Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
A History of English Literature
A History of English Literature

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of A History of English Literature is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Robert Huntington Fletcher • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A History of English Literature
Context Illustration Reading 1/41 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PERIOD II.
THE NORMAN-FRENCH PERIOD.
A.D.
1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.
The date assigned to his 'Betrothed,' one of his less important, novels, is about the same.]
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A History of English Literature

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of A History of English Literature is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/41 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PERIOD II.
Line 2
THE NORMAN-FRENCH PERIOD.
Line 3
A.D.
Line 4
1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.
Line 5
The date assigned to his 'Betrothed,' one of his less important, novels, is about the same.]

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

assigned adjective US /əˈsaɪnd/

appointed to a post or duty

From this reading “The date assigned to his 'Betrothed,' one of his less important, novels, is about the same.]”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dealing noun US /ˈdiːlɪŋ/

method or manner of conduct in relation to others

From this reading “1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fiction noun US /ˈfɪkʃən/

a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact

From this reading “1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Footnote noun US /ˈfʊtnoʊt/

a printed note placed below the text on a printed page

From this reading “1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
misleading adjective US /mɪˈsliːdɪŋ/

designed to deceive or mislead either deliberately or inadvertently

From this reading “1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
novels noun US /ˈnɑːvəlz/

plural of “novel” — an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story

From this reading “The date assigned to his 'Betrothed,' one of his less important, novels, is about the same.]”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Scott's noun US /skɑːts/

possessive form of “scott” — award-winning United States film actor (1928-1999)

From this reading “1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
twelfth adjective US /twelfθ/

coming next after the eleventh and just before the thirteenth in position

From this reading “1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 43

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

1066

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

Pending verification
1350

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

Pending verification
AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A.D.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ABOUTprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
assignedadjectiveUS /əˈsaɪnd/

appointed to a post or duty

From this reading The date assigned to his 'Betrothed,' one of his less important, novels, is about the same.]

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
best-knownadjective

most familiar or renowned

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Betrothedadjective

pledged to be married

From this reading The date assigned to his 'Betrothed,' one of his less important, novels, is about the same.]

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
centurynounUS /ˈsentʃəri/

a period of 100 years

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DnounUS /diː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading A.D.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
datenounUS /deɪt/

the specified day of the month

From this reading The date assigned to his 'Betrothed,' one of his less important, novels, is about the same.]

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dealingnounUS /ˈdiːlɪŋ/

method or manner of conduct in relation to others

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fictionnounUS /ˈfɪkʃən/

a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FootnotenounUS /ˈfʊtnoʊt/

a printed note placed below the text on a printed page

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The date assigned to his 'Betrothed,' one of his less important, novels, is about the same.]

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IInoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading PERIOD II.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
importantadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtənt/

of great significance or value

From this reading The date assigned to his 'Betrothed,' one of his less important, novels, is about the same.]

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
interestingadjectiveUS /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/

arousing or holding the attention

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Ivanhoe

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

Pending verification
lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading The date assigned to his 'Betrothed,' one of his less important, novels, is about the same.]

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
misleadingadjectiveUS /mɪˈsliːdɪŋ/

designed to deceive or mislead either deliberately or inadvertently

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NORMAN-FRENCHnoun

the medieval Norman dialect of Old French

From this reading THE NORMAN-FRENCH PERIOD.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
novelsnounUS /ˈnɑːvəlz/

plural of “novel” — an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story

From this reading The date assigned to his 'Betrothed,' one of his less important, novels, is about the same.]

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The date assigned to his 'Betrothed,' one of his less important, novels, is about the same.]

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PERIODnounUS /ˈpɪriəd/

an amount of time

From this reading PERIOD II.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
picturenounUS /ˈpɪktʃər/

a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading The date assigned to his 'Betrothed,' one of his less important, novels, is about the same.]

Velmora curated lexicon
Scott'snounUS /skɑːts/

possessive form of “scott” — award-winning United States film actor (1928-1999)

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE NORMAN-FRENCH PERIOD.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TOparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
twelfthadjectiveUS /twelfθ/

coming next after the eleventh and just before the thirteenth in position

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading 1066 TO ABOUT 1350 [Footnote: Scott's 'Ivanhoe,' the best-known work of fiction dealing with any part of this period, is interesting, but as a picture of life at the end of the twelfth century is very misleading.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 2 of A History of English Literature by Robert Huntington Fletcher holds 207 sentences, grouped into 42 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 2 of A History of English Literature contain?

Chapter 2 holds 207 sentences of A History of English Literature, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of A History of English Literature by Robert Huntington Fletcher exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 207 sentences, grouped into 42 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 2 of A History of English Literature?

Work through the 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 42 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading A History of English Literature

Common questions about reading A History of English Literature by Robert Huntington Fletcher on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A History of English Literature?

Yes. All 5100 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7201 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A History of English Literature is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7201, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A History of English Literature take to read?

About 425 minutes of reading across 1020 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A History of English Literature section by section

How to work through A History of English Literature section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 11 chapters of A History of English Literature to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in A History of English Literature

Words and structures a reader meets early in A History of English Literature, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Period
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A History of English Literature; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Britons
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A History of English Literature; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Anglo-saxons
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A History of English Literature; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Foreword
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A History of English Literature; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.