Renaissance Vocab

Question 1

allegiance

Answer 1

An oath of loyalty taken by nobles or knights to the king.

Question 2

feudalism

Answer 2

A social structure of the Europeans during the Middle Ages

Question 3

hierarchy

Answer 3

A system in which people were ranked one above another according to their importance

Question 4

manor/fiefdom

Answer 4

A piece of a land promised to a lord or a knight in exchange for them fighting for the country

Question 5

serfs

Answer 5

Peasants who were not allowed to leave the manor without their lord’s permission.

Question 6

tithe

Answer 6

A portion of the earnings or crops of Christian people given to the Church.

Question 7

Black Death

Answer 7

Was an epidemic in the European countries during the years 1347 and the late 1350’s, killing millions of people

Question 8

Islam

Answer 8

A religion which originated in the 6th century and the followers of which fought against the Christians during the Crusades

Question 9

philosophers

Answer 9

Taught people how they could improve their society and themselves

Question 10

Silk Road

Answer 10

A network of trading routes that stretches across Asia to Europe.

Question 11

civic humanism

Answer 11

a type of humanism in which every person plays a role in making their society better.

Question 12

democracy

Answer 12

a system of government in which the people elect their leaders through voting

Question 13

city-state

Answer 13

divisions within Italy consisting of a politically independent city and the rural area around it.

Question 14

hinterland

Answer 14

the rural area around a city-state

Question 15

monarchies

Answer 15

countries ruled by either kings or queens

Question 16

humanism

Answer 16

an ideology which promoted the Renaissance cultural movement that turned away from medieval scholasticism and revived interest in Greek and Roman ideas.

Question 17

patron

Answer 17

person who gave financial or any support to a person, organization, cause or activity

Question 18

Crusades

Answer 18

A series of long wars fought between the Muslims and the Christians for control over the Holy Land in Jerusalem

Question 19

Judaism

Answer 19

a religion in the Middle Ages which followed the teachings of Moses and the commandments mentioned in the Torah

Question 20

anatomy

Answer 20

knowledge about the structure of the human body and the cause of diseases.

Question 21

astrology

Answer 21

the study of the stars, planets, moon and the universe in general

Question 22

excommunication

Answer 22

official exclusion from the church and sometimes the city, ordered by the pope

Question 23

indulgences

Answer 23

certificates issued by the Church that reduced the time people would be punished for their sins after their death.

Question 24

Renaissance

Answer 24

a historical period which originated in the 14th century in Italy, known for the revival of art, architecture, literature and learning.

Question 25

Middle Ages

Answer 25

a historical period in Europe stretching form the fall of Rome in the 4th century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the 14th century

Question 26

Christianity

Answer 26

A religion with many followers in the Middle Ages which followed the teachings of Jesus and the Bible.

Question 27

classical civilization

Answer 27

the civilizations of Greece and Rome whom the Renaissance thinkers took inspiration from.

Question 28

Holy Land

Answer 28

a land in Jerusalem which was respected by the three major religions, and fought over in the Crusades.

Question 29

pilgrim

Answer 29

a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious purposes

Question 30

heresy

Answer 30

belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious (especially Christian) doctrine

Question 31

vernacular

Answer 31

the language commonly spoken among people in the Renaissance, such as French, English and Italian

Question 32

perspective

Answer 32

point of view

Question 33

usury

Answer 33

the practice of charging interest when loaning money to someone

Question 34

rural

Answer 34

the countryside near a city or a city-state

Question 35

peasants

Answer 35

lowest people in feudalism who worked on manors for the lords and nobles.

Question 36

oligarchy

Answer 36

people voted in to the government who made decisions for the people

Question 37

values

Answer 37

a number of things which are important to a person,

Question 38

urbanization

Answer 38

the process of making a place urban; usually more crowded and densely populated.

Question 39

aquadects

Answer 39

water pathways that gave people running water.

Question 40

isolation

Answer 40

the process of remaining alone or away from others

Question 41

Bill of Exchange

Answer 41

This is a written order to a person requiring the person to make a specified payment to the signatory or a named payee; a promissory note.

Question 42

Scientific Method

Answer 42

a method or procedure that uses observation, and experiments to reach conclusions.

Question 43

worldview

Answer 43

the way a person looks at the world encompassing different objects.

Question 44

trade

Answer 44

the act or process of buying, selling, or exchanging commodities,

Question 45

sovereignty

Answer 45

the act of having complete power over something, usually a country

Question 46

nobles

Answer 46

mounted warriors who swore allegiance to their sovereign and promised to fight for him in exchange for an allocation of land

Question 47

belief

Answer 47

trust, faith, or confidence in someone or something.

Question 48

cultural contact

Answer 48

contact between peoples with different cultures, usually leading to change in both systems

Question 49

exploration

Answer 49

the action of traveling in or through an unfamiliar area in order to learn about it.