B.A. 1st Year English – Revision Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary-style flashcards covering poets, literary terms, Gandhian education, story details, Indian civilisation facts, synonym/antonym pairs, homophones/homonyms, one-word substitutions, prefixes/suffixes, and verb-tense examples from the lecture notes.

Where the Mind Is Without Fear

Patriotic poem by Rabindranath Tagore, taken from the English version of ‘Gitanjali’.

Rabindranath Tagore

Poet-laureate of ‘Where the Mind Is Without Fear’.

Gitanjali (English version)

Collection from which the poem ‘Where the Mind Is Without Fear’ is taken.

“Knowledge is free” (in the poem)

Idea that true knowledge is liberated from superstition.

Narrow domestic walls

Metaphor for divisions that fragment a nation.

Clear stream of reason

Simile comparing reason to a transparent, flowing river.

Dead habits

Described as a desert in Tagore’s poem, symbolising sterility.

My Father (in the poem)

Reference to the Almighty/God.

Defective education (Gandhiji)

Gandhi’s view of the prevailing foreign-based education system.

Foreign culture (in education)

Foundation of the then-existing Indian education, according to Gandhi.

Manual/skill-based training

Core that Gandhi wanted education to emphasise.

Hand weaving and spinning

Examples of national skills Gandhi promoted in education.

English (Gandhiji’s view)

Language of international commerce and diplomacy.

Velan

Protagonist who leaves home at 18 and becomes custodian of Kumarbagh in Malgudi.

Koppal village

Velan’s childhood home.

Malgudi

Fictional town where Velan ultimately arrives.

Kumarbagh

Estate in Malgudi where Velan lives happily as its sole occupant.

Retention of continuity

Most significant quality of Indian civilisation, according to the notes.

Indian influence on Ceylon

Began in the 5th century B.C.

Practical blessings from India

Crops such as sugarcane, rice and cotton shared with the world.

Buddhism

Aspect of Indian culture that influenced the world most.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

American writer influenced by Indian thought.

Henry David Thoreau

Another American author inspired by Indian philosophy.

Single culture (future)

Expectation that a unified global culture will emerge.

“Hatred breeds hatred”

Idea that animosity perpetuates itself.

C. Rajagopalachari

Author of the ‘Preface to the Mahabharata’.

Violence (in the notes)

Said to lead eventually to prosperity.

Drona

Represents venerability in the Mahabharata.

Bhishma

Embodies the ideal of a perfect knight.

Krishna

Symbolises sublimity in human nature.

Gospel of dharma

Moral teaching through which the Mahabharata moulded Indian character.

Fusion – synonym

Merger

Assimilate – synonym

Absorb

Vigorously – synonym

Actively

Gourmet – synonym (in note)

Critic

Advocate – synonym

Speaker

Military – antonym

Civilian

Embrace – antonym

Reject

Subversion – antonym

Compliance

Coercive – antonym

Gentle

Vanish – antonym

Appear

Construction – antonym

Destruction

Homophones

Words pronounced alike but spelt differently, e.g., Assent/Ascent, Blew/Blue.

Assent / Ascent

Homophones – approval vs. upward climb.

Blew / Blue

Homophones – past of blow vs. colour.

Cession / Session

Homophones – surrender of territory vs. meeting period.

Check / Cheque

Homophones – examine vs. bank draft.

Marry / Merry

Homophones – wed vs. joyful.

Bear / Bare

Homophones – animal/carry vs. uncovered.

Cast / Caste

Homophones – throw vs. social class.

Homonyms

Words with same spelling & pronunciation but different meanings, e.g., Bat (animal/cricket).

Bat (homonym)

Can mean a flying mammal or a cricket club.

Right (homonym)

Direction or correctness.

Address (homonym)

Location or to speak to.

Bank (homonym)

River side or financial institution.

Rose (homonym)

Flower or past tense of rise.

Atheist

Person who does not believe in the existence of God.

Aristocracy

Government by nobles.

Bureaucracy

Government run by officials.

Colleague

Person who works with others; co-worker.

Hypocrite

One who pretends to be what he or she is not.

Obsolete (per notes)

One who is all-powerful (usage in notes; standard term is ‘omnipotent’).

Prefix

Word element added before a root (e.g., ‘illegal’).

Suffix

Word element added after a root (e.g., ‘agreement’).

Illegal

Word formed by adding the prefix ‘il-’ to ‘legal’.

Undergraduate

Student before earning a first degree; formed with prefix ‘under-’.

Disagreement

State of not agreeing; uses prefix ‘dis-’.

Multitalented

Having many talents; uses prefix ‘multi-’.

Agreement

Noun formed by adding suffix ‘-ment’ to ‘agree’.

National

Adjective formed by adding suffix ‘-al’ to ‘nation’.

Scattered

Formed by adding suffix ‘-ed’ to ‘scatter’.

Activism

Noun from ‘active’ + suffix ‘-ism’.

Exciting

Present participle/adjective from ‘excite’ + suffix ‘-ing’.

Present Simple Tense (example)

‘Neha is doing her assignment at present.’

Present Perfect Continuous (example)

‘He has been living in this town since 1963.’

Past Simple Tense (example)

‘I went to work by car.’

Past Continuous Tense (example)

‘We were talking about you the other day.’

Past Perfect Tense (example)

‘Mother had worked the whole day.’

Future Simple Tense (example)

‘They will know the result in a couple of days.’