un/e accusé/e: an accused person, defendant
un/e avocat/e: a lawyer
une calomnie, calomnier: slander, to slander
un/e complice: an accomplice
un cordonnier: a shoemaker
un curé: un prêtre
un diable: a devil
un imposteur: an imposter
un juge: a judge
la mémoire: memory (as in “I have a good memory.”)
un/e paysan/ne: a peasant
un/e servant/e: a servant
un soldat: a soldier
un témoin, un témoin oculaire: a witness, an eyewitness
un/e vagabond/e: a tramp, vagrant
affectueux/se: affectionate
audacieux/se: bold, audacious
avare: greedy
boudeur/euse: sulky, pouting
chaste: chaste
coupable: guilty
innocent/e: innocent
jaloux/se: jealous
maussade: sullen
paresseux/se: lazy
rusé/e: clever
travailleur/euse: hard working
un bien: goods, property
un champ: a field
une chandelle: une bougie (a candle)
les chausses (f.pl.): tights-like pants for men
une combine, combiner: a scheme, a trick; to think up a plan, scheme
la cour: a court of law; a courtyard, depending on context
un crime: a crime; usually refers to a murder
une dot: a dowry (money or property that a wife’s family gives to the husband when they get married)
une énigme: an enigma, mystery
un flashback: a flashback
la loi: the law
la magie: magic
un non-lieu: case dismissed
un péché: a sin
un procès: a trial
une potence: a gallows (structure on which people are executed by hanging)
un risque, prendre un risque: a risk, take a risk
une sentence: a sentence (legal)
les terres (f.pl.): property (land)
la Chandeleur: Christian holiday celebrated on February second. La Chandeleur (Candlemas) commemorates the presentation of Christ at the Temple and the purification of the Virgin Mary. Christians went in procession from the church to their houses holding a lit candle (Une chandelle = a candle. Chandeleur became “chandler” –candlemaker—in English).
un charivari: An old ritual in which community members gather to humiliate a member of the community (for example a man whose wife is cheating on him or an infertile man).
abandonner: to abandon
avouer: to confess
chausser de…+ pointure: to wear a size…shoe (je chausse du 38 / je fais du 38—pointure européenne)
condamner: to condemn
convaincre: to convince
défendre, se défendre: to defend, defend oneself
douter: to doubt
faire semblant de: to pretend to
se fier à: to trust
engager, gagner, perdre un procès contre quelqu’un: to start, win, lose a law suit against someone
humilier: to humiliate
identifier: to identify
interroger: to question, interrogate
jeter un sort (sur quelqu’un, quelque chose): to throw a spell on someone/something
jurer: to swear (all senses)
se méfier de: to distrust, be suspicious of
menacer: to threaten
mentir: to lie
mériter: to deserve
se moquer de: to make fun of, laugh at
négliger: to neglect
nier: to deny
pardonner: to pardon, to forgive
pendre, être pendu/e: to hang, be hanged/hung (person/thing)
reconnaître: to recognize
réfuter: to refute
respecter: to respect
séduire: to seduce
se souvenir de: to remember
survivre à: to survive (survivre à une personne / un événement).
se transformer (en quelqu’un, en quelque chose): transform oneself/itself into someone, something
tromper: to trick, to deceive, to mislead
voler: to steal