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Homo Sum — Volume 01
Homo Sum — Volume 01

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Homo Sum — Volume 01 is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Petrus went up the mountain side with Hermas.
The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.
The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"
"Many years," answered Hermas.
"But I do not know how many--and it is all one.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Homo Sum — Volume 01

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Homo Sum — Volume 01 is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Petrus went up the mountain side with Hermas.
Line 2
The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.
/ðə oʊld mæn ˈfɑːloʊd ðə juːθ huː ʃoʊd hɪm ðə weɪ ənd æz hiː reɪzd hɪz aɪz frʌm taɪm tuː taɪm hiː ɡlænst wɪð ˌædmərˈeɪʃən æt hɪz ɡaɪdz brɔːd ˈʃoʊldərz ənd ɪˈlæstɪk lɪmz/
Line 3
The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"
Line 4
"Many years," answered Hermas.
Line 5
"But I do not know how many--and it is all one.

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.

admiration noun US /ˌædmərˈeɪʃən/

a feeling of delighted approval and liking

From this reading “The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.”

broader adjective US /ˈbrɔːdər/

comparative of “broad” — having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading “The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"”

elastic adjective US /ɪˈlæstɪk/

capable of resuming original shape after stretching or compression; springy

From this reading “The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.”

guide's noun US /ɡaɪdz/

possessive form of “guide” — someone employed to conduct others

From this reading “The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.”

limbs noun US /lɪmz/

plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper

From this reading “The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.”

plateau noun US /plæˈtoʊ/

a relatively flat highland

From this reading “The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"”

senator noun US /ˈsenətər/

a member of a senate

From this reading “The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"”

thence adverb US /ðens/

from that place or that time

From this reading “The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"”

All words in this reading · 73

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 The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

admirationnounUS /ˌædmərˈeɪʃən/

a feeling of delighted approval and liking

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

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 "But I do not know how many--and it is all one.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading "Many years," answered Hermas.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

broadadjectiveUS /brɔːd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

broaderadjectiveUS /ˈbrɔːdər/

comparative of “broad” — having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "But I do not know how many--and it is all one.

elasticadjectiveUS /ɪˈlæstɪk/

capable of resuming original shape after stretching or compression; springy

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

glancedverbUS /ɡlænst/

past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

grewverbUS /ɡruː/

inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

guide'snounUS /ɡaɪdz/

possessive form of “guide” — someone employed to conduct others

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

Hermas

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

From this reading Petrus went up the mountain side with Hermas.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

How

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

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "But I do not know how many--and it is all one.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "But I do not know how many--and it is all one.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "But I do not know how many--and it is all one.

limbsnounUS /lɪmz/

plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

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 years," answered Hermas.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

mountainnounUS /ˈmaʊntən/

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading Petrus went up the mountain side with Hermas.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "But I do not know how many--and it is all one.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "But I do not know how many--and it is all one.

Petrus

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

From this reading Petrus went up the mountain side with Hermas.

plateaunounUS /plæˈtoʊ/

a relatively flat highland

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

raisedadjectiveUS /reɪzd/

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

roadnounUS /roʊd/

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

senatornounUS /ˈsenətər/

a member of a senate

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

shouldersnounUS /ˈʃoʊldərz/

plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

showedverbUS /ʃoʊd/

past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading Petrus went up the mountain side with Hermas.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

speakingnounUS /ˈspiːkɪŋ/

the utterance of intelligible speech

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Petrus went up the mountain side with Hermas.

thenceadverbUS /ðens/

from that place or that time

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Petrus went up the mountain side with Hermas.

walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/

past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Petrus went up the mountain side with Hermas.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Petrus went up the mountain side with Hermas.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading "Many years," answered Hermas.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading The road grew broader when it reached a little mountain plateau, and from thence the two men walked on side by side, but for some time without speaking till the senator asked: "How long now has your father lived up on the mountain?"

youthnounUS /juːθ/

a young person (especially a young man or boy)

From this reading The old man followed the youth, who showed him the way, and as he raised his eyes from time to time, he glanced with admiration at his guide's broad shoulders and elastic limbs.

Chapter 4 of Homo Sum — Volume 01 by Georg Ebers holds 116 sentences, grouped into 24 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 4 of Homo Sum — Volume 01 contain?

Chapter 4 holds 116 sentences of Homo Sum — Volume 01, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Homo Sum — Volume 01 by Georg Ebers exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 116 sentences, grouped into 24 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 4 of Homo Sum — Volume 01?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 4 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Homo Sum — Volume 01

Common questions about reading Homo Sum — Volume 01 by Georg Ebers on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Homo Sum — Volume 01?

Yes. All 724 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5494 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Homo Sum — Volume 01 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5494, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Homo Sum — Volume 01 take to read?

About 60 minutes of reading across 145 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Homo Sum — Volume 01 section by section

How to work through Homo Sum — Volume 01 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 4 chapters of Homo Sum — Volume 01 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 Homo Sum — Volume 01

Words and structures a reader meets early in Homo Sum — Volume 01, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Rocks-naked
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Homo Sum — Volume 01; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Red-brown
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Homo Sum — Volume 01; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rocks
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Homo Sum — Volume 01; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Round
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Homo Sum — Volume 01; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.