gall generally, resentment, or bitterness; because No Name Woman unknowingly goes into labor immediately after her family disowns her and kicks her out of the house, she fears that the pain racking her body is physically caused by her family's throwing her out.
gaucheries rude, unmannered expressions.
geishas a Japanese class of indentured women who entertain men; usually, a young girl is sold by her parents to a geisha organization, which then trains her in the duties of being a geisha.
gestation the time period from conception to birth of a baby.
gesticulating gesturing.
gizzard lining refers to the thickly lined gizzard, found mainly in birds; located directly behind the stomach, the gizzard holds ingested gravel or some other grit-like material that birds must use to digest their food.
gnomes mythological dwarflike creatures who live underground.
Gobi Desert a desert that extends from southeast Mongolia south into northern China.
greatcoat an overcoat.
gurus spiritual advisors, or leaders.
gynecology the medical field devoted to the healthcare of women and their reproductive organs.
hairpin a small metal clip used to hold hair in place.
the Han people people of the Chinese race; the word "Han" is derived from the name of the dynasty that ruled China from 202 B.C. to A.D. 220.
Hanchow possibly Hangchow, a city southwest of Shanghai, in Chekiang Province; capital city of the Southern Sung dynasty (960-1279).
hexagrams that are the I Ching The I Ching, or "Book of Changes," the majority of which was written by Wen Wang (twelfth century B.C.), is an ancient Chinese text concerning Confucianism. Of great importance in the history of Chinese philosophy, the work explains ethical principles through a system that involves the oneness of humans and nature in daily communion. The complex hexagrams — six-sided figures — of the I Ching represent different positive qualities; the more hexagrams you "build" on top of one another, the closer you are to an understanding of the world.
homonyms words that sound alike but differ in spelling; for example, "meat" and "meet."
Hong Kong formerly, a British colony on the southeast coast of Kwangtung Province (Guangdong); Hong Kong reverted to mainland Chinese control in 1997.
"I Am a Person of the Middle Nation" In Chinese, the word "China" can be translated as "Middle Nation." The ancient Chinese believed that they were located at the center of the known world.
ideograph a symbol that represents an idea; for example, the symbol "@" means "at."
impish mischievous.
incense here, a pleasant odor.
incest sex between blood-related kin.
infanticide deliberately killing newborn infants.
ingots any standardized shapes of metal; for example, gold bars.
ink block a container in which ink is stored.
