Difference between revisions of "Vocabulary in Billy Budd"
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*celerity - rapidity of action; quickness | *celerity - rapidity of action; quickness | ||
*portmanteau - a large suitcase made of stiff leather with 2 compartments; figuratively, a word made by combining two other words, such as "brunch" | *portmanteau - a large suitcase made of stiff leather with 2 compartments; figuratively, a word made by combining two other words, such as "brunch" | ||
| − | *taffrail - the handrail surrounding the open deck area at or near the stern of a boat | + | *taffrail - the handrail surrounding the open deck area at or near the stern of a boat |
| + | *impressment - forcing someone into service, typically the [[British]] Navy, without consent | ||
| + | *martial - relating to war, or warlike | ||
[[category:books]] | [[category:books]] | ||
[[category:novels]] | [[category:novels]] | ||
[[category:vocabulary]] | [[category:vocabulary]] | ||
Revision as of 15:29, June 30, 2024
Vocabulary in Billy Budd, the novella by Herman Melville (published posthumously), includes the following:
Chapter 1
- man-of-war (also man-o'-war, or sometimes just "man") - a powerful warship (or frigate) in 1500-1800 in Europe
- Ham - the second son of Noah, in the Book of Genesis, the father of Cush, Mizraim, Phut and Canaan.
- vainglorious - boastful
- tartan - patterned cloth with overlapping horizontal and vertical colored bands associated with a clan, from the Scottish Highlands
- pagod - charred or burnt ("black pagod of a fellow," referring to a particular black sailor)
- Anacharsis Cloots - nicknamed a "citizen of humanity" and "a personal enemy of God," he was an anarchist who advocated for world parliament as a leading figure of the French Revolution, though himself a Prussian nobleman; as a foreigner to France, he was guillotined with others on March 24, 1794 to a massive crowd supportive of the execution
- retinue - an entourage or group that accompanies someone important
- tipple - to drink alcohol
- alacrity - brisk, cheerful promptness
- celerity - rapidity of action; quickness
- portmanteau - a large suitcase made of stiff leather with 2 compartments; figuratively, a word made by combining two other words, such as "brunch"
- taffrail - the handrail surrounding the open deck area at or near the stern of a boat
- impressment - forcing someone into service, typically the British Navy, without consent
- martial - relating to war, or warlike