Ink & Stars (Chapters I and II) Flashcards
(44 cards)
alight or rest on something
(of a bird)
perch
I’d watch them perch on the rooftops like omens…
A small passerine bird, found throughout Europe and eastward to Iran and eastern Mediterranean coastlands.
chaffinch
try to squint them into the chaffinches and goldcrests Da drew from memory.
зяблик
a very small Eurasian warbler with a black-bordered yellow or orange crest.
goldcrest
try to squint them into the chaffinches and goldcrests Da drew from memory.
королек
adjective. being buoyed up on water or other liquid; having little or no attachment to a particular place; moving from one place to another.
floating
Da would tell me another story then, about the girl-warrior Arinta, or about Joya’s mythical past as a floating island,
be damaged, injured, or destroyed by heat or fire.
burnt
The smell of burnt porridge hung on the air.
make a continuous deep, resonant sound.
rumble
My tummy rumbled as I stretched my arms.
cause (a spirit or ghost) to appear by means of a magic ritual
conjure
But still I could conjure him.
they hoped to conjure up the spirit of their dead friend
a length of hair or other material that is divided into three parts that are then crossed over each other in a special pattern
braid
I quickly braided my unbrushed hair and hoped Da wouldn’t notice I hadn’t untangled it all summer.
коса, заплетать косу
(of a bird) strike or bite something with its beak.
peck
She narrowed her misty eyes and pecked at my ankles, chasing me further into the main room where we ate, talked and planned adventures.
leave (someone) trapped and alone in an inaccessible place, especially an island
also: of a brownish-red colour
maroon
A big bowl of blackened porridge sat on our large pine-plank table, marooned among a sea of maps.
hold on tightly to
cling
how Æygpt clung to the curve of Europa Bay like one hand grasping another across the sea.
She clung to Joe’s arm
a valuable object that has belonged to a family for several generations
heirloom
It had always felt like a sign that Ma and Da were meant for each other, that he was a cartographer and her only heirloom was a map.
to move something by pulling it along a surface, usually the ground
drag
I dragged a chair to the shelves, carefully taking the jug from high up, and put it on the table next to the porridge.
Pick the chair up instead of dragging it behind you!
walk with difficulty, typically because of a damaged or stiff leg or foot
limp
‘Good morning, little one.’ Da limped from the kitchen.
he limped heavily as he moved
to criticize angrily someone who has done something wrong
scold
‘You shouldn’t walk without your stick,’ I scolded.
Mum took Anna away, scolding her for her bad behaviour
a removable or hinged cover for the top of a container
lid
‘Pine honey!’ I unscrewed the lid and the smell filled my nostrils, making my mouth water.
a dustbin lid
a bag carried on the shoulder by a long strap and closed by a flap, used especially for school books.
satchel
When he didn’t answer I picked up my satchel and left the house,
a small, simple, single-storey house or shelter
hut
a long row of mud huts with straw roofs that Lupe thought looked sweet.
a beach hut
to slide unintentionally on a surface;
to slide without turning
skid
I normally ran to the market square, skidding downhill on my heels, because the ravens liked to fly low and running put them off.
usually refers to a vehicle sliding across a road or gravel surface
move one’s hand to and fro in greeting or as a signal
wave
I waved, trying to see past her into the house.
Just smile and wave, boys. Smile and wave.
a person doing unskilled manual work for wages
wage - a fixed regular payment earned for work, (daily or weekly)
labourer
Two years ago, when his mother’s back got too bad, Pablo left school and took her place as a labourer, although Masha pleaded with him not to.
farm labourer
cut (a hard material) in order to produce an object, design, or inscription
carve
Da said it was carved from a single Afrik baobab trunk.
trunk - the main stem of a tree apart from branches or roots
move close to the ground by bending knees;
lean forwards with head and shoulders bent
bend (bent) - shape or force (smth. straight) into a curve or angle
crouch
It crouched over the fishing fleet like a mountain, huge and unmoving.
fleet - a group of ships sailing together
the finger next to the thumb;
the first or index finger.
thumb - the short, thick finger on the side of your hand
forefinger
From here, though, it looked small enough to squash between my forefinger and thumb.
