Chapter 8 of Letters to his wife Mary Borrow is here in full — 19 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Letters to his wife Mary Borrow is here in full — 19 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
FORT AUGUSTUS, _Sunday_, _October_ 7_th_, [1858]. DEAR CARRETA, I write a line lest you should be uneasy. Before leaving the Highlands I thought I would see a little more about me. So last week I set on a four days’ task, a walk of a hundred miles. I returned here late last Thursday night.
Chapter 8 of Letters to his wife Mary Borrow is here in full — 19 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/3 · 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.
Roman statesman who established the Roman Empire and became emperor in 27 BC; defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra in 31 BC at Actium (63 BC - AD 14)
From this reading “FORT AUGUSTUS, _Sunday_, _October_ 7_th_, [1858].”
a fortified military post where troops are stationed
From this reading “FORT AUGUSTUS, _Sunday_, _October_ 7_th_, [1858].”
a mountainous region of northern Scotland famous for its rugged beauty; known for the style of dress (the kilt and tartan) and the clan system (now in disuse)
From this reading “Before leaving the Highlands I thought I would see a little more about me.”
in order that something should not happen
From this reading “DEAR CARRETA, I write a line lest you should be uneasy.”
the month following September and preceding November
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading “So last week I set on a four days’ task, a walk of a hundred miles.”
the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day
From this reading “I returned here late last Thursday night.”
lacking a sense of security or affording no ease or reassurance
From this reading “DEAR CARRETA, I write a line lest you should be uneasy.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FORT AUGUSTUS, _Sunday_, _October_ 7_th_, [1858].
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FORT AUGUSTUS, _Sunday_, _October_ 7_th_, [1858].
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading DEAR CARRETA, I write a line lest you should be uneasy.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Before leaving the Highlands I thought I would see a little more about me.
Roman statesman who established the Roman Empire and became emperor in 27 BC; defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra in 31 BC at Actium (63 BC - AD 14)
From this reading FORT AUGUSTUS, _Sunday_, _October_ 7_th_, [1858].
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading DEAR CARRETA, I write a line lest you should be uneasy.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before leaving the Highlands I thought I would see a little more about me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DEAR CARRETA, I write a line lest you should be uneasy.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading So last week I set on a four days’ task, a walk of a hundred miles.
dearly loved
From this reading DEAR CARRETA, I write a line lest you should be uneasy.
a fortified military post where troops are stationed
From this reading FORT AUGUSTUS, _Sunday_, _October_ 7_th_, [1858].
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading So last week I set on a four days’ task, a walk of a hundred miles.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading I returned here late last Thursday night.
a mountainous region of northern Scotland famous for its rugged beauty; known for the style of dress (the kilt and tartan) and the clan system (now in disuse)
From this reading Before leaving the Highlands I thought I would see a little more about me.
ten 10s
From this reading So last week I set on a four days’ task, a walk of a hundred miles.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading DEAR CARRETA, I write a line lest you should be uneasy.
immediately past
From this reading So last week I set on a four days’ task, a walk of a hundred miles.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading I returned here late last Thursday night.
the act of departing
From this reading Before leaving the Highlands I thought I would see a little more about me.
in order that something should not happen
From this reading DEAR CARRETA, I write a line lest you should be uneasy.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading DEAR CARRETA, I write a line lest you should be uneasy.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Before leaving the Highlands I thought I would see a little more about me.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Before leaving the Highlands I thought I would see a little more about me.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading So last week I set on a four days’ task, a walk of a hundred miles.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Before leaving the Highlands I thought I would see a little more about me.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading I returned here late last Thursday night.
the month following September and preceding November
From this reading FORT AUGUSTUS, _Sunday_, _October_ 7_th_, [1858].
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading So last week I set on a four days’ task, a walk of a hundred miles.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading So last week I set on a four days’ task, a walk of a hundred miles.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading I returned here late last Thursday night.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Before leaving the Highlands I thought I would see a little more about me.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading So last week I set on a four days’ task, a walk of a hundred miles.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading DEAR CARRETA, I write a line lest you should be uneasy.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So last week I set on a four days’ task, a walk of a hundred miles.
first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians
From this reading FORT AUGUSTUS, _Sunday_, _October_ 7_th_, [1858].
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading So last week I set on a four days’ task, a walk of a hundred miles.
the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day
From this reading FORT AUGUSTUS, _Sunday_, _October_ 7_th_, [1858].
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Before leaving the Highlands I thought I would see a little more about me.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Before leaving the Highlands I thought I would see a little more about me.
the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day
From this reading I returned here late last Thursday night.
lacking a sense of security or affording no ease or reassurance
From this reading DEAR CARRETA, I write a line lest you should be uneasy.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading So last week I set on a four days’ task, a walk of a hundred miles.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading So last week I set on a four days’ task, a walk of a hundred miles.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Before leaving the Highlands I thought I would see a little more about me.
produce a literary work
From this reading DEAR CARRETA, I write a line lest you should be uneasy.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading DEAR CARRETA, I write a line lest you should be uneasy.
Chapter 8 of Letters to his wife Mary Borrow by George Borrow holds 19 sentences, grouped into 4 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 8 holds 19 sentences of Letters to his wife Mary Borrow, unabridged, divided into 4 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Letters to his wife Mary Borrow by George Borrow exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 19 sentences, grouped into 4 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 4 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 4 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 8 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 Letters to his wife Mary Borrow by George Borrow on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 257 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28814 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #28814, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 21 minutes of reading across 52 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Letters to his wife Mary Borrow section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Letters to his wife Mary Borrow 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 Letters to his wife Mary Borrow, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
