Meditations — Page 1

Vocabulary

MÉDITATIONS

may-dee-tah-syohn — Reflective writings or thoughts on philosophy and life

Par

par — By; used to indicate authorship or agency

TABLE

tahbl — Table; flat surface or organized list of contents

DES

day — Of the; plural indefinite or partitive article

MATIÈRES

mah-tyair — Subjects or matters; contents of a book

NOTES

noht — Short written remarks or explanatory comments

INTRODUCTION

an-troh-dook-syohn — Opening section presenting the main topic

PREMIER

pruh-myay — First; ordinal number indicating position one

LIVRE

leevr — Book; a written or printed literary work

DEUXIÈME

duh-zyem — Second; ordinal number indicating position two

TROISIÈME

twah-zyem — Third; ordinal number indicating position three

QUATRIÈME

kah-tree-em — Fourth; ordinal number indicating position four

CINQUIÈME

sank-yem — Fifth; ordinal number indicating position five

SIXIÈME

see-zyem — Sixth; ordinal number indicating position six

SEPTIÈME

set-yem — Seventh; ordinal number indicating position seven

HUITIÈME

wee-tyem — Eighth; ordinal number indicating position eight

NEUVIÈME

nuh-vyem — Ninth; ordinal number indicating position nine

DIXIÈME

dee-zyem — Tenth; ordinal number indicating position ten

ONZIÈME

ohn-zyem — Eleventh; ordinal number indicating position eleven

DOUZIÈME

doo-zyem — Twelfth; ordinal number indicating position twelve

APPENDICE

ah-pahn-dees — Appendix; supplementary material at a book's end

GLOSSAIRE

gloh-sair — Glossary; list of terms with their definitions

est

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

né

nay — Born; past participle of naître, to be born

le

luh — The; masculine singular definite article

avril

ah-vreel — April; the fourth month of the year

de

duh — Of, from; common preposition indicating origin

l'

l — The; elided definite article before a vowel

an

ahn — Year; a unit of time equal to twelve months

apr.

ah-pray — Abbreviation for après (after); used in dating

J.-C.

zhay-say — Abbreviation for Jésus-Christ; AD in dating

Son

sohn — His, her, its; third person singular possessive adjective

véritable

vay-ree-tahbl — True, genuine, real; used for emphasis or authenticity

nom

nohn — Name; word by which a person is known

était

ay-teh — Was; imperfect tense of être (to be)

M.

muh-syuh — Abbreviation for Monsieur or a given name initial

et

ay — And; basic coordinating conjunction joining elements

il

eel — He; third person masculine singular subject pronoun

issu

ee-soo — Descended from, originating from a family or group

d'

d — Of, from; elided preposition before a vowel

une

oon — A, an; feminine singular indefinite article

noble

nohbl — Noble, aristocratic; of high social rank or class

famille

fah-mee — Family; a group of related persons living together

qui

kee — Who, which, that; relative or interrogative pronoun

se

suh — Himself, herself, itself; reflexive pronoun

réclamait

ray-klah-meh — Claimed, asserted; imperfect tense of réclamer

la

lah — The; feminine singular definite article

descendance

day-sahn-dahns — Descent, lineage; ancestry traced from a forebearer

deuxième

duh-zyem — Second; ordinal number indicating position two

roi

rwah — King; male monarch ruling over a kingdom

Ainsi

an-see — Thus, so, in this way; adverb of manner

plus

ploo — More, most; used for comparatives and superlatives

religieux

ruh-lee-zhyuh — Religious, devout; relating to religion or piety

des

day — Of the; plural indefinite or partitive article

empereurs

ahm-prur — Emperors; rulers of an empire, plural of empereur

était-

ay-teh — Was; imperfect of être, used in inverted questions

du

doo — Of the; contracted masculine singular partitive article

sang

sahn — Blood; fluid in the body; also lineage or descent

pieux

pyuh — Pious, devout; deeply religious and reverent

rois

rwah — Kings; plural of roi, male monarchs

anciens

ahn-syahn — Ancient, old, former; referring to earlier times

père

pair — Father; male parent or paternal figure

avait

ah-veh — Had; third person singular imperfect of avoir

occupé

oh-koo-pay — Occupied, held; past participle of occuper

hautes

oht — High, senior; feminine plural of haut, elevated

fonctions

fohnk-syohn — Functions, offices, roles; duties held officially

à

ah — At, to, in; versatile French preposition of location

son

sohn — His, her, its; third person singular possessive adjective

grand-

grahn — Grand, great; prefix indicating elder generation relation

même

mem — Same, even, itself; used for emphasis or identity

été

ay-tay — Been; past participle of être (to be)

trois

twah — Three; the cardinal number between two and four

fois

Times; occurrences or instances of an action

consul

kohn-sool — Consul; high Roman magistrate or diplomatic official

Ses

say — His, her, its; third person plural possessive adjective

deux

duh — Two; the cardinal number between one and three

parents

pah-rahn — Parents; father and mother of a person

moururent

moo-roo-rehn — Died; third person plural simple past of mourir

jeunes

zhuhn — Young; plural adjective describing early age

mais

meh — But; coordinating conjunction indicating contrast

les

lay — The; plural definite article for masculine or feminine

garda

gar-dah — Kept, preserved; simple past of garder

en

ahn — In, as, while; versatile French preposition or pronoun

affectueuse

ah-fek-tyuz — Affectionate, loving; showing warm fondness or care

mémoire

may-mwahr — Memory; ability to remember or a written account

À

ah — At, to; preposition indicating location or direction

mort

mohr — Death; the end of life; or dead adjective form

fut

foo — Was; simple past (passé simple) of être

adopté

ah-dohp-tay — Adopted; past participle of adopter, legally taken in

par

par — By, through; preposition indicating agent or means

consulaire

kohn-soo-lair — Consular; relating to or of the rank of consul

y

ee — There, it; pronoun replacing a place or thing

entre

ahn-tr — Between, among; preposition indicating a relationship

eux

uh — Them; third person masculine plural disjunctive pronoun

un

uhn — A, an, one; masculine singular indefinite article

amour

ah-moor — Love; deep affection or romantic feeling for someone

profond

proh-fohn — Deep, profound; intense or far-reaching in meaning

Dès

day — From, as early as; preposition indicating starting point

première

pruh-myair — First; feminine ordinal indicating initial position

page

pahzh — Page; one side of a leaf in a book

livre

leevr — Book; a written or printed literary work

déclare

day-klair — Declares, states; third person singular of déclarer

avec

ah-vek — With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means

gratitude

grah-tee-tood — Gratitude; feeling of thankfulness and appreciation

comment

koh-mahn — How; interrogative or relative adverb of manner

appris

ah-pree — Learned; past participle of apprendre (to learn)

être

etr — To be; fundamental French infinitive linking verb

doux

doo — Gentle, soft, mild; adjective describing calm nature

humble

uhm-bl — Humble, modest; not proud or arrogant in manner

garder

gar-day — To keep, to maintain; infinitive verb of preservation

toute

toot — All, every, any; feminine singular of tout

colère

koh-lair — Anger, wrath; strong feeling of displeasure or rage

passion

pah-syohn — Passion; intense emotion or strong enthusiasm for something

L'

l — The; elided definite article before a vowel sound

empereur

ahm-prur — Emperor; sovereign ruler of an empire

devina

duh-vee-nah — Guessed, discerned; simple past of deviner

beau

boh — Beautiful, fine; adjective describing attractive quality

caractère

kah-rahk-tair — Character, nature; distinctive qualities of a person

jeune

zhuhn — Young; adjective describing early stage of life

garçon

gar-sohn — Boy; a young male child or youth

qu'

k — That, which; elided relative or conjunction form

coutume

koo-toom — Custom, habit; established practice or tradition

appeler

ah-play — To call, to name; infinitive verb of naming

non

nohn — No, not; negation word in French

pas

pah — Not; part of ne...pas negation structure

Véridique

vay-ree-deek — Truthful, veracious; someone who always tells truth

que

kuh — That, which, than; conjunction or relative pronoun

propre

propr — Own, clean, proper; adjective with multiple meanings

Il

eel — He; third person masculine singular subject pronoun

éleva

ay-luh-vah — Raised, elevated; simple past of élever

au

oh — To the, at the; contracted masculine singular article

rang

rahn — Rank, position; level in a hierarchy or order

équestre

ay-kwestr — Equestrian; relating to the Roman knight social class

âge

ahzh — Age; the length of time someone has lived

six

sees — Six; the cardinal number between five and seven

ans

ahn — Years; plural of an, units of time

huit

weet — Eight; the cardinal number between seven and nine

fit

fee — Made, did; simple past (passé simple) of faire

membre

mahm-br — Member; a person belonging to a group or body

antique

ahn-teek — Ancient, antique; very old, from classical antiquity

sacerdoce

sah-ser-dohs — Priesthood; the office or role of a religious priest

La

lah — The; feminine singular definite article

tante

tahnt — Aunt; the sister of one's parent

mariée

mah-ree-ay — Married; past participle of marier, feminine form

Pieux

pyuh — Pious; devout and reverent; epithet of Emperor Antoninus

devint

duh-van — Became; simple past (passé simple) of devenir

suite

sweet — Continuation, sequence; what follows next in order