- mammynounChapter 1 →
An informal, old-fashioned word for 'mother,' used here by a poor rural Black family in the American South in the early twentieth century.
“You better not never tell nobody but God. It'd kill your mammy.”
- kiltverbChapter 1 →
A dialect past-tense form of 'killed,' used in Southern rural speech to mean caused someone's death.
“But I don't think he kilt it. I think he sold it to a man and his wife over Monticello.”
- clotheverbChapter 1 →
To provide someone with clothing; to dress and outfit a person at one's own expense.
“she ain't gonna make you feed it or clothe it.”
- stylishadjectiveChapter 2 →
Dressed and carrying oneself in a way that is impressively fashionable and eye-catching, standing out from ordinary surroundings.
“She look so stylish it like the trees all round her start to lean in.”
- haul offphraseChapter 5 →
A Southern idiom meaning to draw back and then suddenly do something with force or boldness, often a physical action like a punch or a kiss.
“And then she haul off and kiss me on the mouth.”
- virginnounChapter 5 →
A person who has never willingly had sexual intercourse; used here to mean Celie has never experienced consensual, loving physical intimacy despite her abuse.
“You still a virgin, she say. God, she say, git out of my face.”
- jealousadjectiveChapter 5 →
Feeling resentful longing toward someone who has freedom, courage, or abilities you wish you had yourself.
“I say it cause I'm jealous of you. I say it cause you do what I can't.”
- flatadjectiveChapter 4 →
Describing a tone of voice that is completely without emotion or warmth, conveying controlled anger or hard determination.
“Sofia's voice is flat and cold.”
- mayornounChapter 6 →
The elected head of a town's government; in this novel's Southern setting, a white authority figure whose power over Black residents is near absolute.
“Sofia say, Hell no. And she hit the mayor back.”
- maidnounChapter 6 →
A domestic servant, usually a woman, hired to clean and do household work; here offered as a position of subservience by a white woman to a Black woman.
- condescendingadjectiveChapter 6 →
Behaving as though you are superior to someone and doing them a favour by speaking to or helping them; treating someone as less capable or worthy than yourself.
- missionarynounChapter 7 →
A person sent by a religious organisation to another country to spread their faith and often to provide education or aid to local communities.
- epistolaryadjectiveChapter 7 →
A form of storytelling told entirely through letters written between characters; the novel's structure of letters to God and between sisters is its epistolary form.
- trunknounChapter 8 →
A large, sturdy storage chest with a hinged lid, used to lock away personal belongings; here used by Albert to hide Nettie's letters from Celie.
“He stuff them in his trunk. I never even know she wrote.”
- astverbChapter 8 →
A dialect spelling and pronunciation of 'ask,' used throughout to reflect the speech patterns of rural Black characters in the American South.
“To wonder. To ast. And that in wondering bout the big things and asting bout the big things, you learn about the little ones.”
- astingverbChapter 8 →
A dialect present-participle form of 'asking,' reflecting the spoken vernacular of rural Black Southerners in the early twentieth century.
“And that in wondering bout the big things and asting bout the big things, you learn about the little ones, almost by accident.”
- poreadjectiveChapter 9 →
A dialect spelling of 'poor,' meaning having very little money or material resources; used to reflect the spoken accent of the narrator.
“I'm pore, I'm black, I may be ugly and can't cook, a voice say to everything listening. But I'm here.”
- crumbleverbChapter 9 →
To break apart and fall to pieces; used here as part of a curse meaning that everything Albert attempts will fall apart and come to nothing.
“Until you do right by me, everything you touch will crumble.”
- do right byphraseChapter 9 →
An idiom meaning to treat someone fairly and with the respect and justice they deserve; to make amends for past wrongs done to a person.
“Until you do right by me, everything you even dream about will fail.”
- bouquetsnounChapter 10 →
Bunches of flowers arranged and given as a gift or gesture of affection; here used to describe the ways living things reach out to be noticed and loved.
“Us sing and dance, make faces and give flower bouquets, trying to be loved.”
- gitverbChapter 5 →
A dialect spelling of 'get,' used throughout to capture the spoken vernacular of rural Black characters in the American South.
“God, she say, git out of my face.”
- ain'tChapter 1 →
A non-standard contraction used in place of 'am not,' 'is not,' 'are not,' 'has not,' or 'have not'; a marker of informal Southern vernacular speech throughout the novel.
“she ain't gonna make you feed it or clothe it.”
- stashnounChapter 8 →
A hidden supply or collection of things stored secretly; here refers to the bundle of Nettie's letters that Albert concealed from Celie for years.
- widowernounChapter 2 →
A man whose wife has died and who has not remarried; Albert is one when Celie is married off to him, and he already has children from his first marriage.
- disdainnounChapter 9 →
A feeling of contempt or scorn toward someone you consider inferior or unworthy; the attitude Albert shows toward Celie when she asserts herself.
The Color PurpleNovel by Alice Walker