Lesson 10: Clothes & Body Parts

Dialogue 1

Lesson 10 - Dialogue 1.m4a

A: Ki ça to mèt kan li fé fré déyòr?
B: Mo mèt shapo, jakèt, kilot, èk in pær bòt.
A: Ékan tem-la bo?
B: Lá, mo ot tou ça é mo mèt mô kilot kout, in T-shirt, é mô sandal-yé.
A: Mo linm pa pòrté sandal akòz mô pyé-yé vini barbouyé.
B: Alòr, marsh pa dan labou, padna.

A: What do you wear when it’s cold outside?
B: I wear a hat, jacket, pants and a pair of boots.
A: And when the weather is nice?
B: Then, I take all that off and put on short pants, a t-shirt, and my sandals.
A: I don’t like to wear sandals because my feet get dirty.
B: Well then don’t walk in the mud, friend.

Dialogue 2

Lesson 10 - Dialogue 2.m4a

C: To gin in joli lajup la! Mo linm koulœr-la.
D: Mærsi! Mo linm koulœr tô ròb la osit.
C: T’olé mo édé twa oté tô jakèt?
D: O, byin mærsi, mô fiy. Éyou tô-chin jakèt?
C: Mo pa pòrté jakèt jòrdi, moman.
D: To va trapé in larimm!

C: You have a pretty skirt there! I love the color.
D: Thanks! I love the color of your dress too.
C: Do you want me to help you take your jacket off?
D: Oh, thanks a lot, my girl. Where’s your own jacket?
C: I wasn’t wearing a jacket today, mom.
D: You’re going to catch a cold!

Lagniappe

Did you know it is bad luck to store your soulyé above your latèt? Have you ever gotten a bump on the tip of your lalanng? That means you lied about something. You definitely don’t want to throw the shévé from your comb outside because if a bird makes a nest out of it, you will have a mal-dé-tèt / headache for the rest of your life. And, if your itches, don’t answer that door because an old man is coming to your house to kiss you. Superstitions are embedded in Louisiana Creole culture and language. Superstitions as well as proverbs guide one’s life and help to keep one safe from dangers, real and imagined. Sometimes, proverbs can best be understood in their original language. Learning the language is the best way to understand the culture of a people.

Vocabulary

Mo mèt… - I put on...

latèt - head

shévé - hair

laboush - mouth

né - nose

lalanng - tongue

den - teeth

zòrèy - ear

zyè - eye

kou - neck

bra - arm

lamin - hand

dwa - finger

lèstoma - stomach

janmb - leg

pyé - foot

zòrtèy - toe

shapo - hat

shimiz - shirt

sinturon - belt

kalçon - underwear

kilot - pants

linèt - glasses

soulyé - shoe

bòt - boot

ròb - robe

lajup - skirt

sandal - sandals

jozé - blouse

jakèt - jacket

kapo léjé/lour - light/heavy coat

kilot kout - shorts