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Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic
Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Of Ketill Flatnose and his Descendants, 9th Century A.D.
[Sidenote: Ketill's family] Ketill Flatnose was the name of a man.
He was the son of Bjorn the Ungartered.
Ketill was a mighty and high-born chieftain (hersir) in Norway.
He abode in Raumsdale, within the folkland of the Raumsdale people, which lies between Southmere and Northmere.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Of Ketill Flatnose and his Descendants, 9th Century A.D.
Line 2
[Sidenote: Ketill's family] Ketill Flatnose was the name of a man.
Line 3
He was the son of Bjorn the Ungartered.
Line 4
Ketill was a mighty and high-born chieftain (hersir) in Norway.
Line 5
He abode in Raumsdale, within the folkland of the Raumsdale people, which lies between Southmere and Northmere.

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.

abode noun US /əˈboʊd/

any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

From this reading “He abode in Raumsdale, within the folkland of the Raumsdale people, which lies between Southmere and Northmere.”

Century noun US /ˈsentʃəri/

a period of 100 years

From this reading “Of Ketill Flatnose and his Descendants, 9th Century A.D.”

chieftain noun US /ˈtʃiːftən/

the leader of a group of people

From this reading “Ketill was a mighty and high-born chieftain (hersir) in Norway.”

Descendants noun US /dɪˈsendənts/

all of the offspring of a given progenitor

From this reading “Of Ketill Flatnose and his Descendants, 9th Century A.D.”

family noun US /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading “[Sidenote: Ketill's family] Ketill Flatnose was the name of a man.”

lies noun US /laɪz/

plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth

From this reading “He abode in Raumsdale, within the folkland of the Raumsdale people, which lies between Southmere and Northmere.”

mighty adjective US /ˈmaɪti/

having or showing great strength or force or intensity

From this reading “Ketill was a mighty and high-born chieftain (hersir) in Norway.”

Norway noun US /ˈnɔːrweɪ/

a constitutional monarchy in northern Europe on the western side of the Scandinavian Peninsula; achieved independence from Sweden in 1905

From this reading “Ketill was a mighty and high-born chieftain (hersir) in Norway.”

All words in this reading · 37

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.

9th

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

From this reading Of Ketill Flatnose and his Descendants, 9th Century A.D.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Of Ketill Flatnose and his Descendants, 9th Century A.D.

abodenounUS /əˈboʊd/

any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

From this reading He abode in Raumsdale, within the folkland of the Raumsdale people, which lies between Southmere and Northmere.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Of Ketill Flatnose and his Descendants, 9th Century A.D.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading He abode in Raumsdale, within the folkland of the Raumsdale people, which lies between Southmere and Northmere.

Bjorn

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

From this reading He was the son of Bjorn the Ungartered.

CenturynounUS /ˈsentʃəri/

a period of 100 years

From this reading Of Ketill Flatnose and his Descendants, 9th Century A.D.

chieftainnounUS /ˈtʃiːftən/

the leader of a group of people

From this reading Ketill was a mighty and high-born chieftain (hersir) in Norway.

DnounUS /diː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading Of Ketill Flatnose and his Descendants, 9th Century A.D.

DescendantsnounUS /dɪˈsendənts/

all of the offspring of a given progenitor

From this reading Of Ketill Flatnose and his Descendants, 9th Century A.D.

familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading [Sidenote: Ketill's family] Ketill Flatnose was the name of a man.

Flatnose

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

From this reading Of Ketill Flatnose and his Descendants, 9th Century A.D.

folkland

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

From this reading He abode in Raumsdale, within the folkland of the Raumsdale people, which lies between Southmere and Northmere.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was the son of Bjorn the Ungartered.

hersir

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

From this reading Ketill was a mighty and high-born chieftain (hersir) in Norway.

high-born

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

From this reading Ketill was a mighty and high-born chieftain (hersir) in Norway.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Of Ketill Flatnose and his Descendants, 9th Century A.D.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Ketill was a mighty and high-born chieftain (hersir) in Norway.

Ketill

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

From this reading Of Ketill Flatnose and his Descendants, 9th Century A.D.

Ketill's

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

From this reading [Sidenote: Ketill's family] Ketill Flatnose was the name of a man.

liesnounUS /laɪz/

plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth

From this reading He abode in Raumsdale, within the folkland of the Raumsdale people, which lies between Southmere and Northmere.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading [Sidenote: Ketill's family] Ketill Flatnose was the name of a man.

mightyadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪti/

having or showing great strength or force or intensity

From this reading Ketill was a mighty and high-born chieftain (hersir) in Norway.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading [Sidenote: Ketill's family] Ketill Flatnose was the name of a man.

Northmere

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

From this reading He abode in Raumsdale, within the folkland of the Raumsdale people, which lies between Southmere and Northmere.

NorwaynounUS /ˈnɔːrweɪ/

a constitutional monarchy in northern Europe on the western side of the Scandinavian Peninsula; achieved independence from Sweden in 1905

From this reading Ketill was a mighty and high-born chieftain (hersir) in Norway.

OfprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Of Ketill Flatnose and his Descendants, 9th Century A.D.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading He abode in Raumsdale, within the folkland of the Raumsdale people, which lies between Southmere and Northmere.

Raumsdale

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

From this reading He abode in Raumsdale, within the folkland of the Raumsdale people, which lies between Southmere and Northmere.

Sidenote

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

From this reading [Sidenote: Ketill's family] Ketill Flatnose was the name of a man.

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading He was the son of Bjorn the Ungartered.

Southmere

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

From this reading He abode in Raumsdale, within the folkland of the Raumsdale people, which lies between Southmere and Northmere.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading [Sidenote: Ketill's family] Ketill Flatnose was the name of a man.

Ungartered

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

From this reading He was the son of Bjorn the Ungartered.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading [Sidenote: Ketill's family] Ketill Flatnose was the name of a man.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading He abode in Raumsdale, within the folkland of the Raumsdale people, which lies between Southmere and Northmere.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading He abode in Raumsdale, within the folkland of the Raumsdale people, which lies between Southmere and Northmere.

Chapter 1 of Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic by Muriel A. C. [Translator] Press holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic contain?

Chapter 1 holds 414 sentences of Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic by Muriel A. C. [Translator] Press exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic

Common questions about reading Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic by Muriel A. C. [Translator] Press on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic?

Yes. All 3350 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17803 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #17803, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic take to read?

About 279 minutes of reading across 670 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic section by section

How to work through Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic 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 Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic

Words and structures a reader meets early in Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Ketill
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Flatnose
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Descendants
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Century
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Laxdæla Saga Translated from the Icelandic; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.