The Ballad of the White Horse — Page 1

Vocabulary

Avant

a-vɑ̃ — Before; preceding in time or position

les

le — The; definite plural article in French

dieux

djø — Gods; plural of god or deity

qui

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

créèrent

kʁe.ɛʁ — Created; third person plural past tense of créer

Avaient

a.vɛ — Had; third person plural imperfect of avoir

vu

vy — Seen; past participle of voir, to see

passer

pa.se — To pass, to go by, to cross

leur

lœʁ — Their; third person plural possessive adjective

aurore

o.ʁɔʁ — Dawn; the first light of the morning sky

Le

lə — The; masculine singular definite article

Cheval

ʃə.val — Horse; a large domesticated hoofed mammal

Blanc

blɑ̃ — White; the color of snow or pure light

de

də — Of, from; common French preposition indicating belonging

la

la — The; feminine singular definite article in French

Vallée

va.le — Valley; low land between hills or mountains

du

dy — Of the; contracted masculine singular prepositional article

Fut

fy — Was; third person singular simple past of être

taillé

ta.je — Cut, carved; shaped by cutting into a material

dans

dɑ̃ — In, inside; preposition indicating location or context

l'

l — The; elided definite article before a vowel sound

herbe

ɛʁb — Grass, herb; low green plants covering ground

bu

by — Drunk; past participle of boire, to drink

à

a — At, to, in; fundamental French preposition of location

aube

ob — Dawn; the very beginning of the morning light

tout

tu — All, every, whole; indicating totality or completeness

soûl

su — Drunk, intoxicated; having consumed too much alcohol

Était

e.tɛ — Was; third person singular imperfect of être

blanchi

blɑ̃.ʃi — Whitened, bleached; turned white over time

sur

syʁ — On, upon; preposition indicating surface or position

colline

kɔ.lin — Hill; a rounded elevated landform smaller than a mountain

Âge

aʒ — Age, era; a period or stage of time

après

a.pʁɛ — After; following in time, order, or position

âge

aʒ — Age; a span or period of historical time

terre

tɛʁ — Earth, land, ground; the soil or world below

britannique

bʁi.ta.nik — British; relating to Britain or its people

Des

de — Some; indefinite plural article or partitive in French

éons

e.ɔ̃ — Eons; extremely long, indefinite periods of time

révolus

ʁe.vɔ.ly — Past, gone by; time periods that have elapsed

Il

il — He, it; third person masculine singular pronoun

y

i — There, it; adverbial pronoun indicating place or reference

eut

y — Had; third person singular simple past of avoir

paix

pɛ — Peace; absence of conflict or state of harmony

et

e — And; coordinating conjunction linking words or clauses

guerre

ɡɛʁ — War; armed conflict between nations or groups

collines

kɔ.lin — Hills; plural of hill, rounded elevated landforms

ouest

wɛst — West; the cardinal direction opposite to east

Et

e — And; coordinating conjunction connecting phrases or clauses

le

lə — Him, it; masculine singular direct object pronoun

regardait

ʁə.ɡaʁ.dɛ — Was watching; imperfect tense of regarder, to watch

Car

kaʁ — For, because; conjunction giving reason or explanation

connaissait

kɔ.nɛ.sɛ — Knew; imperfect tense of connaître, to know someone

Angleterre

ɑ̃.ɡlə.tɛʁ — England; a country in the southern part of Britain

Quand

kɑ̃ — When; conjunction or adverb indicating time

il

il — He, it; third person masculine singular subject pronoun

n'

n — Not; negation particle used before a vowel sound

avait

a.vɛ — Had; third person singular imperfect of avoir

personne

pɛʁ.sɔn — Nobody, no one; indefinite pronoun indicating absence of people

pour

puʁ — For, in order to; preposition of purpose or benefit

connaître

kɔ.nɛtʁ — To know; to be familiar or acquainted with someone

vit

vi — Saw; third person singular simple past of voir

première

pʁə.mjɛʁ — First; the ordinal number indicating first position

rame

ʁam — Oar; a paddle used to row a boat

se

sə — Itself, oneself; reflexive pronoun for third person

briser

bʁi.ze — To break, to shatter; to cause something to break

ou

u — Or; coordinating conjunction presenting an alternative choice

plier

pli.je — To bend, to fold; to cause to curve or flex

ciel

sjɛl — Sky, heaven; the expanse above the earth

tomber

tɔ̃.be — To fall; to drop down due to gravity or force

monde

mɔ̃d — World; the earth and all its people and places

finir

fi.niʁ — To finish, to end; to bring something to a close

Dieu

djø — God; the supreme divine being or deity

a

a — Has; third person singular present tense of avoir

si

si — So, if; expressing degree or introducing a condition

longtemps

lɔ̃.tɑ̃ — A long time; for an extended or lengthy duration

fin

fɛ̃ — End; the final point or conclusion of something

était

e.tɛ — Was; third person singular imperfect tense of être

nous

nu — We, us; first person plural subject or object pronoun

tous

All, everyone; plural form of tout indicating totality

demeurons

də.mœ.ʁɔ̃ — We remain, we dwell; first person plural of demeurer

aujourd'

o.ʒuʁ — Today; referring to the current day, used in aujourd'hui

Comme

kɔm — Like, as; conjunction or preposition of comparison

enfants

ɑ̃.fɑ̃ — Children; plural of enfant, young human beings

d'

d — Of; elided form of de before a vowel sound

une

yn — A, an; feminine indefinite article in French

seconde

sə.ɡɔ̃d — Second; ordinal indicating the second in a sequence

naissance

nɛ.sɑ̃s — Birth; the act or moment of being born

un

œ̃ — A, an; masculine indefinite article in French

peuple

pœpl — People, nation; a group sharing culture or identity

étrange

e.tʁɑ̃ʒ — Strange, odd; unusual or unfamiliar in character

laissé

lɛ.se — Left, abandoned; past participle of laisser, to leave

Après

a.pʁɛ — After; following in time or sequence

jour

ʒuʁ — Day; a 24-hour period of time

jugement

ʒyʒ.mɑ̃ — Judgment; an assessment or the act of judging

confins

kɔ̃.fɛ̃ — Confines, borders; the outermost edges of a territory

devinrent

də.vɛ̃ʁ — Became; third person plural simple past of devenir

libres

libʁ — Free; not constrained or under control of others

fut

fy — Was; third person singular simple past of être

engloutie

ɑ̃.ɡlu.ti — Swallowed up, engulfed; completely consumed or submerged

désert

de.zɛʁ — Desert; a dry, barren area with sparse vegetation

esclaves

ɛs.klav — Slaves; people forced to work without freedom

que

kə — That, which, whom; relative or subordinating conjunction

soleil

sɔ.lɛj — Sun; the star at the center of our solar system

noya

nwa.ja — Drowned; third person singular simple past of noyer

mer

mɛʁ — Sea; a large body of salt water

tomba

tɔ̃.ba — Fell; third person singular simple past of tomber

quiconque

ki.kɔ̃k — Whoever, anyone who; indefinite relative pronoun

écoutait

e.ku.tɛ — Was listening; imperfect tense of écouter, to listen

bien

bjɛ̃ — Well, good; adverb indicating manner or quality

Ne

nə — Not; first part of French negation ne…pas or ne…que

pouvait

pu.vɛ — Could; imperfect tense of pouvoir, to be able

qu'

k — That, only; elided form of que before a vowel

entendre

ɑ̃.tɑ̃dʁ — To hear; to perceive sound with the ears

plongeon

plɔ̃.ʒɔ̃ — Plunge, dive; the act of diving or plunging down

nations

na.sjɔ̃ — Nations; plural of nation, sovereign countries or peoples

nuit

nɥi — Night; the dark period between sunset and sunrise

extrémités

ɛks.tʁe.mi.te — Extremities, ends; the outermost parts or edges

s'

s — Themselves; elided reflexive pronoun before a vowel

avancèrent

a.vɑ̃.sɛʁ — Advanced, moved forward; third person plural simple past

en

ɑ̃ — In, on, by; preposition indicating manner, state, or means

marche

maʁʃ — March, walk; a steady forward movement on foot

Vers

vɛʁ — Toward, towards; preposition indicating direction or destination

lueur

lɥœʁ — Glow, gleam; a faint or flickering light

torches

tɔʁʃ — Torches; handheld burning lights used for illumination

routes

ʁut — Roads, routes; paths or ways used for travel

mènent

mɛn — Lead; third person plural present of mener, to lead

Étaient

e.tɛ — Were; third person plural imperfect tense of être

remplies

ʁɑ̃.pli — Filled; feminine plural past participle of remplir

visages

vi.zaʒ — Faces; plural of visage, the front part of the head

mouvaient

mu.vɛ — Were moving; imperfect tense of mouvoir, to move

comme

kɔm — Like, as; used to make a comparison between things

écume

e.kym — Foam, froth; bubbles formed on a liquid surface

rêve

ʁɛv — Dream; images and thoughts experienced during sleep