorts.punani n. vagina. See: koako.punta v. dance to punta music;characterized by upper bodyand hand movements. Di oalman punta aal nait til ih hip hatahn di neks day. The old mandanced all night in the punta styleuntil his hip hurt him the nextday. See: wala ahn punta.— n. music style originatingfrom the Garifuna culture.Play sohn punta myoozik fi mi.Play some punta music for me.pupa 1 Variant: pa. n. father. Dahoo da yu pupa, bwai? Who isyour father, boy?pupa 2 Variant: papaaya.pupalik v. somersault. Di bwaipupalik fahn aafa di brij eenadi riva. The boy somersaultedfrom the bridge into the river.— n. somersault. Di bwai dehnmi-di du pupalik ahn hanspringjoorin di parayd. The boys weredoing somersaults and279
pupsi Kriol tu Inglish pyoahandsprings during the parade.pupsi n. small freshwater fish.Di lee bwai dehn gaahn da rivagaahn kech sohn pupsi fi yooz fibayt. The little boys went to theriver to catch some little fish touse as bait. [
aa Kriol tu Inglish rabin redbresR - rraa adj. raw. Wi kehr bak di fraichikin da di restorant kaa ih mistil raa eensaid. We took thefried chicken back to therestaurant because it was still rawinside.Raahed ahn Blodi Boan n.Rawhead and Bloody Bones;mythical character made up ofa head of raw flesh, andbloody bones. Stories abouthim were used to disciplinechildren.raak v. rock, sway. Dehnpregnant laydi aalwayz di waakahn raak. Pregnant ladies tend tosway when they walk.raakin chyaa n. rocking chair.Mi ma ga wahn mahagniraakin chyaa weh semti yaazoal. My mother has a mahoganyrocking chair that is seventy yearsold.raakoon n. raccoon. Procyonlotor. Sohn big raakoonaalwayz kom owt a bush ahnton oava wi gyaabij. Some bigraccoons always come out of thebushes and turn over our garbagecan. See: nait waaka.raas int. ass. Vulgar.raati n. a large species of seacrab. Callinectes. Dehn raatiklaa oanli shaap! The claws ofthe sea crab are very sharp! See:kraab. [
abit Kriol tu Inglish raitrabit n. rabbit. Rabit haad fikech kaa dehn hap faas. Rabbitsare hard to catch because theyhop quickly.rad n. rod. Jaymz don bai disteel rad dehn fi staat ih fens.James has already bought thesteel rods to start his fence.rada Variant: reda.rafl v. raffle. Pipl rafl aal kain ating rong Krismos taim. Peopleraffle all kinds of things atChristmas time.rag (var: reg) n. rag. Gi mi pees aoal rag fi wash di kaa wid. Giveme a piece of old rag to wash thecar with.raichos adj. righteous. Wenwahn raichos persn pray, datpowaful, ahn tingz hapm! Whena righteous person prays, that’spowerful, and things happen!raichosnis n. righteousness.Man anga ahn Gaad raichosnisnoh werk tugeda. Man’s angerand God’s righteousness don’twork together.raid v. ride. Mee noh noa how firaid haas. I don’t know how toride a horse.— n. ride. Pleez fi wahn raideena yu kaa? May I please havea ride in your car? See: lif, jrap.raim 1 n. rhyme. Wen Mayvisdaans, shee noh ga no ridim nerraim. When Mavis dances, shehas neither rhythm nor rhyme.raim 2 n. rind; non-edible skinof a fruit. Di lee gyal eet diwaatamilan rait dong tu diraim. The little girl ate thewatermelon right down to its rind.raip adj. ripe. Az soon az difroot geh raip, di faama wahnkohn ahn haavis ih krap. Assoon as the fruit gets ripe, thefarmer will come harvest hiscrop.rais n. rice. Mai ma yoostu kukrais evri day. My mother used tocook rice everyday. See: swetrais.rais ahn beenz n. rice andbeans; one of the most popularBelizean dishes, eaten withany meat. Mai pa hihn feel datih hafu ga rais ahn beenz evriSondeh. My father feels that hehas to have rice and beans everySunday.rais bod n. blue bunting bird;white-collared seed-eater.Sporophila torqueola.rait 1 n. right, privilege. Hoo giyu di rait fi du aal dehn ting?Who gave you the right to do allthose things? See: privilij.— adj. right, correct. (Mostcommonly meaning ‘correct’but can also mean direction.)Yu mi rait wen yu seh Roaz gehfat. You were right when yousaid that Rose got fat. See: karek.— int. right? Da sik pipl wehneed dakta, rait? It’s sick peoplewho need doctors, right? See:karek, noh, noh chroo.rait away adv.phr. right away,immediately. Ah mi sopraiz datdi gyas chrok kohn rait awaywen Ah aada mi gyas. I wassurprised that the gas truck cameright away when I ordered mygas. See: baps.rait deh adv.phr. right there.282
ait Kriol tu Inglish ramjamDi gyal mi daans rait deh fronta evribadi. The girl danced sowell right there in front ofeverybody. See: deh soh.rait now phr. sometime soon,in a little while. Ah di kohnrait now. I am coming in a littlewhile.rait soh phr. in the same way,like that. Sayhn way poa piplhafu ded, rait soh dehn richwan hafu ded tu. Rich peoplehave to die same as poor people.rait 2 adj. right; position asopposed to ‘left’. Di baybi yoozih rait han moa dan ih lef han.The baby used his right handmore than his left hand. — adv.right. Dehn mi-di fait ahn dibwai juk owt ih rait aiy. Godown two lanes and then turnright.rait 3 v. write. Di laydi son raitwahn lang leta tu ih pa weh dehda Stayts. The lady’s son wrote along letter to his father who’s inthe States.raita n. writer. Saam ton raitadoh. Sam actually became awriter.raitin n. handwriting, writing.Di teecha seh Wili geh hai eenaih reedin ahn raitin. The teachersaid that Willy got a high grade inhis reading and writing. See:hanraitin.— adj. writing. Gi evribadi wehdeh da di werkshap wahn raitinpad. Give everybody who’s at theworkshop a writing pad.raiyal adj. royal. Di king jres opeena ih raiyal roab dehn ahnsidong pan ih chroan. The king283dressed up in his royal robes andsat on the throne.raiyat n. riot. Di prizna migaahn da jayl fi staat raiyat ahnfi merda tu. The prisoner hadgone to jail for starting riots andfor murder too.rak n. rock. Nora stoan wahnbig rak ahn brok op ih hozbankaa glaas. Nora threw a big rockand broke her husband’swindshield. See: rakstoan, stoan.raki adj. rocky. Noh waak pahnda schreet kaa ih raki bad.Don’t walk on that street becauseit’s very rocky.rakl v. drum; beat withdrumsticks. Di bwai dehn eenafi wee skool ban ku rakl jromgud. The boys in our school bandcan play the drums well. [< Eng.‘rattle’ make a succession ofshort sharp sounds.]rakl snayk (var: ratlin snayk) n.rattlesnake. Oal pipl seh wenrakl snayk wahn bait yu, ihshayk ih tayl chree taim. Oldpeople say that when arattlesnake is about to strike, itshakes its tail three times.rakstoan n. rock, stone.Kungoh dong di road fi gohbrok rakstoan. Let’s go downthe road to break the big rocksinto stones. See: rak, stoan.rali n. rally. Cherch di ga bigyoot rali neks week. Our churchis having a big youth rally nextweek.ramatutu n. a type of bird.Trogan citreolus.ramjam adj. jam-packed. Ah
amp Kriol tu Inglish rashanneva geh no seet pahn di boskaa ih mi ramjam. I didn’t get aseat on the bus because it wasjam-packed. See: pail op, skwinj.ramp v. romp, playboisterously. Stap di rampeena di hows kaa unu wahnbrok sohnting. Stop playing inthe house because you’ll breaksomething. See: dabl, play.rampl v. rumple, tousle. Mihyaa mi luk gud dis maanin,bot az Ah gaan owtsaid, breezrampl it op. My hair lookedgood this morning, but as I wentoutside, the breeze tousled it up.— adj. rumpled, tousled. Mibed rampl op afta di pikni dehndon play pan it. My bed wasrumpled up after the childrenfinished playing on it.ram-pus v. tomcat. Wahn bigram-pus mi get eena mi fowlkub laas nait ahn kil too a mifowl dehn. A big tomcat got intomy chicken coop last night andkilled two of my chickens.ramsak v. ransack, loot. Poleesbos een mi hows ahn ramsak itop sayk a luk fi weed. Policeburst into my house andransacked it because they werelooking for marijuana.rang v. mark wrong orincorrect. Di teecha rang op mipaypa, bot Ah noa mi werk mikarek. The teacher marked mypaper wrong, but I know that mywork was correct. See: karek,maak. — adj. wrong. Da bwaiaalwayz di du di rang kain ating. That boy always does thewrong kind of thing.rangdooin n. wrong-doing. Wimos stap wi rangdooinz ahn tontu Gaad. We should stop ourwrong-doings and turn to God.rangl (var: rengl) v. wrangle. Ditoo oal man mi-di rangl fi dibatl a rom. The two old menwere wrangling for the bottle ofrum.rank n. rank, official grade orposition. Fi hihn onkl ga wahnhai rank eena polees. His unclehas a high rank in the policeforce.ranks v. associate with, hangaround with. Mi ma nevawaahn wi ranks wid dehnbalahu gyal. My mother didn’twant us to associate with thoserowdy girls. See: heng rong(wid)ransid adv. rancid. Da kuknatluk laik ih ransid. That coconutlooks like it’s rancid.rantantayram adj. rude,uncultured. Dehnrantantayram pikni noh ga nohoam chraynin. Those rudechildren don’t have any hometraining.rap v. wrap. Wi don rap aal adehn pikni gif fi Krismos. Wehave already wrapped all of thechildren’s gifts for Christmas.rapadoara n. hardened canesyrup. Wen wi mi leel wi yoostueet di rapadoara laik sweet.When we were little, we used toeat the hardened cane syrup likecandy.rashan v. ration, distribute. RedKraas mi-di rashan owt food tu284
asl Kriol tu Inglish raylinevribadi afta di harikayn. RedCross was distributing food toeverybody after the hurricane.— n. emergency ration.Harikayn rashan kohn fahnStayts fi gi aal dehn wan wehnoh ga notn fi eet. Hurricanerations came from the States forall those who didn’t haveanything to eat.rasl v. wrestle. Ah rasl weh dinaif fahn di teef. I wrestled awaythe knife from the thief.Rasta n. Rastafarian. Pipl wehton Rasta smoak weed az paat adehn rilijan. People who becomeRastafarians smoke marijuana aspart of their religion.rat (var: rata) n. mouse or smallrat. Noh eet notn weh rat baitkaa rat kehr dizeez. Don’t eatanything that a mouse has bittenbecause they carry disease. See:chaali prais.rata 1 (var: rat)rata 2 n. bulge in muscle,muscular spasm. Lian skweezdi mosl pahn mi han haad mekrata ron, ahn dat reeli hat.Lianne squeezed the muscle onmy arm hard and made a spasmrun up my arm, and that reallyhurt.ratbat n. bat. Lat a ratbataalwayz deh eena kayv. Thereare always many bats in caves.[There are 69 varieties of bats inBelize.]ratlin snayk Variant: raklsnayk.ratn v. rot, decay. If yu eet tumoch sweet, ih wahn ratn yuteet. If you eat too many sweets,it will rot your teeth.— adj. rotten. Wi mi frayd fiwaak kraas di lee boad brij kaaih mi ratn. We were afraid towalk across the little woodenbridge because it was rotten. See:spail.rayjo n. radio. Wi yehr di nyoozoava di rayjo. We heard thenews over the radio.rayk v. rake. Di bwai chap diyaad ahn neva eevn rayk op digraas. The boy cut the grass inthe yard and didn’t even rake itup. — n. superstitious sign fora lucky number in boledo orthe lottery. Wen Mayri jrapeena kinel, Ah tek dat mek raykahn bai ih ayj eena lachri, anAh win tu. When Mary fell intothe canal, I used her age as mylottery number, and I won too.rayka n. rake; garden tool witha long handle and teeth at theend. Bwai, tek da rayka ahngoh rayk op dehn graas weh yudon kot. Boy, take that rake andrake up the grass that you’ve cut.rayl op v. rail; complain orscold loudly, tell off. Witeecha rayl op wid wee kaa wineva du wi hoamwerk. Ourteacher really scolded us thismorning because we didn’t doour homework. See: chektaiz,skoal, tel aaf.raylin 1 n. railing, complaining.Aal a da raylin op weh mi madu neva nesiseri. All of thecomplaining that my mom didwasn’t necessary. See:kamplaynin.285
aylin Kriol tu Inglish red aiyraylin 2 n. railing; fence orbarrier. Di man leen oava diraylin a di brij ahn kaal tu ihfren. The man leaned over therailing of the bridge and called tohis friends.rayn 1 v. rain. Sayk a weh ihrayn, wi kudn goh da di meetn.Because it rained, we couldn’t goto the meeting. See: jrizl.— n. rain. Rayn kohn ahn wetop wi wen wi mi-di kohn hoahn.The rain came and soaked uswhen we were coming home.See: showa.rayn 2 v. govern, rule, reign. Daking mi rayn fi jos faiv yaaz.That king reigned for only fiveyears. See: rool.rayn faris n. rain forest. Dehnsoalja fahn Inglan kohn yakohn chrayn kaa Bileez ga wana di bes rayn faris eena di werl.The soldiers from England comehere to train because Belize hasone of the best rain forests in theworld.rayni adj. rainy. Di gaym nevaplay agen kaa di day mi rayni.The game wasn’t played after allbecause it was rainy.raynj n. range. Wi kudn kaalPeeta ataal kaaz ih mi deh owta raynj. We couldn’t call Peter atall because he was out of range.rayp v. rape.rays v. race. Ah wahn rays yu tudi fens. I’ll race you to the fence.— n. race. Taam win di rayskaa ih kuda mi ron faas. Tomwon the race because he was ableto run fast.286rayz v. 1) raise. Rayz unu hanwen unu waahn ansa kweschan.Raise your hand when you wantto answer questions. See: lif,hais. 2) raise; bring up. Mi marayz fifteen a wi ahn aal a witon owt gud. My mother raisedfifteen of us and we all turned outwell. 3) stir up. Noh faas wid daaans nes kaa yu wahn rayz opdi aans dehn. Don’t meddle withthat anthill because you’ll stir upthe ants. See: eksait, ster.— n. raise. Wi baas pramis wirayz a pay neks mont. Our bosspromised us a raise in pay nextmonth.rayza n. razor. Jeni mi figet fibai rayza fi shayv ih fut. Jennieforgot to buy a razor to shave herlegs.rayzn n. raisin. Mis Mayri puttu moch rayzn eena di bondehn. Miss Mary put too manyraisins in the buns.razam n. resin.rech Archaic. Variant: reech.red adj. red. Di aapl dehn donstaat fi geh red. The apples hadstarted to get red.til ih red phr. dawn, sunrise.Wen Shaaleen kip op ihbertday, wi bram til ih red.When Charlene celebrated herbirthday, we partied until the suncame up. See: day di brok.red aans n. red ant. Red aansoanli bait hat. It hurts a lot whenred ants bite you. See: aans.red aiy v. envy; becomecovetous or envious. Unu dired unu aiy ahn sayk a dat, unu
ed bel Kriol tu Inglish regatafait mongz unuself. You envy,and because of that, you fightamong yourselves. See: groj.— adj. envious, covetous. Unutu red aiy ahn grabalishos.You’re too envious and greedy.See: grojful. — n. envy. Piplweh grojful ahn ga red aiy oanlikansaan bowt dehnself. Peoplewho are grudging and have envyare only concerned aboutthemselves. See: groj. [Perhaps‘red eye’ indicates that one’s eyesburn for something.]red bel n. hibiscus. Hibiscusrosa-sinensis Linon. Lat a piplyooz red bel fi mek hej. Manypeople use hibiscus to make ahedge.red snapa n. red snapper, typeof fish. Aant Naama mi ga sohnnais red snapa wid hatjanikayk. Aunt Norma had somenice red snapper with hot johnnycakes.See: snapa.red taiga cougar. See: taiga.reda (var: rada) v. rather, prefer.Ai reda di pink blowz kaa dibrong wan tu daak. I’d ratherhave the pink blouse because thebrown one is too dark. See: prifa.redi adj. ready. Wi mi redi figoh da maakit, bot wi laas wimoni. We were ready to go to themarket, but we lost our money.red-nek jranko n. king vulture;large scavenger bird. Wendehn red-nek jankro di serkloava yu hows, dat meensohnbadi wahn ded. Whenvultures fly over a person’s housethat means that somebody inthere will die. See: jranko.287reech (var: rech) v. reach, arrive.Wi mi hafu waak gaahn da difinaral, soh ih mi tek wi lang fireech. We had to walk to thefuneral, so it took us a long timeto arrive there.reed v. read. Joa da big man anih noh noa how fi reed yet. Joeis a grown man and he doesn’tknow how to read yet.reedin n. 1) reading. Joazireedin di geh beta ahn beta kaaih noa aal di big wod dehn.Josie’s reading gets better andbetter because she knows all ofthe big words. 2) reading; publicrecitation. Di minista dehn miga wahn reedin a di bill eena diHows tudeh. The ministers had areading of the bill in the House ofRepresentatives today.reel adj. real. Dis ring weh Ai gada reel goal. This ring that I haveis real gold.reeli adv. really. Ah neva reelinoa how fi plat kaanroa. I didn’treally know how to braid hair incornrows. See: akchwali.reep v. harvest a crop. Da faamadi reep weh ih neva plaant. Thatfarmer is reaping what he didn’tplant. See: haavis.reeyalaiz v. realize; to haveawareness. Ih neva reeyalaiz daMerida ih deh. He didn’t realizethat he was in Merida.reezn n. reason, cause. Ai nohfain no reezn fi sen di man dajayl. I don’t find any reason tosend the man to jail.reg Variant: rag.regata n. regatta; a boat race
egeh Kriol tu Inglish repyutayshanheld in Belize City. Di red ahnwait teem win di pitpan rayseena di riva regata. The red andwhite team won the widebottomeddug-out canoe race inthe river regatta.regeh adj. reggae; a popularstyle of Caribbean musicoriginating in Jamaica.regyula adj. regular. Jan dawahn regyula vizita da di baardong di schreet. John is a regularvisitor to the bar down the street.— adv. regularly. Hihn kohn dacherch regyula. He comes tochurch regularly.rejiment n. regiment. Mi onklda-mi di kyapm a di BileezyanRejiment. My uncle was thecaptain of the Belizean regiment.rejischri registry. Ah sen Maakda rejischri fi get di bert paypa.I sent Mark to the registry to getthe birth certificate.rejista v. register. Bifoa wi kuvoat, wi hafu goh hoahn ahnrejista. Before we can vote, wehave to go home and register.— n. register. Evribadi hafuput dehn naym eena di rejista.Everybody has to put his name inthe register.rek v. wreck. Luk how yu rek opmi baik; now ih noh gud agen.Look how you wrecked my bike;now it doesn’t work anymore.— n. wreck. Marva laas ih toofut eena di kaa rek. Marva lostboth of her legs in the car wreck.rekad n. 1) record. Deez dayz yunoh si rekad agen, oanli loanCD. These days you don’t seerecords anymore, just CD’s.2) record, best performance.Dis yaa dehn brok di rekad fi dikraas konchri rays. This yearthey broke the record for thecross-country race.rekin baar n. crow bar with achisel point at one end and aclaw at the other end. See:hanspeek, kroabaar.rekli conj. lest; for fear that.Bwai, put dong di laydi ting;rekli yu goh brok it. Boy, putdown the lady’s thing lest youbreak it. [
es Kriol tu Inglish rijaisyong gyal spail ih repyutayshanwen ih gaahn geh pregnant. Theyoung girl spoiled her reputationwhen she got pregnant.res v. rest. Afta ih werk sohmoch, di man res. After he didso much work, the man rested.— n. rest, remainder, balance.Di teecha mek di res a di piknidehn gaahn hoahn. The teacherlet the rest of the children gohome. See: balans.reskyu v. rescue, save. Di leegyal mi nayli jrongdid wen diman reskyu ahn. The little girlhad almost drowned when theman rescued her.restorant n. restaurant. Di foodda da restorant deh noh nais.The food at that restaurant is notgood.reyeno n. relleno; type ofchicken soup made with blackrecado. Lat a farina noh laikreyeno sayk a weh di soop sohblak. Many foreigners don’t likerelleno soup because it is soblack. [
ijek Kriol tu Inglish ringhappened, I really rejoiced.rijek v. reject. Di man mi donnoa dat dehn wi wahn rijek wehih ga fi seh. The man alreadyknew that they would reject whathe had to say.rikaad v. record. Hihn mirikaad too sang pahn di CD. Herecorded two songs on the CD.rikaada n. recorder. Fredi bloawahn priti sang pan ih rikaada.Freddie blew a beautiful song onhis recorder.rikaado n. recado: seasoningfor meat made from theannatto plant; usually brightred or black and formed intoballs or blocks. Ai noh laik putlat a rikaado pahn mi meet kaaih mek it tu red. I don’t like toput a lot of recado on my meatbecause it makes it too red. See:naata.rikwes v. request. Ah rikweswahn sang fi yu pahn di rayjo. Irequested a song for you over theradio. See: aks. — n. request.Mi ma mek wan rikwes bifoa ihded, ahn da fi mek mi bredastap jrink. My mother made onerequest before she died, and thatwas for my brother to stopdrinking.rilaks v. relax. Yu luk taiyad,soh rilaks ahn put op yu fut.You look tired, so relax and putyour feet up. See: breez aaf,krak bak.rilaytid adj. related. Hihn sehdat mee ahn hihn da kozn, botmee noh rilaytid tu hihn ataal!He says that we’re cousins, butI’m not related to him at all!rileef n. relief. Sanjra neva gehno rileef fahn di payn. Sandradidn’t get any relief from thepain.rilees v. release. Dehn ares Janyestudeh, bot bai eevnin dehnmi don rilees ahn. They arrestedJohn yesterday, but by eveningthey had already released him.See: legoh.rilijan n. religion, religiousdenomination(s). Az paat adehn rilijan, dehn seh dat piplhafu geh baptaiz. As part oftheir religion, they say that peoplehave to be baptized.rilijos adj. religious. Mai aantishee oanli rilijos kaa ih liv dachoch. My auntie is so religiousthat she practiclly lives at church.rimain v. remind. Mek Ahrimain unu bowt wi hischri. Letme remind you about our history.rimemba Variant: memba.rinch v. wrench, pry. Jak mihafu rinch oapm di doa kaa ihneva ga no kee. Jack had to prythe door open because he didn’thave a key. — n. wrench. Minayba aalwayz bara mi rinch filoos ih gyas tank. My neighbouralways borrows my wrench toloosen his gas tank.ring v. wring.ring aaf v.phr. wring off(removal or ‘beheading’ of thecashew fruit from the seed).Eena Krukid Chree vilij bokittap a bokit a kashu froot gehring aaf eena wahn shaat taim.In the village of Crooked Tree290
inkl Kriol tu Inglish rivabucket after bucket of cashewfruits are separated from theirseeds in a short time.rinkl n. wrinkle. Di oal man miga lat a rinkl pan ih fays. Theold man had many wrinkles onhis face. See: swibl op.ripent v. repent. Unu beta ripenter els Gaad noh wahn fagivunu. You had better repent orelse God won’t forgive you.ripoat v. report. Goh ripoat diaksident tu di polees. Go reportthe accident to the police.— n. report. Wi mi hafu gi witeecha wahn ripoat bowt wichrip. We had to give our teachera report about our trip.ris 1 v. risk. Di man ris ih laif wenih ron eena di faiya fi sayv dibaybi. The man risked his lifewhen he ran into the fire to savethe little baby. See: chaans.ris 2 n. wrist. Wen Ah faal dongaaf a mi baik Ah sprayn mi ris.When I fell off my bike Isprained my wrist.rischrikshan n. restriction.anda rischrikshan phr.grounded. Gyal, Ah kyaahngoh no way kaa mi pa ga mianda rischrikshan. Girl, I can’tgo anywhere because my dad hasgrounded me. See: andaponishment.riseet n. receipt. Mek shoar yugeh yu riseet wen yu goh pay dibil. Make sure that you get yourreceipt when you pay the bill.risepshan n. reception. Wigaahn da di wedn bot noh dirisepshan. We went to thewedding but not the reception.rispansabiliti n. repsonsibility.Di yong gyal ga lat arispansabiliti kaa da shee haftutek kayr a ih lee breda ahn sistadehn. That young girl has lots ofresponsibility because she’s theone who has to take care of herlittle brothers and sisters.rispansabl adj. responsible.Eech wan a wi rispansabl fihow wi liv. Each of us isresponsible for how we live.rispek v. respect. — n. respect.Dehnya yonga jenarayshan nohga no rispek fi oalda pipl. Thisyounger generation doesn’t haveany respect for older people.rispektabl adj. respectable.Shee noh goh da klob ahn sohkaaz shee da wahn rispektabllaydi. She doesn’t go to clubs ansuch because she’s a respectablewoman.ritaiya v. retire. Wen Ah ritaiya,Ah waahn goh da Mexico.When I retire, I want to go toMexico.riva (var: riba) n. river. Korantmi-di ron schrang eena di rivadis maanin. The current wasrunning strong in the river thismorning.riva batam n.phr. river bed.Dehn san laita doz kohn fahnfer wid san weh dehn dig fahnriva batam. Sand boats used tocome from a long distance withsand that was dug from the riverbed.riva mowt n.phr. mouth of ariver. Wen wi reech di riva291
ivasaid Kriol tu Inglish roapmowt, wi si di waid waid see.When we reached the mouth ofthe river, we saw the big, widesea.rivasaid n. riverside. Wi gwehnda di rivasaid goh kleen fish.We’re going to the riverside toclean fish.riwaad n. reward, payment. Ifyu pa si dat yu di du wahn gudjab, ih wahn gi yu wahnriwaad. If your father sees thatyou’re doing a good job, he’llgive you a reward.rizerv v. reserve. Wi wahnrizerv wahn taybl fi dina. We’llreserve a table for dinner.— adj. reserved. Da di kansert,wee mi-di sidong da rizerv seet.We were sitting in reserved seatsat the concert.rizolt n. result. Di rizolt a diegzam noh kom owt yet. Theresult of the exam hasn’t comeout yet.roa 1 n. row. Evribadi eena frontroa geh free jrink. Everyone inthe front row got free drinks.roa 2 n. roe, fish eggs. Fish roanais wen ih frai krispi krispi.Fish roe is nice when it’s friedvery crispy.roab n. robe. Di king jres opeena ih nais roab ahn sidongpan ih chroan. The king dressedup in his nice robe and sat on histhrone.road modl n. role model. Digyal weh win Mis Bileez sehshee waahn bee wahn gud roadmodl fi di yong gyal dehn. Thegirl who won the Miss Belizepageant said that she wants to bea good role model for the younggirls. [Perhaps a result ofmetathesis or an error inunderstanding]road mowt n. entrance to theroad. Wi sidong da road mowtfi wayt fi kech bos. We sat at theentrance to the road to wait tocatch a bus.roadsaid n. roadside. Di manmi-di sidong bai di roadsaid dibayg. The man was sitting by theroadside, begging.roal 1 v. roll. Yu kyaahn kehrdehn lat a fai sehn da bank – yuhaftu roal dehn eena paypa.You can’t take those five centpieces to the bank – you have toroll them in paper. See: kwail.— n. roll. Da man ga wahn hoalroal a moni eena ih pakit. Thatman has a whole roll of money inhis pocket.roal 2 role, character, part. Daweh roal yoo play eena di play?What role do you play in theplay?roala n. roller, stone crusher. Diman ron di roala oava di stoanpahn di schreet fi mash it dong.The man ran the stone crusherover the stones in the street toflatten them.Roalin Krik n. Roaring Creek.Yu hafu paas chroo RoalinKrik fi goh da Kaiyo. You haveto pass through Roaring Creek toget to Cayo.roap n. rope. Di roap pahn dibokit neva lang nof fi reech diwaata eena di wel. The rope on292
oas Kriol tu Inglish rompeh raahehthe bucket wasn’t long enough toreach the water in the well. See:kaad, schring.roas v. roast. Roas di chikin, nohfrai it. Roast the chicken, don’tfry it.roaz aapl n. rose apple; fruitwith a perfume-like taste. Wenroaz aapl yala yala, yu noa datih wahn sweet ahn joosi; den yuku yehr di seed shayk eensaid.When rose apples are veryyellow, you know that they willbe sweet and juicy; then you canhear the seed knocking against itinside when you shake it.roazwud n. rosewood; treewhich produces a hard,pinkish wood (exported foruse in making marimbas andxylophones) Dalbergiastevensonii.rob v. rub. Yu noh fi rob yu aiywen yu ga pink aiy. Youshouldn’t rub your eye when youhave conjunctivitis.robin stoan n. whetstone. Diman gaahn da di robin stoan fishaapm ih machet. The manwent to the whetstone to sharpenhis machete. See: shaapninstoan.robowta n. eraser. Gyal, len miyu robowta mek Ah iraysa dispensl maak. Girl, lend me youreraser so I can erase this pencilmark. See: iraysa.roda n. rudder. Misa Maatnboat roda brok, soh wi jos mi-dijrif. Mr. Martin’s boat rudderbroke, so we were just drifting.rof v. be rough. Polees rof op di293teef weh dehn fain di haid eenadi laydi hows. The policeroughed up the thief whom theyfound hiding in the lady’s house.— adj. rough. Di waata mi rofsoh wi kudn mek no hedway.The water was rough, so wecouldn’t make any headway. See:krofi.rofyan n. ruffian. Noh goh owtwid da bwai kaa hihn da reelrofyan. Don’t go out with thatguy because he’s a real ruffian.See: rompeh raaheh.rog n. rug. Mayzi bai wahn nyoorog fi ih floa. Mazie bought anew rug for her floor.rokshan n. commotion, noisyuproar. Big rokshan mi dehsayk a weh di laydi kech ihhozban wid ih sweethaat. Therewas a big commotion because thewoman caught her husband withhis mistress. See: kamoashan,oproal, rugudungz. [
ompopo Kriol tu Inglish rooda‘rajar’ to split]rompopo n. eggnog; drink ofmilk, eggs, rum, servedtraditionally at Christmas.Wen Evlin mek rompopo fiKrismos, shee bail di eg ahn dimilk fos, den ih put een di rom.When Evelyn makes eggnog forChristmas, she boils the egg andthe milk first, then she puts in therum.ron v. 1) run. Di gyal mi-di ronlang di way di sing tu ihself. Thegirl was running along the waysinging to herself. 2) chase. Sohnlee bwai mi-di chrai teefgwaava aaf a wi chree, bot mipa ron dehn owt a wi yaad.Some little boys were trying tosteal guavas off of our tree, butmy father chased them out of theyard. See: chays, wail.— n. run; pen, enclosure fordomestic animals or fowl. Mionkl mek wahn big chikin ronbak a ih hows. My uncle made abig chicken run behind his house.See: kub.ron gens v.phr. compete. Unuaalwayz hafu proov hoo beta;wai unu noh stap ron gens wananada? You always have toprove who’s better; why don’tyou stop competing with eachother?rong adj. round (in shape) Di leebwai fays rong laik wahn saasa.The little boy’s face was as roundas a saucer. — adv. around.Dehn yehr di halarin, soh dehnluk rong fi si hoo mi dehdeh.They heard the hollering, so theylooked around to see who was294there. — n. 1) round, a timeperiod in a boxing match. Joanak dong di man eena di foatrong a di fait. Joe knocked theman down in the fourth round ofthe fight. 2) rounds, customarystops. Di dakta mek ih rongz adi vilij dehn, di help di sik pipldehn. The doctor made hisrounds of the villages, helping thesick people.ronin v. running. Di man kohnronin bikaaz ih waif mi sik. Theman came running because hiswife was sick.roninz n. diarrhea. If yu eet tumoch mango, yu ku geh roninz.If you eat too many mangos, youcould get diarrhea. See: beli(bad, werk), shitninz.rood adj. 1) rude; disrespectful,undisciplined (refers to littlechildren) Sayk a weh di piknisoh rood, ih ma mi hafu tu beetahn gud. Because the child is sorude, his mom had to beat himwell. 2) promiscuous;(generally refers to youngwomen) Da gyal shee oanlirood kaa ih deh fahn man tuman. That girl is reallypromiscuous because she goesfrom man to man.rooda n. a shrub-like plant withflowers. Mis Babzi plaantrooda rait da ih step fi gud lok.Miss Babsy planted a rooda plantright at the foot of her stairs forgood luck. [Folklore: If you picka blossom at Easter and put it inyour suitcase or clothes chest, itwill bring you good luck. ‘Rooda’mixed with blue is dropped in a
ooftap Kriol tu Inglish ryaababy’s eyes for health and toprotect against ‘bad eye’. Ifbabies eat it, they have specialpowers.]rooftap n. rooftop, roof. Mibreda klaim op pahn di rooftapfi fiks it kaaz ih mi-di leek. Mybrother climbed up on the rooftopto fix it because it was leaking.See: howstap.rooinz n. ruins (Mayan) Lat aMaiya rooinz deh da Bileez.There are many Mayan ruins inBelize.rool v. rule; govern, reign. Langlaas wahn gud king staat tu rooleena da konchri. Finally a goodking started to rule in thatcountry. See: rayn. — n. rule.Dehn mek fi dehn oan lee set aroolz. They make their own littleset of rules.rooma n. rumour. Lat a roomastaat spred bowt di man an ihgyalfren. Lots of rumours startedto spread about the man and hisgirlfriend.roosho n. a kind of dancereported to come fromMonkey River: the womanputs her hands on the man’sshoulders, the man facing thewoman puts his hands on herhips; they take two steps toeach side, then go forward andbackward, then turn around.roosta n. cock, rooster. Daroosta kroa siks aklak evrimaanin. That rooster crows at sixo’clock every morning.ros n. rust. Loan ros mi-di jrapaaf a di oal pees a aiyan.Nothing but rust was falling offof the old piece of iron.rosh v. rush. Aal a wi rosh owt adi hows kaa ih mi deh pahnfaiya. All of us rushed out thehouse because it was on fire. See:hori, mikays.rosti adj. rusty. Weh di kaa mipaak bai di see soh lang, di injingeh rosti. Because the car wasparked by the sea for so long, theengine got rusty.rot bowt v.phr. behavepromiscuously, sleep around.(Generally refers to men.) Sayka weh Peeta hihn rot bowt sohmoch, ih kech AIDS. Petercontracted Aids because he sleptaround so much. See: bad bowt,sleep rong.row v. quarrel. Yestudeh meeahn Darati mi-di row sayk aweh shee bara mi pat ahn nohbring it bak. Yesterday Dorothyand I quarrelled because sheborrowed my pot and didn’t bringit back. See: kwaaril, tel aaf. —n. row; noisy dispute orquarrel.rugudungz n. commotion,noisy uproar. Big rugudungzwahn deh dis eevnin kaa diyoonyan dehn wahn ga meetn.There will be a big commotionthere tonight because the unionswill have a meeting. See:kamoashan, oproal, rokshan.ryaa adj. rare. Ih ryaa wen yu simee ahn mi hozban di kwaaril.It’s rare when you see myhusband and me quarrelling.295
sa Kriol tu Inglish saal fizikS - ssa n. sir. Sa, yu ku pleez sidongkraas deh? Sir, could you pleasesit down over there?saa v. saw. Jimi mi hafu saa aafwahn pees a di boad kaa ih mitu lang fi mek di shelf owt a.Jim had to saw off a piece of theboard because it was too long tomake the shelf out of. — n. saw.Dehn bring di ilekchrik saa fikot dong di chree. They broughtthe electric saw to cut down thetree. See: hagsaa.saach v. 1) search (for) Ahsaach aal bowt fi mi kee dehnahn kudn fain dehn. I searchedeverywhere for my keys anddidn’t find them. See: luk fa.2) search; examine. Poleessaach di bwai fi si if ih mi ga eniweed pan ahn. The policesearched the boy to see if he hadany marijuana on him.saados n. sawdust. Wi ful op wiyaad wid di saados weh jrap dagrong afta dehn don saa diboad dehn. We filled our yardwith the sawdust that fell to theground after they finished sawingthe boards.saaf adj. soft. Di grong saaf raitya, bot wi ku waak pan it. Theground is soft right here, but wecan walk on it. — adv. softly.Taak saaf saaf mek yu nohwayk di baybi. Talk very softlyso you don’t wake the baby. See:eezi-wan, saaf-wan.saaf jrink n. soft drink. Wen fiwee ma bai saaf jrink fiKrismos ahn put ahn anda dibed, wee teef ahn goh jrink ahnowt. When our mother buys softdrinks for Christmas and putsthem under the bed, we sneak inand drink them up. See:lemanayd.saafish n. sawfish. Sawfish gawahn lang mowt weh ku kot yugud. The sawfish has a longmouth that can give you a badcut.saaf-wan adv. quietly. Di bwaiwaak op saaf-wan bak a dilaydi ahn grab ih pos. The boywalked up quietly behind the ladyand grabbed her purse. See:eezi-wan.saal 1 n. salt. If yu noh put nofsaal eena di bred, ih noh wahntays gud. If you don’t put enoughsalt in the bread, it won’t tastegood.saal 2 adj. unlucky. Ah oanli saal!Ai neva win notn yet. I’m reallyunlucky! I haven’t won anythingyet. See: badlokid.saal fizik 1 n. Epsom salts. Fiwee ma laik gi wi saal fizik fiperj wi owt. Our mother liked togive us Epsom salts to purge us.[physic + salt]saal fizik 2 n. thin low-cutsneakers, tennis shoes. Wenwee mi leel, oanli poa piplyoostu wayr saal fizik fi goh daskool. When we were small, itwas only poor people who used to296
saal mowt Kriol tu Inglish saidwear tennis shoes to school. See:tenis.saal mowt n. a savoury food;usually part of breakfast orsupper. Weh yu ga fi saalmowt? Ah waahn sohnting naisfi jrink mi tee wid. What do youhave that’s tasty? I wantsomething nice to eat forbreakfast.saalti adj. salty. Wi gaahn da wifren hows fi eet, bot dehn foodmi tu saalti. We went to ourfriends’ house to eat, but theirfood was too salty.Saamz n. Psalm(s). Mi granireed ih Saamz evri nait bifoa ihgoh da bed. My granny reads herPsalms every night before shegoes to bed.saas n. sauce. Mai onkl put lat apepa saas pan ih dina wen ih dieet. My uncle puts lots of peppersauce on his dinner when he iseating.saasa n. saucer. Noh put di koprait soh pahn di taybl; put iteena wahn saasa. Don’t put thecup on the table like that; put it ina saucer.saat v. sort. Yu hafu saat owt yukloaz bifoa yu wash dehn. Youhave to sort your clothes beforeyou wash them.saav Variant: serv.saavant (var: servant) n.servant. Di rich man ga wahnlat a saavant. The rich man hasmany servants. See: mayd.saavis Variant: servis.Sabat n. Sabbath; a day setapart as a day of worship by297Jews and Christians. Eena dioal dayz ih mi gens di laa fiwerk pahn di Sabat. In the olddays it was against the law towork on the Sabbath.sachiz (var: sasij) n. sausage.Wee eet sachiz frai wid eg dismaanin fi tee. We ate sausagefried with egg for breakfast thismorning. See: longaneesa,merseeya.Sachudeh (var: Satideh) n.Saturday. Ah glad wenSachudeh kohn kaa Ah ku sleeplayt. I’m glad when Saturdaycomes because I can sleep late.sai v. sigh. Dehn oal pipl laik sehevri taim yu sai, wahn jrap ablod jrap fahn yu haat. Theolder people like to say that everytime you sigh, you lose a drop ofblood from your heart. — n.sigh. Di man gi wahn deep saijos bifoa ih ded. The man gave adeep sigh just before he died.said n. side. Yu hafu yehr toosaid a wahn stoari bifoa yu seheniting. You should hear bothsides of a story before you sayanything.said a phr. beside, next to. Dilaydi mi-di stan op said a ihhozban. The woman wasstanding beside her husband.said op v.phr. sidle. Dikrakhed kohn di said op tu mifi bayg fi moni. The crack headsidled up to me to beg for money.said wid/tek said v.phr.sympathize with, support. Dafamili split bad; chree a di piknidehn said wid dehn pa, ahnchree said wid dehn ma. That
saidman Kriol tu Inglish sakrafamily is badly divided; three ofthe children side with their fatherand three with their mother. See:sopoat.saidman n. assistant. Dehn hoalop di chrok jraiva an ihsaidman ahn gaahn wid aal dimoni. They held up the truckdriver and his assistant and wentaway with all the money.saikl Variant: motosaikl.sailent adj. silent. Di lee bwaikip sailent kaaz ih mi tai-tong.The little boy kept silent becausehe had a lisp. See: kwaiyat.sain n. 1) sign: mark or gesturethat indicates a fact or bearsinformation. Dehn put wahnsain pahn di hows weh dehn miwaahn sel. They put a sign on thehouse that they wanted to sell.2) sign; visible trace orindication. Ah noh si no sain aGilbert, an ih pramis fi kohnfahn ayt aklak. I don’t see anytrace of Gilbert, and he promisedto come as early as eight o’clock.3) sign; premonition. Wen lat adaag di howl da nait, dat dawahn sain dat sohnbadi rongdeh wahn soon goh lang. Whenthere are lots of dogs howling atnight, that is a sign thatsomebody will soon die.sait v. see, sight. Wen di maagabwai sait di fat bwai, ih staat tulaaf. When the thin boy saw thefat boy, he started to laugh. See:noatis, si. — n. sight; facultyof seeing. Di pikni dehn mioanli hapi wen dehn kech sait adehn ma. The children were veryhappy when they caught sight oftheir mother.saiyans n. 1) science. Karen laikstodi saiyans kaa ih laik laanbowt di son ahn di staarz dehnahn soh. Karen likes to studyscience because she like to learnabout the sun and the stars andthings like that. 2) witchcraft.Dehn seh how Mis Sayra noalee saiyans ahn ting, soh yu kugoh da shee fi fiks yu hozbansweethaat. They say that MissSarah knows a little witchcraft, soyou could go to her to bewitchyour husband’s mistress. See:oabya.saiyantis n. scientist. Beki sehshee waahn bee wahn saiyantiswen shee geh big kaa sheewaahn help fain di kyoar fikyansa. Becky says that shewants to be a scientist when shegrows up because she wants tohelp find a cure for cancer.saiz n. size. Fi yoo fut da disayhn saiz laik mainz. Your feetare the same size as mine.saizabl adj. sizeable, large,huge. Di mostad seed wahngroa intu wahn saizabl plaant.The mustard seed will grow into asizeable plant.sak n. sack. Dehn bai wahn hoalsak a rais fi kuk da kyamp.They bought a whole sack of riceto cook at camp.sakra int. blasphemousexclamation. Wel sakra! Dahow yu soh fat? Heavens! Whyis it that you’re so fat? [
sakrifais Kriol tu Inglish sankisakrifais v. 1) sacrifice; givingup something for the sake ofanother. Mi ma yoostu sakrifaisfi put mee chroo kalij. Mymother used to sacrifice to put methrough college. 2) sacrifice;offering a human life, ananimal or an object in homageto a deity. — n. sacrifice;something that is given oroffered up. Di pipl yoostu bonanimal az wahn sakrifais fiGaad. The people used to burnanimals as a sacrifice to God.saks n. socks. (Both sg. & pl.)Wee hafu wayr wait saks ahnblak shooz da fi wee skool. Wehave to wear white socks andblack shoes at our school.wan fut a saks n.phr. half of apair of socks. Ah laas wan fut asaks. I lost one of my socks.salabrayt Variant: selibraytsalad n. salad; refers to potatosalad unless specifiedotherwise. Di laydi mi waahnnoa if yu waahn salad er slaawid yu dina. The lady wanted toknow if you want potato salad orcoleslaw with your dinner.salbootes n. a type of Spanishfood. Da laydi salbootes mi gataan lee bit a chikin ahn tomaytopahn tap a di kaan torteeya.That lady’s salbutes had only alittle bit of chicken and tomato ontop of the corn tortilla. [
sanpaipa Kriol tu Inglish sayfpopularized by the hymn-writer,Ira Sankey (1840-1908)]sanpaipa n. sandpiper; a typeof bird.sanpaypa v. sandpaper. Mi pasanpaypa di boad dehn til dehnsmood smood. My fathersandpapered the boards until theywere very smooth. — n.sandpaper.sanpaypa chree See: yahachree.Santa Mareeya n. hardwoodtree, similar to mahogany;formerly used in ship buildingbut now used for rafters andother interior construction as ithas a tendency to warp.Calophyllum antillanum. SantaMareeya ud oanli haad. SantaMaria wood is very hard. [Latin:‘Calophyl’ beautiful leaves]santapi n. centipede. Wensantapi stin yu, ih gi yu feeva.When you are stung by acentipede, it gives you fever.sap v. sop, soak. Wen di baybinak oava di milk, Ah sap it opwid wahn sponj. When the babyknocked over the milk, I soppedit up with a sponge.sapadili n. sapodilla tree: ofhistoric economic importancein the early 1900’s because thelatex known as ‘chicle’ (usedin ‘Chiclets’ chewing gum)was tapped from its trunk; thepulp from the brown fruit wasa staple for the Aztec andMayan, and it is still enjoyedtoday. Manilkara zapota.Sohntaim wen yu du eet disapadili froot, ih lef yu mowtstiki stiki. Sometimes after eatingthe sapodilla fruit, it leaves yourmouth very sticky. [
sayhn Kriol tu Inglish sayvyateef get eena di sayf da bankahn teef di moni. We don’t knowhow thieves got into the safe atthe bank and stole the money.— adj. safe. Sayk a aal a divailens, di siti noh sayf nohmoh.Because of all the violence, thecity isn’t safe anymore.sayhn (var: saym) adj. same. Datda di sayhn man weh Ah mi siaredi. That’s the same man that Ihad already seen. See: sed, veri.sayhn way phr. equally, alike.Deez dayz dehn chreet man ahnuman sayhn way. These daysthey treat man and womanequally.sayin n. saying. Mi ma aalwayzliv bai da sayin weh seh, “Sleepwid yu oan aiy.” My motheralways lived by that saying thatsays, “Sleep with your own eye.”(Do things yourself; don’t dependon anyone.)sayj n. sage; a plant whose leafis used to make tea. Salviaofficinalis. Sayj gud fi mek teeahn wain ahn fi put eena yubeenz. Sage is good for makingtea and wine and for putting inyour beans.sayk n. sake. Ah di gi yu disadvais fi yu oan sayk. I’m givingyou this advice for your ownsake.sayk a prep.phr. because,because of, due to. Yoo geteena chrobl sayk a kyaahn kipyu mowt shet. You got intotrouble because you can’t keepyour mouth shut. See: akonk a,bikaaz a.sayl 1 n. sale. Andawayr mi dehpahn sayl laas week. Underwearwas on sale last week.sayl 2 v. sail. Wi set owt ahn saylfahn Bileez tu Texas. We set outand sailed from Belize to Texas.— n. sail. Haad breez kohn ahnrip op di sayl pahn di boat. Ahard wind came and ripped up thesail on the boat.saylin boat n. sailboat. Yu oanliinjai wahn saylin boat raid wengud breez deh. You can onlyenjoy a ride in a sailboat whenthere is a good wind blowing.saym Variant: sayhn.sayn net n. seine net; large netstrung between boats or postsacross a channel; used toentrap shoals of fish. Mi onkldehn kech soh moch fish eenadehn sayn net dat di net bos anaal. My uncle and his friendscaught so many fish that eventheir seine net broke. See: ginisayn net, pers sayn net. [
schoo Kriol tu Inglish schranglthat day when she gave memoney to buy my dinner.schoo v. stew. Schoo dong dimeet til ih saaf. Cook andsimmer the meat until it’s tender.— n. stew. Ah waahn mek beefschoo wid lat a okro een deh. Iwant to make beef stew with lotsof okra in it. — adj. stewed;cooked by stewing in liquid orin a sugar syrup. See: pongkin,soopa.schraa n. straw. Di laydi gawahn hat weh mek owt aschraa. The woman has a hatthat’s made out of straw.schraif n. strife, contention.Yoo laik tel lai pahn pipl ahnkaaz schraif. You like to tell liesabout people and cause strife.schraik v. 1) strike (clock) Jankom een az di klak schraiktwelv. John came in as the clockstruck twelve. 2) go on strike(labour) Di teecha dehn dischraik fi moa pay. The teachersare striking for more pay.3) strike (lightning) Laitninschraik di big chree laas nait.Lightning struck the big tree lastnight. 4) strike (oil) Dehnschraik ail da Bileez fi di fostaim. They struck oil in Belizefor the first time. 5) spear (fish)Mi onkl get op soon dis maaninfi goh schraik fish. My uncle gotup early this morning to gospearfishing. — n. strike(baseball) Kent mi don ga tooschraik wen ih wap di hoamron. Kent already had two strikeswhen he hit the home run.schraika n. striker mosquito;302has a black needle-like body.Dehn schraika bait hata dan aala di ada maskito dehn. Thestriker mosquitos bite harder thanany other mosquito. See: flai,maskito.schraikn n. spearfishing. Taamget op soon dis maanin gaahnschraikn fi fish. Tom got upearly this morning to gospearfishing.schraip n. stripe. Diki shot gared ahn wait schraip pan it.Dickie’s shirt has red and whitestripes on it.schraipid adj. striped. Sheenalaik wayr schraipid kloaz.Sheena likes to wear stripedclothes.schrang v. extort, strong-arm.Da man yoostu schrang di pipldehn moni fahn dehn. That manused to extort the people’smoney.— adj. 1) strong. Ah eet heltifood fi mek mi badi schrang. Ieat healthy food to make my bodystrong. 2) resolutely. Goh dehschrang, noh gi op pahn yujreemz. Go there resolutely,don’t give up on your dreams.schrang bak n.phr. malepotency. Dehn seh seeweed giyu schrang bak. They say thatseaweed gives you potency. See:kot...naycha.schrangl v. strangle. Di daagschrangl ihself gens di fens widdi roap weh mi dehn rong ihnek. The dog strangled itselfagainst the fence with the ropethat was around its neck. See:choak.
schrangman Kriol tu Inglish schrimpsschrangman n. muscle shirt.Kent gaan da cherch eena loanschrangman. Kent went tochurch wearing just a muscleshirt. See: andashot, ves.schrap n. strap. Di bag schrapbos. The strap on the bag burst.schray v. stray; move awayfrom. Yu di schray fahn di wayyu ma bring yu op. You arestraying from the way yourmother brought you up.schray-way daag n.phr. straydog. Tu moch schray-way daagdeh pahn schreet da nait. Toomany stray dogs are on the streetat night.schrayn v. 1) strain. Di lee oallaydi schrayn fi bak di bokit awaata. The little old lady strainedto carry the bucket of water.2) strain; pass through a screenor sieve.schraynj adj. strange. Ihschraynj dat yoo di kohn hoahnlayt evri day. It’s strange thatyou are coming home lateeveryday.schraynja n. stranger. Tel yupikni dehn noh fi taak tu noschraynja. Tell your children notto talk to any strangers. See:aylyan.schrayt adj. straight. Jraa wahnschrayt lain dong di midl a dipaypa. Draw a straight line downthe middle of the paper.— adv. straight. Kohn schraythoahn afta skool. Come straighthome after school. See: dairekli,ded.schraytn v. straighten. Bwai,303schraytn yu room bifoa yu gohplay. Boy, straighten up yourroom before you go out to play.schrech v. extend, reach,stretch. Schrech owt yu han,bwai. Stretch out your hand, boy.See: lang owt, han...han.schrecha n. stretcher. Dehnmi-di kehr di paralaiz manpahn wahn schrecha. They werecarrying the paralyzed man on astretcher.schrech-mi-gots n. taffy madefrom the water of the youngcoconut. Wen Ah mi smaal mifrayvrit sweet da-mischrech-mi-gots. When I wassmall my favourite candy wastaffy.schreet n. street. Ih daynjaras fiplay pahn schreet. It’sdangerous to play in the street.schrent n. strength. Da lee bwaiga lat a schrent fi bak dehnsiment blak. That little boy has alot of strength to carry thosecement blocks.schrentn v. strengthen. Dehnseh wen lee baybi play eena san,ih mek dehn schrentn dehn fut.They say when babies play in thesand, it helps them strengthentheir feet.schres v. stress. Dehn lat a werkdi schres mi owt. All that workstresses me out.schrik adj. strict. Da man di falaschrik aadaz. That man isfollowing strict orders.schrimps n. shrimp. Ih beta fikech yu oan schrimps,kaa ihoanli dyaa nowadayz. It’s better
schrimps net Kriol tu Inglish see kowto catch your own shrimp becauseit’s really expensive these days.schrimps net n. large fishingnet pulled behind a boat;scrapes the sea bottom.schring v. thread. Mi graninainti ayt an ih stil ku schringneedl. My granny is ninety-eightand she can still thread a needle.— n. string. Gili tai op di bakswid pees a schring. Gilly tied upthe box with a piece of string.See: kaad, roap.schring op v.phr. lace up.Schring op yu tenis gud bifoayu goh da skool. Lace up yourshoes well before you go toschool. See: laysn.schrink v. shrink. Sayk a put misweta eena jraiya, ih schrinkrait op. My sweater shrank rightup because I put it in the drier.schrip-mi-naykid n. strip-menaked;a kind of card game.Mai kozn dehn doz playschrip-mi-naykid wid kyaad.My cousins used to play strip-menakedwith cards.schrogl v. struggle. Di gyalmi-di schrogl fi get owt a diroap weh di man tai ahn opwid. The girl was struggling toget out of the rope that the manhad tied her up with. — n.struggle. Laif da wahn schrogl,ahn wi hafu sopoat wan anada.Life is a struggle, and we have tosupport one another.schroot Variant: chroot. n.truth. [
see waal Kriol tu Inglish seesaidTrichechus manatus. ‘See kow’da wahn nada naym fi malanti.‘Sea cow’ is another name for themanatee. See: malanti.see waal n. sea wall. Wenharikayn, di wayv dehn brok opdi see waal. During a hurricane,the waves break up the sea wall.seed n. 1) seed. Di ada day mi paplaant sohn sweet pepa seedahn dehn don kom op aredi.The other day my father plantedsome sweet pepper seeds andthey’ve already come up.2) testicle. Sayk a weh di leeman noh gat aan no breef, ihseed dehn heng owt a ih shaatpants. Because the man didn’thave any briefs, his testicles werehanging out of his short pants.See: baalz, toan.seeda n. cedar; deciduous treewith whitish bark, used forhouse siding, furniture andflooring. Cedrela mexicana.Leerai wahn bil ih hows owt adi ud fahn seeda chree kaa ihschrang. Leroy will build hishouse out of the wood from acedar tree because it’s strong.[Folk remedy: bark is used tomake a tea good for removingbruises.]seegol n. seagull. Da eevnin taimlat a seegol gyada wichpaa difishaman dehn sel fish. In theevening, many seagulls gatherwhere the fishermen sell theirfish.seekrit n. secret. Noh telMaagrit no seekrit kaa ih wahntel evribadi. Don’t tell Margaretany secrets because she’ll telleverybody. — adj. secret. Dehnpipl dehn hoal wahn seekritmeetn. Those people held asecret meeting.eena seekrit. phr. secretly.Mis Maybl kohn aada di kaykeena seekrit kaa ih mi waahnsopraiz ih daata. Miss Mabelcame and ordered the cakesecretly because she wanted tosurprise her daughter. See:eezi-wan.seelin n. ceiling. Mayzi paynt ihseelin wait an ih waal dehngreen. Mazie painted her ceilingwhite and her walls green.seem n. seam. Di seem da said ayu frak rip owt. The seam on theside of your dress is ripped.seemschris n. seamstress. Maima ku soa gud kaa ih daseemschris. My mother can sewwell because she’s a seamstress.seen n. scene. Afta di faiya staat,wahn big krowd gyada pahn diseen. After the fire started, a bigcrowd gathered at the scene. See:seenri.seenri n. 1) scene; publicdisplay of strong feeling.Mayri shee gaahn mek bigseenri da ih hozban werk. Marywent and made a big scene at herhusband’s workplace. 2) scenery.seeryos adj. serious. Az yu noa,dis da seeryos bizniz ahn wihafu brayv. As you know, this isserious business and we have tobe brave.seesaid n. seaside, coast. Dipikni dehn mi deh bai di seesaiddi pik op shel. The children were305
seet Kriol tu Inglish seklootifby the seaside picking up shells.See: koas, see front.seet 1 n. seat. Get op owt a miseet mek Ah sidong. Get out ofmy seat so I can sit down.seet 2 v. hiss. Dehn bwai laik seetafta dehn gyal. Those boys liketo hiss after girls. [perhaps
seks Kriol tu Inglish sensablThose boys and girls like to go tosecluded places to make out.seks n. sex. Jani gaahn ga sekswid Karen ahn get ahnpregnant. Johnny went and hadsex with Karen and got herpregnant.sekshan n. section. Peeta mi deheena di sekshan a di bildin wehdehn ga di meetn dehn. Peterwas in the section of the buildingwhere they have meetings.sel 1 v. sell. Sandi sel ih kaa fifaiv towzn dalaz. Sandy sold hercar for five thousand dollars.sel owt v.phr. betray, sell out.Da wai yu sel mi owt ahn teldehn seh dat Ah mi-di haid owtda yu hows? Why did you betrayme and tell them that I was hidingout in your house? See: bichray,dobl kraas.sel 2 n. cell. Dehn noh put no laiteena dehn prizna dehn sel. Theydon’t put any electricity in theprisoner’s cells.sel foan n. cell phone. Ahaalwayz bak mi sel foan wid misoh dat mi pikni dehn ku reechmi. I always carry my cell phonewith me so that my children canreach me.selari n. celery. Selari mek saladtays nais. Celery makes potatosalad taste good.self pro. self. Timi damij ih oanself wid rom. Timmy did damageto his own self with rum.selfishnis n. selfishness. Da loanselfishnis mek hihn kip aal a dimoni fi ihself. It was nothing butselfishness that made him keepall of the money for himself.selibrayshan n. celebration. Mibreda reech hoahn in taim fi dibig selibrayshan. My brotherarrived home in time for the bigcelebration. See: jalifikayshan.selibrayt (var: salabrayt) v.celebrate. Evribadi mi-diselibrayt bikaaz fi dehn paatimi win di ilekshan. Everyonewas celebrating because theirparty had won the election. See:kip op.semteen num. seventeen.Semteen maabl mi deh eena dipan. There were seventeenmarbles in the pan.semti num. seventy. Di man gasemti pipl eena ih hoal faamli.The man has seventy people inhis whole family.sen v. send. Evri week mi masen mi da maakit. Every weekmy mom sends me to the market.See: poas.senchri n. century. Lat a waarhapm eena dis senchri. Manywars have happened in thiscentury.sens n. 1) sense, wisdom. Dagyal ga lat a sens fi soh yong.That girl has lots of sense for oneso young. 2) patience,tolerance. Ah noh ga sens fifala op mi hozban kaa hihn duloan fool. I don’t have thepatience to follow my husbandbecause he does nothing butfoolishness. See: payshans.sensabl adj. 1) sensible. Ih nohsensabl fi goh chro weh yu monipahn lachri. It’s not sensible to307
senseh fowl Kriol tu Inglish serikoatehthrow away your money on thelottery. 2) bright, smart. Da leebaybi oanli sensabl; ih don kutaak aredi. That little baby isvery bright; he can talk already.See: brait, kwik hed, smaat.senseh fowl n. a type of chickenthat has its feathers curledbackwards. Da how fi yoo hyaaluk fegi laik senseh fowl? Whydoes your hair look tousled like achicken whose feathers have beenruffled? [
serimoni Kriol tu Inglish seteezericote wood. [
setl Kriol tu Inglish shaat jekitthe sofa all day. See: soafa.setl v. settle. Wi mi hapi fi setldong eena fi wi nyoo hows. Wewere happy to settle down in ournew house.setlment n. settlement. Di foaman dehn kohn kraas wahn leesetlment wid sohn tach hows.The four men came across a littlesettlement with thatched houses.set-op n. wake, all-night vigilfor the dead. Dehn mi ga set-opwen Mis Mayri ded. They had awake when Miss Mary died. See:nain-nait, wayk.seveecheh n. ceviche; anappetizer of fish or conchmarinated in sauce and servedcold. Seveecheh gud fi eet wenyu ga goma. Ceviche is good toeat when you have a hang-over.[
shaatkot Kriol tu Inglish shatgonshaatkot n. shortcut. Wi mi-dihori, soh wi tek wahn shaatkotfi goh da skool. We werehurrying, so we took a shortcut toschool.shaatn v. shorten. Gyal, if diskert tu lang fi yu, shaatn it.Girl, if the skirt’s too long foryou, shorten it.shaatnis n. asthma, shortness ofbreath. Fahn ih smaal, ih chravlwid shaatnis. Since he wassmall, he suffered from shortnessof breath. See: asma, presn.shaats n. shorts. Sohn choch nohlaik wen laydi wayr shaats.Some churches don’t like it whenladies wear shorts.shado (var: shedo) n. shadow.Peeta oan shado fraitn ahn.Peter was frightened by his ownshadow.shain v. shine. Wi doz hafushain mi ma pat dehn wid ashizbifoa skool wen wi mi smaal.When we were small, we had toshine my mom’s pots with ashesbefore we went to school .shak v. shock. Mi onkl gaahnhoal di laiv waiya an ih shakahn. My uncle got hold of thelive wire and it shocked him.— n. shock. Da-mi wahn bigshak fi di hoal konchri wensohnbadi kil di yong laydi. Itwas a shock for the wholecountry when someone killed theyoung woman. See: sopraiz.shaka n. maraca; percussioninstrument with gourd-likerattle. Aal dehn mek Jooni dueena di ban da shayk shaka. Allthat they let Junior do in the bandwas shake the maraca. [
shayb ais Kriol tu Inglish shekrehman dehn hoal op di bank widwahn lang shatgon. The menheld up the bank with a longshotgun.shayb ais n. shaved ice. Dehnput too kala sorop pahn dishayb ais. They put two coloursof syrup on the shaved ice.shayba n. tool for shaving ice.shayk v. shake. Di pipl dehnshayk dehn hed wen dehn siweh wi du. The people shooktheir heads when they saw whatwe did.shaym n. shame. Da man bringshaym pan ih famili wen ihgaahn da jayl fi teef. That manbrought shame on his familywhen he went to prison forstealing. — adj. ashamed. Dilaydi mi shaym fi tek aaf ihkloaz front a di dakta. The ladywas ashamed to take off herclothes in front of the doctor.shaymin adj. humiliating;describes one who humiliatesor shames others. Mi ma oanlishaymin! Ih skoal mi rait fronta mi fren dehn. My mom reallylikes to humiliate people! Shescolded me right in front of myfriends.shayp n. 1) shape, form. Mi mamek wahn kayk eena di shayp awahn haas. My mother made acake in the shape of a horse. See:faam, figa. 2) shape, condition.Di hows deh eena bad shaypafta di harikayn. The house is inbad shape after the hurricane.See: kandishan, stayt.shayr (var: shyaa) v. share,divide. Wi hapi bikaaz unu mishayr unu moni wid wi. We’rehappy because you shared yourmoney with us. — n. share.Wen wi ded, yu wahn geh wahnshayr a wi lan. When we die,you’ll get a share of our land.shayv v. shave. Maak kot ihselfwen ih mi-di shayv. Mark cuthimself when he was shaving.See: baal, peel.shedo Archaic. Variant: shado.shee pro. (Emphatic, 3rd personsg.) 1) she, her. Shee gaahn daStayts gaahn stodi. She went tothe States to study. See: ih, hihn.2) she; used in a derogatorymanner. Da hoo Maagrit sheetink shee fi kohn tel mi eniting?Who does Margaret think she isto come tell me anything?fi shee pro.adj. her, hers. Misista noh noa seh fi shee piknidu aal kain a ting bihain ih bak.My sister doesn’t know that herchildren do all kinds of thingsbehind her back.fi shee wan pro. hers. Dis danoh mai buk; da fi shee wan.This is not my book; it’s hers.sheephed n. sheepshead; a largestriped saltwater fish withsheep-like teeth. Archosargusprobatocephalus.sheg n. cormorant; a large seabird. Phalacrocorax auritus orolivaceus.shekreh adj. shaky, unstable,wobbly. Noh sidong pahn dachyaa kaa ih shekreh. Don’t siton that chair because it’s shaky.See: krenki. [
shel Kriol tu Inglish shipman‘shakal’ shabby]shel v. shell; remove the shellfrom. Kohn shel dehn peenots fimi. Come and shell these peanutsfor me. — n. shell. Lat a shelmi deh pahn di beech. Therewere lots of shells on the beach.See: san, kee san.shel san white sand found onthe cayes. Misa Kali ful op ihyaad wid loan shel san weh ihgeh fahn owt a kee. Mr. Callyfilled his yard with sand that hegot out on the cayes. See: keesan.shelta v. shelter. Mek wi sheltaanda ya til di rayn don. Let’stake shelter under here until therain stops. — n. shelter. Di bwaineva ga no shelta oava ih hed.The boy didn’t have any shelterover his head.shenk n. shin. Ah lik mi shenkwen Ah mi-di ron op di step. Ihit my shin when I was runningup the stairs. — v. strike one’selbow or shin. Mis Marvashenk mi elbo wid ih nokl. MissMarva struck my elbow with herknuckle.tek weh shenks v.phr. takeaway shanks; a challengemove in the game of marbles.shepad n. shepherd (not anoccupation in Belize; knownonly from stories) Wahnshepad da wahn man weh mainsheep. A shepherd is a man wholooks after sheep.sherowd (var: sherowl) n.shroud. Roaz soa wahn pritisherowd fi ih ma wen ih ded.Rose sewed a pretty shroud forher mother when she died.sherowl Variant: sherowd.n.shroud.shet v. shut, close. Mek shoar yushet di winda if ih rayn. Makesure that you shut the window ifit rains. — adj. shut, closed. Didoa mi shet, bot di uman stilmi-di lisn. The door was closed,but the woman was still listening.shet op v.phr. shut up, besilent. Shet op yu mowt ahnnoh seh notn. Shut your mouthand don’t say anything. See:kwaiyat.shiba Variant: shiva.shilin n. shilling, quarter (25cents). Mista, pleez fi shilinmek Ah bai sohnting fi eet? Sir,could I please have twenty-fivecents so that I can buy somethingto eat?shimeez n. vest worn underone’s shirt. Put aan wahnshimeez anda di baybi shot mekih noh kech koal. Put a vestunder the baby’s shirt so he won’tcatch cold.shin owt v. pay or shell outmoney. Evri mont wi hafu dishin owt moni fi pay bilz. Everymonth we have to be spending alot of money to pay bills.shingl n. shingle. Fi dehnhowstap mek owt a shingl. Theirroof is made out of shingles.shipman n. longshoreman. Dashipman noa how fi handl ihboat gud. That longshoremanknows how to handle his boatwell.313
shish Kriol tu Inglish shooti broomshish n. a person or thing ofinferior quality; a worthlessnothing. Dis boat da shish fihihn wan. This boat is nothingcompared to his. See: cheezi.shishifufu n. reference to thoseconsidered to be ‘highsociety’. Ah si lat a shishifufudehn eena choch fu yu pafinaral. I saw a lot of ‘highsociety’ people in church for yourfather’s funeral.shitn adj. incompetent. Yooshitn fi mek da lee lee bwai beetyu. You’re incompetent to let thatlittle boy beat you.shitninz n. diarrhea. Sayk a eettu moch mango, Delsi gashitninz. Delsy has diarrheabecause she ate too manymangos. See: bad beli, werkbeli, roninz.shiva (var: shiba) v. shiver. Lukhow yu deh owt ya eena di koaldi shiva. Look how you’re outhere shivering in the cold. See:chrimbl. — n. shiver. Wen digyal taak bowt di ded uman, ihgiv wahn lee shiva. When thegirl talked about the dead woman,she gave a little shiver.shoa 1 v. show. Ih waahn shoaevribadi how ih don chaynj ihlaif. He wants to show everyonehow he has changed his life.— n. show, programme,movie. Wen wi mi-di wachteevee, wi si wahn shoa bowt dablain man. When we werewatching TV, we saw a showabout that blind man. See: moovi,picha.shoa aaf v.phr. show off.314Teresita di shoa aaf jos kaashee noa moa dan evribadi.Teresita shows off just becauseshe knows more than everybody.See: ek op.shoa 2 adv. ashore. Wen wi reechGaylz Paint, wi stay rait eena diboat kaa non a wi neva waahngoh shoa. When we reachedGales Point, we stayed right inthe boat because none of uswanted to go ashore.shoafa n. chauffeur, driver.Shee waahn mee di jraiv sheerong laik shoafa. She wants meto be driving her around as if Iwere her chauffeur. See: jraiva.shoalda n. shoulder. Ih jrap panih han an ih nak ih shoalda owta plays. He fell on his hands andknocked his shoulder out ofplace.shoar adj. sure. Shoar, yuwelkom da mi hows. Sure,you’re welcome at my house.shobl Variant: shovl.shoola v. finagle, wangle,connive, wheedle, manipulate.Ah noh di chrai shoola notnfahn unu. I’m not trying tofinagle anything from you.shoomayka n. shoemaker. Dashoomayka soa mi shooz ronggud. That shoemaker did a goodjob of sewing my shoes.shooti broom n. broom madewith coconut branches; usedespecially for cleaning yards.Grani laik sweep di yaad widshooti broom. Granny likes tosweep the yard with a coconutbranch broom.
shooz Kriol tu Inglish sishooz n. shoe. (Both sg. & pl.)Wai yoo di waak rong wid oanliwan fut a shooz pahn yu fut?Why are you walking aroundwith only one shoe on your feet?See: joota.shooz heel n.phr. shoe heel.Beti mi-di step pahn schreeteena hai heel wen wan a ihshooz heel brok aaf. Betty wasstrutting down the street in herhigh heels when one of her heelsbroke off.shooz batam n.phr. sole of ashoe.shot n. shirt. Kerk haal aaf ihshot ahn waak rong haafnaykid. Kirk pulled off his shirtand went around half-naked.shovl (var: shobl) n. shovel. Diman dehn mi ga dehn shovl redifi dig di grayv. The men havetheir shovels ready to dig thegrave. See: spayd.showa n. shower, rain. If yuchek di klowd dehn, yu ku sidat wi wahn geh wahn showa. Ifyou check the clouds, you couldsee that we’ll get a shower. See:rayn.showl n. shoal, shallow. Wen wimi smaal, dehn mek wi playeena showl kaa wi kudn swim.When we were little, they madeus play in the shallows becausewe couldn’t swim. — adj.shallow. Di boat stok eena diwaata kaa ih mi showl. The boatstuck in the water because it wasshallow.showt phr. shout; brief visit.(Used only in the phrase ‘gi wahnshowt’.) Mi breda oanli kudami gi mi wahn showt dismaanin kaa ih neva ga mochtaim fi stay lang. My brothercould only make a brief visit thismorning because he didn’t havetime to stay long. See: hayl, lukfi, vizit.shub v. shove, push (against) Dilee bwai kohn shub mi fos, ahndat da how fait staat. The littleboy came and shoved me first,and that’s how the fight started.shuda v. should, ought to. Wishuda mi du weh di baas seh.We should have done what theboss said. See: aatu, fi, mos,sopoas tu.shudn v. ought not, should not.Yu shudn bak-chat di teecha.You shouldn’t talk back to theteacher. See: aatn, noh fi, mosn.shuga n. 1) sugar. Bileez sen lata shuga owtsaid. Belize sells alot of sugar overseas. See: kayn.2) diabetes. Dakta tes mi mablod an ih seh ih mi ga shuga.The doctor tested my mom’sblood and said that she haddiabetes. See: sweet blod.shuga kaan See: kaan.shush (var: shushu) v. gossip.Luk pahn dehn too laydi kraasdeh di shush bowt pipl. Look atthose two ladies over theregossiping about people. See:gasip, seetful, skyat, taak opbowt.shushu Archaic. Variant: shush.shyaa Variant: shayr.si v. see. Afta di aparayshan migrampa kuda mi si agen. Afterthe operation my grandfather315
sichyuayshan Kriol tu Inglish silvacould see again. See: noatis, sait.sichyuayshan n. situation. Ahlaan how fi deel wid enisichyuayshan weh Ah fainmiself eena. I have learned howto deal with any situation that Ifind myself in.sidong v. sit, sit down. Ih tek dilaydi han ahn help ahn fi sidongop. He took the lady’s hand andhelped her to sit up.sigaa n. cigar. Misa Joa hihnsmoak sigaa aal day. Mr. Joesmokes cigars all day long. See:pooro.sigaret n. cigarette; rolledtobacco. Wen yu smoak sigarettu moch, ih ku gi yu kyansa.When you smoke too manycigarettes, it can give you cancer.See: waits.signigayt (var: sinigayt) n.syndicate; informal savingsassociation. Ten a wi eenasignigayt ahn wi pay fifti dalaza week, soh wen Ai jraa, Aiwahn jraa faiv honjrid dalaz.There are ten of us in thesyndicate and we pay fifty dollarsper week, so when I draw, I’lldraw five hundred dollars.sik n. those who are sick orunwell. Ah kyaahn goh no waykaa Ah ga wahn sik weh Ah dimain. I can’t go anywherebecause I have a sick person thatI’m taking care of. — adj. sick.Di dakta seh mi hozban dawahn veri sik man. The doctorsays that my husband is a verysick man.siknin adj. annoying,bothersome, troublesome. Datsiknin how da man kohn kohnbayg evri day. It’s annoying howthat man comes to beg everyday.See: hegin.siknis n. disease. Di pipl dehnmi ga wahn lat a difrant kain asiknis. The people had lots ofdifferent kinds of sickness. See:dizeez.siks num. six. Jaret mi oanli gasiks maabl fos. At first Jarethhad only six marbles. — n. six; amarble made of clay.siksteen num. sixteen. Mi daatasiksteen laas week. My daughterturned sixteen last week.siksti num. sixty. Siksti pipl mideh pahn di bos wen ih gaaneena di riva. There were sixtypeople on the bus when it wentinto the river.silanchro n. cilantro, coriander;herb of the parsley family.Coriandrum sativum. Lat asilanchro mi deh eena di saas.There was a lot of coriander inthe sauce. [
simbal Kriol tu Inglish Sin(t)yu wayr silva, ih geh blak wenyu sik. They say that when youwear silver, it gets black whenyou’re sick. — adj. 2) silver. Wimi-di jraiv wahn silva chrokbifoa wi bai di nyoo kaa. Wewere driving a silver truck beforewe bought the new car.simbal n. cymbal. Di lee bwaieena di ban mi-di lik di simbalhaad-wan. The little boy in theband was hitting the cymbalshard.siment n. cement. — adj.cement. Siment hows stanharikayn beta. A cement housecan better withstand a hurricane.simidimi n. unnecessary fussand ritual. Di oabya-uman duwahn lat a simidimi oava dibaybi. The obeah-woman did lotsof unnecessary rituals over thebaby.simpa v. progress withdifficulty, barely make it, ekeout. Sharon dehn jos bayli disimpa kaa fi shee hozban nohlaik werk. Sharon and her familyare just barely making it becauseher husband doesn’t like to work.simpl adj. simple, stupid. Disimpl bwai put di glaas a waatarait da ej a di taybl an Ah nakit oava. The stupid boy set theglass of water right on the edge ofthe table and I knocked it over.See: dom, fool-fool, schupid.simpltan n. simpleton. Da bigsimpltan lef di baybi pahn dischreet bai ihself. That bigsimpleton left the baby on thestreet by himself.sin v. sin. Noh mek Ah sin misoal ahn lik yu gud. Don’t makeme sin by giving you a goodbeating. — n. sin. Jeezas gatatariti fi fagiv sin pahn di ert.Jesus has the authority to forgivesin upon the earth.Sindarela Tong n. CinderellaTown; a north central area ofBelize City. [In the early 1950’s,George Price led a delegation toEngland to ask for developmentmoney. The Billboard newspaperchristened the project ‘CinderellaTown’]singl adj. single. Aal a di singluman dehn mi-di luk fi hozban.All of the single women werelooking for husbands.sinigayt Variant: signigayt.sink-ahn-baibl n. the aloe veracactus; used as an herbalmedicine to treat diabetes andmany other ailments. Aloebarbadensis Mill.Sink-ahn-baibl bita bad, soh Ahput it pahn mi titi paint fi mekdi baybi stap sok. Aloe vera isvery bitter, so I put it on mynipples to make the baby stopsucking. [
Sisimait Kriol tu Inglish skaanpart of the name of a church orschool. Wen mi pa ded, dehnchoch ahn da Sin Jozef cherch.When my father died, they hadthe funeral service at SaintJoseph’s church. See: saynt.Sisimait n. Sisimite; amalevolent mythical bushcreature which resembled abear but had a man-like head,lacked thumbs, and its feetwere turned backward. Thefemale is called ‘Sisimaita’. Itscharacteristics weresometimes intertwined withthose of Tata Duhendeh,another mythical character.See: Tata Duhendeh. [
skaan-di-ert Kriol tu Inglish skin[
skip Kriol tu Inglish skraypoutside layer of fruit. Di oallaydi slip dong pahn wahnbanaana skin ahn brok ih fut.The old lady slipped and fell on abanana peel and broke her leg.See: peelin.skip v. skip rope, jump rope. Ahgwehn goh skip wid mi fren. Iam going to go skip rope with myfriend.skipin roap n. skip rope, jumprope. Joani geh wahn nyooskipin roap fi Krismos. Joaniegot a new skip rope forChristmas.skoal v. scold, chastise,reprimand. Jaysn ma skoal ahngud sayk a gaahn bayd widdehn bwai. Jason’s motherscolded him properly because hewent swimming with those boys.See: chektaiz, lekcha, rayl op.skoar v. score. Wi teem skoartoo goal eena di futbaal gaymtudeh. Our team scored two goalsin the football game today.— n. score. Mi daata geh wahnhai skoar eena ih tes dis term.My daughter got a high score inher test this term.skol n. skull. Kevin wap owt diman wid wahn pees a boad ahnkrak ih skol. Kevin hit the manwith a piece of board and crackedhis skull.skool n. school. Evribadi piknishuda goh da skool fi laan fireed ahn rait. Everybody’s childshould go to school to learn toread and write.skoot v. case. Di bwai dehngaahn skoot owt di shap fi sihow dehn ku get een fi teef. Theboys went to case the shop to seehow they could get in to steal.skowt n. scout. Jerimi jainSkowt an ih laan lat a ting.Jeremy became a Scout and helearned a lot of things.skraani (var: kraani) adj.scrawny. Kevin hihn sohskraani dat ih luk laik breezuda bloa ahn oava. That Kevinis so scrawny that it looks like abreeze would blow him over.skrach v. scratch. Gyal, kohnskrach mi bak wichpaa ih dieech mi. Girl, come scratch myback where it’s itching me.— n. scratch. Di pus gi mi wahnbig skrach pahn mi han. The catgave me a big scratch on myhand.skrambl v. scramble. Wen dehnchroa sweet owt a di parayd,evribadi skrambl fi pik dehnop. When they threw sweets outfrom the parade, everybdyscrambled to pick them up.skrayp (var: krayp) 1) v. scrape,abrade, skin. Ah skrayp mishenk wen Ah mi gwehn op distep. I scraped my shin when Iwas going up the stairs. See: peel.2) scale (fish) Enitaim Ai baifish, Ai pay sohnbadi fi skraypdehn. Whenever I buy fish, I paysomebody to scale them.— n. scrape; embarrassingsituation. Ah laik how yu lai yuway owt a da skrayp weh yu geteena wid yu waif. I like how youlied your way out of that scrapethat you got into with your wife.skrayp daag v.phr. scrape by.320
skraypinz Kriol tu Inglish skwerilDi bwai skrayp daag fi paas ihtes. The boy just barely scrapedby on the test.skraypinz n. leftovers, foodscraps. Beti gi di poa lee oalman aal a di skraypinz fi eet.Betty gave the poor little man allthe food scraps from the plates.See: lefoavaz.skreech v. make a screechingsound. Weh Maaji brayks sohhaad, yu oanli yehr taiyaskreech. Margie hit the brakes sohard that we really heard her tyresscreech.skreem v. scream. Di laydi staattu skreem wen ih si di snayk.The woman started to screamwhen she saw the snake.— n. scream. Wahn haadskreem wayk mi op layt laasnait. A loud scream woke me uplast night. See: baal, hala, krai.skreem waiya n. mesh used inscreens. Wi put skreem waiyada aal di winda dehn fi mek flainoh kom een. We put screens onall of the windows to keep fliesfrom coming in.skreen n. screen. Mi teeveeskreen gaahn blank blank. MyTV screen went completelyblank.Skripcha n. Scripture. Yu mosobay di Laa a Gaad weh deheena di Skripcha. You shouldobey the law of God, which isthere in the Scripture.skrob v. 1) scrub. Wi yoostu getdong pahn wi nee ahn skrobfloa. We used to get down on ourknees and scrub the floors.3212) brush (teeth). Enitaim Samiskrob ih teet, ih gom dehnbleed. Whenever Sammy brusheshis teeth, his gums bleed.skrosh v. crush, squash. Dichrok skrosh di man gens difens. The truck crushed the managainst the fence. See: skwoosh.skwaal n. squall, storm. Wahnbad skwaal bloa op, ahn diwayv dehn staat wash eena diboat A bad storm blew up andthe waves started to wash into theboat. See: staam.skwash n. 1) squash. Skwashahn pongkin nayli fayva; oanlikaa skwash smaala an ih skinsmood. Squash and pumpkinlook alike; the only difference isthat squash is smaller and its skinis smooth. See: pongkin.2) concentrated fruit juice.Sayk a waahn schrech diskwash, mi grani put tu mochwaata. My grandma put toomuch water in the fruit juicebecause she wanted to stretch it.skwayr aaf v. square off. Migrampa skwayr aaf wahn peesa lan fi gi mi pa. My grandpasquared off a piece of land to giveto my father.skweez (var: kweez) v. squeeze.Di laydi dehn mi-di skweez disak a areenj fi mek joos fi sel.The women were squeezing thesack of oranges to make juice tosell.skweril n. squirrel. (SKWEril)Sciurus deppei & Sciurusyucatanensis. Wen di lee skwerilron op di chree, aal yu si da ihtayl. When the squirrel ran up the
skwinj Kriol tu Inglish slaktree, all you could see was histail.skwinj v. cram together, crowdtogether. Aal a wi di skwinj oppahn dis bench. We’re allcrowded together on this bench.See: pail op, ramjam.skwits adj. quits, even; owingand being owed nothing. Ahdon pay yu aal yu moni, soh wiskwits now. I’ve paid you allyour money, so we’re even now.skwoosh v. squash, crush.Mayzi skwoosh di roach gens diwaal wid ih slipaz. Maziesquashed the roach against thewall with her slipper. See:skrosh.skwyaa n. square; type of tool.— adj. square; shape. Dehn putwan skwyaa winda eena dihows. They put one squarewindow in the house.skyaabat n. scabbard, holster.Di kowbwai put ih gon eena ihskyaabat afta ih don shoot diman. The cowboy put his guninto his scabbard after he had shotthe man.skyaafl n. scaffold. Di kyapmtadehn bil wahn hai skyaafl fiklaim pahn soh dat dehn kudami paynt di bildin. Thecarpenters built a high scaffold toclimb on so that they could paintthe building.skyaapyan Variant: skaapyan.skyaas Variant: skays.skyaasli Variant: skaysli.skyandal n. scandal. Bigskyandal mi deh eena fi dehnfamili kaa di gyal geh pregnant322fi ih oan pa. There was a bigscandal in their family becausethe girl got pregnant by her ownfather.skyandalaiz v. defame, slander.Mis Maaji deh bowt diskyandalaiz mi nayhn seh meeteef ih moni. Miss Margie isscandalizing my name, tellingeverybody that I stole her money.skyat v. spread (scatter) gossip,smear one’s reputation. Helindi skyat bowt how dehn mifaiya mee sayk a teef. Helen isspreading the story about howthey fired me because of theft.See: gasip, seetful, shush, taakop bowt.skyata v. scatter. Afta Graniskoal di pikni dehn fi mek sohmoch naiz, dehn skyata fahn diyaad. After Granny scolded thechildren for making so muchnoise, they scattered from theyard.slaa n. coleslaw. Slaa moa heltifi eet dan salad. Coleslaw ishealthier to eat than potato salad.slaata v. slaughter. Tumaaro wiwahn slaata di kow. Tomorrowwe’ll slaughter the cow. See: kil,merda.slais v. slice. Goh slais op dabred fi di pikni dehn tee. Goslice up that bread for thechildren’s supper. — n. slice.slait adj. slight, delicate. Dehnbaisikl deez dayz oanli slait ahneezi fi brok op. Bicycles thesedays are very delicate and easy tobreak.slak Variant: slek.
slayt Kriol tu Inglish sloaslayt n. slate. Dehn yoostu raitpahn slayt steda eksasaiz buk.They used to write on slatesinstead of exercise books.slayv v. work hard, slave. Aaldehn yaaz Ah mi-di slayv fi yu,ahn yu neva pay mi notn. Allthose years I used to slave foryou, and you didn’t pay meanything. See: layba, werk.— n. slave. Mi baas tek mi fislayv an ih waahn Ah du aalkain a werk weh Ah noh fi du.My boss takes me for a slave andhe wants me to do all kinds ofwork that I wasn’t hired to do.slayvri n. slavery. Fi wee pipl enop ya da Bileez sayk a slayvri.Our people ended up in Belizebecause of slavery.sleep v. sleep. Wen wi mi leel,faiv a wi yoostu sleep pahn wanbed. When we were little, five ofus used to sleep on one bed.sleep owt v.phr. 1) leave outovernight. Mi baik sleep owt yahoal nait ahn nobadi neva teefit. My bike was left out here allnight and nobody stole it.2) sleeping away from homewith someone other than one’smate. Mi hozban sleep owt daih sweethaat nayli evri nait. Myhusband spends the night with hismistress nearly every night. See:adolchri.sleep rong v.phr. behavepromiscuously, sleep around.Da man sleep rong soh moch tilih kech AIDS. That man sleptaround so much that he caughtAIDS. See: bad bowt, rot bowt.sleepi adj. sleepy. Mi ma gaaneena di hows bikaaz ih misleepi. My mom went into thehouse because she was sleepy.See: jrowzi, taiyad.sleev n. sleeve. Da wai Mayrigat aan lang sleev eena dis hatweda? Why does Mary have onlong sleeves in this hot weather?slej hama n. sledge hammer.See: hama, maal.slek (var: slak) adj. 1) slack,loose. Sayk a weh di roap mislek, di daag get weh. The doggot away because the rope wasloose. 2) lewd. Berti laik gi tumoch slek joak, ahn dat nohnais. Bertie likes to make toomany lewd jokes, and that’s notnice.slik adj. 1) sharply dressed. Bariluk slik laik ih gwehn da wedner sohnting. Barry looks sharplydressed like he’s going to awedding or something. See:sproosi. 2) stealthy, sneaky.Noh chros da bwai rong dihows kaa hihn oanli slik. Don’ttrust that boy around the housebecause he’s really sneaky. See:slikaros, sneeki.slikaros adj. stealthy, sneaky.See: slik, sneeki.slipaz n. slippers. (Both sg. & pl.)Di lee baybi oanli mi gat aanwan slipaz. The baby had ononly one slipper.slipri adj. slippery. Yu noh fijraiv faas pahn wet road kaa ihaalwayz slipri. You shouldn’tdrive fast on wet roads becausethey’re always slippery.sloa v. slow. Sloa dong; noh323
smaal Kriol tu Inglish snakjraiv soh faas. Slow down; don’tdrive so fast. — adj. slow. Wimi ga wahn sloa day da werktudeh. We had a slow day atwork today. — adv. slowly. Fimee mayd tek lang fi du ihwerk kaa ih moov sloa. Ourmaid takes a long time to do herwork because she moves soslowly.smaal adj. small. (Oftenintensified by using it incombination with ‘lee’) Mi aantisen wahn smaal lee teevee fi mi.My auntie sent a very small TVfor me. See: chinchi, kungku,lee.smaat adj. smart. Di rat dehneena mi hows oanli smaat, yunoa. The mice in my house arevery smart, you know. See: brait,kwik hed, sensabl. — v.outsmart. Kent smaat di teefkaa ih mek ih tink seh nobadineva deh hoahn. Kentoutsmarted the thief because hemade him think that nobody washome.smaatnis n. smartness,impertinence. Noh kohn chraiyu lee smaatnis ahn tink seh yuku put wan oava mee yu noa.Don’t try any of your littlesmartness with me and think youcan put one over on me.smail v. smile. Di bwai mi-dismail, ahn den ih staat tu laaf.The boy was smiling, and then hebegan to laugh. See: green.— n. smile.smak n. smack, sailboat. Mionkl ga wahn smak weh ih yoozfi ron riva san eena. My unclehas a sailboat that he uses tofreight sand from the river. See:saylin boat.smel v. smell. Gyal, Ah ku smelyu pat fahn way dong dischreet. Girl, I can smell whatyou’re cooking from all the waydown the street. — n. smell. Dioal laydi ga wan bad smel kaazih noh yooz aamstik. The oldlady has a bad odour because shedoesn’t use deodorant. See: sent.smel-bad adj. smelly. Get fahnya wid yu smel-bad self. Get outof here with your smelly self.See: frowzi, hoodi.smoak v. smoke. Jaaj ded fahnkyansa sayk a weh ih smoak fiyaaz. George died from cancerbecause he smoked for years.— n. smoke. Sayk a di smoak,wi kudn si notn. Because of thesmoke, we couldn’t see anything.smood adj. smooth. Fi shee skinoanli feel smood. Her skin feelsvery smooth.smoodn v. smoothen. Kachreenmi-di chrai smoodn dong ih jreswid ih han kaa ih mi luk mashop. Catherine was trying tosmooth down her dress with herhand because it looked crushed.snaipi adj. very skinny or thin.Wen Taami di ron, ih luk laikih fut mi wahn brok weh ih misoh snaipi. When Tommy runs,he’s so skinny that it looks likehis legs will break. See: maaga,tin.snak v. snack. Eniting deh eenayu frij fi snak pahn? Is thereanything in your refrigerator to324
snapa Kriol tu Inglish soasnack on? — n. snack. Evri daywi hafu gi dehn pikni snak fikehr da skool. Every day wehave to give the children a snackto take to school.snapa n. a kind of fish; usuallyinhabiting warm seas.Lutjanidae. Ah hayt kleen yalasnapa kaa yu aal taihn fain seeroach eena dehn mowt. I hategutting yellow snappers becauseyou are always finding whiteroaches in their mouths. See:blak snapa, red snapa, silksnapa, yalatayl snapa.snayk n. snake. Mee frayd fisnayk, peeryad; noh kay if dehnseh sohn a dehn noh paiznos. Iam afraid of snakes, period;regardless of their saying thatsome of them are not poisonous.See: beed-ahn-koril,klapansaiya, rakl snayk,taamigaaf, waata snayk, wowla,yala jaa.snayk dakta n. snake doctor;traditional practitioner skilledin herbal remedies and treatingsnake bites, and reputed tohave control over poisonoussnakes, often using them toprotect the home. See: bushdakta, herbz man.sneek v. sneak. Mariyan sneekeena di hows mek ih ma nohyehr. Marianne snuck into thehouse so as not to let her motherhear. See: teef chaans.sneeki adj. sneaky. See: slik,slikaros.sneez v. sneeze. Mai grampasneez soh haad dat ih aalwayzfraitn wi. My grandfather325sneezes so loudly that he oftenfrightens us.snif v. sniff. Beti laik kohn dioapm yu pat ahn snif weh yu dikuk. Betty has the habit ofopening your pot and sniffingwhat you’re cooking.snifa n. sniffer, nose. Slang.See: noaz.snoa koanz n. snow cone. MisaBerti put chree kain a soroppahn yu snoa koanz. Mr. Bertieput three kinds of syrup on yoursnow cone. See: fresko.snoar v. snore. Di man mi-disnoar soh haad, ih waif kudneevn sleep. The man snored soloudly, his wife couldn’t evensleep.snuk (var: bay snuk) n. snook; akind of river fish. Wen wi kechdehn snuk wee laik haal owtdehn mowt jos fi si how lang ihlang. When catch snook, we liketo pull on their mouths to see howfar out it will stretch.snuk mowt n.phr. person withunusually thick protrudinglips. Frank lip dehn soh langdat dehn kaal ahn ‘snuk mowt’.Frank’s lips are so heavy thatthey called him ‘snook mouth’.See: lang lip (under ‘lip’)[
soad Kriol tu Inglish sofasow you reap?soad n. sword. Di soalja dehn mikohn wid soad fi ares di man.The soldiers came with swords toarrest the man.soafa n. sofa, couch, settee.Karla geh nyoo soafa fiKrismos. Carla got a new sofafor Christmas. See: setee.soaka n. soca; a type of dancetuneand song whichoriginated in Trinidad andwhich is a combination of souland calypso.— adj. Indipendens Day yuyehr loan soaka myoozik. OnIndependence Day you hearnothing but soca music. [
sofarin Kriol tu Inglish som opsofarin (var: sofrin) n. suffering.Mi poa ma gaahn chroo nofsofarin eena ih laif. My poormother went through enoughsuffering during her lifetime.sofrin Variant: sofarin.soh conj. so, therefore, thus. Ihmi-di rayn haad, soh wi nevagaahn da skool. It was raininghard, so we didn’t go to school.— adv. 1) like that, in such away, thus. Wai yoo taak tu misoh, laik yu beks wid mi? Whydid you talk to me like that, as ifyou were angry with me?2) very. Yoo soh mizarabl;nobadi noh waahn deh rong yu.You’re very disagreeable; nobodywants to be around you. See:oanli, kwait.sohn (var: som) adj. some.Windel bring sohn mango fi wi.Wendell brought some mangosfor us. See: kopl, wan ahn too.sohnbadi pro. somebody.Sohnbadi els wahn kohn soon fihelp wi. Somebody else will sooncome to help us.sohnhow adv. somehow.Sohnhow Ah hafu geh da moni.Somehow I have to get thatmoney .sohntaihn (var: sohntaim) adv.sometimes. Sohntaihn wen Ahget op da maanin Ah noh feellaik du notn. Sometimes when Iget up in the morning I don’t feellike doing anything.sohntaihn sohnbadi phr.moody, unpredictable person.Mee noh mes wid hihn kaa ihda sohntaihn sohnbadi. I don’t327mess with him becausesometimes he’s pleasant andsometimes not.sohntaim Variant: sohntaihn.sohnting adj. something. Ah gasohnting fi tel yu. I havesomething to tell you.sohnweh adj. somewhere,someplace. Ih gaahn sohnwehdong sowt. He has gonesomewhere down south.sojes v. suggest. Wi mi sojes toodifrant pipl fi tek di manpozishan. We suggested twodifferent people to take the man’sposition.sojeshan n. suggestion.sok v. suck. Shee stil sok fingaan ih da don big gyal. She stillsucks her thumb and she’salready a big girl.sok teet v.phr. suck teeth; soundof disgust or disrespect. Martasok ih teet afta ih ma, an ih maslap ahn. Martha sucked herteeth at her mother, and hermother slapped her. See: choops.som Variant: sohn. adj. some.(Conditioned variant often usedclause final and before wordsbeginning with vowels.) Som adi pikni mi oanli beks wen dehnyehr weh di teecha mi seh.Some of the children were veryangry when they heard what theteacher had said.som op v. sum up, summarize.Wen di klaas finish, di teechasom op aal a weh ih mi seh.When the class finished, theteacher summed up all of what hehad said.
soma Kriol tu Inglish soopasoma n. summer. Di weda oanlinais wen soma kohn. Theweather is really nice whensummer comes.somz n. sums, mathematics. Milee bwai geh aal ih somz karek.My little boy got all his mathcorrect. See: mats.son 1 v. expose to the sun. Ah mihafu son owt di blankit kaa ihsmel soh bad. I had to expose theblanket to the sun because itsmelled so bad. — n. sun. Wendi son mi geh daak, wi mifrayd. When the sun got dark, wewere frightened. See: son-hat.son 2 n. son. Di laydi mi havwahn lee son weh nayhn Jaaji.The lady had a little son who wasnamed Georgie.son-ahn-laa (var: sonarinlaa) n.son-in-law. Mi son-ahn-laachreet mi jos laik Ai da ih reelma. My son-in-law treats me justas if I were his real mother.sonarinlaa Variant: son-ahn-laa.Sondeh n. Sunday. Da miSondeh, soh wi gaahn dacherch. It was Sunday, so wewent to church.song v. 1) sound. Ih mi song laikaal a di man dehn mi jronk. Itsounded like all of the men weredrunk. 2) use a stethoscope. Ahlaik goh da da dakta, kaa ihsong yu gud. I like going to thatdoctor because he very carefullychecks you with his stethoscope.— n. sound. Wen di pikni dehnmi-di baal, di song ful op dihoal hows. When the childrenwere crying, the sound filled the328whole house. — adj. sound;free from harm or damage. Diman mi soh hapi sayk a weh ihson mi kohn bak sayf ahn song.The man was so happy becausehis son had come back safe andsound.son-hat n. heat of the sun. Sayka deh eena son-hat aal day, Ahgeh son bon op. Because I was inthe hot sun all day, I got badlyburned. See: son.soni adj. sunny. Tudeh da wahngud day fi wash kaa ih sonisoni. Today is a good day to washbecause it’s so sunny.soon adv. 1) soon. Soon wahnbig krowd gyada da di skool.Soon a big crowd gathered at theschool. See: direkli, rait now.2) early. Soon wahn maanin dilaydi hala fi ih son. Early onemorning the lady hollered for herson.soop 1 n. soup. Ih gud fi jrinkchikin soop wen yu ga flooz. It’sgood to eat chicken soup whenyou have the flu.soop 2 slurp. Da bad manaz fisoop yu tee. It’s bad manners toslurp your tea.soop dish n. soup bowl. Mi matek owt ih bes soop dish dehnwen ih mek konks soop ahninvait Paasta fi eet. My mothertook out her best soup bowlswhen she made conch soup andinvited the pastor to eat.soopa n. a palm fruit that’sstewed to make a sticky sweet.Culielma utilis. Schoo soopakom owt beta wen yu yooz
soopamaakit Kriol tu Inglish sopraizinbrown shuga. Stewed ‘soopa’comes out better when you usebrown sugar. [
sorong Kriol tu Inglish spaida mongkisorong v. surround. Di poleesdehn sorong di bildin weh diteef mi deh eena. The policesurrounded the building that thethief was inside of.sorop n. syrup. Wen yu putkayn sorop eena yu blak kayk,ih ton owt gud. When you putcane syrup in your black cake, itturns out well.lovin Joazi ahn Betsi soropIdiomatic phr. people who getalong well. Dehn geh lang gudgud laik lovin Joazi ahn Betsisorop. They get along very well.[
spaiglaas Kriol tu Inglish speklspaiglaas n. spyglass,binoculars. Wee wahn si winayba gud now bikaa wi gehwahn nyoo spaiglaas. We’ll seeour neighbour well now becausewe got a new pair of binoculars.spail v. spoil. Reeta spail di hoalsopraiz wen ih tel Jayn bowt dipaati. Rita spoiled the wholesurprise when she told Jane aboutthe party. See: ratn. — adj.spoiled. If yu eet spail food, yuku geh sik bad. If you eat spoiledfood, you could get seriously ill.spaisi adj. spicy, hot. Indyanfood nais bot ih oanli spaisi.Indian food is nice but it is veryspicy.spait n. spite. Ah waak paas ahnahn mash ih fut fi spait. Iwalked past her and mashed herfoot out of spite. See: spaitful.in spait a phr. despite, in spiteof. In spait a weh mi pa tel mi,Ah stil gaahn da di daans. Inspite of what my father told me, Istill went to the dance.spaitful adj. spiteful, malicious.Sharon da wahn spaitful leegyal; ih brok op Beti dali joskaa shee kudn get it. Sharon is aspiteful little girl; she brokeBetty’s doll just because shecouldn’t have it. See:bad-maindid.spansa v. sponsor. Greg mi-diluk fi sohnbadi fi spansa ahn figoh pahn di chrip da Salvador.Greg was looking for someone tosponsor him for the trip to ElSalvador.spansara n. sponsor. Leela seh331ih soh glad ih geh sohnspansara fi ih laytis CD. Leelasays she is so glad she got somesponsors for her latest CD.spat v. spot. Wail di bwai mi-diwaak pahn di road, ih pa spatahn di kohn. While the boy waswalking on the road, his fatherspotted him coming. — n. spot.Di man shot mi soh wait dat yukudn eevn fain wan spat. Theman’s shirt was so white that youcouldn’t find a single spot.spayd n. spade. Ai neva noa sehspayd ahn shovl mi difrant. Ididn’t know there was adifference between a spade and ashovel. See: shovl.spayr v. spare. Yu noh ga nomoni fi spayr mi? Don’t youhave any money to spare me?spays n. space. Wi noh ga nofspays fi hoal evriting. We don’thave enough space to holdeverything.spazam Variant: winspazam.speed v. speed. — n. speed. Diman mi-di ron fi chroo, botTimi brok weh anda eevn moaspeed. The man was reallyrunning, but Timmy broke awayunder even more speed.speek v. imitate Americanaccent in speech. Sins sheekohn fahn Stayts, shee loan dispeek. Since she came from theStates, she talks with anAmerican accent. See: yenk.spek n. speck. Nat wan spek ados mi deh pahn di des. Not aspeck of dust was on the desk.spekl adj. speckled. Dehn seh
spektikl Kriol tu Inglish splaiyazdat spekl banaana da di sweetiswan. They say that speckledbananas are the sweetest ones.spektikl n. eye-glasses,spectacles. Dehn pikni laik laafaata mi spektikl. The childrenlike to laugh at my spectacles.See: glaasiz.spel v. 1) spell. Da lee gyal kuspel sohn big werdz fi soh leel.That little girl can spell some bigwords, considering that she’s sosmall. 2) hint. Mayri shee stodidi spel seh ih waahn Ah du ihhyaa, bot Ah noh pay shee nomain. That Mary is alwayshinting that she wants me to doher hair, but I don’t pay her anymind. — n. spell (time.) Wanspel ih mi luk laik di man miwahn jomp aaf a di howstap,bot den ih chaynj ih main. Atone time it looked like the manwould jump off the house top, butthen he changed his mind.spelinz n. spelling. Machuteecha dehn jril dehn gud ahnprapa pahn dehn spelinz.Matthew’s teachers really drilledthem on their spelling.spen v. spend. Noh spen aal a yumoni eena wan day. Don’t spendall your money in one day.spenk v. spank, done with thehand upon the child’s hand.Spenk da baybi pan ih han mekih noh toch di aiyan. Spank thatbaby on his hand so that hedoesn’t touch the iron. See: klap,pampam, stin. — n. spank. Ahgi di baybi too spenk pan ih hanmek ih bihayv. I gave the babytwo spanks on his hand to makehim behave.spens bag n. condom. If yu gohda shap di aks fi spens bag deezdayz, dehn noh wahn noa datyu meen kandom. If you go tothe store asking for a ‘spens bag’these days, they won’t know thatyou mean a condom. See:kandom, rabaz.sper n. spur. Dehn kowbwaiboots aalwayz gat aan sper.Cowboy boots always have spurson them.speshal adj. special. Ah ga wahnspeshal lee jab fi yu son. I havea special little job for your son.speshali adv. especially,specially. Noh goh owt eenadehn rayn, speshali sins yu gakoal. Don’t go out in the rain,especially since you have a cold.spin v. 1) spin. 2) spurt;generally refers to blood. Wendi naif juk mi pahn mi vayn, Ahoanli si blod spin. When theknife cut my vein, the bloodreally spurted.spinij n. spinach. Wee laik eetspinij steem oava meet. We liketo eat spinach steamed over meat.spirit n. spirit....spirit tek... v.phr. have akindred spirit with. Ah noh noawat bot bowt da man bot mispirit noh tek ahn ataal. I don’tknow what it is about that man,but I’m not drawn to him at all.spit v. spit. Di lee bwai spit pahndi grong. The little boy spat onthe ground. — n. spit, saliva.See: geda waata, mowt waata.splaiyaz Variant: plaiyaz.332
splendishos Kriol tu Inglish sproosisplendishos adj. reallysplendid. Wi mi ga wahnsplendishos taim da di paati.We had a really splendid time atthe party.splinta n. splinter. Wahn splintaget eena mi finga aaf a da rofboad. I got a splinter in my fingerfrom that rough board.split beenz n. split pea. (Both sg.& pl.) Lat a pikni noh laik splitbeenz sayk a how ih luk. Manychildren don’t like split peasbecause they don’t like how theylook.spoats n. sports. Aal weh maison waahn du da play spoats.All my son wants to do is playsports.sponj n. sponge. Ah stof dikushn wid sponj mek ih saaf. Istuffed the cushion with spongeto make it soft.sponks n. spunk, boldness,courage. Evribadi geh moasponks fi seh weh dehn tink,widowtn feel frayd. Everyonegot more courage to say whatthey think, without feeling afraid.spraiti Variant: spraitli.spraitli (var: spraiti) adj.sprightly. Di oal man kwaitspraitli fi soh oal. The old man isquite sprightly considering howold he is.sprang v. use cocaine. Yu sihow ih maaga, yu ku si ih disprang. If you look at how thinhe is, you could tell that he’susing cocaine. See: kokayn,krak, wait laydi.spranghed n. junkie. Lola chrai333krak wan taim ahn afta dat ihton spranghed. Lola tried crackone time and after that shebecame a junkie. See: krakhed.sprayn v. sprain. Di man jrappahn di grong ahn sprayn ihris. The man fell on the groundand sprained his wrist.spred v. spread. Di laydi dehnron gaahn spred di nyooz bowtdi nyoo baybi. The ladies ran tospread the news about the newbaby.spree v. binge (generally refersto alcohol) Dehn man sidongrong da lee taybl eena di yaadaal day di spree. Those menhave been sitting around that littletable in the yard drinking alcoholall day. See: bleech, paati.spring chikin n. 1) frog. (Bothsg. & pl.) Wen spring chikinjomp pahn yu, dehn feel klami.When a frog jumps on you, theyfeel clammy. 2) young person;especially a girl. Da oal laydidi goh aan laik ih da springchikin. That old lady acts as ifshe were a spring chicken.sprinkl v. sprinkle. Wi sprinkldi floa bifoa wi sweep sayk a didos. We sprinkled the floorbefore we swept because of thedust.sproos n. 1) spruce tree. 2) drinkmade by boiling the bark ofthe spruce tree in sugar waterand butter.sproosi adj. sharply dressed. Ihblayd rait op di luk soh sproosifi di daans. She’s dressed up andlooking really sharp for the
sprowt Kriol tu Inglish staildance. See: blayd op, shaap op,slik. [
stail buk Kriol tu Inglish stayjnew style.stail buk n. fashion magazine.Magi si wahn jres weh ih laikeena di nyoo stail buk. Maggiesaw a dress that she likes in thenew fashion magazine. See:magazeen.stak 1 n. stack. Wi ga wahn hoalstak a buk bak deh eena daroom. We have a whole stack ofbooks back there in that room.— v. 1) stack. Dehn stak op dibuk dehn tu hai pahn di shelfahn aal a dehn faal dong. Theystacked the books too high on theshelf and they all fell down.stak 2 v. stock. Wi mek shoar wistak op groasriz wen harikayntaim. During hurricane season wemake sure that we stock up withgroceries.stakinz n. stockings. (Both sg. &pl.) Ah jos bai dis stakinz an ihdon ron aredi. I just boughtthese stockings and they alreadyhave a run. See: pantihoaz,stay-ops.stama v. stammer, stutter. Dalee bwai stama fahn ih smaal,soh ih tek lang fi seh weh ihwaahn seh. That little boy hasstammered since he was little, soit takes him a long time to saywhat he wants to say.stan v. 1) stand; to bear ortolerate.. Mee kyaahn stan kisbwai wid bad bret. I can’t standto kiss a boy who has bad breath.See: atalarayt, bayr, tek. 2) belike, behave, comport orconduct oneself. (Oftenfollowed by ‘laik’.) Yu noa howAh yoostu stan wen Ah mi335yong. You know how I used to bewhen I was young. — n. stand,position. Tek yu stan, ahn nohchaynj yu main. Take yourstand, and don’t change yourmind.stan op v.phr. stand; be orremain in an upright position.Dehn mi stil di stan op said a dihows. They were still standingbeside the house.standad adj. standard. Mi leebwai gwain eena standad foadis yaa. My little boy is beingpromoted to sixth grade this year.stanpaip Variant: paip. n.standpipe, public water pipe.Yu stil si stanpaip da sohn adehn vilij. You still seestandpipes in some of thevillages. See: fasit.stap v. stop, finish. Yu stap dadi lait ahn den ton rait. Youstop at the light and then turnright. See: don, en.stap op v.phr. clog or plug up.Aal da grees wahn stap op disink. All that grease will clog thesink. See: kaak op. — adj.clogged, plugged.stay v. 1) stay, remain. Ah tel mison fi stay rait pahn di step tilAh kohn. I told my son to stayright on the step until I come.2) continue, keep on, persist.Ah noh wahn oapm di doa,eevn if yu stay di nak ahn nak. Iwon’t open the door, even if youkeep knocking and knocking.See: kantinyu, kip aan, stodi.staybl n. barn, stable.stayj n. stage. Wen di lee pikni
stayl Kriol tu Inglish stifget op pahn di stayj, ih figetweh ih mi wahn seh. When thelittle child got up on stage, heforgot what he was going to say.stayl adj. stale. Mi grani gi wiloan stayl bred fi eet. Mygrandmother gave us nothing butstale bread to eat.stayn n. stain. Di beriz lef wahnbig stayn pahn yu pants. Theberries left a big stain on yourpants.stay-ops n. stockings withelastic tops. Bifoa pantihoazkom een, wee doz yooz stay-ops.Before pantyhose came in, weused stockings with elastic tops.See: pantihoaz, stakinz.stayr v. stare. Ah noh laik howda man stodi di stayr pahn mi. Idon’t the way that man keepsstaring at me.stayshan n. station. Wi gaahnda di polees stayshan fi ripoatweh hapm. We went to thepolice station to report whathappened.stayt n. state, condition. Wen wisi weh stayt di man mi eena, wikaal di dakta. When we sawwhat state the man was in, wecalled the doctor. See:kandishan, shayp.Stayts n. United States.Evribadi waahn goh da Staytsfi liv. Everybody wants to go tothe States to live.steda Variant: insted. prep.instead (of), rather (than)Steda goh bowt ih bizniz, digyal staat tu play wid ih frendehn. Instead of going about herbusiness, the girl started to playwith her friends.steem n. steam. Di steem wehmi-di kom owt a di pat bon mima han. The steam that wascoming out of the pot burnt mymother’s hand.step v. 1) step. Ah noh waahnkom een kaa Ah noh waahnstep pahn yu kyaapit. I don’twant to come in because I don’twant to step on your carpet.2) prance, strut; a type ofshowy walking done bywomen. Yu ku goh hed stepeena yu hai heel til yu twis yufut. You could go ahead andprance in your high heels untilyou twist your ankle. See:basiflap, bonks. — n. 1) step,stair(s) (Both sg. & pl.) See:opstayz Goh sweep di step fi mi.Go sweep the stairs for me.dongstayz. 2) step. Di baybi tekih fos step sayhn day wen ihwan. The baby took his first stepthe same day that he was one yearold.stepish adj. forward,presumptuous. Hihn oanlistepish; ih kohn baaj rait eenami bejroom widowt nak. He’sreally forward; he came bargingright into my bedroom withoutknocking. See: faysi, persnal.ster v. stir.ster op v.phr. stir up. Dehnoanli waahn ster op chrobl fimi. They only want to stir uptrouble for mi. See: eksait, rayz.stif adj. stiff. Di fishaman dehnmi-di fait gens wahn stif breez.The fishermen were battling336
stik Kriol tu Inglish stoariagainst a stiff wind.stik (var: tik) v. stick; adhere.Hanaasi stik di feda dehntugeda wid bredfroot gom.Anansi stuck the feathers togetherwith breadfruit gum. — n. stick;any non-machined piece ofwood; includes logs, roughmade tool handles, roughfence posts, etc. Jan pa brokwahn pees a stik kraas ih hed.John’s father broke a piece ofstick across his head.stiki (var: tiki) adj. sticky. If yukech wahn rat eena di stiki stikichrap, ih wahn stay rait deh. Ifyou catch a mouse in the stickytrap, it will stay right there.stil adv. still. Ah stil deh ya aftaaal dehn yaaz di wayt fi yu. I’mstill here waiting for you after allthose years.stin v. 1) sting. Wen waas stinmi breda, ih lip dehn swel opbig big. When wasps stung mybrother, his lips really swelled upbig. 2) spank with the hand or asmall belt. Ah stin di baybi hankaa ih gaahn haal dong aal a mibuk dehn. I spanked the baby’shand because she pulled down allof my books. See: klap,pampam, spenk. — n. spank.Ah wahn gi yu too stin if yu nohbihayv yuself. I’ll give you twospanks if you don’t behaveyourself.stinji adj. miserly, stingy. MisaHaabat neva yet gi nobadi notnkaa ih tu stinji. Mr. Herbert hasnever given anybody anythingbecause he’s too stingy. See:cheep, geechi, meen.337stinkin adj. stinking, foulsmelling,rank, rancid. Nohgoh yooz da stinkin tailit. Don’tuse that foul-smelling toilet. See:ransid.stinkin toa bukut n. stinkingtoe: a large tree that derives itsname from the offensive odourgiven off by its hard blackpod-like fruit which can growup to three feet in length, butthe pulp in the pod has a nicesweet taste, and the leaves andpods are used in herbalmedicine to treat skin diseaseand diabetes. . Cassia grandis.See: bukut.stoan v. 1) stone. Dehn stoan diman til ih ded. They stoned theman until he died. 2) throw anyobject at. Di lee bwai kohn ahnstoan wahn shooz afta mi, sohAh beet ahn. The little boy cameand threw a shoe at me, so I beathim. See: belt, chaans, faiya,fling. — n. stone. See: rak,rakstoan.stoan baas n. stone bass; a typeof edible river fish.stoar n. store. Wahn big stoarwahn oapm eena fi wee ayryaweh sel aal kain a ting. A bigstore is going to open in our areathat sells all kinds of things. See:shap.stoar room n. storeroom; roomin which goods or supplies arekept. Wi geh wahn man fi putdi baks dehn eena di stoar roomfi wi. We got a man to put all theboxes in the storeroom for us.See: bodayga.stoari n. 1) story; the telling of
stoav Kriol tu Inglish stodia happening, whether true orfictitious. Di gyal mi waahnyehr wahn lee stoari, soh Ah teldehn wahn chroo chroo stoaribowt wen Ah mi smaal. Thegirls wanted to hear a little story,so I told them a true story aboutwhen I was small. 2) lie. Paallaik tel stoari; yu kyaahn bileevweh hihn seh. Paul likes to telllies; you can’t believe a thing thathe says. See: lai. — adj.untruthful. Yu tu stoari; Ahnoh bileev yu. You’re too muchof a liar; I don’t believe you. See:laiyad.haas ded ahn kow fat stoarin.phr. ridiculous story.(Literally: ‘horse dead andcow fat’) Wen Ah aks Kerkbowt how ih neva kohn fiks milait, ih gi mi sohn haas ded ahnkow fat stoari. When I askedKirk why he didn’t come fix mylight, he gave me some ridiculousstory.kak ahn bul stoari n.phr.cock and bull story; ridiculousstory (usually told as anexcuse for wrongdoing)Chaalz kohn wid wahn kak ahnbul stoari seh too bwai teef mibaik fan ahn, bot Ah noh bileevahn ataal. Charles came withsome ridiculous story that twoboys had stolen my bike fromhim, but I don’t believe him atall. [
stodiz Kriol tu Inglish swankaop, bot mee neva stodi hihnataal. My father was railing, but Ididn’t pay attention to him at all.See: pay...main.stodi ting v.phr. (Same asSense 2)stodiz n. studies. Maagrit gwehngoh finish ih stodiz owtsaid.Margaret is going to finish herstudies abroad.stof v. stuff. Mi ma stof di chikinwid bred krombz ahn pitayta.My mother stuffed the chickenwith bread crumbs and potato. —n. stuff.stok adj. stuck. Ah wahn stokeena dis hows til Ah fain wahnjab. I’ll be stuck in this houseuntil I find a job.stombl v. stumble. Wen Jakibok ih toa, ih stombl bot ihneva faal dong. When Jackiestubbed her toe, she stumbled butdidn’t fall down.stomok n. stomach. (Could referto the entire area from the bottomof the belly to the top of thechest, especially in males) WehRoodalf eet soh moch, ihstomok staat tu hat ahn.Rudolph’s stomach startedhurting him because he ate toomuch. See: beli.stomp n. stump. Oanli wahnstomp mi lef afta dehn kot dongdi chree. There was just a stumpleft after they cut down the tree.stup v. stoop. Jayni stup dongbihain di fens mek ih bwaifrennoh si ahn. Janie stooped downbehind the fens so her boyfriendwouldn’t see her.styaa n. steer. Di yong gyal styaadi kaa rait eena Mis Mayri fens.The young girl steered the carright into Miss Mary’s fence.styoodent n. student. Da skoolga bowt faiv honjrid styoodent.That school has about fivehundred students.susumba n. small bushy plantwith wide leaves; good forhealing cuts.sut n. soot. Wen yu kuk pahn ailstoav, yu aalwayz geh lat a sutpahn yu han. When you cook ona kerosene stove, you always getlots of soot on your hands.swaati adj. describes someonewho is fat, sweaty, smelly andunkempt. Mayvis noh tek kayra ihself soh ih aalwayz luk fatahn swaati. Mavis doesn’t takecare of herself so she alwayslooks smelly and unkempt. See:gronji, frowzi.swala v. swallow. Di pikni swalasohn kloaraks an ih nayli ded.The child swallowed some bleachand almost died.swalo n. a swallow or martin.swampi adj. swampy. Wi mihafu spen lat a moni fi ful op dipees a lan weh wi geh kaa ih mioanli swampi. We had to spend alot of money to fill the piece ofland that we got because it wasreally swampy.swanka n. small land turtle;having a helmet-shaped shellthat opens when the turtle isthreatened. Dehn lee swankalaik deh eena modi waata.Those little turtles called339
swash Kriol tu Inglish sweet powda‘swanka’ like to be in muddywater. See: tertl. [
sweet soap Kriol tu Inglish swichsweet powda pahn dehn cheswen dehn don bayd. Belizeanwomen like to put lots of talcumpowder on their chests afterthey’ve bathed. See: powda, waitpowda.sweet soap n. bath soap. Da poalaydi kyaahn eevn afoad fi baisweet soap, ih hafu bayd widsoap powda. That poor lady can’teven afford to buy bath soap, shehas to bathe with laundry soap.sweethaat n. lover, mistress(paramour), sweetheart. Soozihozban ga sweethaat fi yaaz.Suzie’s husband has had otherwomen for years.sweetn v. sweeten. Mai ma oanlisweetn ih tee wid kandens milk.My mother sweetens her tea withnothing but condensed milk.sweet-taak v. sweet-talk.. Nohmek da bwai sweet-taak yu fidu notn. Don’t let that boysweet-talk you into doinganything.— n. sweet-talk, persuasivewords. Sayk a lisn tu fi hihnsweet-talk di gyal geh beli.Because she listened to his sweettalk,the girl got pregnant. See:sweet op.swel op v. swell up. Wen diwaas stin mi, mi hoal han swelop. When the wasp stung me, mywhole hand swelled up.swel op...hed v.phr. flatter.Aal da bwai du da swel op digyal hed mek ih tink seh ihpriti. All that boy does is flatterthe girl by making her think thatshe’s pretty.341swet v. sweat. Pahn dehnya hatdayz yu swet plenti. On thesehot days you sweat a lot.— n. sweat. Lat a swet mi-dijrip aaf a di man farid. A lot ofsweat was dripping off the man’sforehead.swet feeva v. commiserate;share another’s grudge or illwill. Mee ahn Mayri noh taak,soh Veera shee di swet feeva fiMayri ahn shee noh taak tu mineeda. Mary and I are notspeaking, so Vera followed suitand she isn’t speaking to meeither.swet rais n. rice prepared byharvesting it green androasting it in a dry coveredpot; the moisture in the ricecauses it to ‘sweat’, then it isdried and beaten; said to benutritious. (Literally: sweatrice)sweta n. sweater. If yu feel koal,wai yu noh put aan yu sweta? Ifyou’re feeling cold, why don’tyou put on your sweater?sweti adj. 1) sweaty. Ah gehsweti afta Ah don rayk di yaad.I got sweaty after I had raked theyard. See: swaati. 2) hostile.Sohn sweti laydi kom op da diminista aafis fi laj kamplayn.Some hostile women came up tothe minister’s office to make acomplaint.swibl op adj. shriveled up,wrinkled. How yu skin sohswibl op, Grani? Why is yourskin so wrinkled, Granny? See:rinkl.swich v. switch. Ah swich mi
Swing Brij Kriol tu Inglish taamentkaybl kompni kaa dis wan beta.I switched cable companiesbecause this one is better.Swing Brij n. Swing Bridge;the easternmost of threebridges crossing the river inBelize City. [Said to be the onlymanually operated ‘swing’ bridgestill in use in the world; thebridge which rotates on a centralassembly of gears is generallyturned in the early morning andlate afternoon to allow boats topass up and down the river.]swinj v. singe. Di stoav blayz opahn swinj aaf aal a mi aiybrowdehn. The stove blazed up andsinged my eyebrows.T - ttaa n. taw, main marble used inshooting in the game ofmarbles. Yestudeh dehn win mipriti taa fahn mi eena maablgaym. Yesterday they won mypretty taw from me in marbles.taacha v. torture. Pikni, staptaacha mi soal, noh? Child, stoptorturing my soul, will you? See:lik mi shot, taament.— n. torture. Da tes jos now mifeel laik taacha, kaa Ah nevanoa notn. That test that I justtook felt like torture because Ididn’t know anything.taak v. talk, speak. Yu yehr aala Mayri gots, sayk a weh sheetaak soh moch. When she startsto talk, Mary really spills herguts. See: seh.taak op bowt v.phr. discuss,gossip. Ah noa seh yu di taakop bowt mi bihain mi bak. Iknow that you are gossipingabout me behind my back. See:gasip, seetful, shush, skyat.taak op fi v.phr. defend. Ahmi hafu taak op fi mi lee bredawen dehn seh dat da hihn teefdi moni. I had to defend my littlebrother when they said it was hewho stole the money. See: difen.taakin n. talking. Yu ku si hihnda bushi kaa ih fraitn fi yehrtaakin di kohn chroo di rayjo.You can see that he’s a hickbecause he was frightened to heartalking coming through the radio.taaki-taaki adj. chatty,loquacious, talkative. Madaz,yoo oanli taaki-taaki! Ai josmeet yoo ahn mai ayz don dihat mee aredi. My, you aretalkative! I just met you and myears hurt me already. See: chati.taal adj. tall. Bai di taim Jantwelv, ih mi don taal laik ih pa.By the time John was twelve, hewas already tall like his dad.taambwai n. tomboy. Shee dareel taambwai – shee klaimchree, shee play baal, shee jompfens fi goh teef mango, ahneniting laik dat. She’s a realtomboy – she climbs trees, playsball, jumps over the fence to gosteal mangos, and anything likethat.taament v. torment. Mayzi loandi taament ih breda bowt da342
taamigaaf Kriol tu Inglish taigasayk a hihn mek dehn ma ded.Mazie keeps tormenting herbrother saying that it was his faultthat their mother died. See:taacha.taamigaaf n. fer-de-lance; apoisonous snake. Bothropsastrox asper. Wen wee gaahn dabush gaahn kyamp owt, mai pakech wahn big taamigaaf bai fiwee tent. When we wentcamping in the bush, my fathercaught a big fer-de-lance near ourtent. See: yala jaa. [‘TommyGoff’ or
taihn Kriol tu Inglish taitncat. Panthera onca. Taiga dawan a di ting dehn weh pikniaalwayz eksaitid fi si da di zoo.The jaguar is one of the thingsthat children are always excitedabout seeing at the zoo. See:jagwa.red taiga n.phr. cougar. Wahnred taiga nayli eet aaf Gari fut.A cougar almost ate off Gary’sfoot.taiga kyat n.phr. ocelot ormargay. Felis Pardalis,Leopardus pardalis, &/or Feliswiedii.taihn Variant: taim.tail n. tile. Aal di tail dehn eenadi baachroom hafu chaynj kaadehn di brok op now. All of thetiles in the bathroom have to bechanged because they’re breakingup now.tailit n. toilet. Da mi di haadisting fi geh mi sista fi yooz ditailit wen ih mi leel kaa shee mifrayd fi it. It was the hardestthing to get my sister to use thetoilet when she was smallbecause she was afraid of it. See:chroan, lachreen, soorij,watsaid.taim 1 (var: taihn) n. time. Eenano taim di nyooz gaahnevriway. In no time the newswent everywhere.aal taim/taihn phr. all thetime, always. Ah hayt kleenyala snapa kaa yu aal taihn fainsee roach eena dehn mowt. Ihate gutting yellow snappersbecause you are always findingwhite roaches in their mouths.evri taim/taihn adv. always,344continually, habitually,persistently. Evri taim Ah teldis pikni noh kom een ya wid ihmodi fut, an ih stil du it. I’malways telling this child not tocome in here with his muddy feet,and he still does it. See: stay,stodi.no taim adv. never. Ivet notaim goh da Anjru hows. Yvettenever goes to Andrew’s house.See: neva.taim 2 n. thyme. Wen yu puttaim eena yu beenz, ih tays gud.When you put thyme in yourbeans, it tastes good.taip v. type. Yu hafu laan fi taipif yu waahn dis jab. You have tolearn to type if you want this job.tait adj. tight. Wahn tait nat mideh eena di chred an Ah kudnloos it. There was a tight knot inthe thread and I couldn’t untie it.— adv. tightly. Shee aalwayz gahidayk kaa ih ma koam ih hyaatu tait. She always has headachesbecause her mother combs herhair too tightly.tai-tai adv. even, tied (relatedgenerally to sports). Wi gat toofos plays praiz kaa Jan ahnMayri kom een tai-tai. We havetwo first place prizes becauseJohn and Mary came in deadeven.taitl surname. Fi dehn taitl daSmaal, ahn pipl laaf aata dehnkaa aal a dehn big ahn fat.Their surname is Small, andpeople laugh at them because allof them are big and fat.taitn v. tighten. Hari taitn di
tai-tong Kriol tu Inglish taahnfooraroap gud rong di poas mek diboat noh jrif weh. Harrytightened the rope around the postwell so the boat wouldn’t driftaway.taitn op v.phr. straighten up.Bwai, taitn op, er els yu wahn siweh wahn hapm tu yu. Boy,straighten up, or else you’ll seewhat’s going to happen to you.tai-tong adj. having a lisp. Hihnkyaahn seh no wod wid ‘s’ gudkaa ih tai-tong. He can’t anyword with ‘s’ well because he hasa lisp.taiya n. tyre. Wid aal dehnpongcha weh Ah geh, Ah stilnoh noa how fi chaynj taiya.With all the blow-outs that I get, Istill don’t know how to change atyre. See: weel.taiyad v. make tired. Dehn naizipikni taiyad mi owt. The noisychildren tired me out. — adj.tired, weary. Wi tel di bwai datwi mi taiyad a ih naansens. Wetold the boy that we were tired ofhis nonsense. See: jrowzi, sleepi.tak v. tack; sew on by hand.(Always followed by ‘aan’) Di leegyal ma tak aan bak di boa panih hat kaa ih mi kom aaf. Thelittle girl’s mother tacked the bowback on her hat because it hadcome off.takayda v. make a wall out ofnative materials. Mi patakayda di kichin owt a bambu.My father made the kitchen wallsout of bamboo. See: paataaf.takl (var: tekl) v. tackle. Doreenseh ih ga wahn big bongl akloaz fi takl wen ih goh hoahn.Doreen says that she has a bigbundle of clothes to tackle whenshe goes home.taks 1 v. tax. Dehn taks wi gudpahn dis kaa da boada. Theytaxed us a lot on this car at theborder. — n. tax. Evri yaa wipay wi taks. Every year we payour taxes.taks 2 n. tack. (Both sg. & pl.)Jooni stan op pahn wahn taksan ih gaahn schrayt chroo ihfut. Junior stepped on a tack andit went straight through his foot.taksiman n. taxi driver. Aks ditaksiman humoch ih wahnchaaj fi kehr yu da haaspital.Ask the taxi driver how muchhe’ll charge to take you to thehospital.talarayt Variant: atalarayt.tolerate.talawala v. 1) paste, applypaste. Da wai yu gaahntalawala fi yoo hed wid greesfa? Why did you go and pasteyour head up with that grease?See: pays. 2) daub with mud.— n. a hairy-looking plantused as an herbal medicine fortreating high blood pressure.tamaales n. tamales. (Both sg. &pl.) Misa Jan hihn put lee bit ameet eena ih tamaales. Mr. Johnputs a little bit of meat in histamales. [Sp. ‘tamales’]taahnfoora n. a vexatious orsulky mood. Wen yu kom owta yu taahnfoora, Ah wahnreezn wid yu, gyal. When youcome out of your sulky mood, I345
tambareen Kriol tu Inglish tarawill reason with you, girl.tambareen n. tambourine.Aireen lik da tambareen dachoch wosa dan ih waahn brokahn. Irene beats that tambourinein church just as if she wants tobreak it.tambran n. tamarind tree; pulpfrom its seed pods is used tomake a cooling drink.Tamarindus indica L. Wen yu eettambran, ih mek yu mek op yufays weh ih soh sowa. When youeat tamarind, it makes yougrimace because it’s so sour.tambran sweet n.phr.tamarind ball; sugared ballsmade from the pulp and seedof the tamarind pods. MisMayri mek fi shee tambransweet wid brong shuga. MissMary makes her tamarind ballswith brown sugar.tangl (var: tengl) v. tangle. Sherihyaa tangl op wen yu noh koamit az ih don wash. Sherry’s hairtangles when it isn’t combed rightafter it’s washed. See: nat.tanjareen (var: tanjarinj) n.tangerine. Tanjareen eeziya fipeel dan hareenj. Tangerines areeasier to peel than oranges.tanjarinj Variant: tanjareen.tanks v. thanks; expressappreciation. Tanks fi aal wehyu du, gyal. Thanks for all thatyou did, girl. See: tenk yu.— n. thanks. Wi hafu gi Gaadtanks fi spayr wi laif. We haveto give God thanks for sparingour life.tap 1 n. 1) top. Polees saach di346hows fahn tap tu batam. Thepolice searched the house fromtop to bottom.tap 2 n. top; child’s toy. Di leebwai sidong hoal aftanoon diplay wid ih tap kaa ih laik sihow ih spin. The little boy spentthe entire afternoon playing withhis top because he likes to see itspin.tapik n. topic. Mek wi chaynj ditapik bifoa wi mowt geh wieena chrobl. Let’s change thetopic before our mouths get us introuble. See: sobjek.tapnachik n. 1) rufous-neckedwood-rail. Aramides axillaris.2) tuft of hair on top of thehead. Ah noh noa wai Paal nohshayv aaf da lee tapnachik wehdi stik op pahn tap a ih hed. Idon’t know why Paul doesn’tshave off that little tuft of hairthat is sticking up on top of hishead.taps adj. tops, the best. Gilbertda taps eena fiks kaa. Gilbert istops at fixing cars. See: bes,gudis.tara 1 adj. thorough. Afta wi eet,wi hafu du wahn tara kleen opa evriting. After we eat, we haveto do a thorough clean up ofeverything.tara 2 adj. another; entirelydifferent.(Often used ingossip.) Randi seh wahn ting,ahn Mini tel mi wahn tara ting,soh Ah noh noa hoo fi bileev.Randy said one thing, and Minnietold me an entirely differentthing, so I don’t know whom tobelieve. See: ada, nada, neks.
tas Kriol tu Inglish taymtas (var: taas) n. 1) task, job. Yuga wahn big tas hed a yoo fikleen owt da hows. You have abig job ahead of you cleaning thathouse. See: layba, jab, werk.2) a unit of land measurementequal to half an acre. Mee ahnmi son geh wahn tas eech fichap owt. My son and I each gothalf an acre of land to chop andclean. [Perhaps derived from theEnglish word ‘task’ whichindicated the amount of land thatcould be worked by one man inone day.]Tata Duhendeh n. mythicalforest character: known amongolder Kriol people as a tallblack hairy man whose feetare turned backward and whohas no thumbs. This characterhas become fused with theMaya-Mestizo figure called‘Tata Duende’ who is a dwarfwearing a big hat and coarseclothing, and who kidnaps andeats children. Stories ofcharacters like this were toldnot only to entertain, but todiscipline children and keepthem close to home. Mi graniseh dat if yu eva meet TataDuhendeh, yu fi ben een yu tomdehn fi mek ih kyaahn kot dehnaaf. My granny says if we evermeet Tata Duende, we shouldbend our thumbs toward thepalms of our hands so he won’tcut them off. [Afr. Bantu ‘taat’father (archaic Kriol used ‘taata’for ‘grandfather’ when talking tochildren) Sp. ‘duende’ spirit,fairy]tataram n. an old fool;347specifically one trying to actyoung. Derogatory. Da oaltataram stil di chays afta yonggyal. That old fool still chasesafter young girls. [tata ‘daddy’ +ram = ‘old goat’]taybl v. table; the process ofmaking a flat top surface froma log. — n. table; a piece offurniture. Disya taybl weh wi dieet rong da fahn mi grayt graytgrani. This table that we’reeating around is from my greatgreat grandmother.tayblklaat n. tablecloth. Distayblklaat weh spred pahn ditaybl da weh mi ma krosheh.My mother crocheted thistablecloth that’s spread on thetable.tayblz n. multiplication tables.Mai lee bwai don noa aal ihtayblz aredi. My little boyalready knows all of hismultiplication tables.tayl n. tail; hindermost part ofsomething. Fi wi daag ga wahnlee kungku tayl. Our dog has avery small tail.frak tayl n.phr. hem. Joangaahn hoahn wid ih frak taylrip owt kaa ih kech eena fait.Joan went home with her hemripped out because she got into afight.tayla n. tailor. Di tayla mek mihozban pants tu big. The tailormade my husband’s pants too big.taym v. tame. Man don taym aalkain a animal, bot nobadi kudntaym di tong. Man has tamed allkinds of animals, but nobody can
tayp Kriol tu Inglish teeftame the tongue.tayp v. tape. Ah tayp op di bukkaa ih mi tayr. I taped up thebook because it was torn.— n. tape. Bai wahn roal a taypmek wi rap di gif. Buy a roll oftape so that we can wrap the gift.tayr v. 1) tear, rip. Di lee gyaljrap pahn di grong ahn tayr ihkloaz. The little girl fell on theground and tore her clothes.2) beat, thrash. Dehn wahn tayrfi yoo shot sayk a get hoahnlayt. They’ll beat you soundlybecause you got home late. See:beet, dip, lada, lays, lash, wap.— n. tear, rip. Ah ga wahn tayreena mi pants sayk a di hapfens. I have a tear in my pantsfrom when I jumped over thefence.tayr op phr. ragged.tayrin adj. torn. Yu kyaahn gohowt eena dehn tayrin pants.You can’t go out in those tornpants. — n. beating, spanking,whipping. (Generally refers toparental discipline) Shelmadeentek wahn tayrin wen ih stay owtlayt da nait. Shelmadine gets abeating when she stays out late atnight. See: lashin, wapin.tays v. taste. Da laik notn taysgud wen yu ga wahn koal.Nothing seems to taste as itshould when you have a cold. —n. taste. Dis dina noh ga notays. This meal doesn’t have anytaste. See: flayva.taysti adj. tasty. Ah injai aal a ditaysti pai ahn kayk dehn. Ienjoy all of the tasty pies andcakes.348tayta n. theatre. Di prais a taytatikit wahn kip poa pipl owt. Theprice of theater tickets will keeppoor people out.tee n. 1) tea. Ah jrink wahn kopa tee dis maanin. I drank a cupof tea this morning. 2) breakfast.Ah gwehn da maakit afta Ahjrink mi tee. I’m going to themarket after I’ve had mybreakfast. 3) supper. Wi jrinktee wid sasij ahn cheez diseevnin. We had sausage andcheese for supper this evening.See: sopa.teebag n. teabag. Mai ma jraatoo teebag tugeda kaa ih laik ihtee schrang. My mother likes touse two teabags at a time becauseshe likes her tea to be strong.teech v. teach. Yu kyaahnekspek di pikni fi noa how fiwash wen yu neva teech ahn.You can’t expect the child toknow how to wash when youhaven’t taught him. See: laan.teecha n. teacher. Da teechashee kyaahn teech ataal. Thatteacher doesn’t know how toteach at all.teechin n. teaching. Wi laiksohn a ih teechin, bot noh aal.We like some of his teaching, butnot all.teef v. 1) steal. Da man ku teefshuga fahn aaf a bon an aal.That man could even steal sugarfrom a bun. See: jak. 2) steal bycheating. Di shap man mositeef mi kaa dis meet luk lee bit.The shopkeeper must havecheated me because this doesn’tlook like much meat.
teefin Kriol tu Inglish tek— n. thief. Wahn teef brokeena mi hows laas nait ahngaahn wid mi teevee. A thiefbroke into my house last nightand went away with my TV.teef chaans v.phr. sneak in.Wi gaahn teef chaans fi pikmango eena Misa Wilbot yaad,an ih chays wi owt wid wahnpees a too bai foa. We sneakedinto Mr. Wilbert’s yard to stealmangos and he chased us out witha big two-by-four. See: sneek.teefin adj. thieving. Da teefinshap man rong di layn shaat mipahn mi meet, ahn fi si ih gohda cherch! That thieving man inthe shop around the lane shortedme on my meat, and he goes tochurch too!teefinis n. thievery. Elinorophoal ih son eena ih teefiniskaa ih mek ih kip di ting dehnweh ih teef. Elinor supports herson in his thievery because sheallows him to keep the things thathe steals.teenayja n. teenager. Deez dayzaz yu pikni ton teenayja, dehnstaat tu gi chrobl. These days asyour children become teenagers,they start to give trouble.teet n. tooth. (Both sg. & pl.)Wahn teet way da bak a mimowt mi-di hat mi. A tooth atthe back of my mouth washurting me. See: bof teet, faakteet, jaa teet, piyaano teet, sokteet.no teet shuga phr. Wen yusmaal ahn yu too front teet komowt, dehn kaal yu ‘no teetshuga’. When you’re small andyour two front teeth come out,they call you ‘toothless sugar’.teevee n. television. Notnsensabl shoa pahn teeveedehnya dayz. Nothing sensibleshows on television these days.See: telivijan.teez v. tease. Joa teez di lee gyaltil ih krai. Joe teased the littlegirl until she cried. See: jinks.tek v. 1) take, accept. Ah horitek di moni owt a ih han bifoaih chaynj ih main. I hurried totake the money out of her handbefore she changed her mind.2) be effective. Aal di advaisweh Bernis ma gi ahn neva tekataal. All of the advice thatBernice’s mother gave her wasn’teffective at all. 3) tolerate, bear.Ah noh di tek nohmoh fool fahnda man. I am not tolerating anymore nonsense from that man.See: atalarayt, bayr, stan.tek een v.phr. 1) takeadvantage of. Paal tek eenRandi jos kaa Randi kyaahnfait. Paul took advantage ofRandy because Randy can’t fightwell. See: chaans, du op, (tek)advantij. 2) to be overcome bya sudden or unexpected illnessor sickness. Mi ma tek een widbad payn-a-beli, soh wi roshahn da haaspital. My mother gotsick suddenly with a severe painin her stomach, so we rushed herto the hospital.tek plays v.phr. happen,occur, take place. Evritingwahn tek plays jos laik weh diman mi seh. Everything willhappen just like the man said.349
tekl Kriol tu Inglish terdSee: hapm.tek weh v.phr. take away.Dehn wahn tek weh di pikniweh fahn dehn ma. They’ll takethe children away from theirmother.tekl Variant: takl.tel v. tell. Ai tel yu, da krowd mibig. I tell you, that crowd wasbig.tel aaf v.phr. tell off; berate,rebuke harshly. Beril gaahnway da skool gaahn tel aaf diprinsipal kaa ih beet ih daata.Beryl went all the way to schoolto berate the principal because hebeat her daughter. See: bles...aaf,chrays...aaf, kos aaf, yooz op.tela n. teller. Lang lain mi dehda bank ahn oanli wan telami-di werk. There were longlines at the bank and only oneteller was working.telivijan n. television. Ai don sida moovi pahn telivijan aredi. Ialready saw that movie ontelevision. See: teevee.temp v. tempt. Di debl temp mifi teef di moni. The deviltempted me to steal the money.tempa n. temper. Noh geh Lindahozban owt kaa ih ga wahn badtempa. Don’t get Linda’shusband angry because he has abad temper.templ n. temple. Di Jooish pipldehn doz goh da dehn templ fiwership Gaad. The Jewishpeople used to go to their templeto worship God.tempricha n. temperature. Ditempricha gaahn way da nainti350yestudeh. The temperature wentall the way to ninety yesterday.temtayshan n. temptation. Wiga wahn lat a temtayshan eenadis laif. We have manytemptations in this life.ten num. ten. Mi lee daata bloaowt di hoal ten kyandl pan ihbertday kayk. My little daughterblew out all ten candles on herbirthday cake.ten tu v. attend to, look after,take care of. Mi nayba ten tu ihwaif gud wen ih mi sik. Myneighbour took good care of hiswife when she was sick. See:main, tek kayr a.tengl Variant: tangl.tenis n. sneakers, tennis shoes.Jaaj mi hafu geh nyoo tenis firon di rays wid. George had toget new tennis shoes to run therace. See: saal fizik.tenk yu phr. thank you. Tenk yufi aal weh yu du fi mi. Thankyou for all that you did for me.See: tanks.tent 1 tent. Mi granfaada yoostuliv eena wahn lee tent. Mygrandfather used to live in a smalltent.tent 2 adj. tenth. Wi wahn mekwahn kayk fi Telma tentbertday. We’ll make a cake forThelma’s tenth birthday.terabl adj. terrible. Sanjra mi gawahn terabl hidayk laas nait.Sandra had a terrible headachelast night. See: harabl.terd adj. third. Babzi da di terdwahn fahn di en a di lain. Babsyis the third one from the end of
teritori Kriol tu Inglish tidehthe line.teritori n. territory. Nobadikyaahn goh dong da schreetkaaz dat da dehn bad bwaiteritori. Nobody can go downthat street because it’s those badboys’ territory.Terk n. Turk, person ofMiddle-Eastern descent. Terksyoostu ga lat a di stoar dehnbifoa soh moch Indyan kohn daBileez. Middle-Easterners used toown many of the stores before somany Indians came to Belize.terki n. turkey. Mi aanti baykwahn big terki fi Krismos. Myaunt baked a big turkey forChristmas. See: Krismos bod,gabla.terkl Variant: tertl.termomita n. thermometer. Diners put wahn termomita andadi baybi tong fi si if ih ga feeva.The nurse put a thermometerunder the baby’s tongue to see ifhe has a fever.tern n. turn; sequential order.Ma, da mai tern fi get eena diswing ahn Jani noh waahn komowt. Mom, it’s my turn to getinto the swing and Johnnydoesn’t want to get off.ters (var: tos) n. thirst. Loan jooskyaahn kwench yu ters. Juice byitself can’t quench your thirst.tersti (var: tosti) v. thirsty. Veranoh jrink no waata fahnmaanin, soh ih tersti bad. Verahasn’t drunk any water sincemorning, so she’s very thirsty.terteen num. thirteen. Tina sonku konk fahn wan tu terteen.Tina’s son can count from one tothirteen.terti (var: toti) num. thirty. Aivanseh ih wahn geh marid wen ihterti. Ivan said that he’ll getmarried when he’s thirty.tertl (var: terkl) n. turtle. Yuhafu dig di tertl owt a dehn shelfi geh di meet fi kuk. You haveto dig the turtle out of its shell toget the meat to cook. See: aksbil,bokotora, hikiti, lagrahed,swanka.tertl shel ban n. turtle shellband; traditional Garifunamusical group. Di lee bwaidehn get tugeda ahn geh sohnshel aaf a sohn tertl ahn sehdehn mek op wahn tertl shelban. The little boys got togetherand got some turtle shells andsaid that they were puttingtogether a turtle shell band.Terzdeh n. Thursday. Terzdehda mi ma bertday. Thursday ismy mother’s birthday.tes v. test. Wi pikni dehn diaalwayz chrai fi tes wi. Ourchildren are always trying to testus. — n. test. Evri day diteecha gi dehn wahn lee tes.Everyday the teacher gives thema little test. See: egzam.testifai v. testify. Ah gwehn gohtestifai da koat neks week. I willgo testify in court next week.tideh Variant: tudeh. adv. today.tideh day phr. these days,nowadays. Tideh day di yongpipl dehn noh ga no rispek fi dioal pipl. These days youngpeople have no respect for old351
tik Kriol tu Inglish titapeople. See: deez dayz,nowadayz.tideh tideh phr. this very day.Tideh tideh yu wahn si wehwahn hapm tu yu. This very dayyou’ll see what will happen toyou.tik 1 adj. 1) thick. Mi pa wap miwid wahn tik tik belt. My fatherwhipped me with a very thickbelt. 2) rich. Bwai, laik how dapayday, yu tik tudeh. Boy, sinceit’s payday, you’re rich today.See: rich.tik 2 Variant: stik.tiki Variant: stiki.tikit n. ticket. Wi noh geh notikit fi goh da di shoa. We didn’tget any tickets to go to the show.tikl Variant: tiklish. v. tickle.tiklish (var: tikl) v. tickle.Enitaim dehn tiklish mi tumoch, Ah peepi miself.Whenever they tickle me toomuch, I wet myself. — adj.ticklish. Ai tiklish anda mai futbatam. I’m ticklish on thebottoms of my feet.til conj. until. Dehn wahn kip yueena jayl til yu pay bak evritingweh yu hoa. They’ll keep you injail until you pay back everythingthat you owe. See: sotay.tili n. penis. See: pili.timaara Archaic. Variant:tumaaro.timbl n. thimble. Wilma graniaalwayz soa wid timbl. Wilma’sgrandmother always sews with athimble.tin 1 adj. thin, skinny. Da laydigeh tin tin tin weh ih ga sohmoch woriz. That lady got reallythin because she has so manyworries. See: maaga, snaipi.tin 2 n. tin can. Wahn tin a soopkaas lat a moni now. A can ofsoup costs lots of money now.— adj. canned. Ih gud fi bai tingudz wentaim harikayn. It’sgood to buy canned goods in theevent of a hurricane.tin kota n. can opener, tincutter. Paas mi da tin kota mekAh oapm dis tin a bayk beenz.Pass me the can opener so I canopen this can of baked beans.tinait Variant: tunait.ting n. thing. Noh ga wan ting fifu wid hihn. Don’t have a thingto do with him.tingreh n. sting ray. Wentingreh stin yu, ih oanli hat.When a sting ray stings you, itreally hurts.tinin adj. tin, made of tin. Wenwi mi smaal, wi yoostu jrink teeowt a tinin kop. When we weresmall, we used to drink tea out oftin cups. [
titai Kriol tu Inglish tofPeople in olden days used to say‘tita’ instead of ‘sister’. See:sista. [
togboat Kriol tu Inglish tonilproperly. See: taari. 2) tough;describes stiff, kinky hair.Derogatory. Maaji hed soh tofdat ih brok di koam. Margie’shair is so stiff that it broke thecomb. See: nati, piki.togboat n. tugboat. Yu aalwayzsi dehn togboat di haal dehn bigbaaj. You always see tugboatshauling those big barges.tokseedo n. tuxedo. Da taylapahn King Schreet mek mibreda tokseedo fi ih wedn. Thattailor on King Street made mybrother’s tuxedo for his wedding.See: sizaz tayl.toktok n. putt-putt; a slow,noisy old boat or vehicle. Wenwi doz goh da Gaylz Paint eenadehn toktok, ih doz tek lang fireech. When we used to go toGales Point in those oldmotorboats, it would take a longtime to get there. [Probably fromthe chugging sound made by theengine.]tom n. thumb. Noh mek yubaybi sok ih tom kaa ih wahnspail di shayp a ih mowt. Don’tlet your baby suck his thumbbecause it’ll spoil the shape of hismouth.tomayto n. tomato. (Both sg. &pl.) Tomayto aalwayz meksalad luk priti. Tomatos alwaysmake salads look pretty.tombl v. tumble; fall in a rollingmotion. Wan a di gyal dehntombl dong bos ih yaiy. One ofthe girls fell down and cut hereye.ton 1 v. 1) turn. Wi ton tu wi354frenz ahn aks dehn fu help. Weturned to our friends and askedthem for help. 2) turn into,become. Di lee bwai don tonyong man. The little boy hasbecome a young man.evri haaf ton phr. often,frequently. Evri haaf ton sheedi ron da choch. Every time youturn around, she is running off tochurch. See: aafn. [Literally:every half turn]ton 2 n. ton; measure of weight.(Usually followed by ‘load’) Ahga wahn ton load a kloaz fi gohwash! I have a ton of clothes towash!tonda n. thunder. Big bigHaatens frayd fi tonda wen ihklap. Hortense is already grown,but she’s afraid of thunder whenit rolls.tong 1 n. town; a town in Belizeconsists of three thousand ormore people, and there areseven: Benque Viejo delCarmen, Corozal, Dangriga,Orange Walk, Punta Gorda,San Ignacio-Santa Elena, SanPedro. Misa Jaaj an ih waifgaahn da tong fi bai op fiKrismos. Mr. George and hiswife went to town to shop forChristmas.tong 2 n. tongue. Wen yu goh dadakta, ih mek yu lang owt yutong ahn seh, ‘Aaa’. When yougo to the doctor, he makes youstick out your tongue and say,‘Ah’.tonil n. tunnel. Di man dehn digwahn tonil anda di grong wehleed fahn wan vilij tu di neks.
tonti Kriol tu Inglish tootpaysThe men dug a tunnel under theground that leads from onevillage to the next.tonti adj. dizzy. Wen Dayzi komaaf a di meri-goh-rong, ih mitonti tonti. When Daisy came offof the merry-go-round, she wasvery dizzy. See: jronki.too num. 1) two. Beti mi ga toopensl an ih don brok wan aredi.Betty had two pencils and she’salready broken one. 2) some. Ahgwehn goh mek too bred layta.I’m going to bake some breadlater. See: kopl, sohn, wan ahntoo.too a dehn phr. both. Bernismi laas ih too pikni dehn, botwen ih get hoahn, too a dehn midon dehdeh sayf ahn song.Bernice had lost her two children,but when she got home, bothwere already there, safe andsound.too taim phr. twice. Damishineri kohn da fi weekonchri too taim aredi. Thatmissionary came to our countrytwice already.too-faiv n. good, close friend.Ah noatis seh Alis ahn Beti tontoo-faiv. I noticed that Alice andBetty have become close friends.See: bali, bombali, fren.toofaystidnis n. two-facedness.Wi mos kyaaful dat dehntoofaystidnis noh spred mongzwi tu. We should be careful thattheir two-facedness doesn’tspread among us also.tookan berd n. keel-billedtoucan; a brightly colored,tropical bird with large,yellow, canoe-shaped bill.Ramphastos sulfuratus. Ditookan berd da di nashanalberd a Bileez. The toucan is thenational bird of Belize. See:bilbod.toolz n. tool. (Both sg. & pl.) Dioanli toolz Ai ga da wahnhama. The only tool I have is ahammer.toom n. tomb; cement blockmonument built over a grave.Dehn bil wahn toom oava mima grayv. They built a tombover my mother’s grave. See:grayv, briktooris n. tourist. Lat a tooris gohgoh luk pahn di Maiya rooinzevri yaa. Many tourists go tolook at the Mayan ruins everyyear.too-taim v. two-time; beunfaithful to one’s mate. Jaajdi too-taim ih waif wid da nekslaydi. George is being unfaithfulto his wife with that other lady.See: cheet pahn.tootayk n. toothache. (Pluralcan be ‘teetayk’) Tootayk lik mishot hoal nait laas nait, soh fosting dis maanin, Ah gaahn dadentis. My toothache reallytortured me all of last night, sofirst thing this morning I went tothe dentist.tootbrosh n. toothbrush. Dentisseh yu fi chaynj yu tootbroshevri siks monts. Dentists say thatyou should change yourtoothbrush every six months.tootpays n. toothpaste. Dehn gatootpays weh ku mek yu teet355
torteeya Kriol tu Inglish tunaitdehn geh wait wait. They havetoothpaste that can really whitenyour teeth.torteeya n. tortilla. Flowatorteeya ahn beenz goh gud.Flour tortillas and beans go welltogether.tos Variant: ters.tosti Variant: tersti.toti Variant: terti.toti siks n. derogatory term forGarifuna. [Refers to the mileageby sea from Belize City toDangriga, the area where theGarifuna settled.]towa n. tower. Dehn bil wahnhai towa pahn tap a di faiyastayshan soh dat dehn ku si wehfaiya deh. They built a hightower on top of the fire station sothey could see where the fires are.towil n. towel. Yooz da big towilfi jrai aaf yu skin. Use that bigtowel to dry yourself.towzn num. thousand. Da mibowt faiv towzn man mi dehmongz da krowd deh da day.There were about five thousandmen in the crowd that day.tu adv. too, also. Ah gwehn tu.I’m going also. — prep. to. Ahmi tink seh hihn da-mi maikozn, bot hihn da noh notn tumee. I thought that he’s mycousin, but he’s nothing to me.tuba n. Firemouth cichlid; akind of river fish similar toperch. Cichlasoma salvini. Mima laik mek fish soop owt adehn big tuba. My mother likesto make fish soup out of tuba fish.[
tunkush naani Kriol tu Inglish udpekatunkush naani n. vagina.Vulgar. See: koako.tunu baal n.phr. rubber ball. Diman da di bank ton mi ronglaik tunu baal. The man at thebank gave me the runaround as ifI were a rubber ball.tutu v. defecate. Euphemism. Dilee baybi don noa fi tel yu wenih tutu eena ih pamperz. Thatlittle baby already knows to tellyou when she messes her diaper.See: kaka, nomba too.tuwaadz adv. toward. Waaktuwaadz mi mek Ah si if yu sliplang. Walk towards me so I cansee if your slip is showing.twelft n. twelfth. Hihn da-mi ditwelft persn fi jrap eena kineldis yaa. He was the twelfthperson to fall into the canal thisyear.twelv num. twelve. Peeti mioanli ga twelv maabl lef. Peteyhad only twelve marbles left.twelv aklak n. sensitive plant;U - uplant whose leaves fold upwhen touched. Mimosa pudica.Dehn pikni laik goh mash dehntwelv aklak plaant mek dehnshet op. The children like tomash the twelve o’clock plantand watch them close up.tweni num. twenty. Tweni moamango lef eena di baaskit.Twenty more mangos are left inthe basket.tweni-fos num. twenty-first.Bileez Indipendans Day da ditweni-fos a Septemba. Belize’sIndependence Day is the twentyfirstof September.twis v. twist. Derla twis ih futwen ih mi-di daans. Derlatwisted her foot when she wasdancing.tyaa koat n. a type of vine withmany thorns.tyaaz n. tears. Ai shed lat atyaaz fi yu. I’ve shed lots of tearsfor you. See: aiywaata.ud wood. Evri day Dogi ahnChaalz hafu goh chap ud fidehn ma faiyahaat bifoa dehngoh da skool. Every day Dougieand Charles have to chop woodfor their mother’s fireplace beforethey go to school. See: lomba.ud lais n. wood lice, termite.(Both sg. & pl.) Dis hows ga udlais bad. This house has a badinfestation of wood lice.uda (var: da) v. would. Mi graniaks mi if Ah uda goh luk farahn afta cherch tumaaro. Mygrandmother asked me if I wouldvisit her after church tomorrow.See: mi wahn.udn v. would not. Wi aks wahnlat a kweschan, bot nobadi udnansa. We asked many questions,but nobody would answer.udpeka n. woodpecker. Tityrasemifasciata. Datdeh udpeka dachrobl kaa ih mek lat a naiz da357
ulf Kriol tu Inglish vaismaanin. That woodpecker istrouble because it makes lots ofnoise in the morning. See: faadaredkyap, pain rij udpeka.ulf (var: wulf) n. wolf (animalknown from stories but notfound in Belize). Ah di sen unuowt laik sohn lee lam mongzulf. I am sending you out likesome little lambs among wolves.uman n. woman. Da uman wehdi stan op deh da mi hozbansweethaat. That woman standingthere is my husband’s sweetheart.uman fumfum n.phr. a severebeating; usually done to a manby a woman. Evribadi laaf aataRabat kaaz ih waif gi ahn umanfumfum. Everybody laughed atRobert because his wife beat him.umanish adj. inappropriatelyprecocious; referring tobehavior by a young girl. Dilee gyal di ak umanish an ih mastan op rait deh noh di du notn.That little girl isn’t behavingproperly and her mother isstanding right there not doinganything about it. See: manish.unu pro. (2nd person pl.) you.Aal a dis hapm rait ya mongzaal a unu. All of this happenedright here among all of you.— pro.adj. (plural possessive)your. Unu baaskit dehn dehoava deh. Your baskets are overthere.fi unu phr. 1) your (for you)Dat da fi unu bizniz if unuwaahn spen lat a moni fiKrismos. That’s your business ifyou want to spend lots of moneyon Christmas. 2) yours. Da bukda fi unu. That book is yours.fi unu wan phr. yours. Ah fainmai bag, bot Ah noh noa wehhapm tu fi unu wan. I found mybag, but I don’t know whathappened to yours. [
valantyaa Kriol tu Inglish verzhanvalantyaa v. volunteer. Chreeyong bwai valantyaa fi help mieena mi gyaadn. Three youngboys volunteered to help me inmy garden. — n. volunteer.valees n. grip, suitcase. Wen Ahgaahn da Stayts, Ah geh wahnnyoo valees fi put een mi kloaz.When I went to the States, I got anew suitcase to put my clothes in.See: grip.vali n. valley. Wen Ah mi gaahnchroo Stan Krik vali, dehnmi-di pik hareenj. When I wentthrough Stann Creek valley, theywere picking oranges.vamit v. vomit. Mis Maad mitink seh ih daata pregnant kaaih stodi mi-di vamit op. MissMaude thought that her daughterwas pregnant because she keptvomiting. See: chroa op.vamp n. hickey. Da wahn vampyu ga pahn yu nek? Is that ahickey you have on your neck?varanda n. porch, veranda.Dehn gyal sidong pahn dehnvaranda aal day ahn gasip bowtpipl. Those girls sit on theirveranda all day long gossipingabout people. See: poach.vayn n. vein; any blood vessel.Mee noh laik wen di ners jukmi eena mi vayn fi tek owt blod.I don’t like it when the nursesticks me in the vein to take outblood.mayn vayn n. artery. Wan a diman mayn vayn bos an ih bleedtu det. One of the man’s arteriesburst and he bled to death.veekl n. vehicle. Di veekl dehnpaak eena mi bakyaad. Thevehicles are parked in my backyard.veesa n. visa. Dehn ton mi dong,soh Ah noh ga no veesa. Theyturned me down, so I don’t have avisa.vejitabl n. vegetable. Mi paprojoos lat a froot ahn vejitablahn sel dehn da maakit. Myfather produces a lot of fruit andvegetables and sells them at themarket.vencha v. venture. Noh eevnvencha eena dehn bush kaasnayk deh een deh. Don’t evenventure into that bush becausethere are snakes in there.verdik n. verdict. Wen di jooribring een di gilti verdik, dibwai ma faynt weh. When thejury brought in the guilty verdict,the boy’s mother fainted.veri adj. 1) very, even. (Used asan intensifier.) Wen yu lef miyaad, yu beta shayk di veri dosaaf a yu fut. When you leave myyard, you had better shake eventhe dust off your feet. 2) very,same. Di veri ting weh da manmi seh mi kohn chroo. The samething the man had said came true.See: sayhn, sed.verjin (var: berjin) n. virgin. Migrani doz tel mi Ah mos staywahn verjin sotay Ah marid.My grandma told me I shouldremain a virgin until I getmarried.verzhan n. version. Aal di piknidehn tel fi dehn oan verzhan adi stoari. All of the children told359
ves Kriol tu Inglish waaftheir own version of the story.ves n. undershirt for females.Mee noh laik put aan ves eenadis hat weda kaa ih mek Ahswet anda mi kloaz. I don’t liketo wear a vest in this hot weatherbecause it makes me sweat undermy clothes. See: andashot.vikchri n. victory. Ai don win divikchri aredi. I have already wonthe victory. — adj. victory. Ahmi ga wahn vikchri paati da mihows afta wi win di gaym. I hada victory party at my house afterwe won the game.viktim n. victim. Di viktim mifrayd fi tel di polees weh hapm.The victim was afraid to tell thepolice what happened.vilij n. village. Mi vilij win dikrikit mach yestudeh. Myvillage won the cricket gameyesterday.vineega n. vinegar. Dehn dozlash wi wid shash kaad soakeena vineega wen wi mi smaal.They used to lash us with a sashcord soaked in vinegar when wewere small.vizhan n. vision. Gaad mi giv diman wahn vizhan bifoa ih senahn owt. God gave the man avision before he sent him out.vizit v. visit. Ah gaahn vizit mima yestudeh. I went to visit mymother yesterday. See: gi wahnshowt, hayl, luk fi. — n. visit.Ah wahn pay Grani wahn leevizit kaa Ah yehr ih mi sik. Iwant to pay Grandma a little visitbecause I heard she was sick.vizita n. visitor. Wi nayba dehnga wahn vizita tideh. Ourneighbours have a visitor today.See: ges.voat v. vote. Evribadi shudavoat eena ilekshan. Everybodyshould vote in the elections. —n. vote. Evribadi redi fi tekvoat. Everybody’s ready to takethe vote.vowcha n. voucher. Ah wahnpay yu wen Ah kyash mivowcha. I’ll pay you when I cashmy voucher.vyooz n. opinions. Bileez pipl gaschrang vyooz bowt dehnpalitiks. Belizeans have strongviews about their politics.W - wwaachri adj. watery. Ah nohlaik Mis Maybel soop kaa ihaalwayz waachri. I don’t likeMiss Mabel’s soup because it’salways watery.waad n. ward. Mi onkl mi deheena jenaral waad da haaspital.My uncle was in the general wardat the hospital.waaf n. wharf. Aal a wi mi dehpahn di waaf di wayt fi di shipdak kaa wi pa mi-di kohnhoahn. All of us were standingon the wharf waiting for the shipto dock because our father wascoming home. See: dak, pyaa.360
waahn Kriol tu Inglish waarwaahn (var: waahnt) v. 1) want.Ah mi waahn goh da Blis fi si diplay. I wanted to go to the Blisstheater to see the play. 2) need.Di baal ded; ih waahn pomp op.The ball is flat; it needs to bepumped up. See: need.waahnt Variant: waahn. v. want.(‘waahn’ generally becomes‘waahnt’ before the pronoun‘ahn’) Ih deh hat afta di man,bot di man noh waahnt ahn.She’s hot for that man, but hedoesn’t want her.waajroab n. wardrobe; acabinet for hanging clothes.Da Bileez lat a hows noh gaklazit, soh dehn hafu baiwaajroab fi heng op dehn kloazeena. In Belize many housesdon’t have closets, so people haveto buy wardrobes to hang theirclothes in. See: pres.waak 1 v. 1) walk. Di man miparalaiz an ih kudn waak ataal.The man was paralyzed andcouldn’t walk at all. See:chrayps. 2) make a quick orshort trip. Ah gwehn da Staytsbot Ah oanli gwehn goh waak.I’m going to the States but I’monly making a quick trip.waak bowt v.phr. walk aroundfrom place to place; never stayhome. Mi bes fren laik gohwaak bowt Sondeh eevnin. Mybest friend likes to make therounds on Sunday evening. See:jrif, popi fut.waak op v.phr. walk fast.Bwai, hori ahn waak op; yu disloa mi dong. Boy, hurry up andwalk faster; you are slowing me361down.waak 2 n. plantation or grove ofcultivated fruit trees. Ah gaahnplaant tudeh da mi waak. I wentto plant today in my farm. See:aachad.waakin stik n. cane, walkingstick. Mi pa mi soh oal ahnweek, ih mi hafu yooz waakinstik. My dad was so old andweak, he had to use a cane.waal n. wall. Di teef loar di mandong chroo wahn hoal eena diwaal. The thief lowered the mandown through a hole in the wall.waam adj. warm. Dehn seh if yuwash yu fays wid waam waataevri maanin, yu noh wahn gehrinkl op kwik. They say if youwash your face with warm waterevery morning, you won’t getwrinkled up quickly. — adv.warm. Aal a wi mi-di kip waambai di faiya. All of us werekeeping warm by the fire.waan v. warn. Di man waan winoh fi tel nobadi weh wi mi si.The man warned us not to tellanyone what we had seen.waanin n. warning. Wi noh gehno waanin bifoa di faiya staat.We didn’t get any warning beforethe fire started. — adj. warning.Di waanin lait fi di kaa mi-diblink fi wahn week bifoa di kaabrok dong. The car’s warninglight was blinking for a weekbefore the car broke down.waar v. war. Dehn too familikyaahn gree ataal; dehnaalwayz di waar wid wananada. Those two families can’t
waari Kriol tu Inglish Waata Laynget along at all, they’re alwayswarring with each other. — n.war. Mi grampa mi oanli tweniwen ih gaahn da waar. Mygrandfather was only twentywhen he went to war.waari n. warree, white lippedpeccary; wild pig-likemammals which travel in largeherds and produce acontinuous racket of bellowingand tooth-clacking. Tayassupecari. Wahn pail a waari chaysmi chroo di bush. A herd ofpeccaries chased me through thebush. See: pikayri. [
waata snayk Kriol tu Inglish wahnwaata snayk n. water snake. Yuku aalwayz fain waata snaykeena da krik. You can alwaysfind water snakes in that creek.waata wash adj. unstarched orwrinkled. Shee aalwayz gat aanwaata wash kloaz. She alwayshas on wrinkled clothes.waatafaal n. waterfall. Bileez gawahn waatafal weh nayhnTowzn Fut Faalz. Belize has awaterfall that’s named ThousandFoot Falls.waatafront n. waterfront. Di leebwai dehn laik sel fish da diwaatafront. The little boys liketo sell fish on the waterfront.waatamilan n. watermelon. Dalaydi aalwayz di luk fiwaatamilan fi mek joos fi sel.That lady is always looking forwatermelons to make juice to sell.waawa adj. cowardly, fearful;weak and spineless. (Usuallyrefers to males.) Da lee bwaioanli waawa; ih frayd fi ih oanshado. That little boy is reallycowardly; he’s afraid of his ownshadow. See: fenkeh-fenkeh,frayda, kowad, ma-lehleh,week. [
wai Kriol tu Inglish wainwai adv. why. Wai yu aalwayz dirayl op? Why are you alwaysgetting mad? See: weh mek.waid adj. wide. Ah ga wahn peesa lan fifti aykaz waid. I have apiece of land fifty acres wide.waif n. wife. Di man neva gehmarid kaa ih noh waahn nowaif fi schres ahn owt. The mandidn’t get married because hedidn’t want to have any wife togive him stress.gi...waif v.phr. for a woman tooffer herself sexually to aman. Mayri shee aalwayz di giih baas waif jos fi gehpromoashan. That Mary alwaysgives her boss sexual favours justto get a promotion.Waika n. Central AmericanIndian (non-Mayan);originally referred to theMiskito Indian, but now refersto lighter-skin Kriols ofMiskito ancestry. [
wain Kriol tu Inglish wakswain 2 v. wind and twist whiledancing. Da singa wain op sohmoch dehn seh ih ga waiyaways. That singer winds aroundso much they say he’s got a wirewaist. See: daans, jomp op.waip v. wipe. Da kuk stay diwaip dong di taybl tap. Thatcook is always wiping down thetable top.wairo kraab n. caye crab. See:kraab.wait adj. white.wait foaks v. snub. Sins yoo gehkaa, yu di wait foaks mi ahnnoh waahn hayl mi. Since yougot a car, you snub me and don’twant to greet me.wait gaalin See: gaalin.wait kayk n. white cake. Ai laikwait kayk beta dahn blak kaykfi Krismos. I like plain whitecake better than black fruit cakefor Christmas. See: lait kayk.wait laim lime; a whitesubstance made fromlimestone. Di Maiya dehn washdi kaan wid wait laim. TheMayas wash the corn with whitelime.wait laydi n. cocaine. Waitlaydi kaas moa dahn weed.Cocaine costs more thanmarijuana. See: kokayn, krak,sprang.wait powda talcum powder.See: powda, sweet powda.waitn v. whiten. Bifoa wi mi gakloaraks, mi grani yoostu yoozbloo fi waitn wi kloaz. Beforewe had bleach (Clorox), mygranny used to use bluing to365whiten our clothes.waits n. cigarette. See: sigaret.waiya n. 1) wire. Di waiya shakdi teef. The wire shocked thethief. 2) the pole part of afishing spear.waiya ways n. wiry waist;refers to a flexible dancer. Yuneed waiya ways fi daans soakagud wail punta pen pahn futahn hip. You need a wiry waistto dance soca well, while puntadepends on foot and hip work.waiyabayra n. guayabera shirt;shirt jac with short sleeves andworn untucked. Da Jaaj Praisgeh wi govament minista dehnfi chaynji shot ahn tai fiwaiyabayra. It was George Pricewho popularized the replacementof formal shirt and tie with theguayabera shirt for governmentministers. [
waks ahn kana Kriol tu Inglish wapnyam, yafl. [Perhaps a variationof ‘hoks aaf’ eat greedily]waks ahn kana n. swelling inarmpit or groin. Di fat laydi gawaks ahn kana bitween ih legdehn sayk a weh dehn rob tumoch. The fat lady has a swellingbetween her legs because theyrub too much. [
wapi Kriol tu Inglish wat(generally parental-typediscipline with hand or belt).Jayni ma stay hafu wap sheekaa shee oanli haad-ayz. Janie’smom always has to whip herbecause she’s so disobedient.See: beet, dip, lada, lash, lays,tayr.— n. scam; to put somethingover on one. Mi chriki kozntink ih ku fool mi, but ihkyaahn put no wap pahn mi.My tricky cousin thinks he canfool me, but he can’t put anythingover on me. — adv. very,extremely. Intensifier. Da miniweh da gyal mi gat aan mi-diwap! That miniskirt that the girlhad on looked really great! See:deh-aan, kohn.wapi n. lucky draw.wapin n. beating, spanking,whipping (parental-typediscipline). Yu fren stay gehwapin kaa ih oanli haad-ayz.Your friend keeps gettingspanked because he’s verydisobedient. See: lashin, tayrin.waps wasp. Variant: waas.[‘Wasp’ becomes ‘waps’ bymetathesis]wara int. what; used inreference to somethingshocking. Wara! Yu meen diman kil ih waif? What! Do youmean the man killed his wife?See: wat.wash v. 1) wash. Yu mos washyu han dehn bifoa yu eet. Youshould wash your hands beforeyou eat. 2) develop (film) Diroom fi wash filim aalwayzdaak daak daak. The room for367developing film is always verydark. See: divelop.wash paam n. land crab;females carry the eggs on theoutside of their shell. Fi sohnreezn wee noh eet di kraab wehdehn kaal ‘wash paam’ eenaBileez. For some reason we don’teat the crab that they call ‘washpaam’ in Belize.washa uman n. laundrywoman. Sohn washa uman stilyooz skrob boad tudeh. Somelaundry women still use scrubboards today.washan stan n. wash stand. Putdi wash-han baysn pahn diwashan stan wen yu don. Putthe wash basin on the wash standwhen you’re finished.wash-dong n. freshly-erodedsand. Wash-dong bai di rivabank da di kleenis san weh yuwahn fain afta wahn hevi rayn.The cleanest sand that you willfind is the sand that is washeddown to the river bank by a heavyrain. See: san.wash-han baysn n. wash basin;small basin for washing handsand face. Unu laik yooz diwash-han baysn ahn noh laikchroa owt di waata. You like touse the wash basin but you don’tlike to throw out the water.washin n. washing, laundry. Josaz Ah heng owt di washin pahndi lain fi jrai, di rayn kohn. Justas I hung out my clothes on theline to dry, the rain came. See:laanjri.wat int. what. Wat! Yu noa di
wateva Kriol tu Inglish wayrdaag eet mi chikin? What! Doyou know that the dog ate mychicken? See: wara.da wat phr. what it is. If yuaks eni Bileezyan weh da haadtaim, dehn wahn noa da wat. Ifyou ask any Belizean what hardtimes are, they’ll know what theyare.wat ahn wat phr. what’swhat, what it takes; thenecessary information. Ahneed fi noa wat ahn wat di gohaan wid mi daata maaks, sohAh gwehn da ih skool. I need toknow what’s going on with mydaughter’s marks, so I’m going toher school.wat moa phr. what’s more. Misista bring aal a ih pikni dehn fiAh main; wat moa, ih nohbring notn fi dehn eet. My sisterbrought all of her children for meto take care of; what’s more shedidn’t bring anything for them toeat.wateva pro. whatever. Watevahapm, unu mos obay yu ma ahnyu pa. Whatever happens, youshould obey your mom and dad.watsaid n. 1) waterside; refersto rivers and lagoons. Ahyoostu goh eena di waata langdi watsaid, an Ah doz kech dilee san schrimps deh. I used togo into the water along thewaterside, and I’d catch the littleshrimps there. 2) waterside;slang reference to publictoilets built over the canal. Mipa tek perj laas nait, soh soondis maanin ih ron gaahn dawatsaid. My father took a purgelast night, so early this morninghe ran to the public toilet. See:chroan, lachreen, tailit.watsnat n. what not, additionalitems, as well as. Ih bai sohnkotobroot ahn watsnat fi dehnsnak pan. He bought coconutsweets and additional things forthem to snack on. See: adarels.way 1 v. weigh. Eech a di baksdehn way bowt ten pong. Eachof the boxes weighed about tenpounds.way 2 n. way. Pahn di way tuBelmopan, di kaa brok dong.On the way to Belmopan, the carbroke down.wahn kain a way phr. kindof; to some extent. Ah mi laikVikto wahn kain a way, bot Ahneva soh shoar if Ah waahnmarid tu ahn. I kind of likedVictor, but I wasn’t too sure Iwanted to marry him.waychris n. waitress. Diwaychris tek lang fi bring wifood. The waitress took a longtime to bring our food.wayd v. wade. Di riva mi soh loadat wi kuda mi wayd rait kraas.The river was so low that wecould wade right across.wayk v. wake. Wen wi wayk op,wi hyaa di kyapmta bod dehn.When we woke up, we heard thecarpenter birds. — n. wake, allnightvigil for the dead. Lat apipl kohn fi di wayk wen Sayrapa ded. Many people came to thewake when Sarah’s father died.See: nain-nait, set-op.wayr (var: wyaa) v. wear. Da368
ways Kriol tu Inglish weedweh yu wahn wayr fi di paati?What are you going to wear to theparty?ways 1 v. waste. Noh ways difood. Lat a pikni eena di werl distaav, yu noa. Don’t waste thefood; lots of children in the worldare starving, you know.ways 2 n. waist. Dehn yong gyaloanli ku moov dehn ways pahndi daans floa. Those young girlscan really move their waists onthe dance floor.wayt 1 v. wait. Di styoodent mi-diwayt owtsaid fi taak tu diteecha. The student was waitingoutside to talk to the teacher.wayt 2 n. weight. Wid fi hihnwayt di chyaa noh mos mi wahnbrok! With his weight the chairsurely had to break!wayta n. waiter. Di wayta chripdong ahn di jrink chro wehpahn di gyal priti jres. Thewaiter tripped and spilled thedrink on the girl’s pretty dress.wayv v. wave. Ah wayv ahnwayv sotay mi daata playndisapyaa eena di klowdz. Iwaved and waved until mydaughter’s plane disappeared inthe clouds. — n. wave. Wenharikayn kohn, di wayv dehnoanli geh big. When hurricanescome, the waves get very big.wayz n. 1) ways, character. Yuwahn hafu chaynj yu wayzbifoa yu ku marid da gyal.You’ll have to change your wayof living before you’ll be able tomarry that girl. See: karakta.2) distance, way. Wahn leewayz ferda wi si too moa dyaa.A little ways further, we saw twomore deer. See: distans.weda 1 n. weather (often refersspecifically to bad weather).Yu beta pik een yu kloaz fahnaaf di lain kaa wahn lee weda dikohn. You had better bring inyour clothes from off the linebecause bad weather is coming.weda 2 adv. whether. Ah noh noaweda fi goh da di paati er stayhoahn. I don’t know whether togo to the party or stay home.wedn n. wedding. Wi roas wahnhoal pig fi Haatens ahn Haabatwedn. We roasted a whole pig forHortense and Herbert’s wedding.wee pro. 1) we. (Emphatic 1stperson pl. form of ‘wi’.) Dehnseh dat da wee gwain da JagwaPaa, noh unu. They say that it’swe who are going to Jaguar Paw,not you. See: wi. 2) us. Diteecha mek wee stay afta skoolbot wi noh du notn. The teachermade us stay after school but wedidn’t do anything.fi wee pro.adj. our, ours. Datda noh non a fi wee bizniz. Thatis not any of our business.fi wee wan phr. ours. Da gyallaik boasi bowt ih hows, bot fiwee wan beta dan fi shee wan.That girl likes to boast about herhouse, but ours is nicer than hers.weebl n. weevil. Wen Ah mi-disiv di flowa, Ah fain lat a weebl.When I was sifting the flour, Ifound lots of weevils.weed v. weed. Mi bak di hat mikaa Ah spen aal day di weed mi369
week Kriol tu Inglish wehgyaadn. My back is hurting mebecause I spent all day weedingmy garden. — n. 1) weed. Dehnpriti yala ting mongz yu graasda noh flowaz; dehn da loanweed. Those pretty yellow thingsin your grass aren’t flowers;they’re nothing but weeds.2) marijuana. Di polees kech diman wid ten pong a weed. Thepolice caught the man with tenpounds of marijuana. See: kali,tubungu.week 1 n. week. Wi wan weekshaat a Krismos. We’re oneweek away from Christmas.week 2 adj. weak. Di gyal mi sohweek dat ih faal dong aaf a ihchyaa. The girl was so weak thatshe fell off of her chair. See:fenkeh-fenkeh, waawa.weeken n. weekend. (weeKEN.)Ah spen di hoal weeken di dumi hoamwerk. I spent the wholeweekend doing my homework.weel v. wheel. Yu hafu weel yubaik kraas di wan-man brij.You are supposed to wheel yourbike across the foot bridge. — n.1) wheel. Ah kudn ton di weelgud kaa ih mi stif. I couldn’tturn the wheel well because itwas stiff. 2) tyre. Di weel pahndi bos gaahn flat. The tyre on thebus went flat. See: taiya.weelbaro n. wheelbarrow. Diman werk haad fi bak een dabig load a san eena weelbaro anih oanli mek lee bit a moni. Theman worked hard to carry in thatbig load of sand in thewheelbarrow and he only made alittle bit of money.ween v. wean. Mi breda mi hoala too yaaz wen dehn ween ahnaaf a di bres. My brother was allof two years old when theyweaned him.weet n. wheat. — adj. weet. Mima laik bai weet bred evriSachudeh. My mother likes tobuy wheat bread every Saturday.weev n. weave; a piece of falsehair. Mi aanti yooz ih weev wenih waahn ga lang hyaa. Myauntie uses her weave when shewants to have long hair.weewi v. urinate. Wen di wedakoal, Ah weewi lat. When theweather is cold, I urinate a lot.See: nomba wan, peepi, pidl,pis.weewi aans n. leaf-carrying ant.Atta cephalotea. Di weewi aansda di wan dehn weh kehr leefpahn dehn bak. The weewi antsare the ones that carry leaves ontheir backs. [
weh Kriol tu Inglish weraweh 2 adv. away. Mi onkl gaahnweh. My uncle went away.weh 3 conj. because. Ah slam didoa haad haad weh Ah mi sohbeks. I slammed the door hardbecause I was so angry. See:bikaaz, sayk a.wehpaa (var: wehpaat) adv.where. Wehpaa evribadi deh?Where is everybody? See: weh,wera, wichpaa.wehpaat Variant: wehpaa.weks Variant: waks.wel 1 adv. well, quite, very. Digyal mi wel kanfyooz wen ihhyaa di nyooz. The woman wasquite confused when she heardthe news. See: oanli.wel dek dong phr. dressed upin one’s finest. Rayman mi weldek dong eena ful soot fi diwedn. Raymond was welldressedin a full suit for thewedding.wel 2 int. well. Well, weh yoo gafi seh bowt weh da man tel yu?Well, what do you have to sayabout what that man told you?wel 3 n. well. Wi noa dat freshwaata ahn saal waata kyaahnkom owt a di sayhn wel. Weknow that fresh water and saltwater can’t come out of the samewell.wel 4 v. weld. Ah wahn kehr mimofla fi mek di man wel ittudeh. I’ll take my muffler forthe man to weld it today.welkom v. welcome. Wi moswelkom Mariyan Joanz wen ihkohn da Bileez. We need towelcome Marion Jones when she371comes to Belize. — adj.welcome. Wi mi ga wahnwelkom paati fi mi ma wen ihkohn fahn Stayts. We had awelcoming party for my motherwhen she came from the States.wen conj. when. Di toar gaidaalwayz si wahn lat a weewiaans wen ih waak pahn dichrayl. The tour guide alwayssees lots of leaf-carrying antswhen he walks on the trail. See:wentaim.wench n. winch. Wen mi frenkaa gaan eena kinel, dehn mihafu haal ahn owt wid wench.When my friend’s car went intothe canal, they had to haul it outwith a winch.wentaim adv. when, whenever.Wentaim wi reech hoahn,evribadi mi-di ekspek wi. Whenwe arrived home, everybody wasexpecting us. Wentaim ih kohnya, ih aalwayz sidong ahn taaktu wi lang. Whenever he comeshere, he always sits and talks tous for a long time. See: wen;enitaihn.Wenzdeh n. Wednesday. EvriWenzdeh pipl pak op daminista aafis di bayg fi moni.Every Wednesday people pack upin the minister’s office beggingfor money.wepan n. weapon. Di teef dehntek di gyaad wepan fos, ahn dendehn tek ih moni. The thievestook the guard’s weapon first, andthen they took his money.wera adv. where. Archaic. Weradehn pikni gwehn agen? Whereare the children going now? See:
werd Kriol tu Inglish widowtnweh, wehpaa, wichpaa.werd (var: wod) n. word. Yumos aalwayz ga rispek fi diWerd a Gaad. You shouldalways have respect for the Wordof God.werk (var: wok) v. work. Daman di werk haad pan ih faam.That man is working hard on hisfarm. See: layba. — n. work.Deez dayz ih haad fi fain werk.These days it’s hard to find work.See: jab.werk beli n. diarrhea. If yu nohkuk poak meet gud, ih ku gi yuwerk beli. If you don’t cook porkwell, it could give you diarrhea.See: bad beli, roninz, shitninz.werl (var: wol) n. world. Yu hafumek di hoal werl noa yu bizniz?Do you have to make the wholeworld know your business?wership v. worship. Ah wershipmi Gaad evri day, noh matawat. I worship my God everyday, no matter what.wes adv. west. Fi goh daMongtin Pain Rij, yu hafuchravl wes. To go to MountainPine Ridge, you have to travelwest. See: ees, naat, sowt.wi pro (1st person pl.) 1) we. Wigwehn da wi ma hows. We aregoing to our mother’s house.See: wee. 2) us. Dehn noh tel winotn. They didn’t tell usanything.— pro.adj. our.fi wi. phr. our. Wi mos tekkayr a fi wi hows. We shouldtake care of our house.fi wi, fi wi wan phr. ours. Dishows da fi wi. This house is ours.wich 1 adj. which. Wich wan a diskert dehn yu waahn? Whichone of the skirts do you want?wich 2 n. witch. Ah kyaahnbileev dehn ga reel wich daBileez now. I can’t believe thatthey have actual witches in Belizenow. See: oabya-man.wichin conj. but then, on theother hand. Ih neva gaahn da dipaati; wichin ih neva mi waahngoh eena di fos plays. He didn’tgo to the party; but then he didn’twant to go in the first place.wichpaa adv. where. Ah nohnoa wichpaa Ah gwehn fi mihaliday. I don’t know where I’mgoing for my holiday. See: weh,wehpaa, wera.wid (var: wit) prep. with.Kungoh wid mi da cherch.Come with me to church.wida v. wither. Sayk a weh oalman Jaaj ga kyansa, ih di widaweh. Because old man Georgehas cancer, he’s withering away.wido n. widow. Mi graytgraama da wahn wido fi faivyaaz now sins ih hozban ded.My great-grandmother has been awidow for five years now sinceher husband died.widowt (var: widowtn) prep.without. Ah noh wahn lef yawidowt mi pikni. I won’t leavehere without my child.widowtn (var: widowt) prep.without. How unu ekspek mi fimek di kayk widowtn eg? Howdo you expect me to make thecake without eggs?372
wigl Kriol tu Inglish wishwiliwigl v. wiggle. Di snayk stilmi-di wigl op afta di man wapahn wid di big stik. The snakewas still wiggling after the manhit it with the big stick.wik n. wick. Ton dong di wikmek di lamp noh soh brait.Turn down the wick so the lampisn’t so bright.wikid adj. 1) wicked, bad, evil.Dehn shuda ares da man fi diwikid ting weh ih du. Theyshould arrest that man for thewicked things that he did. See:bad, eevl. 2) really good. Slang.Ah geh wahn wikid tenis fiKrismos. I got a great pair oftennis shoes for Christmas. See:bad, haad.wikida adj. more wicked.Tudeh Ah fain owt dat mi besfren wikida dahn mee wen ihkohn tu gi chrobl. Today I foundout that my best friend is morewicked than I when it comes togiving trouble.wikidnis n. evil, wickedness.Da man wikidnis wahn kohnbak fi haant ahn. That man’swickedness will come back tohaunt him. See: badnis, eevl,oagli.wil n. 1) will, determination.Sayra ga wahn schrang wil;wen shee mek op ih main fi dusohnting, notn ku stap ahn.Sarah has a strong will; when shemakes up her mind to dosomething, nothing can stop her.2) will; the legal statement of aperson’s wishes concerningthe disposal of his propertyafter death. Mi grampa lef ihhows ahn lat fi mi eena ih wil.My grandfather left his house andlot for me in his will.wilin adj. willing. Di bwai wilinfi du di werk, bot ih kyaahn duit. The boy is willing to do thework, but he can’t do it.win 1 v. win. Bileez doz win opaal a di saaf baal gaym dehneena di Kyaribeeyan. Belizeused to win all of the softballgames in the Caribbean.win 2 n. breeze. Sodn-wan di winpik op ahn sloa dong di baikrays. Suddenly the breeze pickedup and slowed down the bicyclerace. See: breez.winda n. window. Luk chroo diwinda ahn tel mi wen Ana dikohn. Look through the windowand tell me when Ana is coming.winspazam (var: spazam) n.muscle spasm. Noh mek di fanbloa schrayt pahn yu kaaz yuwahn kech winspazam. Don’tlet the fan blow right on youbecause you’ll get a musclespasm.wintagreen n. wintergreen.Gaultheria procumbens. Migrani yoostu rob wintagreenalkahol pan ih nee fi ihaachraitis. My grandmother usedto rub wintergreen alcohol on herknee for her arthritis.wiself pro. ourselves. Fi geteniting don een ya wi hafu duahn wiself. To get anything donein here we have to do it ourselves.wishwili n. Spiny-tailed Iguana;dark-striped and having acomb down its head and back.373
wiski Kriol tu Inglish wosaCtenosaura similes Da Bileez winoh eet wishwili, bot wi eetgwaana. In Belize we don’t eat‘wishwili’, but we do eat iguana.See: gwaana, lizad. [
wosara Kriol tu Inglish wyaahowseena wosa chrobl dan bifoa. Ifyou don’t obey your dad, you’llend up in worse trouble thanbefore. — adv. worse. Fi sheehows luk wosa dahn fo meewan, ahn fi si shee ga mayd anaal. Her house looks worse thanmine, even though she has amaid.wosara adj. worse. Emphatic.Ah mi tink tingz mi wahn betawen Ah marid, bot Ah wosaraaaf dahn wen Ah mi singl. Ithought things would get betterwhen I married, but I’m worse offnow than when I was single.wosis adj. worst. Dis da di wosisjab Ah eva ga. This is the worstjob that I have ever had. See:badis.wot n. worth, value. Yu ku tekbak yu ring kaa dat noh wotnotn tu mi. You can take backyour ring because it’s not worthanything to me.wotlis adj. worthless. Yoo oanliwotlis fi noh mantayn yu piknidehn. You’re really worthlessbecause you don’t maintain yourchildren. — v. cheat, swindle.Di man wotlis mi kaa ih tek mimoni an ih neva did fiks di rooffi mi. The man cheated mebecause he took my money butdidn’t fix the roof for me. See:cheet.wowla (var: owla) n. 1) boaconstrictor. Wahn big wowlami kwail op anda di faiyawud.A big boa constrictor was coiledup under the firewood. [
ya Kriol tu Inglish yagaY - yya adv. here. Kohn ya. Comehere. See: ya soh.ya beef ya poak phr. anexpression to signify milddispleasure. Ah len ahngrampa oanli picha, bot ya beefya poak, da picha gaahn joslaik Sami mowt. I lent her myonly picture of my grandpa, butwouldn’t you know it, she lost itjust like that.ya soh adv. right here. Kohn yasoh mek Ah shoa yu sohnting.Come right here so I can showyou something. See: ya.yaa 1 n. year. Ah waahn stapsmoak dis yaa. I want to stopsmoking this year.yaa 2 int. yes. Yaa, Ah gwain dadaans tunait. Yes, I’m going tothe dance tonight. See: yes.Yaabra n. Yarborough; thesoutheastern part of BelizeCity. Dehn yoostu kaal diYaabra ayrya Eebo Tong kaalat a di slayv dehn mi kohnfahn di Eebo chraib. They usedto call the Yarborough area IboTown because many of the slavescame from the Ibo tribe. See:Eebo Tong. [The Yarboroughfamily granted a piece of landfrom their plantation for acemetery in this area around1790.]yaad n. yard. Ah wahn hafuchap mi yaad kaa di graas tuhai. I’ll have to chop my yardbecause the grass is too high.yaam n. yam; the edible tuberof the Dioscorea vine. Migrani seh dat yaam da wahnnais grong food fi put eenasoop. My grandmother says thatyams are a nice root vegetable(ground food) to put in soup. See:koako, yampa.yaan v. yawn. Ah neva geh nofsleep soh Ah di yaan op now. Ididn’t get enough sleep so I keepyawning now. — n. yawn. Mainyu noh swala mi wid da bigyaan. Be careful you don’tswallow me with that big yawn.See: gyaap.yaanda adv. yonder; beyond,some distance away in time orspace. Yu hafu waak way oavayaanda fi reech di stanpaip.You have to walk way overyonder to get to the standpipe.yaaz n. yaws; tropical diseasecausing infectious sores andlesions on skin. Mi ma yooz digombolimbo leef fi klayr op diyaaz pahn di pikni fut. Mymother used gumbolimbo leaf toclear up the yaws on the child’sfoot.yafl v. eat greedily. Da wai yuhafu yafl op yu dina soh? Whydo you have to eat your dinner sogreedily? See: hag op, lash dong,manjeh, nyam, waks aaf.yaga n. sore, usually on thefoot. Da yaga pahn yu fut biglaik wahn shilin. That sore on376
yaga-yaga Kriol tu Inglish yeloyour foot is as big as a shilling.See: banja fut.yaga-yaga adj. scaly; sore anditchy-looking. (Refers tocondition of the skin.) Dehn flaibait mek fi yoo fut lukyaga-yaga. Those mosquito biteshave your feet looking sore anditchy. See: fereh, hashishi.yaha Variant: waha.yaha chree n. tree also knownas ‘sanpaypa chree’ becauseits leaves contain silica and arerough like sandpaper, and itcan be used for this purpose;seeds are roasted and can beused to flavor chocolate;charcoal is made from thewood. Curatella americana. See:sanpaypa chree.yaiy eye. Variant: aiy.yala (var: yalo, yela, yelo) adj.yellow. Noh kay wehpaat a diKyaribeeyan yu goh, yu kyaahnmis ‘Courts’ sayk a dehn braityala kala. No matter what part ofthe Caribbean you go to, youcan’t miss the Courts storebecause of their bright yellowcolour.yala feeva n. yellow fever.Dehn doz beri pipl weh dedfahn yala feeva bak a Yaabra.They used to bury people whodied of yellow fever way down inYarborough.yala jaa n. fer-de-lance. Ahneva soh fraitn eena aal mi laiflaik wen Ah bok op di yala jaapahn mi step. I’ve never been sofrightened in my whole life aswhen I ran into the fer-de-lance377on my steps. See: taamigaaf.yalahed paarat n. yellowheadedparrot (southern type)Amazona ochrocephala.Sohnbadi tel mi seh yalahed dadi oanli paarat weh ku taak.Somebody told me that theyellow head is the only parrot thattalks.yalatayl n. a large black andbrown bird with yellowmarkings on the tail; it nests inhanging bag-like nests.Montezuma Oropendola &Gymnostinops montezuma.yalatayl snapa n. yellowtailsnapper (fish). Ocyuruschrysurus. See: snapa.yalo Variant: yala.yampa (var: yampi) n. a type ofyam. Yampa tays nais eenabail-op. Yam tastes nice in boilop.See: koako, yaam. [
yenk Kriol tu Inglish yoozyenk v. imitate Americanaccent in speech. Soozi sheeoanli gaahn da Stayts too weeksan ih kohn bak di yenk. Susiewas only in the States for twoweeks and she came backimitating an American accent.See: speek. [from‘Yank/Yankee’ slang term forperson from the U.S., especiallythe North.]yes adv. yes. Yes, Ah tel unulang taim Kriol da wahnlangwij. Yes, I’ve told you for along time that Kriol is a language.See: ahaahn, yaa.yesideh Variant: yestudeh.yestudeh (var: yesideh, estudeh)n. yesterday. Fahn yestudeh Ahtel ahn fi bring di moni. Fromyesterday I told him to bring themoney.yong adj. young. Ih beta fi getyu ejukayshan wen yu yong. It’sbetter to get your education whenyou’re young.yong gyal bobi n. a weed-likeplant with broad leaves withthorns on the surface.yongoteh n. a home-madeinstrument for extracting canejuice.yoo pro. you. (Emphatic 2ndperson sg. form of ‘yu’.) Da yooda di wan Ah waahn si, nohhihn. You are the one I want tosee, not him.fi yoo phr. your, yours.(Emphatic sg. poss.) Dis penslda fi yoo. This pencil is yours.fi yoo wan phr. yours. Mek wistap aagyu; dis da fi mee wan,378ahn dis da fi yoo wan. Let’s stoparguing; this is mine, and this isyours.yoojali Variant: yoozhali.yoonifaam n. uniform. Di piknidehn hafu wayr dehnyoonifaam da skool evri day.The children must wear theiruniforms to school every day.yooniversiti n. university. Azizada di fos wan eena fi wee familifi gaahn da yooniversiti. Azizais the first one in our family to goto the university.yoonyan n. union. Wi gaahnjain yoonyan kaa wi baas tuchaansi. We went and joined theunion because our boss wastaking advantage of us.yoos n. use. Di oanli yoos Ah gafi Maikl da fi ih moni. The onlyuse that I have for Michael is forhis money.yoostu v. used to. Mi pa yoostuwerk fi di govament lang taim.Long ago my father used to workfor the government. See: doz.— adj. accustomed, used to.Yu ku si shee noh yoostu eeteena fansi restorant kaa ih noheevn noa how fi yooz naif ahnfaak. You can tell she’s not usedto eating in fancy restaurantsbecause she doesn’t even knowhow to use a knife and fork. See:kostom.yoot n. youth. Di yoot dehn mostink bowt weh di hapm raitnow. The youths should thinkabout what’s happening rightnow.yooz v. use. Di teecha aalwayz di
yoozhal Kriol tu Inglish zipayooz lee stoari wen ih teech wi.The teacher always uses littlestories when he teaches us.yooz op v.phr. abuse verbally,berate, tell off. Mi baas yoozmi op front a mi fren dehn ahnshaym mi op. My boss told meoff in front of my friends andshamed me. See: bles...aaf,chrays...aaf, kos aaf, tel aaf.yoozhal Variant: yoozhwal.yoozhali Variant: yoozhwali.yoozhwal (var: yoozhal) adj.usual. Di yoozhwal big krowdmi dehdeh fi di laas gaym. Theusual big crowd was there for thelast game.az yoozhwal phr. as usual.Yoo layt, az yoozhwal. You’relate, as usual.yoozhwali (var: yoozhali) adv.usually. Mi ma yoozhwali gehbred fahn Pamela. My motherusually gets bread from Pamela.yu pro. you. (2nd personsingular) Yu gwain wid mi ernat? Are you going with me ornot? — pro.adj. your. (2ndperson singular) Bring yu Krioldikshineri wen yu di kohn.Bring your Kriol dictionary whenyou come.fi yu phr. your. Dat da fi yudina. That is your dinner.yuka n. cassava, a variety oftuber.yuself pro. yourself. Noh tek aala di meet fi yuself; lat a wi lef fieet. Don’t take all the meat foryourself; there are still lots of usleft to eat.Z - zzami n. lesbian. See: raba uman.zink n. 1) zinc, galvanizedbuilding material. HarikaynAiris bloa di zink rait aaf a mihowstap. Hurricane Iris blew thezinc right off of my roof. 2) sink.See: baysn. [Sinks wereoriginally made of zinc.]zip Variant: zipa.zipa (var: zip) n. zipper. Yu zipakohn dong; mek Ah fiks it fi yu.Your zipper came down; let mefix it for you.379
English to KriolUSAGE NOTES (see Guide to Using the Dictionary in theIntroduction for more information):• The English to Kriol section of the dictionary is a simpledirectory 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 numbersfollowing the Kriol word.• Homonyms in English are indicated briefly by a word inparentheses following the main English word, or by the part ofspeech designation.• The key word of a phrase, under which you will search in theKriol part of the dictionary, will be in bold font.• Words that can also have different senses of the same meaningare numbered and listed in the entries in the Kriol section of thedictionary, but not in the English section. However, these sensesare sometimes indicated by the part of speech designations orsub-entries under the main entry.• Variations in the way Kriol words are pronounced and spelledare separated by slashes (…/…). The spelling under which youwill find the main entry in Kriol is listed first, and the variationsfollow.• Ellipsis, marked by ..., indicate that various personal pronounscould 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 followedfor most English words.• Many Kriol words look and sound similar to English words,but they may have a different meaning, or they are usedgrammatically in a different way than in English. We wouldencourage users of this dictionary to check example sentences inthe Kriol section of the dictionary to see how to correctly use thewords in Kriol.381
a English to Kriol aforementionedA - aa art. wahn 2 .abandon v. chroa op, gi op.abate v. bayt 2 , jrap.able, be v. ku/kud.aboard adv. boad.abort v. chro weh, dash weh,pich 1 weh.about adv. bowt/bow,pahn/pan 3 .above adv. oava. prep. oava.abrade v. peel, skrayp.abreast adv. bres.abroad adv. owtsaid.abundance n. nof nof. phr.nof fi stoan daag.abuse v. abyooz. n. abyoos.abuse (verbally) v.chrays...aaf, hag op, yoozop.abuse (sexually) v. intafayr.accent (imitate American) v.speek, yenk.accept v. aksep.accident n. aksident.accompany v. kehr.according to prep. akaadn tu.accordion n. akaadyan.account n. akonk.give account of v. gi akonka.on account of prep.phr.akonk a, bikaaz a, sayk a.accumulate v. pail op.accurately adv. karek.accusation n. akyoozayshan.accuse v. akyooz.accustomed adj. kostom 2 .aching adj. brok op, payniop.383acquire v. get.acre n. ayka.across prep. kraas.act v. ak, goh aan.act as if v. mek fi.action n. akshan 1 .actual adj. akchwal.actually adv. akchwali, reeli.add v. ad.addict n. adik.additional items n. adarels 1 ,watsnat.address n. ajres.adhere v. stik/tik.adjourn v. ajern.admire v. admaiya.admit v. kanfes, oan op (tu).adopt v. adap.adult n. adolt(s), big pipl.adultery n. adolchri. v. sleepowt.advance v. advans, geh hed.n. advans.advantage n. advantij, opahan.take advantage v.phr. tekadvantij.take unfair advantagev.phr. chaans, du op, hagop, tek chaans aaf, tekeen.advertise v. alvataiz.advice n. advais.advise v. advaiz, kongsl 1 .adze n. adz/aaj.affect v. afek.afford v. afoad, aybl.affordable adj. afoadabl.aforementioned adj. sed.
afraid English to Kriol anafraid adj. frayd.become afraid v.phr. kechih kowad.after prep. afta/aata.after all conj. aftaraal.afternoon n. aftanoon.afterwards adv. aftawodz.again adv. agen.against adv. gens.age n. ayj/ej 1 .under age adj. anda ayj.aggravating adj. jratid.aggressive adj. waasi.aggressive woman n.phr.waasi/waasa uman.ago adv. abak.agouti n. bush rabit.agree with v. chek.agreeable adj. pleezabl.agreement n. andastandin.agriculture n. agrikolcha.ahead of adv. hed a.get ahead v.geh hed,advans.aim v. paint 1 .air n. ayaa.air out v.phr. ayr owt, breezowt.put on airs v.phr. kak op,praps op, primz op.airplane n. playn 2 .akimbo, stand v. kimbo.alarm v. alaam. n. alaam.albino n. albaino.alcalde n. alkaldeh.alcohol n. alkahol.alcohol sp. – byaa 1 , lika, rom.rubbing alcohol n. alkahol.alert n. lukowt.algae n. maraas.alien n. aylyan.alight v. pich 2 .alike phr. sayhn way.alive (human) adj. alaiv,livin.alive (nonhuman) adj. laiv.all pro. aal 1 , evri, hoal 2 .all along adj. aal alangall right adj. aarait. adv.aarait. int. aarait.at all adv. ataal.allegation n. akyoozayshan.alley n. aali.alligator n. haligeta.allow v. low, mek.Almighty adj. Almaiti.almond n. hamanz.almost adv. nayli.aloe vera n. sink-ahn-baibl.alone adj. loan 3 , wan.along adv. lang 3 .already adv. aredi. v. don du.also adv. tu, an aal.altar n. alta.alternately adv. wan een wanowt.although conj. aldoa.always adv. aalwayz, aalalang, aal taim/taihn, evritaim/taihnam v. da 4 , deh (ya).amass v. pail op.amazement phr. mowt waidoapm.ambulance n. amblans.amen int. aamen, aymen.American n. Amerikan.Amerindian n. injin 2 .among/amongst prep.mongz/monks.amount n. amonk/monk.amuse v. sweet.amuse oneself v. play, dabl.an art. wahn 2 .384
Anancy English to Kriol apple sp.Anancy n. Anansi, Anaansi,Hanaansi, Hanansi.ancestor n. ansesta, graytgrayt-grayt-granfaada.anchor v. anka/enka. n.anka/enka.and conj. ahn 2 /an.anemic phr. poar a blod.angel n. aynjel.anger n. anga. v.get...beks,geh...owt.unreasonable anger n.ignarantnis.angry adj. beks, braabo, chapop, raatid.be angry v. fyoom.angrier adj. beksaanimal n. animal.domesticated animal n.kreeta.animal (mammal) sp. –aansbyaa, antiloap, baaboon,bush rabit, byaa 2 , chaaliprais, dyaa 2 , dongki/danki,faks, foa-aiy pasam, givnat,haas, hag, halari 2 , hamadili,jagwa, kow, kwash, kyat,mongtin kow, mongki,myool, nait waaka,paakyupain, pasam, pikayri,poalkyat, raakoon, rat,ratbat, red taiga, skweril,taiga, taiga kyat, wulf/ulf,waari, waata daag.ankle n. ankl/enkl.annatto n. naata.anniversary n. aniversri.announce v. anonks.annoy v. anai, bada, bog,hasl.exclamation of annoyanceint. cho.annoying adj. hegin, siknin.anoint (massage) v. naint.another adj. wahn nada,wahn tara 2 .answer v. ansa. n. ansa.ant n. aans.ant sp. – blak aans, faiyaans,flodflai, krayzi aans,maachin aami aans, papapin,red aans, weewi aans.antic n. antik, paiyaso.anteater n. aansbyaa.antelope n. antiloap.anthill n. aans nes.any adj. eni. pro. non.any time adv. enitaihn/enitaim.anybody pro. enibadi, enihoo,nobadi.anyhow adv. enihow, nohow.anymore adv. agen, nohmoh.anyone pro. enibadi, enihoo,nobadi.anyplace adv. eniway 1 , noway.anything n. notn. pro.eniting.anyway adv.eniway 2 /eniwayz.anywhere adv. eniway 1 , noway.apostle n. apaasl.apparel n. kloaz.apparition n. bagabu.see also mythical character.appear v. apyaa, dak op.appendicitis n. apendiks.applaud v. klap.apple n. aapl.apple sp. – gov aapl, kostadaapl, maami aapl, mongkiaapl, roaz aapl.385
apply English to Kriol awkwardapply v. put een.apply oneself v.phr. bok op.appreciate v. preeshiyayt.April n. Aypril.apron n. aypran.architect n. aakitek.arduous adj. ponishin.are v. da 4 , deh.area n. ayrya.area rug n. ayryal rog.argue v. aagyu.argument n. aagyument.violent argument n.merdarayshan.arise v. get op.arm n. aam, han.armadillo n. hamadili.armpit n. aam.army n. aami.around adv. rong.around there adv. deh rong.arouse v. eksait.arrest v. ares, bring op, kalek.arrive v. reech/rech.arrow n. aro.artery n. mayn vayn.artful adj. aatful, braynzi.arthritis n. aachraitis.article n. aatikl.artist n. aatis.as prep. az.as well as pro. adarels 1 ,watsnat.ashes n. ashiz/hashiz.ashamed adj. shaym.ashore adv. shoa 2 .ask v. aks 1 /as.askance (look) v. kot aiy.asleep, fall v.phr. jrap asleep.ass (vulgar) int. raas.assemble v. gyada/geda.assertive adj. kakataari,waasi.assignment n. mishan.assistance (financial) n.asistans.assistant n. saidman.associate v. ranks (wid), hengrong (wid).asthma n. asma, presn,shaatnis.astray adv. aschray.at prep. aata, da 2 , pahn/pan 2 .attack v. atak.attach v. hich.attend to v. ten tu, main, tekkayr/kyaa a.attention, pay v. pay...main,stodi.attentiondraw attention to oneselfv. ek, shoa aaf.pay attention to v.pay...main, stodi.attic v. aatik.auction v. akshan 2 . n.akshan 2 .audience n. aadyans, krowd.aught num. aat, naat 2 .August n. Aagas.aunt n. aant, aanti.authority n. atariti.automobile n. kaa 1 .avocado n. pyaa 1 .awake v. wayk.avoid v. avaid, daj.aware adj. kanchos.age of awareness phr. fan Ahnoa miself.away adv. weh 2 .awe phr. mowt waid oapm.awkward adj.akwod/akwaad, blofoto.386
awl English to Kriol barelyawl n. aal 2 .axe n. aks 2 /eks.axe handle n. aks stikbaboon cap n. baaboonkyap/mongki kyap.baby n. baybi.baby bottle n. baba.baby-sit v. main baybi.back n. bak. adv. bak.back out on v. badak.from the back phr. bakaan.in back of phr. bak a.back talk n bak-chat.backwards adv. bakway.back yard n. bakyaad.bacon n. baykan.bad adj. bad, eevl, wikid.badly adv. bad.badness n. badnis.bad-mouth v. bad-mowt.bad-smelling adj. smell-bad,frowzi, swaati.bad-tempered adj. kraas.bag n. beg/ bag 1 .bag sp. – kitbag, krokos beg,malayta, shatbeg.bail v. bayl, dip.bait v. bayt 1 . n. bayt 1 .bake v. bayk.baker n. bayka.balance n. balans, res.baldhead n. baalhed, peelhed.ball n. baal 1 .balls (testicles) n. baalz, toan 2(beg).balloon n. baloon, bloda.ballot n. balat.ballyhoo n. balahu.B - b387bamboo n. bambu.banana n. banaana.banana sp. – aapl banaana,blogo, waika banaana.banana porridge n.kongkanteh.band n. ban.band sp.. – ban ahn myoozik,boom ahn shain, tertl shelban.bandage v. ban 2 op. n. bandij.bang v. bang.bangle n. banglz/benglz.bangs (hairstyle) n. bangz.bank (financial institution)n. bank 1 /benk.bank (river) n. bank 2 /benk,banksaid/benksaid, rivasaid,watsaid.banquet n. bankwit.baptise v. baptaiz.baptism n. baptizm.bar v. baar. n. baar.bar sp. – hanspeek, kroabaar,rekin baar, peewee.barroom n. baaroom.bartender n. baatenda.barbecue v. baabikyoo. n.baabikyoo.barbed wire n. bab waiya.barber n. baaba 1 .bare adv. bayr 3 .barefaced adj. bayrfays. phr.jrai fays, jrai aiy.barefoot adv. bayrfut/byaafut.barely adv. bayli/byaali.
argain English to Kriol beebargain v. baagin, beet dong.n. baagin.barge v. baaj. n. baaj.bark (sound) v. baak 1 .bark (tree) n. baak 2 .bark sp. – gwanakasteh,koncha, provizhan baak,seeda.barn n. staybl.barnacle n. banakl.barracks n. bariks.barracuda n. baro.barrel n. baril, jrom.barring prep. baar.bartender n. baatenda.base n. bays 3 .bash (party) n. bashment.basin n. baysn.basket n. baaskit.basket sp. – pataki.bastard n. baastad, owtsaidpikni, shalai.baste (moisten) v. bays 1 .baste (sew) v. bays 2 .bat n. ratbat.bath n. baat.sponge bath n. kowbwaibaat.bathe v. bayd 1 .bathhouse n. baat hows.bathroom n. baachroom.bath soap n. sweet soap.bathtub n. baat tob.batter (sports) n. bata 1 .batter (baking) n. bata 2 .battery n. bachri.battle v. waar.bawl v. baal 2 .bawling n. baalin, kraiyin.bay leaf (plant) n. bay leef.bay leaf (tree) n. bay leefchree, boataan.Baymen, the n. Baymandehn.be v. deh.be (emphatic) v. bee 1 .be like v. stan (laik).beach n. beech.beach sp. – sani bay.bead n. beed.bead sp. – jranko bead.beak n. beek.bean n. beenz.bear (animal) n. byaa 2 .bear (produce) v. bayr 1 .bear (endure) v. bayr 2 , stan,tek.bear (birth) v. baan, gabaybi, mek baybi.beard n. byaad/bayd 2 .beast n. bees.beat v. beet, dip, fis...op, lada,lash, lays, tayr, pong 2 ,ponish, wap.beating n. bangin, beetn, beetop, fumfum, ladarin, lashin,tayrin, wapin.give a severe beating v.phr.bos...shot.beautiful adj. byootiful.because conj.bikaaz/bikaa/bikaazn,kaa 2 /kaaz, sayk a, weh 3 .because of prep.phr. akonka, sayk a.beaverboard n. beevaboad.become v. ton 1 .bed n. bed.bed sp. – bonk, feel bed.bed (truck) n. pan 1 .bedroom n. bejroom.bedspread n. bedspred.bed-wetter n. pis-a-bed 2 .bee n. bee 2 .388
eef English to Kriol birdbeef n. beef.beehive n. beehaiv.beer n. byaa 1 .beet n. beets.beetle n. bog.before adv. bifoa. prep. heda.beg v. bayg, bom 2 .beggarly adj. bayga.begin v. staat.beginning n. biginin, staat.from the beginning adv.fahn taim, fahn di fosstaat.begrudge v.phr. groj, malis.behave v. bihayv, stan.bad behaviour n. bad stail.inappropriate behaviouradj. umanish, manish.behind adv. bihain.phr. bak a.behind (buttock) n. bahain,bakyaad, bambam, batam,bati, staan.Belcan Bridge n. Belkan Brij.believe v. bileev.Belize n. Bileez.Belize City n. Bileez, BileezSiti.Belizean n. Bileezyan.bell n. bel.belly n. beli, stomok.bellyache n. beli ayk,graipinz, payn-a-beli.belong v. bilangz, bizniz.belongings n. bilanginz,pozeshanz.below prep. andaneet.belt n. belt. v. belt.beneath n. andaneet, neeta.bench n. bench.bend v. ben.benefit v. benifit. n. benifit.berate v. chrays...aaf, tel aaf,yooz op.berry n. beriz.beside prep. said a.besides prep. bisaidz/bisaidn.adv.moroava.besiege v. krayzi.best adj. bes, gudis, taps. n.bes.best effort n.phr. endevabes.betray v. bichray, dobl-kraas,sel 1 owt.better v. beta. adv.beta/betara, guda.between prep. bitween.bewitch v. fiks.beyond adv. yaanda.biased adj. baiyas.Bible n. Baibl.bicycle n. baik, baisikl.big adj. big.overly big (personalaccessory) adj. papam.big shot n. big shat.big time adj. big taim.bike n. baik, baisikl.bill n. bil 2 .bind v. bain, ban 2 dong.binge v. parandyaa, spree.binoculars n. spaiglaas.bird n. berd, bod 1 .bird sp. – banaana bod,bilbod, blakbod, bloobod,bloo gaalin, boobi bod,damanika fowl, dok, dov,eegl, faada redkyap, filis,gees, grong dov, haak,hominbod, hooyu, howsbod, jabaroo, jranko/jankro,king jranko, kiskidee, koopa,389
ird of paradise English to Kriol bloomkoraso, kowbwai bod,kreech owl, Krismos bod,kokriko, kwam, kwail1,kyapmta bod, lang nekgaalin, maka paarat, man-awaar,mongtin pijin, mongkibod, paali, paarat, paachrij,peekwam, peel-nek jranko,pijin, pikayri bod, pilikin,poajoa, pyampyam, rabinredbres, rais bod, ramatutu,red-nek jranko, san paipa,seegol, sheg, sizaz-tayl,staak 2 , terki, toabi fulpat,tookan berd, tapnachik, waitgaalin, udpeka, yalahed,yalatayl.bird of paradise n. waha/yahaplant, wail plantain.birth v. baan, ga…baybi.birth certificate n. bertpaypa, ayj paypa.birthday n. bertday.biscuit n. biskit.biscuit sp. – haad taim biskit(polborong).bit by bit adv.phr. poakopoako.bite v. bait. n. bait.bite (fishing) v. pik 2 .bite one’s tongue v.phr.bait een...tong.bite to eat n. bitl.biting adj. baitin.bitter adj. bita.bitters n. bitaz.bitters sp. – biliweb, bitaz,sorosiblabbermouth n. blabamowt.n.phr. week jaa.black adj. blak 1 .blackboard n. blakboad.blackberry n. beriz.blacken v. blakn.black magic spell n. oabya,du-soh, guzu.blackout n. blakowt.bladder n. blada.blade n. blayd.blame v. blaym. n. blaym.bland adj. brekish.blanket n. blankit/blenkit.blaze v. blayz.bleach n. bleech, kloaraks.bleak adj. bleeki.bleed v. bleed.bleeding n. bleedn.bleeding heart n. bleednhaat.blemished adj. pekeh yekeh.blend v. blen.bless v. bles.blessed adj. blesid.blessing n. blesin.blind v. blain. adj. blain.blind (window) n. blainz,jalosi.blindfold v. blainfoal. n.blainfoal.blink v. kwint.Bliss Lighthouse n. BlisLaithows.blister v. blista. n. blista.blistered adj. blista.block v. blak 2 . n. blak 2 .block up v. chak op.blood n. blod.blood blister n. brooz blod.blood money n. blod moni.blood pudding/sausage n.merseeya.blood vessel n. vayn.bloody v. blodi. adj. blodi.bloom v. bloom.390
lossom English to Kriol boyblossom v. blaasam. n.blaasam.blouse n. blowz.blow v. bloa. n. slap.blue adj. bloo. n. bloo.boa constrictor n. wowla.board v. boad. n. boad,plenk.boarder n. boada 2 .boarding house n. boadinhows, ges hows.boast v. boas, boasi.boastful adj. boasi, bregin.boat n. boat.boat sp. – baaj, chraala, doari,flat-batam boat, laita,pitpan, san laita, saylin boat,smak, togboat.boat floor n. plenkin.boatman n. boatman.body n. badi.bog v. bag 2 .boil v. bail 1 . n. bail 2 .boil sp. – blain bail 2 , kyat bail.boil-up v. bail-op .bold adj. faysi.boldness n. sponks.bolt n. boalt.Bolton Bridge n. BoaltanBrij.bomb v. bom 1 . n. bom 1 .bondage n. bandij.bone n. boan.hit one’s funny bone v.shenk.bonus n. braata.boogieman n. bagabu, bubu,bubuman/bukuman, goas.book n. buk.boost v. boots.boot n. boot 2 .booth n. boot 1 .border n. boada 1 .bore v. boar.bored adj. boarin.boring adj. boarin.born adj. baan.borrow v. bara.borrower v. baragumbeh.boss n. baas, hedman, hefeh,maasa.bossy adj. baasi.bossy woman n. champongnani, waasa/wassi uman .both adj. too a dehn.bother v. bada, bog, anai,ayk, hasl, heg, moles.bother with v.phr. wori wid.bothersome adj. hegin,siknin.bottle n. batl/bakl, paint 2 .baby bottle n. baba.bottom n. batam.bottom (buttocks) n. bahain,bakyaad, bati, staan.baby’s bottom n. bambam.boulder n. rakstoan.bounce v. bonks.bound v. bong.boundary n. bongjri.bouquet n. bokay.bow (knot) n. boa.bow v. bow 1 .bow down v. bow dong.bow (of a ship) n. bow 2 .bowel n. bowilz.have regular bowelmovements v. goh owt.loosen one’s bowels v.aparayt 1 .bowl n. bowl.box v. baks 1 . n. baks 2 .boy n. bwai. int. bwai.391
oy crazy English to Kriol brother-in-lawmisbehaving boy n. MistaMan.boy crazy adj. bwaizi.boyfriend n. bwaifren, fela.brace v. brays. n. brays.wood brace n. batan.bracelet n. eksklaava.braces n. braysiz.brackish adj. brekish.brag v. boas.braggart n.phr. bregin tuba.braid v. plat. n. plat.braid sp. – kaanroa, janifildaplat, mum plat.brain n. braynz.brake v. brayks. n. brayks.bramble n. brambl.brand n. bran. v. bran.brand-new adj. nyoo bran.brassiere n. braseeya.brave adj. brayv.brawl n. braal.brazen adj. bayrfays, faysi.brazenly adv. jrai-wan.brazenness n. faysinis,bayrfaysidnis, jrai aiy, jraifays.bread n. bred.bread (flour products) sp. –bayka bred, frai jak, fraikayk, janikayk, Kriol bred,pak bred, toas bred, torteeya.see also under bunbreadfruit n. bredfroot.break v. brok, bos 1 , pap. n.brayk, breez owt.break away/loose v. brokweh.break down v. brok dong.break down (nervous) v.chrip.break out v. brok owt,bos 1 .break wind v. faat, pum.breakfast n. tee.eat breakfast v.phr. jrinktee.breast n. bobi, bres, ches, titi.breath n. bret.breathe v. breed 1 .breed (poultry) v. chred 2 .breeze n. win 2 .brethren n. bredrin.bribe v. braib/braiv.brick v. brik. n. brik.bride n. braid.bridegroom n. groom.bridesmaid n. braidzmayd.bridge n. brij.footbridge n. wan-man brij.briefs n. breef, andapants,jraaz.bright adj. brait, sensabl. phr.kwik hed.brightly adv. brait-wan.brightness n. braitnis.bring in (clothes) v. pik een.bring up (rear) v. bring op,rayz.bring legal action v. bringop.brittle adj. britl/brikl.broad adj. braad.broadcast v. braadkyaas.broiling adj. brailin.broke adj. brok.broom n. broom.broom sp. – shooti broom.brother n. brada, breda.brother sp. – ful breda, Braa,Bredz.brother-in-law n. braa-ahnlee/braa-ahn-laa.392
others English to Kriol byebrothers n. bradaz, bredrin.brown v. brong. adj. brong.bruise v. brooz. n. brooz.brush v. brosh. n. brosh.brush (teeth) v. scrob.brute n. broot.buck v. bok.buckteeth n. bof teet, faakteet.bucket n. bokit.buckle v. bokl. n. bokl.buckle down v.phr. bok op.bud n. bod 2 .bug v. bog, anai, bada, hasl. n.bog.bugaboo n. bagabu.build v. bil 1 .building n. bildin.bulb n. bolf.bull n. bul.bulldoze v. buldooz.bulldozer n. buldooza.bullet n. bulit.bully v. du op. n. bembeh,bulireg.bullying adj. advantijos,chaansi.bum v. bom 2 .bump v. bomp.bumpy adj. bompi.bun n. bon 2 .sweet bun sp. – bayka bon,Kriol bon, powda bon,sweet bred.bunch up v. bongl op.bundle n. bongl/bondl.bunk v. bonk. n. bonk.burden n. berdn.bureau n. byooro.burial n. beriyin.burial chamber n. vaalt.burial ground n. beringgrong.burn v. bon 1 . n. bon 1 .burning v. bonin. adj. bonin.burr n. ber-ber.burrito n. boreeto.burst v. bos 1 .bury v. beri.bus n. bos 2 .bush n. bush, bakabush.bush doctor n. bush dakta,herbz dakta, snayk dakta.bush dog n. bush daag.business n. bizniz.personal business n. geda.businessman n. biznizman.business-woman n.biznizuman.busy adj. bizi.but conj. bot, ata. prep. baar,sep/sepm/eksep.but then conj. wichin.butcher n. bucha.butcher shop n. meet shap.butt v. bok.butt in v.phr. dip eena, kotyu kraas.butter v. bota. n. bota.butter up v. sweet op.butterfly n. botaflai.buttocks n. bahain, bakyaad,bambam, bati, staan.button v. botn. n. botn.buy v. bai 1 .buyer n. baiya.by prep. bai 2 .by and by adv. bumbai.bye int. bai 3 , aarait.393
cabEnglish to KriolC - ccab n. kyab.cabbage n. kyabij.cabbage palm n. kyabij paam.cabinet n. kyabinet, laka.cable n. kaybl.cacao n. kakao.cackle v. kekl, kya-kya-kya.cactus sp. – sink-ahn-baibl,skajineel.cage n. kayj.cajole v. koakscake n. kayk.inferior cake n. bruku.cake sp. – blak kayk, bruku,lait/laik kayk, wait kayk.calabash n. kalbash.calaloo n. kalalu.calendar n. kalinda.calf n. kyaaf.call v. kaal, hayl.calm v. kyaam. adj. kyaam,prekeh.camel n. kyamil.camera n. kamara.camp v. kyamp. n. kyamp.can v. ku/kud.can (tin) n. tin, pan.canned adj. tincan opener n. tin kota.canal n. kinel.cancel v. kyansl.cancer n. kyansa.candle n. kyandl.candy n. sweet.candy sp. see sweets sp.cane (for walking) n. waakinstik.cane (plant) n. kayn.hardened cane syrup n.rapadoara.cannot v. kyaahn/kyaahnt.canoe n. doari, pitpan.cant v. kyant.cantankerous adj.kantangaros, kwaarilsam.cantaloupe n. mosmilan.canvas n. kyanvis.cap n. kyap.capital n. kyapital.captain n. kyapm.capture v. kyapcha.car n. kaa 1 .carcass n. fraym.card game sp. – aal foaz, haats,pikinz, pitipat, pokeeno,schrip-mi-naykid.cardboard adj. kyaadboad.cardboard box n. kaatoonbaks.care n. kayr/kyaa.care for (attend to) v. tekkayr/kyaa a, main, ten tu.care for (feelings) v. kay fi,kyaa fi, kyaaz fi, laik 1 , chek.careful adj. kyaaful.be careful v. kyaaful, main,tek kayr/kyaa.careless adj. kyaalis, kaylis.cargo n. kaago.Caribbean n. Kyaribeeyan.carousing n. karowzin.carpenter n. kyapmta.carpenter bird n. kyapmta bod.carpet n. kyaapit.carriage n. kehrij.carrot n. karats.394
carry English to Kriol changecarry v. bak, kehr.carry across v. kraas, lang 4 .carry on v. kehri aan.carry out v. kehri owt.cart n. kyaat.cart sp. – myool ahn kyaat,fresko kyaat.carton n. kaatoon baks.cartoons n. kyaatoonz.cartridge n. kaachrij.carve v. kaav.carving n. kaavin.case v. skoot. n. kays.cash v. kyash. n. kyash.cashew n. kashu.cashier n. kyasheeya.cassava n. kasaava, yuka.cassava bread n. kasaava bred.cast v. kyaas 1 . n. kyaas 2 , plaasta.cast net n. kyaas net.castor oil n. kyastarail.cat n. kyat, pus.cat-eye marble n.phr. pus-aiymaabl.catch v. kech.catch by roping v. kyaas.catch one’s breath v. fech.cater-corner n. kyata-kaana.caterpillar n. kyatapila, hayriwom.catfish n. botasi, kyato.Catholic n. Kyaatlik.cattle n. kyatl.caul n. kaal 2 .cauliflower n. kaliflowa.caulk v. kaak (op).cause v. kaaz. n. reezn.cave n. kayv.cave in v. kayv een.cay(e) n. kee 2 .cay crab n. wairo kraab.cedar n. seeda.ceiba tree n. katn chree.ceiling n. seelin.celebrate v. selibrayt/salabrayt,kip op.celebrate with a party v. kipop.celebration n. selibrayshan,jalifikayshan.celery n. selari.cell n. sel 2 .holding cell n. lak dong, pishows.cell phone n. sel foan.cement v. siment. n. siment.cemetery n. bering grong.cent n. sehn, sent, kapa.centipede n. santapi.centre n. senta, haat.century n. senchri.cerasee n. sorosi.ceremony n. serimoni.certain adj. sertn.certainly adv. af koars/koas.certificate n. sertifikayt.ceviche n. seveecheh.chafe v. blista.chain n. chayn.chair n. chyaa 1 /chayr.chalk n. chaak.challenge v. chalinj/chanilz.chamber pot n. chemba/chimi,poa pat.chance v. chaans. n. chaans,ris 1 .by chance v. jos mi han.change v. chaynj. n. chaynj.change one’s story v.phr.chaynj mowt.too much change n. oavachaynj.small change phr. ahnchaynj.395
chap English to Kriol chuckchap n. fela.chaperone n. chaparong.chapter n. chapta.character n. karakta/kerikta,roal 2 , wayz.charcoal n. chaakoal.charge v. chaaj. n.akyoozayshan, chaaj.chase v. chays, ron, wail 3 . n.chays.chastise v. chektaiz, lekcha,skoal.chat v. chuk mowt, diskoas.chatterbox n. chatabaks,pyampyam.chatty adj. chati, taaki-taaki.chauffeur n. shoafa, jraiva.cheap adj. cheep.cheat v. cheet, wotlis, teef.cheating adj. cheetacheck v. chek.cheek n. jaa.cheeky adj. fresh.cheer v. chyaa 2 .cheesy adj. cheezi.chemical n. kemikal.cherry n. cheriz.chest (body) n. ches, stomok.chest (box) n. chis.chest of drawers n. chest a jraa.chew v. choo.chew vigorously v. chaa,choo op.chicken n. chikin, fowl.chicken anus n. paasn noaz.chicken sp. – damanika fowl,ful pat bod, peel-nek fowl,senseh fowl.chicken pox n. chikin paks.chicken soup n. reyeno.chicle n. cheekleh.chicle cuts n. blaks.chicle process v. kwaharin.chicle sap n. milk.chicle tree n. sapadili.chicle worker n. chiklayro.unprocessed chicle n.phr. raacheekleh.chief n. cheef.chigger n. chiga.child n. chail, pikni.one’s last child n.phr laasplog.children n. chilren, pikni.to bear children v. mekbaybi.chills n. chilz.chimole n. chimoaleh, blakdina.china n. chayni.Chinese n. Chaini.Chinese root n. chaini root.chip v. chip.chisel n. chizl.chocho n. choacho.chocolate n. chaaklit. adj.chaaklit.choice n. chais.choke v. choak.cholera n. kalara.choose v. pik 1 .choosy adj. pikipiki.chop v. chap.chop down v. chap dong,faal.chop op v. chap op.christen v. krisn.christening n. krisnin.Christian n. Kristyan.Christmas n. Krismos.celebrate Christmas in stylev.phr mek/si Krismos.christophine n. choacho.chuck v. chok weh.396
church English to Kriol cohunechurch n. cherch/choch.cigar n. sigaa, pooro.cigarette n. sigaret, waits.cymbal n. simbal.Cinderella Town n. SindarelaTong.cinnamon n. siliman stik.circle v. serkl. n. serkl.circumcise v. serkomsaiz.circumcision n. serkomsizhan.circus n. serkos.citizen n. sitizn.city n. siti.civilized adj. sivilaiz.claim v. klaym.clammy adj. klami.clap v. klap.clasp v. klaps.class n. klaas.classroom n. klaasroom.claw n. klaa.clean v. kleen. adj. kleen.cleanliness n. kleenis.clear v. klayr. adj. klayr/klyaa,playn.clear land v. bush.clearly adv. klayr/klyaa.more clearly adv. playna 1 .clerk n. klerk.clever adj. aatful, braynzi.click v. klik. n. klik.cliff n. klif.climb v. klaim.clinic n. klinik.cloak v. kloak.clock n. klak.clog v. stap op.close v. baar, shet. adv. kloas.closed adj. kloaz.closet. n. klazit.clot n. klat.feminine blood clot n. kladz.cloth n. klaat.clothes n. kloaz.odd ragged assortment ofclothes n. jengjeng.cloud n. klowd.cloudy adj. klowdi.clove n. kloavz.clown n. klong.clownish actions n. paiyaso.cloy v. klaid.club v. klob. n. klob.cluck v. klok.clump n. klomp.clumsy adj. blofoto.coach v. koach. n. koach.coal n. koal 3 .hot coal n. faiya koal 3 .coast n. koas, see front, seesaid.coat n. koat 1 .coatimundi n. kwash.coax v. koaks.cocaine n. kokayn, krak, prapadaim, sprang, wait laydi.use cocaine v. sprang.cock n. roosta.cock and bull story n. kak ahnbul stoari.cock up v. kak op. adv. kak op.cockroach n. kakroach, roach.coco n. koako 2 .cocoa n. koako 1 .coconut n. koakanat/kuknat.coconut gratings n. kuknatchrash.coconut sweets n. kotobroot,tablayta.coffee n. kaafi.coffee sp. – n. kaan kaafi, wailkaafi.coffin n. kaafin, ded baks.cohune n. kuhoon, waarikuhoon.397
coil English to Kriol condomcoil v. kwail. n. kwail.coin n. kain 3 .cold (temperature) adj. koal 1 .cold (sickness) n. koal 2 .cold sp. – n. fresh koal 2 , sadkoal 2 .collapse v. kayv een, fayntweh, gaahn fahn...self, jrapdong.collar n. kala 1 .collarbone n. kalaboan.collect v. kalek.collection n. kalekshan.unusual collection n.rigmijig.collection box adj. kalekshanbaks.collector n. kalekta.college n. kalij.colour v. kala 2 . n. kala 2 .colour sp. – blak 1 , bloo, brong,green 1 , lavenda, maav, areenj,red, yala, wait.comal n. komaal.comb v. koam. n. koam.hot comb v. hat koam. n. hatkoam.come v. kohn/kom.come together v. gyada/geda.comfort v. komfat. n. komfat.comfortable adj. komfatabl.comfortably adv.komfatabl-wan.command v. koman, aada.commandment n. komanment.comment n. koment.have no comment phr. nohkehr ner bring ahn.make a veiled negativecomment phr. chroa wod.commercial n. komershal.commiserate v. swet feeva.commit v. komit.committee n. komiti.common adj. kaman.common-law husband n.jentlman, jenklman.commotion n. kamoashan,kweneneh, oproal, rokshan,rugudungz.community n. kamyooniti. adj.kamyooniti.companion n. kompni.company n. kompni.compare v. kompyaa.compassion n. kampashan.compel v. kampel.compete v. ron gens.competent adj. taps.complain v. kamplayn, rayl op.complaining n. kamplaynin,raylin 1 .complaint n. kamplayn.complete v. don.completely adv. kompleetli.comport oneself v. stan.computer n. kompyoota.comrade n. braa.concern v. kansaan. n. kansaan.concern oneself with v.phrwori rong wid/wori wid.concerned adj. kansaan.concert n. kansert.conch n. konks.concoction n. muks.condemn v. kandem.condemnation n.kandemnayshan.condensed milk n. kandensmilk, sweet milk.condition n. kandishan, shayp,stayt.condom n. kandom, rabaz,spens bag.398
conduct oneself English to Kriol cornedconduct oneself v. stan.cone n. koanz.conference n. kanfrens.confess v. kanfes, oan op (tu).confide v. pinch…ayz.confidence n. kanfidens.confident adj. kanfident.confinement n. kanfainment.confirm v. kanfaam.confront v. bok. v.phr. boadaaf, goh aata.confuse v. kanfyooz.confused adj. kanfyooz.confusion n. kanfyoozhan.conger eel n. kaangreel.conjunctivitis v. pink aiy.connect v. kanek.connection n. kanekshan.connive v. shoola.conscience n. kanshans.conscious adj. kanchos.consider v. kansida.considerate adj. kansidarayt.console v. kansoal.conspire v. nak hed tugeda.constipate v. bain, kaak op.constipated adj. kaastiv.constipation n.haadbonk/haadbong.contain v. gat een, hoal 3 .container n. kantayna.contented adj. kantentid.contention n. schraif.contest n. kantes.continually adv. evritaim/taihn.continue v. kantinyu, kip aan,stay, stodi (ting).call to continue a storyv.phr.hib ahn lang shoa.contradict v. kantadik.contrary adj. kanchrayri/kanchraydicontrary to phr. kanchreri tuon the contrary v. iz.control v. kanchroal. n.kanchroal.take control of v.phr. putklaps pahn.conversation n. kanvisayshan.have a long conversationphr. hoal lang bench.converse v. chuk mowt,diskoas.convict v. kanvik. n. kanvik.convince v. kanvins.cook v. kuk. n. kuk.cookie n. biskit.cool v. kool. adj. kool.coop n. kub.cooperative (co-op) n. koap.cope with v.phr. handle, manij,hoal 3 op.copper n. kapa.copy (duplicate) v. kapi. n.kapi.copy (imitate) v. falafut.copycat n.phr. falafut jompi.coral n. koril.coral snake n. beed-ahn-korilsnayk.cord n. kaad.core v. koar. n. haat.coriander n. silanchro.cork v. kaak op. n. kaak.cormorant n. sheg.corn v. kaan. n. kaan.corn on cob n. bail kaan.ground roasted corn n.kaasham/kaansham.sweetened creamed corn n.shuga kaan.corned adj. kaan.399
corn bread English to Kriol creaturecorn bread n. kaan bred.corncob n. kaankob.corner v. kaana. n. kaana.cornrow v. kaanroa. n. kaanroa.corporal n. kaapral.correct v. karek, maak, rang.adj. karek, rait 1 . int. karek,rait 1 , noh chroo.correction n. karekshan.correctly adv. karek.corruption n. koropshan.cost v. kaas. n. kaas.cotton n. katn.couch n. setee, soafa.cougar n. red taiga.cough v. kaaf. n. kaaf.cough up v. kaaf op, haak.could (definitely) v. ku/kud.could (possibly) v. kuda.couldn’t v. kudn.council n. kongsl 2 .counsel v. kongsl 1 , advaiz. n.advais.count v. konk.counter n. kownta.counterfeit n. fayk.country (nation) n. konchri.country (rural) n. bush,bakabush.countryside n. konchrisaid.couple n. kopl.courage n. korij, sponks, baalz,sponks.courageous adj. brayv.course n. koars.court n. koat.courteous adj. koarchos.courthouse n. koat-hows.cousin n. kozn.cousin-in-law n. kozn-ahn-laa.cover v. kova/kiba, kloak. n.kova/kiba.covetous adj. red aiy.cow n. kow.cowardly adj. kowad, frayda,waawacrab n. kraab.crab sp. – janfilda, raati, soaljakraab, wairo kraab, washpaam.crab louse n. kraab lows.crab stew n. kraab schoo.crabby adj. krabit.craboo adj. kraabu.crack v. krak. n. krak.cracked (mentally) adj. krek,krayzi, plik/plektos.crackhead n. krakhed,spranghed.craft n. kraaf.crafty adj. braynzi.cram together v. skwinj, pailop, ramjam.cramp (muscular) n. kramp.cramp (intestinal) v. graip. n.graipinz.cramp (stomach) n. graipinz.crane v. krayn. n. krayn.crash n. krash.crate n. krayt.crave v. krayv.craving n. krayvin.crayfish n. krayfish, labsta.crawl v. klaar. n. klaar.make one’s skin crawl v.phr.klaar mi blod.crayon n. kalarin.crazy adj. krayzi, krek,plik/plektos.slightly crazy adj. haaflait.crazy ant n. krayzi aans.creak v. krik 2 .create v. kriyayt.creature n. kreecha.400
credit English to Kriol cutecredit v. chros.creek n. krik 1 .creep v. kreep.Creole n. Kriol.common Creole person n.krofi.Creole bread n. Kriol bred.Creole bun n. Kriol bon.Creole language adj. Kriol.broad Creole (basilectal)n.phr. braad Kriol.cricket (insect) n. krikit 1 ,grayvdiga.cricket (game) n. krikit 2 .crime n. kraim.criminal n. kriminal.cripple n. kripl.crippled adj. kripl (op).crispy adj. krispi/kripsi.critter n. kreeta.crochet v. krosheh.crocodile n. haligeta.crocus bag n. krokos beg.crook n. kruk.crooked adj. krukid.crop n. krap.cross v. kraas. n. kraas. adj.kraas.cross-eye n. kakaiy.crotch n. kroch 2 .crotchety adj. krachiti.croton n. kroatn.crow v. kroa.crowbar n. kroabaar, rekinbaar.crowd n. krowd, aadyans,jroav, kit.crowd together v. skwinj,pail op, ramjam.crowded adj. krowdid.crown n. krong.cruel adj. kruwil, hagish.cruelty n. kruwilnis.cruise n. krooz.crumbs n. kromz, pikinz.crush v. skrosh, skwoosh.crusher (stone) n. roala.crust n. bred bak.crutch n. kroch 1 .cry v. krai.cry of pain n. aiy!crying n. kraiyin, baalin.cucumber n. kukumba.cuddle v. hog.cuff v. kof. n. kof.culantro n. kolanchro.culture n. kolcha.cunning adj. braynzi.cunning person n. jinal.cup n. kop.cupboard n. laka.curdle v. krodl.cure v. kyoar. n. kyoar.curl v. kwail.curassow n. koraso.current n. korant, lait 1 .curried adj. kori.curry n. kori.curse v. oabya, put mowt pahn,put kers pahn. n. kers/kos 2 .curtain n. kertn.curtsy v. bow.curve n. kerv.cushion n. kushn.cuss v. kos 1 .cussing n. kosin.custard apple n. kostad aapl.customs n. kostom 1 .customs officer adj.boadaman.customer n. kostoma.cut v. kot, jonk.cut down v. faal, chap dong.cute adj. kyoot.401
dab English to Kriol delicateD - ddab n. daab.dabble v. dabl.daddy n. dadi, pa.dagger n. daga/dega.daily adj. evriday.dainty adj. delikid.damage v. damij. n. damij.damn v. dam. adj. dam.damned adj. dam.dampen clothes v. kwayl 2 .dance v. daans. n. daans.dance sp. – brokdong, buru,jankunu, jomp op, kunjai,lusho, punta, roosho, sambai,wala ahn punta, wain 2 .danger n. daynja.dangerous adj.daynjaros/daynjaras.dangle v. dangl.dare v. dayr/dyaa 3 /dyaaz.daring adj. kakataari.dark n. daak, daaknis. adj.daak.look darkly v. mek op...fays.darken v. blak 1 op.darkness n. daak, daaknis.darling n. daalin.darn v. daan.dart(s) n. daat.dash v. dash.date n. dayt.daub v. daab.daub with mud v. talawala.daughter n. daata.daughter-in-law n. daata-ahnlaa/daata-laa.dawdle v. didl-dadl.dawn n. day di brok, til ih red.day n. day.402this very day phr. tideh tideh.day sp. – Sondeh, Mondeh,Choozdeh, Wenzdeh, Terzdeh,Fraideh, Satideh/Sachudeh.daybreak n. day di brok.daylight n. daylait.dazzle v. dazl.deacon n. deekan.dead n. ded. adj. ded.deaf adj. def.play deaf phr. stik brokeena...ayz.deal v. deel. n. deel.dear adj. dyaa 1 , ekspensiv.dearly adv. dyaali.death n. det 1 , ded. adj. det 1 .deathbed phr. deh pahn daiyin,chravl 2 .debt n. det 2 /dep.decay v. ratn.deceive v. chrik, play, fool.December n. Disemba.decent adj. deesant/deestant.decide v. disaid, mek op...main.decision n. disizhan.deck n. dek.decorate v. dekorayt.dedicate v. dedikayt.deer n. dyaa 2 .defame v. blakn, grain,skyandalaiz.defeat v. beet.defecate v. nomba too, tutu.defend v. difen, taak op fi.defy v. bok.degrade oneself v. loa rayt.degrade others v. shaymin.delay v. hoal 3 op, kip bak.delicate adj. delikid.
deliver English to Kriol discarddeliver v. diliva.demon n. deeman.denomination (religious) n.rilijan.dentist n. dentis.deny v. dinai.deodorant n. aamstik.depart v. lef 1 .depend v. pen 1 pahn.describe v. diskraib.desert n. dezert.deserted n. dizertid.deserve v. dizerv/dizaav.get what one deserves v.phr.da gud fi...design v. dizain.desire v. waahn/waahnt,krayvin.desk n. des.despise v. luk dong pahn.despite conj. in spait a.dessert n. dezert, sweet.dessert sp. – blak kayk, chraifl,mushla, pitayta pong, pudn,wait kayk.destined adj. bong.destroy v. brok op, dischrai,kandem.destruction n. dischrukshan.details n. deetaylz.detain v. hoal 3 op.determination n. wil.develop (mature) v. divelop,blaasam.develop (film) v. divelop, wash.devil n. devl/debl.devilish adj. devlish/deblish.devious person adj. jinal.devoted adj. hatid.devout adj. gaadli.dew n. joo 1 .diabetes n. shuga, sweet blod.diaper n. daiyapa, napkin.cloth diaper n. napkin.disposable diaper n.pamperz.diarrhea n. bad beli, werk beli,roninz, shitninz.dictionary n. dikshineri.did actually/in fact v. did, iz.did already v. don du.did not adv. neva/neba.die v. ded, kik di bokit, peg owt.die down v. bayt, jrap.difference n. difrans.different adj. difrant.difficult adj. aan, haad, kohn.difficult economically v. bok.adj. jred, pilinki/pelenkeh.dillydally v. didl-dadl.dilapidated adj. jengereh.dilapidated vehicle adj.pemperem/prempereh.dingy adj. bilji.dinner n. dina.dinner (baby talk) n. dindin.dip v. dip.dipper n. dipa.direct v. paint 1 .direction n. dairekshan.directly adv. dairekli, ded,schrayt.dirt n. dert.dirtier adj. dotiya.dirtiness n. dotinis.dirty v. beesli. v.phr. doti op.adj. doti.disagreeable adj. disagreeyabl,kanchrayri/kanchraydi,mizarabl.disappear v. disapyaa.disaster n. dizaasta.discard v. dash weh, chro weh,pich 1 weh.403
disciple English to Kriol dragdisciple n. disaipl.discourage v. diskorij.discouraging adj. diskorijin.discover v. fain.discuss v. taak bowt.discussion n. diskoas.disease n. dizeez, siknis.disease sp. see sickness sp.disgust v. disgos.exclamation of disgust int.cho.disgusting adj. disgostin.disheveled adj. jekech. v.phr.haal ahn pul op.dishpan n. pudn pan.dislike v. disgos.disobedient adj. haad-ayz/ayzhaad, ga no andastandin.disorderly phr. haal ahn pulop, hayrim-skayrim, jekech.disown v. disoan.dispose of v. dash weh, chroweh, pich 1 weh.dispute n. row.disrespect v. disrispek.sound of disrespect v. sokteet, choops.disrespectful adj. faysi, opstaat,rood.disrobe v. naykid.distance n. distans, wayz.very long distance idiomaticphr. walam paas mowt.distant adj. faar/fer 2 .distract v. dischrak, abschrok,chroa...aaf.distressful adj. haad.district n. dischrik.disturb v. disterb.dive v. daiv.divide v. shayr, kot op.divorce v. divoas. n. divoas.dizzy adj. jronki, tonti.do v. du/doo.do (emphatic) v. doo.do one’s all v. neva play.dock v. dak.dock worker n. dakman.doctor n. dakta.doctor fly n. dakta flai.document n. faam 2 , paypa.dodge v. daj.dog n. daag.dog sp. – patlika, popi.dog days n. maaga seezn.doll n. dali.dollar n. dala.dollar coin n. dala kain.dolphin n. dalfin, pampas.domestic adj. domestik.domineer v. du op.dominoes n. blak stik, feech.done adj. don.donkey n. dongki/danki.door n. doa 1 .doorbell n. doabel.doorway n. doa 1 mowt.dory n. doari.dose v. doas. n. doas.dot n. dat.double v. dobl. n. dobl.double-cross v. dobl-kraas.double-minded phr. ga toomain.doubt v. dowt.dough n. doa 2 .dove n. dov, grong dov.down adv. dong.downstairs adv. dongstayz.downtown adv. owt a tong.doze v. doaz, doado. n. doaz.draft n. jraaf.drag v. jreg.404
dragonfly English to Kriol dyedrag one’s feet v.phr. hengslek.dragonfly n. needlkays.drain v. jrayn. n. jrayn.drainpipe n. gota.drama n. jraama.draw v. jraa 1 .drawer n. jraa 2 .drawers n. jraaz.drawing n. jraain.dreadlocks n. jredz.dream v. jreem. n. jreem.come to one in a dream v.jreem tu.dreamy adj. jreemi.dregs n. grongz.dress v. jres. n. jres, dandan,frak, gong.dress hastily v.phr. haal aan.dress up in one’s best v.phr.blayd op, jres op, jres op nopus bak fut, shaap op, wel 1dek dong.sharply dressed adj. slik,sproosi.dressing (medical) n. jresin.dress a wound v. ban 2 op,bandij.dressing table n. jresn taybl.dribble v. baaba 2 , jrool.drift v. jrif.drill v. jril. n. jril.drink v. jrink. n. jrink.drink sp. – kaafi, tee, saafjrink, waata.drip v. jrip.drippings n. jripinz.drive v. jraiv.driver n. jraiva, shoafa.drizzle v. jrizl.from the north v. naat 1 jrizl.drool v. baaba 2 , jrool. n. baaba,jrool, mowt waata.drop v. jrap. n. jrap.droppings (food) n. pikinz.drought n. jrai.drove n. jroav.drowned v. jrongdid.drowsy adj. jrowzi.drug v. jrog. n. jrogz.druggist n. jrogis.drugstore n. jrogstoar.drum v. rakl. n. jrom, baril.drum sp. – n. gumbeh, kotajrom, tum-tum.drunk adj. jronk, jronkin, blak 1op.drunkard n. jronkad.drunken adj. jronk, jronkin.drunkenness n. jronkinis.dry v. jrai. adj. jrai.dry season n.phr. maagaseezn.dry skin adj. fereh.dryer n. jraiya.duck v. dok 2 . n. dok 1 .due adj. joo 2 .due to prep. akonk a, bikaaza, sayk a.dull adj. dol.dumb adj. dom, donsi.dumpling n. domplin, bailkayk, matilda fut.dump truck n. domp chrok.dung n. kow dong, haas domp,manyoar.during prep. joorin.dust v. dos. n. dos.duster n. dosta.dusty adj. dosi.duty n. jooti.dwarf n. duwaaf.dye v. dai.405
each English to Kriol endeach adj. eech 1 .each other phr. wan anada.eager adj. eega, hatid.eagle n. eegl.ear n. ayz.earache n. payn-a-ayz.earlier adv. erliya.early adv. soon.earring n. ayzring/ayring.earth n. ert.earthquake n. ertwayk.ease v. eez.easier adv. eeziya.easily adv. eezi-wan.east n. ees 1 .Easter n. Eesta.easy adj. eezi.eat v. eet, monch op, nyam.eat greedily v. hag op, hoksaaf, lash dong, manjeh,nyam, waks aaf, yafl.eat reluctantly v. eet widlang teet.eccentric adj. haaflait.eclipse n. iklips.eddy n. aydi.edge n. ej 2 .educated adj. ejukaytid.education n. ejukayshan.eel n. kangreel.effective, be v. tek.effort n. efert/efot.best effort n.phr. endeva bes.make the effort v. ayk.egg n. eg/ayg.eggnog n. rompopo.eggplant n. gyaadn eg.egret n. gaalin.E - e406great white egret n. lang nekgaalin.eight num. ayt.eighteen num. ayteen.eighth adj. ayt.eighty num. ayti.either conj. eeda/aida. adv.needa. pro. non.eke out v. simpa.elbow n. elbo.strike one’s elbow v. shenk.elder (church) n. elda.elders n. eldaz.elderly adj. ejabl.election n. ilekshan.electrician n. lekchrishan.electric adj. ilekchrik.electricity n. korant, lait 1 .elephant n. elifant.eleven num. ilebm/ilevn.else adv. els.embrace v. hog.embroidery n. maak.embroidery thread n. maakinchred.emergency n. imerjensi.empanada n. panaades.empty adj. emti.empty-handed phr. wid...toolang han di heng da ih said.enamel adj. inaamel.enclose with boards v. boadop.enclosure (fish) n. klaar/kraal,fishwel.enclosure (animal) n. pen, ron.encounter v. bok op.encourage v. inkorij.end n. en.
endearment English to Kriol exactend up v. en op, lan op.in the end prep. phr. pahn dilaas.endearment, term of adj. lee.endeavor n.phr. endeva bes.endlessly adv.phr. kyaahn don.endure v. bayr 2 , stan.enema n. ineema.enemy n. enimi.engaged adj. ingayj.engagement n. ingayjment.engine n. injin 1 .England n. Inglan.English n. Inglish.engrave v. ingrayd.enjoy v. injai.enjoyment n. injaiment.enough adj. nof/inof. adj.nof/inof.more than enough phr. nof fistoan daag.enter v. goh een.enter a pageant v. gwain opfi.entertain v. entatayn.entertainment n. entatayment.enthusiasm, initial n.phr. fosbrok.entice v. invigl.entrails n. inschralz, gots.entrance n. mowt.entrance sp. – doa mowt, rivamowt, road mowt.envelope n. enviloap.envious adj. grojful, red aiy.envy v. groj, red aiy. n. groj, redaiy.epilepsy v. phr. chravl wid fits.n. fits.Epsom salts n. saal fizik 1 .equally adv. sayhn way.erase v. iraysa.eraser n. iraysa, robowta.eraser (chalk) n. dosta.error n. mistayk.error, in adj. mistaykn.escabeche n. eskabaycheh.escabeche fish n. eskabaychfishescape v. eskayp, brok owt.especially adv. speshali.evade v. daj.evaporated milk n. karnayshanmilk, pet milk.even adj. eevn/eebm, skwits.adv. eevn/eebm, an aal, dongtu, fahn, op tu.even (scores) adv. tai tai.even though conj. eevn doa.evening n. eevnin.evenly adv. eevn/eebm.event n. hapmninz.eventually phr. pahn di laas 1 .ever adv. eva/eba.everlasting adj. evalastin.every adj. evri/ebri.everybody pro. evribadi.everyday adj. evriday.everyone pro. evribadi. adj.evri jak man.everything pro. evriting.everywhere adv. evriway.evidence n. evidens.evil n. eevl, badnis,oagli/woagli, wikidnis. adj.bad, eevl, wikid.communicate with evil v.deel.evil eye n. bad aiy. v. oavaluk.evil spirit n.phr. eevl spirit.evoke evil v.phr. put kers pahn,put mowt pahn.ex (husband or wife) n. eks 1 .exact adj. egzak.407
exactly English to Kriol fancyexactly adv. egzakli.exaggerate v. egzajarayt.exalt v. prayz op.exam n. egzam, tes.examine v. egzamin.example n. egzampl.except prep. sep/sepm/eksep,baar. phr. oanli kaa.exercise v. ekzasaiz.excessively adv.phr. kyaahndon.exchange v. chaynji.excite v. eksait.excited adj. eksaitid.exciting adj. eksaiting.exclamation sp. – cho, dam,eiy, hek, mada ayz/madaz,raas, sakra.exclusively adj. loan 2 , pyoa,soaso.excuse v. ekskyooz. n.ekskyooz.exhausted adj. nak owt.exist v. egzis, deh ya.expect v. ekspek.expel v. ekspel.expensive adj. ekspensiv, dyaa 1 .experience v.ekspeerens/ekspeerans. n.ekspeerens/ekspeerans.expert n. eksport.explain v. eksplayn.expose v. ekspoaz.extend v. lang 1 owt, schrech,han owt...han.extinguish v. owt.extol v. prayz op.extort v.phr. schrang…moni.extra adj. ekschra.behave in an extravagantway v. kehri aan.extravagant adj. gooti.extremely adv. deh-aan, kohn 2 ,kwait, oanli, no mix, wap, wel.eye n. aiy 1 /yaiy.evil eye n. bad aiy.eyeball n. aiybaal.eyebrow n. aiybrow.eye-glasses n. glaasiz, spektikl.face v. fays. n. fays.facing v. faysn.fact n. fak.in fact prep.phr. in fak.did in fact prep.phr. did, iz.factory n. fakchri.fade away v. fayd weh.fail v. fayl.faint v.phr. faynt weh, gaahnfahn...self, jrap dong. adj.jaydi.fair n. fyaa 3 . adj. fyaa 2 .not fair phr. noh giv.F - f408fair-skinned adj. chaylo,klayr skin, payl kaypm.faith n. fayt 2 .faithful adj. faytful.fake v. fayk, faam 3 . n. fayk.fall v. faal dong, jrap, pail op.fall asleep v. jrap asleep.false adj. faals.falsehood n. lai.family (extended) n. faamli.family (immediate) n. famili.famous adj. faymos.fan v. fan 2 . n. fan 2 .fancy adj. fansi. v. fansi.
fanning English to Kriol finaglefanning n. fanin.far adj. faar/fer 2 . adv.faar/fer 2 . n. faar/fer 2 .very far idiomatic phr.walam paas mowt.farm n. faam 1 .farm sp. – aachad, milpa,plantaysh/plantayshan,waak 2 .clearing farm land v.prapra.farmer n. faama.fart v. faat, pum. n. faat, pum.farther adv. farda.farthest adv. fardares/fardis.fashion n. fashan, stail.fast adv. faas 1 , kwik. v. faas 2 .fasten v. faasn, fiks.fat n. ail, fat. adj. fat, blofoto.fat, sweaty and smelly adj.swaati.fate n. fayt 1 .father n. dadi, pa, papa.father (not vocative) n.pupa 1 .Father (God) n. Faada.father-in-law n. faada-ahnlaa.fatigue n. badi-kohn-dong.fatten v. fatn.faucet n. fasit.fault n. faalt.find fault v. bad-mowt.favour n. fayva. v. fayva.favourite adj. frayvrit.favouritism n.. fayvritizm.n.phr. kisiz bai fayva.fear v. fyaa 1 .fearful adj. kowad, frayda,waawa.feast n. fees.feather n. feda.February n. Febiweri.feces n. kaka, nomba too,tutu.feel v. feel 1 .feeling n. feelin.stuffed lazy feeling n.nigaraitis.feet n. fut.fell (a tree) v. faal, chapdong.fellow n. fela.fence v. fens. n. fens, raylin.fer de lance n. yala jaa,taamigaaf.fertilizer n. fertilaiza,manyoar.fertilizer sp. – bagash.fever n. feeva/feeba.few adj. kopl, lee bit, sohn,too, wan ahn too.fiberboard n. beevaboad.fiddler crab n. janifilda.fidgety adj. fijiti.field n. feel 2 .field bed n. feel bed.fierce adj. waasi.fifth adj. fif.fifty num. fifti.fight v. fait. n. fos 2 .quick to fight adj. faitasam.words to instigate a fightphr. bom 1 hat.figure v. figa. n. figa, faam 2 ,shayp.fill v. ful.filled adj. ful.film n. filim.film (show) n.phr. filimshoa.filth n. dotinis.finagle v. shoola.409
finally English to Kriol flingfinally adv. fainali, lang atlaas 1 .find v. fain 3 .fine n. fain 2 . adj. fain 1 .finger n. finga.fingernail n. finganayl.finish v. don, en, stap. adj.finishin.finished adj. don.fire n. faiya.start a fire v. kech op.start a fire accidentally v.kaaz faiyabon.strange ball of fire n.jakolantan.fire ants n. faiyaans.firecracker n. papshat.fire engine n. injin pomp,faiya injin.firefly n. nait bog, peeniwali,peewom.fireman n. faiyaman.fireplace n. faiyahaat.fire truck n. injin pomp,faiya injin.firewood n. faiyawud.fireworks n. faiyawerks.firm adj. haad.first adj. fos 1 . adv. fos 1 .at first adv. fos 1 . phr. fos 1brok.fish v. fishin. n. fish.fish (sea) sp. – baro, blaksnapa, bloo maalin, dalfin,gront, grupa, joofish,machaka, muchroos,musmus, red snapa, shaaksaafish, sheephed, silksnapa, taapong, tingreh,yalatayl snapa.fish (river) sp. – baaka, baysnuk, bilam, jermilongz,kaangreel, kraana, kubaali,musmus, pupsi, stoan bas,tingreh, tuba.fish broth n. fish tee.fish eggs n. roa 2 .fishhook n. fishin huk.fisherman n. fishaman.fishing n. fishin, pragin,schraikn. adj. fishin.spearfish v. schraik.fishing line n. fishin lain.fishing net n. fishin net.fishing pole n. babstaaf.fish stew n. kaldo, schulala,sehreh.fish well n. fishwel.fist n. fis, noklz.fit v. fit. n. fit.fitting adj.fitn, karek, prapa,rait 1 .five num. faiv.five cents phr. fai sehn.fix v. fiks.fixed on v.phr. fiks pahn,faasn pahn.fix up v.phr. fiks op.flag n. flag 1 /fleg.flame n. flaym.flap v. flata.flat adj. ded.flat tyre n. pongcha.flatten v. flatn.flatter v. swel op...hed.flattering words n.phr.sweet mowt.flavour n. flayva, tays.flea n. flee.flee v pul fut, tek fut.flesh n. flesh.fleshy adj. fleshi.flimsy adj. fenkeh fenkeh.fling v. fling, chok weh.410
flirting English to Kriol foreheadflirting v. koatn.flock v. flak. n. flak.flog v. flag 2 /fleg.flood v. flod. n. flod.big flood n.phr. tap gyalanflod.floor n. floa 2 .flop back and forth v. flata.flounce v. flonks.flour n. flowa.flounder v. bafu.flourish v. blaasam, bloom.flow v. floa 1 .flower n. flowaz.flower sp. – aakid, franjipani,mayflowa, red bel, waha.flu n. flooz.flush v. flosh.flute n. floot.flutter v. flata.fly v. flai. n. flai.fly sp. – batlaas/baklaas,dakta flai, jronkin bayman,bloo konkas, konkas,haasflai, shaat jekit.fly brush n. flai brosh.flying ant n. flodflai.foam v. fraat.focus v. foakos.folks n. foaks.follow v. fala, chrayl, daag,staak.follower n. falowa.fondle v. fingl, hoal 3 op, lovop.fontanel n. moal 2 .food n. food, bitl, grob.food scraps n. food, bitl,skraypinz.food (main dishes) sp. – bailop,bondiga, eskabaych fishkongkanteh, meet er fish411wid rais ahn beenz er schoobeenz ahn rais ahn salad.see also under soup sp.,schoo sp.food (light or side dishes) sp.– dukunu, frai jak, frai kayk,gaacho, garnaaches,janikayk, pai, panaades,parij, salbootes, sasij,seveecheh, tamaales,torteeya.see also under bred sp.,desserts sp., sweets sp.mushy food n. pulaali.savoury food n. saal mowt.fool v. fool.make a fool of oneself orothers v. joaki, jankunu,papisho. v.phr. tek…mekpapisho.old fool trying to act youngn. tataram.person easily fooled n.kunumunu.foolish adj. fool-fool 1 .foolishness n. fool, naansens,papisho, schupidnis.foot n. fut.big foot/feet .n. peteh.abscessed foot (diabetic).n. sweet fut.football (soccer) n. futbaal.footbridge n. wan-man brij.footstool n. futstool.for prep. fi/fa/fo/fu.for him/it prep. far ahn/it.force v. foas, kampel. n. foas.force one’s attentions on v.foas op anda.forefather n. ansesta, graytgrayt-grayt-granfaada.forehead n. farid.
foreign English to Kriol fromforeign adj. farin.foreman n. foaman.Foreshore n. Foashoa.forest n. bush, bakabush.foretell v. pridik.forever adv. fareva. n.evalastin.forget v.figet/faget/figit/foget/fuget.forgive v. fagiv.forgiveness n. fagivnis.fork n. faak.fork-tailed flycatcher n.sizaz tayl.form v. faam 2 . n. faam 2 , figa,shayp.fort n. foat 2 .Fort George n. Foat Jaaj.fortunate adj. blesid.fortunately adv. loki ting.forty num. faati.forward adj. persnal, stepish.adv. faawad, frontway.put oneself forward v. kakop, praps op, primz op.foul-smelling adj. ransid,renkin, smel-bad, stinkin.adv. renk.foundation n. fongdayshan.four num. foa.on all fours n.. aal foaz.fourteen num. foateen.fourth adj. foat 1 .fowl n. fowl.fowl sp. – bantan fowl,damanika fowl, ful pat bod,peel-nek fowl, senseh fowl.fox n. faks.fraction n. frakshan.fracture v. frakcha.fractured v. frakchad.fraidy-cat n. fraydapus.frame v. fraym. n. fraym.frangipani n. franjipani.frankly adv. braad-wan.fray v. feg.frayed adj. fegi.freak n. freek.freefree of charge adv.kohnsolobeh/komsolobeh,gimi-tenkyu.set free v. legoh, loos,rilees.free items n. freenis.freeza n. freeza.freeze v. freez.frequently adv. aafn, haafton.fresh adj. fresh. adv. fresh.fret v. fret.Friday n. Fraideh.fried adj. frai.friend n. bali, bombali, fren,komaajreh/kompaajreh,kompeh, maku, too-faiv.dependable friend n.penpan/pendapan.make friends v. fren op.untrustworthy/fairweatherfriend v. fowl teetbali.frigate bird n. man-a-waar.frighten v. fraitn.frightened adj. fraitn, frayd.more frightened adj.fraitna.frightening adj. fraitnin.fritters n. flitaz.frock n. frak, jres.frog n. spring chikin.from prep.fahn/fan/frahn/fram.412
front English to Kriol gapfrom him/her prep.phr. fan 1ahn.front n. front.in front of prep. front a.froth v. fraat. n. fraat.frown n. frong.frowzy adj. frowzi.frozen adj. froazn.fruit n. froot.fruit sp. – aapl, aapl banaana,hareenj, baaboon kyap,banaana, beriz, bredfroot,cheriz, gov aapl, grayp,graypfroot, gwaava, kashu,kinep, kokonoh/pokonobwai, kostad aapl, kraabu,laim, leman, maami, mengo,mongki aapl, mongki kyap,pain, papaaya, plaantin,plom, roaz aapl, sowasap,tanjareen, waika banaana.fruit cake n. blak kayk.fruit fly n. mini-mini flai.frustrated adj. foschraytid.fry v. frai.fry cake n. frai kayk.fry jack n. frai jak.frying pan n. fraiyin pan.fufu n. fufu.full adj. ful.full-grown young man n.man-bwai.full stop adj. ful stap.fume v. fyoom.fun adj. fon, kiks.function v. fongshan. n.fongshan.funeral n. beriyin, finaral. v.choch.funeral hymn n. sanki.fungus n. jonjo.funny adj. foni, kiksi, joaki.fur n. fer 1 .furniture n. fernichaz.further adv. ferda.furthermore conj. moroava,bisaidz. prep.phr. pahn tap adat.furthest adj. ferdares.adv.ferdares.fuss v. fos 2 . n. fos 2 .unnecessary fuss n.simidimi.fussy adj. fosi, kamikl.future n. fyoocha.fuzzy adj. fozi.gain v. gayn.Gales Point n. Malantigallon n. gyalan.gallop v. gyalop. n. gyalop.gallstone n. gaalstoan.galvanized building materialn. zink.gamble v. gyambl.game n. gaym.game sp. – blak stik, boleedo,feech, haats, hat pepa, jaksG - g413ahn baal, kaparoocheh,krikit 2 , kyaadz, lachri,maabl, skipin roap.see also under cardsgame master n. der.game meat n. gaym meet.gang banger n. gang banga.gangrene n. gangreen.gang up v. geng op.gap n. gyap.
garbage English to Kriol godlygarbage n. gyaabij, chrash 1 ,dert.garbage can n. dert baks,gyaabij kyan.garden n. gyaadn.gardener n. gyaadna.gargle v. gaagl/gegl.garlic n. gyaalik.garnaches n. garnaaches.garter n. gyaataz.gas n. gyas.gasoline n. gyasoaleen.gasp v. bloa shaat.gate n. gayt.gather v. gyada/geda.gay (homosexual) n.batiman, ponk. adj. foni.geese n. goos.general n. jenaral. adj.jenaral.generation n. jenarayshan.genitals n. praivat.gentle adj. jentl.gentleman n.jentlman/jenklman.germ n. jermz.get v. geh/get.get back v.phr geh bak.get ahead v.phr. geh hed,advans.get along (emotionally)v.phr. hoal 3 op.get along with v.phr. gree,kaskas, set haas.get in v.phr. get eena.get out v. git.get up v.phr. get op.ghost n. goas, bubu 2 ,bubuman.giant n. jaiyant.gibnut n. givnat/gibnat.giddyup ono. bigidip/digidip.gift n. gif.gill n. gil.gimmick n. moak.ginger n. jinja.girl n. gyal.girlfriend n. gyalfren.give v. gi/giv, han.given free of charge n. gimitenkyu.gizzard n. gizad.glance v. glans.glass n. glaas.glasses n. glaasiz, spektikl.one who wears glasses(slang) n.phr. foa-aiypasam.gloomy n. bleeki.glory n. gloari.glorify v. big op, prayz op.glove n. globz.glue v. gloo. n. gloo.glutton n. gaamandaiza, glot.gluttonous n. kraybm.gnat n. flai.go v. goh.go abroad v.phr. gohowtsaid, goh weh, goh dafarin.go ahead v.phr. goh chroo.go away v. gwaahn/gwaan.go counter to v. kraas.go in v. get eena.go on v. gwaahn/gwaan.goal n. goal 2 .goalie n. goali.gobbler n. gabla.God n. Gaad, Faada.god n. gaad.godfather n. gadfaada.godfather (of one’s child) n.kompaajreh, kompeh.godly adj. gaadli.414
godmother English to Kriol groundgodmother n. gadi.godmother of one’s child n.komaajreh, makumeh.going v. gwain/gwehn.gold n. goal 1 . adj. goal 1 .gone v. gaahn/gaan.good n. gud. adj. gud, karek.fairly good adv. gudish.good (slang) adj. bad, wikid.goodish adv. gudish.good morning sal. maanin.good night sal. gud nait, naiti.good-bye sal. gudbai, aarait.goodness n. gudnis.goods (groceries) n. gudz.goody-goody adj. gudi-gudi.goose n. goos.your goose is cooked n.phr.yu koako roas.goose-bumps n. koal seed.gossip v. gasip, seetful,shush/shushu, skyat, taak opbowt. n. gasip, nyooz baka,toari, yehriso.gossipy v. seetful.govern v. rayn 2 , rool.government n. govament.governor n. govna.gown n. gong, frak, jres.grab hold of v. grabl.grace n. grays.grade v. karek, maak 1 , rang.n. maak 1 , rank.graduate v. grajuayt.grain n. grayn.grammar n. grama.grandpa n. grampa.grand adj. gran.grandchild n. grampikni.granddaughter n. grandaata.grandfather n. granfaada,grampa, taata.grandmother n. graama,grani.grandson n. granson.grape n. grayp.grapefruit n. graypfroot.grass n. graas.grass sp. – Bahaama graas,feeva graas, kayn, kotingraas, pinch-yu-waybos,sweet graas, wail bambu,wail kayn.grasshopper n. graas-hapa.grate v. grayta.grateful adj. graytful.grater n. grayta.grave n. grayv.gravedigger n. grayvdiga.graveyard n. bering grong.gravel n. gravl.gravy n. grayvi.grease n. grees.greasy adj. greesi.great adj. grayt.greediness n. greedinis.greedy adj. greedi,grabalishos kraybm.green adj. green 1 .grey adj. gray.grill n. gril.grilled adj. gril.grimace v. mek op...fays. adj.mikays-mikays fays.grimy adj. bilji.grin v. green 2 . n. green 2 .grind v. grain.grip n. grip, valees.gripe v. graip. n. graip.groan v. groan, gront.groin n. kroch.groceries n. groasriz.grocery store n. shap.ground n. grong.415
ground food English to Kriol hamburgerground food (root vegetable)n. grong food, bred kain,grong bikl.ground food sp. – dasheen,kasaava, koako 2 ,potayto/pitayta, yaam,yampa.grounded n.phr. andaponishment, andarischrikshan.grounds n. grongz.group n. groop, kit.grouper n. grupa.grow v. groa.grub n. grob.grubby hand n. mikaysmikayshan.grudge n. groj.hold a grudge v.phr. hoalmalis.share another’s grudgev.phr. swet feeva.grudging adj. grojful, red aiy.grumble v. grombl.grungy adj. gronji.grunt v. gront.grunt (fish) n. gront.guanacaste tree n.gwanakasteh, tubroos.guarantee v. garantee. n.garantee.guard v. gyaad. n. gyaad.guava n. gwaava.guayabera shirt n.waiyabayra.guess v. ges 1 . n. ges 1 .guest n. ges 2 .guest house n. ges hows.guide v. gaid. n. gaid.guilty adj. gilti.guinep fruit n. kinep.guitar n. gitaar.gulf n. golf.gullible person n. kunumunu.gully n. goli.gum n. gom.chewing gum n. chingom,cheekleh.gun n. gon, shatgon.gun down v.phr. gon dong,shat.gush v. gosh.gut v. gots, kleen.guts n. gots, inschralz.gutter n. gota.guy n. fela.gym n. jim.habitually adv. evritaim/taihn.hacksaw n. hagsaa.had to v.phr. had woz tu.hag n. heg.hag-like adj. hagish.hail (call) v. hayl, kaal.hailstone n. haylstoan.hair n. hyaa 2 /hayr, hed.H - h416hair sp. – bangz, brayd dong,nati, piki, tof, weev.slick down one’s hair v.brayd dong.hairy adj. hayri.half adj. haaf.hall (parlor) n. haal 2 .hallucinate v. ga haraz, sidoblz.hamburger n. berga.
hammer English to Kriol headwayhammer v. hama. n. hama.hammock n. hamak/hamik.hand v. han, giv. n. han.on the other hand conj.wichin.handcuff v. banglz.n. hankof, banglz.handkerchief n. hankerchif.handle v. handl, manij. n.handl.handle (touch) v. fingl.handle roughly v. bulireg,haal ahn pul.handlebar n. handl.handsome adj. hansom.handspring n. hanspring.handwriting n. hanraitin,raitin.hang v. heng.hang around (with) v.heng rong (wid), ranks(wid).hanging n. hengin.hangman n. jekech.hangout n. bays.hangover n. goama.hanky n. hanki/henki.haphazardly, do v. dabl.happen v. hapm, tek plays.happening n. hapmninz.happier adj. hapiya.happiest adj. hapiyis.happily adv. hapi.happiness n. hapinis.happy adj. hapi.harass v. haraas, heg, krayzi.harassment n. haraasment.harbour v. haaba.hard adj. haad, deh-aan,kohn. adv. haad.hardheaded adj. haad-hedid,ga no andastandin.hardhearted adj. haadhaatid.hardly adv. haadli, skaysli.harelip n. hyaalip.harm v. du…ting, hat 3 /hert,aynja.harmonica n. mowt aagan.harpoon n. haapoon.harum-scarum adj. hayrimskayrim.harvest v. haavis. n. haavis.hassle v. hasl, anai, bada, bog.hasty (short-tempered) adj.haysti.hat n. hat 2 .Hatacuma n. Hatakuma.hatch v. hach.hatchet n. hachit.hate v. hayt. n. hayt.hateful adj. haytful.haul v. haal 1 .Haulover Bridge n. HaloavaBrij.Haulover Creek n. HaloavaKrik.haunted adj. haantid.have v. ga/gat, ha/hav.have to v. hafu/haftu, fi 1 ,mos.hawk (bird) n. haak 1 .hawk (cough up phlegm) v.haak 2 .he pro. ih.he (emphatic) pro. hihn.head n. hed, kalbash.head for v.phr. hed fi.headlight n. hedlait.headman n. baas, hedman,hefeh.headache n. hedayk/hidayk.headband n. hedayk ban.headway n. hedway.417
headwind English to Kriol himheadwind n. hedwin.heal v. heel 2 , kyoar.health n. helt.healthy adj. helti, karek.hear v. hyaa 1 , yehr.hearsay n. yehriso.hearse n. hos.heart n. haat.hearth n. faiyahaat.hearty adj. haati.heat n. heet.heat wave n. jrai weda jombi.heave v. hib.heaven n. hevn/hebm.heavy adj. hevi/hebi.heck int. heks/hek.hedge n. hej.heed v. pay...main, stodi 3 .heel n. heel 1 , fut bak.shoe heel n. shooz heel.bread heel n. bred bak.height n. hait.heliconia (lobsterclaws, birdof paradise) n. waha, wailplaantin.hell n. hel.hello sal. heloa.hem n. frak tayl.hemorrhage v. hemrij.her pro. ahn 1 /am, shee, fishee.her (emphatic) pro. sheepro.adj. fi shee.hers pro.adj. fi shee, fi sheewan.herbal adj. herbal.herbal doctor n. herbz man,herbz uman.herbal drink n. bush tee.herbal medicine n. bushmedisn.herbs n. herbz.herbs sp. – biliweb, bukutleef, chaini root, chree a laif,feeva graas, gombolimbo,jinja, kloav, kolanchro,konchreebo, nak-mi-bak,notmeg, pis-a-bed 1 ,provizhan baak, sayj,silanchro, sink-ahn-baibl,skajineel, sorosi, susumba,swaylo konswaylo, taim 3 ,talawala, titai.here adv. ya. int. hahn.right here adv. yasoh.heron n. gaalin.heron sp. – bloo gaalin,koopa, kyapmta bod, langnek gaalin, poajoa, waitgaalin.herringbone pattern v.fiskayl.hers pro.adj. fi shee, fi sheewan.herself pro. ihself.hey int. eiy.hibiscus n. red bel.hiccatee n. hikiti.hick n. bushi.hickey n. vamp.hide v. haid.hide away v.phr. haid weh.high adj. hai.high and mighty adj.phr. haiahn maiti.high school n. hai skool.high society n. shishifufu.higher adj. haiya 1 .highest adj. haiyis.highway n. haiway.hill n. hil.hillside n. hilsaid.hilltop n. hiltap.him pro. ahn 1 /am, hihn.418
him (emphatic) English to Kriol humanhim (emphatic) pro. hihn.himself pro. ihself.hinges n. inchiz.hint v. spel.hire v. haiya 2 .his pro.adj. ih, fi hihn, fi hihnwan.hiss v. seet 2 .history n. hischri.hit v. baks 1 , bang, kech, lik,nak, wap.hitch v. hich.hives n. mad blod.hoarse adj. hoas.hobble v. hip ahn goh.hobgoblin n. bagabu. seealso mythical character.hoe n. hoa 1 .hog n. hag.hoist v. hais.hoity-toity adv. haiti-taiti.hold v. hoal 3 .hold between one’s legs v.kakakroch.hold up v. hoal 3 op, kip bak.hole n. hoal 1 .holiday n. haliday/haladay.holiest adj. hoaliyis.holler v. hala 1 .hollering n. halarin.hollow adj. hala 2 .holster n. skyaabat.holy adj. hoali.home n. hoam. adv. hoahn.at home hoahn.hometown n. hoamtong.homework n. hoamwerk.homosexual n. batiman,ponk. adj. foni.honest adj. aanis.honey n. honi.honour v. aana. n. aana.hoof n. huf.hook v. huk. n. huk.hook-stick n. hukstik.hooky, play v.phr. bang huki.hop v. hap, jomp.hope v. hoap. n. hoap.hopscotch v. hapskach.horn n. haan.horrible adj. harabl.horror adj. hara.horse n. haas.horsefly n. haasflai.hose n. hoaz.hospital n. haaspital.hostile adj. sweti.hot adj. hat 1 . adv. heeti,spaisi.hot-headed adj. heeti, shaat.hot-tempered adj. ignarant.hour n. owa.house n. hows.house sp. – n. baat hows,boad hows, boadin hows,daag sidong, dongstayzhows, ges hows, kuboos,nak-ahn-stan-op, opstayzhows.housetop n. howstap.housefly n. konkas.household n. hows-hoal,hoam.housework n. howswerk.how adv. how.how much adv. humoch.however adv. howeva.howler monkey n. baaboon.hug v. hog.huge adj. masiful, saizabl.hull (seed husk) n. pikinz.human adj. hyooman.human being n.phr.hyooman been.419
humble English to Kriol implementhumble v. hombl. adj. hombl.humiliate v. hag op.humiliating adj. shaymin.hummingbird, n. hominbod.hundred num. honjrid.hungry adj. hongri, pekish.hunt v. hont, pragin.hunting bag n. malayta.hurl v. pich 1 .hurricane n.harikayn/horikayn.hurry v. hori, mikays, rosh.n. hori.hurt v. hat 3 /hert, bon 1 ,du…ting.hurtful adj. hatful, bonin.husband n. hozban.common-law husband n.jentlman/jenklman.hush hush adj. hosh hosh.husk(coconut) v. hoks. n.hoks.husk (corn) v. peel. n. hoks.hustle v. hosl, kech ahn kil,pragin.hut n. hot, hutment.hypocrite n. hipokrit.hysteria n. histeeriyaI - iI pro. Ah.I (emphatic) pro. Ai, mee.IboTown n. Eebo Tong.ice n. ais.ice cream n. aiskreem.ice cream cone n. koanz.ice pick n. ais pik.icebox n. aisbaks.idea n. aidyaa.idiot n. eedyat, bubu 3 .idol n. aidal.if conj. if/ef.ignore v. ignoar.iguana n. bambu chikin,gwaana, wishwili.ill adj. sik.ill-bred adj. kaman.illegitimate (child) adj.baastad, owtsaid pikni,shalai.child passed off as anotherman’s n. shalai.ill-will n. bad-main.share another’s ill-will v.swet feeva.ill-tempered adj.disagreeyabl, krabit,krachiti, mizarabl.imagination n. imajinayshan.imagine v. imajin, fansi,sopoaz.imitate v. falafut.imitator n.phr. falafut jompi.immediately adv. rait 1 away.int. baps, braps.immigration officer n.boadaman.impact n. lik.impatient adj. shaat apayshans.exclamation of impatienceint. cho.impatiently adv. kwik-wan.impede v. hoal 3 op.impertinence n. smaatnis.implement v. kehri owt.420
important English to Kriol islandimportant adj. big taim,impoatant.impregnate v. beli aaf,breed 2 , faal, jak op,pregnant.impress v. impres.impudent adj. faysi, opstaat.in prep. eena, da 2 . adv. een.incense n insens.incompetent adj. shitn.indecent adj. indeesant.indecently adv. waasa/waasi.independence n.indipendens/indipendans.Indian (Amerindian) n.injin 2 .Indian (East) n. Indyan,Kooli.Indian sp. – Kooli, Maiya,Waika.inexpensive adj. cheep.inexperienced adj. green 1 .inferior adj. cheezi. n. shish.infinitive marker fi 1 .inflexible adj. stobant.informer n. pimpa.inheritance n. legisi.injection n. injekshan.injure v. aynja/inja.innocent adj. inosent.insect n. insek.insect sp. – batlaas/baklaas,bee 2 , bog, chiga, dakta flai,flee, debl raidin haas, flai,graas-hapa, grayvdiga,haasflai, kakroach, kiskideh,konkas, kraab lows, krikit,maat, maskito/maskita,mini-mini flai, nait bog,needlkays, peeniwali,peewom, shaat jekit,skaapyan, schraika,421chraiyantiloap, waari tik,waas, weebl, ud lais.inside adv. eensaid.insist v. insis.instance n. instans.instead prep. steda, insted.instead of prep. steda.instrument n. inschrument.insult v. insolt. n. insolt.glance insultingly v. kotaiy.insult indirectly v. chroawod.insurance n. inshoarans.intend v. inten, meen 1 .interest n. inchres, kansaan.interested adj. inchrestid.interfere v. intafayr/intafyaa,dabl, faas 3 .interfering v.intafayrin/intafyaarin.interpret v. interpit.interrupt v. intarop, dipeena, kot yu kraas.interview v. intavyoo. n.intavyoo.into prep. eena. adv. een.turn into prep. ton intu.intoxicant n. alkahol, lika.intravenous drip n. laifwaata.introduce v. intajoos.inveigle v. invigl.invest v. inves.invite v. invait.invited v. invaitid.iron v. aiyan, pres kloaz. n.aiyan, koal pat. adj. aiyan 2 .ironing n. presin.irritate v. eech 2 .is v. da 4 , deh (ya).island n. ailan, kee 2 .
isolated English to Kriol justiceisolated adj. seklootif.Israel n. Izrel.it pro. ahn 1 /am, it.it is/was v. da 1 .itch v. eech 2 , eechi.itchy adj. eechi.itself pro. ihself.J - jjabiru n. jabaroo.jackass n. jekaas/jakaas.jackass bitters n. jekaasbitaz.jacket n. jekit.jack-o-lantern n. jakolantan.jacks n. jaks ahn baal.jaded adj. jaydi.jaguar n. jagwa, taiga.jaguarundi n. halari 2 .jail n. jayl, bak-a-baptis,Glaas Batl Kee.jailbird n. jaylbod.jalopy n. bokit,pemperem/prempereh.jalousie n. jalosi.Jamaica n. Jumayka.Jamaican male n.phr. JooBwai.jam-packed adj. ramjam.January n. Janiweri.jar n. jaar.jaw n. jaa.jawbone n. jaaboan.jay (brown) n. pyampyam.jealous adj. jelos/jalas.jeans n. jeenz.jellyfish n. jelifish.jerry rig n. kova benjamin.Jerusalem n. Jeroosalem.Jesus Christ n. Jeezas Krais.Jew n. Joo.jewelry (dangling) n.jengjeng.jewfish n. joofish.422Jewish adj. Jooish.jittery adj. jichri.job n. jab, tas/taas.part-time job n.phr. wahnlee en.jog v. chrat.johnny-cake n. janikayk.join v. jain.joint n. jaint.joke v. joak. n. joak.journey n. jerni, chrip.joy n. jai.judge v. joj. n. joj.judgment n. jojment.jug n. jog.water jug n. jimi jan.juice n. joos.concentrated fruit juice n.skwash.frozen juice treat n. aideel.juicy adj. joosi.July n. Joolai.jump v. jomp, hap.jump rope v. skip. n. skipinroap.jumpy adj. jompi.June n. Joon.jungle n. bush, jongl.junk n. jonk.junkie n. krakhed, spranghed.junky adj. jengereh.juror n. jooriya.jury n. joori.just adv. jos.justice n. jostis.
keep English to Kriol largeK - kkeep v. kip.keep back v. kip bak.keep on v. kip aan, stay,stodi (ting).kernel n. grayn.kerosene n. koroseen.kettle n. ketl/kitl.key n. kee 1 .kick v. kik.kicks n. kiks, fon.kidney n. kidni.kill v. kil, merda, slaata.killing n. kilin.kilogram n. keelo.kind adj. kain 1 .kind n. kain 2 .kind of phr. wahn kain away 2 .kindness n. kainis.kingfisher n. kingfisha.Kings Park n. Kingz Paak.kinkajou n. nait waaka.kinky (hair) adj. nati, piki,tof.kiskadee n. kiskidee.kiss v. kis. n. kis, choops.kit n. kit.kite n. kait.kitchen n. kichin.kitchen counter n. kownta,jresa.kite n. kait.kitty-corner adj. kyatakaana.knead v. need 2 .knee n. nee.kneecap n. neekyap.kneel v. neel, jrap dongpahn…nee.knife n. naif.knock v. baks, bang, lik, nak.knocking sound n. nakin,bangin.knot n. nat 2 .knotty (hair) adj. nati.know v. noa.knuckle n. nokl.L - llabour v. layba. n. layba.lace v. laysn, schring op. n.lays.shoelace n. laysn.ladder n. leda 2 .ladies’ man n. sweet man.ladle n. dipa.lady n. laydi.lag v. lag 1 .lagoon n. lagoon.lake n. layk, lagoon.lamb n. lam.land v. lan, pich 2 . n. lan.landing n. laandin.Landivar n. Landeeva.landlord n. lanlaad.lane n. layn.language n. langwij.lanky adj. lenki.lard n. laad.large adj. big, saizabl.423
lash English to Kriol lifeoverly large (personalaccessory) adj. papam.lash v. beet, lash, dip, lada, lays,tayr, wap.lash (verbally) v. lays.last adj. laas 1 .at long last adv. lang at laas 1 .late adv. layt.later adv. bumbai.lather v. lada, soapi.latrine n. lachreen.laugh v. laaf. n. laaf.laugh at v. laaf aata.laugh with gusto v. kya-kyakya.make one laugh v. sweet.laughingstock n. laafinstak.laundry n. laanjri, washin.laundry detergent n.phr. soappowda.laundry woman n. washauman.lavender adj. lavenda.law n. laa.lawbreaker n. laabrayka.lawyer n. laaya.lawyer defending himself n.bush laaya.lay v. lay.lazy adj. layzi. v.phr. layzi op.lead (metal) n. led.lead (guide) v. leed.leading adj. impoatant.leaf-carrying ants n. weewiaans.leak v. leek.lean v. leen.leap v. jomp.learn v. laan.lease v. lees 1 . n. lees 1 .leased adj. lees 1 .least n. lees 2 . adv. lees 2 .at least phr. at lees 2 .leather n. leda 1 . adj. leda 1 .leave v. lef 1 . n. leev.leave out overnight v. sleepowt.lecture v. lekcha. n. lekcha.left adj. lef 2,3 . v. lef 2 ,gaan/gaahn. adv. lef 2 .leftovers n. lefoavaz, skraypinz.leg n. fut.legacy n. legisi.leggings n. leginz.lemon grass n. feeva graas.lend v. len.length n. lent.Lent n. Lent.lesbian n. raba uman, zami.less adj. les.lessen v. bayt 2 .lesson n. lesn 1 .lest conj. rekli.let v. low, mek.let go v. legoh, loos, rilees.lethargic adj. loagi.let’s go v. kungoh, lesgoh.letter n. leta, noat.lettuce n. letis.level n. levl.lewd adj. slek/slak.lewd person n. mantel,sketel.liar n. becomes adj. laiyad.liberate v. free.library n. laibri.lice see: louse.license v. laisn. n. laisn, leev.lick v. lik.lie (falsehood) v. lai. n. lai,laiyadnis, stoari.lie (recline) v. lidong.lie in wait for v. laywayt, daj.life n. laif.424
lifestyle English to Kriol looklifestyle n. livin.lifetime n. hoal a...laif.lift v. lif, hais. n. lif, jrap, kraas.light v. lait 1 . n. lait 1 .light-skinned adj. chaylo,klayr skin, payl kaypm. n.kapa kala.strange light n. jakolantan.light (weight) adj. lait 2 .light bulb n. bolf.lighten v. laitn.lighter (barge) n. laita.lightning n. laitnin. v. laitnin.lightning bug n. nait bog,peeniwali, peewom.like v. laik 1 , chek, kay/kyaa fi.adj. laik 2 .have a liking for v. fansi.like that adv. rait 1 soh.likeness n. dibz/dabz.lily n. lili.limb n. lim.lime n. laim, wait laim.wash with lime v. laim.limey n. laimi.limp v. limp. adj. limba.line n. lain.line up v. lain op.linger v. heng rong.linoleum n. maali.lion n. laiyan.lip n. batam lip, tap lip.lips n. mowt.protruding lips n. lang lip,snuk mowt.liquor n. lika, alkahol.lisp adj. tai-tong.list n. lis.listen v. lisn.litter v.phr. chrash op, doti op.little adj. lee/leel, smaal.little by little adv.phr. poakopoako.live v. liv/lib.livelihood n. livin.liver n. liva.living n. livin. adj. alaiv, livin.barely make a living v.simpa.living room n. haal 2 , paala.lizard n. lizad.lizard sp. – bambu chikin,giliwaas, gwaana, maklala,wishwili.loaded adj. loadid.loaf around v. lebeh.loaf bread (store-bought) n.bayka bred, pak bred.loan n. loan 1 .lobster n. labsta, krayfish.local adj. loakal.lock v. lak, baar. n. lak.locker n. laka.lockdown n. lak dong, jayl.lodge v. laj.lodging n. lajin.log n. lag 2 .logger n. lag kota.logwood n. lagwud.logy adj. loagi.loiter v. heng rong, lebeh.lonely adj. loanli.long adj. lang 1 . v. lang 2 fi, painweh.long ago adv. fos 1 . phr. bifoataim, lang 1 taim, fahn KingHachit woz a hama, fahnDevl woz a bwai, walampaas mowt.longshoreman n. shipman.look v. luk.look after v. main, tek kayr/kyaa a, ten tu.425
looking glass English to Kriol maidenhoodlook askance v. kot aiy.look at v. luk pahn, wach.look carefully v.phr. luk gud.look down upon v.phr. lukdong pahn.look for v.phr. luk fa, saach.look like v. fayva.looking glass n. lukin glaas.lookout n. lukowt.looks n. luks.loose adj. slek/slak.loosen v. loos.loosen one’s bowels v.aparayt 1 , goh owt.loot v. ramsak.loquacious adj. chati, taakitaaki.Lord n. Laad.Lord’s Ridge n. Laadz Rij.lorry adj. chrok.lose v. laas 2 , looz.lost v. laas 2 . adj. laas 2 .lot n. lat 1 .lots adj. lat 2 , plenti.lotion n. loashan.lottery n. boleedo, lachri, lato.loud (sound) adj. haad. adv.haad.loud (person) adj. balahu,blagyaad, halari 1 .loudly adv. haad-wan.louse n. lows, kraab lows.louse sp. – kraab lows, ud lais.love n. lov.to make love v.phr. lov op.love sickness n. kabanka,krisisisilo, makoabi, miskoabi.lover n. sweethaat.low adj. loa.lower v. loar. adj. loawa. adv.loawa.lowest adj. loawis.luck n. lok, chereep.bad luck adj. saal 2 , badlokid.luckily adv. loki ting.lucky adj. loki.lucky draw n. wapi.lucky for me phr. jos mi han.lucky sign n. rayk.luggage n. logij.lumber n. lomba, ud.lunch n. lonch.lungs n. longz.lust v. los. n. los.lying adj. laiyad, stoari.M - mma’am n. mam, mami.macaroni n. makaroani.macaw n. maka paarat.machete n. machet, masheet.machine n. masheen.mackerel n. makril.mad (angry) adj. beks.mad (insane) adj. krek, krayzi,plik/plektos.slightly mad adj. haaflait.madam n. mam, mami.426made-up adj. mek-op.magazine n. magazeen.fashion magazine n. stail buk.maggot n. megij.magic n. majik.magician n. majishan.magistrate n. majischrayt.magpie n. mongki bod.mahogany n. mahagni.maid n. mayd.maidenhood n. maydn.
mail English to Kriol maymail v. poas 2 .mailbox n. poasbaks.mailman n. poasman.main adj. mayn.maintain v. mantayn, kip.maintenance n. mantaynans.major adj. mayja.make v. mek.make one’s bed v.phr. mekop...bed.make out (romantically)v.phr. romans.make up again v.phr. mek opbak.make-up n. maykop.malaria n. malayrya.male n. bali.male potency phr. schrangbak.diminish one’s potency phr.kot…naycha.malice n. bad-main.malicious adj. bad-maindid,spaitful.mama’s boy n. ma-lehleh. adj.waawa.man n. bali, man. int.mayn/man.manage v. manij, handl.manatee n. malanti, see kow.manger n. feedn baks.mango n. mango/mengo.mangrove n. mangro.manipulate v. shoola.manners n. manaz.bad manners n. bad stail.manure n. manyoar, kow dong,haas domp, fertilaiza.many adj. lat, plenti.map n. map 1 .maraca n. shaka.marble(s) n. maabl.marble game terms sp. –dubzi, glaasi, kwaiyan, noklzdong, pus-aiy, siks, spinz-tuyu-naybl,taa, tek weh shenks.March n. Maach.march v. maach.mare n. mayr.margarine n. maajareen.margay n. taiga kyat.marijuana n. kali, tubungu,weed.mark v. maak. n. maak.mark incorrect v. rang.market n. maakit.marriage n.marij.married adj. marid.marry v. marid. phr.brok...nek.mask n. maas 2 .Mass n. Maas.massage v. naint.massive adj. masiful.mast n. maas 1 .master n. maasa.match v. mach. n. mach.mate (poultry) v. chred 2 .material n. klaat.math n. mats, somz.mathematics n. mats, somz.matilda foot n. matilda fut.matter v. mata 1 .no matter v. noh mata 1 , nohkay.matter (pus) n. mata 2 ,koropshan.mattress n. machris/machraas.mature v. divelop, blaasam.maul n. maal.mauve n. maav.maximum adv. no miks,nohmoh nohmoh.may v. ku/kud.427
May English to Kriol minutemay not v. maitn.May n. May.Mayan n. Maiya.maybe adv. maybi. v.phr. mosbi.mayor n. myaa.me pro. mi 2 .me (emphatic) pro. mee.meal n. meel, kukin.mean (cruel) adj. hagish,kruwil.mean (intend) v. meen 1 , inten.mean (stingy) adj. hagish,kruwil, meen 2 .meaning n. meenin.meantime adv. meentaim.measles n. meezlz.measure v. meja/mezha.measurement n.mejament/mezhament.measurement (land) n.tas/taas.meat n. meet.meat foods n. meet kain.meat pie scraps n. brok-op.meatball n. bondiga.meaty adj. fleshi.mechanic n. makyanik.meddle v. dabl, faas 3 , intafayr.meddling adj. intafayrin.medicine n. medisn.mediocre adj. poako-tyempo.meet v. bok op.meeting n. meetn.melon n. milan.melon sp. – mosmilan,waatamilan.member n. memba 2 .memory n. memri.mention v. menshan.Merciful God n. Masi Maasa.mercy n. mersi/masi, piti. v.phr.tek piti pahn, ga mersi pahn,sari fi.merely adv. jos.merry-go-round n. meri-gohrong.mess n. mes.mess up v. mes op, hambog.phr. haal and pul op.message n. mesij.Messiah n. Mesaiya.messenger n. mesinja.Mesopotamia n.Mesopotaymya.Mestizo n. panya.meter n. meeta.microphone n. maik.middle n. midl/migl.midst adv. mids.midwife n. midwaif, grandi.might v. mait.might have v. maita.might not v. maitn.mildew v. miljoo.mile n. mail.milk n. milk.milk sp. – kandens milk,karnayshan milk, klim, kowmilk, pet milk, sweet milk.million n. milyan.mimic v. mak, falafut.mind v. main, tek kayr/kyaa a,ten tu. n. main.be of two minds phr. ga toomain.make up one’s mind v. mekop...main, disaid.mine pro. fi mi, fi mee wan,mainz.minister n. minista.minor adj. anda ayj.minute n. minit.428
miracle English to Kriol mouldymiracle n. mirakl.mirror n. miro, lukin glaas.mischief n. mischif.miserly adj. cheep, geechi,meen 2 , stinji.miss v. mis, misn.Miss n. Mis.missing adj. misn.mission n. mishan.missionary adj. mishineri.mistake v. mistayk.mistaken adj. mistaykn, rang.mister sal. misa/mista.Mister ‘What’s His Name’ n.Misa Man.mistress (female employer) n.mischris.mistress (paramour) n.sweethaat.misunderstanding n.misandastandin.mix v. miks.moan v. moan, gront.mock v. mak, klong.model n. modl.role model n. road modl.modern adj. madan.molar n. jaa teet.mole n. moal 1 .molest v. moles.mommy n. mami, mama.Monday n. Mondeh.money n. moni.money not broken intochange n. haad dala.pay or shell out money n.shin owt.play money n. chayni moni.money-changer n. monichaynja.mongrel dog n. patlika.monkey n. mongki.monkey sp. – baaboon, spaidamongki.monkey around v. mongkirong.monkey apple n. mongki aapl.monkey spider n. mongkispaida.month n. mont.month sp. – Janiweri, Febweri,Maach, Aypril, May, Joon,Joolai, Aagas, Septemba,Aktoaba, Novemba, Disemba.moody person phr. sohntaihnsohnbadi.vexatious or sulky mood n.taahnfoora.moonlight n. moonlait.mop v. map. n. map.more adj. moa. adj. moa.morgue n. ded hows.morning n. maanin. sal.maanin.mortar n. maata.mortuary n. ded hows.Moses n. Moaziz.mosquito n. flai,maskito/maskita, schraika.mosquito net n. piblan.moss n. maraas.most n. moas. adj. moas.mostly adv. moasli.moth n. maat.moth balls n. kyamfa baalz.mother n. ma, mami, mama,muma.mother-in-law n.mada-ahn-laa/ mada-ahn-laa.motor n. moto.motorboat n. toktok.motorcycle n. motosaikl/saikl.mould (fungus) n. jonjo.mouldy adj. jonjo.429
mountain English to Kriol nasal mucusmouldy-looking adj. gronji.mountain n. mongtin.mourn v. moan.mourning n. moanin.mouse n. rat, rata.mouth n. mowt.mouth off v. mowt aaf.mouth organ n. mowt aagan.mouthy adj. mowti.move v. moov. n. moov.move over v. jres dong.movie n. moovi, picha 2 , shoa 1 .Mrs. n. Mis.much n. moch. adj. moch. adv.moch.how much adv. humoch.mucus n. bubu 1 , koal 2 , noaznaat.mud n. mod.daub with mud v. talawala.muddy adj. modi.muffler n. mofla.mug (rob) v. jak, hoal 3 op.mule n. myool.mule and cart n. myool ahnkyaat.Mule Park n. Myool Paak.multiplication tables n. tayblz.mumble v. mombl.mumps n. momps.murder v. merda. n. merda.murderer n. merdara.murky adj. grongzi.muscle n. mosl.muscle bulge n. rata 2 .well-defined muscle adv.chap op.muscle shirt. n.schrangman.muscle spasm n. winspazam.mushy adj. pulaali.music n. myoozik.music sp. – brokdong, kungomyoozik, punta, regeh, soaka.musician n. myoozishan.muskmelon n. mosmilan.must v. aatu, fi 1 , hafumust be v. mosi.must not v. mosn, aatn, nohfi.mustache n. mostash.mustard n. mostad.musty adj. hoodi, frowzi.mute adj. dom.my pro.adj. mi 2 , fi mi 2 .my (emphatic) pro.adj. mai.myself pro. miself.mythical character n. BushMan, Hanaasi, HashishiPampi, Hatakuma, Lang BobiSuzi, Sisimait, Raahed ahnBlodi Boan, Tata Duhendeh.N - nnag v. neg, heg. n. neg.nagging adj. hegin.nail v. nayl. n. nayl.naked adj. naykid.get naked v. naykid.name v. nayhn/naym. n.nayhn/naym.nap n. doaz.nape n. kobij hoal, nek bak.napkin (paper ) n. paypanapkin, servyet.napkin (cloth) n. taybl napkin.narrow adj. naro.nasal mucus n. bubu 1 , koal 2 ,noaz naat.430
nasty English to Kriol north windnasty (not hygienic) adj.naasti/naasi.nation n. nayshan.national adj. nashanal/nashnal.natural adj. nachral.nature n. naycha.naught num. aat, naat 2 .navel n. naybl.near adj. kloas.nearly adv. nayli.neat adj. neet.neatly adv. neet.necessary adj. nesiseri.necessary information phr.wat ahn wat.neck n. nek.nape of neck n. kobij hoal,nek bak.necktie n. tai 1 .necklace n. neklis.need v. need 1 , waahn/waahnt.n. need 1 .need not v. needn.needle n. needl.neglect v. niglek.neighbour n. nayba.neighborhood n. naybahud.neither adv. needa/naida. conj.needa/naida. pro. non.nephew n. nevyoo.nerve n. baalz, bayrfaysidnis,faysinis, jrai fays/jrai aiy.nerves n. nervz.nervous adj. naavis/nervos,jichri, jompi.nest n. nes.net n. net.net sp. – kyaas net, fishin net,gini sayn net, pers sayn net,piblan, schrimps net, sayn net.never adv. neva/neba, no taim 1 .phr. wen fowl kot teet.never mind v. noh main.new adj. nyoo.brand-new adj. nyoo bran.newcomer n. jos-kohn.news n. nyooz.newspaper n. nyoozpaypa.next adj. neks.next to adv. said a.nibble v. nibl.nice adj. nais, pleezabl, plezant.be nice to v. sweet op.niece n. nees.night n. nait, oavanait.nightgown n.naitgong/naigong, naiti.nightie n. naiti,naitgong/naigong.nightmare n.naitmyaa/naitmayr.nine num. nain.nineteen num. nainteen.nineteenth adj. nainteent.ninety num. nainti.nipple n. nipl, titi paint.no n. no. adj. no. adv. no.no matter v. noh kay, nohmata.no more v. nohmoh.nobody pro. nobadi.nod v. nad.noise n. naiz.noisy adj. naizi.none pro. non 1 .nonsense n. fool, naansens,schupidnis.nook and cranny n.phr. krik 1ahn kaana.nor conj. ner/naa, needa/naida.normal adj. naamal, regyula.north n. naat 1 .northern adj. naadan.north wind naat 1 .431
nose English to Kriol oldnose n. noaz.nostril n. noaz hoal.nosy adj. noazi, intafayrin.not neg. noh/na, nat 1 .not any adj. no.not at all adj. no.no one pro. nobadi.note n. noat.nothing n. notn. n.phr. breezbloa.nothing but adj. loan 2 , pyoa,soaso.notice v. noatis.November n. Novemba.nowadays adv. nowadayz,tideh day, deez dayz.nowhere pro. no way.nuisance n. pes.number n. nomba.number sp. – naat 2 , wan, too,chree 2 , foa, faiv, siks, sebm,ayt, nain, ten, ilebm, twelv,terteen, foateen, fifteen,siksteen, semteen, ayteen,nainteen, tweni, tweni wan,terti, foati, fifti, siksti, semti,ayti, nainti, honjrid, towzn,milyan.nun n. non 2 .nurse n. ners, nos.nut n. not.nutmeg n. notmeg.nylon n. nailon.O - ooath n. oat.obeah n. oabya.obeah spell n. du-soh.use obeah v. oabya, fiks.obeah-man/-woman n. oabyaman/oabya-uman.obedient adj. obeedyant.obey v. obay.occasion n. okayzhan.occur v. hapm, tek plays.ocean n. oashan, see.ocelot n. taiga kyat.o’clock adj. aklak.October n. Aktoaba.odd adj. foni, haaflait.odds and ends n. kuchriments.odour n. smel, sent.underarm odour n. aamsent.of prep. a 1 .of course adv. af koars/koas.off adv. aaf.offend v. ofen.offended adj. ofendid. phr. feel 1wahn kain a way.offense n. ofens.take offense v. tek ofens.offer v. aafa. n. aafa.offering n. kalekshan.off-guard adv. aaf-gyaad.office n. aafis.officer n. aafisa.official n. ofishal.often adv. aafn, evri haaf ton.oh int. oah.oil v. ail. n. ail, fat.cooking oil n. kukin ail.olive oil n. aliv ail.ointment n. aintment.okay adj. aarait. adv. aarait,aaraitish. int. aarait.okra n. okro.old adj. oal.432
old-time English to Kriol ownerolder person trying to actyoung n. oal hoks. adj.haadbak.old-time adj. bifoa-taim.olive oil n. aliv ail.on adj. aan 1 . prep. pahn/pan 3once adv. wan taim.at once adv. wan lik.one num. wan.one another n. wan anada.one-way street (wrong wayon) adv. op-stap.onion n. oanyan.only adj. oanli, jos, loan 2 , pyoa,soaso. adv. oanli.one and only adj. degeh.open v. oapm. n. oapm. adj.oapm. adj.phr. oapm paki.opening n. oapnin, mowt.openly adv. braad-wan.operate v. aparayt.operation (surgical) n.aparayshan.operator n. aparayta.opinions n. vyooz.opossum n. pasam.four-eyed opossum n.phr.foa-aiy pasam.opportunity n. apachooniti,chaans.opposite n. opozit.or conj. er/ar.orange n. hareenj/areenj.orchard n. aachad, waak 2 .orchestra n. okeschra/akeschra.orchid n. aakid.order v. aada, koman. n. aada.in order to phr. fi mek.ordinary adj. aadineri, poakotyempo.organ n. aagan.other adj. ada, nada, neks, tara 2 .others n. adaz.otherwise adv. adarels 2 ,adawaiz, elswaiz.ought not v.aatn, noh fi, shudn.ought to v. aatu, beta, fi 1 , mos,shuda.ounce n. onks.our/ours pro.adj. wi, fi wi.our/ours (emphatic) pro.adj. fiwee, fi wee wan.ourselves pro. wiself.out adv. owt.outhouse n. lachreen.outlaw n. laabrayka.outside adv. owtsaid.outsider n. owtsaida.outspoken adj.phr. oapm paki.oven n. oavm, stoav.over adj. don. prep. oava. adv.oava.overboard adv. oavaboad.overcharge v. oavachaaj.overdo v. oavadu.overflow v. oavafloa.overheat v. heeti.overnight adv. oavanait.overpay v. oavapay.overpower v. dobl-benk.overseas adv. owtsaid.overthrow v. oavachroa.owe v. hoa 2 .own v. oan. adj. oan.own up (to) v. oan op (tu),kanfes.owner n. oana.433
pa English to Kriol pastpa n. pa.paca n. givnat/gibnat.pack v. pak. n. pak.package n. pakij.pad v. pad. n. pad.head pad for carrying n.kata.paddle v. padl.page n. payj.pail n. bokit.pain v. payn. n. payn.cause pain v.phr. bos…shot,lik…shot.paint v. paynt. n. paynt.pair v. payr/pyaa 3 . n.payr/pyaa 3 .pajama n. pijaama.palace n. palis.pale-skinned adj. payl kaypm.pallet (chicle) n. angareya.palm (tree) n. paam.palm sp. – baaskit titai, bay leefpaam/boataan, bonga, giv ahntek, koakanat/kuknat, kokonohbwai, kuhoon, kyabij paam,pimenta/primenta.palm (of the hand) n. haneensaid.palmetto fan n. papta,pimenta/primenta.pan n. pan 1 .panades n. panaades.panties n. panti.pants n. jeenz.panty hose n. pantihoaz,stakinz.papa n. pa, papa.papaya n. papaaya, papaa,pupa 2 .P - p434paper v. paypa. n. paypa.paper money n. haad dala.parable n. parabl.parade n. parayd.parakeet n. keeti.paralyzed adj. paralaiz.parch v. pach 2 . adj. pach 2 .pardon n. paadn.park v. paak. n. paak.parlour n. paala, haal 2 .parrot n. paarat.parrot sp. – maka paarat,mangro paarat, paali, yalahedpaarat.parrotfish n. gilanboa.part v. paat. n. paat.part (role) n. roal 2 .particular adj. potikla.particularly want/care for v.potikla.partition v. paataaf, takayda. n.paataaf.partner n. paadna.partridge n. paachrij.party v. paati, spree. n. paati,bashment, bram.party all night v. bleech.Paslow Building n. PazloaBildin.pass v. paas 1 .passage n. pasij.passport n. paaspoat.past n. paas 2 . adv. paas 2 .past completive tense markerdon.past continuous tense markermi-di.past habitual doz, yoostu.past tense marker mi 1 .
present English to Kriol pierpresent continuous tensemarker di 2 .paste v. pays, talawala. n. pays.pastor n. paasta.pasture n. paascha.pat v. pat 2 .patch v. pach 1 . n. pach 1 .path n. chrak, pikaado.patience n. payshans/payshens,sens.patient n. payshent. adj.payshant.patio n. varanda.patsy n. kunumunu.pattern n. patan.patty n. patiz.pauper n. paapa.pave v. payv.paw n. paa.pawn n. paam 2 .payment n. riwaad.peace n. pees 2 .peaceful adj. peesful.peacock n. peekak.peanut n. peenots, pinda.pear n. Krismos pyaa 1 .pearl n. perl.peas n. peez.peccary n. pikayri, waari.peckish adj. pekish.peculiar adj. foni.peel (fruit) v. peel. n. peelin,skin.pelican n. pilikin.pen v. pen 3 op. n. pen 2,3 .pencil n. pensl, led.penis n. pili, tili.penny n. kapa, sehn.people n. pipl/peepl.pepper v. pepa. n. pepa.perfect adj. perfek.perform v. pafaam.best performance n. rekad.perfume n. perfyoom.perhaps adv. maybi. v.phr. mosbi.period (menstrual) n. peeryad.period (punctuation) n. fulstap.permission n. permishan, leever laisn.permit v. low, mek.persecute v. prasikyoot 2 .persevere v. hoal 3 op.persist v. kip aan, stay, stodi(ting).persistently adv. evritaim/taihn.person n. persn.personal adj. persnal.personal accessories n.kuchriments.personally adv. persnali.pest n. pes.pester v. heg.pestle n. maata stik.pet v. fingl, hoal 3 op, lov op. n.pet.pharmacist n. jrogis.pharmacy n. jrogstoar.phone n. foan.phony adj. mek-op.physic nut n. fiziknat.piano n. piyaano.pick v. pik 1 .pickaxe n. matok, pik eks.pickle v. kaan.pickled adj. kaan.pick up v. kalek.picky v. pikipiki.picture n. picha 2 .pie n. pai.piece n. pees 1 .pier n. pyaa 2 .435
pigeon English to Kriol plumpigeon n. pijin.pigeon-toe n. paarat toa.pile v. pail op. n. pail.pill n. pilz.pillow n. pila.pillowcase n. pilakays.pimple n. bomp.pimply adj. bompi, pekehyekeh.pin n. pin.straight pin n. kaman pin.pinch v. pinch. n. pinch.pine forest n. pain rij.pine tree n. pain chree.pineapple n. pain.pine away v. pain weh.pink eye n. pink aiy.pint n. paint 2 .pious adj. gaadli.pipe n. paip.pipe sp. – fasit, stanpaip, gota.piss-a-bed shrub n. pis-a-bed.pitch v. pich 1 . n. pich 1 .pitch in v. pich 1 een.pitcher n. mog.pitcher (ball player) n. picha 1 .pitiful adj. poatingfaid/poatifai.pity n. piti, mersi. v. tek pitipahn, ga mersi pahn, sari fi.place n. plays, pozishan.place (passage) n. pasij, plays.plain adj. playn 1 , aadineri.plainly adv. playn 1 .more plainly adv. playna 1 .plait/plat v. plat. n. plat.plait sp. – kaanroa, janifildaplat, mum plat.plan v. nak hed tugeda.plane n. playn 2 .plane (tool) n. playna 2 .plank n. plenk, boad.planking n. plankin.plant v. plaant n. plaant.plant sp. – bambu, baaskit titai,bay leef, beliful titai, ber-ber,bleedin haat, bod pepa, chainiroot, choacho, franjipani,gadbush, gyaalik, naata,pinch-yu-waybos, plaantin,pongkin, rooda, seeweed,skaan-di-ert, susumba,tubaako, tumtum, twelv aklak,waha, weed, weet, wailbambu, wail kayn, wailplaantin, yong gyal bobi.plantain n. plaantin.plantain sp. – blogo.plantation n.plantaysh/plantayshan.plaster v. plaasta.plaster cast n. plaasta.plate n. playt.plat see plaitplatform n. platfaam.play v. play, dabl, ramp.play hooky v.phr. bang huki.play up to v. sweet op.plaything n. playting.plead v. bayg.pleasant adj. plezant, pleezabl,nais.please int. pleez.hard to please adj. kamikl.pleased adj. pleez.pleasure n. pleja/plezha.give pleasure v. pleja.plenty adv. plenti. adj. nof/inof,lat 2 .pliers n. plaiyaz/splaiyaz.plop int. plaps.plot v.phr. nak hed tugeda.pluck v. pik 1 .plug v. kaak op, stap op.plum n. plom.436
plum sp. English to Kriol preachingplum sp. – goalden plom,govna plom, hag plom, Mayplom, koko plom.plural marker dehn 2 .plus adv. plos.pocket v. pakit. n. pakit.pod n. pad 2 .poet n. poawet.point v. paint 1 . n. paint 1 .become pointless v.phr. gaahnbaiyas.get to the point v.phr. likroad.poison v. paizn. n. paizn.poisonous adj. paiznos.poke v. poak 1 , juk.pole n. poal.polecat n. poalkyat.police n. polees, babilan.policeman n. polees.polish v. palish. n. palish.political adj. politikal.politician adj. palitishan.polka-dot n. perka-dat.pollute v.phr. doti op.polyester n. paliyesta.pond n. pan 2 .ponder v. kansida.pone n. pong 1 .poor n. poa. adj. poa.poorly adv. poali.pop v. pap.porch n. poach, varanda.porcupine n. paakyupain.pork n. poak meet.porpoise n. pampas.porridge n. parij.porridge sp. – n. kongkanteh,lab.port n. poat.Port Loyola n. Poat Laiyoala.portion n. paat, pees 1 .position n. pozishan, plays,rank, stan.put in a difficult positionv.phr. panya swet.possess v. ga/gat, ha.possessions n. pozeshanz,bilanginz.possessive marker fi/fa/fo/fu.possible adj. pasabl.post v. poas 2 . n. poas 1 .postman n. poasman.post office n. poas aafis.postage n. poastij.pot n. pat 1 .pot sp. – , flowaz pat, klay pat,koal pat, poa pat (chemba),skilit.potato n. pitayta/potayto.potato salad n. salad.potency see under malepotencypound v. pong 2 . n. pong 1 .Pound Yard n. Pong Yaad.pour v. poar.pout v. powt.powder n. powda/poada.powder sp. – sweet powda,wait powda.powdered milk n. klim.power n. powa.power failure n. blakowt.powerful adj. powaful.practise v. praktis. n. praktis.praise v. prayz, big op. n.prayz.prance v. step.prayer(s) n. prayaa(z).praying mantis n. debl raidinhaas.preach v. preech.preacher n. preecha.preaching n. preechin.437
precious English to Kriol prosperprecious adj. preshos.precocious (boy) adj. manish.precocious( girl) adj. umanish.predicament, put in a v. panyaswet.predict v. pridik.prediction of misfortune phr.goat mowt.prefer v. prifa.pregnant adj. pregnant, jak op.get pregnant v.phr.ga/geh/kech beli, kechpregnant, jak op, mekbaybi.pregnant woman n. beliuman.premature phr. kohn bifoataim.premonition n. sain.prepare v. pripyaa, fiks op.presence of mind n. prezant amain.present (gift) n. gif.presentation n. prezentayshan.preserve v. kaan.preserved adj. kaan.president n. prezident.press v. pres, aiyan, pres kloaz.n. pres.press hair v. pres hyaa, hatkoam.pressing (asthma) n. presn.pressing (ironing) n. presin.pressure v. presha. n. presha.pretend v. priten, faam 3 , fayk,play-play.man who pretends to be in arelationship n. jodik.prettier adj. pritiya.prettiest adj. pritiyis.pretty adj. priti.price n. prais, kaas.prick v. juk.prickle n. prikl.prickly n. juki juki.prickly heat n. prikl heet.pride n. praid. phr. han napkinton tayblklaat.priest n. Faada, prees.prime n. praim.primp v. primz op.principal n. prinsipal.prison n. jayl, Glaas Batl Kee.prisoner n. prizna.privately adv. praivit.private parts n. praivit.privilege n. privilij, rait 1 .prize n. praiz.probably adv. mosi.problem n. prablem(z).procession n. proseshan.produce v. projoos.profession n. chrayd.professional adj. profeshanal.profit v. prafit 1 . n. prafit 1 .programme n. shoa 1 .project n. projek/prajek.prolong v. prolangyulayt.promiscuous adj. rood.promiscuous person n.mantel, sketel.behave promiscuously v.phr.bad bowt, rot bowt, sleeprong.promise v. pramis/pramas. n.pramis/pramas.promotion n. promoashan.propeller n. prapela.proper adj. prapa, fitn, rait 1 .property n. prapati.prophet n. prafit 2 .propose v. propoaz.prosecute v. prasikyoot 1 .prosper v. praspa.438
prostitute English to Kriol questionprostitute n. prastichoot, hoar.protect v. protek, gyaad.protection n. protekshan.proud adj. prowd, hai ahnmaiti.prove v. proov.proverb n. praverb.provide v. provaid.provision tree n. provizhanchree.prune n. proonz.pry v. rinch.pry bar n. hanspeek.pshaw int. cho.Psalms n. Saamz.public n. poblik. adj. poblik.publish v. poblish.pucker v. mek op...fays,mash…mowt.pudding n. pudn.puff v. bloa op.puffer fish n. muchroos.pugnacious adj. faitasam.pull v. pul, jreg, haal 1 , toa 2 .pumice stone n. pombl stoan.pump v. pomp. n. pomp.pumpkin n. pongkin.pumpkin seed (parched) n.pepeetos, makoabi seed.stewed pumpkin n. schoopongkin.punch v. ponch, dash han,chroa han, jrap too han pahn.puncture v. pongcha. n.pongcha.punish v. ponish.punish physically v. beet, dip,fis...op, lada, lash, lays, pong 2 ,tayr, wap.punishment n. ponishment,tayrin, wapin.puppy n. popi.purchase v. bai.purely adj. loan 2 , soaso.purgatory n. pogatori.purge v. perj. n. perj.purple adj. maav.purpose n. perpos.purse n. pos/pers.pursue v. chrayl.pus n. koropshan, mata 2 .become full of pus v. gyada.push v. shub.puss n. pus, kyat.pussyfoot adv. pus pahn hatbrik.put v. put.put on hastily v. chroa aan,haal aan.put oneself down v.phr loarayt.put others down adj.shaymin.put out (extinguish) v. owt.puzzle v. pozl. n. pozl.Q - qquail n. kwayl 1 .quarrel v. kwaaril, fos 2 , kech,row.quarrelsome adj. kwaarilsam,kantangaros.quart n. kwaat.439quart-like measure n. almood.quarter n. kwaata, shilin.queen n. kween.quench v. kwench.question v. kweschan. n.kweschan.
queue English to Kriol receptionqueue n. lain.quick adj. kwik.quick movement (sound)ono. braps.quickly adv. anda belz, faas 1 ,kwik, kwik-wan.very quickly adv. kwik kwik,kwik taim.more quickly adv. kwika.quick-tempered adj. haysti,heeti, ignarant, shaat.quiet v. kwaiyat. adj. kwaiyat.quiet down v. kwaiyat, shetop.quietly adv. kwaiyat-wan, eeziwan,saaf-wan.quite adv. kwait, oanli, wel 1 .quits adj. skwits.rabbit n. rabit.raccoon n. raakoon, nait waaka.race v. rays. n. rays.radio n. rayjo.raffle v. rafl.rag n. rag/reg.ragged adj. tayr op.ragged clothes n. jengjeng.rail (complain) n. rayl op.railing (complaining) n.raylin 1 .railing (barrier) n. raylin 2 .rain v. rayn 1 , jrizl. n. rayn 1 ,showa.rain forest n. rayn faris.rainy adj. rayni.raise v. rayz. n. rayz.raisin n. rayzn.rake v. rayk. n. rayka.rally n. rali.rancid adj. ransid, stinkin.range n. raynj.rank n. rank. adj. renkin,stinkin. adv. renk.ransack v. ramsak.rapidly adv. anda belz, faas 1 ,kwik, kwik taim, kwik-wan..rare adj. ryaa.rarely adv. haadli.Rastafarian n. Rasta.R - r440rat n. chaali prais.small rat n. rat, rata 1 .rather v. reda/rada.ration v. rashan. n. rashan.rattan n. titai, baaskit titai,beliful titai.rattlesnake n. rakl/ratlin snayk.raw adj. raa.ray (fish) n. tingreh.razor n. rayza.reach v. reech/rech.reach out v.phr. lang 1 owt,schrech, han owt...han.read v. reed.reading n. reedin.ready adj. redi.make ready v. fiks op.real adj. reel.realize v. reeyalaiz.really adv. reeli, akchwali.reap v. reep, haavis.rear v. bring op.reason n. reezn.rebuke v. chrays...aaf, tel aaf.recado n. rikaado.receipt n. riseet.receive v. get.receive by good fortune v.fehfeh.reception n. risepshan.
eciprocate English to Kriol rhythmreciprocate v. ritern.recognize v. rekonaiz, big op.record v. rikaad. n. rekad.recorder n. rikaada.recover v. geh bak.red adj. red.red ants n. red aans.red snapper n. red snapa.red-lored parrot n. mangropaarat.reduce v. kehr dong.refer v. rifaa.refrigerator n. frij/rifrij.refuse v. rifyooz.regain v. geh bak.regardless adv. eniway 2 .regatta n. regata.reggae n. regeh.regiment n. rejiment.region n. ayrya.register v. rejista. n. rejista.registry n. rejischri.regret v. sari.regular adj. regyula.regularly adv. regyula.reign v. rayn 2 , rool.reject v. rijek.rejoice v. rijais.rejoicing n. jalifikayshan.related n. rilaytid.relative n. relitiv.relax v. rilaks, breez aaf, krakbak.release v. legoh, loos, rilees.relief n. rileef.religion n. rilijan.religious adj. chochi chochi,rilijos.rely on v. pen 1 pahn.remain v. stay.remainder n. balans, res.remaining adj. lef 3 .remember v. memba 1 , putbihain yu ayz.as far back as one canremember phr. fan Ah noamiself.remind v. rimain.renege v. badak.repair v. fiks.beyond repair phr.gaan een.repent v. ripent.reply v. ansa. n. ansa.report v. ripoat. n. ripoat.represent v. stan fi.reprimand v. skoal, chektaiz,lekcha.reputation n. repyutayshan.request v. rikwes. n. rikwes.rescue v. reskyu, sayv.resemble v. fayva.exact resemblance n. dibz,ded.reserve v. rizerv. n. rizerv.reserved adj. rizerv.resin n. razam.resist v. bok.resolutely adv. schrang.respect v. rispek. n. rispek.respectable adj. rispektabl.responsibility n. rispansabiliti.responsible adj. rispansabl.rest v. res. n. res, balans.restaurant n. restorant.restless adj. fijiti.restriction n. rischrikshan.result n. rizolt.retire v. ritaiya.return v.phr. geh bak, kehrbak, kohn bak.reverse v. bakarop.reward n. riwaad.rhyme v. raim 1 .rhythm v. ridim.441
ibbon English to Kriol rowdyribbon n. riban.ribbons (shreds) n. ribinz.rib n. ribz.rice n. rais.outer shell of rice n. pikinz.rice sp. – swet rais, rais ahnbeenz.rich adj. rich, tik 1 .riches n. richiz.riddle n. ridl/rigl.ride v. raid. n. raid, lif, jrap,kraas.ridge n. rij.ridicule v. klong, mak, papisho.v.phr. tek…mek papisho.rifle n. shatgon.right n. rait 1 , privilij. adj. rait 1 ,karek. adv. rait 1 . int. rait 1 .have a right v. bizniz.right away adv. rait 1 away.int. baps/braps.righteous adj. raichos.righteousness n. raichosnis.rigmarole n. parambl.rim of glass or cup n. mowt.rind n. raim 2 .rinse v. rens.riot n. raiyat.rip v. tayr. n. tayr.ripe adj. raip.rise v.get op.risk v. ris 1 . n. chaans.river n. riva/riba.river boat n. Kaiyo boat, flatbatamboat.river mouth n. riva mowt.river otter n. waata daag.riverside n. rivasaid.rivet n. ribit.road entrance n. road mowt.roadside n. roadsaid.roaming tendencies n. popifut.Roaring Creek n. Roalin Krik.roast v. roas.rob v. jak, hoal 3 op, teef.robe n. roab.robin redbreast n. rabinredbres.rock v. raak. n. rak, rakstoan,stoan.big rock n. rakstoan.rocking chair n. raakin chyaa.rocky adj. raki.rod n. rad.roe n. roa 2 .role n. roal 2 .role model n. road modl.roll v. roal 1 . n. roal 1 .roller n. roala.romp v. ramp.roof/rooftop n. rooftap,howstap.roommake room for v. jres dong.rooster n. roosta.root vegetables n. grong food,bred kain, grong bikl.root vegetables sp. seeground food sp.rope n. roap.rope (cotton) n. shash kaad.rose apple n. roaz aapl.rosewood n. roazwud.rot v. ratn.rotten adj. ratn.rough adj. rof, krofi. v. rof (op).round n. rong. adj. rong.row v. padl. n. roa 1 .row (quarrel) n. row.rowdy adj. balahu, blagyaad.act in a rowdy manner v.phr.halari 1 op.442
oyal English to Kriol saviourrowdy person n. halari 1 .royal adj. raiyal.rub v. robrubber adj. raba.rubber ball n. tunu baal.rubber band n. raba..rudder n. roda.rude adj. rood, rantantayram.ruffian n. rofyan, rompehraaheh.rug n. rog.area rug n. ayryal rog.ruin v. mes op, hambog.ruins n. rooinz.rule v. rool, rayn 2 . n. rool.rum n. rom.rumour n. rooma.rumple v. rampl.rumpled adj. rampl.run v. ron. n. ron, pen 3 .run away v. brok weh, pulfut, tek fut.run into v. bok op.running v. ronin.rural area n. bush, bakabush.rush v. rosh, hori, mikays.rust n. ros.rusty adj. rosti.Sabbath n. Sabat.sabotage v. bad-main.sack n. sak.sacrifice v. sakrifais. n.sakrifais.safe n. sayf. adj. sayf, aarait.sage n. sayj.saggy adj. hengi, heng op.sail v. sayl 2 . n. sayl 2 .sailboat n. saylin boat.saint n. saynt, Sin(t).sake n. sayk.salad n. salad.sale n. sayl 1 .saliva n. baaba 2 , jrool, mowtwaata.salivate v.phr. gyada/gedawaata, ron waata.salt n. saal 1 .salty adj. saalti.same adj. sayhn/saym, sed, veri.sand n. san.sand sp. – kee san, pain rij san,shel san, wash-dong.S - s443sand bar n. baar mowt, sanibaysandpaper v. sanpaypa. n.sanpaypa.sandpiper n. sanpaipa.sandwich n. sangwij.sapodilla n. sapadili.sapodilla bark n. koncha.sash n. swash.sash cord n. shash kaad.sass v. bak-chat. n. bak-chat.sassy adj. opstaat.satisfy v. satisfai.very satisfying adv. di wap.Saturday n. Sachudeh/Satideh.sauce n. saas.saucer n. saasa.sausage n. sachiz/sasij.blood sausage n. merseeya.link sausage n. longaneesa.savannah n. savaana.save v. sayv, reskyu.saved adj. sayv.savings n. sayvinz.saviour n. sayvya.
saw English to Kriol seasonsaw (past tense of see) v. sait.saw (tool) v. saa. n. saa.saw sp – n. hagsaa.sawdust n. saados.sawfish n. saafish.say v. seh.saying n. sayin.scabbard n. skyaabat.scaffold n. skyaafl.scald v. skaalt.scale n. skayl.scale (fish) v. skrayp.scalp n. hed.scaly adj. fereh.scam n. wap.scandal n. skyandal.scar n. skaar, maak.scarce adj. skays/skyaas.scarcely adv.skaysli/skyaasli/kaysli, haadli.scare v. fraitn.scared adj. fraitn, frayd.become scared v.phr. kech ihkowad.scarf n. skaaf, hed rap, hed tai.scarred adj. skaar.scatter v. skyata.scene n. seen.make a scene v.phr. mekseenri.scenery n. seenri.scent n. sent, smel.septic tank n. septik.scholarship n. skalaship.school n. skool.science n. saiyans.scientist n. saiyantis.scissors n. sizaz.scold v.skoal, chektaiz, lekcha,rayl op.scone n. frai jak.scoop n. dip.score (cut diagonally) v. koar.score (points) v. skoar. n.skoar.scorn v.phr. luk dong pahn.glance scornfully v. kot aiy.scorpion n.skaapyan/skyaapyan.scout v. skoot. n. Skowt.scowl phr. mek op...fays,mikays-mikays fays.scramble v. skrambl.scraps n. kromz.scrape v. skrayp/krayp, peel. n.skrayp/krayp.scrape by v.phr. skrayp daag.scratch v. skrach. n. skrach.scrawny adj. skraani/kraani.scream v. skreem. n. skreem.screech v. skreech.screech owl n. kreech owl.screen n. skreen.screen (mesh) n. skreem waiya.Scripture n. Skripcha.scrub v. skrob.sea n. see, oashan.sea bass n. joofish.sea coast n. seesaid.sea life sp. – banakl, dalfin,janifilda, jelifish, konks,kraab, krayfish, labsta, oalwaif, pampas, raati, see kow,shaak, schrimps, soalja kraab.sea sand n. kee san.sea wall n. see waal.seafood n. fish kain.seagull n. seegol.seal v. kapapin.seam n. seem.seamstress n. seemschris.search v. saach, luk fa.seaside n. seesaid.season v. seezn. n. seezn.444
seasoning English to Kriol sharkseasoning n. seeznin.seat n. seet 1 .seaweed n. seeweed.secluded adj. seklootif.second adj. sekant/sekan.secret n. seekrit. adj. seekrit.can’t keep a secret phr weekjaa.secretly adv. eena seekrit, eeziwan.secretary n. sekiteri.section n. sekshan.section of citrus fruit n. plog.v. plog.sediment n. grongz.see v. si.see things v. si doblz.seed n. seed.seed sp. – kakao, makoabi seed,pepeetos, wangla.seine net n. sayn net.seize v. seez.self n. self.selfishness n. selfishnis.sell v. sel 1 .sell on credit v. chros.sell out v. sel 1 owt.send v. sen, poas 2 .sense n. sens.senses n. sensiz.sensible adv. sensabl.sensitive plant n. twelv-a-klak.sentence v. sentens. n. sentens.sentinel n. gyaad.sentry n. gyaad.separate v. separayt, paat. adj.separayt.separated (marriage) adj.separaytid.September n. Septemba.serious adj. seeryos.not serious adj. kiksi.sermon n. preechin.servant n. saavant/servant.serve v. serv/saav.serves one right phr. da gudfi...service n. servis/saavis.sesame seed candy n. wangla.set v. set.settee n. setee, soafa.settle v. setl.settle down v. krak bak.settlement n. setlment.seven num. sebm/sevn.seventeen num. semteen.seventh adj. sevent.seventy num. semti.sew v. soa.sew ineptly v. kabl.sewerage n. soorij.sex n. seks.sexual ability n. pereetos.sexual intercourse (slang) v.juk, kwashi, play wid.give sexual favours v.phr.gi…waif.shack n. daag sidong, kuboos,nak-ahn-stan-op.shadow n. shado/shedo.shake v. shayk.shake one’s body v. hib op.shaky v. krenki, shekreh.shall v. wahn 1 /ahn 3 .shallow(s) n. showl. adj. showl.shame n. shaym. adj. shaymin.shameless adj. bayrfays, faysi.shamelessness n. bayrfaysidnis,faysinis, jrai aiy, jrai fays.shape n. shayp, faam 2 , figa.out of shape adj. blofoto.share v. shayr/shyaa. n.shayr/shyaa.shark n. shaak.445
sharp English to Kriol sickness sp.sharp adj. shaap.sharply dressed v. blayd op.adj. shaap op, slik, sproosi.sharp-tongued woman n.waasi/waasa uman.sharpen v. shaapm.shave v. shayv, baal 3 , peel.shaved ice n. shayb ais.shawl n. shaal.she pro. ih.she (emphatic) pro. shee.shelf (outside for washingdishes) n. jresa.shield v. gyaad, protek.shell v. shel. n. shel.shell out money v.phr. shinowt.shelter v. shelta. n. shelta.shepherd n. shepad.shilling n. shilin.shin n. shenk.strike one’s shin v. shenk.shine v. shain.shingle n. shingl.ship crane n. jreg lain.shirk v. heng slek.shirt n. shot.shirt sp. – andashot, kotong,schrangman, ves, waiyabayra.shiver v. shiva/shiba. n.shiva/shiba.shoal n. showl.shock v. shak, fraitn. n. shak,sopraiz.shoe n. shooz, joota.one shoe n.phr. wan fut shooz.shoe sp. – n. tenis, saal fizik 2 .shoe heel n. shooz heel.shoelace n. laysn.shoot v. shat.shoot down v. gon dong.shop v. shapin. n. shap.short adj. shaat, doko-doko,kungku.short (hair) adj. loa.shortcut n. shaatkot.shorten v. shaatn.shortness of breath n.phr.shaatnis.shorts n. shaats.very short shorts n. pumpum.short-tempered adj. shaat,haysti, heeti, ignarant.shot n. shat.shot bag n. shatbeg.shotgun n. shatgon.should v. mos, shuda, aatu,beta, bizniz, fi 1 , sopoas tu.should not v. shudn, aatn,noh fi.shoulder n. shoalda.shout v. hala.shout at v. baal 2 afta.shove v. shub.shovel n. shovl/shobl.show v. shoa 1 . n. shoa 1 .show off v. shoa aaf., ek op.showoff n.phr. bregin tuba.shower n. showa.showy adj. boasi, bregin.shrimp n. schrimps.shrink v. schrink.shriveled up adj. swibl op.shroud n. sherowd/sherowl.shut v. shet, baar. adj. shet.shut up (silence) v. shet op.sick n. sik. adj. sik.sick with v. chravl wid.sickly adj. delikid, haafa.sickness n. siknis, dizeez.sickness sp. – achraitis, asma,chikin paks, chilz, chooma,fits, flooz, fresh koal 2 , graip,graipinz, hedayk, kaaf, kalara,446
side English to Kriol sleepkramp, kyansa, leheeyo,malayrya, meezlz, moal jrap,poa a blod, presha, sad koal 2 ,shuga, sweet blod, sweet fut,tootayk, waks ahn kana, werkbeli, winspazam, witlo, yaaz.side n. said.sidle v. said op.sieve n. siv.sift v. siv.sigh v. sai. n. sai.sight v. sait. n. sait.sign n. sain.superstitious sign for a luckynumber n. rayk.silent adj. sailent, kwaiyat.silver n. silva. adj. silva.simple adj. simpl.simpleton n. simpltan.sin v. sin. n. sin.since conj. sins, laik 2 how.since then phr. fahn taim.sincere adj. sinsyaa.singe v. swinj.single adj. singl.sink n. zink, baysn.sir n. sa.Sisimite n. Sisimait.sister n. sista.sister (older) n. tita.sister-in-law n. sista-ahn-laa.sit v. sidong.sit in cocked up position v.kak op.sit up v. sidong op.situation n. sichyuayshan.six num. siks.sixteen num. siksteen.sixth adj. siks.sixty num. siksti.size n. saiz.sizeable adj. saizabl.skeleton n. skelintan, fraym.skeleton chart n. duki.skillet n. fraiyin pan.skim milk v. nachral milk.skin v. skin.skin knee or elbow v. peel,skrayp/krayp.person having dry scaly skinn. hashishi bambi.skin condition sp. –banja fut,chikin paks, fereh, hashishi,mad blod, meezlz, pekehyekeh, prikl heet, waks ahnkana, yaga, yaga-yaga.skin colour sp. – albaino,chaylo, kapa kala, klayr/klyaaskin, payl kaypm, wait.skinny adj. maaga, snaipi, tin 1 .skip v. skip.skip rope v. skip.skip school v. bang huki.skipping rope n. skipin roap.skirt n. skert.skull n. skol.skunk n. poalkyat.sky n. skai.slack adj. slek/slak.slander v. blakn, grain,skyandalaiz.slapdash adj. hori kom op,mikays-mikays.slate n. slayt.slaughter v. slaata.slave v. slayv. n. slayv.slavery n. slayvri.sledge hammer n. slej hama.sleep v. sleep, doado. n. sleep.sleep around v.phr. bad bowt,rot bowt, sleep rong.sleep (baby talk) v. doado.sleep with (adultery) v.phr.sleep owt.447
sleepy English to Kriol softlysleepy adj. sleepi.sleeve n. sleev.slice v. slais. n. slais.slide v. skayt.slight adj. slait.slip v. skayt.slippers n. slipaz.slippery adj. slipri.slipshod adj. hori kom op,mikays-mikays.sloppy adj. mekeh-mekeh.slow v. sloa. adj. sloa.slow mentally adj. dol, dom,donsi, haad hed.slowly adv. sloa.slurp v. soop 2 .sly adj. kyoot.smack n. smak.small adj. chinchi, kungku,lee/leel, smaal.smaller adj. leela.smallest adj. leelis.smart adj. smaat, brait, braynzi,sensabl. phr. kwik hed.smartness n. smaatnis.smash v. brok op.smell v. smel. n. smel, sent.smell adj. frowzi, hoodi, smelbad,swaati.smile v. smail. n. smail.smoke v. smoak. n. smoak.smoky adj. fyoomzi.smooth v. smoodn. adj. smood.snack v. snak. n. snak.snail sp. – hutis.snake n. snayk.snake sp. – beed-ahn-koril,klapansaiya, rakl/ratlin snayk,taamigaaf, waata snayk,wowla, yala jaa.snake doctor n. snayk dakta,bush dakta, herbz dakta.snapper n. snapa.snapper sp. – blak snapa, redsnapa, silk snapa, yalataylsnapa.sneak v. sneek, teef chaans.sneaker n. tenis, saal fizik 2 .sneaky adj. sneeki, slik,slikaros.sneeze v. sneez.sniff v. snif.sniffer (nose) n. snifa.snitch n. pimpa. v.phr.lang…mowt, ron aaf…mowt,mowt aaf.snobbish adj. persnal.snook n. snuk.snoop v. faas 3 .snore v. snoar.snot n. bubu 1 , noaz naat.snow cone n. snoa koanz,fresko.snowy egret n. wait gaalin.snub v. wait foaks.so conj. soh.so that conj. mek.soak v. sap.soap v. soapi. n. soap.soap powder n. soap.soapy adj. soapi.sob v. baal 2 .soca n. soaka.soccer n. futbaal.society n. sosaiyati.high society n. shishifufu.sock n. saks.one sock n. wan fut a saks.sofa n. soafa, setee.soft adj. saaf.soft food n. pulaali.soft spot (fontanel) n. moal 2 .softly adv. saaf, saaf-wan, eeziwan.448
soft drink English to Kriol spidersoft drink n. saaf jrink.soil v. beesli. n. dert.soil sp. – blak dert.soldier n. soalja, laimi (British).soldier crab n. soalja kraab.sole (foot) n. fut batam.sole (shoe) n. shooz batam,soal 2 .solely adj. loan 2 , pyoa, soaso.solid adj. salid.some adj. sohn/som, fyoo, kopl,too, wan ahn too.somebody pro. sohnbadi.somehow adv. sohnhow.someplace adv. sohnweh.somersault v. pupalik. n.pupalik.something adj. sohnting.sometime adv.sohntaihn/sohntaim.somewhere adj. sohnweh.son n. son 2 .song n. sang.song sp. – sanki, serali.son-in-law n. son-ahnlaa/sonarinlaa.soon adv. soon, direkli, rait 1now.soot n. sut.sop v. sap.sore n. soar.sore sp. – n. bail, blain bail,banja fut, kyat bail, bomp,brooz blod, vamp, yaaz, yaga.having sore scaly skin adj.soari, yaga-yaga.sorrow n . saro.sorrowful adj. saraful.sorry adj. sari.sort v. saat. n. kain 2 .so-so adv. aarait, aaraitish.soul n. soal 1 .sound v. song. n. song. adj.song.sound sp. – bam brigidim buf,bigidip/digidip, braps, budum,dabow, krik 2 , kya-kya-kya,plaps, aiy 2 .soup n. soop 1 .soup sp. – blak dina,chimoaleh, eskabaycheh, fishtee, reyeno.soup bowl n. soop dish.soupy adj.phr. lang 1 waata.sour adj. sowa.soursop n. sowasap.south n. sowt.space n. spays.spade n. spayd.spank v. spenk, pampam, stin.n. klap, stin.spanking n. lashin, wapin.spare v. spayr. adj. spyaa 2 .spark n. spaak.spasm n. winspazam/spazam.speak v. taak.speak ill of v. bad-mowt.spear n. spyaa 1 .spearfish v. schraik.special adj. speshal.specially adj. speshali.speck n. spek.spectacles n. spektikl, glaasiz.speed v. speed. n. speed.spell v. spel. n. spel.spelling n. spelinz.spend v. spen.spend money lavishly v.gooti.spend money wastefully v.parandyaa.spendthrift adj. gooti.spicy adj. spaisi.spider n. spaida.449
spider sp. English to Kriol stationspider sp. – chraiyantiloap,mongki spaida.spider monkey n. spaidamongki.spill v. chro weh.spin v. spin.spinach n. spinij.spine n. bak.spineless n. waawa.spirit n. spirit.spirit sp. – Hashishi Pampi,Lang Bobi Suzi, TataDuhendeh.spit v. spit. n. spit, mowt waata.spite n. spait.in spite of phr. in spait a.spiteful adj. spaitful, badmaindid.spitting image n. dibz/dabz,ded.splendid adj. splendishos.splinter n. splinta.split peas n. split beenz.spoil v. spail.spoil one’s plans phr. yukoako roas.spoiled adj. spail.sponge n. sponj.sponge bath n. kowbwai baat.sponsor v. spansa. n. spansara.spool n. katn reel.spoon (cooking) n. pat/spatspoon.sports n. spoats.spot v. spat. n. spat.sprain v. sprayn.spread v. spred, bota.spree v. spree, parandyaa.sprightly adj. spraitli/spraiti.spring chicken (young girl)n.phr. spring chikin.sprout v. sprowt.spunk n. sponks.spur n. sper, per.spurt v. spin.spy v. spai. n. spai.spyglass n. spaiglaas.squall n. skwaal, staam.squander v. gooti.square n. skwyaa. adj. skwyaa.square off v. skwayr aaf.squash v. skwoosh, skrosh. n.skwash, pongkin.squeeze v. skweez/kweez.squint v. kwint.squirrel n. skweril.squirrel cuckoo n. peekwam.stable n. staybl.stage n. stayj.stagger v. staga.stagnant adj. bilji.stain n. stayn.stair(s) n. step.upstairs, downstairs n.opstayz, dongstayz.stale adj. stayl.stalk v. staak 1 , chrayl, daag,fala.stall n. staal.stammer v. stama.stand v. stan, stan op. n. stan.standard adj. standad.standpipe n. stanpaip/paip,fasit.star n. staar.starboard n. staabad.starch n. staach.stare v. stayr.start v. staat. n. staat, biginin.starvation n. staavayshan.starve v. staav.state n. stayt, kandishan.States n. Stayts.station n. stayshan.450
statue English to Kriol stretcherstatue n. stachu.stay v. stay.steal v. jak, play piyaano, teef.stealing v. teefin.stealthy adj. slik, slikaros.steam n. steem.steep (tea) v. jraa 1 .steer n. styaa.step v. step. n. step.stern n. staan.sternly adv. shaap-wan.stethoscope, use v. song.stew n. schoo.stew sp. – n. kaldo, kraabschoo, schulala, sehreh, schoopongkin.stick v. stik/tik 2 . n. stik/tik 2 .stick on v. pays.sticky adj. stiki/tiki.sticky (food) adj. labi.stiff adj. stif, haad haad.still adv. stil. adj. kyaam.stilt n. jankunu stik.sting v. stin.sting ray n. tingreh.stingy adj. stinji, geechi, meen 2 .stinking adj. stinkin, renk,renkin.stir v. ster.stir up v. ster op, eksait, rayz.stockings n. stakinz.stockings with elastic tops n.pantihoaz, stay-ops.stocky adj. doko-doko.stomach n. stomok, beli.pit of the stomach n.phr. belibatam.stomachache n. beli ayk, payna-beli.stomach cramp n. graipinz.stone v. stoan. n. stoan, rak,rakstoan.stoop v. stup.stop v. stap.stop up v. stap op, kaak op.store n. stoar, shap.storeroom n. stoar room,bodayga.stork n. staak 2 .storm n. staam, skwaal.stormy adj. staami.story n. stoari.ridiculous story n.phr. kakahn bul stoari, haas ded ahnkow fat stoari, naansi stoari.story (gossip) n. toari.stove n. stoav, oavm.straight adj. schrayt. adv.schrayt, dairekli/dairek, ded.straighten v. schraytn.straighten hair v. pres hyaa,hat koam.straighten up v. taitn op.strain v. schrayn.strand (of hair) n. grayn.strange adj. schraynj, foni.stranger n. schraynja.strangle v. schrangl.strap n. schrap.straw n. schraa.stray v. schray.stray dog n. schray-waydaag.stream n. krik 1 .street n. schreet.wrong way on a one-waystreet adv. op-stap.strength n. schrent.strengthen v. schrentn.stress v. schres. n. schres.stretch v. schrech.stretch out v. lang 1 owt,schrech owt, han owt...han.stretcher n. schrecha.451
strict English to Kriol surestrict adj. schrik.strife n. schraif.strike (clock, labour, lightningoil, baseball) v. schraik.strike (a physical blow) v. lik,nak, wap.string v. schring. n. schring.stripe n. schraip.striped adj. schraipid.stroll v. basiflap.strong adj. schrang.not strong physically adj.haafa.strong-arm v. schrang.struggle v. schrogl. n. schrogl.strut v. basiflap, bonks, step.stub v. bok. n. stob, nuku.stubborn adj. stobant/stoban,ayz haad/haad-ayz, haadhedid.phr. ga no andastandinstik brok eena...ayz.stuck adj. stok.stud n. stod.student n. styoodent.studies n. stodiz.study v. stodi.stuff v. stof. n. stof.stuffed, lazy feeling n.nigaraitis.stumble v. stombl.stump v. bok. n. stomp.stunted growth adj. dongroa.stupid adj. schupid/chupid,dom, fool-fool 1 , simpl.stupidness n. schupidnis.stutter v. stama.sty n. kyat bail.style n. stail, fashan.styrofoam n. see bred.subject n. sobjek, tapik.subside v. bayt, jrap.succeed v. mek it.such adj. soch.suck v. sok.suck teeth v. sok teet.sudden adv. sodn.suddenly adv. sodn-wan, plapswan.suffer v. ponish, sofa.suffer from v. chravl wid.suffering n. sofarin/sofrin.sugar n. shuga.sugar cane n. kayn.sugar-daddy n. bups.suggest v. sojes.suggestion n. sojeshan.suicide, commit v. kil ihself.suit n. soot.suitcase n. valees, grip.suit coat n. koat 1 .summarize v. som op.summer n. soma.summons n. samanz.sums n. somz, mats.sum up v. som op.sun v. son 1 . n. son 1 .hot sun n. son-hat.sunrise phr. day di brok, til ihred.Sunday n. Sondeh.sunny adj. soni.superior n. sopeerya.supermarket n. soopamaakit.supervisor n. soopavaiza.supper n. sopa, tee.eat supper v. jrink tee.supple adj. soopl.support v. sopoat, said wid,mantayn, ophoal. n. sopoat,mantaynans.suppose v. sopoaz/sopoa.supposed to v. sopoas tu,shuda, aatu, fi 1 , mos.sure adj. shoar.452
surname English to Kriol talksurname n. taitl.surprise v. sopraiz. n. sopraiz.exclamation of surprise int.bwai!surprised adj. sopraiz, fraitn.pleasantly surprised adj.glad-fraitn.surprising adj. sopraizin.surround v. sorong.survive v. servaiv.suspect v. sospish.suspenders n. braysiz.swagger v. basiflap, bonks.swallow v. swala.swampy adj. swampi.swear v. sway/swayr.swearing n. kosin.sweat v. swet. n. swet.sweaty adj. sweti.fat, sweaty, and smelly adj.swaati.sweater n. sweta.sweet adj. sweet.sweet bread n. sweet bred.sweeten v. sweetn.sweetheart n. sweethaat.sweet pepper n. sweet pepa.sweet personality phr. sweetblod.sweet potato n. sweet pitayta/sweet potayto.sweet-talk v. sweet-taak. n.sweet-taak.sweets n. sweet.sweets sp.- goat shit, kotobroot,schrech-mi-gots, soopa,tablayta, tambran sweet,wangla.swell v. swel op.swelling n. gwaava, waks ahnkana.swim v. bayd.swim clumsily v. bafu.swindle v. cheet, wotlis.Swing Bridge n. Swing Brij.switch v. swich.sword n. soad.sympathise with v.phr. saidwid, tek said.syndicate n. signigayt/sinigayt.syrup n. sorop.system n. sistim.table v. taybl. n. taybl.tablecloth n. tayblklaat.tableta n. tablayta.tack v. tak (on). n. taks 2 .tackle v. takl/tekl.taffy n. schrech mi gots.tail n. tayl.tailor n. tayla.take v. tek, kehr.take away v. tek weh.take care of v. tek kayr/kyaaa, kyaa fi, main, ten tu.T - ttake everything for oneselfv. greedi op, hag op.take off hastily v. haal aaf.take place v. tek plays, hapm.talcum powder n.powda/poada, sweet powda,wait powda.tale (tall) n. naansi stoari.talk v. taak.talk back v. bak-chat.talk excessively phr. hoal langbench.453
talkative English to Kriol thantalk indiscreetly v.phr.lang…mowt, ronaaf…mowt, mowt aaf.talk into v. invigl.talk too much v. goh aan.talkative adj. chati, taaki-taaki.talkative person n. chatabaks,pyampyam.talking n. taakin.tall adj. taal.tall tale n. naansi stoari.tamales n. tamaales.tamarind n. tambran.tambourine n. tambareen.tame v. taym.tangerine n. tanjareen/tanjarinj.tangle v. tangl/tengl. n. nat 2 .tape v. tayp. n. tayp.tapir n. mongtin kow.tar n. taar.tarantula n. chraiyantiloap.tarpaulin n. chrapoalin.tarpon n. taapong.tart n. taat.having a tart flavour adj.taatish.task n. tas/taas, jab.taste v. tays. n. tays.taste good v. eet gud.tasteless adj. brekish.tasty adj. taysti.tattler n. pimpa.taw n. taa.tax v. taks 1 . n. taks 1 .taxi n. kaa 1 .taxi driver n. taksiman.tea n. tee.tea sp. – blak tee, bush tee,chaini root.teach v. teech, laan.teacher n. teecha.teaching n. teechin.tear v. tayr. n. tayr.tears n. aiywaata, tyaaz.tease v. teez, jinks.teenager n. teenayja.teeth n. teet.teeth sp. – bof teet, faak teet,jaa teet, no teet shuga, piyaanoteet.telephone n. foan.television n. telivijan, teevee.tell v. tel.tell off v. tel aaf, bles...aaf,chrays...aaf, kos aaf, mowtaaf, yooz op.teller n. tela.temper n. tempa.hot temper n. ignarantnis.ill-tempered adj.disagreeyabl, krabit, krachiti,mizarabl.lose one’s temper n. goh aaf.short-tempered n. shaat (atempa), haysti, heetiignarant.temperature n. tempricha.temple n. templ.tempt v. temp.temptation n. temtayshan.ten num. ten.tend v. ten tu, kyaa fi, main, tekkayr/kyaa a.tennis shoes n. tenis, saal fizik 2 .tent n. tent 1 .tenth adj. tent 2 .termite n. ud lais.terrible adj. terabl.territory n. teritori.test v. tes. n. tes, egzam.testicle n. baalz, seed,toan 2 /toan beg.testify v. testifai.than conj. dahn/dan.454
thank you English to Kriol tightenthank you phr. tenk yu.thanks n. tanks.that pro. weh 1 , dat 1 . adj. da 5 ,datdeh/datideh, datira/ditira.adv. dat 1 . conj. seh, dat 1 .that’s phr. dats.thatch v. tach.thatched adj. tach.the art. di 1 .theatre n. tayta.their pro.adj. dehn 1 , fi dehn 1 .theirs pro.adj. fi dehn wan.them pro. dehn 1 .themselves pro. dehnself.then adv. den.there adv. deh.right there adv. deh soh, raitdeh.therefore adv. soh.thermometer n. termomita.thermos n. aisi-hat.these adj. dehnya.these days adv. deez dayz,nowadayz, tideh day.they pro. dehn 1 .thick adj. tik 1 .thief n. teef.thievery n. teefinis.thieving adj. teefin.thigh (chicken) n. tai 2 .thimble n. timbl.thin adj. tin, maaga, snaipi.thing n. ting.think v. tink.thinking n. tinkin.third adj. terd.thirst n. ters/tos.thirsty v. tersti/tosti.thirteen num. terteen.thirty num. terti/toti.this adj. dis, disya, disideh. pro.dis.thorn n. prikl.thorough adj. tara 1 .those pro. dehn 1 , dehndeh.though conj. doh, aldoa.thousand num. towzn.thrash v. dip, lada, lash, lays,tayr, wap.thrashing n. beetn, ladarin.thread v. schring. n. chred 1 .threaten v. chretn.three num. chree 2 .threaten v. chretn.thrill v. chril.throne n. chroan.throng n. jroav.through adv. chroo 2 .throw v. chroa, belt, bom 1 ,chaans, chok, dash, faiya,fling, hib, pich 1 .throw any object at v. stoan.throw away v.phr. chok weh,chro weh, dash weh, pich 1weh.throw off v. chroa aaf,abschrok, dischrak.throw oneself down v. flonks.throw up v. chroa op, vamit.thrush n. chrash 2 .thumb n. tom.thunder n. tonda.Thursday n. Terzdeh.thus conj. soh. adv. sohthwarted adj. gaahn baiyas.thyme n. taim 2 .ticket n. tikit.tickle v. tikl/tiklish.ticklish adj. tiklish.tide n. taid.tie v. tai 1 , hich. n. tai 1 .tied (scores) adv. tai-tai.tight adj. tait.tighten v. taitn.455
tightly English to Kriol toughtightly adv. tait.tile n. tail.tilt v. kyant.time n. taim 1 /taihn, aklak.all at one time phr. wan lik.all the time adv. aalwayz, aalalang, aal taim/taihn.at this time adv. agen.most times adv. evritaim/taihn.tin n. tin 2 . adj. tinin.tiny adj. chinchi/chini, kungku,leel.tire n. taiya, weel.tired adj. taiyad.get tired of v. klaid.make tired v. taiyad.title n. nayhn.to prep. a 2 , da 2 , fi 1 /fa/fo/fu, tu.toast v. toas. n. toas bred.tobacco n. tubaako.today adv. tudeh/tideh.this very day phr. tideh tideh.toe n. toa 1 .toenail n. toa nayl.together adv. tugeda.toilet n. tailit.indoor toilet n. soorij.pit-hole toilet n. lachreen.public toilet built over thewater n. watsaid.toilet (slang) n. chroan.tolerance v. sens.tolerate v. atalarayt/talarayt,bayr 2 , stan, tek.tomato n. tomayto.tomb n. toom.build a tomb v. brik.tomboy n. taambwai.tomcat n. ram-pus.tomorrow adv.tumaaro/tumaara/timaara.tom-tom n. tum-tum.ton n. ton 2 (load).tone n. toan 1 .tongue n. tong 2 .tonight adv. tunait/tinait.too adv. tu, an aal.tool n. toolz.tool sp. – aal, adz/aaj, aks,hachit, hama, jril, hagsaa,hanspeek, kroabaar, maal,maata, maata stik, machet,matok, naif, pik eks, plaiyaz,playna, rayka, rekin baar,rinch, saa, shayba,shovl/shobl, skwyaa, slejhama, toanin adz, weelbaro.tools with sharp edge n. ejtoolz.tooth n. teet.tool sp. see teeth sp.toothache n. tootayk.toothbrush n. tootbrosh.toothpaste n. tootpays.top n. tap.on top of that phr. pahn tap adat.tops n. taps.topic n. tapik, sobjek.torch n. toach.torment v. taament.torn adj. tayrin.tortilla n. torteeya.tortilla (filled) sp. – gaacho,garnaaches, panaades.tortilla skillet n. komaal.torture v. taacha. n. taacha.v.phr. lik…shot.toss v. chok weh, chroa, pich 1 .toucan n. tookan berd.toucan sp. – bilbod, filis.touch v. toch, fingl.tough adj. tof, taari.456
tour English to Kriol trucktour n. toar. adj. toar.tourist n. tooris.tousle v. rampl.tousled adj. rampl.tow v. toa 2 .toward adv. tuwaadz.towel n. towil.tower n. towa.town n. tong 1 .toy n. playting.track n. chrak.track down v. chrak dong.traction n. grabiti.tractor n. chrakta.trade (exchange) v. chaynji.trade (profession) n. chrayd.traffic n. chrafik.trail v. chrayl, fala. n. pikaado.train v. chrayn.training n. chraynin.traipse v. chrayps.traitor n. chrayta.trance n. chraans.translate v. chranslayt.transparent adj. oapm paki.transportation n. chranspoat.trap v. chrap. n. chrap.trap with one’s own wordsv.phr. pik...mowt.trash n. dert, gyaabij, chrash 1 .trash bin n. dert baks, gyaabijkyan.travel v. chravl.make a quick trip v. waak.trawler n. chraala.tread (poultry breeding) v.chred 2 .treasure v chrezha/chreja.treasury n. chrezhri.treat v. chreet. n. chreet.treatment n. chreetment.tree n. chree 1 .tree sp. – banak, biliweb,boataan/bay leef paam, bribri,bukut, bulit, chrompit,fiziknat, giv ahn tek, goaldenplom, gombolimbo,gwanakasteh, hamanz, kaafi,kalbash, katn, kinep,koakanat/kuknat, kraabu,kuhoon, kwamwud, kyabijpaam, maaji kakao, mahagni,malaydi, moho, nargosta, pain,pimenta, prikl yala, roazwud,Santa Mareeya, sapadili,seeda, serikoateh, soopa,sproos, stinkin toa bukut,tambran, tubroos, waarikuhoon, yaha/sanpaypa chree.tree trunk n. beli.tremble v. chrimbl.trespass v. chrespas.trial n. chraiyal.trials n. chraiyalz, chroblz,prablem(z).tribe n. chraib.trick v. chrik. n. chrik.tricky adj. chriki.trifle n. chraifl.triggerfish n. oal waif.trim v. chrim.trip v. chrip, chrip dong. n.chrip.trot v. chrat.trouble(s) n. chrobl(z),chraiyalz, haraasment,prablem(z).cause trouble v. hambog,mek bad.give trouble v. gi bachri.troubled with phr.chravl/chrobl wid.troublesome adj. hegin, siknin.truck (big) n. chrok.457
true English to Kriol unfeelingtruck bed n. pan 1 .true adj. chroo 1 .isn’t that true? int. noh? nohchroo? karek? rait 1 ?truly adj. fi chroo 1 .trumpet n. chrompit.trunk n. chronk.trust v. chros.truth n. chroot/schroot.in truth adv. fi chroo.try v. chrai.tub n. tob.tube n. choob.tuck one’s tail between one’slegs v. lap...tayl.Tuesday n. Choozdeh.tuft n. tapnachik.tugboat n. togboat.tumble v. tombl.tumour n. chooma.tune v. choon. n. choon.tunnel n. tonil.Turk (person of Middle-Eastern descent) n. Terk.turkey n. terki, ful pat bod,gabla, Krismos bod.turn v. ton. n. tern.turn a curve v. dobl 2 .turn into v. ton 1 .turn off v. aaf, owt.turn-off n. paas mowt.turtle n. tertl/terkl.turtle sp. – aksbil, bokotora,hikiti, lagrahed, swanka.turtle meat n. kalipash, kalipee.turtle shell band n. tertl shelban.tuxedo n. tokseedo, sizaz tayl.twelfth adj. twelft.twelve num. twelv.twenty num. tweni.twenty-first num. tweni-fos.twice adv. too taim.twist v. twis, wain 2 .two num. too.two-facedness n. toofaystidnis.two-time v. too-taim.type v. taip. n. bran, kain 2 .tyre n. taiya, weel.ugly adj. oagli/woagli.umbrella n. ombrela/hambrelo.uncle n. onkl.unclean adj. naasti.uncomfortable adj. ponishin.phr. feel 1 wahn kain a way.uncultured adj. rantantayram.undecided phr. ga too main.under prep. anda/aan 2 .underarm odour n. aamsent.undermine v. bad-main.underneath prep. andaneet/neeta.U - u458underpants n. andapants, breef,jraaz.undershirt n. andashot, ves.understand v. andastan, hyaa 1 .understanding n. andastandin.underwear n. andawayr/andawyaa.undisciplined adj. rood.uneasy phr. feel 1 wahn kain away.unfair adj. advantijos, chaansi.unfaithful, be v. cheet pahn,too-taim.unfeeling adj. haad-haatid.
ungainly English to Kriol versionungainly adj. blofoto.ungrateful adj. angraytful.uniform n. yoonifaam.unimportant matters n. peheh.union n. yoonyan.United States n. Stayts.university n. yooniversiti.unkempt adj. gronji, frowzy,swaati.unless conj. anles/lesn 2 .unlucky adj. badlokid, saal 2 .unpack v. anpak.unpredictable person phr.sohntaihn sohnbadi.unreliable (to be) v. badak.unruly adj. balahu, blagyaad.unstable adj. krenki, shekreh.unstarched adj. waata wash.unsuccessful adj. gaahn baiyas.untidy phr. haal ahn pul op.untie v. loos.until conj. sotay, til.until later adv. bumbai.untruth n. lai.untruthful adj. laiyad, stoari.untruthfulness n. laiyadnis.unusual collection n. rigmijig.unyielding adj. stobant.up adv. op.up to phr. op tu.upon adv. pahn/pan 3 .upper hand n. opa han,advantij.uproar n. oproal, rokshan,rugudungz.upset v. hambog.upstairs adv. opstayz.urinate v. nomba wan, peepi,pidl, pis, weewi.urine n. peepi, pis, weewi.us pro. wi.us (emphatic) pro. wee.use v. yooz. n. yoos.used to v. yoostu. adj. yoostu,kostom 2 .usual adj. yoozhwal/ yoozhal.as usual prep.phr. azyoozhwal.usually adv. yoozhwali/yoozhali.uterus n. oom.utmost n.phr. endeva bes.vacation n. haliday/haladay,leev.vagina n. bred, koako 3 , poak,punani, toatos, tunkush naani.valley n. vali.value n. wot.various phr. lat a difrant,difrant difrant.vase n.phr. flowaz pat.vegetable n. vejitabl.vegetable sp. – beets, chaaya,choacho, kaan, gyaadn eg,kalalu, kaliflowa, karats,V - v459kukumba, kyabij, letis, okro,selari, skwash, tomayto.vehicle n. veekl.dilapidated vehicle n. bokit,pemperem/premereh.slow chugging vehicle n.toktok.vein n. vayn.venture v. vencha.veranda n. varanda, poach.verdict n. verdik.version n. verzhan.
very English to Kriol washingvery adv. deh-aan, kohn 2 , kwait,no miks, oanli, soh, wap, wel.adj. veri.vest n. ves, shimeez.vex v.phr. get beks, geh…owt.vexation n. taahnfoora.vexed adj. beks.victim n. viktim.victory n. vikchri. adj. vikchri.victual n. bitl.views n. vyooz.vigil n. nain-nait, set-op, wayk.village n. vilij.vine n. vain.vine sp. – baaskit titai, belifultitai, tyaa koat, titai.vinegar n. vineega.violence n. vailens.violent adj. vailent.virgin n. verjin/berjinvirginity n. maydn.visa n. veesa.vision n. vizhan.visit v. vizit, hayl. v.phr. giwahn showt, luk fi. n. vizit.visitor n. vizita.voice n. vais, mowt.volunteer v. valantyaa. n.valantyaa.vomit v. vamit, chroa op.vote v. voat. n. voat.voucher n. vowcha.vulture n. jranko/jankro.vulture sp. – king jranko, rednekjranko, peel-nek jranko.wade v. wayd.wagon n. wagan.waist n. ways 2 .wait v. wayt 1 .waiter n. wayta.waitress n. waychris.wake v. wayk op. n. wayk,nain-nait, set-op.walk v. waak 1 .walk around v. waak bowt.walk fast v. waak op.walk gingerly v. pus pahn hatbrik.walk idly v. basiflap.walk haltingly v. hip ahn goh.walk in a showy fashion v.basiflap, bonks, step.walking stick n. waakinstik/tik.wall n. waal.wall sp. – takayda.W - w460wallet n. walit.wallpaper v. paypa.wander v. wanda 1 .wangle v. shoola.want v. waahn/waahnt.war v. waar. n. waar.ward n. waad.wardrobe n. waajroab, pres.warehouse n. wyaahows.warm adj. waam. adv. waam.warm up v.phr. praim op.warm-hearted adj. kain 1 .warn v. waan.warning n. waanin. adj. waaninwas v. da-mi.wash v. wash, bayd 1 .wash basin n. wash-hanbaysn.wash pan n. pudn pan.wash stand n. washan stan.washing n. washin, laanjri.
wasp English to Kriol whichwasp n. waas/waps.waspish adj. waasi.waste v. ways 1 .wasteful spending v.parandyaa, gooti.wastebasket n. dert baks,gyaabij kyan.watch v. wach. n. wach.watchman n. wachi, wachman.water n. waata. v.phr. ronwaata.Water Lane n. Waata Layn.water snake n. waata snayk.waterfall n. waatafaal.waterfront n. waatafront.watermelon n. waatamilan.waterside n. watsaid.watery adj. waachri. adj.phr.lang 1 waata.wave v. wayv. n. wayv.wax v. waks. n. waks.way n. way 2 .in the same way phr. rait 1soh, laik 2 how.in such a way adv. soh.wrong way on a one-waystreet adv. op-stap.ways n. wayz.we pro. wi.we (emphatic) pro. wee.weak adj. week 2 , fenkehfenkeh.weak (spineless) adj. waawa.wean v. ween.weapon n. wepan.wear v. wayr/wyaa.weary adj. taiyad.weasel n. bush daag.weather n. weda 1 .weave n. weev. v. plat.wed v. brok...nek, marid.wedding n. wedn.Wednesday n. Wenzdeh.weed v. weed. n. weed.week n. week 1 .weekend n. weeken.weep v. baal 2 , krai.weevil n. weebl.weigh v. way 1 .weight n. wayt 2 .weird adj. wyaad. adv. wyaad.welcome v. welkom. adj.welkom.weld v. wel 4 .well n. wel 3 . adv. wel 1 , aarait,beta, gud-wan. int. wel 2 , doh.well dressed phr. wel 1 dekdong.went v. gaahn/gaan.west n. wes.wharf n. waaf.what pro. weh 1 . int. wat, wara.what it is phr.da wat.what’s what/what it takesphr. wat ahn wat.what’s more conj. wat moa.phr. pahn tap a dat.whatnot n. adarels 1 , watsnat.whatever pro. wateva.wheat n. weet. adj. weet.wheedle v. shoolawheel v. weel. n. weel.wheelbarrow n. weelbaro.when adv. wentaim. conj. wen.whenever adv. wentaim,enitaihn/enitaim.where adv. weh 1 ,wehpaa/wehpaat, wera,wichpaa.whether adv. weda 2 .whetstone n. robin stoan,shaapnin stoan.which adj. wich 1 . pro. weh 1 .461
while English to Kriol wooden spoolwhile n. wail 1 . conj. wail 1 ,wails.in a while phr. rait 1 now.whiner n. ma-lehleh.whipping n. beetn, beet op,lashin, tayrin, wapin.whirlpool n. aydi.whiskey n. wiski.whisper v. wispa.whistle v. wisl.white adj. wait.white cake n. wait kayk,lait/laik kayk.white person n. bakra.whiten v. waitn.whitlow n. witlo.who pro. hoo/hoora. pro. weh 1 .who it is phr.da hoo.whoever pro. hooeva.whole adj. hoal 2 .whore n. hoar.whorehouse n. hoar hows.whose pro.adj. hoofa.whosoever pro. husoeva.why int. wai, weh mek.wick n. wik.wicked adj. wikid, bad, eevl.more wicked adj. wikida.wickedness n. wikidnis, badnis.wide adj. waid.widow n. wido.wife n. waif.wiggle v. wigl.wild adj. wail 2 .wilderness n. bush, bakabush.will v. wahn 1 /ahn 3 . n. wil.willing adj. wilin.win v. win.winch n. wench.wind n. breez.wind sp. – hedwin, naat 1 .break wind v. faat, pum.462wind (dance) v. wainwindow n. winda.windshield n. kaa glaas.windy adj. breezi.wine n. wain 1 .wink v. kwint.winnow v. breez, fan 2 .winnowing v. fanin.wintergreen n. wintagreen.wipe v. waip.wire n. waiya.wiry waist n. waiya ways.wisdom n. wizdom, sens.wise adj. waiz.witch n. wich 2 , oabya-man,oabya-uman.witchcraft n. oabya, saiyans.with prep. wid/wit.wither v. wida.without prep. widowt/widowtn.witness n. witnis.wobble v. wabl, bafu.woeful adj. poatingfaid/poatifai.wolf n. wulf/ulf.woman n. uman.loud, aggressive woman n.balahu, blagyaad, halari 1 ,champong nani,waasi/waasa uman.womb n. oom/woom.wonder v. wanda 2 . n. wanda 2 .wonderful adj. wandaful.wood n. ud, boad, lomba.wood sp. – lagwud, maajikakao, malaydi, mayflowa,roazwud, serikoateh.woods n. bush, bakabush.wood knot n. koa.wood plane n. playna.wood-rail n. tapnachik.wood tick n. waari tik.wooden spool n. katn reel.
wooden tongs English to Kriol yellwooden tongs n. kiskis.wood-frame house n. boadhows.woodpecker sp. – faadaredkyap, pain rij udpeka.wool n. wul.word n. wod/werd.work v. werk. n. werk.work at v. ton...han.work at any available job n.kech ahn kil, wahn lee en.work energetically v. hosl.is working out okay v. gaahnklayr.world n. werl/wol.worm n. wom.worries n. woriz.worry v. wori, nak owt, fret.worse adj. wos, wosa, wosara.adv. wos, wosa.worsen (economically) v. bok.worship v. wership.worst n. wos. adj. badis, wosis,wos.worth n. wot. adj. wot.worthless adj. wotlis.worthless person or thing n.shish.would v. uda/da 6 .would be v.phr. mi wahn.would have v.phr. mi wahn.would not v. udn.would you v.phr. yu ku?wound sp. – chap, nayl-juk.wrangle v. rangl/rengl.wrap v. rap.wrath n. anga.wreck v. rek. n. rek.wrecking bar n. rekin baar.wrench v. rinch. n. rinch.wren n. hows bod.wrestle v. rasl.wring v. ring.wrinkle n. rinkl. adj. swibl op.waata wash.wrist n. ris 2 .write v. rait 3 .writer n. raita.writing n. raitin, hanraitin. adj.raitin.wrong adj. rang, mistaykn.mark wrong v. rang.wrong-doing n. rangdooin.X-ray v. eks-chray. n. eks-chray.yam n. yaam, yampa, koako 2 ,sweet potayto.Yarborough n. Yaabra.yard n. yaad.yarn n. wul.yawn v. gyaap, yaan. n. gyaap,yaan.X - xY - yyaws n. yaaz.year n. yaa 1 .yearn v. lang 2 , pain weh.yearning n. krayvin.yeast n. ees 2 .yell v. hala.yell at v. baal 2 afta.463
yellow English to Kriol zipperyellow adj. yala/yalo/yela/yelo.yellow fever n. yala feeva.yes adv. ahaahn, yaa 2 , yes.yesterday n.yestudeh/yesideh/estudeh.yokel n. bushi.yonder adv. yaanda.you (pl.) pro. unu.you (sg.) pro. yu.you (sg. emphatic) pro. yoo.young adj. yong.young girl n. spring chikin.your (pl.) pro.adj. unu, fi unu.your (sg.) pro.adj. yu, fi yu.yours (pl.) pro. fi unu, fi unuwan.yours (sg.) pro. fi yoo, fi yoowan.yourself pro. yuself.yourselves pro. unuself.youth n. yoot.Z - zzealous adj. hatid.zed/zee n. ized.zericote n. serikoateh.zero num. aat, naat 2 .zinc n. zink.zipper n. zipa/zip.464
ReferencesAllsopp, Richard. 1996. Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage. Oxford:Oxford University Press.Belize Kriol Project. 1997. Bileez Kriol Glassary an Spellin Gide. BelizeCity: Belize Kriol Project.____. 2005. You can read and write Kriol. 3d Edition. Belize City: <strong>BelizeKriol</strong> Project.Cassidy, F.G. and R.B. Le Page. 1980. Dictionary of Jamaican English.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Concise Oxford English Dictionary. 11th ed. New York: Oxford Universitypress, 2004.Cornelison, Linda. Street Talk. 1993. Belize City: Spear Press.Decker, Ken. 1994. ‘Orthography development for Belize Creole’. InFrances Ingemann (ed.) 1994 Mid-America Linguistics ConferencePapers, Vol. 2. Lawrence, KS: The University of Kansas, pp. 351-362.____. 2005. The Song of Kriol: A Grammar of the Kriol Language ofBelize. Belize City: Belize Kriol Project.Frank, et al. 2001. Kwéyòl Dictionary. SIL International. Castries, St. Lucia:Ministry of EducationMatola, Sharon. 1995. The ABC’s to the Vegetation of Belize: A Handbook.Belize City: The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center.____, et al. 1995. The Mammals of Belize: A Handbook. Belize City: TheBelize Zoo and Tropical Education Center.McKesey, George. 1974. The Belizean Lingo. Belize City: National PrintersLtd.Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Langauge. 1984. 2dCollege Edition. New York City: Simon and Schuster.Young, Colville N. 1973. Belize Creole: A Study of the Creolized EnglishSpoken in the City of Belize in its Cultural and Social Setting. PhDthesis. York: York University____. 2002. Language & Education in Belize. 3d Edition. Belize City: TheAngelus Press.465
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