Voc Side 2

endeavour

endeavour

an attempt to do something

forerunner

a person or thing that precedes the coming or development of someone or something else

hybrid

a thing made by combining two different elements

linguist

a person skilled in foreign languages, a person who studies linguistics

literacy

the ability to read and write

pitfall

a hidden or unsuspected danger or difficulty (e.g. Helen Keller being deaf and blind was like falling in a pitfall)

plummy

(person's voice) having an accent thought typical of the English upper classes

precedent

an earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances (e.g. the Supreme Court relies on precedents—that is, earlier laws or decisions that provide some example or rule to guide them in the case they're actually deciding.)

proletarian

the class of ordinary people who earn money by working, especially those who do not own any property (proletariat)

vernacular

the language spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region

to consolidate

to make (something) physically stronger or more solid

to combine into a single more effective or coherent whole

to dethrone

to remove from a position of authority or dominance

to domesticate

to make (someone) fond of and good at home life and the tasks that it involves (aan huis gewennen, temmen, beschaven)

to die out

to become extinct (e.g. there are 780 languages spoken in India, of which 250 died out last year)

to diverge

(of a road, route, or line) to separate from another route and go in a different direction (e.g. all dialects spoken in Britain have diverged over time)

to interpret

to explain the meaning of (information or actions)

to translate orally or into sign language the words of a person speaking a different language

to underscore

to underline (something) for emphasis

bilingual

speaking two languages fluently

endangered

(of a species) seriously at risk of extinction

extinct

(of a species, family, or other group of animals or plants) having no living members; no longer in existence

indigenous

originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native

(of people) inhabiting or existing in a land from the earliest times or from before the arrival of colonists

intertwined

twisted together or closely connected so as to be difficult to separate (e.g. the problems of poverty and illiteracy are closely intertwined)

mongrel

a cross between types of persons or things, of mixed or uncertain kind or origin (English is often called a mongrel language as it’s a mixture of Anglo-Saxon and Old-French)

unequivocal

leaving no doubt; unambiguous

vulnerable

exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally

to be at risk

in danger of being harmed or damaged, or of dying

under threat

bedreigd (e.g. the World Oral Literature Project clearly showed which languages are most under threat)

to ride the crest

to enjoy great success or support because of a particular situation or event (e.g. she is still riding the crest of her popularity)