Things Fall Apart Glossary PDF

# Glossary 1. **customs (page 4)** The ways of life of a group of people, which make them different from other people. For example, their way of arranging marriages, cooking and eating food, burying people etc. 2. **wrestler (page 7)** To wrestle is to fight a man by holding him and pushing him to...

# Glossary 1. **customs (page 4)** The ways of life of a group of people, which make them different from other people. For example, their way of arranging marriages, cooking and eating food, burying people etc. 2. **wrestler (page 7)** To wrestle is to fight a man by holding him and pushing him to the ground. A wrestler is a man who fights in this way. (See the illustration on page 21) 3. **bush fire (page 8)** A fire which moves very quickly from one tree to another. 4. **palm wine (page 8)** An alcoholic drink which comes from a palm tree. To tap a palm tree is to make a hole in the tree to take out the liquid in the tree. The liquid is made into wine. 5. **be ashamed of someone (page 8)** To feel unhappy because someone important to you, like you or your mother, does foolish things. 6. **yam (page 9)** A large vegetable which grows in the ground. It is like a very large potato. It makes very good food. 7. **respect someone (page 9)** To be polite to someone because he or she works hard and does well. To think very well of a person. 8. **goatskin bag (page 14)** The skin of a goat is taken very carefully from the dead animal. The legs are carefully closed and the skin is made into a bag for holding things. 9. **priest/priestess (page 16)** A man of woman who is a special servant of a god. They clean the place where the image of the god is kept. They do the things that the god tells them to do. They also tell the people what the god wants them to do. 10. **kola-nuts (page 16)** Nuts from the kola tree in West Africa. It is a custom to break and share the nuts with visitors and guests to show that they are welcome. 11. **evil (page 17)** Something very bad which is against the laws of the gods. 12. **cowrie shells (page 17)** Special small shells which were once used as money among people in parts of Africa and India. 13. **Oracle (page 24)** A god who speaks to the people through the mouth of its priest or priestess and tells the people what to do. 14. **matchet (page 25)** A sharp knife (see illustration on page 26). 15. **twins (page 28)** Two children born at the same time from one mother. 16. **Evil Forest (page 28)** A bad place where people don't go because it is dangerous and the gods cannot protect them. 17. **shiver (page 29)** The way a person's body moves when he or she is either very cold or very afraid. 18. **fever (page 32)** When your body becomes very hot with an illness, then you have a fever. 19. **the world of the Spirits (page 33)** Some people believe that there is an unseen world all around us. Good and bad forces live in this unseen world. These forces are the Spirits. Good Spirits help people and bad Spirits are dangerous to people. When people die they live another life in the world of the Spirits. 20. **medicine man (page 33)** A man who knows the secrets of the Spirit World. He can ask the Spirits to help people who are sick or in trouble. 21. **explode (page 41)** To break into pieces with a loud noise. 22. **commit a crime (page 41)** To disobey the laws - in this case, the laws of the gods. 23. **albino (page 49)** - Some people are born with no colour in their skin, hair and eyes. This makes these people very white. They have very white skin, white hair and reddish-coloured eyes. 24. **missionary (page 53)** A person who goes to another country to tell people about their God. The missionaries who went from Europe to Africa about one hundred years ago wanted the Africans to become Christians. 25. **convert (page 59)** Someone who changes his religion and believes in a new religion. 26. **exclude - from the clan (page 63)** To stop a person joining in the life of a clan. The person is not allowed to do certain things which other people do.