maelstrom an incredibly violent and threatening storm, or situation.
magistrate a government employee who administers and enforces the law.
magpies Related to jays, magpies have long tails, black-green plumage, and white markings over their shoulders.
Malaya the peninsula directly south of Thailand, in Southeast Asia; Malaya gained its independence from British rule in 1957, and became part of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963.
mallard a colorful wild duck found throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.
marauders raiders.
"Medecine" medicine.
menses menstruation.
metempsychosis reincarnation, the belief that after the human body dies, its soul is reborn — in human, animal, or even vegetable form; this process continues until the soul reaches perfection. Buddhists believe that the soul has five skandhas, or groups of elements: body, sensations, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness. In death, the soul ceases to exist, but its karma — perhaps what Kingston alludes to as the six paths, the five skandhas plus karma — is reborn in a mother's womb, in the body of a new baby. This system of regeneration continues until a person reaches the state of nirvana, in which personal desires do not exist.
midwifery the practice of a midwife, a person — usually a woman — who assists women during childbirth.
miens appearances.
Mongols traditionally, the nomadic people of Mongolia, situated north of China; throughout their histories, Mongolia and China always have had a very contentious and uneasy relationship with each other.
monk's food scant, meager portions of food; Fa Mu Lan eats only nuts and dry roots during most of her time on the mountains of the white tigers.
moon cakes round pastries eaten during full moon of the eighth month of the lunar year.
Mount Fuji Japan's highest mountain, located sixty miles southwest of Tokyo; Mount Fuji, which is sacred to the Japanese, is a volcano, dormant since 1707 but still classified as "active" by geologists.
NAACP National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; created in 1909 to help abolish segregation and end discrimination against people of color.
nadir the diametrical opposite of the zenith; an astronomical term representing the lowest point below the observer.
nape the back of the neck.
nether underground, or the underworld.
night soil buckets portable containers used primarily for nighttime urine.
nock-whistles grooved whistles; the Hsiung-nu carved holes into their arrows; when shot, the arrows made whistling sounds because of the rush of air through the holes.
Oh, You Beautiful Doll a 1949 musical film about a songwriter who whimsically rewrites a serious composer's songs as popular tunes; Betty Grable did not appear in the film as Kingston suggests.
ophthalmology the medical field that specializes in the care of eyes.
origamied from the Japanese art of origami, which entails folding paper into different shapes without cutting or using adhesives.
