A glossary of difficult words from the novel by Daniel Defoe, Roxana: The Fortunate Mistress. For each word, this glossary provides a definition in English and a page number.
Given that I am such a "word lists freak", I thought of doing this glossary on the last novel that I read and sharing it on this blog.
The glossary can be used upfront, by reading it before starting the novel. This way you know what to expect and watch out for. It is also probably more effective in memorizing the words. I have managed to narrow the glossary down to 36 difficult words which are either critical to understanding important passages of the novel, or recurrent throughout the novel. That way I have managed to make the glossary fit on one page so that it is more manageable should you wish to print it out and use it as a reference.
Here is the link to the Google Doc Document:
Roxana: The Fortunate Mistress Glossary
Also, the edition of the novel that I worked with uses the original edition of 1724 so the spelling is sometimes different (i.e. myrth (mirth), sculk (skulk), dumfounded (dumbfounded)...)
The page number allows the reader to find the words in the book, providing you have the same edition of course, namely:
To finish I would like to share a little story with you. Until recently I was never really aware that it was a little weird to enjoy listing vocabulary so much, I just thought it was the sinequanon condition to effective language learning. As I was trying to praise the virtues of listing to my students (rather painfully I have to say), I shared an anecdote with them on how I used to place vocabulary lists on top of one another on my bedroom wall. I was living in Russia as an English teacher at the time so I had a myriad of words to memorize in both English and Russian. Then I heard one of the students say:"We don't have the same idea of fun." It really took me aback at first but I quickly (and as kindly as I could)replied: "This is not how I have fun, This is how I learn vocabulary".
I often tell students that the best way to effectively memorize vocabulary is to use it and/or to see it in context (i.e. in a text or audio). Good luck trying to use 'dismal' or 'hitherto' in a conversation, unless you want to sound like you are a Quaker who travelled through time.
If I had to rewrite the above story using the words from the glossary (by no means would I ever pretend to write in Defoe's style), it would probably go like this (although most are words I have quite frankly just found out about so there might be some inaccuracies):
I was extolling the virtues of listing to my students when one of them slighted me with the most inappropriate comment that I had not forboded. I was dumfounded and a little fuddled. But I own he was only jesting so I did my best not to take it as slander and scold or harangue him, lest the lesson should not be glutted with the usual myrth and laughter. I got out of this snare notwithstanding the dismal particulars of the situation :).
I can't really think of a situation in which I would want or need to write like this, but I have to admit I am likely to remember these words for some time!
Cécile Sohier
The glossary can be used upfront, by reading it before starting the novel. This way you know what to expect and watch out for. It is also probably more effective in memorizing the words. I have managed to narrow the glossary down to 36 difficult words which are either critical to understanding important passages of the novel, or recurrent throughout the novel. That way I have managed to make the glossary fit on one page so that it is more manageable should you wish to print it out and use it as a reference.
Roxana: The Fortunate Mistress Glossary
Also, the edition of the novel that I worked with uses the original edition of 1724 so the spelling is sometimes different (i.e. myrth (mirth), sculk (skulk), dumfounded (dumbfounded)...)
The page number allows the reader to find the words in the book, providing you have the same edition of course, namely:
Daniel Defoe. Roxana: The Fortunate Mistress [1724]. John Mullan, ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press (Oxford World’s Classics), 2008.
To finish I would like to share a little story with you. Until recently I was never really aware that it was a little weird to enjoy listing vocabulary so much, I just thought it was the sinequanon condition to effective language learning. As I was trying to praise the virtues of listing to my students (rather painfully I have to say), I shared an anecdote with them on how I used to place vocabulary lists on top of one another on my bedroom wall. I was living in Russia as an English teacher at the time so I had a myriad of words to memorize in both English and Russian. Then I heard one of the students say:"We don't have the same idea of fun." It really took me aback at first but I quickly (and as kindly as I could)replied: "This is not how I have fun, This is how I learn vocabulary".
I often tell students that the best way to effectively memorize vocabulary is to use it and/or to see it in context (i.e. in a text or audio). Good luck trying to use 'dismal' or 'hitherto' in a conversation, unless you want to sound like you are a Quaker who travelled through time.
If I had to rewrite the above story using the words from the glossary (by no means would I ever pretend to write in Defoe's style), it would probably go like this (although most are words I have quite frankly just found out about so there might be some inaccuracies):
I was extolling the virtues of listing to my students when one of them slighted me with the most inappropriate comment that I had not forboded. I was dumfounded and a little fuddled. But I own he was only jesting so I did my best not to take it as slander and scold or harangue him, lest the lesson should not be glutted with the usual myrth and laughter. I got out of this snare notwithstanding the dismal particulars of the situation :).
I can't really think of a situation in which I would want or need to write like this, but I have to admit I am likely to remember these words for some time!
Cécile Sohier
