Chapter 2 of Lumen is here in full — 457 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Lumen is here in full — 457 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
QUÆRENS. You saw yourself? LUMEN. Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled. There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.
Chapter 2 of Lumen is here in full — 457 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/91 · 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.
being or having light colored skin and hair and usually blue or grey eyes
From this reading “Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.”
a top worn by women
From this reading “Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.”
plural of “cuff” — the lap consisting of a turned-back hem encircling the end of the sleeve or leg
From this reading “Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.”
plural of “curl” — a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)
From this reading “Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.”
past form of “embroider” — decorate with needlework
From this reading “Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.”
a unit of luminous flux equal to the amount of light given out through a solid angle of 1 steradian by a point source of 1 candela intensity radiating uniformly in all directions
From this reading “LUMEN.”
painting or drawing included in a book (especially in illuminated medieval manuscripts)
From this reading “There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.”
in disarray; extremely disorderly
From this reading “Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.”
In this reading “There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.”
In this reading “Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.”
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.
how long something has existed
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.
being or having light colored skin and hair and usually blue or grey eyes
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
a top worn by women
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
a band that fits around the neck and is usually folded over
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
having or capable of producing colors
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
plural of “cuff” — the lap consisting of a turned-back hem encircling the end of the sleeve or leg
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
plural of “curl” — a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
past form of “embroider” — decorate with needlework
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
a unit of luminous flux equal to the amount of light given out through a solid angle of 1 steradian by a point source of 1 candela intensity radiating uniformly in all directions
From this reading LUMEN.
shelf that projects from wall above fireplace
From this reading There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.
painting or drawing included in a book (especially in illuminated medieval manuscripts)
From this reading There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.
possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading QUÆRENS.
in disarray; extremely disorderly
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
Identical; not different.
From this reading There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.
cut with a saw
From this reading You saw yourself?
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.
precisely as stated
From this reading There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There I was, the very same as you have seen in the half-effaced miniature that stood on my mantelpiece.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
a late time of life
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
an affirmative
From this reading Yes, myself, with the blond curls of six years of age, with my little collar embroidered by my mother's hands, my little blouse of light blue colour, and the cuffs always rumpled.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You saw yourself?
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading You saw yourself?
Chapter 2 of Lumen by Camille Flammarion holds 457 sentences, grouped into 92 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 2 holds 457 sentences of Lumen, unabridged, divided into 92 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Lumen by Camille Flammarion exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 457 sentences, grouped into 92 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 92 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 92 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 2 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 Lumen by Camille Flammarion on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2348 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43835 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43835, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 195 minutes of reading across 470 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Lumen section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of Lumen 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 Lumen, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
