5.26 History and periodisation — Epoché
What you will be able to do Use sixty-five words of history: measuring time, the great periods, rulers and power, conflict, revolt, empires, memory, and rise and fall. Name the periods of French history in the French way, from l'Ancien Régime to les Trente Glorieuses , and know which dates each name covers. Read the numbered republics and empires that French history books take for granted. Sentences from this lesson, before the explanation. Read the French aloud; all of them come back below. French English Lincoln entreprit d'abolir l'esclavage aux États-Unis. [1] Lincoln set out to abolish slavery in the United States. Vous auriez pu choisir un moyen plus simple de le faire. [2] You could've chosen an easier way to do that. Personne ne sait combien de gens sont morts dans cette bataille. [3] No one knows how many people died in that battle. L'Algérie n'est pas située au Moyen-Orient. [4] Algeria isn't located in the Middle East. Rome est célèbre pour son architecture antique. [5] Rome is famous for its ancient architecture. Ce livre traite de l'invasion des Romains. [6] This book deals with the invasion of the Romans. La colonie a déclaré son indépendance et est devenue une république. [7] The colony declared independence and became a republic. Prerequisites : 5.25 — this lesson follows 5.25 Vocabulary . The words of politics, la République , la monarchie and le citoyen , were taught in 5.15 Vocabulary , and the background of the Republic in 11.3 Background . The French divide their past into named periods and refer to them constantly, in newspapers as well as in history books. An English reader meets sous la Troisième République or pendant les Trente Glorieuses without a date, because a French reader needs none. The readings of this phase are set in these periods: Hugo's Quatrevingt-treize in the Revolution, Stendhal's Waterloo in 7.42 Reading , Michelet's history of France in 7.49 Reading , Tocqueville's America of the 1830s in 7.50 Reading . Word list Sixty-five words in eight groups: measuring time, periods, rulers and power, conflict, revolt and resistance, empires and colonies, memory and evidence, and rise and fall. Measuring time Word Meaning Notes le siècle fr century Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Written with Roman numerals: le XVIIIe siècle . En quel siècle vivons-nous ? [8] What century are we living in? la décennie fr decade Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs les années soixante for the sixties. Il faudra plus d'une décennie pour conquérir le marché. [9] It will take upwards of a decade to capture the market. le millénaire fr millennium Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Also an adjective, thousand-year-old . Cent décennies font un millénaire. [10] A hundred decades make a millennium. l'époque fr time, period, era Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs à l'époque , at the time, back then . J'étais heureux à l'époque. [11] I was happy then. l'ère fr era, age Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs l'ère nucléaire , the atomic age . Nous vivons à l'ère nucléaire. [12] We are living in the atomic age. la chronologie fr chronology, timeline Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs As in English. Racontez-nous la chronologie des événements. [13] Tell us the timeline of events. contemporain fr contemporary Gender / part of speech adjective, noun How English differs Also a contemporary person. C'est un contemporain. [14] He's a contemporary of mine. Periods Word Meaning Notes l'Antiquité fr antiquity, the ancient world Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs With a capital for the period. Dans l'Antiquité, l'architecture était belle et raffinée. [15] In antiquity, architecture was beautiful and refined. le Moyen Âge fr the Middle Ages Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Singular in French; also written Moyen-Âge . Pour déterminer son origine, nous devons remonter au Moyen-Âge. [16] To determine its origin, we must go back to the middle ages. médiéval fr medieval Gender / part of speech adjective How English differs Plural médiévaux . Je veux visiter un village médiéval. [17] I want to visit a medieval village. la Renaissance fr the Renaissance Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Literally rebirth; also any revival. Auriez-vous des peintures de la Renaissance ? [18] Do you have Renaissance paintings? la Révolution française fr the French Revolution Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs 1789–1799; la Révolution alone means this one. J'écris une étude de la Révolution française. [19] I am writing a study of the French Revolution. l'Empire fr empire; the Empire Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs le Premier Empire , Napoleon's. L'Empire ottoman a été vaincu. [20] The Ottoman Empire was defeated. la Première Guerre mondiale fr the First World War Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Also la Grande Guerre . L'année suivante, la première guerre mondiale éclatait. [21] The following year, the First World War broke out. la Seconde Guerre mondiale fr the Second World War Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Also la Deuxième Guerre mondiale . Quand a commencé la seconde guerre mondiale ? [22] When did the Second World War start? la guerre froide fr the Cold War Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs No capitals in French. Nous ne voulons pas une autre guerre froide. [23] We don't want another Cold War. antique fr ancient, of antiquity Gender / part of speech adjective How English differs Of Greece and Rome; not antique furniture , which is ancien . Les enfants brisèrent l'urne antique. [24] The children broke the ancient urn. Rulers and power Word Meaning Notes le monarque fr monarch Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs As in English. Nous voulons un monarque. [25] We want a mon