I was listening to Chris Ardoin's "Turning the Page" CD on a long drive and again heard the word that sounds like "Betais" for Ghost, as in"Betais's in my room".. The Creole French word according to my friend who is a court interpreter is "Fantom". He never neard of the word "Betai". Can anyone explain the derivation and give us the correct spelling of "Betai".

Johnny,

Are you sure you're not hearing "bétaille" Which means amimal? As in "petite bétaille dan mon chambre" "Little animal in my room".

Betaille is often used to refer to a "monster" or "bogey man," or pretty much any big ugly scary creature. I am not sure if there is an actual something that it refers to. Maybe Chris, Neal or Jude will chime in.

Betaille is a pretty broad assortment of meanings, in any area, but probably has some meanings that differ from area to area. My understanding of it is it usually means animal, generally, but it can also carries a "beastly" meaning, just as it can in English.

Another word close to it that is used in my area of Acadiana (Mamou) is tataille, now that word to me means a type of monster, but is apparently not commonly used other places.

I'm gonna stick with Bryan on this one. Where I'm from in Lafayette we used betaille to mean animal.

Bryan, I also have heard "tataille" used for a monster.

Thanks all for the quick answer. Now I know that Betaille is the Creole equivalent of the bogey man. Makes sense.

I remember being warned that, if I was not good, the tataille would get me. Of course, if there really was a tataille, I wouldn't be here...

The uses of betaille that I've heard all correspond with what has already been said.

JtO

I have also read about "la grande bécaille", a giant half-roach half spider insect coming to get disobedient children.

Christian