-yé

Per The Dictionary of Louisiana Creole (Valdman 1998, p. 16) -yé, along with other postposed determiners in Louisiana Creole, mirrors features found both in some African languages and in Louisiana French (cf. French -là). (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

• IPA^(key): /je/
• Rhymes: -je, -e
• Homophones: yé, yê

-yé

1. Plural marker, the most common in Louisiana Creole.

   zami, zami-yé ― (a) friend, friends

   Piti-yé dròl. ― Children are odd.

   • 1998, Albert Valdman, Thomas A. Klingler, Margaret M. Marshall, Kevin J. Rottet, Dictionary of Louisiana Creole, page 160:

     Sa to pel le flèr-ye, le flèr jonn-ye, y ape konmonse flèri astè? [Ça to pél lê flèr-yé, lê flèr jonn-yé, y'apé konmonsé flèri astè?]

     What do you call the flowers, the yellow flowers that are blooming right now?

   • 1998, Albert Valdman, Thomas A. Klingler, Margaret M. Marshall, Kevin J. Rottet, Dictionary of Louisiana Creole, page 38:

     Mo gen en larmanak pou 1997. Mo ekri tou mo BIRTHDAYS-ye^[sic] an mo larmanak. [Mo gin in larmanak pou 1997. Mo ékri tou mô birthdays-yé en mô larmanak.]

     I have a calendar for 1997. I write all my birthdays on my calendar.

   • 1998, Albert Valdman, Thomas A. Klingler, Margaret M. Marshall, Kevin J. Rottet, Dictionary of Louisiana Creole, page 125:

     Li te gen bon lespri e li te kouri fe so di pyas-ye sir. [Li té gin bon léspri é li té kourí fé sô di pyas-yé sîr.]

     He was a clear thinker, and he was surely going to earn his ten dollars.

   • 1998, Albert Valdman, Thomas A. Klingler, Margaret M. Marshall, Kevin J. Rottet, Dictionary of Louisiana Creole, page 252:

     Moun koulè-ye bat, ye kase sa. [Moun koulè-yé bat, yé kasé ça.]

     Black people [pl.] fought and defeated that [racial segregation].

   • 1998, Albert Valdman, Thomas A. Klingler, Margaret M. Marshall, Kevin J. Rottet, Dictionary of Louisiana Creole, page 226:

     Mon se katriyenm. Mo mo se katriyenm-la dan nèf-ye. [Mon çé katriyinm. Mo, mo çé katriyinm-la dan nèf-yé.]

     I'm the fourth, I'm the fourth out of nine [children].

   • 1998, Albert Valdman, Thomas A. Klingler, Margaret M. Marshall, Kevin J. Rottet, Dictionary of Louisiana Creole, page 166:

     En gar-monje s p met ta laveseyl, to fourchet e to kiyè-ye, to vèr, sa to bwa andon. [In gar-monjé ç'p mét tâ lavéséyl, tô fourshèt é tô kiyè-yé, tô vèr, ça to bwa endon.]

     A larder is for putting your dishes, your forks and spoons, your glasses [note contextual plurality], what you drink out of.

   • 1998, Albert Valdman, Thomas A. Klingler, Margaret M. Marshall, Kevin J. Rottet, Dictionary of Louisiana Creole, page 269:

     Moun laba Lafiyet-ye, moun-sa-ye parl tou fronse laba-la. [Moun laba Lafiyét-yé, moun-çayé parl tou fronçé laba la.]

     The people [pl.] of Lafayette, they all speak French over there.

   • 1998, Albert Valdman, Thomas A. Klingler, Margaret M. Marshall, Kevin J. Rottet, Dictionary of Louisiana Creole, page 9:

     Lav le ròb-ye. [Lav lê ròb-yé.]

     Wash these dresses.

2. synonym of -layé (“the... -s”)
   • 1998, Albert Valdman, Thomas A. Klingler, Margaret M. Marshall, Kevin J. Rottet, Dictionary of Louisiana Creole, page 493:

     Apre soley kouche, sa te fe nwar e mouch-a-fe-ye komanse soti. [Apré soléy koushé, ça té fé nwar é moush-a-fé-yé komensé soti.]

     After the sun set, it was dark and the fireflies began to come out.

• Used to specify or emphasize a noun's plurality, though Louisiana Creole nouns on their own (i.e., without any determiner) may be implied to be singular or plural based on context alone. Also commonly used with cardinal numbers (see quotations).
• Modifies a noun phrase, or even multiple noun phrases simultaneously (see quotations).
• Generally not used concurrently with dê or lê (however, see quotations), which are words that perform similar functions and which may be considered more meso- or acrolectal.
• Hyphen is dropped when used with other postpositional determiners (see usage examples and derived terms).
• Not to be confused with the homophonous and common yé (“they”) or yê (“their”).

• Guillory-Chatman, A., Mayeux, O., Wendte, N., Wiltz, H. (2020). Ti liv kréyòl: A learner's guide to Louisiana Creole (2nd ed.). TSÒHK.
• Valdman, A., Klingler, T. A., Marshall, M. M., Rottet, K. J. (1998). Dictionary of Louisiana Creole. Indiana University Press. ISBN: 0-253-33451-9.

-yé

1. Verbal stem occurring in the following root, aspect, and mode combinations:

Aspect	IMP	PERF	FUT	ITER	OPT
CON	-YĮ́ (handle LPB)