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African Pursuit

Page 22

by David Alric


  Alan Cutcliff Chapter 7 This man is a curator of minerals. Alan comes from the Breton name meaning “little rock” and Cutcliff is an appropriate name for one who obtains stones from cliffs.

  Angstrom Chapter 5 The angstrom is a unit of length equivalent to 0.1 nanometre. It is used to express wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum and is a very appropriate name for a scientist researching the physics of light.

  Biggles Chapter 8 Biggles happens to have the same name as the famous fictional pilot hero who appears in the books by W E Johns. Major James Bigglesworth, known always as Biggles, was a fighter ace who featured in numerous flying adventures.

  Bonaventure Preface Bonaventure is Lucy’s surname. Saint Bonaventure (1221–74) was a mystic and philosopher who was the author of ‘Life of St. Francis.’ Saint Francis, like Lucy, was said to be able to communicate with animals.

  Boyoma Falls Chapter 11 Formerly known as the Stanley Falls, the Boyoma Falls are a series of seven cataracts that extend for 60 miles (100 kilometres) along the Lualaba River between Ubundu and Kisangani. Below the seventh cataract the river becomes the Congo River.

  Chakula Chapter 4 Chakula means food in Swahili and is a good name for Neema’s cook.

  Colarinho Chapter 5 Captain Colarinho is one of the Brazilian policemen. Colarinho is a Portuguese word for a person who catches someone.

  Ferret Chapter 21 Ferret is an investigative journalist with a very suitable name (see glossary).

  Fossfinder Preface Helen and Julian Fossfinder are palaeontologists who look for fossils.

  Haggard Chapter 21 Sir Henry Rider Haggard (1856–1925) was a writer of adventure stories, mostly set in Africa. King Solomon’s Mines is one of his most famous books. (see Solomon)

  Hakimu Chapter 3 This is a Swahili word meaning chief. It is a suitable name for the chief ranger at the reserve!

  Hans Chapter 8 Hans is a variant of Johannes, the German name equivalent to John in English.

  Hogwarts Chapter 13 Hogwarts is the school of witchcraft and wizardry in J K Rowling’s best-selling Harry Potter series. The mail is delivered to and from Hogwarts by owls and Sarah thinks this is similar to the use of hawks and eagles for the same purpose by Lucy.

  Jambo Chapter 3 Jambo means “hello” in Swahili and is the name of the first bonobo to greet Neema in the forest.

  Jangili Chapter 9 As you might have guessed, Jangili is a Swahili word meaning poacher or rogue.

  Johannes Chapter 21 see Hans.

  Kasai Craton Chapter 7 A famous diamond-bearing seam that extends from Angola into Kasai in the DCR.

  Kilimanjaro Chapter 6 Mount Kilimanjaro is an inactive volcano in north-eastern Tanzania. It is 5892 metres high (19,331 feet), and is the highest point in Africa.

  King Solomon Chapter 21 see Solomon

  Kinshasa Chapter 3 Kinshasa, formerly known as Léopoldville, is the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo. With a population of approximately 10 million people it is the third largest city on the African continent and the second largest Francophone city in the world, after Paris.

  Kongamato Chapter 4 This is a cryptid (qv) that has been the subject of numerous sightings over the last hundred years in Zambia and the DCR, including a report from a British Museum expedition in 1932. It is supposedly a living species of pterodactyl.

  Kuficha Chapter 10 This is a Swahili word meaning to hide or conceal. It is a suitable name for someone with an invisibility robe!

  Kukamata Chapter 10 This is a Swahili word meaning to detain or restrain and is an appropriate name for an anti-poaching officer.

  Littleporkton Chapter 24 A seaside town which must be somewhere similar to Littlehampton.

  Livingstone Chapter 13 Dr David Livingstone(1813–73) was a Scottish missionary doctor who was one of the greatest European explorers of Africa. He publicised the horrors of the slave trade. He died on an expedition to expose further information about slavery and to discover the source of the Nile.

  Loch Ness Monster Chapter 4 A cryptid, also called ‘Nessie’ (Scottish Gaelic: Niseag). Its (disputed) scientific name is Nessiteras rhombopteryx, meaning The wonder of Ness with the diamond-shaped fin. The name was given by the late Sir Peter Scott and sceptics point out that this ‘scientific’ name is an anagram of ‘monster hoax by Sir Peter S.’ Loch Ness is the largest body of fresh water in Britain (by volume) and the monster is claimed to be one of a colony of lake creatures similar in appearance to the (long-extinct) plesiosaurs. The first reported sighting of the creature was said to have been by St. Colomba on 22 August 565 AD.

  Lucinda Prologue The name Lucinda means ‘bringer of light’, an appropriate name for this scientist. The Roman goddess of childbirth, Lucine, gave first light to the newborn.

  Lucius Chapter 7 The name Lucius comes from the Latin word, lux, meaning light.

  Lukwata Chapter 22 A cryptid water monster that has been the subject of several reported sightings in the swamps of eastern and central Africa.

  Luz Chapter 9 This is the Portuguese word for light, the subject studied by the professor.

  Masai Mara Chapter 9 A large park reserve in south-western Kenya, famous for its abundance of game. It is adjacent to the Serengeti reserve in neighbouring Tanzania.

  Mgosa Chapter 10 This is a Swahili word meaning “thief or “criminal.” It is a very suitable name for Sid’s henchman!

  Mlezi Chapter 2 This is a Swahili word meaning “nurse” or “children’s governess.” It is an appropriate name for Mzuri.

  Mlinzi Chapter 2 This is a Swahili word meaning “watchman” or “protector.” It is a suitable name for Mzuri’s father who is a ranger guarding the game reserve.

  Mokèlé-Mbèmbé Chapter 4 A large cryptid that has been the subject of numerous sightings along the Congo river. Some reports describe it as having a giant single horn.

  Moriarty Chapter 8 Professor James Moriarty appears in the famous fictional detective stories about Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Moriarty is Holmes’s arch enemy and is commonly regarded as being the first ‘supervillain’ in literature. In the present book Moriarty is the maiden name of Prof. Strahlung’s mother so, appropriately, the two evil professors are presumably related.

  Mzuri Chapter 1 This is a Swahili word meaning good.

  Ndoki Chapter 4 A remote jungle area in the north of the republic of Congo, famous for its wildlife.

  Ndugu shetani Chapter 10 Ndugu is a Swahili word meaning brother and shetani means devil or evil spirit.

  Neema Chapter 2 This is a Swahili word meaning good fortune or grace.

  Ngorongoro crater Chapter 6 The Ngorongoro crater is the world’s largest unflooded volcanic caldera, having an approximate diameter of 12 miles (20 km). It is situated in a conservation area in Tanzania and contains a wide variety of wild life. It is a popular tourist attraction.

  Peter Flint Chapter 5 Lucinda’s fiancé. He is a geologist with very appropriate names. Peter comes from the Greek word petros meaning stone, and Flint is a type of rock called quartz

  Photogyraspar Chapter 5 This is not a real substance but is the name Lucinda coined for the ore discovered by Biggles. Photo comes from the Greek word ‘phos’ meaning light. Gyrate means to rotate or spiral from the Greek word ‘guros’ a circle. Spar is a transparent or translucent microcrystalline mineral. Thus photogyraspar is a crystalline mineral that twists or distorts light

  Poirot Chapter 5 Hercule Poirot is a famous Belgian detective who appears in many of the detective stories written by Agatha Christie.

  Pterodactyl Chapter 4 Meaning: Winged finger. Any of a large variety of flying reptiles belonging to the order Pterosauria. The wings were covered in thin membranes of skin, like a bat, and the animals ranged in size from that of a small bird to monsters with a wing span of 14 metres. Pterodactyl species existed over an immense span of time: 228–65mya.

  Queen of Sheba Chapter 21 see Sheba

  Rider Haggard Chapter 21 see Haggard.

  Sabedoria Chapter 7 This is the Portuguese w
ord for wisdom. A suitable name for the university.

  Salonga National Park Chapter 1 This is the largest tropical rainforest reserve in Africa. It is situated at the heart of the Congo river basin and is only accessible by water. It is home to many rare and endangered species, including the bonobo.

  Schadenfreude Chapter 8 This is a German word meaning to take pleasure in another’s misfortune.

  Serengeti Chapter 6 The Serengeti National Park is a large conservation area in Tanzania, established in 1951. It is famous for its variety and quantity of game, including all of the “big five”– lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros. It is the site of immense natural migrations of wildebeeste and zebra.

  Shangazi Chapter 3 This is a Swahili word meaning paternal aunt – the relationship Shangazi bears to Mzuri.

  Sheba Chapter 21 The queen of Sheba is mentioned as visiting Solomon in the biblical book of 1Kings. Sheba was a nation spanning parts of both Africa and Asia across the Red Sea.

  Solomon Chapter 21 King Solomon was a king of Israel. He was the son of David and mentioned in the biblical book of 1Kings. He was credited with great wisdom and was visited by the Queen of Sheba. Popular legend has it that he possessed fabulously wealthy mines somewhere in Africa, but this is not a proved historical fact. (see Haggard)

  Stanley Chapter 11 Sir Henry Morton Stanley (1841–1904) was a famous explorer and journalist. He was asked by the New York Herald to try and find David Livingstone (qv) who had not been heard of for years since setting off in 1864 on a journey to find the origin of the Nile. After a series of adventures and misfortunes Stanley eventually found Livingstone in the village of Ujiji near the shores of Lake Victoria. He walked up to him and uttered the famous words: “Doctor Livingstone I presume?”.

  Strahlung Chapter 7 Strahlung is the German word for radiation. The professor studies light, which is a form of electromagnetic radiation.

  Tsavo National Park Chapter 2 The Tsavo National Park is in Kenya. Established in 1948, it is the largest national park in Africa (22,000 sq.km.) and, despite immense losses from poaching, still contains a spectacular quantity and variety of game.

  Ulindaji Chapter 2 This is a Swahili word meaning security or protection It is a suitable name for a ranger at the reserve!

  Glossary

  The explanations in this glossary give only the meanings of words as they are used in the book. Many of the words have other meanings as well, and if a full description of a word is required the interested reader should consult a dictionary.

  (abbrev. – abbreviation, adj. – adjective, adv. – adverb, conj. – conjunction, interj. – interjection, n. – noun, pl.n. – plural noun, prep. – preposition, v. – verb)

  abbreviation n. a shortened word or phrase

  abduction n. the removal of someone by force; kidnap

  abruptly adv. suddenly; unexpectedly

  abysmal adj. very bad; terrible (modern informal usage)

  access n. the right or ability to enter, use or approach something

  acknowledge v. to recognize the truth of something; to admit a reality

  acquire v. to get something; to obtain; to gain possession

  acrid adj. unpleasantly sharp; pungent; having an irritant smell or taste

  acronym n. a pronounceable word made up from some or all of the initial letters of a longer title

  adjacent adj. next to; near; adjoining

  adopt v. Chapters 2, 3, 4: to take responsibility for; to take into the family; v. Chapters 16, 20: to take on or use

  adrenaline n. a hormone associated with excitement, stress or activity

  advocate n. one who pleads a cause; one who speaks on behalf of another

  affluent adj. wealthy; rich

  affront v. to insult; to offend; to upset the dignity of

  aforementioned adj. someone or something that has been referred to previously

  aftermath n. the results of a previous event; the period after an event

  aggro n. (slang) an abbreviation of aggravation meaning annoyance or nuisance

  aghast adj. filled or overcome with horror; appalled

  agog adj. very curious; intensely attentive

  akin adj. like; similar to; having the same characteristics

  alcove n. a recess in a wall; a niche

  alert adj. attentive; vigilant

  alleged adj. described as such; presumed to be; said but not proved to be

  allocate v. to give to; to assign; to allot

  aloof adj. distant; having a superior attitude; supercilious

  amateur n. a non-professional person; one who engages in an interest for enjoyment or sport, rather than for remuneration

  ambition n. a strong desire for success or power

  ambush n. a trap, usually involving people waiting in hiding to catch or attack others

  ammo n. (slang) an abbreviation for ammunition

  ammunition n. projectiles that can be fired from a weapon e.g. bullets

  anagram n. a word or phrase the letters of which can be rearranged to form another meaningful word or phrase

  analyse v. to study in detail; to examine to discover specific information, meaning or composition

  analysis n. the results obtained from examining something, or determining its composition

  anguish n. severe pain; misery; intense grief

  animanet n. see Lucy’s Lexicon

  anon adv. (poetic or archaic) soon; in a short time

  aperture n. an opening

  appal v. to horrify; to shock; to dismay

  apprehension n. a state of fear or anxiety about something that might happen

  approbation n. praise; approval

  appropriate adj. suitable; fitting

  archaic adj. out of date; ancient; antiquated

  arduous adj. strenuous; difficult; requiring great effort

  arrogant adj. conceited; boastful; proud

  artefact n. a man-made article

  ashen adj. pallid; drained of colour; like ashes

  aspiration n. the hope or desire to achieve something

  assemble v. to gather together

  assent n. agreement; compliance

  assets pl. n. possessions; property

  assignment n. task; mission

  assuage v. to calm; to soothe

  assume v. to suppose; to take for granted; to accept without proof

  audit n. the process of inspection and verification, e.g. of accounts

  Auf Wiedersehen! German phrase Goodbye!; See you again!

  auspices (under the auspices of) phrase under the authority of; under the guidance or patronage of

  avaricious adj. greedy for riches

  aversion n. repugnance; extreme dislike for something or someone

  avert v. to turn aside (one’s gaze)

  awesome adj. very impressive; amazing; outstanding

  balcony n. a projecting platform on the wall of a building, having a rail or balustrade

  ballast n. heavy material providing stability or weight

  BAOR abbrev. British Army On the Rhine

  barrel n. the metal tube in a firearm from which the bullet or projectile emerges

  bayonet n. a blade for stabbing that can be attached to a firearm

  beacon n. a signal; a light or fire to attract attention

  beak n. (slang) magistrate, judge, headmaster, or similar authority figure

  benign adj. kindly

  bewildered adj. confused; puzzled

  binoculars n. optical instrument with a telescope for each eye which magnifies distant objects

  bird n. (slang) an informal term for a girl or young woman

  bite one’s tongue phrase to try very hard to stop oneself from saying something

  bizarre adj. very unusual; odd; extraordinary

  blab v. to give away a secret (in speech)

  black panther n. a melanistic (black) variant of a big cat such as a leopard, cougar or jaguar

  blackmail n. the use of threats (usually of disclosu
re) to obtain money or, as in Chapter 21, to influence the actions of another

  bleeper n. a portable radio receiver

  blighter n. an old-fashioned slang word meaning an annoying or irritating person or thing

  bloody adj. (slang; swearword) a strong imprecation used to lend particular emphasis to a phrase or statement

  boisterous adj. lively; unruly; unrestrained

  bond v. to create a close relationship with another; to befriend

  boon n. a favour

  booty n. stolen valuables; plunder

  booze n. (slang) any kind of alcoholic drink

  botanist n. one who studies plants

  bowdlerize v. to remove unwanted words or passages from an article or account; to edit; to redact

  brand v. an identifying mark made on the skin, usually with a hot iron

  breakthrough n. a significant discovery; a ground-breaking development

  bribe n. a gift of money or goods in exchange for a favour

  brood n. the young in a family; offspring

  brunch n. a late morning meal, combining breakfast with lunch

  bureaucracy n. a system of administration, particularly one that is rigid or impedes progress

  bush n. uncultivated, wild countryside (especially in Africa and Australia)

  bush meat n. the flesh of wild animals killed for food (often illegally)

  butt n. the end of the stock of a rifle that is placed against the shoulder

  cacophony n. an unpleasant mixture of different sounds or notes

  cahoots pl.n. “in cahoots with” means in league with; in collusion

  cairn n. a mound of stones, usually erected as a memorial

  calamity n. a disastrous event

  caldera n. the basin-like crater within a volcano

  canape n. a small piece of bread, biscuit or toast covered with a tasty topping

  canopy n. the highest general level of foliage in a forest, formed by the crowns of trees and penetrated by only the tallest species

  captor n. one who captures and holds another captive

  carburettor n. engine part that controls the air–fuel mixture

  carcass n. a dead body

  caricature n. an inaccurate representation of some person or thing, often exaggerating certain characteristics

 

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