Vocabulary and History lessons c/o The Scarlet Letter
This morning, I started reading The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I decided to make a list of words I wasn't sure about the meanings of, so I could look them up and be sure. I've since come up with over 30 things to look up, including events, people, places. This list will grow as I progress through the book. It's may be long and boring, but it could also be a rich learning experience. Sounds like school.
Note: Some definitions are those of words found in definitions of words found in the novel. I also linked to the sources.
The Custom-House: Introductory to "The Scarlet Letter"
manse - (noun) - the house occupied by a minister of a Presbyterian church; a large stately residence
desert - (noun) - something that is deserved or merited, especially a punishment
genial - (adj) - having a pleasant or friendly disposition or manner
prate - (verb) - to talk idly and at length; chatter
prolix - (adj) - tediously prolonged; wordy
brig - (noun) - a two-masted sailing ship, square-rigged on both masts
mast - (noun) - a tall vertical spar, sometimes sectioned, that rises from the keel or deck of a sailing vessel to support the sails and the standing and running rigging
spar - (noun) - a wooden or metal pole, such as a boom, yard, or bowsprit, used to support sails and rigging
boom - (noun) - a long spar extending from a mast to hold or extend the foot of a sail
yard - (noun) - a long tapering spar slung to a mast to support and spread the head of a square sail, lugsail, or lateen
bowsprit - (noun) - a spar, extending forward from the stem of a shp, to which the stays of the foremast are fastened
stay - (noun) - a heavy rope or cable, usually of wire, used as a brace or support for a mast or spar
foremast - (noun) - the forward mast on a sailing vessel
lugsail - (noun) - a quadrilateral sail that lacks a boom, has the foot larger than the head, and is bent to a yard hanging obliquely on the mast
lateen - (noun) - a lateen sail - (adj) - being, related to, or rigged with a triangular sail hung on a long yard that is attached at an angle to the top of a short mast
keel - (noun) - the principal structural member of a ship, running lengthwise along the center line from bow to stern, to which the frames are attached
bow - (noun) - the front section of a ship or boat
stern - (noun) - the rear part of a ship or boat
deck - (noun) - a platform extending horizontally from one side of a ship to the other
rigging - (noun) - the arrangement of masts, spars, and sails on a sailing vessel
bark also barque - (noun) - a sailing ship with from three to five masts, all of them square-rigged except the after mast, which is fore-and-aft rigged
fore-and-aft - (noun) - parallel with the keel of the ship
schooner - (noun) - a fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel having at least two masts, with a foremast that is usually smaller than the other masts
wharf - (noun) - a landing place or pier where ships may tie up and load or unload
languid - (adj) - lacking energy or vitality
edifice - (noun) - a building, especially one of imposing appearance or size
portico - (noun) - a porch or walkway with a roof supported by columns, often leading to the entrance of a building
truculence - also truculency - (noun) - a disposition or apparent disposition to fight, especially fiercely
eider-down - (noun) - the down of the eider duck, used as stuffing for quilts and pillows
vixen - (noun) - a woman regarded as quarrelsome, shrewish, or malicious
shrewish - (adj) - ill-tempered; nagging
rankling - (verb) - to become sore or inflamed; fester.
chink - (noun) - a narrow opening, such as a crack or fissure
granite - (noun) - a common, coarse-grained, light-colored, hard igneous rock consisting chiefly of quartz, orthoclase or microcline, and mica, used in monuments and for building
igneous - (noun) - formed by solidification from a molten state. Used of rocks.
quartz - (noun) - a very hard mineral composed of silica, found worldwide in many different types of rocks, including sandstone and granite
silica - (noun) - a white or colorless crystalline compound, occurring abundantly as quartz, sand, flint, agate, and many other minerals and used to manufacture a wide variety of materials, especially glass and concrete
sand - (noun) - a sedimentary material, finer than a granule and coarser than silt, with grains between 0.06 and 2.0 millimeters in diameter
sedimentary - (noun) - of or relating to rocks formed by the deposition of sediment
deposition - (noun) - the act of depositing, especially the laying down of matter by a natural process
sediment - (noun) - solid fragments of inorganic or organic material that come from the weathering of rock and are carried and deposited by wind, water, or ice
a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=granule">granule - (noun) - a rock or mineral larger than a sand grain and smaller than a pebble, between 2 and 4 millimeters in diameter
silt - (noun) - a sedimentary material consisting of very fine particles intermediate in size between sand and clay
flint - (noun) - a very hard, fine-grained quartz that sparks when struck with steel
agate - (noun) - a fine-grained, fibrous variety of chalcedony with colored bands or irregular clouding
chalcedony - (noun) - a translucent to transparent milky or grayish quartz with distinctive microscopic crystals arranged in slender fibers in parallel bands
sandstone - (noun) - a sedimentary rock formed by the consolidation and compaction of sand and held together by a natural cement, such as silica
orthoclase - (noun) - a variety of feldspar, essentially potassium aluminum silicate, characterized by monoclinic crystalline structure and found in igneous or granitic rock. Also called potash feldspar.
feldspar - (noun) - any of a group of abundant rock-forming minerals occurring principally in igneous, plutonic, and some metamorphic rocks, and consisting of silicates of aluminum with potassium, sodium, calcium, and, rarely, barium. About 60 percent of the earth's outer crust is composed of feldspar
plutonic - (adj) - of deep igneous or magmatic origin
magma - (adj) - the molten rock material under the earth's crust, from which igneous rock is formed by cooling
metamorphic - (adj) - changed in structure or composition as a result of metamorphism. Used of rock.
metamorphism - (noun) - the process by which rocks are altered in composition, texture, or internal structure by extreme heat, pressure, and the introduction of new chemical substances.
monoclinic - (noun) - of or relating to three unequal crystal axes, two of which intersect obliquely and are perpendicular to the third.
microcline - (noun) - a mineral of the feldspar group, used in making glass, porcelain, and enamel.
mica - (noun) - any of a group of chemically and physically related aluminum silicate materials, common in igneous and metamorphic rocks, characteristically splitting into flexible sheets used in insulation and electrical equipment
ship chandler - (noun) - one who deals in cordage, canvas, and other, furniture of vessels
cordage - (noun) - cords or ropes, especially the ropes in the rigging of a ship
slovenliness - (noun) - untidiness in personal appearance
decrepit - (adj) - weakened, worn out, impaired, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use
Locofoco - a radical faction of the Democratic Party that existed from 1835 until the mid-1840s.
besom - (noun) - a bundle of twigs attached to a handle and used as a broom
emolument - (noun) - payment for an office or employment; compensation
New England - region of the United States, located in the northeastern corner of the country.
peninsula - (noun) - a piece of land that projects into a body of water and is connected with the mainland by an isthmus
isthmus - (noun) - a narrow strip of land connecting two larger masses of land
emigrant - (noun) - one that emigrates
emigrate - (verb) - to leave one country or region to settle in another
~ As to the difference between an emigrant and an immigrant, I see none.
progenitor - (noun) - an originator of a line of descent; a precursor
William Hathorne (also here) - Nathaniel Hawthorne's Great Great Grandfather, one of the original Puritan settlers from England...was merciless in his persecution of Quakers. In particular, he is remembered for ordering the whipping of Ann Coleman.
Puritan - members of a group of English Protestants seeking further reforms or even separation from the established church during the Reformation.
Quakers - a religious community who do not have a universal set of doctrines to which all members subscribe but who embrace certain testimonies that have been adopted by a consensus referred to as "unity of the spirit"
Ann Coleman - one of three young Quaker women who came from England, to Dover, in 1662
John Hathorne - the Judge who presided over the Salem Witch Trials
Salem Witch Trials - click for more
tempestuous - (adj) - tumultuous; stormy
sentry - (noun) - a guard, especially a soldier posted at a given spot to prevent the passage of unauthorized persons.
vicissitude - (noun) - a change or variation
Am I the only one who's excited about this? >_>"
Note: Some definitions are those of words found in definitions of words found in the novel. I also linked to the sources.
The Custom-House: Introductory to "The Scarlet Letter"
manse - (noun) - the house occupied by a minister of a Presbyterian church; a large stately residence
desert - (noun) - something that is deserved or merited, especially a punishment
genial - (adj) - having a pleasant or friendly disposition or manner
prate - (verb) - to talk idly and at length; chatter
prolix - (adj) - tediously prolonged; wordy
brig - (noun) - a two-masted sailing ship, square-rigged on both masts
mast - (noun) - a tall vertical spar, sometimes sectioned, that rises from the keel or deck of a sailing vessel to support the sails and the standing and running rigging
spar - (noun) - a wooden or metal pole, such as a boom, yard, or bowsprit, used to support sails and rigging
boom - (noun) - a long spar extending from a mast to hold or extend the foot of a sail
yard - (noun) - a long tapering spar slung to a mast to support and spread the head of a square sail, lugsail, or lateen
bowsprit - (noun) - a spar, extending forward from the stem of a shp, to which the stays of the foremast are fastened
stay - (noun) - a heavy rope or cable, usually of wire, used as a brace or support for a mast or spar
foremast - (noun) - the forward mast on a sailing vessel
lugsail - (noun) - a quadrilateral sail that lacks a boom, has the foot larger than the head, and is bent to a yard hanging obliquely on the mast
lateen - (noun) - a lateen sail - (adj) - being, related to, or rigged with a triangular sail hung on a long yard that is attached at an angle to the top of a short mast
keel - (noun) - the principal structural member of a ship, running lengthwise along the center line from bow to stern, to which the frames are attached
bow - (noun) - the front section of a ship or boat
stern - (noun) - the rear part of a ship or boat
deck - (noun) - a platform extending horizontally from one side of a ship to the other
rigging - (noun) - the arrangement of masts, spars, and sails on a sailing vessel
bark also barque - (noun) - a sailing ship with from three to five masts, all of them square-rigged except the after mast, which is fore-and-aft rigged
fore-and-aft - (noun) - parallel with the keel of the ship
schooner - (noun) - a fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel having at least two masts, with a foremast that is usually smaller than the other masts
wharf - (noun) - a landing place or pier where ships may tie up and load or unload
languid - (adj) - lacking energy or vitality
edifice - (noun) - a building, especially one of imposing appearance or size
portico - (noun) - a porch or walkway with a roof supported by columns, often leading to the entrance of a building
truculence - also truculency - (noun) - a disposition or apparent disposition to fight, especially fiercely
eider-down - (noun) - the down of the eider duck, used as stuffing for quilts and pillows
vixen - (noun) - a woman regarded as quarrelsome, shrewish, or malicious
shrewish - (adj) - ill-tempered; nagging
rankling - (verb) - to become sore or inflamed; fester.
chink - (noun) - a narrow opening, such as a crack or fissure
granite - (noun) - a common, coarse-grained, light-colored, hard igneous rock consisting chiefly of quartz, orthoclase or microcline, and mica, used in monuments and for building
igneous - (noun) - formed by solidification from a molten state. Used of rocks.
quartz - (noun) - a very hard mineral composed of silica, found worldwide in many different types of rocks, including sandstone and granite
silica - (noun) - a white or colorless crystalline compound, occurring abundantly as quartz, sand, flint, agate, and many other minerals and used to manufacture a wide variety of materials, especially glass and concrete
sand - (noun) - a sedimentary material, finer than a granule and coarser than silt, with grains between 0.06 and 2.0 millimeters in diameter
sedimentary - (noun) - of or relating to rocks formed by the deposition of sediment
deposition - (noun) - the act of depositing, especially the laying down of matter by a natural process
sediment - (noun) - solid fragments of inorganic or organic material that come from the weathering of rock and are carried and deposited by wind, water, or ice
a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=granule">granule - (noun) - a rock or mineral larger than a sand grain and smaller than a pebble, between 2 and 4 millimeters in diameter
silt - (noun) - a sedimentary material consisting of very fine particles intermediate in size between sand and clay
flint - (noun) - a very hard, fine-grained quartz that sparks when struck with steel
agate - (noun) - a fine-grained, fibrous variety of chalcedony with colored bands or irregular clouding
chalcedony - (noun) - a translucent to transparent milky or grayish quartz with distinctive microscopic crystals arranged in slender fibers in parallel bands
sandstone - (noun) - a sedimentary rock formed by the consolidation and compaction of sand and held together by a natural cement, such as silica
orthoclase - (noun) - a variety of feldspar, essentially potassium aluminum silicate, characterized by monoclinic crystalline structure and found in igneous or granitic rock. Also called potash feldspar.
feldspar - (noun) - any of a group of abundant rock-forming minerals occurring principally in igneous, plutonic, and some metamorphic rocks, and consisting of silicates of aluminum with potassium, sodium, calcium, and, rarely, barium. About 60 percent of the earth's outer crust is composed of feldspar
plutonic - (adj) - of deep igneous or magmatic origin
magma - (adj) - the molten rock material under the earth's crust, from which igneous rock is formed by cooling
metamorphic - (adj) - changed in structure or composition as a result of metamorphism. Used of rock.
metamorphism - (noun) - the process by which rocks are altered in composition, texture, or internal structure by extreme heat, pressure, and the introduction of new chemical substances.
monoclinic - (noun) - of or relating to three unequal crystal axes, two of which intersect obliquely and are perpendicular to the third.
microcline - (noun) - a mineral of the feldspar group, used in making glass, porcelain, and enamel.
mica - (noun) - any of a group of chemically and physically related aluminum silicate materials, common in igneous and metamorphic rocks, characteristically splitting into flexible sheets used in insulation and electrical equipment
ship chandler - (noun) - one who deals in cordage, canvas, and other, furniture of vessels
cordage - (noun) - cords or ropes, especially the ropes in the rigging of a ship
slovenliness - (noun) - untidiness in personal appearance
decrepit - (adj) - weakened, worn out, impaired, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use
Locofoco - a radical faction of the Democratic Party that existed from 1835 until the mid-1840s.
besom - (noun) - a bundle of twigs attached to a handle and used as a broom
emolument - (noun) - payment for an office or employment; compensation
New England - region of the United States, located in the northeastern corner of the country.
peninsula - (noun) - a piece of land that projects into a body of water and is connected with the mainland by an isthmus
isthmus - (noun) - a narrow strip of land connecting two larger masses of land
emigrant - (noun) - one that emigrates
emigrate - (verb) - to leave one country or region to settle in another
~ As to the difference between an emigrant and an immigrant, I see none.
progenitor - (noun) - an originator of a line of descent; a precursor
William Hathorne (also here) - Nathaniel Hawthorne's Great Great Grandfather, one of the original Puritan settlers from England...was merciless in his persecution of Quakers. In particular, he is remembered for ordering the whipping of Ann Coleman.
Puritan - members of a group of English Protestants seeking further reforms or even separation from the established church during the Reformation.
Quakers - a religious community who do not have a universal set of doctrines to which all members subscribe but who embrace certain testimonies that have been adopted by a consensus referred to as "unity of the spirit"
Ann Coleman - one of three young Quaker women who came from England, to Dover, in 1662
John Hathorne - the Judge who presided over the Salem Witch Trials
Salem Witch Trials - click for more
tempestuous - (adj) - tumultuous; stormy
sentry - (noun) - a guard, especially a soldier posted at a given spot to prevent the passage of unauthorized persons.
vicissitude - (noun) - a change or variation
Am I the only one who's excited about this? >_>"