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The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Chapter L

Chapter 50 of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is here in full — 49 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
Context Illustration Reading 1/9 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.
Dom Claude hardly looked at his brother; his thoughts were elsewhere.
That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.
“Brother,” said Jehan timidly, “I am come to see you.”
The archdeacon did not even raise his eyes.
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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.

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Chapter L

Chapter 50 of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is here in full — 49 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.
Line 2
Dom Claude hardly looked at his brother; his thoughts were elsewhere.
Line 3
That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.
Line 4
“Brother,” said Jehan timidly, “I am come to see you.”
Line 5
The archdeacon did not even raise his eyes.

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.

beguiled adjective US /bɪˈɡaɪld/

filled with wonder and delight

From this reading “On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.”

cloister verb US /ˈklɔɪstər/

surround with a cloister, as of a garden

From this reading “On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.”

corrupted adjective US /kərˈʌptɪd/

containing errors or alterations

From this reading “That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.”

enriched verb US /enˈrɪtʃt/

past form of “enrich” — make better or improve in quality

From this reading “On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.”

Moulin noun US /muːˈlæn/

a chute through which supraglacial water enters a glacier, boring either to the bedrock or to the depth of common crevasse formation

From this reading “On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.”

priest's noun US /priːsts/

possessive form of “priest” — a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders

stagnant adjective US /ˈstæɡnənt/

not circulating or flowing

From this reading “That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.”

tedium noun US /ˈtiːdiəm/

the feeling of being bored by something tedious

From this reading “On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.”

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.

elder brother noun + noun

In this reading “On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.”

looked at verb + particle counted as “look at”

take into consideration for exemplifying purposes

In this reading “Dom Claude hardly looked at his brother; his thoughts were elsewhere.”

grew more verb + adjective counted as “grow more”

In this reading “That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.”

enriched with verb + particle counted as “enrich with”

In this reading “On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.”

at the door preposition + article + noun counted as “at … door”

In this reading “On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.”

on the wall preposition + article + noun counted as “on … wall”

In this reading “On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.”

All words in this reading · 84

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading “Brother,” said Jehan timidly, “I am come to see you.”

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

archdeaconnoun

(Anglican Church) an ecclesiastical dignitary usually ranking just below a bishop

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

beamingadjectiveUS /ˈbiːmɪŋ/

cheerful and bright

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

beguiledadjectiveUS /bɪˈɡaɪld/

filled with wonder and delight

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

bitnounUS /bɪt/

a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

cellnounUS /sel/

A small stone room in a prison where an inmate is locked behind iron bars.

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

charcoalnounUS /ˈtʃɑːrkoʊl/

a carbonaceous material obtained by heating wood or other organic matter in the absence of air

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

Claude

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

From this reading Dom Claude hardly looked at his brother; his thoughts were elsewhere.

cloisterverbUS /ˈklɔɪstər/

surround with a cloister, as of a garden

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading “Brother,” said Jehan timidly, “I am come to see you.”

corruptedadjectiveUS /kərˈʌptɪd/

containing errors or alterations

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

denseadjectiveUS /dens/

permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading The archdeacon did not even raise his eyes.

Dom

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

From this reading Dom Claude hardly looked at his brother; his thoughts were elsewhere.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

drawingnounUS /ˈdrɔːɪŋ/

an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

du

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

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

eldernounUS /ˈeldər/

a person who is older than you are

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

elsewhereadverbUS /ˈelswer/

in or to another place

From this reading Dom Claude hardly looked at his brother; his thoughts were elsewhere.

enrichedverbUS /enˈrɪtʃt/

past form of “enrich” — make better or improve in quality

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading The archdeacon did not even raise his eyes.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading The archdeacon did not even raise his eyes.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

gloomnounUS /ɡluːm/

a state of partial or total darkness

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

grewverbUS /ɡruː/

inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

From this reading Dom Claude hardly looked at his brother; his thoughts were elsewhere.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading “Brother,” said Jehan timidly, “I am come to see you.”

Jehan

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

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Dom Claude hardly looked at his brother; his thoughts were elsewhere.

meltverbUS /melt/

reduce or cause to be reduced from a solid to a liquid state, usually by heating

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

mephiticadjective

of noxious stench from atmospheric pollution

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

merryadjectiveUS /ˈmeri/

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

monstrousadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːnstrəs/

abnormally large

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

MoulinnounUS /muːˈlæn/

a chute through which supraglacial water enters a glacier, boring either to the bedrock or to the depth of common crevasse formation

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

nosenounUS /noʊz/

the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The archdeacon did not even raise his eyes.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

physiognomynoun

the human face (“kisser” and “smiler” and “mug” are informal terms for “face” and “phiz” is British)

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

powerlessadjectiveUS /ˈpaʊərləs/

lacking power

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

priest'snounUS /priːsts/

possessive form of “priest” — a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

profilenounUS /ˈproʊfaɪl/

an analysis (often in graphical form) representing the extent to which something exhibits various characteristics

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

raiseverbUS /reɪz/

raise the level or amount of something

From this reading The archdeacon did not even raise his eyes.

re-entering

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

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

restoredverbUS /rɪˈstɔːrd/

past form of “restore” — return to its original or usable and functioning condition

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Brother,” said Jehan timidly, “I am come to see you.”

scamp's

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

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading “Brother,” said Jehan timidly, “I am come to see you.”

serenitynounUS /səˈren.ə.t̬i/

The state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled by external storms.

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

sombreadjective

lacking brightness or color; dull

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

soulnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

stagnantadjectiveUS /ˈstæɡnənt/

not circulating or flowing

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

tediumnounUS /ˈtiːdiəm/

the feeling of being bored by something tedious

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

thoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Dom Claude hardly looked at his brother; his thoughts were elsewhere.

timidlyadverbUS /ˈtɪmədli/

in a shy or timid or bashful manner

From this reading “Brother,” said Jehan timidly, “I am come to see you.”

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

wallnounUS /wɔːl/

an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Dom Claude hardly looked at his brother; his thoughts were elsewhere.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading That merry scamp’s face whose beaming had so often restored serenity to the priest’s sombre physiognomy, was now powerless to melt the gloom which grew more dense every day over that corrupted, mephitic, and stagnant soul.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading On re-entering the cloister, the archdeacon found at the door of his cell his brother Jehan du Moulin, who was waiting for him, and who had beguiled the tedium of waiting by drawing on the wall with a bit of charcoal, a profile of his elder brother, enriched with a monstrous nose.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Brother,” said Jehan timidly, “I am come to see you.”

Chapter 50 of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo holds 49 sentences, grouped into 10 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 50 of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame contain?

Chapter 50 holds 49 sentences of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 50 of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 49 sentences, grouped into 10 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 50 of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame?

Work through the 10 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 10 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 50 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 50 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 The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Common questions about reading The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame?

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Which edition of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is used?

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

How long does The Hunchback of Notre-Dame take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Hunchback of Notre-Dame section by section

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Vocabulary met early in The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.