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Chaucer and His Times
Chaucer and His Times

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of Chaucer and His Times is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Grace E. (Grace Eleanor) Hadow • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Chaucer and His Times
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.
The Church, over-rich and over-powerful for her own good, had become terribly corrupt.
The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.
In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.
William of Wykeham was appointed Chancellor of England and Bishop of the great diocese of Winchester in the same month.
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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.

Chaucer and His Times

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of Chaucer and His Times is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.
/sʌm vjuːz ʌv ˈtʃɔːsərz ɑːn men ənd θɪŋz ðə leɪt ˈfɔːrˈtiːnθ ˈsentʃəri wɑːz ə taɪm ʌv ˈsoʊʃəl ənd pəˈlɪtəkəl əpˈhiːvəl/
Line 2
The Church, over-rich and over-powerful for her own good, had become terribly corrupt.
Line 3
The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.
/ðə fækt ðæt ɡreɪt ˈɔːfəsəz ʌv steɪt wɜːr held baɪ ˈbɪʃəps ment ʌv nəˈsesəti ðæt mɔːr ənd mɔːr ʌv ðer ˈpjʊrli ɪˌkliːziˈæstɪkəl wɜːrk wɑːz ˈdeləɡeɪtəd tuː səˈbɔːrdəneɪts/
Line 4
In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.
Line 5
William of Wykeham was appointed Chancellor of England and Bishop of the great diocese of Winchester in the same month.

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.

chaucer's noun US /ˈtʃɔːsərz/

possessive form of “chaucer” — English poet remembered as author of the Canterbury Tales (1340-1400)

From this reading “SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
delegated verb US /ˈdeləɡeɪtəd/

past form of “delegate” — transfer power to someone

From this reading “The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
diocese noun US /ˈdaɪəsiːz/

the territorial jurisdiction of a bishop

From this reading “William of Wykeham was appointed Chancellor of England and Bishop of the great diocese of Winchester in the same month.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ecclesiastical adjective US /ɪˌkliːziˈæstɪkəl/

of or associated with a church (especially a Christian Church)

From this reading “The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fourteenth adjective US /ˈfɔːrˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the thirteenth in position

From this reading “SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
secular adjective US /ˈsekjələr/

of or relating to the doctrine that rejects religion and religious considerations

From this reading “In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
subordinates noun US /səˈbɔːrdəneɪts/

plural of “subordinate” — an assistant subject to the authority or control of another

From this reading “The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upheaval noun US /əpˈhiːvəl/

a state of violent disturbance and disorder (as in politics or social conditions generally)

From this reading “SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.”

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.

fourteenth century adjective + noun

In this reading “SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.”

759 times in 426,211 chapters
ten years noun + noun

In this reading “In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.”

20,715 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 72

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.

1376

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

From this reading In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.

Pending verification
86

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

From this reading In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.

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 SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
appointedadjectiveUS /əˈpɔɪntɪd/

subject to appointment

From this reading William of Wykeham was appointed Chancellor of England and Bishop of the great diocese of Winchester in the same month.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
becomeverbUS /bɪˈkʌm/

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading The Church, over-rich and over-powerful for her own good, had become terribly corrupt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BishopnounUS /ˈbɪʃəp/

a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve Apostles of Christ

From this reading William of Wykeham was appointed Chancellor of England and Bishop of the great diocese of Winchester in the same month.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bishopsnounUS /ˈbɪʃəps/

plural of “bishop” — a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve Apostles of Christ

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
centurynounUS /ˈsentʃəri/

a period of 100 years

From this reading SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ChancellornounUS /ˈtʃænsələr/

the British cabinet minister responsible for finance

From this reading William of Wykeham was appointed Chancellor of England and Bishop of the great diocese of Winchester in the same month.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CHAUCER'SnounUS /ˈtʃɔːsərz/

possessive form of “chaucer” — English poet remembered as author of the Canterbury Tales (1340-1400)

From this reading SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ChurchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading The Church, over-rich and over-powerful for her own good, had become terribly corrupt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
corruptverbUS /kərˈʌpt/

corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

From this reading The Church, over-rich and over-powerful for her own good, had become terribly corrupt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
delegatedverbUS /ˈdeləɡeɪtəd/

past form of “delegate” — transfer power to someone

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
diocesenounUS /ˈdaɪəsiːz/

the territorial jurisdiction of a bishop

From this reading William of Wykeham was appointed Chancellor of England and Bishop of the great diocese of Winchester in the same month.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ecclesiasticaladjectiveUS /ɪˌkliːziˈæstɪkəl/

of or associated with a church (especially a Christian Church)

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EnglandnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlənd/

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading William of Wykeham was appointed Chancellor of England and Bishop of the great diocese of Winchester in the same month.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
feweradjectiveUS /ˈfjuːər/

(comparative of “few” used with count nouns) quantifier meaning a smaller number of

From this reading In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The Church, over-rich and over-powerful for her own good, had become terribly corrupt.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fourteenthadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the thirteenth in position

From this reading SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading The Church, over-rich and over-powerful for her own good, had become terribly corrupt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

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 Church, over-rich and over-powerful for her own good, had become terribly corrupt.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading The Church, over-rich and over-powerful for her own good, had become terribly corrupt.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
importancenounUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtəns/

the quality of being important and worthy of note

From this reading In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
meantverbUS /ment/

inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MENnounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
monthnounUS /mʌnθ/

one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading William of Wykeham was appointed Chancellor of England and Bishop of the great diocese of Winchester in the same month.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
necessitynounUS /nəˈsesəti/

the condition of being essential or indispensable

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
officesnounUS /ˈɔːfəsəz/

plural of “office” — place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
over-powerful

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

From this reading The Church, over-rich and over-powerful for her own good, had become terribly corrupt.

Pending verification
over-rich

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

From this reading The Church, over-rich and over-powerful for her own good, had become terribly corrupt.

Pending verification
ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading The Church, over-rich and over-powerful for her own good, had become terribly corrupt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
politicaladjectiveUS /pəˈlɪtəkəl/

involving or characteristic of politics or parties or politicians

From this reading SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
purelyadverbUS /ˈpjʊrli/

restricted to something

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading William of Wykeham was appointed Chancellor of England and Bishop of the great diocese of Winchester in the same month.

Velmora curated lexicon
secularadjectiveUS /ˈsekjələr/

of or relating to the doctrine that rejects religion and religious considerations

From this reading In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
socialadjectiveUS /ˈsoʊʃəl/

relating to human society and its members

From this reading SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SOMEadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
subordinatesnounUS /səˈbɔːrdəneɪts/

plural of “subordinate” — an assistant subject to the authority or control of another

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
terriblyadverbUS /ˈterəbli/

used as intensifiers

From this reading The Church, over-rich and over-powerful for her own good, had become terribly corrupt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THINGSnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thirteennounUS /ˈθɜːrˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of twelve and one

From this reading In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
twenty-fiveadjectiveUS /ˈtwentifaɪv/

being five more than twenty

From this reading In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upheavalnounUS /əpˈhiːvəl/

a state of violent disturbance and disorder (as in politics or social conditions generally)

From this reading SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
VIEWSnounUS /vjuːz/

plural of “view” — a way of regarding situations or topics etc.

From this reading SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

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 SOME VIEWS OF CHAUCER'S ON MEN AND THINGS The late fourteenth century was a time of social and political upheaval.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
William

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

From this reading William of Wykeham was appointed Chancellor of England and Bishop of the great diocese of Winchester in the same month.

Pending verification
WinchesternounUS /ˈwɪntʃestər/

a city in southern England; administrative center of Hampshire

From this reading William of Wykeham was appointed Chancellor of England and Bishop of the great diocese of Winchester in the same month.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
workverbUS /wɜːrk/

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

From this reading The fact that great offices of state were held by bishops meant, of necessity, that more and more of their purely ecclesiastical work was delegated to subordinates.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Wykehamnoun

English prelate and statesman; founded a college at Oxford and Winchester College in Winchester; served as chancellor of England and bishop of Winchester (1324-1404)

From this reading William of Wykeham was appointed Chancellor of England and Bishop of the great diocese of Winchester in the same month.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading In the ten years between 1376-86, out of twenty-five bishops no fewer than thirteen held secular offices of importance.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 7 of Chaucer and His Times by Grace E. (Grace Eleanor) Hadow holds 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 7 of Chaucer and His Times contain?

Chapter 7 holds 199 sentences of Chaucer and His Times, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of Chaucer and His Times by Grace E. (Grace Eleanor) Hadow exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 7 of Chaucer and His Times?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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 Chaucer and His Times

Common questions about reading Chaucer and His Times by Grace E. (Grace Eleanor) Hadow on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Chaucer and His Times?

Yes. All 2102 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36554 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Chaucer and His Times is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36554, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 175 minutes of reading across 421 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Chaucer and His Times section by section

How to work through Chaucer and His Times section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of Chaucer and His Times 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 Chaucer and His Times

Words and structures a reader meets early in Chaucer and His Times, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chaucer's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Chaucer and His Times; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Times
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Chaucer and His Times; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Biography
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Chaucer and His Times; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chaucer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Chaucer and His Times; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.