abasement
Degradation and humiliation.
abnegation
An utter and wholesale rejection or repudiation.
amorphous
Without form or shape.
apologia
An explanation or justification of one's motives.
arable
Capable of being cultivated or plowed.
aspect
Appearance to the eye or mind.
Blasphemy
In Waknuk, a Blasphemy is a human mutant, or Deviance. If any person falls outside of the definition of man as described in the Repentances, then he or she is considered a Blasphemy, and inhuman.
blemish
A small flaw that spoils the overall appearance of something.
chrysalid
Referring to a chrysalis, the state of an insect transforming from one state to another. As the title of the book, Chrysalid is a reference to the evolution of humanity to become people who think-together.
creed
A system of religious belief.
Deviance / Deviation
Deviance, or Deviation, is the Waknuk term used to describe any person, animal, or plant that does not conform to their ideas of being genetically pure. Deviation is closely associated with the Devil.
doctrinaire
One who insists upon imposing a doctrine of beliefs even in the face of practical considerations that such an imposition would adversely affect.
dogmatist
Fervent adherent to conventional doctrine; a devotee.
effrontery
Brazen and shameless rude display of cocky self-confidence; bold impudence.
evolution
Change and adaptation over time.
formidable
Adjective describing something large or powerful that inspires fear or respect.
fraternizing
Associating or socializing with an existing group.
The Fringes
The area to the southwest of Waknuk where the land is considered to be wilder—i.e. with genetic mutations—and where the outcasts of Waknuk society live.
fuss
Unnecessary interest in something.
inadequacy
Insufficient.
inconclusively
To an unsatisfying degree; lacking the necessary qualities to be convincing.
insightful
Keenly perceptive; trenchantly observant.
irreverent
Showing lack of respect for something that is usually treated respectfully.
The Island of Newf
The Island where Labrador and Waknuk are located; Newf is geographically where the island of Newfoundland is today, in the east of Canada in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Labrador
The greater civilized region where Waknuk is located, inside the Island of Newf. It was named Labrador because the Waknuk people believe that was the name the Old People used; in fact, Labrador is the Northern region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
lugubrious
Dismal and melancholic, depressing; morose; somewho who is a real Captain Bringdown.
mingle
To socialize.
Offence
An Offence is a farm animal/livestock or crop that is found to be genetically mutated in some way. They are cleansed by holding Purification ritual.
Old People
The people who existed before the current civilization. The only information the current people have about the Old People is the Bible, and another religious text written by Nicholson, called the Repentances.
oracular
Hard to interpret; confusing.
pannier basket
A pair of baskets that can be put over the back of an animal to carry a load on both sides.
perfunctorily
Without any sense of excitement of daring; utterly ordinary.
perturb
Agitated and troubled to the point of being disconcerted.
profane
Disrespectful of religion.
propitious
Endowed with a sense of favorable outcome and optimistic expectation.
proscribe
To create rules of prohibition; to forbid.
reclamation
A project to salvage or recover.
Repentances
Nicholson's Repentances is the main religious text of Waknuk, the text that Waknuk uses to define the True Image of man. Nicholson wrote the text after Tribulation, and the text was found hundreds of years after that in a stone coffer. The literal meaning is 'regret' or 'remorse'.
self-righteous
A holier-than-thou attitude.
slatternly
Dirty and untidy, especially in relation to the appearance of a woman.
timorously
Too reticent to act; too bashful to dare; coyly flirtatious.
transgress
To disobey codes of conduct; to trespass the standards of morality.
Tribulation
According to Waknuk schooling, this is the event that God brought onto the “Old People” as punishment for their sinful way of living. Literally, tribulation means a cause of great trouble or suffering.
unconscionable
Reprehensible to the point of calling into the question the basic moral foundation at play.
Waknuk
The small farming community where David Strorm and his family lives.
wholly
Completely.
wraith
A ghostlike image of a person; pale; thin; faint.
