Chapter 5 of Barbarians is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Barbarians is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle. "Halt!" he said with a pleasant, rising inflection in his quiet voice. "Stand very still, gentlemen," he added in German. "Drop your rifles. Drop ’em quick!" he repeated more sharply.
Chapter 5 of Barbarians is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
relating to or characteristic of alps
From this reading “PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.”
cause to stop
From this reading “"Halt!" he said with a pleasant, rising inflection in his quiet voice.”
a change in the form of a word (usually by adding a suffix) to indicate a change in its grammatical function
From this reading “"Halt!" he said with a pleasant, rising inflection in his quiet voice.”
(Greek mythology) a mountain in central Greece where (according to Greek mythology) the Muses lived; known as the mythological home of music and poetry
From this reading “PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.”
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading “PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.”
plural of “rifle” — a shoulder firearm with a long barrel and a rifled bore
From this reading “"Drop your rifles.”
plural of “rose” — any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading “PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.”
exercising by repeatedly assuming a crouching position with the knees bent; strengthens the leg muscles
From this reading “PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Halt!" he said with a pleasant, rising inflection in his quiet voice.
past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading "Stand very still, gentlemen," he added in German.
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.
relating to or characteristic of alps
From this reading PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.
with the legs crossed
From this reading PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.
let fall to the ground
From this reading "Drop your rifles.
a quad with a square body
From this reading Drop ’em quick!" he repeated more sharply.
plural of “gentleman” — a man of refinement
From this reading "Stand very still, gentlemen," he added in German.
a person of German nationality
From this reading "Stand very still, gentlemen," he added in German.
cause to stop
From this reading "Halt!" he said with a pleasant, rising inflection in his quiet voice.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Halt!" he said with a pleasant, rising inflection in his quiet voice.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Halt!" he said with a pleasant, rising inflection in his quiet voice.
a change in the form of a word (usually by adding a suffix) to indicate a change in its grammatical function
From this reading "Halt!" he said with a pleasant, rising inflection in his quiet voice.
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Drop ’em quick!" he repeated more sharply.
(Greek mythology) a mountain in central Greece where (according to Greek mythology) the Muses lived; known as the mythological home of music and poetry
From this reading PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading "Halt!" he said with a pleasant, rising inflection in his quiet voice.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading Drop ’em quick!" he repeated more sharply.
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading "Halt!" he said with a pleasant, rising inflection in his quiet voice.
recurring again and again
From this reading Drop ’em quick!" he repeated more sharply.
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.
plural of “rifle” — a shoulder firearm with a long barrel and a rifled bore
From this reading "Drop your rifles.
advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status
From this reading "Halt!" he said with a pleasant, rising inflection in his quiet voice.
plural of “rose” — any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Halt!" he said with a pleasant, rising inflection in his quiet voice.
in an aggressive manner
From this reading Drop ’em quick!" he repeated more sharply.
exercising by repeatedly assuming a crouching position with the knees bent; strengthens the leg muscles
From this reading PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.
be standing; be upright
From this reading "Stand very still, gentlemen," he added in German.
not in physical motion
From this reading "Stand very still, gentlemen," he added in German.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading PARNASSUS Brown, squatting cross-legged among the alpine roses, squinted along his level rifle.
precisely as stated
From this reading "Stand very still, gentlemen," he added in German.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "Halt!" he said with a pleasant, rising inflection in his quiet voice.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Halt!" he said with a pleasant, rising inflection in his quiet voice.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Drop your rifles.
Chapter 5 of Barbarians by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers holds 215 sentences, grouped into 43 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.
Chapter 5 holds 215 sentences of Barbarians, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Barbarians by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 215 sentences, grouped into 43 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.
Work through the 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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.
Common questions about reading Barbarians by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4087 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25623 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25623, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 340 minutes of reading across 818 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Barbarians section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Barbarians to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Barbarians, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
