Chapter I
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of Obiter Dicta: Second Series is here in full — 435 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
OBITER DICTA. _SECOND SERIES_. BY AUGUSTINE BIRRELL. _Cheap Edition_. PREFACE.
Obiter Dicta: Second Series
Chapter I · Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of Obiter Dicta: Second Series is here in full — 435 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
OBITER
DICTA.
_SECOND
SERIES_.
BY
AUGUSTINE
BIRRELL.
_Cheap
Edition_.
PREFACE.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Obiter Dicta: Second Series
Chapter I · Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of Obiter Dicta: Second Series is here in full — 435 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
OBITER
DICTA.
Line 2
_SECOND
SERIES_.
/ˈsekənd ˈsɪriz/
Line 3
BY
AUGUSTINE
BIRRELL.
Line 4
_Cheap
Edition_.
/tʃiːp əˈdɪʃən/
Line 5
PREFACE.
/ˈprefəs/
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.
augustine
noun
US /ˈɑːɡəstiːn/
(Roman Catholic Church) one of the great Fathers of the early Christian church; after a dramatic conversion to Christianity he became bishop of Hippo Regius in North Africa; St. Augustine emphasized man's need for grace (354-430)
From this reading “BY AUGUSTINE BIRRELL.”
Cheap
adjective
US /tʃiːp/
relatively low in price or charging low prices
dicta
noun
US /ˈdɪktɑː/
plural of “dictum” — an authoritative declaration
From this reading “OBITER DICTA.”
Edition
noun
US /əˈdɪʃən/
the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published
preface
noun
US /ˈprefəs/
a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book
From this reading “PREFACE.”
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
series
noun
US /ˈsɪriz/
similar things placed in order or happening one after another
All words in this reading · 10
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.
AUGUSTINEnounUS /ˈɑːɡəstiːn/
(Roman Catholic Church) one of the great Fathers of the early Christian church; after a dramatic conversion to Christianity he became bishop of Hippo Regius in North Africa; St. Augustine emphasized man's need for grace (354-430)
From this reading BY AUGUSTINE BIRRELL.
BIRRELL
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BY AUGUSTINE BIRRELL.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading BY AUGUSTINE BIRRELL.
CheapadjectiveUS /tʃiːp/
relatively low in price or charging low prices
From this reading _Cheap Edition_.
DICTAnounUS /ˈdɪktɑː/
plural of “dictum” — an authoritative declaration
From this reading OBITER DICTA.
EditionnounUS /əˈdɪʃən/
the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published
From this reading _Cheap Edition_.
OBITER
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading OBITER DICTA.
PREFACEnounUS /ˈprefəs/
a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book
From this reading PREFACE.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading _SECOND SERIES_.
SERIESnounUS /ˈsɪriz/
similar things placed in order or happening one after another
From this reading _SECOND SERIES_.
Chapter 1 of Obiter Dicta: Second Series by Augustine Birrell holds 435 sentences, grouped into 87 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 1 of Obiter Dicta: Second Series contain?
Chapter 1 holds 435 sentences of Obiter Dicta: Second Series, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Obiter Dicta: Second Series by Augustine Birrell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 435 sentences, grouped into 87 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 1 of Obiter Dicta: Second Series?
Work through the 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 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 1 be read aloud to me?
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.
Questions about reading Obiter Dicta: Second Series
Common questions about reading Obiter Dicta: Second Series by Augustine Birrell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Obiter Dicta: Second Series?
Yes. All 2124 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21793 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Obiter Dicta: Second Series is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #21793, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Obiter Dicta: Second Series take to read?
About 177 minutes of reading across 425 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Obiter Dicta: Second Series section by section
How to work through Obiter Dicta: Second Series section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Vocabulary met early in Obiter Dicta: Second Series
Words and structures a reader meets early in Obiter Dicta: Second Series, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Obiter
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Obiter Dicta: Second Series; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Dicta
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Obiter Dicta: Second Series; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Second
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Obiter Dicta: Second Series; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Series
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Obiter Dicta: Second Series; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.