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55 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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agrarian
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of or relating to fields or lands or their tenure
“He’d been working at home, trying to complete his dissertation on agrarian revolts in India.” |
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cavernous
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constituting or suggesting a cavern
“It was cavernous compared to their own car.” |
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Urdu
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an Indo-Aryan language that has the same colloquial basis as standard Hindi, is an official language of Pakistan, and is widely used by Muslims in urban areas of India
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Sanskrit
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an ancient Indo-Aryan language that is the classical language of India and of Hinduism
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ghazal
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river 445 miles (716 kilometers) SW Sudan flowing E to unite with the Bahr el Jebel forming the White Nile
“I couldn’t remember if the verse we had to identify was an example of a ghazal or not.” |
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ascertain
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to find out or learn with certainty
“…a man used to come to our house,…ascertaining the life or death of his family.” |
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Dacca
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is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka District. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, has a population of 11 million, making it the largest city in Bangladesh and one of the most populous in the world
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Yahyah Khan
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was the President of Pakistan from 1969 to 1971, following the resignation of Ayub Khan.
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camphor
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a tough gummy volatile aromatic crystalline compound C10H16O obtained especially from the wood and bark of the camphor tree and used as a liniment and mild topical analgesic in medicine, as a plasticizer, and as an insect repellent
“He had thickly lashed eyes shaded with a trace of camphor…” |
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pastilles
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was originally a pill shaped lump of compressed herbs, which was burnt to release its medicinal properties.
“ I had no response, offered no comment, betrayed no visible reaction to the steady stream of honey filled lozenges, the raspberry truffles, the slender rolls of sour pastilles.” |
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Partition
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The Partition of India was a partition that led to the creation on 14 August 1947 and 15 August 1947, respectively, of the sovereign states of Dominion of Pakistan (later Islamic Republic of Pakistan) and Union of India (later Republic of India) upon the granting of independence to British India from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
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jute
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the glossy fiber of either of two Asian plants of the linden family used chiefly for sacking, burlap, and twine; also : a plant producing jute
“I began to read about its rainfall, and its jute production.” |
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deciduous
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falling off or shed seasonally or at a certain stage of development in the life cycle
“…the progress of Mr. Pirzada’s book about the deciduous trees of New England…” |
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Kishore Kumar
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was an Indian film playback singer and comic actor. He also achieved notable successes as a lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter.
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Sheikh Mujib Rahman
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(March 17, 1920 – August 15, 1975) was a Bengali political leader in East Pakistan and the founding leader of Bangladesh. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its first Prime Minister.
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Sun Temple at Konarak
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The 13th-century Sun Temple (also known as the Black Pagoda), built in Orissa red sandstone (Khandolite) and black granite by King Narasimhadeva I (AD 1236-1264) of the Ganga dynasty. The temple is one of the most well renowned temples in India and is a World Heritage Site.
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avatar
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the incarnation of a Hindu deity, especially Vishnu, in human or animal form. 2. an embodiment, as of a quality or concept; an archetype: the very avatar of cunning.
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pinafore
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a sleeveless usually low-necked garment fastened in the back and worn as an apron or dress
“The little girl occupied herself by buttoning and unbuttoning a pinafore on the doll’s plastic body.” |
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bullocks
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a young bull
“…his head wrapped in a dirty turban, seated on top of a cart of grain sacks pulled by a pair of bullocks.” |
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emaciated
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to cause to lose flesh so as to become very thin
“Both the man and the bullocks were emaciated.” |
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Gujarati
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is an Indo-Aryan language descending from Sanskrit, and part of the greater Indo-European language family.
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assiduously
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marked by careful unremitting attention or persistent application
“He found nothing noble in interpreting people’s maladies, assiduously translating the symptoms of so many swollen bones…” |
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edifice
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BUILDING; especially : a large or massive structure
“It was dedicated to the great master of life, the sun, which struck three sides of the edifice as it made its journey each day across the sky.” |
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Surya
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In Hindu religious literature, Surya is notably mentioned as the visible form of God that one can see every day. (god of the sun)
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languid
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drooping or flagging from or as if from exhaustion
“They wore elaborate headdresses, their languid, elongated eyes closed…” |
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defile
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to make unclean or impure: as a: to corrupt the purity or perfection of
“Mr. Das headed up the defile with the children….” |
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Durwan
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a doorkeeper.
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garble
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to so alter or distort as to create a wrong impression or change the meaning
“So she garbled facts.” |
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litany
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a repetitive or incantatory recital
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Zamindar
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Zamindar, also known as Zemindar, Zamindari, or the Zamindari System were employed by the Mughals to collect taxes from peasants (www.wikipedia.com)
“Boori Ma had once worked as hired help for a prosperous zamindar back east…” |
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itinerant
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traveling from place to place; especially : covering a circuit
“Boori Ma patrolled activities in the alley, screened the itinerant peddlers who came to sell combs…” |
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parapet
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a low wall or railing to protect the edge of a platform, roof, or bridge —called also parapet wall
“The wire, strung diagonally from one corner of the parapet to the other…” |
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diaphanous
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characterized by such fineness of texture as to permit seeing through
“She has diaphanous eyelids and very slender toes with rings on them.” |
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Burdwan
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Bardhaman (also Barddhaman; Bengali: West Bengal state in eastern India. It is the headquarters of Bardhaman District.Bardhaman has been a district capital since the time of Mughals. Later on it became a district headquarters of British India. Burdwan is an alternative name for the city, which remains in use from the British period.
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sedulous
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involving or accomplished with careful perseverance
“And that, following an assessment of his sedulous performance over the years…” |
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obscure
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adj. deficient in light; dark/ out of sight, hidden
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chutney
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a pungent relish made of fruits, spices and herbs
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palanquins
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n. a covered litter carried on poles on the shoulders of 2-4 bearers
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quahogs
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n. an edible clam of the Atlantic Coast of N. America
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effigy
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n. a crude figure or dummy representing a hated person or group
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sitar
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n. a stringed instrument of India made of seasoned gourds and teak
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caste
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n. any of the hereditary, endogamous social classes or subclasses of tranditional Hindu society, stratified according to Hindu ritual purity…
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privation
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n. lack of basic necessities or comforts of life
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non sequitur
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n. a statement that does not follow logically from what preceded it.
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malaise
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n. a general sense of depression or unease
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maudlin
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adj. effusively or tearfully sentimental
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disconsolate
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adj. seeming beyond consolation; extremely dejected
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paroxysm
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n. a sudden outburst of emotion or action
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propitious
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adj. presenting favorable circumstances; auspicious
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conjugal
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adj. of/or relating to marriage or the relationship of spouses
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dowry
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n. money or property brought by a bride to her husband at marriage
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clamorous
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adj. making or marked by loud outcry or sustained din.
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mortify
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v. to cause to experience shame, humiliation or wounded pride
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placid
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adj. undisturbed by tumult or disorder/ calm, quiet
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disdain
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v. to regard or treat with haughty contempt/ to despise.
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