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Mary Olivier: a Life
Mary Olivier: a Life

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Mary Olivier: a Life is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Mary Olivier: a Life
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Potnia, potnia nux, hypnodoteira ton polyponon broton, erebothen ithi, mole, mole katapteros ton Agamemnonion epi domon.
She wished she knew Greek; the patterns the sounds made were so hard and still.
And there were bits of patterns, snapt off, throbbing wounds of sound that couldn't heal.
Lines out of Mark's Homer.
Mark's Greek books had been taken from her five years ago, when Rodney went to Chelmsted.
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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.

Mary Olivier: a Life

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Mary Olivier: a Life is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
Potnia, potnia nux, hypnodoteira ton polyponon broton, erebothen ithi, mole, mole katapteros ton Agamemnonion epi domon.
Line 2
She wished she knew Greek; the patterns the sounds made were so hard and still.
/ʃiː wɪʃt ʃiː nuː ɡriːk ðə ˈpætərnz ðə saʊndz meɪd wɜːr soʊ hɑːrd ənd stɪl/
Line 3
And there were bits of patterns, snapt off, throbbing wounds of sound that couldn't heal.
Line 4
Lines out of Mark's Homer.
/laɪnz aʊt ʌv mɑːrks ˈhoʊmər/
Line 5
Mark's Greek books had been taken from her five years ago, when Rodney went to Chelmsted.

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.

bits noun US /bɪts/

plural of “bit” — a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading “And there were bits of patterns, snapt off, throbbing wounds of sound that couldn't heal.”

heal verb US /hiːl/

heal or recover

From this reading “And there were bits of patterns, snapt off, throbbing wounds of sound that couldn't heal.”

Homer noun US /ˈhoʊmər/

a base hit on which the batter scores a run

From this reading “Lines out of Mark's Homer.”

Mark's noun US /mɑːrks/

possessive form of “mark” — a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)

From this reading “Lines out of Mark's Homer.”

mole noun US /moʊl/

the molecular weight of a substance expressed in grams; the basic unit of amount of substance adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading “Potnia, potnia nux, hypnodoteira ton polyponon broton, erebothen ithi, mole, mole katapteros ton Agamemnonion epi domon.”

patterns noun US /ˈpætərnz/

plural of “pattern” — a perceptual structure

From this reading “She wished she knew Greek; the patterns the sounds made were so hard and still.”

throbbing noun US /ˈθrɑːbɪŋ/

an instance of rapid strong pulsation (of the heart)

From this reading “And there were bits of patterns, snapt off, throbbing wounds of sound that couldn't heal.”

ton noun US /tʌn/

a United States unit of weight equivalent to 2000 pounds

From this reading “Potnia, potnia nux, hypnodoteira ton polyponon broton, erebothen ithi, mole, mole katapteros ton Agamemnonion epi domon.”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

Agamemnonion

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

From this reading Potnia, potnia nux, hypnodoteira ton polyponon broton, erebothen ithi, mole, mole katapteros ton Agamemnonion epi domon.

agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/

in the past

From this reading Mark's Greek books had been taken from her five years ago, when Rodney went to Chelmsted.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading She wished she knew Greek; the patterns the sounds made were so hard and still.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Mark's Greek books had been taken from her five years ago, when Rodney went to Chelmsted.

bitsnounUS /bɪts/

plural of “bit” — a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading And there were bits of patterns, snapt off, throbbing wounds of sound that couldn't heal.

booksnounUS /bʊks/

Bound written or printed works.

From this reading Mark's Greek books had been taken from her five years ago, when Rodney went to Chelmsted.

broton

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

From this reading Potnia, potnia nux, hypnodoteira ton polyponon broton, erebothen ithi, mole, mole katapteros ton Agamemnonion epi domon.

Chelmsted

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

From this reading Mark's Greek books had been taken from her five years ago, when Rodney went to Chelmsted.

couldn't

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

From this reading And there were bits of patterns, snapt off, throbbing wounds of sound that couldn't heal.

domon

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

From this reading Potnia, potnia nux, hypnodoteira ton polyponon broton, erebothen ithi, mole, mole katapteros ton Agamemnonion epi domon.

epinoun

a self-report personality inventory based on Hans Eysenck's factor analysis of personality which assumes three basic factors (the two most important being extraversion to introversion and neuroticism)

From this reading Potnia, potnia nux, hypnodoteira ton polyponon broton, erebothen ithi, mole, mole katapteros ton Agamemnonion epi domon.

erebothen

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

From this reading Potnia, potnia nux, hypnodoteira ton polyponon broton, erebothen ithi, mole, mole katapteros ton Agamemnonion epi domon.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading Mark's Greek books had been taken from her five years ago, when Rodney went to Chelmsted.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Mark's Greek books had been taken from her five years ago, when Rodney went to Chelmsted.

GreeknounUS /ɡriːk/

the Hellenic branch of the Indo-European family of languages

From this reading She wished she knew Greek; the patterns the sounds made were so hard and still.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Mark's Greek books had been taken from her five years ago, when Rodney went to Chelmsted.

hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading She wished she knew Greek; the patterns the sounds made were so hard and still.

healverbUS /hiːl/

heal or recover

From this reading And there were bits of patterns, snapt off, throbbing wounds of sound that couldn't heal.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Mark's Greek books had been taken from her five years ago, when Rodney went to Chelmsted.

HomernounUS /ˈhoʊmər/

a base hit on which the batter scores a run

From this reading Lines out of Mark's Homer.

hypnodoteira

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

From this reading Potnia, potnia nux, hypnodoteira ton polyponon broton, erebothen ithi, mole, mole katapteros ton Agamemnonion epi domon.

ithi

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

From this reading Potnia, potnia nux, hypnodoteira ton polyponon broton, erebothen ithi, mole, mole katapteros ton Agamemnonion epi domon.

katapteros

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

From this reading Potnia, potnia nux, hypnodoteira ton polyponon broton, erebothen ithi, mole, mole katapteros ton Agamemnonion epi domon.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading She wished she knew Greek; the patterns the sounds made were so hard and still.

LinesnounUS /laɪnz/

plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading Lines out of Mark's Homer.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading She wished she knew Greek; the patterns the sounds made were so hard and still.

Mark'snounUS /mɑːrks/

possessive form of “mark” — a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)

From this reading Lines out of Mark's Homer.

molenounUS /moʊl/

the molecular weight of a substance expressed in grams; the basic unit of amount of substance adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading Potnia, potnia nux, hypnodoteira ton polyponon broton, erebothen ithi, mole, mole katapteros ton Agamemnonion epi domon.

nux

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

From this reading Potnia, potnia nux, hypnodoteira ton polyponon broton, erebothen ithi, mole, mole katapteros ton Agamemnonion epi domon.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And there were bits of patterns, snapt off, throbbing wounds of sound that couldn't heal.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading And there were bits of patterns, snapt off, throbbing wounds of sound that couldn't heal.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Lines out of Mark's Homer.

patternsnounUS /ˈpætərnz/

plural of “pattern” — a perceptual structure

From this reading She wished she knew Greek; the patterns the sounds made were so hard and still.

polyponon

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

From this reading Potnia, potnia nux, hypnodoteira ton polyponon broton, erebothen ithi, mole, mole katapteros ton Agamemnonion epi domon.

Potnia

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

From this reading Potnia, potnia nux, hypnodoteira ton polyponon broton, erebothen ithi, mole, mole katapteros ton Agamemnonion epi domon.

Rodney

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

From this reading Mark's Greek books had been taken from her five years ago, when Rodney went to Chelmsted.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She wished she knew Greek; the patterns the sounds made were so hard and still.

snapt

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

From this reading And there were bits of patterns, snapt off, throbbing wounds of sound that couldn't heal.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading She wished she knew Greek; the patterns the sounds made were so hard and still.

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading And there were bits of patterns, snapt off, throbbing wounds of sound that couldn't heal.

soundsnounUS /saʊndz/

plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading She wished she knew Greek; the patterns the sounds made were so hard and still.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading She wished she knew Greek; the patterns the sounds made were so hard and still.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Mark's Greek books had been taken from her five years ago, when Rodney went to Chelmsted.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And there were bits of patterns, snapt off, throbbing wounds of sound that couldn't heal.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading She wished she knew Greek; the patterns the sounds made were so hard and still.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading And there were bits of patterns, snapt off, throbbing wounds of sound that couldn't heal.

throbbingnounUS /ˈθrɑːbɪŋ/

an instance of rapid strong pulsation (of the heart)

From this reading And there were bits of patterns, snapt off, throbbing wounds of sound that couldn't heal.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Mark's Greek books had been taken from her five years ago, when Rodney went to Chelmsted.

tonnounUS /tʌn/

a United States unit of weight equivalent to 2000 pounds

From this reading Potnia, potnia nux, hypnodoteira ton polyponon broton, erebothen ithi, mole, mole katapteros ton Agamemnonion epi domon.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Mark's Greek books had been taken from her five years ago, when Rodney went to Chelmsted.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading She wished she knew Greek; the patterns the sounds made were so hard and still.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Mark's Greek books had been taken from her five years ago, when Rodney went to Chelmsted.

wishedverbUS /wɪʃt/

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

From this reading She wished she knew Greek; the patterns the sounds made were so hard and still.

woundsnounUS /wuːndz/

plural of “wound” — an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)

From this reading And there were bits of patterns, snapt off, throbbing wounds of sound that couldn't heal.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading Mark's Greek books had been taken from her five years ago, when Rodney went to Chelmsted.

Chapter 9 of Mary Olivier: a Life by May Sinclair holds 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 9 of Mary Olivier: a Life contain?

Chapter 9 holds 410 sentences of Mary Olivier: a Life, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Mary Olivier: a Life by May Sinclair exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 9 of Mary Olivier: a Life?

Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 82 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Mary Olivier: a Life

Common questions about reading Mary Olivier: a Life by May Sinclair on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Mary Olivier: a Life?

Yes. All 11459 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9366 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Mary Olivier: a Life is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #9366, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Mary Olivier: a Life take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2292 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Mary Olivier: a Life section by section

How to work through Mary Olivier: a Life section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in Mary Olivier: a Life

Words and structures a reader meets early in Mary Olivier: a Life, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Curtain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mary Olivier: a Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Beside
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mary Olivier: a Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Jenny
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mary Olivier: a Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shook
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mary Olivier: a Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.