Contes Français

mystification
,
f.
mystification, hoax.

mythologique
,
adj.
mythological.


N


n'
,
see
ne
.

nabab
,
m.
nabob.

nacre
,
f.
mother-of-pearl.

nager
,
v.
to swim.

naguère
,
adv.
lately, but now, not long ago.

naissance
,
f.
birth.

naitre
, to be born;
né, -e
, born.

naïvement
,
adv.
ingenuously, artlessly.

Nantes
, important city on the lower Loire.

Napoléon III
, French Emperor from 1852 to 1870.

nappe,
f.
tablecloth, sheet (of water, light, etc.).

narguer
,
v.
to defy, snap one's fingers at.

narguilhé
,
m.
narghile (Oriental water pipe for smoking; usually written
narguilé
).

narine
,
f.
nostril.

natal, -e
,
adj.
natal, native.

natif, -ive
,
adj. and s
. native.

national, -e
,
adj.
national.

nature
,
f.
nature, kind.

naturel, -le
,
adj. and m.
natural, disposition, nature, naturalness.

naturellement
,
adv.
naturally.

naviguer
,
v.
to sail.

navire
,
m.
ship, vessel.

navrer
,
v.
to break the heart of;
navrant, -e
, heartrending, distressing;
navré, -e
,

heart-broken;
le coeur navré
, heart-broken.

ne
,
adv.
(usually with
pas, point
, etc.), not (frequently pleonastic).

néanmoins
,
adv.
nevertheless, notwithstanding.

nébuieux, -euse
,
adj.
nebulous, glooiny, disturbing.

nécessaire
,
adj.
necessary.

nécessité
,
f.
necessity.

nécropole
,
f.
necropolis (catacombs).

négliger
,
v.
to neglect, slight.

négociant
,
m.
merchant, trader.

nègre
,
adj. and m.
negro.

neige
,
f.
snow;
eau de --
, melted snow, water chilled with snow.

nerf
,
m.
nerve, sinew (
f
pronounced).

nerveux, -euse
,
adj.
nervous.

Nesmond
, noble French family prominent in the 17th and 18th centuries.

net, -te
,
adj.
neat, clear, short;
couper --
, to cut short or squarely off (
t
pronounced).

nettement
,
adv.
clearly, plainly.

netteté
,
f.
neatness, clearness, distinctness.

nettoyer
,
v.
to clean, clean out.

neuf
,
card.
nine.

neuf, neuve
, new;
de --
, freshly.

neveu
,
m.
nephew;
petit --
, great nephew.

Newton (Sir Isaac)
, the famous English mathematician, physicist, astronomer and

philosopher, especially noted for his discovery of the laws of gravitation and for his work

on light (1642-1727).

nez
,
m.
nose;
devant le --
, before the face;
fermer sur le --
, to shut in the face (pronounced:
).

ni
,
conj.
nor;
-- ... --
, neither ... nor.

niaiserie
,
f.
nonsense.

niche
,
f.
niche, recess, kennel.

Nicolas
, Nicholas.

nid
,
m.
nest.

nièce
,
f.
niece.

Nil (le)
,
m.
the Nile.

Nîmes
, city in the department of Gard.

noble
,
adj. and s.
noble.

noblesse
,
f.
nobility.

noce
,
f.
wedding;
pl.
wedding.

Noël
,
m.
Christmas;
la --
, the Christmas festival;
le petit --
, Santa Claus.

noir, -e
,
adj. and m.
black;
le Noir
, gangrene;
voir tout en --
, to look on the dark side of

everything.

noircir
,
v.
to blacken.

noircisseur
,
m.
dyer in black, scribbler.

noix
,
f.
nut, Middle part, pope's eye (of meat).

nom
,
m.
name;
-- de --
, euphemistic oath.

nombre
,
m.
number;
-- de
, a number of.

nombreux, -euse
,
adj.
numerous.

nommer
,
v.
to name;
nommé, -e
,
adj. and s.
named, one called.

non
, adv. no, not;
-- pas
, not, not at all.

non bis in idem
, not twice in the same place (Latin).

nonchalamment
,
adv.
nonchalantly, carelessly, heedlessly.

nonchalant, -e
,
adj.
listless, unmindful, nonchalant.

non-seulement
,
adv.
not only.

nopal
,
m.
nopal (cactus).

nord
,
m.
north;
-- est
, north-east (
d
is not pronounced in

nord
, but is pronounced in
nord-est
).

normal, -e
,
adj.
normal, natural.

normand, -e
,
adj. and s.
Norman (written
Normand
when
s.
).

Normandie
,
f.
Normandy (former French province on the English Channel).

nos
,
see
notre.

notable
,
adj.
notable.

notaire
,
m.
notary.

notamment
,
adv.
especially, particularly.

note
,
f.
note, bill.

notion
,
f.
notion, idea.

notre (nos
,
pl.), poss. adj. pr.
our.

nôtre
,
poss. adj. pr.
ours (usually with article).

nouer
,
v.
to knot, tie, tie up.

noueux, -euse
,
adj.
knotty, knotted.

Nourmahal
, popular Oriental name because of the wife of a Mogul emperor, who bore this

name in the 17th century.

nourrice
,
f.
wet-nurse.

nourrir
,
v.
to nourish, nurse, support, feed.

nourriture
,
f.
food.

nous
,
conj. and disj. pr.
we, us, to us.

nous-mêmes
,
pr.
we ourselves, ourselves.

nouveau, (nouvel
before vowels),
-elle
,
adj.
new, other;
de --
, anew, again;
nouvelle(s)
,

f. news, piece of news, story (longer than the
conte
and shorter than the
roman
);
de vos
nouvelles
, news of you;
---né
, new-born child, etc.;
avoir des nouvelles de
, to hear from.

nouvellement
,
adv.
newly, recently.

Novare
, Novara (city of northern Italy).

novembre
,
m.
November.

noyau
,
m.
stone (of fruit).

noyer
,
v.
to drown, swamp.

nu, -e
,
adj.
naked, bare;
à --
, bare, exposed, openly;
-- pieds
, barefooted.

nuage
,
m.
cloud.

nuageux, -euse
,
adj.
cloudy, somber.

nuance
,
f.
tint, shade.

nudité
,
f.
nudity, nakedness, bareness.

nuée
,
f.
thick cloud.

nuire
,
v.
to injure, be harmful.

nuit
,
f.
night;
la --