Chapter 1 of Our Nig is here in full — 103 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Our Nig is here in full — 103 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I'll help you, if nobody else will." A tear stood in Mag's faded eye. "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer. I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough. It's a long day ahead they'll set it, I reckon."
Chapter 1 of Our Nig is here in full — 103 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 10/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 46–50
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.
at or in the front
From this reading “It's a long day ahead they'll set it, I reckon."”
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading “A tear stood in Mag's faded eye.”
subjected to a penalty (as pain or shame or restraint or loss) for an offense or fault or in order to coerce some behavior (as a confession or obedience)
From this reading “I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.”
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading “It's a long day ahead they'll set it, I reckon."”
a single object (as distinguished from a pair)
From this reading “I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.”
comparative of “soft” — yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading “"I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.”
undergo or be subjected to
From this reading “"I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.”
separate or cause to separate abruptly
From this reading “A tear stood in Mag's faded eye.”
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 A tear stood in Mag's faded eye.
at or in the front
From this reading It's a long day ahead they'll set it, I reckon."
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading It's a long day ahead they'll set it, I reckon."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'll help you, if nobody else will."
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.
the organ of sight
From this reading A tear stood in Mag's faded eye.
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading A tear stood in Mag's faded eye.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading I'll help you, if nobody else will."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'll help you, if nobody else will."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading I'll help you, if nobody else will."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A tear stood in Mag's faded eye.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It's a long day ahead they'll set it, I reckon."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It's a long day ahead they'll set it, I reckon."
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A tear stood in Mag's faded eye.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
no person; not anyone
From this reading I'll help you, if nobody else will."
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
subjected to a penalty (as pain or shame or restraint or loss) for an offense or fault or in order to coerce some behavior (as a confession or obedience)
From this reading I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading It's a long day ahead they'll set it, I reckon."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It's a long day ahead they'll set it, I reckon."
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
a single object (as distinguished from a pair)
From this reading I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.
comparative of “soft” — yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading A tear stood in Mag's faded eye.
undergo or be subjected to
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
separate or cause to separate abruptly
From this reading A tear stood in Mag's faded eye.
express in words
From this reading I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It's a long day ahead they'll set it, I reckon."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty
From this reading I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.
at the time that
From this reading I b'lieve all Singleton wants to see me punished, and feel as if they could tell when I've been punished long enough.
which person or people
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading I'll help you, if nobody else will."
in the company of; together with
From this reading "I'm glad," she said, with a softer tone than before, "if there is ONE who isn't glad to see me suffer.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I'll help you, if nobody else will."
Chapter 1 of Our Nig by Harriet E. Wilson holds 103 sentences, grouped into 21 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 103 sentences of Our Nig, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Our Nig by Harriet E. Wilson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 103 sentences, grouped into 21 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 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 21 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 Our Nig by Harriet E. Wilson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1477 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #584 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #584, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 123 minutes of reading across 296 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Our Nig section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Our Nig 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 Our Nig, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
