Chapter 4 of Felicitas is here in full — 69 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Felicitas is here in full — 69 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him. "Let me lie; the foot is broken or the ankle is sprained. No, it is the knee. I do not know. But I cannot stand--I must be carried."
Chapter 4 of Felicitas is here in full — 69 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/13 · 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.
a gliding joint between the distal ends of the tibia and fibula and the proximal end of the talus
From this reading “"Let me lie; the foot is broken or the ankle is sprained.”
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading “Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.”
profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading “Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.”
marked by extreme anger
From this reading “Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.”
inflected form of “repel” — cause to move back by force or influence
From this reading “Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.”
past form of “sprain” — twist suddenly so as to sprain
From this reading “"Let me lie; the foot is broken or the ankle is sprained.”
occupy a large, elongated area
From this reading “Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.”
in a vehement manner
From this reading “Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.”
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.
thrust or extend out
In this reading “Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.”
In this reading “Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
anew
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
a gliding joint between the distal ends of the tibia and fibula and the proximal end of the talus
From this reading "Let me lie; the foot is broken or the ankle is sprained.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But I cannot stand--I must be carried."
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading "Let me lie; the foot is broken or the ankle is sprained.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But I cannot stand--I must be carried."
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading But I cannot stand--I must be carried."
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I do not know.
marked by extreme anger
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading "Let me lie; the foot is broken or the ankle is sprained.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I do not know.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Let me lie; the foot is broken or the ankle is sprained.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading No, it is the knee.
hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading No, it is the knee.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I do not know.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "Let me lie; the foot is broken or the ankle is sprained.
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading "Let me lie; the foot is broken or the ankle is sprained.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Let me lie; the foot is broken or the ankle is sprained.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading But I cannot stand--I must be carried."
not any; not one
From this reading No, it is the knee.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I do not know.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "Let me lie; the foot is broken or the ankle is sprained.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
inflected form of “repel” — cause to move back by force or influence
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
move upward
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
past form of “sprain” — twist suddenly so as to sprain
From this reading "Let me lie; the foot is broken or the ankle is sprained.
be standing; be upright
From this reading But I cannot stand--I must be carried."
occupy a large, elongated area
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
in a vehement manner
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Immediately, before his companion could stretch forth a hand to help him, the enraged man had tried to rise, but with a wild curse he sank again to the ground, and repelled vehemently the attempt of the other to assist him.
Chapter 4 of Felicitas by Felix Dahn holds 69 sentences, grouped into 14 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 4 holds 69 sentences of Felicitas, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Felicitas by Felix Dahn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 69 sentences, grouped into 14 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 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 14 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 4 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 Felicitas by Felix Dahn on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2412 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32222 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #32222, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 201 minutes of reading across 483 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Felicitas section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of Felicitas 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 Felicitas, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
