Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave — Page 15

Vocabulary

Si

si — If; used to introduce a conditional clause

c'

s(ə) — Contraction of 'ce'; it, this, that

est

ɛ — Is; third person singular of 'être'

avec

avɛk — With; indicating accompaniment or association

les

le — The; definite article for plural nouns

derniers

dɛʁnje — Last, final; most recent ones

qu'

k — Contraction of 'que'; that, which, what

êtes-

ɛt — Are; second person plural of 'être'

vous

vu — You; second person plural or formal pronoun

prêt

pʁɛ — Ready; prepared to do something

à

a — To, at, in; preposition indicating direction or purpose

faire

fɛʁ — To do, to make; common infinitive verb

et

e — And; coordinating conjunction linking elements

oser

oze — To dare; to have the courage to act

en

ɑ̃ — In, on, by; preposition indicating manner or place

leur

lœʁ — Their; third person plural possessive adjective

faveur

favœʁ — Favor; support, benefit, or advantage given

Soyez

swaje — Be; second person plural imperative of 'être'

fidèle

fidɛl — Faithful, loyal; consistently devoted to a cause

soyez

swaje — Be; second person plural imperative of 'être'

vigilant

viʒilɑ̃ — Vigilant; watchfully alert and attentive

infatigable

ɛ̃fatiɡabl — Tireless; never getting tired or giving up

dans

dɑ̃ — In, inside; preposition indicating location or context

vos

vo — Your; second person plural possessive adjective

efforts

efɔʁ — Efforts; strenuous attempts to achieve something

pour

puʁ — For, in order to; preposition indicating purpose

briser

bʁize — To break, shatter; to destroy something forcefully

tout

tu — All, every, entire; indicating totality

joug

ʒuɡ — Yoke; symbol of oppression or domination

laissez

lese — Let, allow; second person plural imperative of 'laisser'

opprimés

ɔpʁime — Oppressed; people subjected to unjust treatment

aller

ale — To go; basic infinitive verb of movement

libres

libʁ — Free; not enslaved or constrained

Advienne

advjɛn — Whatever may happen; subjunctive of 'advenir'

que

kə — That, which; conjunction or relative pronoun

pourra

puʁa — Will be able; future tense of 'pouvoir'

coûte

kut — Costs; present tense of 'coûter', to cost

inscrivez

ɛ̃skʁive — Inscribe, write down; second person plural imperative

sur

syʁ — On, upon; preposition indicating position above

la

la — The; feminine singular definite article

bannière

banjɛʁ — Banner, flag; cloth symbol of a cause or group

déployez

deplwaje — Deploy, unfurl; second person plural imperative

brise

bʁiz — Breeze; light gentle wind

comme

kɔm — As, like; conjunction expressing comparison

devise

dəviz — Motto, slogan; phrase expressing guiding principle

religieuse

ʁəliʒjøz — Religious; relating to faith or spiritual belief

politique

pɔlitik — Political; relating to governance and public affairs

AUCUN

okɛ̃ — No, none; negative determiner indicating absence

COMPROMIS

kɔ̃pʁɔmi — Compromise; agreement involving mutual concessions

AVEC

avɛk — With; preposition indicating accompaniment or association

L'

l — The; elided definite article before a vowel

ESCLAVAGE

ɛsklavɑʒ — Slavery; the practice of owning human beings

AUCUNE

okyn — No, none; feminine negative determiner

UNION

ynjɔ̃ — Union; political or social joining of groups

LES

le — The; definite article for plural nouns

ESCLAVAGISTES

ɛsklavɑʒist — Slaveholders; people who owned or supported slavery

_Mai_

me — May; the fifth month of the year

LETTRE

lɛtʁ — Letter; written message sent to someone

DE

də — Of, from; preposition indicating origin or possession

_Avril_

avʁil — April; the fourth month of the year

Mon

mɔ̃ — My; masculine singular possessive adjective

cher

ʃɛʁ — Dear, expensive; beloved or costly

ami

ami — Friend; person with whom one has a close bond

Vous

vu — You; second person formal or plural pronoun

souvenez

suvne — Remember; second person plural present of 'se souvenir'

de

də — Of, from; preposition indicating possession or origin

vieille

vjɛj — Old; feminine adjective describing an aged thing

fable

fabl — Fable; short moral story, often with animals

Homme

ɔm — Man; adult male human being

le

lə — The; masculine singular definite article

Lion

ljɔ̃ — Lion; large wild cat, often symbol of strength

où

u — Where; relative or interrogative adverb of place

lion

ljɔ̃ — Lion; large wild cat, often symbol of strength

se

sə — Himself, herself, itself; reflexive pronoun

plaignait

plɛɲɛ — Was complaining; imperfect tense of 'se plaindre'

ne

nə — Not; negative particle used with 'pas' or alone

pas

pa — Not; negative particle paired with 'ne'

être

ɛtʁ — To be; fundamental infinitive linking verb

aussi

osi — Also, as; adverb of addition or comparison

mal

mal — Badly, poorly; adverb indicating poor quality

représenté

ʁəpʁezɑ̃te — Represented; depicted or portrayed in a certain way

quand

kɑ̃ — When; conjunction or adverb indicating time

lions

ljɔ̃ — Lions; plural of lion, large wild cats

écrivaient

ekʁivɛ — Were writing; imperfect tense of 'écrire'

l'

l — The; elided definite article before a vowel

histoire

istwaʁ — History, story; account of past events or narrative

Je

ʒə — I; first person singular subject pronoun

suis

sɥi — Am; first person singular of 'être'

heureux

øʁø — Happy, glad; feeling or expressing joy

temps

tɑ̃ — Time, weather; noun with multiple common meanings

soit

swa — Be; subjunctive of 'être', expressing possibility

venu

vəny — Come; past participle of 'venir'

écrivent

ekʁiv — Write; third person plural present of 'écrire'

On

ɔ̃ — One, we, they; impersonal subject pronoun

nous

nu — Us, we; first person plural pronoun

a

a — Has; third person singular of 'avoir'

laissés

lese — Left; past participle of 'laisser', to leave alone

assez

ase — Enough, quite; adverb indicating sufficient degree

longtemps

lɔ̃tɑ̃ — A long time; adverb indicating extended duration

recueillir

ʁəkœjiʁ — To gather, collect; to compile information or evidence

caractère

kaʁaktɛʁ — Character, nature; essential qualities of something

esclavage

ɛsklavɑʒ — Slavery; the practice of owning human beings

partir

paʁtiʁ — To leave; to depart from a place

des

de — Of the, some; partitive or plural article

témoignages

temwaɲaʒ — Testimonies; statements given as firsthand evidence

involontaires

ɛ̃vɔlɔ̃tɛʁ — Involuntary; done without intention or awareness

maîtres

mɛtʁ — Masters; those who hold authority or own slaves

pourrait

puʁɛ — Could; conditional tense of 'pouvoir'

effet

efɛ — Effect; result or outcome of an action

contenter

kɔ̃tɑ̃te — To satisfy, content; to make someone satisfied

ce

sə — This, that; demonstrative pronoun or adjective

qui

Who, which; relative or interrogative pronoun

évidence

evidɑ̃s — Evidence; clear proof or visible demonstration

général

ʒeneʁal — General; broad, not specific or detailed

résultat

ʁezylta — Result; outcome produced by a process or action

d'

d — Of, from; elided preposition before a vowel

une

yn — A, an; feminine indefinite article

telle

tɛl — Such a; feminine demonstrative adjective

relation

ʁəlasjɔ̃ — Relationship; connection between people or things

sans

sɑ̃ — Without; preposition indicating absence or lack

chercher

ʃɛʁʃe — To search, look for; to seek something out

plus

ply — More, no more; adverb of comparison or negation

loin

lwɛ̃ — Far; adverb indicating great distance

savoir

savwaʁ — To know; to have knowledge or awareness

s'

s — Himself, herself; elided reflexive pronoun

ils

il — They; third person plural masculine subject pronoun

sont

sɔ̃ — Are; third person plural of 'être'

produits

pʁodɥi — Products, produced; results or items yielded

chaque

ʃak — Each, every; determiner indicating individual instances

cas

ka — Case; specific instance or situation

En

ɑ̃ — In, as; preposition indicating state or manner

ceux

sø — Those; masculine plural demonstrative pronoun

regardent

ʁəɡaʁd — Look at, watch; third person plural present of 'regarder'

fixement

fiksmɑ̃ — Fixedly, steadily; adverb indicating an unmoving gaze

demi-

dəmi — Half; prefix indicating one half of something

boisseau

bwaso — Bushel; unit of dry measure for grain

maïs

mais — Corn, maize; a common cereal grain crop

par

paʁ — Per, by, through; preposition indicating means or rate

semaine

səmɛn — Week; period of seven days

aiment

ɛm — Love, like; third person plural present of 'aimer'

compter

kɔ̃te — To count; to enumerate or calculate a number

coups

ku — Blows, strikes; impacts delivered by force

fouet

fwɛ — Whip; instrument used to strike or lash someone

dos

do — Back; rear part of the human body

esclave

ɛsklav — Slave; person owned and forced to labor

rarement

ʁaʁmɑ̃ — Rarely; not often, seldom occurring

étoffe

etɔf — Fabric, stuff; material or cloth of character

dont

dɔ̃ — Of which, whose; relative pronoun indicating possession

faits

fɛ — Made, done; past participle of 'faire'

réformateurs

ʁefɔʁmatœʁ — Reformers; people working to improve social conditions

abolitionnistes

abɔlisjɔnist — Abolitionists; people opposing and fighting slavery

me

mə — Me, myself; first person singular object pronoun

souviens

suvjɛ̃ — Remember; first person singular of 'se souvenir'

beaucoup

boku — Many, a lot; adverb indicating large quantity

attendaient

atɑ̃dɛ — Were waiting for; imperfect tense of 'attendre'

résultats

ʁezylta — Results; outcomes produced by a process or action

expérience

ɛksperjɑ̃s — Experience, experiment; knowledge gained or test conducted

Indes

ɛ̃d — Indies; historical name referring to tropical territories

occidentales

ɔksidɑ̃tal — Western; relating to the west, as in West Indies

avant

avɑ̃ — Before; preposition or adverb indicating prior time

pouvoir

puvwaʁ — To be able to; modal infinitive expressing ability

rejoindre

ʁəʒwɛ̃dʁ — To rejoin, join; to meet up with a group

nos

no — Our; first person plural possessive adjective

rangs

ʁɑ̃ — Ranks; rows or organized groups of people

Ces

se — These, those; plural demonstrative adjective

arrivés

aʁive — Arrived; past participle of 'arriver'

il

il — He, it; third person singular masculine pronoun

y

i — There, it; adverbial pronoun replacing a location

mais

mɛ — But; conjunction expressing contrast or exception

hélas

elas — Alas; exclamation expressing sorrow or disappointment