Meditations — Page 9

Vocabulary

Chypre

Island nation Cyprus, located in the Mediterranean Sea.

a

Third person singular form of avoir (to have).

été

Past participle of être; also means summer.

de

Preposition meaning of, from, or about.

toute

Feminine singular form of tout, meaning all or every.

éternité

Eternity; an infinite or endless period of time.

un

Indefinite article or numeral meaning a or one.

lieu

A place, location, or site.

rencontre

A meeting, encounter, or coming together of people.

l'

Contracted definite article le or la before vowels.

Orient

The East; refers to Eastern countries or cultures.

et

Conjunction meaning and, linking words or clauses.

Occident

The West; refers to Western countries or cultures.

bien

Well, good; often used in expressions like bien que.

que

Conjunction meaning that, than, or as.

nous

First person plural pronoun meaning we or us.

ne

Negation particle used with pas or other negatives.

puissions

Subjunctive form of pouvoir, meaning we can or may.

accorder

To grant, give, or attribute importance to something.

aucune

Feminine form of aucun; no, none, or not any.

importance

Significance or value given to something or someone.

à

Preposition meaning to, at, or in.

une

Feminine indefinite article meaning a or one.

possible

Possible; able to happen or be done.

ascendance

Ancestry or lineage; descent from earlier generations.

en

Preposition meaning in, on, or as; also a pronoun.

lui

Third person singular pronoun meaning him, her, or it.

car

Conjunction meaning because or for, introducing a reason.

les

Plural definite article meaning the.

n'

Contracted negation particle ne, used before vowels.

étaient

Imperfect form of être; they were.

pas

Negation word meaning not, used with ne.

des

Plural indefinite article meaning some or any.

philosophes

Philosophers; thinkers who study fundamental questions.

il

Third person singular masculine pronoun meaning he or it.

est

Third person singular of être; means is.

néanmoins

Nevertheless; however, in spite of what was said.

fort

Very or strongly; also means strong as an adjective.

probable

Likely or probable; expected to happen or be true.

par

Preposition meaning by, through, or via.

Asie

Asia; the largest continent in the world.

Mineure

Minor or lesser; in Asie Mineure refers to Anatolia.

ait

Subjunctive form of avoir; has or may have.

pu

Past participle of pouvoir; been able to.

entrer

To enter or come into contact with something.

contact

Contact; connection or communication between people or things.

avec

Preposition meaning with, together with someone.

Extrême-Orient

The Far East; referring to East Asian countries.

Il

Third person singular masculine pronoun meaning he.

étudia

Simple past of étudier; he studied a subject.

sous

Preposition meaning under or beneath something.

la

Feminine definite article meaning the.

direction

Direction, guidance, or leadership of a person.

du

Contraction of de + le meaning of the.

cynique

Cynic; relating to the ancient Greek philosophical school.

mais

Conjunction meaning but, introducing a contrasting idea.

négligea

Simple past of négliger; he neglected or ignored something.

autres

Plural of autre; other or different things or people.

systèmes

Systems; organized sets of principles or doctrines.

philosophiques

Philosophical; relating to philosophy or its principles.

Après

Preposition or adverb meaning after or afterward.

nombreuses

Feminine plural of nombreux; many or numerous.

années

Years; plural of année, a calendar year.

d'

Contracted preposition de before a vowel sound.

étude

Study; the act of learning or examining a subject.

ouvrit

Simple past of ouvrir; he opened something.

sa

Possessive adjective meaning his, her, or its (feminine).

propre

Own; belonging exclusively to someone; also means clean.

école

School; an institution or system for learning.

dans

Preposition meaning in, inside, or within something.

portique

A portico or covered colonnade used as a meeting place.

Athènes

Athens; the capital city of Greece.

appelé

Past participle of appeler; called or named something.

le

Masculine definite article meaning the.

Portique

The Porch or Stoa; ancient Greek covered walkway.

Peint

Painted; past participle of peindre, decorated with paintings.

ou

Conjunction meaning or, offering an alternative option.

qui

Relative pronoun meaning who, which, or that.

donna

Simple past of donner; he/she gave something to someone.

leur

Their; possessive adjective for plural third person.

nom

Name; a word used to identify a person or thing.

aux

Contraction of à + les meaning to the (plural).

École

School or philosophical tradition founded by a thinker.

doit

Third person singular of devoir; owes or must do.

plus

More; comparative adverb indicating greater degree.

av

Abbreviation of avant; before, as in BCE dates.

J.-C.

Abbreviation for Jésus-Christ; used in BCE/CE dating.

organisa

Simple past of organiser; he organized or arranged something.

système

System; an organized set of ideas or principles.

De

Preposition meaning of or about, introducing a subject.

on

Indefinite pronoun meaning one, we, or people generally.

disait

Imperfect of dire; one used to say something.

Sans

Preposition meaning without, lacking a person or thing.

y

Pronoun meaning there or replacing an indirect object.

aurait

Conditional form of avoir; would have something.

eu

Past participle of avoir; had something previously.

Les

Plural definite article meaning the.

considéraient

Imperfect of considérer; they considered or regarded something.

spéculation

Speculation; theoretical reasoning or philosophical inquiry.

comme

Conjunction meaning as, like, or as a means.

moyen

Means or method used to achieve a goal.

vue

View or sight; also used in expressions like en vue de.

fin

End or purpose; the ultimate goal or aim.

cette

Demonstrative adjective meaning this (feminine singular).

était

Imperfect form of être; was or used to be.

formulait

Imperfect of formuler; was formulating or expressing something.

vivre

To live; infinitive of the verb meaning to exist.

manière

Manner or way of doing something.

cohérente

Coherent; logical, consistent, and well-organized in thought.

expliqua

Simple past of expliquer; he explained or clarified something.

tard

Late or later; referring to a subsequent time period.

conformité

Conformity or compliance with a standard or nature.

nature

Nature; the natural world or one's inherent character.

Cette

Demonstrative adjective meaning this (feminine singular form).

vie

Life; the existence and experiences of a living being.

conception

Conception or idea; an understanding or interpretation of something.

stoïcienne

Feminine adjective relating to Stoicism or Stoic philosophy.

Vertu

Virtue; moral excellence and ethical behavior in life.

maxime

Maxim; a general principle or rule guiding behavior.

pourrait

Conditional form of pouvoir; could or might do something.

facilement

Easily; without difficulty or effort.

être

To be; fundamental linking verb in French.

interprétée

Past participle of interpréter; interpreted or understood in meaning.

signifiant

Present participle of signifier; meaning or signifying something.

vertu

Virtue; moral goodness or excellence of character.

consiste

Third person singular of consister; consists in or involves.

céder

To yield or give in to an impulse or pressure.

chaque

Each or every; referring to individual items separately.

impulsion

Impulse; a sudden natural urge or instinctive drive.

naturelle

Feminine adjective meaning natural, arising from nature.

c'

Contracted form of ce before est; meaning it or this.

loin

Far from; distant in space, meaning, or intention.

pensée

Thought or thinking; an idea or philosophical reflection.