Chapter 39 of Deirdre is here in full — 197 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXIX
Chapter 39 of Deirdre is here in full — 197 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“We are yet three,” said Naoise. “Draw the bolts, Ainnle, for one sortie of friendship. We have no doorman, for Deirdre could not close or open the door by herself. You and I, Ainnle. Be quiet, Ardan!
Chapter 39 of Deirdre is here in full — 197 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/39 · 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.
plural of “bolt” — a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
From this reading ““Draw the bolts, Ainnle, for one sortie of friendship.”
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading “We have no doorman, for Deirdre could not close or open the door by herself.”
someone who guards an entrance
From this reading “We have no doorman, for Deirdre could not close or open the door by herself.”
cause to move by pulling
From this reading ““Draw the bolts, Ainnle, for one sortie of friendship.”
the state of being friends (or friendly)
From this reading ““Draw the bolts, Ainnle, for one sortie of friendship.”
To move from a closed position.
From this reading “We have no doorman, for Deirdre could not close or open the door by herself.”
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading “Be quiet, Ardan!”
a military action in which besieged troops burst forth from their position
From this reading ““Draw the bolts, Ainnle, for one sortie of friendship.”
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 “We have no doorman, for Deirdre could not close or open the door by herself.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Draw the bolts, Ainnle, for one sortie of friendship.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading You and I, Ainnle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Be quiet, Ardan!
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “We are yet three,” said Naoise.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Be quiet, Ardan!
plural of “bolt” — a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
From this reading “Draw the bolts, Ainnle, for one sortie of friendship.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading We have no doorman, for Deirdre could not close or open the door by herself.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading We have no doorman, for Deirdre could not close or open the door by herself.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading We have no doorman, for Deirdre could not close or open the door by herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We have no doorman, for Deirdre could not close or open the door by herself.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading We have no doorman, for Deirdre could not close or open the door by herself.
someone who guards an entrance
From this reading We have no doorman, for Deirdre could not close or open the door by herself.
cause to move by pulling
From this reading “Draw the bolts, Ainnle, for one sortie of friendship.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Draw the bolts, Ainnle, for one sortie of friendship.
the state of being friends (or friendly)
From this reading “Draw the bolts, Ainnle, for one sortie of friendship.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading We have no doorman, for Deirdre could not close or open the door by herself.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading We have no doorman, for Deirdre could not close or open the door by herself.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading You and I, Ainnle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “We are yet three,” said Naoise.
not any; not one
From this reading We have no doorman, for Deirdre could not close or open the door by herself.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading We have no doorman, for Deirdre could not close or open the door by herself.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Draw the bolts, Ainnle, for one sortie of friendship.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “Draw the bolts, Ainnle, for one sortie of friendship.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading We have no doorman, for Deirdre could not close or open the door by herself.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading We have no doorman, for Deirdre could not close or open the door by herself.
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading Be quiet, Ardan!
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “We are yet three,” said Naoise.
a military action in which besieged troops burst forth from their position
From this reading “Draw the bolts, Ainnle, for one sortie of friendship.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Draw the bolts, Ainnle, for one sortie of friendship.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading “We are yet three,” said Naoise.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “We are yet three,” said Naoise.
but in spite of that
From this reading “We are yet three,” said Naoise.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You and I, Ainnle.
Chapter 39 of Deirdre by James Stephens holds 197 sentences, grouped into 40 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 39 holds 197 sentences of Deirdre, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 39 of Deirdre by James Stephens exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 197 sentences, grouped into 40 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 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 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 39 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.
