Chapter 6 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 is here in full — 852 sentences across 171 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 is here in full — 852 sentences across 171 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
864. _cóntree_ is here accented on the _first_ syllable; in l. 869, on the _last_. This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses. In fact, _cóntree_ shows the _English_, and _contrée_, the _French_ accent.
Chapter 6 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 is here in full — 852 sentences across 171 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/170 · 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.
distinctive manner of oral expression
From this reading “In fact, _cóntree_ shows the _English_, and _contrée_, the _French_ accent.”
(used of syllables) bearing the principle stress, usually accompanied by a change in pitch
From this reading “_cóntree_ is here accented on the _first_ syllable; in l.”
plural of “accent” — distinctive manner of oral expression
From this reading “This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.”
possessive form of “chaucer” — English poet remembered as author of the Canterbury Tales (1340-1400)
From this reading “This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.”
excessive freedom; lack of due restraint
From this reading “This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.”
a unit of spoken language larger than a phoneme
From this reading “_cóntree_ is here accented on the _first_ syllable; in l.”
still in doubt
From this reading “This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.”
plural of “use” — the act of using
From this reading “This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.”
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.
In this reading “This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.”
something to be imitated
In this reading “This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.”
in reality or actuality
In this reading “In fact, _cóntree_ shows the _English_, and _contrée_, the _French_ accent.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 864.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 869, on the _last_.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
distinctive manner of oral expression
From this reading In fact, _cóntree_ shows the _English_, and _contrée_, the _French_ accent.
(used of syllables) bearing the principle stress, usually accompanied by a change in pitch
From this reading _cóntree_ is here accented on the _first_ syllable; in l.
plural of “accent” — distinctive manner of oral expression
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
past form of “afford” — be able to spare or give up
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In fact, _cóntree_ shows the _English_, and _contrée_, the _French_ accent.
possessive form of “chaucer” — English poet remembered as author of the Canterbury Tales (1340-1400)
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In fact, _cóntree_ shows the _English_, and _contrée_, the _French_ accent.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _cóntree_ is here accented on the _first_ syllable; in l.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading In fact, _cóntree_ shows the _English_, and _contrée_, the _French_ accent.
an item of information that is typical of a class or group
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading In fact, _cóntree_ shows the _English_, and _contrée_, the _French_ accent.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading _cóntree_ is here accented on the _first_ syllable; in l.
in a free manner
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading In fact, _cóntree_ shows the _English_, and _contrée_, the _French_ accent.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading _cóntree_ is here accented on the _first_ syllable; in l.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _cóntree_ is here accented on the _first_ syllable; in l.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _cóntree_ is here accented on the _first_ syllable; in l.
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 _cóntree_ is here accented on the _first_ syllable; in l.
immediately past
From this reading 869, on the _last_.
excessive freedom; lack of due restraint
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading _cóntree_ is here accented on the _first_ syllable; in l.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
plural of “show” — the act of publicly exhibiting or entertaining
From this reading In fact, _cóntree_ shows the _English_, and _contrée_, the _French_ accent.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
a unit of spoken language larger than a phoneme
From this reading _cóntree_ is here accented on the _first_ syllable; in l.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _cóntree_ is here accented on the _first_ syllable; in l.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
still in doubt
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
plural of “use” — the act of using
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
the words that are spoken
From this reading This is a good example of the unsettled state of the accents of such words in Chaucer's time, which afforded him an opportunity of licence, which he freely uses.
Chapter 6 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 by Geoffrey Chaucer holds 852 sentences, grouped into 171 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 6 holds 852 sentences of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5, unabridged, divided into 171 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 by Geoffrey Chaucer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 852 sentences, grouped into 171 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 171 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
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