A Modest Proposal: For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publick — Page 6

Vocabulary

J'

zhay — Contraction of 'je' meaning 'I' before vowel

ai

ay — First person singular present of 'avoir' (to have)

calculé

kal-kü-lay — Calculated; figured out through mathematical reasoning

en

ahn — In, on, or by; common preposition with many uses

moyenne

mwa-yen — Average; middle value of a set of numbers

qu'

k — Contraction of 'que' meaning 'that' before vowel

un

uhn — Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'

enfant

ahn-fahn — Child; young human being

qui

kee — Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which'

vient

vyahn — Third person singular of 'venir'; comes or arrives

de

duh — Of, from; very common French preposition

naître

neh-truh — To be born; to come into existence

pèse

pez — Weighs; third person singular of 'peser'

livres

lee-vruh — Pounds; unit of weight or old French currency

et

ay — And; basic coordinating conjunction

une

ün — Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'

année

ah-nay — Year; full twelve-month period

solaire

so-lair — Solar; relating to the sun or solar calendar

s'

s — Reflexive pronoun contraction before vowel sound

il

eel — He or it; third person singular masculine pronoun

est

ay — Is; third person singular of 'être' (to be)

convenablement

kon-vuh-nah-bluh-mahn — Properly; suitably; in an appropriate manner

nourri

noo-ree — Fed; nourished; past participle of 'nourrir'

atteint

ah-tahn — Reaches; attains; third person singular of 'atteindre'

Je

zhuh — I; first person singular subject pronoun

reconnais

ruh-ko-nay — Acknowledge; recognize; first person singular of 'reconnaître'

que

kuh — That; conjunction introducing subordinate clause

cette

set — This; feminine demonstrative adjective

nourriture

noo-ree-tür — Food; nourishment; sustenance for living beings

sera

suh-rah — Will be; future tense of 'être'

quelque

kel-kuh — Some; a certain amount; indefinite adjective

peu

puh — Little; a small amount or degree

coûteuse

koo-tuhz — Expensive; costly; feminine adjective from 'coûteux'

donc

donk — Therefore; so; consequently; logical conclusion marker

tout

too — All; every; completely; versatile French adjective/adverb

à

ah — To, at, in; fundamental French preposition

fait

fay — Fact or done; part of expression 'tout à fait' (quite)

appropriée

ah-pro-pree-ay — Appropriate; suitable; fitting for a purpose

pour

poor — For; in order to; very common French preposition

les

lay — The; plural definite article for both genders

propriétaires

pro-pree-ay-tair — Owners; landlords; those who possess property

terriens

teh-ryahn — Landowners; earthly beings; relating to land

ayant

ay-yahn — Having; present participle of 'avoir'

déjà

day-zhah — Already; previously; used to indicate prior occurrence

dévoré

day-vo-ray — Devoured; consumed greedily; past participle of 'dévorer'

la

lah — The; feminine singular definite article

plupart

plü-par — Most; the majority; used with 'de'

des

day — Some; of the; plural indefinite article

parents

pah-rahn — Parents; father and mother; close relatives

semblent

sahm-bluh — Seem; appear; third person plural of 'sembler'

avoir

ah-vwar — To have; fundamental French auxiliary verb

le

luh — The; masculine singular definite article

meilleur

meh-yuhr — Best; better; superlative/comparative of 'bon'

droit

drwah — Right; entitlement; also means 'straight' or 'law'

sur

sür — On; over; upon; common French preposition

enfants

ahn-fahn — Children; plural of 'enfant'

La

lah — The; feminine singular definite article

chair

shair — Flesh; meat; the soft tissue of a body

nourrissons

noo-ree-sohn — Infants; nursing babies; very young children

saison

say-zohn — Season; one of the four periods of the year

au

oh — To the; at the; contraction of 'à le'

long

lohn — Long; extended in length or duration

l'

l — The; contraction of 'le' or 'la' before vowel

mais

may — But; however; coordinating conjunction of contrast

plus

plü — More; most; comparative marker in French

abondante

ah-bohn-dahnt — Abundant; plentiful; available in large quantities

mars

mars — March; the third month of the year

avant

ah-vahn — Before; in front of; preposition of time or place

après

ah-pray — After; following in time or sequence

car

kar — Because; for; coordinating causal conjunction

auteur

oh-tuhr — Author; writer; creator of a work

sérieux

say-ryuh — Serious; earnest; not trivial or frivolous

éminent

ay-mee-nahn — Eminent; distinguished; highly respected in a field

médecin

mayd-sahn — Doctor; physician; medical professional

français

frahn-say — French; relating to France or its language

nous

noo — We; us; first person plural pronoun

apprend

ah-prahn — Teaches; learns; third person singular of 'apprendre'

poisson

pwah-sohn — Fish; aquatic animal eaten as food

étant

ay-tahn — Being; present participle of 'être'

régime

ray-zheem — Diet; regimen; also political regime or system

prolifique

pro-lee-feek — Prolific; highly productive in reproduction or output

naît

nay — Is born; third person singular of 'naître'

d'

d — Of, from; contraction of 'de' before vowel

dans

dahn — In; inside; within; common French preposition

pays

pay-ee — Country; nation; homeland or region

catholiques

kah-to-leek — Catholics; members of the Roman Catholic Church

romains

ro-mahn — Roman; relating to Rome or Roman Catholicism

environ

ahn-vee-rohn — About; approximately; around a certain amount

neuf

nuhf — Nine; the number nine

mois

mwah — Month; one of twelve periods in a year

Carême

kah-rem — Lent; Christian fasting period of forty days

toute

toot — All; every; entire; feminine singular of 'tout'

autre

oh-truh — Other; another; different from the one mentioned

ainsi

ahn-see — Thus; so; in this way; consequently

comptant

kohn-tahn — Counting; reckoning; present participle of 'compter'

an

ahn — Year; twelve-month period (used in counts)

marchés

mar-shay — Markets; places where goods are bought and sold

seront

suh-rohn — Will be; future tense plural of 'être'

engorgés

ahn-gor-zhay — Congested; flooded; overwhelmed with excess supply

ordinaire

or-dee-nair — Ordinary; usual; common; not special or exceptional

nombre

nohm-bruh — Number; quantity; amount of something

papistes

pah-peest — Papists; derogatory term for Roman Catholics

moins

mwahn — Less; fewer; minus; comparative of reduction

trois

trwah — Three; the number three

ce

suh — This; that; demonstrative pronoun or adjective

royaume

rwah-yohm — Kingdom; realm; territory ruled by a monarch

cela

suh-lah — That; this thing; demonstrative pronoun

aura

oh-rah — Will have; future tense of 'avoir'

avantage

ah-vahn-tahzh — Advantage; benefit; favorable condition or factor

indirect

ahn-dee-rekt — Indirect; not direct; achieved by secondary means

diminuant

dee-mee-nü-ahn — Reducing; decreasing; present participle of 'diminuer'

parmi

par-mee — Among; amongst; within a group or set

coût

koo — Cost; expense; price of something

élever

ay-luh-vay — To raise; to bring up; to rear a child

mendiant

mahn-dyahn — Beggar; mendicant; person who begs for charity

lequel

luh-kel — Which; whom; relative pronoun for masculine noun

je

zhuh — I; first person singular subject pronoun

range

rahnzh — Place; classify; sort into a category or group

tous

too — All; every one; masculine plural of 'tout'

habitants

ah-bee-tahn — Inhabitants; residents; people who live in a place

chaumières

sho-myair — Cottages; thatched huts; humble rural dwellings

ouvriers

oo-vree-ay — Workers; laborers; manual working-class people

quatre

kah-truh — Four; the number four

cinquièmes

sahn-kyem — Fifths; one-fifth portions; ordinal form of five

fermiers

fair-myay — Farmers; agricultural workers who work the land

deux

duh — Two; the number two

par

par — Per; by; through; common French preposition

haillons

ah-yohn — Rags; tatters; torn worn-out pieces of clothing

compris

kohm-pree — Included; understood; past participle of 'comprendre'

crois

krwah — Believe; think; first person singular of 'croire'

aucun

oh-kuhn — No; none; not any; negative indefinite adjective

gentilhomme

zhahn-tee-om — Gentleman; nobleman; man of noble or gentle birth

ne

nuh — Not; negative particle used with 'pas' etc.

rechignerait

ruh-shee-nyuh-ray — Would balk at; would grumble reluctantly about something

donner

do-nay — To give; to provide; to hand over something

dix

dees — Ten; the number ten

carcasse

kar-kas — Carcass; the body or frame of a dead animal

bon

bohn — Good; pleasant; of high quality or value

gros

groh — Big; fat; large in size or weight

bien

byahn — Well; good; very; in a satisfactory manner

dodu

do-dü — Plump; chubby; pleasantly fat and round

comme

kom — Like; as; such as; comparison conjunction

dit

dee — Says; said; third person singular of 'dire'

donnera

don-uh-rah — Will give; future tense of 'donner'

plats

plah — Dishes; courses of a meal; flat serving plates

excellente

ek-seh-lahnt — Excellent; outstanding; of very high quality

viande

vyahnd — Meat; flesh of an animal used as food

nutritive

nü-tree-teev — Nutritious; nourishing; providing essential nutrients

lorsqu'

lors-k — When; at the time that; contraction of 'lorsque'

n'

n — Negative particle 'ne' contracted before vowel

a

ah — Has; third person singular present of 'avoir'

ami

ah-mee — Friend; close companion; male friend

particulier

par-tee-kü-lyay — Particular; private; specific individual person

ou

oo — Or; either; coordinating disjunctive conjunction

sa

sah — His; her; its; feminine singular possessive adjective

propre

pro-pruh — Own; clean; one's very own possession

famille

fah-meey — Family; group of related people living together

dîner

dee-nay — To dine; to have dinner; evening meal

avec

ah-vek — With; together with; in the company of

lui

lwee — Him; he; third person singular masculine pronoun