Chapter 2 of Growth of the Soil is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Growth of the Soil is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Inger packed up some food one day in her calfskin bag. "I'd thought of going across to see my people, just how they're faring." "Ay," said Isak. "I must have a bit of talk with them about things." Isak did not go out at once to see her off, but waited quite a while.
Chapter 2 of Growth of the Soil is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 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.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading “"I'd thought of going across to see my people, just how they're faring."”
a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading “Inger packed up some food one day in her calfskin bag.”
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading “"I must have a bit of talk with them about things."”
-ing form of “fare” — proceed or get along
From this reading “"I'd thought of going across to see my people, just how they're faring."”
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading “Inger packed up some food one day in her calfskin bag.”
a member of western Finnish people formerly living in the Baltic province where Saint Petersburg was built
From this reading “Inger packed up some food one day in her calfskin bag.”
extremely crowed or filled to capacity
From this reading “Inger packed up some food one day in her calfskin bag.”
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading “Isak did not go out at once to see her off, but waited quite a while.”
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 "I must have a bit of talk with them about things."
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "I must have a bit of talk with them about things."
from one side of something to the other
From this reading "I'd thought of going across to see my people, just how they're faring."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Isak did not go out at once to see her off, but waited quite a while.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ay," said Isak.
a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading Inger packed up some food one day in her calfskin bag.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading "I must have a bit of talk with them about things."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Isak did not go out at once to see her off, but waited quite a while.
fine leather from the skin of a calf
From this reading Inger packed up some food one day in her calfskin bag.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Inger packed up some food one day in her calfskin bag.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Isak did not go out at once to see her off, but waited quite a while.
-ing form of “fare” — proceed or get along
From this reading "I'd thought of going across to see my people, just how they're faring."
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading Inger packed up some food one day in her calfskin bag.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Isak did not go out at once to see her off, but waited quite a while.
the act of departing
From this reading "I'd thought of going across to see my people, just how they're faring."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I must have a bit of talk with them about things."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Inger packed up some food one day in her calfskin bag.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'd thought of going across to see my people, just how they're faring."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I must have a bit of talk with them about things."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'd thought of going across to see my people, just how they're faring."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Inger packed up some food one day in her calfskin bag.
a member of western Finnish people formerly living in the Baltic province where Saint Petersburg was built
From this reading Inger packed up some food one day in her calfskin bag.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ay," said Isak.
and nothing more
From this reading "I'd thought of going across to see my people, just how they're faring."
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "I must have a bit of talk with them about things."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I'd thought of going across to see my people, just how they're faring."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Isak did not go out at once to see her off, but waited quite a while.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I'd thought of going across to see my people, just how they're faring."
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Isak did not go out at once to see her off, but waited quite a while.
on one occasion
From this reading Isak did not go out at once to see her off, but waited quite a while.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Inger packed up some food one day in her calfskin bag.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Isak did not go out at once to see her off, but waited quite a while.
extremely crowed or filled to capacity
From this reading Inger packed up some food one day in her calfskin bag.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading "I'd thought of going across to see my people, just how they're faring."
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Isak did not go out at once to see her off, but waited quite a while.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Ay," said Isak.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "I'd thought of going across to see my people, just how they're faring."
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Inger packed up some food one day in her calfskin bag.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading "I must have a bit of talk with them about things."
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "I must have a bit of talk with them about things."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'd thought of going across to see my people, just how they're faring."
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading "I must have a bit of talk with them about things."
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "I'd thought of going across to see my people, just how they're faring."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I'd thought of going across to see my people, just how they're faring."
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Inger packed up some food one day in her calfskin bag.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Isak did not go out at once to see her off, but waited quite a while.
during the time that
From this reading Isak did not go out at once to see her off, but waited quite a while.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "I must have a bit of talk with them about things."
Chapter 2 of Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun holds 204 sentences, grouped into 41 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 2 holds 204 sentences of Growth of the Soil, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 204 sentences, grouped into 41 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 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 41 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 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.
Common questions about reading Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9383 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10984 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #10984, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1877 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Growth of the Soil section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 31 chapters of Growth of the Soil 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 Growth of the Soil, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
