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In the Wilderness
In the Wilderness

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of In the Wilderness is here in full — 156 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for In the Wilderness
Context Illustration Reading 22/31 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Something like this: HERE LIE THE REMAINS EATEN BY A BEAR Aug.
20, 1877 It is a very unheroic and even disagreeable epitaph.
That eaten by a bear is intolerable.
It is grotesque.
And then I thought what an inadequate language the English is for compact expression.
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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.

In the Wilderness

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of In the Wilderness is here in full — 156 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 22/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 106–110

Line 1
Something like this: HERE LIE THE REMAINS EATEN BY A BEAR Aug.
/ˈsʌmθɪŋ laɪk ðɪs hiːr laɪ ðə rɪˈmeɪnz ˈiːtən baɪ ə ber ˈɔːɡəst/
Line 2
20, 1877 It is a very unheroic and even disagreeable epitaph.
Line 3
Thateaten by a bearis intolerable.
/ðæt ˈiːtən baɪ ə ber ɪz ˌɪnˈtɑːlərəbəl/
Line 4
It is grotesque.
/ɪt ɪz ɡroʊˈtesk/
Line 5
And then I thought what an inadequate language the English is for compact expression.
/ənd ðen aɪ θɔːt wʌt æn ˌɪˈnædəkwət ˈlæŋɡwədʒ ðə ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ ɪz fɔːr ˈkɑːmpækt ɪkˈspreʃən/

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.

Aug noun US /ˈɔːɡəst/

the month following July and preceding September

From this reading “Something like this: HERE LIE THE REMAINS EATEN BY A BEAR Aug.”

compact noun US /ˈkɑːmpækt/

a small cosmetics case with a mirror; to be carried in a woman's purse

From this reading “And then I thought what an inadequate language the English is for compact expression.”

disagreeable adjective US /ˌdɪsəˈɡriːəbəl/

not to your liking

From this reading “20, 1877 It is a very unheroic and even disagreeable epitaph.”

eaten verb US /ˈiːtən/

inflected form of “eat” — take in solid food

From this reading “Something like this: HERE LIE THE REMAINS EATEN BY A BEAR Aug.”

epitaph noun US /ˈepətæf/

an inscription on a tombstone or monument in memory of the person buried there

From this reading “20, 1877 It is a very unheroic and even disagreeable epitaph.”

grotesque adjective US /ɡroʊˈtesk/

distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal and hideous

From this reading “It is grotesque.”

inadequate adjective US /ˌɪˈnædəkwət/

lacking the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task

From this reading “And then I thought what an inadequate language the English is for compact expression.”

intolerable adjective US /ˌɪnˈtɑːlərəbəl/

incapable of being tolerated or endured

From this reading “That “eaten by a bear” is intolerable.”

All words in this reading · 36

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.

1877

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

From this reading 20, 1877 It is a very unheroic and even disagreeable epitaph.

20

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

From this reading 20, 1877 It is a very unheroic and even disagreeable epitaph.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Something like this: HERE LIE THE REMAINS EATEN BY A BEAR Aug.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading And then I thought what an inadequate language the English is for compact expression.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading 20, 1877 It is a very unheroic and even disagreeable epitaph.

AugnounUS /ˈɔːɡəst/

the month following July and preceding September

From this reading Something like this: HERE LIE THE REMAINS EATEN BY A BEAR Aug.

BEARverbUS /ber/

have

From this reading Something like this: HERE LIE THE REMAINS EATEN BY A BEAR Aug.

BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Something like this: HERE LIE THE REMAINS EATEN BY A BEAR Aug.

compactnounUS /ˈkɑːmpækt/

a small cosmetics case with a mirror; to be carried in a woman's purse

From this reading And then I thought what an inadequate language the English is for compact expression.

disagreeableadjectiveUS /ˌdɪsəˈɡriːəbəl/

not to your liking

From this reading 20, 1877 It is a very unheroic and even disagreeable epitaph.

EATENverbUS /ˈiːtən/

inflected form of “eat” — take in solid food

From this reading Something like this: HERE LIE THE REMAINS EATEN BY A BEAR Aug.

EnglishnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading And then I thought what an inadequate language the English is for compact expression.

epitaphnounUS /ˈepətæf/

an inscription on a tombstone or monument in memory of the person buried there

From this reading 20, 1877 It is a very unheroic and even disagreeable epitaph.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading 20, 1877 It is a very unheroic and even disagreeable epitaph.

expressionnounUS /ɪkˈspreʃən/

the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading And then I thought what an inadequate language the English is for compact expression.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading And then I thought what an inadequate language the English is for compact expression.

grotesqueadjectiveUS /ɡroʊˈtesk/

distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal and hideous

From this reading It is grotesque.

HEREadverbUS /hiːr/

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

From this reading Something like this: HERE LIE THE REMAINS EATEN BY A BEAR Aug.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading And then I thought what an inadequate language the English is for compact expression.

inadequateadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnædəkwət/

lacking the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task

From this reading And then I thought what an inadequate language the English is for compact expression.

intolerableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtɑːlərəbəl/

incapable of being tolerated or endured

From this reading That “eaten by a bear” is intolerable.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading 20, 1877 It is a very unheroic and even disagreeable epitaph.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading 20, 1877 It is a very unheroic and even disagreeable epitaph.

languagenounUS /ˈlæŋɡwədʒ/

a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols

From this reading And then I thought what an inadequate language the English is for compact expression.

LIEverbUS /laɪ/

be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position

From this reading Something like this: HERE LIE THE REMAINS EATEN BY A BEAR Aug.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Something like this: HERE LIE THE REMAINS EATEN BY A BEAR Aug.

REMAINSnounUS /rɪˈmeɪnz/

any object that is left unused or still extant

From this reading Something like this: HERE LIE THE REMAINS EATEN BY A BEAR Aug.

SomethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Something like this: HERE LIE THE REMAINS EATEN BY A BEAR Aug.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That “eaten by a bear” is intolerable.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Something like this: HERE LIE THE REMAINS EATEN BY A BEAR Aug.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading And then I thought what an inadequate language the English is for compact expression.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Something like this: HERE LIE THE REMAINS EATEN BY A BEAR Aug.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading And then I thought what an inadequate language the English is for compact expression.

unheroic

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

From this reading 20, 1877 It is a very unheroic and even disagreeable epitaph.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading 20, 1877 It is a very unheroic and even disagreeable epitaph.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading And then I thought what an inadequate language the English is for compact expression.

Chapter 1 of In the Wilderness by Charles Dudley Warner holds 156 sentences, grouped into 32 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 1 of In the Wilderness contain?

Chapter 1 holds 156 sentences of In the Wilderness, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of In the Wilderness by Charles Dudley Warner exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 156 sentences, grouped into 32 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 1 of In the Wilderness?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 In the Wilderness

Common questions about reading In the Wilderness by Charles Dudley Warner on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of In the Wilderness?

Yes. All 1637 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3132 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of In the Wilderness is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3132, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does In the Wilderness take to read?

About 136 minutes of reading across 328 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read In the Wilderness section by section

How to work through In the Wilderness section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of In the Wilderness 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 In the Wilderness

Words and structures a reader meets early in In the Wilderness, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Conflicting
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In the Wilderness; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Accounts
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In the Wilderness; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Appeared
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In the Wilderness; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Casual
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In the Wilderness; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.