The Scarlet Letter — Page 3

Vocabulary

PAGE

A page, as in a book or document

LA

The (feminine definite article)

DOUANE

Customs office where goods are checked at borders

PORTE

Door or gate of a building

DE

Of, from; common French preposition

PRISON

A place where criminals are confined

VIGNETTE

A small illustration or brief descriptive scene

ROSE

A rose flower; also pink color

SAUVAGE

Wild, untamed; can describe nature or behavior

LES

The (plural definite article)

COMMÈRES

Gossips; women who spread rumors about others

DEBOUT

Standing upright; on one's feet

SUR

On, upon; common French preposition

MISÉRABLE

Miserable, wretched; in great distress or poverty

ÉMINENCE

A raised piece of ground; also high distinction

ELLE

She, her; third-person feminine pronoun

FUT

Was; past tense of être (to be)

RECONDUITE

Escorted back; led away to a destination

EN

In, into, by; versatile French preposition or pronoun

YEUX

Eyes; plural of œil

DU

Of the (masculine contraction of de + le)

SAVANT

A learned scholar or scientist with great knowledge

RIDÉ

Wrinkled; having lines or creases on the skin

BRILLAIENT

Were shining, sparkling; imperfect tense of briller

DEMEURE

A dwelling, residence; place where someone lives

SOLITAIRE

Solitary, alone; living or existing in isolation

PAS

Step, footstep; also negation particle (not)

SOLITAIRES

Solitary ones; plural adjective meaning alone or isolated

LE

The (masculine definite article)

TOUCHER

To touch; the act of touching something or someone

PETITE

Small, little; feminine adjective describing small size

MAIN

Hand; the part of the body at the end of the arm

PLASTRON

Shirt front or breastplate; decorative chest covering

GOUVERNEUR

Governor; official who governs a region or state

VEILLES-Y

Watch over it; imperative to keep an eye on something

JE

I; first-person singular subject pronoun

NE

Not; negation particle used with pas or other words

PERDRAI

Will lose; first-person future tense of perdre

L'

The; elided definite article before vowel or h

ENFANT

Child; a young human being, boy or girl

PASTEUR

Pastor, minister; a Protestant religious leader

ET

And; basic coordinating conjunction

MÉDECIN

Doctor, physician; a person who practices medicine

SON

His, her, its (possessive adjective, masculine singular)

PATIENT

Patient; a person receiving medical care or treatment

VIERGES

Virgins; pure, untouched women or maidens

ÉGLISE

Church; a Christian place of worship

ILS

They (masculine or mixed group); third-person plural pronoun

SE

Himself, herself, themselves; reflexive pronoun

TENAIENT

Were holding, standing; imperfect of tenir

PLEIN

Full, in the middle of; complete or entirely filled

MIDI

Noon; midday, twelve o'clock in the afternoon

CET

This (masculine before vowel); demonstrative adjective

ÉTRANGE

Strange, odd; unusual or difficult to explain

ÉCLAT

Brilliance, flash; a burst of light or fame

DANS

In, inside; preposition indicating location or time

MAISON

House, home; a building where people live

DEUIL

Mourning, grief; sorrow following a death

MANDRAGORE

Mandrake; a plant with supposed magical or medicinal properties

IL

He, it; third-person masculine singular pronoun

CUEILLAIT

Was picking, gathering; imperfect of cueillir (to pick)

DES

Some, of the; plural indefinite or partitive article

HERBES

Herbs, grasses; plants used for cooking or medicine

ÇÀ

Here and there (in expression çà et là)

LÀ

There; indicating a place or location

BORD

Edge, shore, bank; the side of something

MER

Sea; a large body of salt water

VEUX-TU

Do you want; interrogative form of vouloir (to want)

ENCORE

Still, again, yet; continuing or repeating an action

ME

Me, myself; first-person singular object pronoun

PARDONNER

To forgive; to excuse someone for a wrong done

UN

A, an, one; masculine indefinite article or numeral

RAYON

Ray, beam; a narrow line of light or energy

SOLEIL

Sun; the star at the center of our solar system

AU

To the, at the; contraction of à + le

RUISSEAU

Stream, brook; a small flowing body of water

SOURIRE

To smile; also a noun meaning a smile

D'

Of, from; elided form of de before vowel

UNE

A, an, one; feminine indefinite article

SIGNIFICATION

Meaning, significance; what something conveys or implies

SINISTRE

Sinister, ominous; suggesting evil or threatening danger

NOTABLES

Notable people; prominent or distinguished members of society

NOUS

We, us; first-person plural pronoun

REVERRONS-NOUS

Shall we see again; future of revoir in question form

RETOUR

Return; coming back to a place or situation

INTRODUCTION

Introduction; opening section presenting a text or topic

À

To, at, in; very common French preposition

LETTRE

Letter; a written message or an alphabet character

ÉCARLATE

Scarlet; a vivid bright red color

Il

He, it; third-person masculine singular pronoun

est

Is; third-person singular present of être (to be)

assez

Quite, rather, enough; indicates sufficiency or degree

remarquable

Remarkable, noteworthy; deserving special attention or notice

que

That, which, than; conjunction or relative pronoun

bien

Well, good; adverb indicating quality or degree

peu

Little, few; indicating a small amount or degree

enclin

Inclined, prone; tending toward a behavior or attitude

trop

Too, too much; exceeding a desired or normal amount

parler

To speak, to talk; to communicate verbally

moi-même

Myself; emphatic reflexive first-person singular pronoun

affaires

Affairs, matters, business; things one is concerned with

coin

Corner; an angle or secluded spot

feu

Fire; burning flames producing heat and light

amis

Friends; people with whom one has a close bond

proches

Close ones; near or intimate friends and relatives

impulsion

Impulse, urge; a sudden unplanned desire to act

autobiographique

Autobiographical; relating to the story of one's own life

emparée

Seized, taken hold; past participle of s'emparer

moi

Me, myself; emphatic first-person singular pronoun

deux

Two; the number 2

reprises

Times, occasions; instances at which something occurs

vie

Life; the state of being alive

lorsque

When; at the time that something happens

adressais

Was addressing; imperfect of s'adresser (to address)

public

Public, audience; people in general or a readership