Chapter 1 of Mothwise is here in full — 439 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Mothwise is here in full — 439 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Italics are indicated by _underscores_, and bold text by =equals signs=. _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC. ETC. COPENHAGEN. CHRISTIANIA.
Chapter 1 of Mothwise is here in full — 439 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 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.
the capital and largest city of Denmark; located on the island of Zealand
From this reading “COPENHAGEN.”
plural of “equal” — a person who is of equal standing with another in a group
From this reading “Italics are indicated by _underscores_, and bold text by =equals signs=.”
plural of “italic” — a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right
From this reading “Italics are indicated by _underscores_, and bold text by =equals signs=.”
a native or inhabitant of Norway
From this reading “_Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.”
make a sweeping movement
From this reading “_Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.”
past form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language
plural of “underscore” — a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter)
comparative of “worst” — (superlative of “bad”) most wanting in quality or value or condition
From this reading “_Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.”
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 “_Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.”
In this reading “Italics are indicated by _underscores_, and bold text by =equals signs=.”
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 _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Italics are indicated by _underscores_, and bold text by =equals signs=.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Italics are indicated by _underscores_, and bold text by =equals signs=.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.
fearless and daring
From this reading Italics are indicated by _underscores_, and bold text by =equals signs=.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Italics are indicated by _underscores_, and bold text by =equals signs=.
the capital and largest city of Norway; the country's main port; located at the head of a fjord on Norway's southern coast
From this reading CHRISTIANIA.
the capital and largest city of Denmark; located on the island of Zealand
From this reading COPENHAGEN.
plural of “equal” — a person who is of equal standing with another in a group
From this reading Italics are indicated by _underscores_, and bold text by =equals signs=.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.
past form of “indicate” — be a signal for or a symptom of
From this reading Italics are indicated by _underscores_, and bold text by =equals signs=.
plural of “italic” — a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right
From this reading Italics are indicated by _underscores_, and bold text by =equals signs=.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.
a native or inhabitant of Norway
From this reading _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.
preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed
From this reading _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.
make a sweeping movement
From this reading _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading Italics are indicated by _underscores_, and bold text by =equals signs=.
the state of being covered with unclean things
From this reading _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.
the words of something written
From this reading Italics are indicated by _underscores_, and bold text by =equals signs=.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.
a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with
From this reading _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.
past form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language
From this reading _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.
plural of “underscore” — a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter)
From this reading Italics are indicated by _underscores_, and bold text by =equals signs=.
a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite
From this reading _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.
comparative of “worst” — (superlative of “bad”) most wanting in quality or value or condition
From this reading _Original Title: “Sværmere.”_ _Translated from the Norwegian by W. WORSTER, M.A._ AUTHOR OF “GROWTH OF THE SOIL” “PAN” ETC.
Chapter 1 of Mothwise by Knut Hamsun holds 439 sentences, grouped into 88 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 439 sentences of Mothwise, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Mothwise by Knut Hamsun exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 439 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 Mothwise by Knut Hamsun on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2471 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46220 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #46220, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 205 minutes of reading across 495 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Mothwise section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of Mothwise 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 Mothwise, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
