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AP Literature and Composition: Literature terms Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
7556501134Obliquelyneither parallel nor at a right angle to a specific or implied line; slanting0
7556508965Feigned1) pretended; sham; counterfeit 2) assumed; fictitious 3) disguised1
7556512835Impoliticnot expedient or judicious2
7556529539Marginal1) situated on the border or edge 2) at the outer or lower limits; minimal for requirements; almost insufficient3
7587897946Subservent1) serving or acting in a subordinate capacity; subordinate 2) servile; excessively submissive; obsequious4
7587901993Prosaic1) commonplace or dull; matter-of-fact or unimaginative 2) of or having the character or form of prose, the ordinary form of spoken or written language, rather than of poetry5
7587905201JestSaying something for amusement; joke6
7587908283ConciliatoryIntend to placate or reconcile; intend to hide7
7587910655Spursanything that goads, impels, or urges, as to action, speed, or achievement8
7587910656Malignantvery dangerous or harmful in influence or effect9
7587919266SymbolSomething that, although it is of interest in its own right, stands for or suggests something larger and more complex- often an idea or range of interrelated ideas, attitudes and practices10
7587921141Allegorya narrative or description that has a second meaning beneath the surface, often relating to a literal term to a fixed, corresponding abstract idea or moral principle (usually belonging to pre-existing beliefs)11
7587932519MetonymyA figure of speech in which some thing is represented by another. ex: handwriting = hand12
7587940592conceitAn elaborate and often surprising comparison between two apparently highly dissimilar things13
7587940593fablesa short story usually including animals; a short, fictional prose or verse with a specific moral14
7682546366EulogyA speech or a piece of writing that praises someone a lot. Usually, someone who has already passed.15
7682551137EpithetsAdjective or descriptive phrase that expresses the quality or characteristic of a person; can be used as a term of abuse16
7682566678Dispondentfeeling or showing profound hopelessness, dejection, discouragement or gloom17
7682570234Wry1. abnormally bent or turned to one side; twisted; crooked 2. devious in course or purpose; misdirected 3. contrary; perverse 4. Distorted or perverted; as in meaning 5. Bitterly or disdainfully ironic or amusing.18
7682579796EBB1. the flowing back of the tide as the water returns to the sea (opposed to flood, flow) 2. a flowing backward or away 3. a point of decline19
7682586853BestowPresent; grant20
7682588553TrivialPetty; insignificant; of little value or importance; unimportant21
7682595536CalamityAn event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; disaster22
7682600646PestilenceFatal epidemic, especially bubonic plague23
7682603094Effusionsan unrestrained expression, as of feelings24
7682609567Follylack of good sense, foolish; a costly decorative building that serves no purpose.25
7682614840Literary fictionFiction written with serious artistic intentions, providing imagine experience and yielding authentic insights into some significant aspect of life.26
7682615742Commercial fictionFiction written to meet the taste of a wide popular audience and relying usually on tested formulas for satisfying such taste27
7688715245Figurations1. the act or an instance of representing figuratively as by means of allegory or emblem 2. A figurative or emblematic representation28
7688726364Ostentatious1. Characterized by the vulgar pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice.29
7770268138ThineArchaic form of "yours"; the things belonging or associated with thee; form of thy used before a vowel.30
7770285427Decriedto publicly denounce; condemn31
7770290872Diviningto discover by guesswork or intuition; to have a supernatural insight into future events; to discover water by dowsing32
7770301840Feeblelacking in physical strength; faint; lacking in strength of character; failing to convince33
7770307378Voluptuous1) full of, characterized by, or ministering to indulgence in luxury, pleasure and sensuous enjoyment 2) derived from gratification of senses 3) directed towards or concerned with sensuous enjoyment or sensual pleasure34
7770313483Insipidlacking flavor; lacking vigor or interest; uninspired35
7770320096Gradation1) any process or change taking place through a series of stages by degrees, or in gradual manner 2) the leveling of a land surface, resulting from the concerted action of36
7770333213Henceas a consequence; for this reason37
7770343636Breadthdistance measured from side to side; width; piece of cloth at standard or full width38
7770353108Threadbarebecoming thin and tattered with age; worn39
7804016970DidacticInstructive; have the primary function of teaching40
7804216706Malapropismthe enormous substitution for the correct word of a similar word in sound but very different in meaning.41
7804219886Non SequiturA statement (such as a response) that does not follow logically from or is not clearly related to anything previously said42
7804223154Declinationthe angular distance of a point north or south of the celestial equator; formal refusal; a turning aside or swerving; a deviation away from the norm43
7804228447Ellipsisliterary device that is used in narratives to omit some parts of a sentence or event, which gives the reader a chance to fill the gaps while acting or reading it out. It is usually written between the sentences as "..."44
8047003414EnjambmentContinuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza45
8047005055Apostrophe46
8047005056MaximA short, pithy statement expressing a general thruth or rule of conduct; saying; proverb47
8047007631BalladA poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas48
8047011581SonnetO poem of 14 lines using any number of formal rhyme schemes, in English typically having 10 syllables per line.49
8047014710Aberrantdeparting from an accepted standard50
8047015884Subversiveseeking or intended to undermine the power and authority of an established system or institution; troublemaker; disruptive51
8047024685Bedeviledcause great trouble52
8047026434SubvertTo undermine the authority of(an institution)53
8047028313Writform of written command in the name of a court or other legal authority to act, or abstain from acting, in a certain way.54
8047032403Lionizedgive someone a lot of public attention to treat as a celebrity55
8047033366Allaydiminish; put to rest56
8047034389Reproachfulexpressing discontent or disapproval57
8047036959AbridgerSomeone who shortens work58

AP Literature Vocabulary Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
9042757209bellicose (adj)loud, argumentative, prone to fighting0
9042757210austere (adj)severe, stern, or cold in disposition or appearance1
9042757211austerity (n)a stern and serious quality2
9042757212choleric (adj)having or showing a quick/ hot temper or a cantankerous nature; easily angered3
9042757213ambivalent (adj)having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone; inconclusive or wavering4
9042757214ambivalence (n)the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone5
9042757215charlatan (n)a person who pretends or claims to have more knowledge or skill than he or she possesses; a fraud6
9042757216enigma (n)a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand7
9042757217enigmatic (adj)difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious; perplexing8
9042757218languid (adj)sluggish in character or disposition; lacking force or quickness of movement; lazy or lethargic; weak or faint from illness or fatigue9
9042757219alacrity (n)brisk and cheerful readiness; promptness in response; eagerness; willingness10
9042757220prevaricator (n)one who deviates from the truth11
9042757221prevaricate (v)to speak or act in an evasive way; dodge or sidestep (the issue)12
9042757222ephemeral (adj)lasting for a very short time; momentary; brief, transient, temporary13
9042757223bemuse (v)puzzle, confuse, or bewilder (someone); perplexed; mystified14
9042757224bemusement (n)the fact or condition of being bemused; puzzlement15
9042757225disparaging (adj)expressing the opinion that something is of little worth; derogatory16
9042757226disparage (v)regard or represent as being of little worth; ridicule; trivialize, badmouth17
9042757227diabolic / diabolical (adj)showing the cunning or ingenuity or wickedness typical of a devil; expressive of cruelty or befitting hell18
9042757228supercilious (adj)behaving or looking as though one is superior to others; pompous; haughty and arrogant19
9042757229aristocratic (adj)of, belonging to, or typical of the aristocracy (noble, titles, elite/upper-class)20
9042757230ethereal (adj)extremely delicate and light in a way that seems to perfect for this world; unearthly; fragile21
9042757231erroneous (adj)wrong; incorrect; mistaken; faulty, flawed, or fallacious22
9042757232arbitrary (adj)subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; based on random choice or personal whim rather than any reason or system; contingent solely upon ones discretion23
9042757233contrite (adj)feeling or expressing remorse or penitence; affected by guilt; regretful; apologetic24
9042757234malevolent (adj)having or showing a wish to do evil to others; malicious; malignant; rancorous; vindictive25
9042757235malevolence (n)the state or condition of being malevolent26
9042757236benevolent (adj)having the disposition to do good; well-meaning and kindly; compassionate; altruistic; big-hearted; generous27
9042757237benevolence (n)the quality of being well meaning; kindness; goodwill; altruism; compassion; generosity28
9042792458prosaic (adj)having the style or diction of prose; lacking poetic beauty; insipid (lacking flavor), banal, and ordinary; unemotional and unpoetic29
9042801221laudable (adj)(of an action, idea, or goal) deserving praise and commendation; meritorious; estimable; commendable30
9042820825syllogism (literary definition)a deductive scheme of a formal argument consisting of a major and a minor premise and a conclusion31
9042828841syllogistic (adj)subtle and crafty in argument; deductive in reasoning32
9042831631incredulous (adj)(of a person or his manner) unwilling or unable to believe something; skeptical; dubious33
9042838002credulous (adj)willing to believe or trust too readily, especially without proper or adequate evidence; gullible; naive34
9042847950ubiquitous (adj)present, appearing, or found everywhere; omnipresent; prevalent35
9042855022serene (adj)calm, peaceful, and untroubled; tranquil36
9042860750serenity (noun)the state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled37
9042872075teeming (v)to be full of or swarming with; to be abound in; to be alive with; to be overrun by38
9042880002drollery (n)the act or an instance of jesting or burlesquing; whimsical humor39
9042884813droll (adj)curious or unusual in a way that provokes dry amusement; jocular and humorous40
9042888227quixotic (adj)exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical; of, characterized by, or suggestive of an idealized view of reality41
9042901867disingenuous (adj)lacking in frankness, candor, or sincerity; falsely or hypocritically ingenuous; insincere; dishonest; duplicitous and deceitful42
9042917122obsequious (adj)obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree; servile; fawning; submissive43
9042925062sycophantic (adj)behaving or done in an obsequious way in order to gain advantage; subservient; groveling (sycophant is the noun form)44
9042938255morose (adj)sullen and ill-tempered; sulky; gloomy; glum, melancholy, and doleful45
9042945794erudite (adj)having or showing great knowledge or learning; intellectual, scholarly, educated46
9042955198sanguine / sanguineous (adj)cheerfully optimistic, confident, or hopeful, especially in a bad or difficult situation47
9042967823sardonic (adj)grimly mocking or cynical; scornfully and bitterly sarcastic or disdainfully humorous48
9042972899loathe (v)to feel intense dislike or disgust for; to hate or detest49
9042976494circumvent (v)to find a way around (an obstacle; to avoid or bypass (defeat, failure, unpleasantness, etc.) by artfulness or deception; avoid by anticipating or outwitting50
9042990550clandestine (adj)kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit (forbidden); private or surreptitous51
9043008851surreptitous (adj)kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of52
9043012081dogmatic (adj)asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated; inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertible true; uncompromising; peremptory and overbearing53
9043049305gratuitous (adj)uncalled for; lacking good reason; unwarranted, senseless, unreasonable, or unjustified54
9043053156gregarious (adj)fond of company; sociable; affable and warm55
9043061749capricious (adj)given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior; fickle; mercurial; unpredictable and inconsistent56

AP Human Geography: Language Flashcards

Language

Terms : Hide Images
8001861685AccentA distinctive mode of pronunciation of a language, especially one associated with a particular nation, locality, or social class.0
8001861686DialectA regional variation of a language distinguished by vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation, particular to a specific region or social group.1
8001861687Extinct LanguageA language that no longer has any speakers, or that is no longer in current use.2
8001861688IdeogramA written character symbolizing the idea of a thing without indicating the sounds used to say it. Used in Mandarin (Chinese)3
8001861689IsoglossA geographic boundary line delimiting the area in which a given linguistic feature occurs.4
8001861690Isolated LanguageA natural language with no demonstrable genealogical (or "genetic") relationship with other languages or language families; that is, one that has not been demonstrated to descend from an ancestor common with any other language. i.e A language family with only one language. (Basque)5
8001861691Language BranchA Subsection of a Language Family. Differences are not as extensive or old as with language families. i.e The Romance "-------" of the Indo-European language family.6
8001861692LanguageThe method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way.7
8001861693Language GroupA Collection of languages within a branch that share a common origin in the relatively recent past and display relatively few differences in grammar and vocabulary. An individual language, including all dialects (I.e. Italian, German, English)8
8001861694Language FamilyA collection of languages related to each other through a common ancestor long before recorded history. The trunk of the language tree, from which language branches come from.9
8001861695Indo European language familyLargest language family that includes English and most other languages in the Western Hemisphere. Also used in South and Southwest Asia. Includes the Germanic branch, Indo-Iranian branch, Balto-Slavic branch, and Romance branch.10
8001861696Sino-Tibetan Language Family2nd largest language family. Includes Madarin, Thai, Cantonese and Burmese11
8001861697Lingua FrancaA Language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people who have different native languages (currently English worldwide).12
8001861698Literary TraditionA Language that is written as well as spoken.13
8001861699Monolingual StateA country in which only one language is spoken (i.e. Japan, Korea)14
8001861700BilingualThe ability to speak two languages.15
8001861701Multilingual StateA country in which more than one language is in use (India, Nigeria, Belgium, Switzerland)16
8001861702Official LanguageThe language adopted for use by the government for the conduct of business and publication of documents, a language that is given special legal status.17
8001861703OrthographyThe conventional spelling system of a language.18
8001861704Pidgin LanguageA Form of speech that adopts a simplified grammar and limited vocabulary of a lingua franca, used for communications among speakers of two different languages.19
8001861705Standard LanguageThe specific form of a language used for official government business, education, and mass communications.20
8001861706ToponymThe name of a place, often reflecting that place's history and culture.21
8001861707VernacularUsing a language or dialect native to a region or country rather than a literary, cultured, or foreign language. It is usually the language of the common people.22
8001861708CreoleA language that results from the mixing of a colonizer's language with the indigenous language of the people being dominated. Developed out of an earlier pidgin stage.23
8001861709DenglishThe term is used in all German-speaking countries to refer to the increasingly strong influx of English or pseudo-English vocabulary into German.24
8001861710FranglaisA form of French using many words and idioms borrowed from English.25
8001861711EbonicsA dialect of English spoken by some African Americans.26
8001861712SpanglishA hybrid language combining words and idioms from both Spanish and English, especially Spanish speech that uses many English words and expressions.27
8001861713FrancophonePlaces and countries where French is spoken around the world. (Quebec in Canada, Vietnam, Haiti, Sub-Saharan Africa, Belgium, Switzerland, France).28
8001861715Romance BranchA language branch of the Indo-European Language Family. This branch includes languages that evolved from Latin (the language of the Romans). The 5 main languages include: Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, and Romanian.29
8001861716Germanic BranchA language branch of the Indo-European Language Family. This branch is divided into North and West Germanic. North Germanic includes Scandinavian languages (Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic), which all came from Old Norse. West Germanic is further divided into High Germanic and Low Germanic subgroups. High German includes the standard German language. Low German includes English, Dutch, Flemish (Dialect of Dutch), Afrikaaans, and Frisian.30
8001861717Indo-Iranian BranchThe branch of the Indo-European language family with the most speakers. This branch includes more than 100 individual languages divided into an eastern group (Indic), which includes the languages of Hinid and Urdu and a western group (Iranian), which includes Farsi and Kurdish.31
8001861718Balto-Slavic BranchThis branch of the Indo-European language family can be broken down into four groups: East Slavic (Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian), Baltic (Latvian, Lithuanian), West Slavic (Polish, Czech, and Slovak), and South Slavic (Serbo-Croatian). Russian is the most widely used language in this branch, due to the spread of the Soviet Union.32
8001861719Celtic BranchA language branch of the Indo-European Language Family. This branch includes the languages of the British Isles before the invasion of the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. This branch is divided into two language groups: Goidelic(Gaelic), which includes Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic, and Brythonic, which includes Welsh, Breton, and Cornish. These languages declined because the Celts lost most of their territory and the English colonizers forbid the use of the Celtic languages.33
8001861720Uralic Language FamilyLanguage Family in Europe that includes the languages of Estonian, Finnish, and Hungarian. Languages in this family originated from the Ural mountains in Russia, spreading through migration.34
8001861721Austronesian Language FamilyLanguage Family spoken mostly in Indonesia. This family includes the languages of Javanese, Indonesian, Malay, and Malagasy. The most spoken language in this family is Javanese, since Java is the populous island of Indonesia. The Indonesian language is used as a lingua franca in Indonesia, due to so many different native languages (739 active languages). Malay is spoken in Malaysia, Malagasy is spoken in Madagascar.35
8001861722Afro-Asiatic Language FamilyThis language family is found in northern Africa and southwestern Asia (Middle East), where Islam is the dominant religion. This family includes the languages of Arabic and Hebrew. Hebrew is spoken in Israel, a Jewish state, and Arabic is spoken throughout the region since it is the language of the Koran, the Islamic holy book.36
8001861723Niger-Congo Language FamilyMore than 95% of people in Sub-Saharan Africa speak languages from this family. This family includes Swahili, the lingua franca in Africa, used by many to communicate as a second language, due to so many different native languages.37
8001861724Proto LanguageA language that predates the current language family, before the written record. Ex: Proto-Indo-European38
8001861725Altaic Language FamilyA language family spoken across central Asia named after the Altai Mountains. The most spoken language in this family is Turkish. The family also includes the languages spoken in the Caucasus Region and across Central Asia, previously controlled by the Soviet Union. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, newly independent countries in these regions reverted to their native languages in this family, including the countries of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and Georgia.39
8001861726Kurgan TheoryProposed by Marija Gimbutas, this theory argues the Proto-Indo-European language diffused by military conquest as nomadic herders on horseback (Kurgans) invaded west from the Asian Steppe ( border between Russia and Kazakhstan) around 4300 B.C in search of grasslands.40
8001861727Renfrew (Anatolian) TheoryProposed by Colin renfrew, this theory argues the Proto-Indo-European language diffused by way of agriculktural practices from Anatolia (Turkey) in 6300 BC.41
8001861728British Received Pronunciation (BRP)The dialect of English associated with upper class Britons living in the London area now considered the standard form of British speech.42
8001861729Language DivergenceWhen a lack of spatial interaction (isolation) among speakers of a language breaks the language into dialects and then new languages.43
8001861730Language ConvergenceWhen peoples with different languages have consistent spatial interaction and their languages collapse into one (i.e. pidgin and creole).44
8001861734HindiApproximately one-third of Indians, mostly in the north, use this Indic language. This language can be spoken in many different ways, but there is only one official way to write the language, using a script called Devanagari. It serves as the lingua franca in India and is used by the government, growing into a national language in the nineteenth century when the British encouraged its use in government. It is part of the Indo-Iranian branch.45
8001861735SwahiliThe lingua franca in Africa, used by many to communicate as a second language, due to so many different native languages. This language was developed between African and Arab traders and is one for the few African languages with extensive literature. It is part of the Niger-Congo language family.46
8001861736UrduPakistan's principal language, spoken very much like Hindi but written with the Arabic alphabet, a legacy of the fact that most Pakistanis are Muslims, and their holiest book (the Quran) is written in Arabic. It is part of the Indo-Iranian branch.47
8001861737FarsiThe principle language of Iran, a remnant of the Persian Empire. It is written with the Arabic alphabet since Iran is a Muslim country. This language is part of the Indo-Iranian branch.48
8001861738MandarinThis language is the most spoken language in the world. It is spoken by approximately three-fourths of the Chinese people, and is used by the Chinese government. There is no single Chinese language. Instead of letters, Chinese languages use ideograms (characters) that mostly represent concepts rather than sounds.49
8001861739ArabicThis language serves as a unifying force in the Middle East (Northern Africa and Southwest Asia), typically referred to as the Arab World. This language is the language of Islam (used in the Koran),, which is predominant throughout the region. This language belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family and is the official language in two dozen countries of North Africa and southwestern Asia, from Morocco to the Arabian Peninsula.50
8001861740HebrewThis language was an extinct language that has been revived. It diminished in use in the fourth century B.C. and was thereafter retained only for Jewish religious services. When Israel was established in 1948, this language became one of the new country's two official languages, along with Arabic. This language was chosen to unify the Jews of Israel and give them a sense of nationalism, since Israel was created by Jewish refugees and migrants who spoke many different languages. Reviving this language required the creation of many new words for the modern world.51
8001861741Irish GaelicThis is one of the two official languages of Ireland, along with English. This language was forbidden under English rule. When Ireland got their independence form England in 1922, this language became an important part of their cultural identity and sense of nationalism and became a compulsory course in all public schools and required for public service jobs.52
8001861742BasqueAlso known as Euskera, this isolated language predates the Indo-European language and is not related to any other language family in Europe. Spoken in the Pyrenees Mountains (between Spain and France), the mountainous homeland created isolation, making the preservation of the language possible.53
8001861743WelshThis is one of the two official languages of Wales, along with English. This language was forbidden under English rule, but has been revived in recent years. This language is a compulsory subject in all schools in Wales and knowledge of the language is now required for many jobs in Wales. Bilingual signs and television and radio programs have also been added to help preserve this language.54
8001861745GlobalizationThe process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence and operate on an international scale. Currently, America dominates the world with multinational corporations and media, which has made English the world's current lingua franca (international language of business).55
8001861746QuebecThis province in Canada primarily speaks French, due to its history of colonization. As a result, Canada is officially bilingual, recognizing both English and French as official languages.56
8001861747Vulgar LatinThis language was spoken by the Roman army at the time of occupation and is the basis of the Romance languages, which evolved out of this language overtime due to isolation.57
8001861748Latin AmericaThis region of the Americas primarily speaks Romance Languages, which derived from Latin. Brazil speaks Portuguese, Haiti and French Guiana speak French, while the majority of the other countries speak Spanish, all due to the patterns of colonization.58
8001861749BelgiumThis multilingual state in Europe, which is part of the francophone world, has experienced tensions between its two language groups. The Flemings live in the north province Flanders and speak Flemish, a Dutch dialect. The Walloons live in the south province Wallonia and speak French. Brussels, the capital city if officially bilingual to create a since of unity in the country. Antagonism between the Flemings and Walloons is aggravated by economic and political differences. Historically, the Walloons dominated Belgium's economy and politics and French was the official state language.59
8001861750SwitzerlandThis multilingual state in Europe, which is part of the francophone world, remains peaceful with four official languages (German, French, Italian, and Romanish). This country has institutionalized cultural diversity by creating a form of government that places considerable power in local, small communities (Decenetralization).60

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