Second Treatise of Government — Page 9

Vocabulary

Da

Since, because, or there (context-dependent conjunction)

dies

This; demonstrative pronoun referring to something nearby

ein

A, an; indefinite article or the number one

Vergehen

Offense, misdemeanor; a minor criminal act

gegen

Against; preposition indicating opposition or direction

die

The; definite article for feminine or plural nouns

gesamte

Entire, whole; adjective describing totality of something

Gattung

Genus, species, or kind; a category or classification

und

And; basic coordinating conjunction connecting words or clauses

deren

Whose, of which; genitive relative or demonstrative pronoun

Frieden

Peace; state of harmony and absence of conflict

Sicherheit

Safety, security; condition of being protected from harm

ist

Is; third-person singular present form of sein

welche

Which, who; relative or interrogative pronoun for groups

durch

Through, by means of; preposition indicating agency or passage

das

The; definite article for neuter nouns or relative pronoun

Naturgesetz

Law of nature; fundamental principle governing natural existence

geschützt

Protected; past participle of schützen, to protect

werden

To become; auxiliary verb for future or passive constructions

so

So, thus; adverb indicating consequence or manner

darf

May, is allowed to; third-person singular of dürfen

jeder

Every, each; indefinite pronoun referring to all individuals

Mensch

Human being, person; a member of the human species

aus

From, out of; preposition indicating origin or material

diesem

This (dative); dative form of demonstrative pronoun dieser

Grund

Reason, ground; basis or cause for an action

kraft

By virtue of, by force of; preposition indicating authority

seines

His, its (genitive); genitive form of possessive pronoun sein

Rechts

Right (genitive); legal entitlement or moral claim

Menschheit

Humanity, mankind; the entirety of the human race

im

In the; contraction of in dem, dative masculine/neuter

Allgemeinen

General; in general, referring to something broadly applicable

zu

To, at; preposition or infinitive particle in German

erhalten

To preserve, maintain, or receive; versatile German verb

schädliche

Harmful, damaging; adjective describing something causing injury

Dinge

Things; plural of Ding, referring to objects or matters

einschränken

To restrict, limit; to reduce the scope of something

oder

Or; coordinating conjunction presenting an alternative option

wo

Where; relative or interrogative adverb of place

es

It; neuter third-person personal pronoun in German

notwendig

Necessary, required; something that cannot be avoided

vernichten

To destroy, annihilate; to eliminate something completely

demjenigen

To that one (dative); dative form of demonstrative derjenige

der

The; definite article or relative pronoun, masculine singular

dieses

This (genitive/neuter); form of demonstrative pronoun dieser

Gesetz

Law; a rule or regulation established by authority

übertreten

To transgress, violate; to break a rule or law

hat

Has; third-person singular present of haben, to have

solches

Such; pronoun or adjective referring to a mentioned kind

Übel

Evil, harm, ill; something causing suffering or damage

zufügen

To inflict, cause harm; to impose suffering on someone

ihn

Him; accusative form of the masculine personal pronoun er

seine

His, its; possessive adjective in masculine or plural form

Tat

Deed, act; an action or crime committed by someone

bereuen

To regret, repent; to feel remorse for one's actions

lässt

Lets, causes; third-person singular of lassen, to let

dadurch

Thereby, through that; adverb indicating means or result

sowie

As well as, and also; conjunction adding further elements

sein

To be; infinitive of the most fundamental German verb

Beispiel

Example; an instance used to illustrate a point

andere

Others, other; referring to additional or different people

davon

From it, thereof; adverb indicating separation from something

abhält

Deters, keeps from; third-person form of abhalten, to prevent

ähnliches

Similar things; neuter form of ähnlich, meaning alike

Unheil

Disaster, mischief; serious harm or misfortune caused deliberately

anzurichten

To cause damage or harm; infinitive used in zu-construction

Und

And; coordinating conjunction at the start of a clause

in

In, into; preposition indicating location or direction

Fall

Case, instance; a particular situation or circumstance

auf

On, upon; preposition indicating surface or basis

dieser

This; demonstrative adjective modifying a feminine noun

Grundlage

Foundation, basis; the underlying principle of an argument

HAT

Has; emphatic capitalized form of hat, to have

JEDER

Every, each; emphatic capitalized form of jeder

MENSCH

Human being; capitalized emphatic form emphasizing all people

DAS

The; capitalized emphatic neuter definite article

RECHT

Right; legal or moral entitlement, emphasized in capitals

DEN

The; capitalized accusative masculine form of definite article

ÜBELTÄTER

Wrongdoer, evildoer; a person who commits harmful acts

ZU

To; capitalized infinitive particle emphasizing the following verb

BESTRAFEN

To punish; to impose a penalty on a wrongdoer

UND

And; capitalized coordinating conjunction for emphasis

VOLLSTRECKER

Executor, enforcer; one who carries out a law or sentence

DES

Of the; capitalized genitive form of masculine definite article

NATURGESETZES

Of the law of nature; genitive of Naturgesetz, capitalized

SEIN

To be; capitalized infinitive emphasizing role or identity

Ich

I; first-person singular personal pronoun in German

zweifle

I doubt; first-person singular of zweifeln, to doubt

nicht

Not; negation particle negating verbs or adjectives

daran

At it, about it; contraction of da and an, pronominal adverb

dass

That; subordinating conjunction introducing a dependent clause

diese

This, these; demonstrative adjective modifying a noun

Lehre

Doctrine, teaching; a set of principles or beliefs taught

manchen

Some, many a; indefinite adjective referring to some people

Menschen

People, humans; plural of Mensch, human being

sehr

Very; adverb intensifying adjectives or other adverbs

seltsam

Strange, odd; something unusual or difficult to understand

erscheinen

To appear, seem; to come across in a certain way

wird

Will, becomes; third-person singular of werden

aber

But, however; coordinating conjunction showing contrast

bevor

Before; subordinating conjunction indicating prior time

sie

They, she; third-person pronoun, singular or plural

verurteilen

To condemn, judge; to declare someone guilty or wrong

bitte

Please; polite request marker or form of bitten, to ask

ich

I; first-person singular personal pronoun in German

mir

Me (dative); dative form of the first-person pronoun ich

erklären

To explain; to make something clear or understandable

welchem

Which (dative); dative form of interrogative pronoun welcher

Recht

Right, law; a legal entitlement or the legal system

Fürst

Prince, sovereign; a ruling noble or monarch in German history

Staat

State, nation; a politically organized community or government

einen

A, an (accusative); accusative form of indefinite article ein

Ausländer

Foreigner; a person from another country or nation

für

For; preposition indicating purpose, cause, or exchange

Verbrechen

Crime; a serious illegal act punishable by law

er

He; third-person masculine singular personal pronoun

ihrem

Their, her (dative); dative possessive pronoun ihr

Land

Land, country; a nation or geographical territory

begeht

Commits; third-person singular of begehen, to commit a crime

hinrichten

To execute; to carry out a death sentence on someone

bestrafen

To punish; to impose a penalty for wrongdoing

kann

Can, is able to; third-person singular modal verb können

Es

It; neuter third-person pronoun, also impersonal subject

gewiss

Certainly, sure; expressing confidence or acknowledging a fact

ihre

Their, her; possessive adjective modifying a plural or noun

Gesetze

Laws; plural of Gesetz, rules established by authority

Sanktion

Sanction; official approval or punitive measure enforcing compliance

den

The (accusative); accusative masculine or dative plural article

verkündeten

Proclaimed, declared; past participle of verkünden, to announce

Willen

Will; accusative of Wille, the intention or desire

Legislative

Legislature; the branch of government that makes laws

Fremden

Foreigners, strangers; dative plural of Fremder

erfassen

To capture, comprehend, cover; to include or grasp something

sprechen

To speak; to communicate verbally or address someone

ihm

Him, it (dative); dative form of masculine pronoun er

selbst

Himself, itself, even; reflexive emphatic particle or pronoun

wenn

If, when; subordinating conjunction for conditions or time

täten

Would do; subjunctive II form of tun, expressing hypotheticals

wäre

Would be; subjunctive II of sein, used in hypotheticals

verpflichtet

Obligated, bound; past participle of verpflichten, to obligate

hören

To hear, to listen; to perceive sound or obey

Die

The; definite article for feminine singular or plural nouns

gesetzgebende

Legislative, law-making; adjective describing law-creating authority

Gewalt

Power, force, authority; governmental power or physical force

derer

Of those; genitive demonstrative pronoun referring to a group

über

Over, above, about; preposition indicating position or subject

Untertanen

Subjects; citizens under the rule of a sovereign authority

Gemeinwesens

Of the commonwealth; genitive of Gemeinwesen, community or state

gelten

To apply, be valid; to hold true for a given group

keine

No, none; negative article indicating absence of something

Macht

Power, authority; the capacity to control or influence others