B - b

Ba1 title. mister; brother (Brer). Opa ferteri unu wan tori fa Anansi ben rei Ba Tigri. Grandpa told us a story about how Anansi rode on Brer Tiger. Usage: Derived from brada. A title used primarily for characters in folktales. See: Sa1; Ma1; Tata; Pa; See table under: famiriman.
ba2 See main entry: baya. interj. used to get attention or to emphasize a point.
baba 1) v. drool. Te pikinnengre e kisi tifi, den e baba furu. When babies cut teeth, they drool a lot. Morph: redup. Spelling variation: b'ba
2) n. drool; saliva; slobber; slaver. Mi no wani dringi ini wan grasi nanga yu bika mi no wani dringi yu baba. I don’t want to drink out of the same glass as you, because I don’t want to drink your saliva.
babari n. noise; racket; tumult. Man, mi no man sribi. Heri neti den e meki babari. I can’t sleep. All night long they make such a racket. See: tiri1; safri. Spelling variation: b'bari, bar'bari
babatiki n. teething-ring, chewing stick for babies.
babaw 1) adj. dumb, mute.
2) adj. stupid, dim-witted. babaw has more to do with someone’s intellectual capacity whereas bobo has to do with a person’s behavior. See: bobo.
3) v. be stupefied or in a daze; have a blank look on the face. Yu e sidon e babaw. You are sitting and staring at nothing. A boi tnapu e babaw luku fa den e sutu a finpeiri. The boy is standing and gawking at the fireworks display.
4) v. be speechless. Di mi yere a moni di mi wini, mi babaw. When I heard how much money I won, I was speechless.
babawman 1) n. someone who cannot speak, mute.
2) n. dimwit, a stupid person.
babun1 n. red howler monkey. Alouatta seniculus (Cebidae). See: monki.
babun2 n. Hindustani man. Den meki wan stonpopki fu memre babun nanga mai. They made a monument to commemorate the Hindustani immigrants (men and women). Usage: considered to be derogatory. See: kuli; mai2.
babun-aka n. black-collared hawk. Busarellus nigricollis (Accipitridae).
babun-nefi1 n. sickle.
babun-nefi2 n. kind of grass with sharp edges. Paspalum conjugatum (Gramineae); Scleria (Cyperaceae).
babun-noto n. Jamaica cobnut (a kind of liana). Omphalea diandra (Euphorbiaceae). See: noto.
babywagi n. stroller; perambulator.
bada v. bother; worry; to be annoyed. Mi n'e bada misrefi nanga a pikin tide. I’m not going to bother myself with that child today. Libi en, no bada. Never mind. (lit: Leave it, don’t bother.) syn: span; weri2. See: krasi-ede; bisi1.
bagasi 1) n. baggage, luggage. See: kofru.
2) n. things. Go teki den bagasi fu yu kon, dan yu kon tan nanga mi. Go get your things and come stay with me. See: bongro; taitai; pototo.
bai vt. buy, purchase. Mi e go bai gruntu na wowoyo. I’m going to buy green vegetables at the market. From: Eng. Etym: buy .
baiman n. buyer; customer; purchaser.
baisigri n. bicycle. From: Eng. Etym: bicycle .
baka1 n. back. Mi baka e hati mi! My back is killing me! From: Eng. Etym: back .
broko yu baka idiom. get into trouble. Luku bun nanga ala yu mati. Yu o broko yu baka. Watch out! With all your friends, you’ll get into trouble.
drai ... baka gi idiom. turn one’s back on, reject. Hermien drai en baka gi Lenie. A no e taki nanga en moro. Hermien turned her back on Lenie. She won’t speak to her anymore.
hari ... baka v. lay down to rest. Mi weri, baya! Mi e go hari mi baka pikinso. I’m tired! I’m going to lay down and rest awhile (lit: stretch my back). See: sribi; didon; bro.
ori baka v. support. A ben tranga fu meki a president saka, bika furu sma ben ori baka gi en. It was difficult to remove the president because many people supported him.
baka2 1) vt. fry (meat, etc.) in a pan. Fosi yu stofu a fowru, baka en pikinso. Before you braise the chicken, you need to fry it a little. syn: brai. See: bori; stofu; brabakoto; smuru1; skreki2.
2) vt. bake (in an oven). Pom nanga boyo yu e baka tu nanga afu yuru fosi a gari. You bake pom and boyo for two and a half hours before they are done. syn: losi.
baka3 1) prep. behind. Den sneisi e kibri sukru baka a toonbangi. The Chinese (shopkeepers) hide sugar behind the counter. ant: fesi2. See: bakasei.
2) prep. after. I mu kon baka fo yuru. You should come after four o’clock. ant: bifosi.
de na baka v. be behind. Mi de na baka nanga mi wroko. I am behind in my work.
go na baka idiom. regress, decline. Sensi di en mama dede, a pikin go na baka na skoro. Since her mother died, the child has done worse at school. ant: go na fesi. Variant: go nanga baka.
libi na baka v. Te a dotiwagi e psa, a e libi wan tingi smeri na baka. When the trash truck passes by, it leaves a bad smell behind.
ori na baka v. withhold, keep back. A no gi mi ala a moni. A ori afu na baka. He did not give me all of the money. He withheld some of it.
ori na baka v. hold back, restrain, prevent from doing something. Yu mus du ala muiti fu doro a marki. No meki no wan sani ori yu na baka. You must make every effort to reach the goal. Don’t let anything hold you back.
tan na baka v. remain behind, be left behind. Efu yu no meki muiti, yu o tan na baka. If you do not try hard, you will be left behind.
baka4 1) ad. again; anew. Efu yu e naki a boi baka, mi o fon yu. If you hit the boy again, I’ll beat you. syn: ete wan leisi; agen.
2) adv. in return, back. Efu yu naki mi, mi o naki yu baka. If you hit me, I’ll hit you back.
baka5 v. to earn a lot of money. Den man e baka na Holland. They earn a lot in Holland.
baka agen ad. yet again. A no esde mi gi yu wan batra oli? Dan tide yu kon teki wan tra wan baka agen. Didn’t I give you a bottle of oil yesterday? Now today you’ve come back again to take another! Usage: the use of baka together with agen indicates frustration or displeasure.
baka di conj. after. Baka di mi kmopo fu wroko, alen kon. After I left work, it started to rain.
baka-anu n. elbow. See: anu1. Spelling variation: bak'anu
baka-ati n. backache. Spelling variation: bak'ati
bakabaka 1) adv. secretly, sneakily, in a sly way. Michael no ben wani hori friyari-oso, ma bakabaka un seti ala sani fu meki prisiri nanga en. Michael did not want to have a birthday party, but secretly we arranged everything in order to celebrate with him.
2) adv. behind someone’s back. Son sma te den de nanga yu den e lafu nanga yu, ma bakabaka den e krutu yu. Some people laugh with you when they are with you, but behind your back they say bad things about you.
3) adv. afterwards. Mi denki tak' mi ben bai wan bun sani, ma bakabaka mi si tak' mi bai puspusi ini saka. I thought that I had bought a good item, but afterwards I saw that I had been taken (literally: I had bought a cat in a bag). Morph: redup.
bakabana n. ripe plantain fried in oil either with or without a batter around it.
bakabini 1) n. slum. syn: bakabirti.
2) n. neighborhood far from the main road or far from town. See: boiti1.
bakabirti n. slum. syn: bakabini.
bakabonyo n. backbone, spine.
bakabreki ad. About 1 pm to 4 pm. Usage: literally: after brekten. See table under: dei.
bakadan 1) n. a dike or levee behind a settlement.
2) n. euphemism for buttocks. syn: bakadyari.
bakadina [bakad'na] ad. afternoon (around 3 to 6 PM). See table under: dei.
bakadoro n. back door. cpart: fes'doro.
bakadyari 1) n. backyard.
2) n. euphemism for buttocks. syn: bakadan.
baka-ede n. back of the head.
bakafensre n. window on the backside of a house. See: fensre.
bakafinga 1) n. a second job, moonlight job. A man disi e wroko gi lanti, ma a abi wan pikin bakafinga e du. This man works for the government, but he has an extra job on the side.
2) n. bribe. Efu yu wani fu den yepi yu gaw, dan yu mu gi den wan bakafinga. If you want them to help you quickly, then you must give them a bribe. syn: tyuku.
3) ad. a style of braiding hair.
bakafutu 1) n. heel. syn: baka-iri.
2) n. hind leg (of an animal). Yu don moro wan kaw bakafutu. Saying: You are dumber than the hind leg of a cow.
bakafutu-titei n. Achilles tendon. Variant: bakatitei2.
baka-iri n. heel; back of the heel. syn: bakafutu. Variant: iri.
bakaman 1) n. member, follower, supporter. Den bakaman fu a kerki disi no e meki spotu nanga den bribi. The members of this church take their faith seriously.
2) n. advisor; assistant. Efu den bakaman fu a presidenti no bun, dan a no man seti a kondre bun. If the president’s advisors aren’t good, then he can’t run the country well. syn: raiman.
3) n. spy. Ala sei den feyanti abi bakaman. The enemies have spies everywhere. See: konkruman.
bakaneki n. backside of the neck; nape.
bakanen n. last name. See: nen.
bakapasi n. back road.
bakapikin n. descendant. cpart: afo.
bakasei 1) n. back part, back side. Den pikin e prei na bakasei. The children are playing in back. ant: fes'sei.
2) n. euphemistic for buttocks. syn: gogo.
en bakasei teki faya idiom. to fall out of favor. See: en dyakti teki faya.
3) ad. behindmost; farthest in back. Te yu e kon luku mi, yu mu kon na a bakasei oso. When you come to visit me, you must come to the last house in back.
bakaten adv. later; afterwards.
bakatifi n. molar. gen: tifi.
bakatitei1 n. defense, rearguard. A bakatitei ben swaki, dat' meki someni bal lai. The defense was weak, that is why they scored so many goals.
bakatitei2 See main entry: bakafutu-titei. n. Achilles tendon.
bakawan n. the one in back, straggler. Bigisma taki tak' te tigri e onti, a e libi den fosiwan dan a grabu a bakawan. The old people say that when the tiger hunts, he lets the ones in front go and grabs the straggler. ant: fesiwan.
bakawowoyo the backside of the central market (where things can be bought cheaper). See main entry: bakawowoyo.
bakayari n. the first few weeks of the new year. cpart: mofoyari.
bakayesi n. back side of the ear or the area right behind the ear.
bakba n. banana. Musa soorten/species (Musaceae). bananas (plantains) that are used for cooking are called bana. spec: aprabakba; banabakba; ingibakba; pikinmisi-finga bakba; sukrubakba. See: bana.
bakba wenkri n. used to indicate disorderliness or chaos. Boi, i no kan kon olati yu wani na wroko. Dya a no wan bakba wenkri. Boy, you can’t come to work any time you want. This isn’t a zoo.
baki n. flat wooden tray. Tomati kon bunkopu. Den e seri feifi golu wan baki. Tomatoes are cheap now. They are selling for five guilders a crate. See: kisi1.
bakra 1) n. person from the Netherlands.
bakra fasi ad. do or say something in a manner as the Dutch would. Un o du en tapu un eigi fasi, noso tapu bakra fasi? Are we going to do it our own way, or as the Dutch would?
2) n. a white person.
3) n. a person with authority in the country, such as police agents and judges. No tyari mi go na bakra anu! Don’t take me to the authorities! Den bigi bakra fu kondre. The rich and powerful of the country. Usage: (It is not used anymore. It’s use brings to mind negative feelings from the colonial period when white people held most of the important positions in the country.). See: lantiman.
bakrakawfrei n. white variety of horsefly. (Tabanidae, O. Diptera).
bakrakondre n. the Netherlands, but it may refer to all of Europe in general. syn: Ptata1.
Bakratongo n. Dutch language.
bakri See main entry: bakriman.
bakriman n. baker. Variant: bakri.
bakri-oso n. bakery. Spelling variation: bakr'oso
bakru 1) n. a spirit (said to be a short man with a big head). gen: takrusani. See: leba; yorka.
2) v. have a strong compelling desire; be greedy to do something. A man bakru fu rei oto. The man is dying to get behind the wheel.
baksis n. bonus, extra. Di mi bai a ipi fisi, a man poti tu baksis na en tapu. When I bought the stack of fish, the man gave two as bonus. (It is given by the person selling something. For example, a person selling vegetables may throw in an extra bundle of greens.).
balata1 1) n, ad. rubber.
2) n. white sap from the rubber tree.
balata2 See main entry: baleta. 1) n. billy club.
2) vt. hit someone with a billy club.
balatabon n. rubber tree. Den e bori a merki fu a balatabon fu meki balata. They boil the sap of the rubber tree to make rubber.
balataman n. person who collects sap from rubber trees.
baleta 1) n. billy club.
2) vt. hit someone with a billy club. Den skowtu balata den fufuruman. The police hit the thieves with billy clubs. Variant: balata2.
bami n. food dish made with noodles and vegetables.
bana n. plantain; cooking banana. Musa soorten/species (Musaceae).
bakabana n. ripe plantain fried in oil either with or without a batter around it.
ger' bana n. a plantain whose peel has turned yellow but the flesh inside is still firm. Ger’bana are used in preparing her’heri and to make banana chips.
grit'bana supu n. soup made with grated plantain.
grun bana n. an unripe plantain. The peel is green and the flesh inside is hard. Grunbana are eaten either boiled or roasted. The flesh may be grated and used for making tonton or grit’bana supu. It is also dried and.
lep' bana n. ripe plantain. The peel outside is yellow with black spots and the flesh inside is soft. It is used for making bakabana.
los' bana n. green plantain roasted in hot coals.
banabakba n. a long, mild-tasting banana grown for export but also consumed locally. Musa soorten/species (Musaceae). See: bakba.
banabeki 1) n. yellow-rumped cacique. Cacicus cela (Icteridae).
2) n. red-rumped cacique. Cacicus haemorrhous (Icteridae). Also known as redi-banabeki.
banabon n. banana tree.
banalew n. a floppy felt hat.
banawatra n. sap from the stem of a banana or plantain tree. Odo: Mama mofo na banawatra. Proverb: What you mother says will come to pass (i.e. it is like a stain that can’t be washed out). Usage: The sap from the banana tree stains the clothes and is very difficult to remove.
banban n. acoupa weakfish (a slender light-colored salt-water fish valued as a food fish). Cynoscion acoupa (Sciaenidae). It is sometimes referred to as sekubi. The local English name is trout.
bangi1 n. bench; stool. Odo: Temreman oso no abi bangi. Proverb: A plumber’s faucet always leaks. (Lit: A carpenter’s house has no benches).
bangi2 n. sandbank.
bangi3 n. bank. Mi e go broko mi moni na bangi. I’m going to exchange my money at the bank.
banknotu See main entry: banku.
banku n. a sum of money originally equal to fifty cents; now it can mean fifty guilders and even fifty thousand guilders. See: moni. Variant: banknotu.
banti1 1) n. tire. A spikri boro mi banti. The nail pierced my tire.
2) n. belt, band around the waist.
3) n. strap. Mi frow susu abi wan fini banti bakasei. My wife’s shoes have a thin strap around the heel.
4) v. fasten with a belt or strap. Yu mu banti a susu, noso a o kmoto na yu futu. You need to fasten the strap of your shoe, otherwise it will fall off your foot.
banti ... hori v. strap something down. Poti a gasbom baka a baisigri dan yu e banti en hori fu a no fadon. Put the gas cylinder on the back of the bicycle and strap it down so that it doesn’t fall.
5) v. bind, constrict. A Jockey e banti mi na mi seibowtu. The underpants bind me in the crotch.
banti2 n. trick. A man tya banti. The man is full of tricks.
banti3 adj. drunken.
barba n. beard.
barbakoto See main entry: brabakoto. vt. barbecue; smoke meat or fish over a charcoal fire.
bari1 n. barrel; drum; vat. Poti a watra ini a bari. Put the water in the barrel. Raitori: Bari na tapu bari. Piki: Tyen. Riddle: Barrels upon barrels. Answer: Sugarcane. From: Eng. Etym: barrel .
bari2 1) vi. shout; loud noises from humans, animals, machines. Di a boi koti en futu, a bari. When the boy cut his foot, he screamed. Te wan sma e waka ini a strati, ala den dagu e bigin bari. When someone walks in the street, all the dogs begin barking. Fa a oto e bari so? Why does the car make such a loud noise? See: babari.
2) v. broadcast; announce. A nyunsu bari ini Holland fosi a bari dyaso. The news was broadcast in Holland before it was broadcast here. syn: brotyas.
3) vt. warn; command. Mi ben bari yu, ma yu no yere. I warned you but you wouldn’t listen. syn: warskow.
bari adyosi say goodbye. See main entry: taki ... adyosi.
bari boskopu broadcast, announce. See main entry: bari boskopu.
bari dreigi boo, hoot at. See main entry: bari dreigi.
bari kari call out for. See main entry: bari kari.
bari krei break out in tears. See main entry: bari krei.
bari lafu burst out laughing. See main entry: bari lafu.
bari odi greet, say hello to. See main entry: taki ... odi.
bari wroko n. announce. Lanti bari wroko tak' ala borgu fu a kondre di abi tin-na-siksi yari mus meki en ID-karta. The government announced that every citizen of the country sixteen years and older must have an ID card made. syn: bari boskopu.
barki1 n. beam (4x4, 6x6, 6x10, etc). See: postu; bowtu3.
barki2 n. one hundred guilders. See: moni.
barki3 n. boat. Odo: Libisma e meki en barki, ma Gado e bow en sipi. Proverb: Man proposes, but God disposes (lit: man makes his boat, but God builds his ship). Usage: it is currently only used in the proverb.
basi1 1) n. boss.
2) v. to boss someone, keep under control. No suku en mofo, bika a no man basi en tongo. Don’t provoke her, because she cannot control her tongue.
basi2 n. bark (of a tree); husk (of a nut or coconut). See: bonbuba.
baskita n. woven reed basket, usually made from warimbo. See: mantyi. From: Eng. Etym: basket .
basra adj. person of mixed race; bastard; mongrel (animals). syn: dogla. From: Eng/NL. Etym: bastard .
baster 1) v. burst, break. Efu yu meki a watramun fadon, a o baster. If you drop the watermelon, it will burst.
2) adj. broken. syn: broko1.
basya 1) n. overseer of slaves; foreman. See: basi1.
2) n. village leader in bush negro communities. The basya comes under a kapten.
batra n. bottle.
batyaw n. a kind of salted fish. See: waranfisi; sowt'fisi; dreifisi; elen; bokun; tri.
baya interj. used to get attention or to emphasize a point. Baya, tamara yu no mu kon. Listen, don’t come tomorrow. Gruntu diri, baya! Boy, are vegetables ever expensive! Variant: ba2.
bedi 1) n. bed. part: matrasi. See: papaya2.
2) n. raised area in a garden for planting. Na bakadyari yu kan si den bedi ete pe oma ben prani pinda. In the back yard you can still see the beds where grandma used to plant peanuts.
bedoi v. give directions. Fu di a man no ben sabi a foto meki mi bedoi en fa a mus waka go na Palmentuin. Because the man did not know his way around the city, I had to give him directions how to walk to Palmentuin. See: brokobroko. From: NL. Etym: beduiden . Spelling variation: bodoi
bedrigi v. cheat. A boi bedrigi en granmama nanga en moni. The boy cheated his grandmother out of her money. syn: anga wan sma. From: NL. Etym: bedriegen .
bedrigi yusrefi idiom. fool yourself.
bedrigiman n. cheater, swindler, deceiver. syn: dyoteman. See: leiman.
Bedyan n. Caribbean English.
begi1 1) vi, vt. beg. A frow e begi moni tapu strati. The woman begs for money on the street. From: Eng. Etym: beg .
2) vt. ask (with respect); beseech; request. Mi e begi yu fu yu kan yepi mi pikinso. I’m begging you to help me a little. See: aksi2.
begi2 1) n. prayer; request. Na begi wawan kan yepi ini a tori disi. Only prayer can help in this situation. From: Eng. Etym: beg .
2) vi. pray. A nowtu disi e leri den sma begi. This problem will teach people how to pray!
3) vt. worship. Den bribisma e go na kerki fu begi Gado. The believers go to church to worship God. syn: anbegi.
begiman n. beggar.
beifi vi. shake; shiver; tremble. Esde mi kowru sote taki mi bigin beifi. Yesterday I was so cold I began to shiver. Di mi si a fufuruman nanga wan gon, mi ben frede dat mi bigin e beifi. When I saw the thief with a gun I was so scared I began to tremble. From: NL. Etym: beven .
beifi-ati adj. fearful; anxious; nervous. Mi de nanga beifi-ati nownowde, baya! I am really nervous right now! syn: dyompo-ati.
beiri n. axe. syn: aksi1.
beitri n. chisel.
beki n. a large oval tub made from zinc, copper or plastic.
bèl v. call; call on the telephone. Tapu mi friyari dei ala mi famiri bèl kmopo fu Nederland. On my birthday my entire family telephoned from the Netherlands.
bemui 1) v. meddle, pry into. Yu no mus bemui ini tra sma tori. You should not meddle in other people’s affairs. From: NL. Etym: bemoeien . Spelling variation: bumui
2) adj. curious. Na wan bemui pikin. Heri dei a e sidon tapu a skotu e luku san e psa ini birfrow dyari. She is a curious child. All day long she sits on the fence watching what goes on in the neighbor lady’s yard.
ben aux.v. anterior/relative past marker. Mi ben de na ati-oso. I was in the hospital. Usage: Used to indicate events preceding the understood time, and in background information.
benawtu adj. humid; sultry; stifling. A benawtu sote taki mi e broko sweti. It is so sultry I’m sweating. From: NL. Etym: benauwd . Spelling variation: benowtu
beni 1) v. bend. Te yu waran a plastiek peipi, yu kan beni en fa yu wani. When you heat the plastic pipe, you can bend it however you want. See: fow; boigi; bukundu.
2) adj. bent.
3) v. turn; change direction. Te yu doro pe a bigi wenkri de, dan yu e beni go ini a pasi dati. When you get to where the big store is, you turn into that street.
4) n. bend; curve. See: boktu. From: Eng. Etym: bend .
5) v. dribble past an opposing player (as in basketball or football/soccer). Ala sma lobi luku te Romario e prei, fa a e beni den tra man. Everyone likes to watch Romario play, because of the way he dribbles past the opponents.
beni strafu be in jail, serve time in prison. See main entry: koti strafu.
bere1 1) n. stomach; belly. A nyan te en bere furu. He ate until his stomach was full. A kuliman fu tapu uku bere bigi. The Hindustani man on the corner has a large belly. Te angri e kiri mi dan mi bere e bigin bari. When I am hungry my stomach begins to growl. From: Eng. Etym: belly .
langa bere idiom. have an insatiable appetite, eat constantly. A boi disi abi wan langa bere. Heri dei a e nyan. This boy has an insatiable appetite. He eats all day long. A boi bere langa. The boy eats constantly (lit: his stomach is long).
2) n. womb; uterus. A pikin de na ini en mama bere. The child is in its mother’s womb. syn: muru2. See: berefamiri; mamabere.
3) n. pregnancy; fetus.
abi bere idiom. be pregnant; be expecting. Mi frow abi bere. My wife is pregnant.
gi bere idiom. impregnate. Boiki gi a pikin fu sei bere. Boiki got the neighbor girl pregnant.
kisi bere idiom. become pregnant. Den umasma taki: te wan agama kon ini yu dyari, yu o kisi bere. The women say that if an agama comes into your yard, you’ll get pregnant. syn: ori bere; abi bere.
lasi bere idiom. miscarry. A frow lasi a bere. The woman miscarried. syn: trowe bere.
ori bere idiom. become pregnant. See: kisi bere; abi bere.
puru ... bere idiom. abort a pregnancy; have an abortion. Fu di a frow no ben wani a pikin, a puru a bere. Because the woman did not want the child, she had an abortion.
4) n. waist. Te mi nanga mi frow e koiri, mi lobi hori en na en bere. When I walk with my wife, I like to hold her around her waist.
5) n. inside. A opo a brede fu si san de ini en bere. He opened the sandwich to see what is inside.
bere2 n. large intestines of a cow or pig prepared with spices. Usage: eaten with bread or rice.
bere-ati n. stomachache. Yu o kisi bere-ati efu yu no puru a nati bruku. You will get a stomachache if you don’t take off those wet pants. Spelling variation: ber'ati
berebanti n. abdominal support belt. Baka te wan umasma kisi wan pikin, a mus tai en bere nanga wan berebanti fu en bere kan kon plata baka. After a woman has given birth, she needs to wear an abdominal support belt so that her tummy can become flat again.
berefamiri n. families related to each other. Certain families know that they come from the same plantation or have the same ancestor, e.g. the families Pengel, Pique and Pinas come from the plantation Onverwacht.
berefuru ad. unimportant. Yu e gi wan lo berefuru tori. You are talking about a lot of unimportant things. syn: lawlaw.
bereketi n. magical chain worn around the waist for healing or protection from spiritual powers. A bonuman taigi a frow taki a musu weri wan bereketi fu kan kon betre. The medicine man told the woman she had to wear a chain around her waist in order to get better.
berekofu n. punch in the stomach. No ferferi mi noso mi o naki yu wan berekofu. Don’t bother me or I’ll slug you in the stomach.
bereman n. pregnant woman. Usage: young people prefer bere-uma. Variant: berem'ma.
berem'ma See main entry: bereman.
bere-uma n. pregnant woman. syn: bereman.
Bergi n. Belgium.
bergi n. mountain, hill. From: NL. Etym: berg .
bergibergi ad. mountainous, hilly. A pasi na Afobaka bergibergi. The road to Afobaka is hilly.
bergikaiman n. Schneider’s cayman. Paleosuchus trigonatus (Alligatoridae). Sometimes referred to as blakakaiman. See: kaiman.
bergikeskesi n. wedge-capped capuchin, weeper capuchin. Cebus olivaceus (Cebidae). See: monki.
bergi-olo n. cave.
bergipresi n. a hilly or mountainous area.
bergiskin n. side of a mountain or hill. Ini Trinidad den sma e bow den oso tapu a bergiskin srefi. In Trinidad the people build houses even on the mountainside.
beri 1) vt. bury.
beri en gi wan sma idiom. let someone down; disappoint. Yu ben pramisi mi tak' yu bo kon teki mi, ma yu no kon moro. Yu beri en gi mi, boi! You promised you’d come take me but you didn’t come. You sure let me down.
beri en gi wan sma idiom. report someone. Efu yu no yepi mi nanga a tori disi, mi o beri en gi yu na driktoro. If you don’t help me in this, I’ll report you to the director.
2) n. funeral; burial. Bakadina mi no de na oso, yèrè. Mi o go na beri. I won’t be home this afternoon. I’m going to a burial.
beri doi gi to wish something for someone else. See main entry: beri doi gi.
berpe n. cemetery, graveyard. syn: bonyogron. See: grebi.
besnei 1) v. circumcise. Den jampaneisi e besnei den boi te den tapu twarfu yari. The Javanese circumcise their boys when they turn twelve.
2) v. be circumcised. A man disi besnei fu di na datra ben wani. This man is circumcised on doctor’s recommendation.
besroiti 1) n. decision. Yu no kan kenki a besroiti san meki kba. You cannot change the decision that has been made.
2) v. decide. San driktoro besroiti, sma no man kenki moro. What the director has decided, cannot be changed.
teki wan besroiti make a decision.
besun n. large cassava bread. See: parakoranti; kasababrede.
beti 1) v. bite.
2) n. bait. Yu kan poti wan pisi beti na a uku gi mi? Can you put a piece of bait on the hook for me?
feni wan beti idiom. tip; have a stroke of good luck. Tide mi no feni no wan beti na no wan sma. I haven’t gotten any tips from anyone today.
3) v. gives a tingling sensation. Na krasi-taya yu bai gi mi, yu e firi fa a e beti. This taya (root sort) that you bought for me, it makes your hands tingle (for instance when you grate it). Raitori: Mi papa abi dagu. Den bigi wan n'e beti, ma den pikin wan e beti. Piki: Na pepre. Riddle: My father has dogs. The big ones don’t bite, but the little ones do. Answer: Peppers. See: krasi1.
betre 1) adv. better. Mamanten un no ben seri noti, ma now a e go moro betre. In the morning we did not sell anything, but now it is going better.
2) adv. better, preferable. Betre mi nyan soso brede prefu mi begi sma moni. Better to eat plain bread that to ask people for money.
3) v. heal, get better. Efu yu no tai a soro, a o betre moro esi. If you do not bandage the wound, it will heal more quickly. See: gesontu.
beweigi 1) v. move. Te yu si wan sneki krosbei fu yu futu, yu no mus beweigi. If you see a snake close to your foot, you should not move. Spelling variation: buweigi
2) n. movement, motion. A skowtu meki wan beweigi nanga en anu fu sori tak' un kan abra a strati. The policeman made a motion with his hand to indicate that we could cross the street.
bifo conj. before. Fu sanede mi mus pai edemoni now. Noiti mi no pai en bifo. Why do I have to pay tax now. I never had to pay it before. See: fosi. Variant: bifosi. From: Eng. Etym: before .
bifosi See main entry: bifo.
bigi 1) ad. big; great (in size, importance, quantity, etc). ant: pikin1. From: Eng. Etym: big .
meki bigi idiom. boast; brag. Den boi lobi meki bigi taki den p'pa moro tranga. The boys love to brag that their father is stronger. syn: skepi.
2) ad. old. I denki taki yu bigi moro mi? You think you’re older than me? syn: owru1; grani.
bigi-ai n. greed, envy. Soso bigi-ai fu a moni fu a man meki a pikin gwe nanga en. Greed for the man’s money made the woman take off with him. See: gridi.
abi bigi-ai idiom. be jealous. A pikin abi bigi-ai na mi tapu fu di a e si taki mi e prodo moro en. The girl is jealous of me because she knows I’m more stylish than she is. syn: dyarusu.
bigidagu n. a rich or important person. A man san ben seri sani na wowoyo tron wan bigidagu fu a kondre. The man who sold things at the market has become an important person in the country. syn: bigiman; bigifisi.
bigidoi n. thumb or big toe. Variant: bigidoin.
bigidoin See main entry: bigidoi.
bigifasi n. pride; haughtiness; arrogance. Odo: Bigifasi abi ondrow fanowdu. Proverb: Pride comes before the fall. Usage: used with the verb abi. ant: sakafasi; syn: bigimemre.
bigifisi n. important person. syn: bigidagu; bigiman.
bigifutu1 n. leg afflicted with filaria; elephantiasis. syn: bimba. See: bubu1.
bigifutu2 n. a Chinese plum cooked in sugar and eaten as candy.
bigiman 1) n. adult man. Te mi tron wan bigiman mi o bai wan oto. When I become a man, I’m going to buy a car.
2) n. an important person. Johan Adolf Pengel ben de wan bigiman fu Sranan. Johan Adolf Pengel was an important person in Suriname. syn: bigifisi; bigidagu.
bigimarkusa n. a variety of markusa (passion fruit) whose fruit can grow to be 25 cm long. Passiflora quadrangularis (Passifloraceae). See: markusa.
bigimemre 1) n. pride, arrogance. Odo: Bigimemre wani ondrow. Proverb: Pride goes before the fall.
2) adj. arrogant, proud, haughty. syn: bigifasi; ant: sakafasi.
abi bigimemre v. to be proud or arrogant. A frow disi moi èn a gudu, dat' meki a abi bigimemre. This woman is beautiful and rich, that is why she is arrogant.
bigin 1) v. begin; start. Mi o poti yu na oso. Bigin poti yu sani ini a wagi. I’ll take you home. Start putting your things in the car. ant: kaba. See: stotu2.
2) n. beginning; start. A bigin fu a tori ben span moro a kaba fu en. The beginning of the story was more exciting than the end.
bigipopokaisneki n. emerald tree boa. Corallus caninus (Boidae). Also known as kadasneki or popokaisneki.
bigisensi n. 2 1/2 cent piece. Usage: Only existed in Suriname during colonial days. See table under: moni.
bigisma 1) n. adult; parents; older and wiser person. Te bigisma e taki, pikinnengre mus tan tiri. When adults speak, children must be quiet. ant: pikinnengre.
2) n. ancestors (also grandparents, etc). Den bigisma fu mi ben de srafu. My ancestors were slaves. spec: granmama; granpapa; afo; trotro.
bigitaki n. impolite speech.
gi bigitaki v. speak impudently. Luku fa mi yepi mi mati ala den yari, dan now a e gi mi bigitaki. Look how I’ve helped my friend all these years, then now he speaks so impudently to me. Fosten den pikin ben lespeki den bigisma, ma dis' ten den pikin asranti, den e gi bigitaki. In the old days children had respect for their elders, but these days they are sassy, they speak so impudently. See: kosi1.
bigitodo n. giant toad. Bufo marinus (Bufonidae). Also known as kras’todo.
bigiwan 1) n. the large, great or important ones (as opposed to the small ones). cpart: pikinwan.
bigi-watradagu n. giant otter, guiana flat-tailed otter, winged-tailed otter. Pteronura brasiliensis (Mustelidae). Also referred to simply as watradagu when it is not felt necessary to distinguish it from the smaller swamp otter.
bigiwowoyo central market in downtown Paramaribo. See main entry: bigiwowoyo.
bigiyari n. big birthday celebration occurring on a person’s first birthday and then every five years beginning with the fifth birthday. Usage: for someone’s first birthday, fifth birthday, and every five years after that. See: yari1; bigi.
bika conj. because. Mi bai wan paki blon tide bika mi e go meki roti. I bought a bag of flour today because I’m going to make roti. syn: fu di. Variant: bikasi.
bikasi See main entry: bika.
bimba n. elephantiasis, leg afflicted with filaria. syn: bigifutu1. See: bubu1.
birambi n. bilimbi, cucumber tree (the cylindrical fruit is yellowish-green when ripe and resembles small cucumbers). Averrhoa bilimbi (Oxalidaceae). See: fransman-birambi; lontu-birambi. Spelling variation: brambi
bir'frow n. neighbor (woman).
biri n. beer.
bir'man n. neighbor (man).
birti 1) n. neighborhood. Mi nanga Arnie e tan ini a srefi birti. Arnie and I live in the same neighborhood.
2) n. the area or region surrounding something. Di Irak nanga Iran ben feti, dan ala den tra kondre ini a birti fu den ben e pina. When Iraq and Iran were at war, all the other countries in the region suffered.
3) n. neighbor. Esde den birti fu mi gwe na Amerika. Yesterday my neighbors left for America. Variant: birtisma.
birtisma n. people who live in the same neighborhood, neighbors.
bisa n. bearded saki, black saki, jacketed monkey. Chiropotes satanas (Cebidae). Also known as kwataswagri. See: monki.
bisbisi-woron n. pinworm. Enterobius vermicularis (Oxyuridae, O. Ascaridida).
bisi1 n. business, something of concern. I no abi bisi dya. I mu gwe! You don’t have any business here. Get out!
no abi bisi idiom. don’t mind; it doesn’t matter. I kan kon efu yu wani. Mi no abi bisi. You can come if you like. I don’t mind.
San bisi yu? / O bisi yu? idiom. What’s the matter with you? Usage: Usually used only by older people.
bisi2 n. things. Teki yu bisi, dan yu e gwe! Take your things and get out of here! syn: taitai; pototo; bagasi; bondru.
bita 1) ad. bitter tasting. Te yu bori amsoi nanga watra, a e bita moro dan te yu e bori en nanga oli. If you cook amsoi with water, it is more bitter than if you cook it with oil.
2) n. Medicine made from medicinal plants, wood or vines. It is used as a purgative for worms, a laxative and to increase the appetite.
3) n. strong alcoholic beverages (e.g. whiskey, rum, etc.). Fu sanede yu e nyan a bita so? A no bun. Why do you drink so much alcohol? It’s not good for you.
bitakasaba n. bitter cassava, manioc. Manihot esculenta (Euphorbiaceae). The roots of bitakasaba contain a poisonous liquid that must be removed before eating. The cassave is peeled and grated with a grit’griti. The pulp is then washed and the juice squeezed out using a matapi. The pulp is used to make kasababrede and kwak. The juice is used to make goma, kasripo and kasiri. See: swit'kasaba.
bitawiwiri n. a kind of bitter green leafy vegetable. Cestrum latifolium (Solanaceae).
blaka 1) adj. black. gen: kloru1.
naki wan blaka idiom. make a blunder.
2) v. blacken (e.g. with shoe polish or hair dye). Mi mu blaka mi susu fosi mi go na wroko. I need to polish (with black polish) my shoes before I go to work. A e blaka en wiwiri, dat' meki a sori yongu ete. He dyes his hair black, that is why he still looks young.
3) v. speak evil of someone, malign. Di de tra wrokoman yere tak' Syori o tron basi, den go blaka en na driktoro. When the other workers heard that Syori was to become the boss, they went and told the director bad things about him. See: blakabal.
blaka doti potting soil. See main entry: blaka doti.
blaka sneisi n. black man with a Chinese surname.
blaka-ai-pesi n. cowpea, black-eyed pea. Vigna sinensis (Papilionaceae). See: pesi.
blakabal n. used only in the expression naki ... wan blakabal with the meaning malign someone or speak evil of someone. syn: blaka.
blaka-ede tingifowru n. black vulture. Coragyps atratus (Cathartidae). Also referred to simply as tingifowru when no attempt is being made to distinguish it from other kinds of vultures. See: tingifowru.
blakakaiman n.
n. black cayman. Melanosuchus niger (Alligatoridae). (a species of cayman found in Brazil, Guyana and French Guiana, but not in Suriname. The smaller bergikaiman and redikaiman found in Suriname are sometimes mistaken for blakakaiman. See: kaiman.
blakaman n. negro, black man. syn: nengre. See: krioro.
blakamarkusa n. a kind of passion fruit. Passiflora vespertilio (Passifloraceae). Also known as blaka-snekimarkusa of yorkamarkusa. See: markusa.
blakanengre n. black-skinned creole.
blakapan n. cast-iron skillet.
blakapatu n. cast-iron pot.
blakapepre n. black pepper.
blakapina n. hairpin. Variant: brakapina.
blaka-tara n. abusive name used for dark-skinned people. syn: blaka-tin-tin.
blaka-uma n. negress. syn: nengre-uma.
blakaweti-aka n. black-and-white hawkeagle. Spizaetus melanoleucus (Accipitridae).
blaw adj. blue. gen: kloru1.
blawforki n. blue-gray tanager. Thraupis episcopus (Thraupidae). Also known as blawtyi.
blawkepanki n. purple gallinule. Porphyrula martinica (Rallidae).
blawtyi n. blue-gray tanager. Thraupis episcopus (Thraupidae). Also known as blawforki. Spelling variation: blawki
blesi 1) v. bless. Usage: Religious term. Protestant churches use blesi. Catholic churches seem to prefer bresi. syn: seigi; ant: fluku. Variant: bresi.
2) n. blessing. ant: fluku.
3) adj. blessed, blissful. Mi e winsi un wan blesi dei go moro fara. I wish you a blessed day.
blo See main entry: bro. 1) vi. breathe.
2) n. breathing, breath.
3) vt. blow.
4) vi. rest.
blon n. flour.
blonsaka n. flour sack.
bo1 aux.v. auxiliary verb used to express an unrealized possibility in the past or a hypothetical situation in the future. Efu skowtu no ben kon, dan den boi bo gi densrefi mankeri. If the police hadn’t come, then the boys would have injured themselves. Den konkruman mus luku bun! A bo moro bun gi den efu den no ben si a krin fu dei. Traitors must beware! It would be better for them if they had never seen the light of day. (derived from ben + o).
bo2 n. bow. cpart: peiri.
bobi n. breast. Sanede yu e meki a pikin krei so? Gi en a bobi. Why do you let the child cry so? Give it the breast.
bobi wan manya idiom. suck the juice and pulp out out of a soft mango. See: soigi.
bobimerki n. breast milk.
bobimofo n. nipple.
bobo 1) n. sissy; weakling, sissy. See: babaw.
2) adj. having the qualities of a sissy or a mommy’s boy. A boi disi bobo tak' umasma srefi e fon en. This boy is such a sissy even the girls beat him up.
boboi v. rock in a cradle or rocking chair, to calm a child by rocking it. Boboi a pikin te leki a sribi. Rock the child to sleep. See: dodoi.
boboisturu n. rocking chair.
bofru n. South American tapir, bush cow. Tapirus terrestris (Tapiridae).
bogobogo adj. plenty, in abundance, abundant. Nyanyan ben de bogobogo na a friyari-oso. There was plenty of food at the birthday party. syn: furu; hilahila. Morph: redup. See: nofo.
boi1 1) n. boy. See table under: famiriman. From: Eng. Etym: boy .
2) n. son.
boi2 interj. exclamation of surprise.
boigi v. bend, bow.
boiti1 n. outlying area, rural area, country. Fa mi e tan na boiti, mi no man kon ala yuru na foto. Because I live in an outlying area, I can’t come to town all the time. From: NL. Etym: buiten .
boiti2 1) conj. except (for). Ala presi den man prati koranti, boiti Flora. The men delivered newspapers everywhere except Flora.
2) conj. besides. Boiti a wan pikin, a mama abi ete wan. Besides that one child, the mother has another one. See: nanga.
boitipresi n. outlying area, rural area. See: pranasi.
boketi n. bouquet. See: owruyari boketi.
bokoboko n. male goat, ram. Capra hircus (Capridae). gen: krabita. Morph: redup.
bokru adj. hunchbacked. Te yu e waka, yu no mus beni yu baka so, noso yu o kisi wan bokru baka. You shouldn’t bend over like that when you walk or else you’ll get hunchbacked. From: NL. Etym: bochel .
boktu n. bend in a road, a curve, corner.
anga wan boktu idiom. take a turn at high speed.
koti wan boktu idiom. turn a corner.
boktuboktu 1) adj. winding, twisted.
2) n. twists and turns, curves.
boku See main entry: bokun.
bokun n. red herring (that is: herring that is salted and smoked). See: sowt'fisi; waranfisi; dreifisi. Variant: boku.
boma See main entry: aboma. n. anaconda.
bombel n. firecracker. See: finpeiri; pagara.
bon n. tree. Usage: general term.
bonboni n. Guyana tree squirrel, Guianan squirrel. Sciurus aestuans (Sciuridae). Also known as letyan.
bonbuba n. tree bark.
bondru n. bundle of things. syn: bosu.
bondru kon na wan idiom. to bind together, unite. syn: meki wan kofu.
bonfutu n. shin. A boi misi a bal dan a skopu mi na mi bonfutu. The boy missed the ball and kicked me in the shin.
bongo [[bong.go]] n. a kind of drum. gen: dron.
bongro n. trash, rubbish, garbage. Usage: has negative connotations.
bonk v. throw.
bonki 1) n. string bean, green bean. Phaseolus vulgaris (Papilionaceae).
2) n. also used to refer to varieties of imported beans, including broin bonki 'brown beans' and wet' bonki 'white beans'. See: pesi. Spelling variation: bontyi
bonkitiki n. long thin sticks placed in the ground for bean plants to grow on.
bonkoro n. mulatto with light-colored eyes and hair. See: malata.
bonsbak n. a game of marbles where the one player bounces his yowka off a wall or other hard surface and tries to hit that of his opponent. See: yowka.
bontara n. sap or resin from a tree.
bonu 1) v. appease the spirits, or to call on the spirits for help. Den go na boiti go bonu. They have gone out of town to call on the spirits. syn: du fanowdu.
2) vt. cast a spell. Yu kan bonu wan sma meki a gwe. You can put a spell on someone to make them go away. See: wisi.
bonuman n. spirit medium, healer of sicknesses of supernatural origin, obeah man, medicine man. See: wisiman; lukuman.
bonuwroko n. religious rituals and practices that accompany the winti cult; idolatry. Mi ben sabi a granmama fu mi birfrow, a ben du hebi bonuwroko. I knew my neighbor’s grandmother well. She participated a lot in idolatrous rituals. syn: afkodrei.
bonyo n. bone.
bonyogron n. cemetery. syn: berpe.
borgu1 n. citizen. Mi na wan borgu fu Sranan. I am a citizen of Suriname. From: NL. Etym: burger .
de ini borgu idiom. wearing civilian clothes. Den skowtu de ini borgu fu den boi no sabi taki den na skowtu. The policemen are wearing civilian clothes so that the boys will not realize that they are police.
borgu2 v. to buy or sell on credit, to loan something. Mi no abi nofo moni fu bai a baisigri; mi o borgu en. I don’t have enough money to buy the bicycle; I’ll buy it on credit.
borguman n. someone who buys on credit.
bori v. cook, boil. Ala dei mi mama e bori fosi a go na foto. Every day my mother cooks before going to town. Mi no bori mi patu ete. I haven’t cooked the food (lit: my pot) yet. Usage: general term for cooking. spec: baka2; brabakoto; brai; losi; skreki2; smuru1; stofu.
boriman n. cook. Odo: Te yu naki kapa lasi, yu sa yere boriman tongo. Proverb: If you play with fire, you’ll get burned. (lit: If you knock over the kettle, you will hear the cook’s tongue.) Usage: Apparently used only in the proverb given here. Archaic. syn: koki.
boro1 1) v. drill, bore, puncture. Boro wan olo gi mi, dan mi kan anga a lampu. Drill a hole for me so that I can hang the lamp.
2) n. drill bit. Mi no man boro a olo bika a boro dede. I can’t drill the hole because the bit is dull.
3) ad. having holes; punctured. A boi e syen fu go na strati, bika a weri wan boro bruku. The boy is ashamed to go out because his pants have holes in them. A banti boro. The tire has a puncture.
boro2 1) v. cut (in line), sneak in, slip in. Son sma no lobi fu wakti langa ini wan rei, dati meki den e boro. Some people don’t like to wait long in line so they cut in.
2) v. take a shortcut. Mi e boro ini wan dyari fu mi kan doro moro esi na oso. I am taking a shortcut through a yard so I can get home faster.
boro psa 1) v. come by. Fosi mi go na Robby mi o boro psa kon na yu. Before I go to Robby’s, I’ll come by (to see) you.
2) v. pass through, pierce. A spikri boro psa en futu. The nail pierced through his foot.
boroman 1) n. an uninvited guest at a party or someone who has not paid the entrance fee for an event; someone who cuts in line. Den sma poti wan waktiman fu luku taki boroman no ben kan kon na ini a presi. They hired a watchman to make sure people didn’t come in without paying.
2) n. someone that you meet everywhere. Wan boroman mus fu sabi furu sma. Someone you see all over town must certainly know a lot of people.
boropasi n. shortcut. Yu kan teki a boropasi, dan yu e doro moro esi. You can take the shortcut then you’ll get there earlier.
borsu n. chest, breast. A man disi borsu bradi. This man has a large chest.
boru n. bun, sweet roll.
bòs v. burst. A banti bòs, pow! The tire burst, pow!
bosi 1) vt. kiss. A m'ma ben breiti sote tak' a bosi en. His mother was so happy that she kissed him.
2) n. kiss. A winiman kisi wan bosi na ala en tu seifesi. The winner received a kiss on both cheeks.
boskopu 1) n. errand, items to be sent or brought somewhere. Mi aksi mi pikin brada fu tyari a boskopu disi gi mi mama. I asked my little brother to take this message/thing to my mother. From: NL. Etym: boodschap .
du wan boskopu idiom. run an errand. Albert, yu kan go du wan boskopu gi mi na tante Fransje? Albert, can you run an errand for me over to Aunt Francis?
2) n. message, announcement. Esde neti un kisi a boskopu taki ba Alexi lasi en libi. Last night we got the message that brother Alex died.
bari boskopu v. broadcast, announce. syn: brotyas; bari wroko. See: bari.
leisi boskopu idiom. reprimand. Didyonsro de mi kba leisi boskopu gi en. I just got done warning him.
lolo ... boskopu idiom. pass on a message. Mi wani aksi ala sma fu lolo a boskopu disi go moro fara. I want to ask everyone to pass on the message.
tyari ... boskopu idiom. preach a sermon. Esde mamanten a brada dati tyari wan blesi boskopu. Yesterday morning that brother preached a blessed sermon. Usage: church language.
boskopuman n. messenger, errand boy.
bosro 1) n. brush. From: NL. Etym: borstel .
2) vt. brush, clean with a brush, scrub. Fosten den sma ben bosro den krosi nanga wan kar'tiki. In the old days, people scrubbed their clothes with a corn cob.
3) v. to beat at sport.
bosroko n. T-shirt, undershirt. See: empi. From: NL. Etym: borstrok .
bosu 1) n. bunch, bundle, cluster, stalk (of bananas). Mi o bai wan bosu kowsbanti. I’ll buy a bundle of yard beans. Di mi kisi a bosu bakba, mi gi mi sisa tu anu fu en. When I got the stalk of bananas, I gave my sister two bunches from it. Usage: Unit of measure for selling green vegetables. See: ipi; baki; paki. From: NL. Etym: bos .
2) n. a group of people standing together. Den sma ben knapu ini wan bosu na makandra. The people stood together in a group.
3) n. swarm. Di mi si a bosu waswasi, mi lon! When I saw the swarm of wasps I ran!
4) n. school (of fish). Te yu iti wan pisi brede ini a watra, yu e si wan heri bosu sriba e kon fu nyan en. If you throw a piece of bread in the water, you will see a whole school of silverbait come to eat it.
boto n. boat. spec: kruyara. See: sipi; barki3; pondo.
botobangi n. small carved wooden bench made in the shape of a boat by the Bush Negroes.
boto-ede n. bow.
botoketi 1) n. mooring chain. See: ankra; lanpresi; sipi.
2) n. a silver or gold necklace with large links. syn: lontu-ai keti.
botoman n. boatman, member of a ship’s crew. syn: matrosi.
botrali See main entry: botri. n. kitchen, pantry.
botralibangi See main entry: botribangi. n. kitchen counter.
botri n. kitchen, pantry. syn: kukru. Variant: botrali.
botribangi n. kitchen counter. Variant: botralibangi.
botritafra n. kitchen table.
botro 1) n. butter, margarine.
2) v. grease a pan with butter. Te yu e baka wan kuku, yu mus botro yu blik noso a kuku o fasi. When you bake a cake you must butter your pan, otherwise the cake will stick.
botro-afkati n. a kind of avocado with yellow flesh.
botrofisi n. smalleye croaker (known locally as butterfish). It is valued as a food fish. Nebris microps (Sciaenidae).
botronoso n. snot (from a runny nose). See: frikowtu.
bow v. build. ant: broko1. From: NL. Etym: bouwen .
bow tapu wan sma/sani idiom. put trust in someone or something. Mi e bow tapu yu tak' yu o kon teki mi tamara mamanten. I trust you will come pick me up tomorrow morning. The use of bow tapu implies that the person is putting a much higher degree of trust in the person or object than does the use of ferwakti. See: ferwakti.
bowston n. cement block.
bowtu1 n. thigh. See: futu. From: NL. Etym: bout .
tapu wan sma bowtu idiom. in or on someone’s lap. A pikin sidon tapu en mama bowtu. The girl is sitting on her mother’s lap.
bowtu2 n. bolt. cpart: muru1. See: skrufu1.
bowtu3 1) n. lumber (2x4, 4x4, etc.). See: barki1.
2) w. bar (a door). Te wi e go sribi, wi e bowtu a doro. When we go to bed, we bar the door.
3) vt. hit someone with a heavy piece of wood. Di den tu boi ben feti, a wan bowtu a trawan. When the two boys fought, the one hit the other with a two-by-four. Usage: young men’s speech. See: planga1.
bowtu4 ad. selfish, miserly. A man disi na wan moniman, ma a e bowtu. This man is rich, but he’s greedy. syn: gridi; kundu3.
bowtu5 1) vt. catch, grab. Bowtu a man gi mi! Grab the man for me! See: grabu; kisi2; ori.
2) vt. arrest. Den skowtu bowtu a fufuruman. The police arrested the thief.
boyo n. cake made from cassava and coconut.
brabakoto 1) vt. barbecue; smoke meat or fish over a charcoal fire. gen: bori. Variant: barbakoto.
2) ad. smoked or barbecued (meat or fish).
brada n. brother. See table under: famiriman. From: Eng. Etym: brother .
bradi 1) adj. wide, broad. A Marwinaliba bradi moro a Srananliba. The Marowijne River is wider than the Suriname River. A libi e go yu bun! Fa a gersi leki dei fu dei yu e kon moro bradi? Life is good to you! Every day you’re getting a little wider around the middle!
2) v. spread out. Bradi a papaya fu a boi kan didon sribi. Spread out the mat so that the boy can lay down and sleep.
bradi-edeman n. someone with a lot of knowledge, a well-educated person. ant: donman. See: koniman.
bradyari adj. noisy. Den bradyari sma disi e meki wanlo babari. These noisy people make a lot of ruckus. ant: tiri1; safri. See: babari; dyugudyugu.
brafu n. soup made from fish or wild game and edible tubers. spec: peprewatra; kasababrafu; okrobrafu. See: supu.
brai vt. fry. Kresneti dei un brai wan doksi. For Christmas we fried a duck. syn: baka2.
brakapina See main entry: blakapina. n. hairpin.
brantimaka n. cat’s claw (a thorny plant that grows along the riverbank). Machaerium lunatum (Papilionaceae).
brantmiri n. a raised stone or brick cooking platform in a kitchen or cook house (a fire is built on top of it and a drifutu is used to support the cooking pans). See: kukru. Spelling variation: brantimiri
brasa 1) vt. embrace, hug.
2) n. embrace, hug. A mama ben breiti sote dat a gi en wan brasa. The mother was so happy that she gave him a hug.
Brasyon 1) n. Brazil. Variant: Brasyonkondre.
2) adj. Brazilian.
Brasyonkondre See main entry: Brasyon. n. Brazil.
brasyon-waswasi n. Brazilian bee. Apis mellifera (Apidae, O. Hymenoptera).
brede n. bread, rolls. Omu, gi mi tin brede. Sir, please give me ten rolls. See: lalabrede. From: Eng. Etym: bread .
brede buskutu bread toasted until it is hard. See main entry: brede buskutu.
bredebon n. breadfruit tree. Artocarpus communis (Moraceae). Also known as nyamsi-bredebon. The fruit has a smooth skin and no seeds inside. See: siri-bredebon.
bredebuba n. crust of bread.
brededuku n. towel used to cover bread and other foodstuffs to keep off flies.
bredefutu n. flat feet. Te yu abi bredefutu, yu mus weri wan spesrutu susu. If you have flat feet you need to wear special shoes.
bredekundu n. the ends of a french roll (they can be hard).
bredenefi n. bread knife.
brei 1) v. weave, knit. syn: frekti.
2) adj. woven, knitted. Den buskondresma e meki moi brei mantyi. The inhabitants of the interior make beautiful woven baskets. syn: frekti.
breiti adj. glad, happy, cheerful, merry. ant: sari1. See: prisiri.
brekten ad. noontime (around 12:00 to 3:00 PM). See table under: dei.
breni 1) adj. blind.
2) v. make blind (also in a figurative sense).
breniman n. blind man.
brenki 1) adj. shiny, glossy, polished, gleaming. Mi de fu weri wan bun brenki susu go na a trow-oso. I’m planning to wear a pair of wellpolished shoes to the wedding. From: NL. Etym: blinken .
2) v. shine, polish. Yu abi wantu lemtyi gi mi, fu mi brenki a kopro beki fu mi? Do you have a couple of lemons for me so I can polish my copper bowl?
bresi See main entry: blesi. v. bless.
bri See main entry: bribi. v. believe.
bribi 1) v. believe. Yu no bribi lei, yu no bribi tru. Believe it or not! Variant: bri.
2) n. belief, faith. A bribi fu en swaki. His faith is weak.
bribisma n. believer.
brifi n. letter, mail.
bro 1) vi. breathe. Fa mi abi a frikowtu mi no man bro so bun. Because I’ve got a cold, I can’t breathe well. A e bro hebi. His breathing is heavy. Variant: blo. From: Eng. Etym: blow .
2) n. breath. Wan bun zwenman mus man ori en bro langa. A good swimmer has to be able to hold his breath a long time.
bro syatu idiom. be short of breath, gasp for air. Na at'oso den kon si tak' wan pinda ben de ini a boi kruktu neki. Dat' meki en bro ben syatu. At the hospital they discovered a peanut in the boy’s air passage. That is why he was short of breath.
bro tapu idiom. En bro tapu. A dede. He died. He’s dead. Usage: euphemism. syn: bro koti. Variant: tapu bro.
bro de na tapu idiom. be out of breath. Di Herman doro en bro ben de na tapu fu di dagu ben lon na en baka. When Herman arrived he was out of breath because dogs had chased him.
hari ... bro v. breathe (deeply), inhale. Fosi a man dyompo ini a watra, a hari en bro. Before the man jumped into the water, he took a deep breath.
3) vt. blow. A boi e weri mi ede. Heri dei a e bro en tutu. The boy gives me a headache. All day long he plays (lit: blows) his trumpet.
4) vi. rest. Mi e go bro pikinso. Heri dei mi waka. I’m going to rest awhile. I’ve walked the whole day.
bro ... ede rest. See main entry: bro ... ede.
bro ... futu sit to rest. See main entry: bro ... futu.
bro noso blow one’s nose. See main entry: bro noso.
broin adj. brown. gen: kloru1.
broinbonki 1) n. brown beans.
2) n. dish prepared from brown beans and eaten with rice.
broki 1) n. bridge.
2) n. dock where ships load and unload.
plata broki n. boat ramp.
broko1 1) vt, vi. break, destroy. A grasi fadon broko. The glass fell and broke. Fu di den bigiman gridi, den broko a kondre. Because the leaders were greedy, they destroyed the country.
2) ad. broken (down), destroyed, worn out. Heri dei langa Glen e wroko tapu a broko oto fu en. All day long Glen works on his broken down car.
3) ad. to have sexual intercourse for the first time. Wan skoromeister broko a pikin. A schoolteacher deflowered the girl (i.e. robbed the girl of her virginity).
4) vi. break of day, dawn. Di dei broko a kon na oso. He came home at the break of day. syn: brokodei.
5) v. pick (fruit). Mi seni a boi fu go broko wantu apresina gi mi. I sent the boy to pick a few oranges for me.
6) v. dilute (used with concentrated fluids such as vinegar, alcohol and cleaning agents). Broko a asin fosi yu poti a komkomro na ini. Dilute the vinegar before you put the cucumber in it.
7) v. divide into smaller sizes. Den wenkriman e bai den bigi saka sukru, dan den e broko en ini paki fu wan kilo. The storekeepers buy large sacks of sugar and divide them into packs of one kilogram.
broko2 1) vt. exchange. Esde mi go broko moni na bank. Yesterday I exchanged money at the bank. syn: kenki.
2) v. make change for. I kan broko a barki gi mi? Mi no abi pikin moni. Could you break a hundred guilders for me? I don’t have any small bills. Odo: Mi na afusensi. No wan sma no kan broko mi. Proverb: I’m a half-cent piece. No one can break me (i.e. no one can disparage me).
broko ... ati to be deeply disappointed, brokenhearted. See main entry: broko ... ati.
broko ... ede worry, trouble oneself over something. See main entry: broko ... ede.
broko ... na pikin moni simplify an explanation, make something clearer. See main entry: broko ... na pikinmoni.
broko ... noso used to say that something has a very pleasant aroma or scent. See main entry: broko ... noso.
broko ... saka discourage, shame, depress, destroy, humiliate. See main entry: broko ... saka.
broko kindi slightly bow by bending the knees. See main entry: broko kindi.
broko kon come unexpectedly. See main entry: broko kon.
broko pranasi an old plantation where no one lives anymore. See main entry: broko pranasi.
broko yu baka get into trouble. See main entry: broko yu baka.
brokobaka n. common birdsnake. Pseustus poecilonotus (Colubridae). Also known as trangabaka.
brokobana n. a hard-played game (usually soccer). A futbal san den boi e prei na brokobana. The boys play a hard game of soccer.
brokobatra n. broken glass. Den man mesre brokobatra tapu a skotu. They cemented broken glass on top of the wall.
brokobere See main entry: wrokobere. n. diarrhea.
brokobroko 1) vt. break into pieces. A boi brokobroko a grasi. The boy broke the glass into pieces. Morph: redup.
2) ad. broken, crumbly, worn out, dilapidated, decrepit. A brede brokobroko, yèrè. The bread is crumbly.
3) vt. explain. Mi no ferstan a boskopu. Brokobroko en pikinso gi mi. I don’t understand the message. Please explain it to me. See: bedoi.
brokodei 1) n. dawn, sunrise, break of day. Dati ben de wan moi fesa! Un dansi te brokodei. That was a great party! We danced till sunrise.
2) n. an activity (such as a party or a wake) that lasts until daybreak. A go na wan brokodei. He went to an all-night party.
3) v. do something until daybreak. Ro taigi mi tak' di den go na a dansi, den broko a dei. Ro told me that when they went to the party, they danced till daybreak.
broko-ede n. problem, trouble. A brom disi e gi mi wan lo broko-ede. This motorbike gives me a lot of trouble. syn: problema; krasi-ede. See: ede-ati; dangra. Spelling variation: brok'ede
brokokowru adj. lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. A libi a te te leki a kon brokokowru. He let the tea sit until it became lukewarm.
brokokrosi n. rag, old clothes. Teki wan brokokrosi dan yu figi a tafra. Take a rag and wipe off the table.
broko-oso broken-down house, shack. See main entry: broko-oso.
brokosaka ad. depressed, ashamed, gloomy. Di a frow gwe libi a man, a firi so brokosaka dat a no ben wani nyan moro. Because the woman left the man, he felt so depressed that he didn’t want to eat.
broko ... saka vt. discourage, shame, depress, destroy, humiliate. Den wrokoman broko den basi saka, bika den no ben abi bribi ini en moro. The workers shamed their boss, because they didn’t trust him anymore.
brokoston n. a kind of biting fly. (O. Diptera).
broko-tifi kabèl n. name that especially children will call someone whose front teeth are broken to make fun of them.
bromki n. flower. Spelling variation: bromtyi
bromkidyari n. flowerbed, flower garden.
bromkipatu n. flowerpot.
bron 1) vi. burn. A oso tapu a uku e bron ete. The house on the corner is still burning.
2) vt. burn. A faya fu a onfu bron mi. The heat of the oven burned me. Te a doti drei yu kan bron en na bakadyari. When the trash is dry, you can burn it at the back of the yard.
3) vt. to not keep one’s word. Mi omu bron mi. A no bai a baisigri gi mi moro. My uncle did not keep his word. He didn’t buy the bicycle for me anymore.
4) ad. burned, burned out, burned up. Na esde mi bai a lampu disi, dan tide a bron kba. I bought this light bulb yesterday and today it is already burned out. A oso tapu a uku bron te na gron. The house on the corner is completely burned down.
bronbere n. a company that services septic tanks. Efu yu w.c. furu dan yu mu bèl bronbere. If your septic tank is full you need to call someone to pump it out. Spelling variation: brombere
bronbron 1) ad. burned. A fowru meti fu yu e tesi bronbron. Your chicken tastes burned. Morph: redup.
2) n. burned rice at the bottom of the pot, but also the crust of other burned foodstuffs. Te yu kba dan yu mus go trowe a bronbron disi gi den fowru. When you’re finished, go throw this burned rice to the chickens.
bronflaka n. scar from a burn. A bronflaka ini mi fesi no e gwe moro. The scar from the burn on my face is not going away.
bronsoro n. burn. A faya oli san fadon tapu mi futu, opo wan bronsoro. The hot oil that fell on my feet gave me a burn.
bropresi n. fontanel, soft spot in the skull of a newborn baby.
brotyas v. broadcast. syn: bari2.
brudu 1) n. blood.
2) v. bleed.
brudutitei n. blood vessel, artery, vein. Variant: titei.
bruku n. pants, trousers, slacks.
brukubere n. waistband of a pair of pants.
brukufutu n. pant leg. No kon inisei nanga yu tokotoko brukufutu! Don’t come in with your muddy pant legs! Spelling variation: bruk'futu
bruya 1) n. confusion. Wan heri bruya ben de ini a dorpu di den srudati kon. There was great confusion in the village when the soldiers came. Variant: bruyabruya.
2) v. confuse, make a mess of something. Ala sani ben e waka bun, ma di Boiki kon a bruya ala sani. Everything was going well. But when Boiki came, he made a mess of everything.
3) adj. confused; messy, disorderly. Mi ede bruya now. Betre yu kon tamara baka. I am all confused now. You had better come back tomorrow. A kamra ben bruya sote tak' mi no ben man feni a buku. The room was so messy that I could not find the book. Variant: bruyabruya.
bruyabruya See main entry: bruya.
buba n. skin (of a person, animal, tree or fruit), fish scales. Te den boi e nyan manya, den e trowe a buba na gron. When boys eat mangoes, they throw the peels on the ground. See: skin. Spelling variation: b'ba
bubu1 n. filaria. a sickness that causes the leg to swell, but the swelling never goes away. syn: bimba; bigifutu1.
bubu2 n. a pretend monster or ghost to scare children. Efu yu no wani kon, mi o kari bubu gi yu. Luku, bubu e kon! Bubu! If you won’t come, I’ll call bubu. Look, bubu is coming! Boo!
bugru n. large metal ball, ball bearing, bullet. See: kugru.
bugrumaka n. a kind of thorny palm tree. Astrocaryum sciophilum (Palmae).
bugubugu1 n. junk, stuff, rags. A pôtiman ben weri wan lo bugubugu na en skin. The poor man was in rags. Morph: redup.
bui 1) n. bracelet, chain.
2) n. handcuff.
3) v. handcuff. Skowtu bui a fufuruman tya gwe. The police handcuffed the thief and took him away.
buibui adj. bound, in chains, handcuffed. Skowtu tyari den boi buibui go na krutubakra. The police brought the boys handcuffed to the judge. Morph: redup.
buku1 n. book.
buku2 1) n. mould, mildew. Koti a buku puru, dan yu e gi a pikin a brede. Cut away the mould then you can give the child the bread. Variant: bukubuku.
2) v. mould; mildew. Efu yu libi a brede tumsi langa a o buku. If you leave the bread too long, it will mould.
3) adj. musty, stuffy, stale. Opo den fensre. Mi no man nanga a buku smeri ini a kamra. Open the windows. I can’t stand the musty smell in the room. Variant: bukubuku.
buku3 1) v. butt (by an animal, such as a goat or cow).
2) v. push or shove (by a person with some other body part than the hands). Mi no lobi fa den sma na wowoyo e buku yu nanga den skowru. I don’t like how people at the market push you with their shoulders. See: pusu.
3) ad. with great speed.
buku kon v. approach very quickly. Frow, kon tnapu na wan sei. Bika a fasi fa den wagi e buku kon ... Lady, come stand to one side. Because the way the cars are coming on fast...
buku psa v. speed by, pass by with great speed. Fosi mi doro a uku, a bus ben buku psa kba. Before I got to the corner, the bus had sped by already
bukubuku See main entry: buku2. 1) n. mould, mildew.
2) adj. musty, stuffy, stale.
bukundu v. bend down, stoop down. A man bukundu fu teki wan karta di fadon na gron. The man bent over to pick up a card that fell to the ground. Variant: bukunu.
bukunu See main entry: bukundu.
bukuwenkri n. bookstore.
bulu n. bull. Bos taurus (Bovidae). syn: burkaw.
bun 1) ad. good, well. A bun fu gi wan pikin tayawiwiri. It is good to give a child tayerblad (to eat). A oto fu mi no e drai bun. My car does not run well. ant: takru; pori1; kruktu.
2) adj. big, terrible, to a high degree, good. No rei so esi! Na bun mankeri yu o kisi. Don’t drive so fast! You’ll get into a big accident.
3) ad. good, terribly. A frow kosi a man bun. The woman cussed the man out good.
4) ad. very. Wan dei Margie ben siki wan bun hebi siki. One day Margie became extremely sick.
5) n. something good, favor. A bun e wini a ogri. Good overcomes evil. Ai, mi gudu, du mi wan bun fu tyari mi go na wenkri. Do me a favor and take me to the store.
bun furu ad. very much, in abundance. syn: bogobogo. See: tumsi.
bun-ati 1) n. grace, goodwill. Na a bun-ati fu Masra tyari mi kon dya. It’s the grace of God that’s brought me this far. ant: takru-ati; takrufasi.
2) ad. gracious, good-natured. A no makriki fu feni wan bun-ati sma den dei disi. It is not easy to find a gracious person these days.
bunbun 1) adv. safe and sound. Mi ben breiti sote di a boi fu mi kon bunbun baka na oso. I was so happy when my son came back home safe and sound.
2) adv. very well. Mi sabi bunbun fa den skowtu e fon den straf'man. I know quite well how the police beat the prisoners.
3) adj. very good. A ben abi wan bunbun wroko fosi a bigin smoko takrutabaka. He had a real good job before he began to smoke drugs. Morph: redup.
bunfasi n. goodness, kindness. ant: takrufasi.
bunkopu ad. inexpensive, cheap. ant: diri.
bunkopu seri n. sale at a store, but usually a garage sale or flea market organized by a church or club.
buriki n. donkey. Equus asinus (Equidae).
burikiwagi n. donkey cart.
burkaw n. bull, ox. Bos taurus (Bovidae). Yu e luku mi leki wan burkaw! Why are you looking at me so stupid? (lit: you are looking at me like an ox) syn: bulu. See: kaw1. Spelling variation: bur'kaw, bulkaw
buru 1) n. a descendant of Dutch farmers who came to Suriname in the nineteenth century. From: NL. Etym: boer .
2) n. white person. syn: bakra.
3) n. farmer. Yu abi den aleisi buru na Wageningen. You have rice farmers in Wageningen. syn: gronman.
buruwei n. pasture.
busbusi 1) n. bush, overgrown area, undergrowth. Mi taigi den boi fu kapu a busbusi puru. I told the boys to clean out the undergrowth.
2) adj. overgrown. A dyari na abrasei busbusi. The yard on the other side is overgrown. Morph: redup. See: busi.
busdoksi n. muscovy duck. Cairina moschata (Anatidae).
busi n. jungle, bush, forest. See: sabana.
busi-alata n. Term used to refer to a rat outside of town. Spelling variation: bus'alata
busi-anansi n. tarantula. Aviculariidae, O. Orthognatha. Spelling variation: bus'anansi
busi-ponpon n. green oropendola (a kind of bird). Psarocolius viridis (Icteridae).
busisekrepatu n. yellow-footed tortoise. Chelonoidis denticulata (Testudinidae).
busiswipi n. brown vinesnake. Oxybelis aeneus (Colubridae).
busititei n. liana, jungle vine. Variant: titei.
bus'kondre n. interior (of Suriname).
buskutu n. toast.
brede buskutu n. bread toasted until it is hard.
buskutugrasi n. broadleaf carpetgrass. Axonopus compressus (Gramineae).
bus'meti 1) n. wild animal. See: meti. Spelling variation: busimeti
2) n. meat from a wild animal.
bus'moismoisi n. murine opossum, mouse opossum. Marmosa murina (Didelphidae). See: awari.
Busnengre n. refers to someone from one of the groups of Maroons in Suriname.
butbutu v. patch something up (not well-done). No tyari yu wagi gi a man dati fu meki. A no e wroko fini. A o butbutu en gi yu. Do not take you car to that man for repairs. He does not do good work. He will only patch it up for you. Morph: redup.
butsweri n. boil, furuncle.
butu 1) n. fine, penalty. Telesur meki mi pai wan butu fu di mi go tumsi lati fu pai. Telesur made me pay a fine because I was late in paying my bill.
2) v. pay for wrongs done. Noiti a man disi ben sori tra sma sari-ati. Now a e butu fu a fasi fa a ben libi. No wan sma e sori en sari-ati baka. This man never showed other people compassion. Now he is paying for the way he lived. No one shows him compassion in return.
3) v. fine. Skowtu butu en fu di a ben rei sondro faya. The police fined him because he was driving without lights.
bwasi See main entry: gwasi. n. leprosy.
bwasiman See main entry: gwasiman. n. leper.
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