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Clotelle
Clotelle

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Clotelle is here in full — 58 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Clotelle
Context Illustration Reading 1/11 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.
Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.
Men and women, too, who wished to purchase for their own use, had found their way to the slave sale.
In the midst of the throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the result of the sale than any other of the bystanders.
This was young Linwood.
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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.

Clotelle

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Clotelle is here in full — 58 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/11 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.
/æz maɪt hæv bɪn ɪkˈspektəd ðə deɪ ʌv seɪl brɔːt æn əˈnjuːʒuːəli lɑːrdʒ ˈnʌmbər təˈɡeðər tuː kəmˈpiːt fɔːr ðə ˈprɑːpərti tuː biː soʊld/
Line 2
Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.
Line 3
Men and women, too, who wished to purchase for their own use, had found their way to the slave sale.
/men ənd ˈwɪmən tuː huː wɪʃt tuː ˈpɜːrtʃəs fɔːr ðer oʊn juːs hæd faʊnd ðer weɪ tuː ðə sleɪv seɪl/
Line 4
In the midst of the throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the result of the sale than any other of the bystanders.
/ɪn ðə mɪdst ʌv ðə θrɔːŋ wɑːz wʌn huː felt ə ˈdiːpər ˈɪntrəst ɪn ðə rɪˈzʌlt ʌv ðə seɪl ðæn ˈeni ˈʌðər ʌv ðə ˈbaɪstændərz/
Line 5
This was young Linwood.

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.

attendance noun US /əˈtendəns/

the act of being present (at a meeting or event etc.)

From this reading “Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.”

buying noun US /ˈbaɪɪŋ/

the act of buying

From this reading “Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.”

bystanders noun US /ˈbaɪstændərz/

plural of “bystander” — a nonparticipant spectator

From this reading “In the midst of the throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the result of the sale than any other of the bystanders.”

compete verb US /kəmˈpiːt/

compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others

From this reading “AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.”

Farmers noun US /ˈfɑːrmərz/

plural of “farmer” — a person who operates a farm

From this reading “Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.”

sale noun US /seɪl/

a particular instance of selling

From this reading “AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.”

throng noun US /θrɔːŋ/

a large gathering of people

From this reading “In the midst of the throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the result of the sale than any other of the bystanders.”

unusually adverb US /əˈnjuːʒuːəli/

to a remarkable degree or extent

From this reading “AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.”

All words in this reading · 72

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 Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading In the midst of the throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the result of the sale than any other of the bystanders.

ASconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

attendancenounUS /əˈtendəns/

the act of being present (at a meeting or event etc.)

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

beingsnounUS /ˈbiːɪŋz/

plural of “being” — the state or fact of existing

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

buyingnounUS /ˈbaɪɪŋ/

the act of buying

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

bystandersnounUS /ˈbaɪstændərz/

plural of “bystander” — a nonparticipant spectator

From this reading In the midst of the throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the result of the sale than any other of the bystanders.

competeverbUS /kəmˈpiːt/

compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

deeperadverbUS /ˈdiːpər/

comparative of “deeply” — to a great depth psychologically or emotionally

From this reading In the midst of the throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the result of the sale than any other of the bystanders.

expectedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektəd/

considered likely or probable to happen or arrive

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

FarmersnounUS /ˈfɑːrmərz/

plural of “farmer” — a person who operates a farm

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading In the midst of the throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the result of the sale than any other of the bystanders.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading Men and women, too, who wished to purchase for their own use, had found their way to the slave sale.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Men and women, too, who wished to purchase for their own use, had found their way to the slave sale.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading In the midst of the throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the result of the sale than any other of the bystanders.

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

Linwood

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

From this reading This was young Linwood.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

marketnounUS /ˈmɑːrkət/

the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

MennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Men and women, too, who wished to purchase for their own use, had found their way to the slave sale.

midstnounUS /mɪdst/

the location of something surrounded by other things

From this reading In the midst of the throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the result of the sale than any other of the bystanders.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

numbernounUS /ˈnʌmbər/

the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading In the midst of the throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the result of the sale than any other of the bystanders.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading In the midst of the throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the result of the sale than any other of the bystanders.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Men and women, too, who wished to purchase for their own use, had found their way to the slave sale.

propertynounUS /ˈprɑːpərti/

something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

purchasenounUS /ˈpɜːrtʃəs/

the acquisition of something for payment

From this reading Men and women, too, who wished to purchase for their own use, had found their way to the slave sale.

raisingnounUS /ˈreɪzɪŋ/

the event of something being raised upward

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

resultnounUS /rɪˈzʌlt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading In the midst of the throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the result of the sale than any other of the bystanders.

salenounUS /seɪl/

a particular instance of selling

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

slavenounUS /sleɪv/

a person who is owned by someone

From this reading Men and women, too, who wished to purchase for their own use, had found their way to the slave sale.

slave-raising

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

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

slave-traders

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

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

slavesnounUS /sleɪvz/

plural of “slave” — a person who is owned by someone

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

soldadjectiveUS /soʊld/

disposed of to a purchaser

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

SouthnounUS /saʊθ/

the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

StatesnounUS /steɪts/

plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading In the midst of the throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the result of the sale than any other of the bystanders.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Men and women, too, who wished to purchase for their own use, had found their way to the slave sale.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This was young Linwood.

throngnounUS /θrɔːŋ/

a large gathering of people

From this reading In the midst of the throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the result of the sale than any other of the bystanders.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Men and women, too, who wished to purchase for their own use, had found their way to the slave sale.

unusuallyadverbUS /əˈnjuːʒuːəli/

to a remarkable degree or extent

From this reading AS might have been expected, the day of sale brought an unusually large number together to compete for the property to be sold.

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading Men and women, too, who wished to purchase for their own use, had found their way to the slave sale.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading In the midst of the throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the result of the sale than any other of the bystanders.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Men and women, too, who wished to purchase for their own use, had found their way to the slave sale.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Farmers, who make a business of raising slaves for the market, were there, and slave-traders, who make a business of buying human beings in the slave-raising States and taking them to the far South, were also in attendance.

wishedverbUS /wɪʃt/

past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish

From this reading Men and women, too, who wished to purchase for their own use, had found their way to the slave sale.

womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Men and women, too, who wished to purchase for their own use, had found their way to the slave sale.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading This was young Linwood.

Chapter 2 of Clotelle by William Wells Brown holds 58 sentences, grouped into 12 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 2 of Clotelle contain?

Chapter 2 holds 58 sentences of Clotelle, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Clotelle by William Wells Brown exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 58 sentences, grouped into 12 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 2 of Clotelle?

Work through the 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 12 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Clotelle

Common questions about reading Clotelle by William Wells Brown on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Clotelle?

Yes. All 2012 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #241 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Clotelle is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #241, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Clotelle take to read?

About 167 minutes of reading across 403 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Clotelle section by section

How to work through Clotelle section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of Clotelle to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Clotelle

Words and structures a reader meets early in Clotelle, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Years
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clotelle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
South
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clotelle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Noted
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clotelle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Beautiful
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clotelle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.