Chapter 37 of Deirdre is here in full — 87 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXVII
Chapter 37 of Deirdre is here in full — 87 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Buinne stood up. “Naoise,” he said sternly. “My soul?” said Naoise. “You interfered in my combat.” “Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.”
Chapter 37 of Deirdre is here in full — 87 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/17 · 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.
an engagement fought between two military forces
From this reading ““You interfered in my combat.””
dearly loved
From this reading ““Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.””
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading ““Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.””
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading ““Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.””
past form of “interfere” — come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle
From this reading ““You interfered in my combat.””
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading ““Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.””
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading ““My soul?” said Naoise.”
with sternness; in a severe manner
From this reading ““Naoise,” he said sternly.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading ““Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.””
In this reading “Buinne stood up.”
In this reading ““Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.””
In this reading ““Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.””
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.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading “Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.”
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading “Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Buinne stood up.
an engagement fought between two military forces
From this reading “You interfered in my combat.”
dearly loved
From this reading “Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.”
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading “Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.”
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Naoise,” he said sternly.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading “Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.”
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading “Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “You interfered in my combat.”
past form of “interfere” — come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle
From this reading “You interfered in my combat.”
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading “Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.”
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.”
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “My soul?” said Naoise.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Naoise,” he said sternly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Naoise,” he said sternly.
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading “My soul?” said Naoise.
with sternness; in a severe manner
From this reading “Naoise,” he said sternly.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Buinne stood up.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.”
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading “Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.”
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Buinne stood up.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You interfered in my combat.”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Your end of the line was almost too heavy for any man, dear heart.”
Chapter 37 of Deirdre by James Stephens holds 87 sentences, grouped into 18 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 37 holds 87 sentences of Deirdre, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 37 of Deirdre by James Stephens exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 87 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 18 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 37 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 Deirdre by James Stephens on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3093 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #65950 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #65950, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 257 minutes of reading across 619 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Deirdre section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Deirdre 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 Deirdre, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
