Spoon River Anthology — Page 8

Vocabulary

Pois

pohys — Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'so/well'

os

ohs — Definite article 'the' (masculine plural)

protestantes

proh-tesh-TAN-tesh — Protestants; members of Protestant Christian denominations

compraram

kohm-PRAH-rão — They bought; past tense of comprar

este

EHS-teh — This; demonstrative pronoun/adjective (masculine)

lote

LOH-teh — Lot or plot of land

E

eh — And; basic coordinating conjunction

enterraram

en-teh-HAH-rão — They buried; past tense of enterrar

meu

meh-oo — My; first person singular possessive adjective

corpo

KOR-poo — Body; the physical form of a person

aqui

ah-KEE — Here; indicating a nearby location

Perto

PER-too — Near, close to; indicating proximity

do

doo — Contraction of 'de' + 'o' meaning 'of the'

túmulo

TOO-moo-loo — Tomb or grave; burial monument

banqueiro

ban-KAY-roo — Banker; person who works in banking

de

deh — Of, from; very common preposition

sua

SOO-ah — His, her, your; third person possessive adjective

esposa

esh-POH-zah — Wife; a married woman in relation to her husband

Notai

noh-TAY — Notice, observe; imperative plural of notar

vós

vohsh — You (plural); formal second person plural pronoun

almas

AHL-mahsh — Souls; spiritual essences of persons

prudentes

proo-DEN-tesh — Prudent, wise; showing careful good judgment

e

eh — And; coordinating conjunction linking words

piedosas

pyeh-DOH-zahsh — Pious, devout; showing deep religious devotion

Das

dahsh — Contraction of 'de' + 'as' meaning 'of the' (feminine plural)

contracorrentes

kon-trah-koh-REN-tesh — Countercurrents; opposing forces or trends in life

da

dah — Contraction of 'de' + 'a' meaning 'of the' (feminine)

vida

VEE-dah — Life; existence or way of living

Que

keh — That, which; relative pronoun or conjunction

trazem

TRAH-zeng — They bring; third person plural of trazer

honra

ON-rah — Honor; high respect and moral integrity

aos

ah-oosh — Contraction of 'a' + 'os' meaning 'to the' (masculine plural)

mortos

MOR-toosh — Dead; deceased persons, the dead

que

keh — That, who; relative pronoun introducing a clause

viveram

vee-VEH-rão — They lived; past tense of viver

na

nah — Contraction of 'em' + 'a' meaning 'in the' (feminine)

vergonha

ver-GOH-nyah — Shame; feeling of disgrace or dishonor

Nunca

NOON-kah — Never; at no time, not ever

vos

voosh — You (plural object); second person plural object pronoun

admirastes

ahd-mee-RAHSH-tesh — You wondered/marveled; past tense of admirar (plural)

parvos

PAR-voosh — Fools, idiots; stupid or foolish people

Quando

KWAN-doo — When; temporal conjunction or adverb

votou

voh-TOH — He/she voted; past tense of votar

contra

KON-trah — Against; preposition indicating opposition

as

ahsh — The; definite article (feminine plural)

tabernas

tah-BER-nahsh — Taverns; establishments serving alcoholic drinks

Para

PAH-rah — For, to; preposition indicating purpose or direction

se

seh — Reflexive pronoun; himself, herself, oneself

vingar

veen-GAR — To avenge, take revenge; seeking retribution

por

por — For, by, through; versatile preposition

ter

tehr — To have; auxiliary or main verb infinitive

sido

SEE-doo — Been; past participle of ser (to be)

excluído

esh-kloo-EE-doo — Excluded; having been left out or rejected

Mas

mahsh — But; adversative conjunction showing contrast

nenhum

neh-NYOOM — None, no one; negative indefinite pronoun (masculine)

foi

foy — Was, went; past tense of ser or ir

perspicaz

per-shpee-KAHSH — Perceptive, shrewd; having sharp mental insight

o

oo — The; masculine singular definite article

suficiente

soo-fee-SYEN-teh — Sufficient, enough; adequate for the purpose

seguir

seh-GHEER — To follow, continue; to proceed along a path

meus

meh-oosh — My; first person singular possessive (masculine plural)

passos

PAH-soosh — Steps, footsteps; acts of walking or following

ou

oh — Or; disjunctive conjunction offering alternatives

rastrear

rahsh-treh-AR — To track, trace; to follow a trail or path

caminho

kah-MEE-nyoo — Path, way, road; route taken to reach somewhere

volta

VOL-tah — Return, turn; going back to a starting point

Como

KOH-moo — As, like, how; conjunction or adverb of manner

irmão

eer-MOWNG — Brother; male sibling or spiritual kinship

espiritual

esh-pee-ree-too-AHL — Spiritual; relating to the spirit or soul

Vós

vohsh — You (plural formal); archaic second person plural pronoun

recordais

heh-kor-DAY-sh — You recall; second person plural of recordar

quando

KWAN-doo — When; temporal conjunction introducing a clause

eu

eh-oo — I; first person singular subject pronoun

lutei

loo-TAY — I fought; first person past tense of lutar

Contra

KON-trah — Against; preposition expressing opposition

banco

BAN-koo — Bank; financial institution or bench

a

ah — The; feminine singular definite article

quadrilha

kwah-DREE-lyah — Gang, clique; group acting together corruptly

tribunal

tree-boo-NAHL — Court, tribunal; judicial body or proceeding

Por

por — For, by; preposition indicating cause or agent

embolsar

em-bol-SAR — To pocket, embezzle; to put money in one's pocket

juros

ZHOO-roosh — Interest; money charged or earned on loans

dos

doosh — Contraction of 'de' + 'os' meaning 'of the' (masculine plural)

fundos

FOON-doosh — Funds; money or financial resources

públicos

POO-blee-koosh — Public; belonging to or concerning the community

nossos

NOH-soosh — Our; first person plural possessive adjective (masculine)

cidadãos

see-dah-DAHN-oosh — Citizens; members of a city or country

mais

mahysh — More, most; comparative or superlative adverb

influentes

een-floo-EN-tesh — Influential; having power or effect on others

fazer

fah-ZER — To do, to make; fundamental Portuguese verb

pobres

POH-brish — Poor; lacking money or resources, the poor

animais

ah-nee-MAY-sh — Animals; living creatures; also used figuratively

carga

KAR-gah — Load, burden, cargo; heavy weight carried

impostos

eem-POSH-toosh — Taxes; compulsory payments to the government

obras

OH-brahsh — Works, construction projects; public infrastructure works

abastecimento

ah-bahsh-teh-see-MEN-too — Supply, provisioning; providing resources to a population

água

AH-gwah — Water; essential liquid for life

usurpar

oo-zoor-PAR — To usurp; to seize power or rights illegally

ruas

HOO-ahsh — Streets; public roads in a town or city

aumentar

ah-oo-men-TAR — To increase, raise; to make something larger

tarifas

tah-REE-fahsh — Tariffs, rates, fees; official pricing schedules

homens

OH-menshsh — Men; adult male persons

negócios

neh-GOH-syoosh — Business, affairs; commercial or professional activities

lutaram

loo-TAH-rão — They fought; past tense of lutar

mim

meem — Me; first person singular object pronoun

nessas

NEH-sahsh — In those; contraction of 'em' + 'essas' (feminine plural)

batalhas

bah-TAH-lyahsh — Battles; military or figurative struggles

Então

en-TOWNG — Then, so; temporal or logical connective adverb

cambaleando

kam-bah-leh-AN-doo — Staggering, stumbling; moving unsteadily under weight

sob

sohb — Under, beneath; preposition of position

escombros

esh-KOM-broosh — Rubble, debris; remains after destruction or collapse

derrota

deh-HOH-tah — Defeat; the state of being beaten or overcome

uma

OO-mah — A, an; indefinite article (feminine singular)

carreira

kah-HAY-rah — Career; professional path or occupation over time

arruinada

ah-hwee-NAH-dah — Ruined; completely destroyed or brought to nothing

Deslizei

desh-lee-ZAY — I slipped, I slid; past tense of deslizar

manto

MAN-too — Mantle, cloak; a covering garment or metaphorical cover

último

OOL-tee-moo — Last, final; the one that comes at the end

ideal

ee-deh-AHL — Ideal; a principle or standard of perfection

Oculto

oh-KOOL-too — Hidden, concealed; kept secret from others

todos

TOH-doosh — All, everyone; the entirety of persons or things

olhos

OH-lyoosh — Eyes; organs of sight

até

ah-TEH — Until, up to; preposition or conjunction of limit

então

en-TOWNG — Then; at that time or as a consequence

estimada

esh-tee-MAH-dah — Esteemed, valued; held in high regard

queixada

kay-SHAH-dah — Jawbone; the bone forming the jaw

um

oom — A, an; masculine singular indefinite article

burro

BOO-hoo — Donkey; a stubborn animal; also means stupid

golpeei

gol-peh-EY — I struck, I hit; past tense of golpear

com

kong — With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means

proibição

proh-ee-bee-SOWNG — Prohibition; an official ban or forbiddance

fiz

feesh — I did, I made; past tense of fazer

pagar

pah-GAR — To pay; to give money in exchange for something

preço

PREH-soo — Price, cost; amount paid for goods or services

havia

ah-VEE-ah — Had, there was; imperfect tense of haver

perdido

per-DEE-doo — Lost; past participle of perder, no longer possessed