Beowulf: An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem — Page 2

Vocabulary

est

Third person singular of 'être'; means 'is'

double

Twice as much; twofold or duplicate

vainqueur

Victor or winner of a contest or battle

rapporte

Brings back or reports something to someone

ses

Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'

trophées

Trophies or prizes won after a victory

La

Feminine definite article meaning 'the'

gratitude

Feeling of thankfulness toward someone for help

de

Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'

moralise

Draws moral lessons or reflects on ethics

Le

Masculine definite article meaning 'the'

repos

Rest or relaxation after effort or work

après

Preposition meaning 'after' in time or order

le

Masculine definite article meaning 'the'

labeur

Hard work or toil; laborious effort

tristesse

Sadness or sorrow felt deeply within

la

Feminine definite article meaning 'the'

séparation

Act of parting or being separated from someone

voyage

Journey or trip taken to another place

retour

Return or coming back to a place

Les

Plural definite article meaning 'the'

deux

The number two

reines

Queens; plural of reine, female sovereigns

et

Conjunction meaning 'and'

raconte

Tells or narrates a story or event

aventures

Adventures or exciting experiences undergone

à

Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'

L'

Elided definite article 'le' or 'la' before vowel

échange

Exchange or trade of items between parties

cadeaux

Gifts or presents given to someone

mutuel

Mutual or reciprocal between two parties

trésor

Treasure; a collection of precious valuable things

dragon

Dragon; mythical fire-breathing creature guarding treasure

Courageux

Brave or courageous; showing great boldness

malgré

Despite or in spite of something

l'

Elided definite article before a vowel sound

âge

Age; the length of time one has lived

Réminiscences

Reminiscences; memories recalled from the past

part

Departs or leaves; third person singular present

recherche

Search or quest for something important

du

Contracted article meaning 'of the' masculine

réminiscences

Memories or recollections from one's past experiences

suite

Continuation or sequence following something previous

dernier

Last or final in a series or sequence

combat

Fight or battle between opposing forces

fidèle

Faithful or loyal to a person or cause

abandonné

Abandoned or deserted by others in need

par

Preposition meaning 'by' or 'through'

amis

Friends; people one has a close bond with

son

Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its'

épée

Sword; a bladed weapon used in combat

fatal

Fatal or deadly; causing death or ruin

derniers

Last or final plural; the final moments

instants

Moments; very brief periods of time

pille

Plunders or loots a place of its contents

antre

Den or lair of a wild beast

mort

Death; the end of life

ennemis

Enemies; those hostile or opposed to one

morts

Dead; plural adjective or noun referring to deceased

amers

Bitter; expressing pain, resentment, or harsh criticism

reproches

Reproaches or rebukes directed at someone's actions

messager

Messenger; one who carries news or messages

regard

Gaze or glance; act of looking at something

rétrospectif

Retrospective; looking back at past events

triste

Sad or sorrowful in mood or expression

récit

Account or narrative of events told aloud

emporté

Carried away or taken off to somewhere

bûcher

Funeral pyre on which a body is burned

PRÉFACE

Preface; introductory section of a book

présent

Present; current time or a gift offered

ouvrage

Work or literary piece created by an author

un

Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'

modeste

Modest or humble in scale or ambition

effort

Effort; energy or attempt applied to a task

pour

Preposition meaning 'for' or 'in order to'

reproduire

To reproduce or recreate something in another form

approximativement

Approximately; in a rough or inexact manner

dans

Preposition meaning 'in' or 'within'

des

Plural indefinite article meaning 'some' or 'of the'

formes

Forms or shapes; structural expressions of something

modernes

Modern; relating to contemporary times or styles

vénérable

Venerable; worthy of deep respect and reverence

épopée

Epic poem narrating heroic deeds and adventures

Approximativement

Approximately; used to qualify an inexact statement

je

First person singular pronoun meaning 'I'

répète

Repeats; says or does something again

car

Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for' explaining reason

une

Feminine indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'

reproduction

Reproduction; a copy or recreation of an original

très

Adverb meaning 'very'; intensifies an adjective

vers

Verse or line of poetry; poetic lines

anglo-saxons

Anglo-Saxon; relating to early medieval English culture

serait

Would be; conditional form of 'être'

large

Wide or broad; here suggesting a large degree

mesure

Measure or degree; extent of something

prose

Prose; ordinary written language without poetic meter

oreille

Ear; organ of hearing; also means musical taste

moderne

Modern; belonging to or characteristic of current times

texte

Text; written content of a document or book

glossaire

Glossary; list of terms with definitions

ont

Third person plural of 'avoir'; means 'have'

été

Past participle of 'être'; means 'been'

suivis

Followed; past participle of 'suivre' plural form

près

Near or close; also 'closely' in expression

Il

Third person singular pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'

y

Adverbial pronoun meaning 'there' or 'to it'

a

Third person singular of 'avoir'; means 'has'

parfois

Sometimes; occasionally but not always

dérogé

Deviated or departed from a rule or standard

mais

Conjunction meaning 'but'; introduces a contrast

toujours

Always or still; at all times or continuously

raisons

Reasons; justifications for an action or decision

qui

Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which'

semblaient

Seemed; imperfect of 'sembler', appeared to be

bonnes

Good; feminine plural adjective meaning satisfactory

suffisantes

Sufficient or adequate; enough to meet requirements

traducteur

Translator; one who translates texts between languages

ne

Negation particle used with 'pas' to negate

prétend

Claims or pretends; asserts something about oneself

pas

Negation word meaning 'not' paired with 'ne'

être

To be; fundamental infinitive verb of existence

éditeur

Editor or publisher of a literary work