Meditations: 40 words to know before you read it
The 40 words Emperor of Rome Marcus Aurelius uses again and again in Meditations that are outside the 4,000 most common in English. Learn them first and the opening chapters read much more easily. Each comes with its pronunciation and a sentence from the book.
thou/ˈðaʊ/857× in the book
'If thou may not continually gather thyself together, namely sometimes do it, at least once a day, the morning or the evening.
unto/ˈəntu/474× in the book
The ideal Wise Man is sufficient unto himself in all things (αὐταρκής); and knowing these truths, he will be happy even when stretched upon the rack.
thee/ˈði/343× in the book
'Why doth a little thing said or done against thee make thee sorry?
doth/ˈdɔθ/268× in the book
'Whatsoever any man either doth or saith, thou must be good;' 'doth any man offend?
thyself/ˌðaɪˈsɛɫf/223× in the book
Whensoever thou wilt rejoice thyself, think and meditate upon those good parts and especial gifts, which thou hast observed in any of them that live with thee:
whatsoever/ˌhwətsoʊˈɛvɝ/149× in the book
… and to do my business, whatsoever it be, thoroughly …
thine/ˈðaɪn/71× in the book
… like the Roman, bids 'study to withdraw thine heart from the love of things visible'; but it is not the busy life of duty he has in mind so much as the contempt of all worldly things …
wilt/ˈwɪɫt/42× in the book
At what time soever thou wilt, it is in thy power to retire into thyself, and to be at rest, and free from all businesses.
disposition/ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən/42× in the book
… as the resemblances and parallels of several virtues, eminent in the dispositions of them that live with thee, especially when all at once …
rational/ˈɹæʃənəɫ/41× in the book
… by how much that which ministers unto it doth excel; the one being a rational substance, and a spirit …
philosopher/fəˈɫɑsəfɝ/38× in the book
Cyprus has been from time immemorial a meeting-place of the East and West, and although we cannot grant any importance to a possible strain of Phœnician blood in him (for the Phoenicians were no philosophers), yet it is quite likely that through Asia Minor he may have come in touch with the Far East.
affection/əˈfɛkʃən/38× in the book
Desire and dislike, opinion and affection, are within the power of the will; whereas health, wealth, honour, and other such are generally not so.
hinder/ˈhɪndɝ/34× in the book
… of what kind of universe it is: And that there is nobody that can hinder thee, but that thou mayest always both do and speak those things which are agreeable to that nature …
presently/ˈpɹɛzəntɫi/34× in the book
For all these things, if once though but for a while, they begin to please, they presently prevail, and pervert a man's mind, or turn a man from the right way.
worldly/ˈwɝɫdɫi/33× in the book
… bids 'study to withdraw thine heart from the love of things visible'; but it is not the busy life of duty he has in mind so much as the contempt of all worldly things, and the 'cutting away of all lower delectations.'
honour/ˈɑnɝ/31× in the book
Two years later Faustina brought him a daughter; and soon after the tribunate and other imperial honours were conferred upon him.
conceit/kənˈsit/30× in the book
To Rusticus I am beholding, that I first entered into the conceit that my life wanted some redress and cure.
behold/bɪˈhoʊɫd/30× in the book
Every man's happiness depends from himself, but behold thy life is almost at an end, whiles affording thyself no respect …
contrary/ˈkɑntɹɛɹi/29× in the book
Secondly, when she either is averse from any man, or led by contrary desires or affections, tending to his hurt and prejudice; such as are the souls of them that are angry.
grieve/ˈɡɹiv/28× in the book
… and as it were an excrescency of the world, for to be grieved and displeased with anything that happens in the world, is direct apostacy from the nature of the universe …
indifferent/ˌɪnˈdɪfɝənt/28× in the book
Those outside things which are commonly called good or bad, such as health and sickness, wealth and poverty, pleasure and pain, are to him indifferent (ἀδιάφορα).
fancy/ˈfænsi/28× in the book
Spend not the remnant of thy days in thoughts and fancies concerning other men, when it is not in relation to some common good …
conceive/kənˈsiv/28× in the book
By whatever means induced, he had conceived the project of proclaiming himself emperor as soon as Marcus, who was then in feeble health …
soever25× in the book
… whatsoever it be, and in what respect soever it be, that it is fair and goodly …
offend/əˈfɛnd/25× in the book
It is against himself that he doth offend: why should it trouble thee?'
divine/dɪˈvaɪn/25× in the book
The Emperor Hadrian divined the fine character of the lad, whom he used to call not Verus but Verissimus, more Truthful than his own name.
esteem/əˈstim/24× in the book
… (not interrupted, with any other cares and distractions,) in the study and esteem of philosophy: to be bountiful and liberal in the largest measure …
grief/ˈɡɹif/24× in the book
The emperors great grief was that he must needs engage in the horrors of civil strife.
apprehension/ˌæpɹɪˈhɛnʃən/22× in the book
He would not hastily give over the search of the matter, as one easy to be satisfied with sudden notions and apprehensions.
whereof20× in the book
… but that thou mayest always both do and speak those things which are agreeable to that nature, whereof thou art a part.
perchance/pɝˈtʃæns/19× in the book
… and of other faculties, which perchance I might have dwelt upon, if I had found myself to go on in them with success.
commend/kəˈmɛnd/19× in the book
Moreover, that he was never commended by any man, as either a learned acute man …
depart/dɪˈpɑɹt/19× in the book
Whatsoever thou dost affect, whatsoever thou dost project, so do, and so project all, as one who, for aught thou knowest, may at this very present depart out of this life.
sociable/ˈsoʊʃəbəɫ/18× in the book
… an aged man; a sociable man; a Roman …
whereby/hwɛɹˈbaɪ/18× in the book
… but also because that intellective faculty in thee, whereby thou art enabled to know the true nature of things, and to order all thy actions by that knowledge …
deed/ˈdid/18× in the book
… that whatsoever it is that hath happened unto thee, is in very deed no such thing of itself, as a misfortune …
providence/ˈpɹɑvədəns/17× in the book
… or if all things go by chance and fortune, yet mayest thou use thine own providence in those things that concern thee properly; and then art thou well.'
endeavour/ɪnˈdɛvɝ/17× in the book
From Claudius Maximus, in all things to endeavour to have power of myself, and in nothing to be carried about …
emperor/ˈɛmpɝɝ/17× in the book
Thus the most religious of emperors came of the blood of the most pious of early kings.
likewise/ˈɫaɪˌkwaɪz/17× in the book
and how many already, who once likewise prosecuted their enmities, suspected, hated, and fiercely contended, are now long ago stretched out, and reduced unto ashes?
Pronunciation: ipa-dict (MIT), from Wiktionary.
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