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Folk-lore of Shakespeare
Folk-lore of Shakespeare

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of Folk-lore of Shakespeare is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/85 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE HUMAN BODY.
It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.
Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.
According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.
Thus, in the Comedy of Errors (iv.
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Folk-lore of Shakespeare

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of Folk-lore of Shakespeare is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE HUMAN BODY.
/ðə ˈhjuːmən ˈbɑːdi/
Line 2
It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.
/ɪt wʊd biː ˈdɪfəkəlt tuː ɪˈnuːməreɪt ðə ˈmænəfoʊld fɔːrmz ʌv ˌsuːpərˈstɪʃən wɪtʃ hæv ɪn moʊst ˈkʌntriz ɪn ðə kɔːrs ʌv pæst ˈsentʃəriz ˈklʌstərd raʊnd ðə ˈhjuːmən ˈbɑːdi/
Line 3
Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.
Line 4
According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.
Line 5
Thus, in theComedy of Errors” (iv.

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.

allusions noun US /əˈluːʒənz/

plural of “allusion” — passing reference or indirect mention

From this reading “Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.”

clustered adjective US /ˈklʌstərd/

growing close together but not in dense mats

From this reading “It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.”

enumerate verb US /ɪˈnuːməreɪt/

specify individually

From this reading “It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.”

Errors noun US /ˈerərz/

plural of “error” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading “Thus, in the “Comedy of Errors” (iv.”

indication noun US /ˌɪndəˈkeɪʃən/

something that serves to indicate or suggest

From this reading “According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.”

manifold noun US /ˈmænəfoʊld/

a pipe that has several lateral outlets to or from other pipes

From this reading “It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.”

palmistry noun US /ˈpɑːmɪstri/

telling fortunes by lines on the palm of the hand

From this reading “Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.”

superstition noun US /ˌsuːpərˈstɪʃən/

an irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear

From this reading “It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.”

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.

clustered round adjective + noun

In this reading “It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.”

popular belief adjective + noun

In this reading “According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.”

HUMAN BODY adjective + noun

alternative names for the body of a human being

In this reading “THE HUMAN BODY.”

years past noun + noun

In this reading “According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.”

own country verb + noun

In this reading “Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.”

past centuries noun + noun counted as “past century”

In this reading “It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.”

in the course preposition + article + noun counted as “in … course”

In this reading “It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.”

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.

AccordingadjectiveUS /əˈkɔːrdɪŋ/

(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with

From this reading According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.

allusionsnounUS /əˈluːʒənz/

plural of “allusion” — passing reference or indirect mention

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

beliefnounUS /bɪˈliːf/

any cognitive content held as true

From this reading According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.

BODYnounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading THE HUMAN BODY.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

centuriesnounUS /ˈsentʃəriz/

plural of “century” — a period of 100 years

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

clusteredadjectiveUS /ˈklʌstərd/

growing close together but not in dense mats

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

ComedynounUS /ˈkɑːmədi/

light and humorous drama with a happy ending

From this reading Thus, in the “Comedy of Errors” (iv.

countriesnounUS /ˈkʌntriz/

plural of “country” — a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

currentnounUS /ˈkɜːrənt/

a flow of electricity through a conductor

From this reading According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.

deep-rootedadjective

(used especially of ideas or principles) deeply rooted; firmly fixed or held

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

demoniacaladjective

of, pertaining to, or like a demon or possession by a demon

From this reading According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.

difficultadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfəkəlt/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

enumerateverbUS /ɪˈnuːməreɪt/

specify individually

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

ErrorsnounUS /ˈerərz/

plural of “error” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading Thus, in the “Comedy of Errors” (iv.

formsnounUS /fɔːrmz/

plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

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

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

HUMANadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading THE HUMAN BODY.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

indicationnounUS /ˌɪndəˈkeɪʃən/

something that serves to indicate or suggest

From this reading According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

ivnoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading Thus, in the “Comedy of Errors” (iv.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

manifoldnounUS /ˈmænəfoʊld/

a pipe that has several lateral outlets to or from other pipes

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

ManyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

palmistrynounUS /ˈpɑːmɪstri/

telling fortunes by lines on the palm of the hand

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

popularadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːpjələr/

regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public

From this reading According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.

possessionnounUS /pəˈzeʃən/

the act of having and controlling property

From this reading According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

scatteredadjectiveUS /ˈskætərd/

occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

ShakespearenounUS /ˈʃeɪkspiːr/

English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

superstitionnounUS /ˌsuːpərˈstɪʃən/

an irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

supposedadjectiveUS /səˈpoʊzd/

required or under orders

From this reading According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE HUMAN BODY.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

throughoutprepositionUS /θruːˈaʊt/

in every part of a place, or for the whole of a period

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

ThusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading Thus, in the “Comedy of Errors” (iv.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Many of these, too, may still be found scattered, here and there, throughout our own country, one of the most deep-rooted being palmistry, several allusions to which are made by Shakespeare.

tremblingnounUS /ˈtrembəlɪŋ/

a shaky motion

From this reading According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading According to a popular belief current in years past, a trembling of the body was supposed to be an indication of demoniacal possession.

Chapter 20 of Folk-lore of Shakespeare by T. F. (Thomas Firminger) Thiselton-Dyer holds 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 20 of Folk-lore of Shakespeare contain?

Chapter 20 holds 425 sentences of Folk-lore of Shakespeare, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of Folk-lore of Shakespeare by T. F. (Thomas Firminger) Thiselton-Dyer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 20 of Folk-lore of Shakespeare?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 Folk-lore of Shakespeare

Common questions about reading Folk-lore of Shakespeare by T. F. (Thomas Firminger) Thiselton-Dyer on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Folk-lore of Shakespeare?

Yes. All 9486 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32183 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Folk-lore of Shakespeare is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #32183, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Folk-lore of Shakespeare take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1898 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Folk-lore of Shakespeare section by section

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  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in Folk-lore of Shakespeare

Words and structures a reader meets early in Folk-lore of Shakespeare, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Thiselton
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Folk-lore of Shakespeare; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Folk-lore of Shakespeare; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
British
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Folk-lore of Shakespeare; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Popular
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Folk-lore of Shakespeare; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.