"Queen of Water," Part 1 Vocabulary

Join Primary Source’s “Global Read” of Laura Resau’s novel “The Queen of Water.” “The Queen of Water” tells of the life of an indigenous Ecuadorian girl who works as a servant for a mestizo family. Based on the true story of María Virginia Farinango.
“The Queen of Water,” Part 2 Vocabulary
“The Queen of Water,” Part 3 Vocabulary
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. descendant
    a person considered as coming from some ancestor or race
    As a little girl, I did not know I was a descendant of the Inca, the most powerful ancient civilization of South America.
  2. ancient
    belonging to times long past
    As a little girl, I did not know I was a descendant of the Inca, the most powerful ancient civilization of South America.
  3. civilization
    a society in an advanced state of social development
    As a little girl, I did not know I was a descendant of the Inca, the most powerful ancient civilization of South America.
  4. century
    a period of 100 years
    I did not know that when the Spanish conquistadors came, crazed for gold, they conquered us, and over the centuries, two kinds of people emerged in Ecuador.
  5. emerge
    become known or apparent
    I did not know that when the Spanish conquistadors came, crazed for gold, they conquered us, and over the centuries, two kinds of people emerged in Ecuador.
  6. bellow
    make a loud noise, as of an animal
    “Maah maaah!” she bellowed in its face, slashing the air with her front hooves.
  7. brazen
    face with defiance or impudence
    The dog had never seen such a brazen goat, and it backed away, bewildered.
  8. bewildered
    extremely confused and uncertain what to do
    The dog had never seen such a brazen goat, and it backed away, bewildered.
  9. brandish
    move or swing back and forth
    I take a deep breath, then head toward them, brandishing my stick like a machete.
  10. scowl
    frown with displeasure
    Scowling, I throw my stick on the floor.
  11. defiantly
    in a rebellious manner
    “Senor Carlitos,” I whisper to myself defiantly.
  12. reverie
    an abstracted state of absorption
    The Doctorita breaks my reverie with a sharp “Longuita.
  13. embroider
    decorate with needlework
    She was exactly the kind of business lady I’ve always dreamed of becoming, one who wears finely embroidered, shiny white blouses tucked into soft black anacos hemmed with silvery trim, and thick, gold-beaded necklaces.
  14. frantic
    marked by uncontrolled excitement or emotion
    Loud, frantic knocking.
  15. tentative
    hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
    When that doesn’t happen, I make a few tentative bounces on the sofa.
  16. agile
    moving quickly and lightly
    Agile as a goat, I leap onto the tile floor, beside the wardrobe, smack in front of the forbidden drawer.
  17. savage
    without civilizing influences
    Jaimito crawls around the floor like a real savage and pees in little puddles that I wipe up with a towel from the kitchen.
  18. sympathetic
    expressing compassion or friendly fellow feelings
    Instead, he gives me a sympathetic look, and says, “Things feel very different here, don’t they?”
  19. submerged
    beneath the surface of the water
    Hours later, with my raw hands still submerged in the harsh bubbles, it finally hits me like a punch in the stomach: My mother is not coming to get me.
  20. burden
    weight to be carried or borne
    Why is this longa my burden?”
  21. salary
    fixed payment for services
    Nino Carlitos and the Doctorita say nothing about paying me my monthly salary of a thousand sucres.
  22. shroud
    cover as if with a burial garment
    I recognize the far-off shapes of the mist-shrouded Imbabura, the man mountain, and Cotacachi, his wife, who is covered in diamond frost that he has given her as a gift.
  23. reap
    get or derive
    She snorts and says that it’s out of the kindness of her heart that she lives in this backwater town and helps these country people and that one day she’ll reap her just reward.
  24. feeble
    pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness
    From here, the giant peak looks terribly far away, something small and feeble and half hidden by clouds.
  25. permanent
    continuing or enduring without marked change in status
    Over the next six weeks, my ears had permanent red marks from the teacher’s nails, as did the other indigenous students’.
  26. indigenous
    originating where it is found
    Over the next six weeks, my ears had permanent red marks from the teacher’s nails, as did the other indigenous students’.
  27. smug
    marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction
    I turn away from her smug face and look at the TV.
  28. vivid
    evoking lifelike images within the mind
    I remember it clearly, like a vivid photo that stands out from all the other, blurred ones.
  29. strut
    walk in a proud, confident way
    “Get to work, you indias” I scolded them in a shrill voice, strutting around just like Mariana.
  30. endearing
    lovable especially in a childlike or naive way
    Sometimes, when he’s nervous, his words get stuck in an endearing stutter.
  31. replica
    copy that is not the original
    “It’s a perfectly proportioned replica of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.
  32. anticipation
    expecting with confidence of fulfillment
    I perch beside Nino Carlitos on a bench, watching him work, bouncing with anticipation.
  33. awe
    an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration
    But it’s the most popular toy in the neighborhood, and when she isn’t nearby, I roll around in it proudly as the other children watch in awe.
  34. rant
    talk at length in a noisy, excited, or angry manner
    The Doctorita is always complaining about how little money they have, ranting about their debts and bad investments, moaning about their pitiful teacher salaries, nagging Nino Carlitos to find other ways to make money for the family.
  35. rustle
    make a dry crackling sound
    Listening to them squeak reminds me of my life at home, of lying on my scratchy woven mat at night and listening to our guinea pigs rustle in the comer.
  36. mission
    a special assignment that is given to a person or group
    I trailed along behind her as she barreled straight to the patient’s house, on a mission.
  37. diagnose
    subject to a medical analysis
    She examined the guts closely, as though she were reading a book, and diagnosed the person’s sickness.
  38. curse
    an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil
    She told whether they had gotten a fright from a snake or whether a witch had put a curse on them or whatever.
  39. heathen
    not acknowledging the God of Christianity, Judaism and Islam
    These images of fresh guinea-pig blood and heathen Indian things?
  40. outskirts
    area relatively far from the center, as of a city or town
    On the outskirts of town, when we pass an orchard, I scamper up a tree to pick guavas, eating the sweetest, prettiest ones myself and tossing down the worm-eaten, half-rotted ones to the Doctorita.
  41. scamper
    run or move about quickly or lightly
    On the outskirts of town, when we pass an orchard, I scamper up a tree to pick guavas, eating the sweetest, prettiest ones myself and tossing down the worm-eaten, half-rotted ones to the Doctorita.
  42. furtively
    in a secretive manner
    I climb the tree and gather avocadoes, dropping them furtively into the bag slung over my shoulder.
  43. loot
    goods or money obtained illegally
    Finally, he crawls back under the fence, dragging his loot and grinning.
  44. veer
    turn sharply; change direction abruptly
    But I usually don’t let myself think too long, because then the good thoughts veer into bad thoughts that leave my stomach aching and my eyes burning.
  45. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    When the sun was directly overhead and everyone was ready to have lunch, Alfonso emerged from his big white hacienda with its red tile roof and sauntered by, checking on the progress.
  46. chaotic
    completely unordered and unpredictable and confusing
    A month later, huge, chaotic clumps of plants sprouted from the holes where I’d thrown handfuls of beans.
  47. suffocate
    deprive of oxygen and prevent from breathing
    The vines crowded each other in a twirling mass, winding desperately around each other’s stems, suffocating the tender com shoots.
  48. landmark
    a prominent or well-known object in a particular place
    I’m quiet during the ride, watching the fields and canyons out the window, memorizing landmarks and turnoffs.
  49. reverence
    a feeling of profound respect for someone or something
    Words that glisten with a kind of tender reverence.
  50. pungent
    strong and sharp to the sense of taste or smell
    I carried the heap of leaves, pressing them to my nose in anticipation, breathing in their strong scent, a scent that seemed sweet at one moment and pungent the next.
Created on Wed Sep 05 16:05:47 EDT 2012 (updated Wed Sep 05 22:22:39 EDT 2012)

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