Chapter XIV

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

From this reading A VOYAGE TO THE CASPIAN THE following spring, Ivar and his foster-brothers made preparations to go to the Caspian Sea, by the Volga.

generally approved or compelling recognition

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

anew

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

(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 The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

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

From this reading A VOYAGE TO THE CASPIAN THE following spring, Ivar and his foster-brothers made preparations to go to the Caspian Sea, by the Volga.

the verbal act of requesting

From this reading They had sent word to several of their young kinsmen, asking them if they would join them in their voyage.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading A VOYAGE TO THE CASPIAN THE following spring, Ivar and his foster-brothers made preparations to go to the Caspian Sea, by the Volga.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

a large saltwater lake between Iran and Russia fed by the Volga River; the largest inland body of water in the world

From this reading A VOYAGE TO THE CASPIAN THE following spring, Ivar and his foster-brothers made preparations to go to the Caspian Sea, by the Volga.

inflected form of “choose” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives

From this reading Ivar chose three vessels of very light draught, that could sail easily on the rivers of the present Russia, leading to that sea.

entailing great loss or sacrifice

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Ivar chose three vessels of very light draught, that could sail easily on the rivers of the present Russia, leading to that sea.

a serving of drink (usually alcoholic) drawn from a keg

From this reading Ivar chose three vessels of very light draught, that could sail easily on the rivers of the present Russia, leading to that sea.

a positive feeling of wanting to push ahead with something

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)

From this reading Ivar chose three vessels of very light draught, that could sail easily on the rivers of the present Russia, leading to that sea.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading A VOYAGE TO THE CASPIAN THE following spring, Ivar and his foster-brothers made preparations to go to the Caspian Sea, by the Volga.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

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

From this reading A VOYAGE TO THE CASPIAN THE following spring, Ivar and his foster-brothers made preparations to go to the Caspian Sea, by the Volga.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading A VOYAGE TO THE CASPIAN THE following spring, Ivar and his foster-brothers made preparations to go to the Caspian Sea, by the Volga.

destroyed or killed

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

plural of “good” — benefit

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading They had sent word to several of their young kinsmen, asking them if they would join them in their voyage.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

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

From this reading A VOYAGE TO THE CASPIAN THE following spring, Ivar and his foster-brothers made preparations to go to the Caspian Sea, by the Volga.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading They had sent word to several of their young kinsmen, asking them if they would join them in their voyage.

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

From this reading They had sent word to several of their young kinsmen, asking them if they would join them in their voyage.

a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

past form of “invite” — increase the likelihood of

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was not a small undertaking to make a voyage to the Caspian, for it was tedious, and took a long time.

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

From this reading A VOYAGE TO THE CASPIAN THE following spring, Ivar and his foster-brothers made preparations to go to the Caspian Sea, by the Volga.

become part of; become a member of a group or organization

From this reading They had sent word to several of their young kinsmen, asking them if they would join them in their voyage.

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

From this reading They had sent word to several of their young kinsmen, asking them if they would join them in their voyage.

plural of “land” — the land on which real estate is located

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

indicating the most important performer or role

From this reading Ivar chose three vessels of very light draught, that could sail easily on the rivers of the present Russia, leading to that sea.

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading Ivar chose three vessels of very light draught, that could sail easily on the rivers of the present Russia, leading to that sea.

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 It was not a small undertaking to make a voyage to the Caspian, for it was tedious, and took a long time.

past form of “long” — desire strongly or persistently

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading A VOYAGE TO THE CASPIAN THE following spring, Ivar and his foster-brothers made preparations to go to the Caspian Sea, by the Volga.

engage in

From this reading It was not a small undertaking to make a voyage to the Caspian, for it was tedious, and took a long time.

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 The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

used to form the superlative

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It was not a small undertaking to make a voyage to the Caspian, for it was tedious, and took a long time.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading They had sent word to several of their young kinsmen, asking them if they would join them in their voyage.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

plural of “preparation” — the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose

From this reading A VOYAGE TO THE CASPIAN THE following spring, Ivar and his foster-brothers made preparations to go to the Caspian Sea, by the Volga.

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Ivar chose three vessels of very light draught, that could sail easily on the rivers of the present Russia, leading to that sea.

the excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time (including depreciation and other non-cash expenses)

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

something proposed (such as a plan or assumption)

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

plural of “river” — a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading Ivar chose three vessels of very light draught, that could sail easily on the rivers of the present Russia, leading to that sea.

a former communist country in eastern Europe and northern Asia; established in 1922; included Russia and 14 other soviet socialist republics (Ukraine and Byelorussia and others); officially dissolved 31 December 1991

From this reading Ivar chose three vessels of very light draught, that could sail easily on the rivers of the present Russia, leading to that sea.

traverse or travel on (a body of water)

From this reading Ivar chose three vessels of very light draught, that could sail easily on the rivers of the present Russia, leading to that sea.

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading A VOYAGE TO THE CASPIAN THE following spring, Ivar and his foster-brothers made preparations to go to the Caspian Sea, by the Volga.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading They had sent word to several of their young kinsmen, asking them if they would join them in their voyage.

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

From this reading They had sent word to several of their young kinsmen, asking them if they would join them in their voyage.

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

From this reading It was not a small undertaking to make a voyage to the Caspian, for it was tedious, and took a long time.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

the season of growth

From this reading A VOYAGE TO THE CASPIAN THE following spring, Ivar and his foster-brothers made preparations to go to the Caspian Sea, by the Volga.

so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness

From this reading It was not a small undertaking to make a voyage to the Caspian, for it was tedious, and took a long time.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Ivar chose three vessels of very light draught, that could sail easily on the rivers of the present Russia, leading to that sea.

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

From this reading A VOYAGE TO THE CASPIAN THE following spring, Ivar and his foster-brothers made preparations to go to the Caspian Sea, by the Volga.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They had sent word to several of their young kinsmen, asking them if they would join them in their voyage.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading They had sent word to several of their young kinsmen, asking them if they would join them in their voyage.

in or at that place or location

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They had sent word to several of their young kinsmen, asking them if they would join them in their voyage.

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading It was not a small undertaking to make a voyage to the Caspian, for it was tedious, and took a long time.

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

From this reading A VOYAGE TO THE CASPIAN THE following spring, Ivar and his foster-brothers made preparations to go to the Caspian Sea, by the Volga.

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading It was not a small undertaking to make a voyage to the Caspian, for it was tedious, and took a long time.

the commercial exchange (buying and selling on domestic or international markets) of goods and services

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

make an effort or attempt

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

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

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

From this reading It was not a small undertaking to make a voyage to the Caspian, for it was tedious, and took a long time.

precisely as stated

From this reading Ivar chose three vessels of very light draught, that could sail easily on the rivers of the present Russia, leading to that sea.

plural of “vessel” — a tube in which a body fluid circulates

From this reading Ivar chose three vessels of very light draught, that could sail easily on the rivers of the present Russia, leading to that sea.

a Russian river; the longest river in Europe; flows into the Caspian Sea

From this reading A VOYAGE TO THE CASPIAN THE following spring, Ivar and his foster-brothers made preparations to go to the Caspian Sea, by the Volga.

an act of traveling by water

From this reading A VOYAGE TO THE CASPIAN THE following spring, Ivar and his foster-brothers made preparations to go to the Caspian Sea, by the Volga.

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

From this reading It was not a small undertaking to make a voyage to the Caspian, for it was tedious, and took a long time.

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

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The proposal had been accepted with eagerness by them all, for most of those to whom the invitation had been sent had never gone so far south, and they longed to see the lands of which they had heard so much, or from which so many costly things came; but two or three among those invited had been there before to trade, and had made on their return great profits on their goods, and they wished to try their luck again.

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading They had sent word to several of their young kinsmen, asking them if they would join them in their voyage.

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

From this reading They had sent word to several of their young kinsmen, asking them if they would join them in their voyage.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading They had sent word to several of their young kinsmen, asking them if they would join them in their voyage.