Chapter 1 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame is here in full — 2171 sentences across 435 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame is here in full — 2171 sentences across 435 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading. Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text. REV. WALTER W. SKEAT, M.A. LITT.D., LL.D., D.C.L., PH.D.
Chapter 1 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame is here in full — 2171 sentences across 435 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/434 · 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.
possessive form of “chaucer” — English poet remembered as author of the Canterbury Tales (1340-1400)
From this reading “Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.”
a written explanation or criticism or illustration that is added to a book or other textual material
From this reading “Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.”
continuing in time or space without interruption
From this reading “In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.”
plural of “footnote” — a printed note placed below the text on a printed page
From this reading “Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.”
an introduction to a play
From this reading “In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.”
in like or similar manner
From this reading “Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.”
English philologist (1835-1912)
From this reading “Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.”
plural of “version” — an interpretation of a matter from a particular viewpoint
From this reading “In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.”
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.
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 WALTER W. SKEAT, M.A.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.
past form of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together
From this reading In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.
an early form of sextant
From this reading Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.
a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature
From this reading LITT.D., LL.D., D.C.L., PH.D.
possessive form of “chaucer” — English poet remembered as author of the Canterbury Tales (1340-1400)
From this reading Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.
a written explanation or criticism or illustration that is added to a book or other textual material
From this reading Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.
continuing in time or space without interruption
From this reading In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.
a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets
From this reading LITT.D., LL.D., D.C.L., PH.D.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.
the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published
From this reading In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.
plural of “footnote” — a printed note placed below the text on a printed page
From this reading Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.
a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)
From this reading LITT.D., LL.D., D.C.L., PH.D.
a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events
From this reading In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LITT.D., LL.D., D.C.L., PH.D.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LITT.D., LL.D., D.C.L., PH.D.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading WALTER W. SKEAT, M.A.
past form of “mention” — make reference to
From this reading Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.
(from potential of Hydrogen) the logarithm of the reciprocal of hydrogen-ion concentration in gram atoms per liter
From this reading LITT.D., LL.D., D.C.L., PH.D.
an introduction to a play
From this reading In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.
increase the number of rotations per minute
From this reading REV.
being or feeling set or kept apart from others
From this reading Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.
in like or similar manner
From this reading Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.
English philologist (1835-1912)
From this reading WALTER W. SKEAT, M.A.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.
the words of something written
From this reading Skeat's commentary on the Astrolabe (mentioned in the text as "Footnotes") has been similarly separated from Chaucer's text.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.
plural of “version” — an interpretation of a matter from a particular viewpoint
From this reading In this edition the two versions of the Prologue to the Legend are each assembled for continuous reading.
a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite
From this reading WALTER W. SKEAT, M.A.
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading WALTER W. SKEAT, M.A.
Chapter 1 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame by Geoffrey Chaucer holds 2171 sentences, grouped into 435 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 1 holds 2171 sentences of Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame, unabridged, divided into 435 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame by Geoffrey Chaucer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 2171 sentences, grouped into 435 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 435 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 435 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 1 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 Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame by Geoffrey Chaucer on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 20501 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45027 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #45027, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 4101 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame 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 Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
