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Domesday Book
Domesday Book

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Domesday Book is here in full — 372 sentences across 75 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/74 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
So I possessed myself.
But for these years sleep but two hours or so.
Why do I wake?
The spirits let me sleep.
Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Domesday Book

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Domesday Book is here in full — 372 sentences across 75 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/74 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
So I possessed myself.
/soʊ aɪ pəˈzest ˌmaɪˈself/
Line 2
But for these years sleep but two hours or so.
/bʌt fɔːr ðiːz jɪrz sliːp bʌt tuː ˈaʊərz ɔːr soʊ/
Line 3
Why do I wake?
/waɪ duː aɪ weɪk/
Line 4
The spirits let me sleep.
/ðə ˈspɪrɪts let miː sliːp/
Line 5
Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.
/oʊ noʊ ɪt ɪz maɪ ˈlɔːŋɪŋ ðæt wɪl rest nɑːt ðiːz θɔːts ʌv hɪm ðæt rest nɑːt ənd ðɪs lʌv ðæt ˈnevər hæz bɪn ˈsætəsfaɪd ðɪs hɑːrt soʊ ˈempti ɔːl ðiːz jɪrz ðə ˈbɪtərnəs ʌv ˈlɪvɪŋ feɪs tuː feɪs wɪð wʌn juː loʊð jet ˈpɪti waɪl juː heɪt jərˈself fɔːr ˈfiːlɪŋ sʌtʃ ˈbɪtərnəs təˈwɔːrd əˈnʌðər soʊl æz ˈretʃɪd æz jɔːr oʊn/

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.

bitterness noun US /ˈbɪtərnəs/

a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will

From this reading “Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.”

hate noun US /heɪt/

the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action

From this reading “Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.”

loathe verb US /loʊð/

find repugnant

From this reading “Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.”

longing noun US /ˈlɔːŋɪŋ/

prolonged unfulfilled desire or need

From this reading “Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.”

possessed adjective US /pəˈzest/

influenced or controlled by a powerful force such as a strong emotion

From this reading “So I possessed myself.”

spirits noun US /ˈspɪrɪts/

an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented

From this reading “The spirits let me sleep.”

wake verb US /weɪk/

be awake, be alert, be there

From this reading “Why do I wake?”

wretched adjective US /ˈretʃɪd/

of very poor quality or condition

From this reading “Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.”

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.

two hours noun + noun

In this reading “But for these years sleep but two hours or so.”

All words in this reading · 64

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.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

bitternessnounUS /ˈbɪtərnəs/

a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But for these years sleep but two hours or so.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Why do I wake?

emptyverbUS /ˈempti/

make void or empty of contents

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

facenounUS /feɪs/

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

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But for these years sleep but two hours or so.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

hatenounUS /heɪt/

the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading But for these years sleep but two hours or so.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading So I possessed myself.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading The spirits let me sleep.

livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

loatheverbUS /loʊð/

find repugnant

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

longingnounUS /ˈlɔːŋɪŋ/

prolonged unfulfilled desire or need

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The spirits let me sleep.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading So I possessed myself.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading But for these years sleep but two hours or so.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

pitynounUS /ˈpɪti/

a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

possessedadjectiveUS /pəˈzest/

influenced or controlled by a powerful force such as a strong emotion

From this reading So I possessed myself.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

satisfiedadjectiveUS /ˈsætəsfaɪd/

filled with satisfaction

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

sleepnounUS /sliːp/

a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading But for these years sleep but two hours or so.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So I possessed myself.

soulnounUS /soʊl/

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

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

spiritsnounUS /ˈspɪrɪts/

an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented

From this reading The spirits let me sleep.

SuchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The spirits let me sleep.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading But for these years sleep but two hours or so.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

thoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

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

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading But for these years sleep but two hours or so.

wakeverbUS /weɪk/

be awake, be alert, be there

From this reading Why do I wake?

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading Why do I wake?

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

wretchedadjectiveUS /ˈretʃɪd/

of very poor quality or condition

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading But for these years sleep but two hours or so.

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

yourselfpronounUS /jərˈself/

used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action

From this reading Oh, no it is my longing that will rest not, These thoughts of him that rest not, and this love That never has been satisfied, this heart So empty all these years; the bitterness Of living face to face with one you loathe, Yet pity, while you hate yourself for feeling Such bitterness toward another soul, As wretched as your own.

Chapter 2 of Domesday Book by Edgar Lee Masters holds 372 sentences, grouped into 75 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 Domesday Book contain?

Chapter 2 holds 372 sentences of Domesday Book, unabridged, divided into 75 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Domesday Book by Edgar Lee Masters exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 372 sentences, grouped into 75 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 Domesday Book?

Work through the 75 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 75 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 Domesday Book

Common questions about reading Domesday Book by Edgar Lee Masters on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Domesday Book?

Yes. All 3822 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35991 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Domesday Book is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #35991, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Domesday Book take to read?

About 318 minutes of reading across 765 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Domesday Book section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of Domesday Book 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 Domesday Book

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

Greatest
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Domesday Book; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Books
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Domesday Book; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Present
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Domesday Book; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Century
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Domesday Book; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.