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Domesday Book
Domesday Book

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of Domesday Book is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Domesday Book
Context Illustration Reading 1/77 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.
You will scarcely care To have the matter aired in court.
I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.
I am tired And cannot see you longer.
Take five days To think the matter over.
0:00 / 0:00
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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.

Domesday Book

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of Domesday Book is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/77 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.
Line 2
You will scarcely care To have the matter aired in court.
/juː wɪl ˈskersli ker tuː hæv ðə ˈmætər erd ɪn kɔːrt/
Line 3
I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.
Line 4
I am tired And cannot see you longer.
Line 5
Take five days To think the matter over.
/teɪk faɪv deɪz tuː θɪŋk ðə ˈmætər ˈoʊvər/

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.

aired adjective US /erd/

open to or abounding in fresh air

From this reading “You will scarcely care To have the matter aired in court.”

effects noun US /ɪˈfekts/

property of a personal character that is portable but not used in business

From this reading “I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.”

entitled adjective US /enˈtaɪtəld/

qualified for by right according to law

From this reading “I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.”

lawyer noun US /ˈlɔːjər/

a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice

From this reading “I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.”

mask verb US /mæsk/

hide under a false appearance

From this reading “Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.”

niece's noun US /ˈniːsɪz/

possessive form of “niece” — a daughter of your brother or sister

From this reading “I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.”

package noun US /ˈpækədʒ/

a collection of things wrapped or boxed together

From this reading “I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.”

stormed verb US /stɔːrmd/

past form of “storm” — behave violently, as if in state of a great anger

From this reading “Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.”

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.

five days noun + noun

In this reading “Take five days To think the matter over.”

lost control adjective + noun

In this reading “Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.”

took off verb + particle counted as “take off”

leave

In this reading “Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.”

All words in this reading · 54

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 I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.

airedadjectiveUS /erd/

open to or abounding in fresh air

From this reading You will scarcely care To have the matter aired in court.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.

auntnounUS /ænt/

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

cannot

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

From this reading I am tired And cannot see you longer.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading You will scarcely care To have the matter aired in court.

controlnounUS /kənˈtroʊl/

power to direct or determine

From this reading Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.

courtnounUS /kɔːrt/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading You will scarcely care To have the matter aired in court.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Take five days To think the matter over.

effectsnounUS /ɪˈfekts/

property of a personal character that is portable but not used in business

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

entitledadjectiveUS /enˈtaɪtəld/

qualified for by right according to law

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading Take five days To think the matter over.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading You will scarcely care To have the matter aired in court.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.

HereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

I'll

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

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading You will scarcely care To have the matter aired in court.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.

lawyernounUS /ˈlɔːjər/

a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

lettersnounUS /ˈletərz/

the literary culture

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

From this reading I am tired And cannot see you longer.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.

maskverbUS /mæsk/

hide under a false appearance

From this reading Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading You will scarcely care To have the matter aired in court.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

niece'snounUS /ˈniːsɪz/

possessive form of “niece” — a daughter of your brother or sister

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Take five days To think the matter over.

packagenounUS /ˈpækədʒ/

a collection of things wrapped or boxed together

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/

only a very short time before

From this reading You will scarcely care To have the matter aired in court.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.

stormedverbUS /stɔːrmd/

past form of “storm” — behave violently, as if in state of a great anger

From this reading Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.

suitverbUS /suːt/

be agreeable or acceptable to

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

TakeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading Take five days To think the matter over.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading You will scarcely care To have the matter aired in court.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading Take five days To think the matter over.

tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/

depleted of strength or energy

From this reading I am tired And cannot see you longer.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading You will scarcely care To have the matter aired in court.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.

tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

We'll

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

From this reading Here at last She lost control, took off her mask and stormed: "We'll see about it.

Whatever's

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

From this reading I'll see A lawyer, bring a suit and try it out, And see if I, the aunt, am not entitled To have my niece's letters and effects, Whatever's in the package.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading You will scarcely care To have the matter aired in court.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You will scarcely care To have the matter aired in court.

Chapter 8 of Domesday Book by Edgar Lee Masters holds 389 sentences, grouped into 78 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 8 of Domesday Book contain?

Chapter 8 holds 389 sentences of Domesday Book, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Domesday Book by Edgar Lee Masters exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 389 sentences, grouped into 78 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 8 of Domesday Book?

Work through the 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 78 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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.