Middlemarch — Page 4

Vocabulary

Aveva

AH-veh-vah — Third person singular past imperfect of 'avere' (to have).

viaggiato

vyad-JAH-toh — Past participle of 'viaggiare'; having traveled.

in

een — Preposition meaning 'in' or 'to'.

gioventù

joh-ven-TOO — Youth; the period of being young.

ed

ed — Variant of 'e'; conjunction meaning 'and'.

era

EH-rah — Third person singular imperfect of 'essere'; was.

ritenuto

ree-teh-NOO-toh — Considered or deemed; past participle of 'ritenere'.

questa

KWES-tah — Feminine demonstrative adjective meaning 'this'.

parte

PAR-teh — Part, portion, or side of something.

della

DEL-lah — Contraction of 'di' and 'la'; meaning 'of the'.

contea

kon-TEH-ah — County; an administrative territorial division.

di

dee — Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'.

aver

ah-VER — Infinitive 'avere' truncated; to have.

contratto

kon-TRAT-toh — Contracted; acquired, as a habit or illness.

un'

oon — Feminine indefinite article before vowel; 'a/an'.

abitudine

ah-bee-TOO-dee-neh — Habit; a settled practice or customary behavior.

mentale

men-TAH-leh — Mental; relating to the mind.

troppo

TROP-poh — Too, too much; excessively.

vagabonda

vah-gah-BON-dah — Wandering, vagrant; roaming without fixed direction.

Le

leh — Feminine plural definite article; 'the'.

conclusioni

kon-kloo-ZYOH-nee — Conclusions; final judgments or decisions reached.

del

del — Contraction of 'di' and 'il'; meaning 'of the'.

signor

see-NYOR — Mister; honorific title used before a man's name.

erano

EH-rah-noh — Third person plural imperfect of 'essere'; they were.

difficili

dee-FEE-chee-lee — Difficult, hard; plural adjective describing challenges.

da

dah — Preposition meaning 'from', 'by', or 'since'.

prevedere

preh-veh-DEH-reh — To foresee or predict future events.

quanto

KWAN-toh — As much as; used in comparisons.

il

eel — Masculine singular definite article; 'the'.

tempo

TEM-poh — Time or weather; context-dependent noun.

atmosferico

at-mos-FEH-ree-koh — Atmospheric; relating to the atmosphere or weather.

si

see — Reflexive pronoun; oneself, or impersonal subject.

poteva

poh-TEH-vah — Imperfect of 'potere'; could, was able to.

dire

DEE-reh — To say or to tell.

con

kon — Preposition meaning 'with'.

certezza

cher-TET-tsah — Certainty; the state of being completely sure.

soltanto

sol-TAN-toh — Only, just; limiting or restricting adverb.

che

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

avrebbe

ah-VREB-beh — Third person singular conditional of 'avere'; would have.

agito

AH-jee-toh — Past participle of 'agire'; acted, having acted.

intenzioni

een-ten-TSYOH-nee — Intentions; plans or purposes behind one's actions.

benevole

beh-NEH-voh-leh — Benevolent; kindly and well-meaning in disposition.

e

eh — Conjunction meaning 'and'.

speso

SPEH-zoh — Past participle of 'spendere'; spent (money).

meno

MEH-noh — Less; comparative adverb indicating reduced quantity.

possibile

pos-SEE-bee-leh — Possible; able to be done or achieved.

nel

nel — Contraction of 'in' and 'il'; meaning 'in the'.

metterle

MET-ter-leh — To put them into practice; infinitive with pronoun.

pratica

PRAH-tee-kah — Practice; the actual application of a plan.

Poiché

poy-KEH — Since, because; conjunction introducing a reason.

anche

AN-keh — Also, even, too; additive adverb.

menti

MEN-tee — Minds; plural of 'mente', the intellectual faculty.

più

pyoo — More; comparative adverb indicating greater degree.

indefinite

een-deh-FEE-nee-teh — Indefinite, vague; lacking clear shape or definition.

racchiudono

rak-KYOO-doh-noh — Enclose, contain; they hold something within themselves.

qualche

KWAL-keh — Some, a few; indefinite adjective indicating small quantity.

duro

DOO-roh — Hard, tough; firm in texture or character.

granello

grah-NEL-loh — Grain, granule; a small hard particle.

è

eh — Third person singular present of 'essere'; is.

visto

VEES-toh — Past participle of 'vedere'; seen or observed.

uomo

WOH-moh — Man; an adult male human being.

negligente

neh-glee-JEN-teh — Negligent; careless and inattentive to duties.

riguardo

ree-GWAR-doh — Regard, respect; concern or attention toward something.

a

ah — Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'.

tutti

TOOT-tee — All, every; masculine plural indefinite adjective.

propri

PROH-pree — Own; belonging to oneself, plural form.

interessi

een-teh-RES-see — Interests; personal concerns or financial stakes.

tranne

TRAN-neh — Except, apart from; exclusionary preposition.

alla

AL-lah — Contraction of 'a' and 'la'; meaning 'to the'.

custodia

koos-TOH-dyah — Custody, care; safekeeping of an object or person.

sua

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

sulla

SOOL-lah — Contraction of 'su' and 'la'; meaning 'on the'.

quale

KWAH-leh — Which, that; relative or interrogative pronoun.

vigile

VEE-jee-leh — Watchful, vigilant; attentively observant and alert.

sospettoso

sos-pet-TOH-zoh — Suspicious; inclined to distrust others' motives.

avido

AH-vee-doh — Avid, greedy; eagerly desirous or covetous.

controllo

kon-TROL-loh — Control; power to direct or regulate something.

Nel

nel — Contraction of 'in' and 'il'; meaning 'in the'.

la

lah — Feminine singular definite article; 'the'.

vena

VEH-nah — Vein; here metaphorically a streak or tendency.

ereditaria

eh-reh-dee-TAH-ryah — Hereditary; passed down through generations genetically.

energia

eh-nehr-JEE-ah — Energy; vigor, force, or capacity for activity.

chiaramente

kyah-rah-MEN-teh — Clearly, evidently; in an obvious or plain manner.

stato

STAH-toh — Been; past participle of 'essere', also 'state/nation'.

latente

lah-TEN-teh — Latent; present but not yet active or visible.

ma

mah — But; adversative conjunction introducing contrast.

nella

NEL-lah — Contraction of 'in' and 'la'; meaning 'in the'.

nipote

nee-POH-teh — Niece, nephew, or grandchild; family relation.

ardeva

ar-DEH-vah — Imperfect of 'ardere'; burned, blazed intensely.

ugualmente

oo-gwal-MEN-teh — Equally, likewise; in the same degree or manner.

attraverso

at-trah-VER-soh — Through, across; preposition indicating passage within.

difetti

dee-FET-tee — Defects, faults; shortcomings or imperfections.

virtù

veer-TOO — Virtue; moral excellence and righteousness of character.

trasformandosi

tras-for-MAN-doh-see — Transforming itself; reflexive gerund of 'trasformare'.

talvolta

tal-VOL-tah — Sometimes, occasionally; at certain times.

impazienza

eem-pah-TSYEN-tsah — Impatience; inability to tolerate delay or annoyance.

per

per — For, by, through; versatile Italian preposition.

chiacchiere

KYAK-kyeh-reh — Chatter, gossip; idle or trivial conversation.

dello

DEL-loh — Contraction of 'di' and 'lo'; meaning 'of the'.

zio

TSYOH — Uncle; the brother of one's parent.

o

oh — Or; disjunctive conjunction offering an alternative.

suo

SOO-oh — His, her, its; masculine possessive adjective.

modo

MOH-doh — Way, manner; the style or method of doing something.

lasciar

lah-SHAR — To let, allow; truncated infinitive of 'lasciare'.

fare

FAH-reh — To do or make; fundamental action verb.

sul

sul — Contraction of 'su' and 'il'; meaning 'on the'.

facendole

fah-CHEN-doh-leh — Making her; gerund of 'fare' with indirect pronoun.

desiderare

deh-zee-deh-RAH-reh — To desire, wish; to long for something earnestly.

tanto

TAN-toh — So much, so; intensifying adverb or adjective.

ardentemente

ar-den-teh-MEN-teh — Ardently, passionately; with intense eagerness or desire.

momento

moh-MEN-toh — Moment; a brief, specific point in time.

cui

kwee — Whom, which; relative pronoun used with preposition.

sarebbe

sah-REB-beh — Would be; conditional third person singular of 'essere'.

diventata

dee-ven-TAH-tah — Became; past participle of 'diventare', feminine form.

maggiorenne

mad-joh-REN-neh — Of legal age; an adult who has reached majority.

avuto

ah-VOO-toh — Past participle of 'avere'; had.

denaro

deh-NAH-roh — Money; currency used for transactions.

generosi

jeh-neh-ROH-zee — Generous; liberal in giving, plural adjective.

progetti

proh-JET-tee — Projects, plans; schemes or proposed undertakings.

Era

EH-rah — Was; imperfect third person singular of 'essere'.

considerata

kon-see-deh-RAH-tah — Considered; regarded as, past participle of 'considerare'.

ereditiera

eh-reh-dee-TYEH-rah — Heiress; a woman who inherits wealth or property.

poiché

poy-KEH — Since, because; conjunction introducing a reason.

non

non — Not; negation adverb.

solo

SOH-loh — Only, alone; also an adjective meaning 'alone'.

sorelle

soh-REL-leh — Sisters; plural of 'sorella'.

avevano

ah-VEH-vah-noh — They had; imperfect third person plural of 'avere'.

settecento

set-teh-CHEN-toh — Seven hundred; also refers to the 18th century.

sterline

ster-LEE-neh — Pounds sterling; British currency, plural form.

anno

AN-noh — Year; a period of twelve months.

ciascuna

cha-SKOO-nah — Each one; feminine indefinite pronoun meaning 'each'.

dai

day — Contraction of 'da' and 'i'; meaning 'from the'.

genitori

jeh-nee-TOH-ree — Parents; mother and father collectively.

se

seh — If; conditional conjunction introducing a hypothesis.

fosse

FOS-seh — Were; imperfect subjunctive of 'essere'.

sposata

spoh-ZAH-tah — Married; past participle of 'sposare', feminine.

avesse

ah-VES-seh — Had; imperfect subjunctive of 'avere'.

figlio

FEE-lyoh — Son, child; male offspring.

quel

kwel — That; masculine demonstrative adjective.

ereditato

eh-reh-dee-TAH-toh — Inherited; received as an inheritance from someone.

presumibilmente

preh-zoo-mee-bil-MEN-teh — Presumably; as one would reasonably suppose.

valore

vah-LOH-reh — Value, worth; the monetary or intrinsic worth.

circa

CHEER-kah — About, approximately; indicating an approximate amount.

tremila

treh-MEE-lah — Three thousand; the number 3000.

una

OO-nah — Feminine indefinite article; 'a' or 'an'.

rendita

REN-dee-tah — Income, annuity; regular financial return or revenue.

sembrava

sem-BRAH-vah — Seemed; imperfect of 'sembrare', to appear.

ricchezza

rik-KET-tsah — Wealth, richness; abundance of money or valuables.

alle

AL-leh — Contraction of 'a' and 'le'; meaning 'to the'.

famiglie

fah-MEE-lyeh — Families; plural of 'famiglia'.

provincia

proh-VEEN-chah — Province; a regional administrative territorial division.

ancora

an-KOH-rah — Still, yet, again; temporal or emphatic adverb.

intente

een-TEN-teh — Intent on, focused; absorbed in doing something.

discutere

dees-KOO-teh-reh — To discuss, debate; to talk over a topic.

recente

reh-CHEN-teh — Recent; happening or done not long ago.

condotta

kon-DOT-tah — Conduct, behavior; the manner of one's actions.

questione

kwes-TYOH-neh — Question, issue; a matter under discussion or debate.

cattolica

kat-TOH-lee-kah — Catholic; relating to the Roman Catholic Church.

ignare

ee-NYAH-reh — Unaware, ignorant; plural feminine adjective.

dei

day — Contraction of 'di' and 'i'; meaning 'of the'.

futuri

foo-TOO-ree — Future; plural adjective referring to things to come.

campi

KAM-pee — Fields, areas; plural of 'campo'.

quella

KWEL-lah — That; feminine singular demonstrative pronoun.

splendida

SPLEN-dee-dah — Splendid, magnificent; wonderfully impressive or beautiful.

ha

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

così

koh-ZEE — So, thus; in this way or to such a degree.

nobilmente

noh-beel-MEN-teh — Nobly; in a noble, distinguished, or dignified manner.

esaltato

eh-zal-TAH-toh — Exalted, extolled; raised up or praised highly.

necessità

neh-ches-see-TAH — Necessity; something indispensable or urgently required.

vita

VEE-tah — Life; the state of living or existence.

bene

BEH-neh — Well, good; adverb indicating quality or adequacy.