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Chaucer's Works, Volume 5
Chaucer's Works, Volume 5

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 is here in full — 837 sentences across 168 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Geoffrey Chaucer • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Chaucer's Works, Volume 5
Context Illustration Reading 1/167 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.
1862, pp. 207, 208, with an additional note at p.
217.
Marsh's remarks are, in this case, less clear than usual.
He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.
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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's Works, Volume 5

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 is here in full — 837 sentences across 168 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/167 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.
Line 2
1862, pp. 207, 208, with an additional note at p.
Line 3
217.
Line 4
Marsh's remarks are, in this case, less clear than usual.
/ˈmɑːrʃɪz rɪˈmɑːrks ɑːr ɪn ðɪs keɪs les klɪr ðæn ˈjuːʒəwəl/
Line 5
He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.

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.

additional adjective US /əˈdɪʃənəl/

further or added

From this reading “1862, pp. 207, 208, with an additional note at p.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Lectures noun US /ˈlektʃərz/

plural of “lecture” — a speech that is open to the public

From this reading “On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Manual noun US /ˈmænjuːəl/

a small handbook

From this reading “On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Marsh's noun US /ˈmɑːrʃɪz/

possessive form of “marsh” — low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water

From this reading “On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Smith's noun US /smɪθs/

possessive form of “smith” — Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading “On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
so-called adjective US /ˈsoʊˈkɔːld/

doubtful or suspect

From this reading “On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Student's noun US /ˈstuːdənts/

possessive form of “student” — a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution

From this reading “On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
termination noun US /tərməˈneɪʃən/

a coming to an end of a contract period

From this reading “On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.”

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.

Lectures on verb + particle counted as “lecture on”

In this reading “On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.”

3,057 times in 426,211 chapters
in fact preposition + noun

in reality or actuality

In this reading “He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.”

69,970 times in 426,211 chapters
always used adverb + adjective

In this reading “He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.”

1,678 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 56

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.

1862

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

From this reading 1862, pp. 207, 208, with an additional note at p.

Pending verification
207

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

From this reading 1862, pp. 207, 208, with an additional note at p.

Pending verification
208

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

From this reading 1862, pp. 207, 208, with an additional note at p.

Pending verification
217

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

From this reading 217.

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 He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
additionaladjectiveUS /əˈdɪʃənəl/

further or added

From this reading 1862, pp. 207, 208, with an additional note at p.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading 1862, pp. 207, 208, with an additional note at p.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Marsh's remarks are, in this case, less clear than usual.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading 1862, pp. 207, 208, with an additional note at p.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
casenounUS /keɪs/

an occurrence of something

From this reading Marsh's remarks are, in this case, less clear than usual.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
clearverbUS /klɪr/

rid of obstructions

From this reading Marsh's remarks are, in this case, less clear than usual.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ednounUS /ed/

impotence resulting from a man's inability to have or maintain an erection of his penis

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EnglishnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/

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 On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
estre

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

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

Pending verification
factnounUS /fækt/

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

From this reading He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
feminineadjectiveUS /ˈfemənən/

associated with women and not with men

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forcenounUS /fɔːrs/

a powerful effect or influence

From this reading He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
formerlyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrmərli/

at a previous time

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
LanguagenounUS /ˈlæŋɡwədʒ/

a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LecturesnounUS /ˈlektʃərz/

plural of “lecture” — a speech that is open to the public

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading Marsh's remarks are, in this case, less clear than usual.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ManualnounUS /ˈmænjuːəl/

a small handbook

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Marsh'snounUS /ˈmɑːrʃɪz/

possessive form of “marsh” — low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
notenounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading 1862, pp. 207, 208, with an additional note at p.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
pnounUS /piː/

a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms

From this reading 1862, pp. 207, 208, with an additional note at p.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pp

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

From this reading 1862, pp. 207, 208, with an additional note at p.

Pending verification
printedverbUS /ˈprɪntɪd/

past form of “print” — put into print

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
remarksnounUS /rɪˈmɑːrks/

plural of “remark” — a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shews

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

From this reading He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.

Pending verification
Smith'snounUS /smɪθs/

possessive form of “smith” — Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
so-calledadjectiveUS /ˈsoʊˈkɔːld/

doubtful or suspect

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ster

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

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

Pending verification
stre

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

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

Pending verification
Student'snounUS /ˈstuːdənts/

possessive form of “student” — a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
terminationnounUS /tərməˈneɪʃən/

a coming to an end of a contract period

From this reading On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Marsh's remarks are, in this case, less clear than usual.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.

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 On the feminine termination _-ster_ (formerly _-estre_, or _-stre_) see the remarks in Marsh's Lectures on the English Language, printed in (the so-called) Smith's Student's Manual of the English Language, ed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Marsh's remarks are, in this case, less clear than usual.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

From this reading Marsh's remarks are, in this case, less clear than usual.

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 He shews that the termination was not always used as a feminine, and that, in fact, its force was early lost.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading 1862, pp. 207, 208, with an additional note at p.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 20 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 by Geoffrey Chaucer holds 837 sentences, grouped into 168 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 20 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 contain?

Chapter 20 holds 837 sentences of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5, unabridged, divided into 168 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 by Geoffrey Chaucer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 837 sentences, grouped into 168 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.

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Vocabulary met early in Chaucer's Works, Volume 5

Words and structures a reader meets early in Chaucer's Works, Volume 5, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Represents
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Schwa
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Unvoiced
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Vowel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Chaucer's Works, Volume 5; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.