Vocab Unit 1

Anti-Semitism

hatred, hostility, and discrimination against Jews

Assimilate

to merge into another culture 

Capital

money used to start a business.

Cathedral

the principal church of a district administered by a bishop

Chronicle

A factual account or record

Clergy

religious leaders appointed by the church to perform ceremonies to explain church teachings.

Commerce

the buying and selling of goods on a large scale.

Crusade

a Christian military expedition to invade and conquer Palestine.

Doctrine

official beliefs.

Duchy

territory ruled by a duke or duchess.

Excommunication

expulsion from the Christian Church.

Famine

an extreme shortage of food in a country or large geographic area.

Feudalism

a system in which serfs worked the land and vassals performed military service for their lords in return for protection.

Guild

an association of artisans and merchants formed to set quality standards, establish prices, and help business flourish.

Heretic

church members who held religious views different from official doctrine.

Holy War

warfare in defense of a religious faith

Inquisition

a judicial procedure that evolved into a special court for hearing religious cases.

Knight

horse-riding warriors skilled with weaponry.

Laity

members of the church who were not clergy.

Manorialism

a system that organizes the land of large landowners and the peasants who worked it. 

Monastery

Christian communities of men living under religious vows.

Parliament

a transfer of power from the king to a lawmaking body.

Pogrom

organized massacres.

Secular

nonreligious

Serf

agricultural worker who is bound to the land of their lord. 

Tithe

10 percent of their income.

Vassal

a knight who gave military service and pledged loyalty to the lord in exchange for land.

Vernacular

the language spoken by ordinary people.