HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH II - TWAIN - THE CALIFORNIAN'S TALE

Twain - The Californian's Tale

Main Concept
Learning vocabulary used by great writers enriches your reading and empowers your writing.

THE CALIFORNIAN’S TALE - VOCABULARY

1) predecessors – n. those who came before

Sec 2: Now and then, half an hour apart, one came across solitary log cabins of the earliest mining days, built by the
first gold-miners, the predecessors of the cottage-builders.

2) solace – n. comfort, relief, consolation

Sec 4: I could not have believed that a rag carpet could feast me so, and so content me; or that there could be such
solace to the soul in wall-paper and framed lithographs.

3) furtive – adj. sly, stealthy, concealed

Sec 8: I knew it perfectly, and I knew he was trying to help me by furtive indications with his eye, so I tried hard to get
on the right track, being eager to gratify him.

4) sedate – adj. calm, dignified, unrestrained

Sec 27: Then he went on and read the bulk of it – a loving, sedate, and altogether charming and gracious piece of
handiwork.

5) boding – n. warning, concern – especially of evil or harm

Sec 40: Charley fetched out one hearty speech after another, and did his best to drive away his friend's bodings and
apprehensions.

Remember this...
Add these words to your own writing: predecessors, solace, furtive, sedate, bodings.

► Suggestion to improve your mastery of these words: Write a descriptive paragraph using all of these words in a
way that shows you understand their meanings.

Author Profile
Mark Twain - 1835 – 1910
• born near Hannibal, Missouri
• Samuel Langhorne Clemens
• apprenticed to printer
• riverboat pilot
• prospector for gold​
• famous for writings and lectures