Lexicon of foreign language phrases

 

Translations of foreign language terms used in the novel

Arabic

ful medames a spiced Egyptian breakfast dish of cooked and mashed broad beans (fava beans)

Shukran Thank you

Chinese

Bùxiè No, thank you

Fēng xiàng zhuàn biànshí, you rén zhú qiáng, you rén zào fēngchē When one door closes, another opens

jiǎozi dumplings

nàinài grandmother, specifically father’s mother

Nǐ hǎo Hello (informal)

Nín hǎo Hello (formal)

xiǎo little (also used as a familiar diminutive)

Yīlìshābái Elizabeth

French

grandmère grandmother

la sainte trinité de polar the holy trinity of crime fiction

ma chérie my dear

ma pauvre petite my poor little one

merveilleuses marvellous

mon chouchou my cabbage (a familiar term of endearment)

mon petit chou my little cabbage

petit en case a little in case (usually a small stash of dried fruit and nuts)

polar crime fiction

Spanish

Hola Hello

tenaz tenacious

Welsh

bach little (also used as a familiar diminutive)

bara brith a bread made with tea and currants or raisins

Bore da Good morning

cariad darling

cawl mamgu grandmother’s soup

Da iawn Very good

Diolch Thank you

Ffwrdd a ni! Let’s go!

Hwyaden Hallt Cymreig Welsh salted duck

Paned o de? Cup of tea?

Sut da chi? How are you? (formal)

taid grandfather

Y Barri Barry (a town in Glamorgan)