History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 1 — Page 6

Vocabulary

Questo

KWES-toh — This; demonstrative pronoun or adjective indicating nearby thing.

vasto

VAH-stoh — Vast, immense, enormous in scope or size.

disegno

dee-ZEH-nyoh — Design, plan, drawing, or scheme.

di

dee — Of, from; extremely common Italian preposition.

il

eel — The; masculine singular definite article.

magnifico

mah-NYEE-fee-koh — Magnificent, splendid, wonderful, grand.

insieme

een-SYEH-meh — Together, as a whole; also means ensemble or set.

nel

nel — In the; contraction of preposition 'in' and article 'il'.

quale

KWAH-leh — Which, that; relative pronoun used in subordinate clauses.

egli

EH-lyee — He; third person singular masculine subject pronoun.

ha

ah — Has; third person singular present tense of avere.

inserito

een-seh-REE-toh — Inserted, included, placed within something.

la

lah — The; feminine singular definite article.

decadenza

deh-kah-DEN-tsah — Decadence, decline, deterioration of a civilization.

e

eh — And; basic coordinating conjunction.

rovina

roh-VEE-nah — Ruin, downfall, destruction of something.

dell'

del — Of the; elided contraction before a vowel.

antica

ahn-TEE-kah — Ancient, old; feminine adjective describing historical antiquity.

civiltà

chee-veel-TAH — Civilization, civil society, culture of a people.

formazione

for-mah-TSYOH-neh — Formation, development, creation of something new.

nascita

NAH-shee-tah — Birth, origin, beginning of something.

del

del — Of the; contraction of 'di' and 'il'.

nuovo

NWOH-voh — New; adjective indicating something recent or fresh.

ordine

OR-dee-neh — Order, arrangement, system, organization of things.

delle

DEL-leh — Of the; feminine plural contraction of 'di' and 'le'.

cose

KOH-zeh — Things, matters, objects; plural of cosa.

renderà

ren-deh-RAH — Will make, will render; future tense of rendere.

per

pehr — For, through, by; common Italian preposition.

sé

seh — Itself, himself, herself; reflexive pronoun.

indipendentemente

een-dee-pen-den-teh-MEN-teh — Independently, regardless of something else.

dalla

DAL-lah — From the; feminine contraction of 'da' and 'la'.

laboriosa

lah-boh-RYOH-zah — Laborious, painstaking, requiring great effort.

esecuzione

eh-zeh-koo-TSYOH-neh — Execution, carrying out, performance of a plan.

suo

SWOH — His, her, its; third person singular possessive adjective.

immenso

eem-MEN-soh — Immense, enormous, boundless in extent.

piano

PYAH-noh — Plan, project; also means flat or piano instrument.

La

lah — The; feminine singular definite article.

Decadenza

deh-kah-DEN-tsah — Decline, decay; title word referring to Roman decline.

Caduta

kah-DOO-tah — Fall, downfall; refers to the collapse of something.

Impero

eem-PEH-roh — Empire; large political domain under one ruler.

Romano

roh-MAH-noh — Roman; adjective relating to Rome or its empire.

un

oon — A, an; masculine singular indefinite article.

soggetto

sod-JET-toh — Subject, topic; the main theme of a work.

insuperabile

een-soo-peh-RAH-bee-leh — Unsurpassable, unbeatable, impossible to exceed.

lo

loh — The; masculine singular definite article before certain consonants.

storico

STOH-ree-koh — Historian; one who studies or writes history.

futuro

foo-TOO-roh — Future; relating to time yet to come.

nelle

NEL-leh — In the; feminine plural contraction of 'in' and 'le'.

parole

pah-ROH-leh — Words; plural of parola, units of spoken or written language.

eloquenti

eh-loh-KWEN-tee — Eloquent, expressive, persuasive in speech or writing.

recente

reh-CHEN-teh — Recent, latest, happening not long ago.

editore

eh-dee-TOH-reh — Editor, publisher; one who edits or publishes texts.

francese

frahn-CHEH-zeh — French; relating to France or its language.

ritorno

ree-TOR-noh — Return, coming back; act of going back.

Una

OO-nah — A, an; feminine singular indefinite article.

parte

PAR-teh — Part, portion, section of a whole.

considerevole

kon-see-deh-REH-voh-leh — Considerable, significant, worth taking into account.

questa

KWES-tah — This; feminine demonstrative pronoun or adjective.

prefazione

preh-fah-TSYOH-neh — Preface, foreword; introductory section of a book.

è

eh — Is; third person singular present tense of essere.

già

JAH — Already, yet; adverb indicating prior occurrence.

apparsa

ahp-PAR-sah — Appeared, come into view; past participle of apparire.

davanti

dah-VAHN-tee — In front of, before; preposition indicating position.

al

ahl — To the; masculine singular contraction of 'a' and 'il'.

pubblico

POOB-blee-koh — Public, audience; people in general or readership.

Il

eel — The; masculine singular definite article.

graduale

grah-DWAH-leh — Gradual, step-by-step, occurring slowly over time.

declino

deh-KLEE-noh — Decline, decrease, gradual worsening of something.

dominio

doh-MEE-nyoh — Dominion, rule, control over a territory.

più

pyoo — More, most; adverb of comparison and degree.

straordinario

strah-or-dee-NAH-ryoh — Extraordinary, exceptional, beyond the ordinary.

che

keh — That, which, who; conjunction or relative pronoun.

abbia

AHB-byah — Has, may have; subjunctive of avere.

mai

my — Ever, never; adverb of frequency or negation.

invaso

een-VAH-zoh — Invaded, overrun; past participle of invadere.

oppresso

op-PRES-soh — Oppressed, crushed; past participle of opprimere.

mondo

MON-doh — World; the earth or the totality of existence.

caduta

kah-DOO-tah — Fall, collapse; the act of falling or failing.

quell'

kwel — That; elided demonstrative adjective before a vowel.

impero

eem-PEH-roh — Empire; vast territory ruled by an emperor.

eretto

eh-RET-toh — Erected, built, raised up; past participle of erigere.

sulle

SOOL-leh — On the; feminine plural contraction of 'su' and 'le'.

rovine

roh-VEE-neh — Ruins; remains of destroyed buildings or civilizations.

tanti

TAHN-tee — So many, so much; masculine plural of tanto.

regni

REH-nyee — Kingdoms, reigns; plural of regno.

repubbliche

reh-POOB-blee-keh — Republics; plural of repubblica, states governed by elected bodies.

stati

STAH-tee — States; plural of stato, political entities or countries.

sia

SYAH — Whether, both; subjunctive of essere, used in correlations.

barbari

BAR-bah-ree — Barbarians; plural of barbaro, uncivilized peoples.

civilizzati

chee-vee-leed-ZAH-tee — Civilized; plural past participle, referring to advanced societies.

forma

FOR-mah — Forms, shapes; third person singular present of formare.

a

ah — To, at; fundamental Italian preposition.

sua

SOO-ah — His, her, its; feminine singular possessive adjective.

volta

VOL-tah — Turn, time, instance; a sua volta means in turn.

con

kon — With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means.

smembramento

zmem-brah-MEN-toh — Dismemberment, breaking apart, fragmentation of a whole.

moltitudine

mol-tee-TOO-dee-neh — Multitude, great number, crowd of people or things.

l'

l — The; elided definite article before a vowel.

annientamento

an-nyen-tah-MEN-toh — Annihilation, total destruction, complete wiping out.

della

DEL-lah — Of the; feminine singular contraction of 'di' and 'la'.

religione

reh-lee-JYOH-neh — Religion; system of belief and worship.

Grecia

GREH-chah — Greece; Mediterranean country known for ancient civilization.

Roma

ROH-mah — Rome; capital of Italy and center of ancient empire.

progresso

proh-GRES-soh — Progress, advancement, forward development.

due

DOO-eh — Two; the cardinal number 2.

nuove

NWOH-veh — New; feminine plural adjective indicating novelty.

religioni

reh-lee-JYOH-nee — Religions; plural of religione, systems of faith.

si

see — Themselves, each other; reflexive or reciprocal pronoun.

sono

SOH-noh — Are; third person plural present tense of essere.

divise

dee-VEE-zeh — Divided, split; feminine plural past participle of dividere.

le

leh — The; feminine plural definite article.

belle

BEL-leh — Beautiful; feminine plural adjective describing attractive things.

regioni

reh-JYO-nee — Regions, areas, territories; plural of regione.

terra

TER-rah — Earth, land, ground; the planet or soil.

decrepitudine

deh-kreh-pee-TOO-dee-neh — Decrepitude, extreme old age and decay.

antico

ahn-TEE-koh — Ancient, old; masculine adjective for historical antiquity.

spettacolo

spet-TAH-koh-loh — Spectacle, show, impressive sight to behold.

gloria

GLOH-ryah — Glory, fame, great honor and splendor.

morente

moh-REN-teh — Dying, fading; present participle of morire.

dei

DEH-ee — Of the; masculine plural contraction of 'di' and 'i'.

suoi

SWOH-ee — His, her, its; masculine plural possessive adjective.

costumi

koh-STOO-mee — Customs, habits, manners; plural of costume.

degenerati

deh-jeh-neh-RAH-tee — Degenerated, degraded; past participle of degenerare.

infanzia

een-FAHN-tsyah — Infancy, early childhood, the very beginning of something.

moderno

moh-DER-noh — Modern; relating to the present or recent times.

quadro

KWAH-droh — Picture, painting, tableau; also a framework or scene.

primi

PREE-mee — First; masculine plural ordinal adjective.

progressi

proh-GRES-see — Progresses, advances; plural of progresso.

nuova

NWOH-vah — New; feminine singular adjective indicating novelty.

direzione

dee-reh-TSYOH-neh — Direction, course, orientation toward a goal.

impressa

eem-PRES-sah — Impressed, imprinted, instilled; past participle of imprimere.

alla

AL-lah — To the; feminine singular contraction of 'a' and 'la'.

mente

MEN-teh — Mind, intellect; the faculty of thought.

carattere

kah-RAT-teh-reh — Character, nature, personality of a person.

uomo

WOH-moh — Man, human being; adult male person.

tale

TAH-leh — Such, so; adjective indicating a certain degree or kind.

deve

DEH-veh — Must, has to; third person singular of dovere.

necessariamente

neh-ches-sah-ryah-MEN-teh — Necessarily, inevitably, by logical requirement.

fissare

fees-SAH-reh — To fix, to focus, to fasten attention on something.

attenzione

at-ten-TSYOH-neh — Attention, focus, careful notice given to something.

suscitare

soo-shee-TAH-reh — To arouse, to stir up, to provoke a reaction.

interesse

een-teh-RES-seh — Interest, curiosity, attention drawn to something.

degli

DEH-lyee — Of the; masculine plural contraction before nouns starting with vowels or s+consonant.

uomini

WOH-mee-nee — Men, people; plural of uomo.

non

non — Not; basic Italian negation adverb.

possono

POS-soh-noh — Can, are able to; third person plural of potere.

guardare

gwahr-DAH-reh — To look at, to watch, to observe something.

indifferenza

een-deef-feh-REN-tsah — Indifference, lack of interest or concern.

quelle

KWEL-leh — Those; feminine plural demonstrative adjective or pronoun.

epoche

EH-poh-keh — Epochs, eras; plural of epoca, significant historical periods.

memorabili

meh-moh-RAH-bee-lee — Memorable, worth remembering; plural of memorabile.

durante

doo-RAHN-teh — During, throughout; preposition indicating time span.

quali

KWAH-lee — Which, that; plural relative pronoun.

bel

bel — Beautiful; shortened masculine form of bello before consonants.

linguaggio

leen-GWAD-joh — Language, tongue, manner of expression.