Bleak House — Page 1

Vocabulary

CASA

Home or house, a place where one lives

DESOLATA

Desolate, lonely, bleak, or abandoned

di

Of, by; common Italian preposition

INDICE

Index or table of contents in a book

Prefazione

Preface or foreword introducing a book

In

In, into; basic Italian preposition of place

Cancelleria

Chancery, a court of equity or chancellery

Alla

To the, at the; contraction of a + la

moda

Fashion, style, trend in clothing or behavior

Un

A, an; masculine indefinite article in Italian

progresso

Progress, advancement, improvement over time

La

The; feminine singular definite article

filantropia

Philanthropy, charitable love for humankind

telescopica

Telescopic, distant or far-reaching in scope

Un'

A, an; feminine indefinite article before vowel

avventura

Adventure, an exciting or unexpected experience

mattutina

Morning, relating to or occurring in the morning

Proprio

Own, exactly, right; emphasizing authenticity or precision

a

To, at; very common Italian preposition

casa

Home or house, a place where one lives

Il

The; masculine singular definite article

passaggio

Passage, corridor, or transition from one place

del

Of the; contraction of di + il

fantasma

Ghost, phantom, or spirit of a dead person

Coprire

To cover, conceal, or hide something

una

A, an; feminine singular indefinite article

moltitudine

Multitude, a large number of people or things

peccati

Sins, moral wrongdoings or transgressions

Segni

Signs, signals, or omens indicating something

e

And; most common Italian coordinating conjunction

presagi

Omens, portents, or foreboding signs of future

Lo

The; masculine singular article before s+consonant

scrivano

Scrivener, a legal copyist or clerk

legale

Legal, lawful, relating to the law

nostro

Our, belonging to us; possessive adjective

caro

Dear, beloved, or expensive depending on context

fratello

Brother, a male sibling or fellow member

osservazione

Observation, remark, or act of watching carefully

racconto

Story, tale, or short narrative account

portamento

Bearing, posture, or manner of carrying oneself

covo

Den, lair, or hideout of criminals or animals

Andare

To go; one of the most common Italian verbs

avanti

Forward, ahead, onward in space or time

nuovo

New, recent, or different from before

inquilino

Tenant, a person renting a property

famiglia

Family, a group of related people living together

signor

Mr., a formal title for an adult man

caso

Case, situation, or legal matter under consideration

d'

Of; elided form of di before a vowel

appello

Appeal, a legal request for case review

signora

Mrs., Ms.; formal title for an adult woman

vede

Sees; third person singular of vedere

tutto

Everything, all, the whole of something

Tiratori

Shooters, marksmen, or riflemen

scelti

Selected, chosen, elite or hand-picked individuals

Più

More, plus; used in comparisons and quantities

un

A, an; masculine indefinite article

vecchio

Old, elderly; referring to an aged person

soldato

Soldier, a person serving in the military

padrone

Master, owner, or boss of an establishment

delle

Of the; contraction of di + le (plural)

ferriere

Ironworks, forges where iron is manufactured

giovane

Young, a youth or young person

L'

The; elided definite article before a vowel

infermiera

Nurse, a female caregiver in medical settings

il

The; masculine singular definite article

paziente

Patient, a person receiving medical treatment

ora

Now, or hour; referring to present time

stabilita

Established, set, fixed or determined in advance

Gli

The; masculine plural article before vowels

intrusi

Intruders, people who enter uninvited or illegally

giro

Turn, round, tour, or rotation

vite

Screws, or lives (plural of vita); context-dependent

Una

A, an; feminine singular indefinite article

lotta

Struggle, fight, or wrestling match

avvocato

Lawyer, attorney, or legal advocate

cliente

Client, customer, or person using a service

Nazionale

National, relating to a whole nation

domestico

Domestic, household, or relating to home life

Nella

In the; contraction of in + la

stanza

Room, a space within a building

Nello

In the; contraction of in + lo

studio

Study room, office, or artistic studio

lettera

Letter, a written message sent to someone

la

The; feminine singular definite article

risposta

Answer, reply, or response to a question

custodia

Custody, care, guardianship, or safekeeping

Fermatelo

Stop him! imperative command to halt someone

testamento

Will, testament, a legal document declaring inheritance

stretta

Tight, narrow, or a firm grip or squeeze

finale

Final, last, or concluding part of something

Amicizia

Friendship, a close and caring relationship

devota

Devoted, dedicated, faithful to a person or cause

Illuminato

Illuminated, enlightened, or lit up brightly

ostinazione

Obstinacy, stubbornness, persistent refusal to change

traccia

Trace, trail, or track left behind by someone

Far

To make or cause; infinitive form of fare

esplodere

To explode, blow up, or burst suddenly

mina

Mine, an explosive device or underground tunnel

fuga

Flight, escape, or running away from something

inseguimento

Pursuit, chase, following someone to catch them

giorno

Day, the period of light between sunrise and sunset

notte

Night, the dark period after sunset

inverno

Winter, the coldest season of the year

Prospettiva

Perspective, outlook, or future prospect

scoperta

Discovery, a finding of something previously unknown

altra

Other, another; feminine form of altro

Acciaio

Steel, a strong metal alloy of iron

ferro

Iron, a common metallic element or material

inizio

Beginning, start, or opening of something

mondo

World, earth, or human society in general

Nel

In the; contraction of in + il