APWH Foundational Vocabulary

InSPECT Themes

anti-

against

de-

away from

dis-

opposite of

inter-

between

intra-

within

mis-

wrong

non-

not

pan-

all

poly-

many

pre-

before

post-

after

pre-

beforehand

re-

again

semi-

half

trans-

to travel

un-

not

-able/-ible

capable of

-al

pertaining to

-cide

to kill

-ed

past tense

-ing

doing

-ism

a distinctive doctrine, theory, system, or practice

-ist

a person who practices or is concerned with something, or holds certain doctrine or practice

-ic

pertaining to

-ion/-tion/-ation/-ition

state of

-ize

to become

deforestation

the action of clearing a wide area of trees.

demography

the study of certain statistics in human population

desertification

the process by which fertile land becomes infertile for crops

disease

illness/sickness

diaspora

scattering of people from their homeland

emigration

the process of people moving out of an area

epidemic

a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease.

immigration

the action of coming to live in a foreign country

metropole

the homeland, central territory or the state exercising power over a colonial empire

migration

the process of people moving from one place to another

monsoon

rainy season in southern Asia when the southwestern monsoon blows, bringing heavy rains

pandemic

an epidemic that is geographically widespread

pathogen

a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease.

pull factors

factors that cause people to move into a place

push factors

factors that induce people to leave old residences

savanna/savannah

a mixed woodland-grassland that has tree spread widely apart

artisan

a worker skilled in a craft

caste

a rigid and hereditary social class

class

the system of ordering a society in which people are divided based on perceived social or economic status

Egalitarianism

the belief that all people are equal

Ethnicity

the quality/fact of belonging to a population group made up of people who share a common cultural background or descent

patriarchy

a form of social organization in which males dominate females

gender

the male sex or the female sex, especially when considered with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones, or one of a range of other identities that do not correspond to established ideas of male and female

kinship

blood relationship

labourer

a person doing unskilled manual work for wages

merchant

a person who makes money by buying/selling goods

nationality

the status of belonging to a particular nation

nuclear family

core members of a family, usually parents/children

piety

being religious or reverent

polyandry

a form of marriage in which women have more than one husband

polygyny

a form of marriage in which men have more than one wife

polygamy

the practice of having more than one wife or husband at the same time

social stratification

a society's categorization of its people into groups based on socioeconomic factors

authoritarianism

the enforcement or advocacy of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom

balance of power

when countries have equal power

Bureaucracy

a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives

casuality

someone injured or killed

centralization

the concentration of control of an activity or organization under a single authority

city-state

a city that with its surrounding territory forms an independent state

Coup d'etat

a coup

decentralization

the transfer of control of an activity or organization to several local offices or authorities rather than one individual

diplomacy

negotiation between nations

eunuch

a castrated man

imperialism

a policy of extending a country's power; the ruling of government by an emperor

infrastructure

facilities and systems serving a country, city, or area, such as transportation and communication systems, power plants, and schools

junta

a group that rules a country after taking power by force

military mobilization

act of assembling and putting into readiness for war or other emergencies

monarchy

a government ruled by a king or queen

rebellion

open defiance of authority

revolution

a forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system

suffrage

the right to vote in political elections

theocracy

a government controlled by religious leaders

tribute/tributary system

payment made periodically by one state or ruler to another, especially as a sign of dependence

agriculture

the science or practice of farming

capitalism

an economic system based on private property and free enterprise.

commerce

the buying and selling of goods and services

commodity

a raw material or primary agricultural product that can be bought and sold

credit

the ability of a customer to obtain goods or services before payment, based on the trust that payment will be made in the future

cultivation

the preparation of land to grow and yield crops

currency

a system of money in general use in a particular country

domestication

the taming of animals for human use

export

send goods or services to another country for sale

fertility

the quality of being fertile

forage

to search for food

forced/coerced labor system

when individuals are compelled against their will to provide work or service

import

bring goods or services into a country from abroad for sale.

industrialization

the development of industries for the machine production of goods.

irrigation

the process of supplying water to areas of land to make them suitable for growing crops.

monetization

the action or process of earning revenue from an asset or business

nomadic

wandering from place to place

pastoral

used for or related to the keeping or grazing of sheep or cattle

raw material

the basic material from which a product is made

socialism

a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole

specialization/division of labor

a process of different parts manufactured by different people to improve efficiency