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A Watch-Dog of the North Sea
A Watch-Dog of the North Sea

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of A Watch-Dog of the North Sea is here in full — 235 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A Watch-Dog of the North Sea
Context Illustration Reading 1/47 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
TRESSIDAR SOLVES A MYSTERY TRESSIDAR nudged his companion.
German!
Their interest was aroused.
Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.
The sub. had yet to learn the identity of Herr Oberfurst.
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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 Watch-Dog of the North Sea

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of A Watch-Dog of the North Sea is here in full — 235 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/47 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
TRESSIDAR SOLVES A MYSTERY TRESSIDAR nudged his companion.
Line 2
German!
/ˈdʒɜːrmən/
Line 3
Their interest was aroused.
/ðer ˈɪntrəst wɑːz ərˈaʊzd/
Line 4
Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.
/ˌɔːlˈðoʊ ɪt wɑːz noʊ daʊt kwaɪt ə ˈkɑːmən əˈkɜːrəns fɔːr ðə ˈɡʌtərəl ˈlæŋɡwədʒ ʌv ðə hʌn tuː biː ˈspoʊkən ɑːn ðə ˈdeɪnɪʃ frənˈtɪr ðə ˈwɔːrnɪŋ ˈɡɪvən tuː ðə ʃoʊˈfɜːr ʌv ðə kɑːr tuː əˈvɔɪd səˈspɪʃən wɑːz ɪn ˌɪtˈself ə ˈmɪstəri/
Line 5
The sub. had yet to learn the identity of Herr Oberfurst.

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.

chauffeur noun US /ʃoʊˈfɜːr/

a man paid to drive a privately owned car

From this reading “Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Danish noun US /ˈdeɪnɪʃ/

a Scandinavian language that is the official language of Denmark

From this reading “Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
guttural adjective US /ˈɡʌtərəl/

like the sounds of frogs and crows

From this reading “Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Hun noun US /hʌn/

a member of a nomadic people who invaded Europe in the 4th century

From this reading “Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nudged verb US /nʌdʒd/

past form of “nudge” — to push against gently

From this reading “TRESSIDAR SOLVES A MYSTERY TRESSIDAR nudged his companion.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
occurrence noun US /əˈkɜːrəns/

an event that happens

From this reading “Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
solves verb US /sɑːlvz/

third-person singular of “solve” — find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of

From this reading “TRESSIDAR SOLVES A MYSTERY TRESSIDAR nudged his companion.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sub verb US /sʌb/

be a substitute

From this reading “The sub. had yet to learn the identity of Herr Oberfurst.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

SOLVES A MYSTERY verb + article + noun counted as “solve … mystery”

In this reading “TRESSIDAR SOLVES A MYSTERY TRESSIDAR nudged his companion.”

765 times in 426,211 chapters
common occurrence adjective + noun

In this reading “Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.”

355 times in 426,211 chapters
avoid suspicion verb + noun

In this reading “Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.”

186 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 46

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading TRESSIDAR SOLVES A MYSTERY TRESSIDAR nudged his companion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AlthoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
arousedadjectiveUS /ərˈaʊzd/

aroused to action

From this reading Their interest was aroused.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
avoidverbUS /əˈvɔɪd/

stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
carnounUS /kɑːr/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chauffeurnounUS /ʃoʊˈfɜːr/

a man paid to drive a privately owned car

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
commonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
companionnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading TRESSIDAR SOLVES A MYSTERY TRESSIDAR nudged his companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DanishnounUS /ˈdeɪnɪʃ/

a Scandinavian language that is the official language of Denmark

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doubtnounUS /daʊt/

the state of being unsure of something

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
frontiernounUS /frənˈtɪr/

a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GermannounUS /ˈdʒɜːrmən/

a person of German nationality

From this reading German!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gutturaladjectiveUS /ˈɡʌtərəl/

like the sounds of frogs and crows

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The sub. had yet to learn the identity of Herr Oberfurst.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HerrnounUS /her/

a German man; used before the name as a title equivalent to Mr in English

From this reading The sub. had yet to learn the identity of Herr Oberfurst.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading TRESSIDAR SOLVES A MYSTERY TRESSIDAR nudged his companion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HunnounUS /hʌn/

a member of a nomadic people who invaded Europe in the 4th century

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
identitynounUS /aɪˈdentɪtiː/

the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity

From this reading The sub. had yet to learn the identity of Herr Oberfurst.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading Their interest was aroused.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
languagenounUS /ˈlæŋɡwədʒ/

a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
learnverbUS /lɜːrn/

gain knowledge or skills

From this reading The sub. had yet to learn the identity of Herr Oberfurst.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MYSTERYnounUS /ˈmɪstəri/

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading TRESSIDAR SOLVES A MYSTERY TRESSIDAR nudged his companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nudgedverbUS /nʌdʒd/

past form of “nudge” — to push against gently

From this reading TRESSIDAR SOLVES A MYSTERY TRESSIDAR nudged his companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Oberfurst

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

From this reading The sub. had yet to learn the identity of Herr Oberfurst.

Pending verification
occurrencenounUS /əˈkɜːrəns/

an event that happens

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SOLVESverbUS /sɑːlvz/

third-person singular of “solve” — find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of

From this reading TRESSIDAR SOLVES A MYSTERY TRESSIDAR nudged his companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spokenadjectiveUS /ˈspoʊkən/

uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
subverbUS /sʌb/

be a substitute

From this reading The sub. had yet to learn the identity of Herr Oberfurst.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suspicionnounUS /səˈspɪʃən/

an impression that something might be the case

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

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 Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TheirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Their interest was aroused.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TRESSIDAR

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

From this reading TRESSIDAR SOLVES A MYSTERY TRESSIDAR nudged his companion.

Pending verification
warningnounUS /ˈwɔːrnɪŋ/

a message informing of danger

From this reading Although it was no doubt quite a common occurrence for the guttural language of the Hun to be spoken on the Danish frontier, the warning given to the chauffeur of the car to avoid suspicion was in itself a mystery.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Their interest was aroused.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading The sub. had yet to learn the identity of Herr Oberfurst.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 20 of A Watch-Dog of the North Sea by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman holds 235 sentences, grouped into 47 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 20 of A Watch-Dog of the North Sea contain?

Chapter 20 holds 235 sentences of A Watch-Dog of the North Sea, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of A Watch-Dog of the North Sea by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 235 sentences, grouped into 47 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 20 of A Watch-Dog of the North Sea?

Work through the 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 47 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 Watch-Dog of the North Sea

Common questions about reading A Watch-Dog of the North Sea by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Watch-Dog of the North Sea?

Yes. All 5021 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #49267 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Watch-Dog of the North Sea is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #49267, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Watch-Dog of the North Sea take to read?

About 418 minutes of reading across 1005 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Watch-Dog of the North Sea

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Watch-Dog of the North Sea, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Watch-Dog of the North Sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dreadnought
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Watch-Dog of the North Sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Watch-Dog of the North Sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Britain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Watch-Dog of the North Sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.