Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave — Page 1

Vocabulary

Récit

ray-see — A narrative or account of events

de

duh — Of, from; common preposition linking nouns

la

lah — The; feminine definite article

vie

vee — Life; one's existence or way of living

UN

uhn — A, an; masculine indefinite article

ESCLAVE

es-klav — A slave; person owned and forced to work

AMÉRICAIN

ah-may-ree-kaN — American; relating to the United States or Americas

ÉCRIT

ay-kree — Written; past participle of écrire, to write

PAR

par — By; preposition indicating authorship or agent

LUI

lwee — Him, himself; third-person singular pronoun

MÊME

mem — Same, even, itself; emphasizing pronoun or adjective

PUBLIÉ

pü-blee-ay — Published; made available to the public officially

AU

oh — At the, to the; contraction of à + le

BUREAU

bü-roh — Office, desk; a place for administrative work

ANTI

ahn-tee — Anti; prefix meaning against or opposed to something

ESCLAVAGISTE

es-klah-vah-zheest — Pro-slavery; one who supports the institution of slavery

ENREGISTRÉ

ahn-ruh-zhees-tray — Registered; officially recorded according to legal requirements

CONFORMÉMENT

koN-for-may-mahN — In conformity with; in accordance with a rule

À

ah — To, at, in; very common French preposition

LOI

lwah — Law; a rule or statute enacted by authority

DU

dü — Of the; contraction of de + le

CONGRÈS

koN-greh — Congress; legislative assembly of a country

EN

ahn — In, by; preposition of place, time, or manner

L'

luh/lah — The; elided form of le or la before vowel

ANNÉE

ah-nay — Year; a period of twelve months

GREFFIER

greh-fyay — Clerk of court; official who records legal proceedings

TRIBUNAL

tree-bü-nal — Court, tribunal; a judicial body that hears cases

DISTRICT

dees-trikt — District; an administrative or judicial subdivision

Note

not — Note; a written remark or brief explanation

du

dü — Of the; contraction of de + le

fichier

fee-shyay — File; a collection of stored documents or data

original

oh-ree-zhee-nal — Original; the first or source version of something

Ce

suh — This, that; demonstrative adjective before a noun

livre

lee-vruh — Book; a written or printed literary work

électronique

ay-lek-troh-neek — Electronic; relating to electronic technology or devices

est

eh — Is; third-person singular of être, to be

publié

pü-blee-ay — Published; made available to the public officially

à

ah — To, at; very common French preposition

cette

set — This; feminine demonstrative adjective before a noun

occasion

oh-kah-zyoN — Occasion; a particular time or special opportunity

pour

poor — For, in order to; purpose preposition

honorer

oh-noh-ray — To honor; to show respect or pay tribute

l'

luh/lah — The; elided article before a vowel sound

anniversaire

ah-nee-ver-sair — Anniversary or birthday; yearly commemoration of an event

Né

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

le

luh — The; masculine definite article

janvier

zhahn-vyay — January; the first month of the year

Officiellement

oh-fee-syel-mahN — Officially; in an official or formal manner

célébré

say-lay-bray — Celebrated; honored or observed with festivities

Table

tah-bluh — Table; an organized list or index of contents

des

day — Of the, some; plural partitive or definite article

matières

mah-tyair — Subjects, contents; topics covered in a book

PRÉFACE

pray-fas — Preface; introductory remarks at a book's start

LETTRE

leh-truh — Letter; a written message addressed to someone

CHAPITRE

shah-pee-truh — Chapter; a major division of a book

APPENDICE

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

UNE

ün — A, an; feminine indefinite article

PARODIE

pah-roh-dee — Parody; a humorous imitation of a work

Au

oh — At the, to the; contraction of à + le

mois

mwah — Month; one of twelve divisions of the year

d'

duh — Of; elided preposition before a vowel sound

août

oot — August; the eighth month of the year

j'

zhuh — I; first-person singular pronoun, elided before vowel

assistai

ah-sees-tay — Attended; simple past of assister, to attend

une

ün — A, an; feminine indefinite article

convention

koN-vaN-syoN — Convention; a formal meeting or assembly of people

abolitionniste

ah-boh-lee-syoh-neest — Abolitionist; one who advocates ending slavery

où

oo — Where; relative or interrogative adverb of place

eus

ü — Had; simple past of avoir, to have

bonheur

boh-nuhr — Happiness, good fortune; a feeling of joy

faire

fair — To do, to make; very common French verb

connaissance

koh-neh-sahNs — Acquaintance, knowledge; meeting or knowing someone

auteur

oh-tuhr — Author; a person who writes books or texts

qui

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

suit

swee — Follows; third-person singular of suivre, to follow

Il

eel — He; third-person masculine singular subject pronoun

était

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

inconnu

aN-koh-nü — Unknown; not known or recognized by others

presque

presk — Almost, nearly; adverb indicating approximation

tous

too — All; masculine plural of tout, meaning everyone

les

lay — The; plural definite article

membres

mahN-bruh — Members; people belonging to a group or assembly

assemblée

ah-sahN-blay — Assembly; a gathering of people for a purpose

mais

meh — But; coordinating conjunction expressing contrast

s'

suh — Himself, herself; reflexive pronoun, elided before vowel

étant

ay-tahN — Being; present participle of être, to be

récemment

ray-sah-mahN — Recently; not long ago, in the recent past

échappé

ay-shah-pay — Escaped; past participle of échapper, to escape

geôle

zhohl — Jail, dungeon; a place of confinement or imprisonment

sudiste

sü-deest — Southerner; relating to the American South

servitude

sair-vee-tüd — Servitude; the condition of being a slave or servant

et

ay — And; basic coordinating conjunction

sentant

sahN-tahN — Feeling; present participle of sentir, to feel

sa

sah — His, her, its; feminine possessive adjective

curiosité

kü-ryoh-zee-tay — Curiosity; a strong desire to learn or know

éveillée

ay-vay-yay — Awakened, stirred; past participle of éveiller

connaître

koh-neh-truh — To know; to be acquainted with someone or something

principes

praN-seep — Principles; fundamental rules or beliefs guiding action

actions

ak-syoN — Actions; things done or carried out by someone

abolitionnistes

ah-boh-lee-syoh-neest — Abolitionists; advocates for ending slavery

dont

doN — Of which, whose; relative pronoun replacing de + noun

il

eel — He, it; third-person masculine singular pronoun

avait

ah-veh — Had; imperfect tense of avoir, to have

entendu

ahN-tahN-dü — Heard; past participle of entendre, to hear

description

des-krip-syoN — Description; a detailed account of something or someone

quelque

kel-kuh — Some, a few; indefinite adjective indicating small quantity

peu

puh — Little, few; indicating small amount or degree

vague

vahg — Vague; not clear or precise in meaning

alors

ah-lor — Then, at that time; adverb of time or consequence

qu'

kuh — That, when; subordinating conjunction, elided form

esclave

es-klav — Slave; a person owned and forced to work

fut

fü — Was; simple past of être, to be

amené

ah-muh-nay — Brought, led; past participle of amener, to bring

y

ee — There, to it; adverbial pronoun replacing a place

assister

ah-sees-tay — To attend; to be present at an event

lors

lor — At that time, then; adverb indicating a moment

mentionnée

mahN-syoh-nay — Mentioned; past participle of mentionner, to mention

bien

byaN — Well, very; adverb of manner or degree

résidât

ray-zee-dah — Resided; imperfect subjunctive of résider, to reside

Heureuse

uh-ruhz — Happy, fortunate; feminine adjective of heureux

très

treh — Very; intensifying adverb before adjectives or adverbs

heureuse

uh-ruhz — Happy, fortunate; feminine adjective of heureux

circonstance

seer-koN-stahNs — Circumstance; a condition or fact surrounding an event

millions

meel-yoN — Millions; the number one million, indicating vast quantity

ses

say — His, her, its; plural possessive adjective

frères

frair — Brothers; male siblings or fellow members

enchaînés

ahN-shay-nay — Chained; bound in chains, enslaved or constrained

haletant

ah-luh-tahN — Panting, gasping; breathlessly longing or striving for

encore

ahN-kor — Still, yet, again; adverb of continuation or repetition

après

ah-preh — After; preposition indicating time or sequence

leur

luhr — Their; third-person plural possessive adjective

délivrance

day-lee-vrahNs — Deliverance; freedom or rescue from bondage or danger

terrible

teh-ree-bluh — Terrible; causing great fear, awe, or suffering

cause

kohz — Cause; a principle or movement one supports

émancipation

ay-mahN-see-pah-syoN — Emancipation; the act of freeing from slavery or oppression

Noirs

nwahr — Black people; referring to people of African descent

liberté

lee-bair-tay — Liberty, freedom; the state of being free

universelle

ü-nee-vair-sel — Universal; applying to all people everywhere