China Vocabulary

Luke 6th Grade (Mr. Hair)

Loess

a dust like material that can form soil

Dike

wall to hold back water

Oracle Bone

Animal bone or shell carved with written characters that was used to predict the future in ancient China

pictograph

a picture that represents a word or idea

logograph

a symbol that represents a word or group of words

interpret

to explain, give the meaning of

challenge

something that is difficult or demanding to do

Mandate of Heaven

In ancient China, the presumed right to rule given to a dynasty by heaven, the highest force of nature

warlord

military ruler

chaos

total disorder and confusion

survived

to last, to continue to live

minor

not serious, not important

philosophy

general study of knowledge and the world; Greek for “love of wisdom”

Filial piety

devotion of children to their parents

income

payments of money

stable

able to last, not likely to fall apart

Great Wall

long wall running east and west along the Chinese empire’s northern border

standardize

to set rules to make things more similar

Legalism

an ancient Chinese philosophy stating that a strong leader and a strong legal system are needed to create social order (NOT moral values)

censor

to keep objectionable material from being revealed

uniform

unchanging; fixed

collapse

to break down or fall down

official

person who holds a government job

civil service

the people who work for the government

Silk Road

series of trade routes that crossed Asia

envoy

representative of a government sent to another country

cuisine

style of food

assigned

to give someone a job or duty

obtained

to get or to receive something

monopoly

single person or group who controls the production of a good or service

calligraphy

art of beautiful writing

lacquer

a protective coating made from the sap of a special tree

acupuncture

therapy that uses needles to cure sickness and stop pain

seismometer

a tool to measure earthquakes

exempt

to be free from a punishment or duty

benefit

something good or helpful; gain or favorable result