Chapter 1 of Miscellaneous Aphorisms is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Miscellaneous Aphorisms is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
(Miscellaneous aphorisms, followed by The Soul of Man.) The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death. Women are made to be loved, not to be understood. It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't. Moren than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read.
Chapter 1 of Miscellaneous Aphorisms is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense
From this reading “It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't.”
plural of “aphorism” — a short pithy instructive saying
From this reading “(Miscellaneous aphorisms, followed by The Soul of Man.)”
a particular society at a particular time and place
From this reading “Moren than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read.”
third-person singular of “depend” — be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading “Moren than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read.”
consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
From this reading “(Miscellaneous aphorisms, followed by The Soul of Man.)”
belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages
From this reading “Moren than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read.”
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading “The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.”
a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
From this reading “It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't.”
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.
be contingent on
In this reading “Moren than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read.”
In this reading “(Miscellaneous aphorisms, followed by The Soul of Man.)”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't.
inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense
From this reading It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't.
plural of “aphorism” — a short pithy instructive saying
From this reading (Miscellaneous aphorisms, followed by The Soul of Man.)
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Women are made to be loved, not to be understood.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Women are made to be loved, not to be understood.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading (Miscellaneous aphorisms, followed by The Soul of Man.)
a particular society at a particular time and place
From this reading Moren than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.
third-person singular of “depend” — be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading Moren than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading (Miscellaneous aphorisms, followed by The Soul of Man.)
greater in size or importance or degree
From this reading The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Moren than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.
held dear
From this reading Women are made to be loved, not to be understood.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Women are made to be loved, not to be understood.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading (Miscellaneous aphorisms, followed by The Soul of Man.)
consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
From this reading (Miscellaneous aphorisms, followed by The Soul of Man.)
belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages
From this reading Moren than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Moren than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Women are made to be loved, not to be understood.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading (Miscellaneous aphorisms, followed by The Soul of Man.)
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Moren than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't.
a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
From this reading It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't.
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading (Miscellaneous aphorisms, followed by The Soul of Man.)
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading (Miscellaneous aphorisms, followed by The Soul of Man.)
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Women are made to be loved, not to be understood.
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading Women are made to be loved, not to be understood.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Women are made to be loved, not to be understood.
Chapter 1 of Miscellaneous Aphorisms by Oscar Wilde holds 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 1 holds 422 sentences of Miscellaneous Aphorisms, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Miscellaneous Aphorisms by Oscar Wilde exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 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.
Common questions about reading Miscellaneous Aphorisms by Oscar Wilde on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2117 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33979 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #33979, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 176 minutes of reading across 424 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Miscellaneous Aphorisms section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of Miscellaneous Aphorisms 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 Miscellaneous Aphorisms, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
