Vocabulary Words Your Kids Can Learn from Disney Movies (Part 1)

This will soon become abundantly clear, but I really, really like Disney movies. A sizable percentage of my music library is Disney music. On one particularly boring night, I wrote the lyrics to every song in Robin Hood (except "Whistle Stop" because I hadn't figured out a way to phonetically write a whistle).

I know the words to a lot of Disney songs but that hasn't always been the case. When I was a kid there were quite a few lyrics I could never make out. I did the usually kid thing and just cobbled together some syllables I thought sounded like whatever Robin Williams was singing and kept rolling. As I got older, I began to realize that the reason I didn't know what they were saying was that there were some seriously amazing words stuck in there that were WAY beyond my 6 year old mind.

So I now present to you a list of vocabulary words that your kids can learn from Disney movies:

1. Amorous (/ˈamərəs/) - adj. Showing, feeling, or relating to sexual desire

Can be heard in: "Prince Ali" - Aladdin (1992)

Prince Ali, amorous he, Ali Ababwa!

Heard your princess was a site, lovely to see.

2. Asunder (/əˈsəndər/) - adv. Apart, divided; into pieces

Can be heard in: "Prince Ali" - Aladdin (1992)

He’s a winner, he’s a whiz, a wonder!

He’s about to pull my heart asunder

And I absolutely love the way he dresses 

3. Bona Fide (/ˈbōnə ˌfīd/) - adj. Genuine; real

Can be heard in: "Friend Like Me" - Aladdin (1992)

So don’t you sit there slack-jawed, buggy-eyed
I’m here to answer all your midday prayers
You got me bona fide certified
You’ve got a genie for your chargé d'affaires

It's worth noting that Genie pronounces bona fide a little bit differently than I'm accustomed to:

4. Calumny (/ˈkaləmnē/) - n. The making of false and defamatory statements in order to damage someone's reputation; slander

Can be heard in: "Out There" - The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Out there they’ll revile you as a monster
Out there they will hate and scorn and jeer

Why invite their calumny and consternation?

5. Chargé d'affaires - n. A subordinate diplomat who substitutes for an absent ambassador or minister

Can be heard in: "Friend like Me" - Aladdin (1992)

So don’t you sit there slack-jawed, buggy-eyed
I’m here to answer all your midday prayers
You got me bona fide certified
You’ve got a genie for your chargé d'affaires

6. Consternation (/ˌkänstərˈnāSHən/) - n. feelings of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected

Can be heard in: "Out There" - The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Out there they’ll revile you as a monster
Out there they will hate and scorn and jeer

Why invite their calumny and consternation?

7. Coterie (/ˈkōtərē/) - n. A small group of people with shared interests and tastes, esp. one that is exclusive of other people

Can be heard in: "Prince Ali" - Aladdin (1992)

Now try your best to stay calm

Brush up your Sunday shalom

And come to meet his spectacular coterie 

8. Genuflect (/ˈjenyəˌflekt/) - v. lower one's body briefly by bending one knee to the ground, typically in worship or as a sign of respect

Can be heard in: "Prince Ali" - Aladdin (1992)

Prince Ali, fabulous he, Ali Ababwa

Genuflect, show some respect

Down on one knee

9. Nabob (/ˈnābäb/) - n. a person of conspicuous wealth or high status; a Muslim official or governor under the Mogul empire

Can be heard in: "Friend Like Me" - Aladdin (1992)

Mr. Aladdin, sir, have a wish or two or three
I’m on the job you big nabob

10. Nom de Plume (/ˌnäm də ˈplo͞om/) - n. a pen name; an alias 

Can be heard in: "Prince Ali" - Aladdin (1992)

One jump ahead of the slow pokes

One skip ahead of my doom

Next time gonna use a nom de plume

This is by no means an exhaustive list! Stay tuned for more!