Chapter 12 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 is here in full — 860 sentences across 172 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 is here in full — 860 sentences across 172 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
461. The reading of this line is certain, and must not be altered. But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction. The best solution is obtained by taking _which_ in the sense of _whom_. A familiar example of this use of _which_ for _who_ occurs in the Lord's Prayer.
Chapter 12 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 is here in full — 860 sentences across 172 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/172 · 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.
changed in form or character without becoming something else
From this reading “The reading of this line is certain, and must not be altered.”
the act of constructing something
From this reading “But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.”
possessive form of “lord” — terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading “A familiar example of this use of _which_ for _who_ occurs in the Lord's Prayer.”
-ing form of “notice” — discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading “But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.”
past form of “obtain” — come into possession of
From this reading “The best solution is obtained by taking _which_ in the sense of _whom_.”
third-person singular of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading “A familiar example of this use of _which_ for _who_ occurs in the Lord's Prayer.”
analyze syntactically by assigning a constituent structure to (a sentence)
a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution
From this reading “The best solution is obtained by taking _which_ in the sense of _whom_.”
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.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
In this reading “But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.”
In this reading “But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.”
In this reading “The best solution is obtained by taking _which_ in the sense of _whom_.”
In this reading “The best solution is obtained by taking _which_ in the sense of _whom_.”
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 461.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A familiar example of this use of _which_ for _who_ occurs in the Lord's Prayer.
changed in form or character without becoming something else
From this reading The reading of this line is certain, and must not be altered.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The reading of this line is certain, and must not be altered.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The reading of this line is certain, and must not be altered.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading The best solution is obtained by taking _which_ in the sense of _whom_.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The best solution is obtained by taking _which_ in the sense of _whom_.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading The reading of this line is certain, and must not be altered.
the act of constructing something
From this reading But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.
an item of information that is typical of a class or group
From this reading A familiar example of this use of _which_ for _who_ occurs in the Lord's Prayer.
well known or easily recognized
From this reading A familiar example of this use of _which_ for _who_ occurs in the Lord's Prayer.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A familiar example of this use of _which_ for _who_ occurs in the Lord's Prayer.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The reading of this line is certain, and must not be altered.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading The reading of this line is certain, and must not be altered.
possessive form of “lord” — terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading A familiar example of this use of _which_ for _who_ occurs in the Lord's Prayer.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading The reading of this line is certain, and must not be altered.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The reading of this line is certain, and must not be altered.
-ing form of “notice” — discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.
past form of “obtain” — come into possession of
From this reading The best solution is obtained by taking _which_ in the sense of _whom_.
third-person singular of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading A familiar example of this use of _which_ for _who_ occurs in the Lord's Prayer.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The reading of this line is certain, and must not be altered.
on one occasion
From this reading But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.
analyze syntactically by assigning a constituent structure to (a sentence)
From this reading But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.
the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)
From this reading A familiar example of this use of _which_ for _who_ occurs in the Lord's Prayer.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading The reading of this line is certain, and must not be altered.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading The best solution is obtained by taking _which_ in the sense of _whom_.
a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution
From this reading The best solution is obtained by taking _which_ in the sense of _whom_.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading The best solution is obtained by taking _which_ in the sense of _whom_.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The reading of this line is certain, and must not be altered.
in or at that place or location
From this reading But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The reading of this line is certain, and must not be altered.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.
the act of using
From this reading A familiar example of this use of _which_ for _who_ occurs in the Lord's Prayer.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The best solution is obtained by taking _which_ in the sense of _whom_.
which person or people
From this reading A familiar example of this use of _which_ for _who_ occurs in the Lord's Prayer.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The best solution is obtained by taking _which_ in the sense of _whom_.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading But it is impossible to _parse_ the line without at once noticing that there is some difficulty in the construction.
Chapter 12 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 by Geoffrey Chaucer holds 860 sentences, grouped into 172 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 12 holds 860 sentences of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5, unabridged, divided into 172 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 by Geoffrey Chaucer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 860 sentences, grouped into 172 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 172 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 172 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 12 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 5 by Geoffrey Chaucer on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 33161 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43016 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43016, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 6633 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 38 chapters of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 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 5, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
