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Our Nig
Our Nig

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Our Nig is here in full — 103 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Our Nig
Context Illustration Reading 3/20 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
She knew the voice of her charmer, so ravishing, sounded far above her.
It seemed like an angel's, alluring her upward and onward.
She thought she could ascend to him and become an equal.
She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.
The world seemed full of hateful deceivers and crushing arrogance.
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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.

Our Nig

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Our Nig is here in full — 103 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 3/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 11–15

Line 1
She knew the voice of her charmer, so ravishing, sounded far above her.
/ʃiː nuː ðə vɔɪs ʌv hɜːr ˈtʃɑːrmər soʊ ˈrævɪʃɪŋ ˈsaʊndɪd fɑːr əˈbʌv hɜːr/
Line 2
It seemed like an angel's, alluring her upward and onward.
/ɪt siːmd laɪk æn ˈeɪndʒəlz əˈlʊrɪŋ hɜːr ˈʌpwərd ənd ˈɔːnwərd/
Line 3
She thought she could ascend to him and become an equal.
/ʃiː θɔːt ʃiː kʊd əˈsend tuː hɪm ənd bɪˈkʌm æn ˈiːkwəl/
Line 4
She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.
/ʃiː sərˈendərd tuː hɪm ə ˈpraɪsləs dʒem wɪtʃ hiː ˈpraʊdli ˈɡɑːrnərd æz ə ˈtroʊfi wɪð ðoʊz ʌv ˈʌðər ˈvɪktəmz ənd left hɜːr tuː hɜːr feɪt/
Line 5
The world seemed full of hateful deceivers and crushing arrogance.

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.

alluring adjective US /əˈlʊrɪŋ/

highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire

From this reading “It seemed like an angel's, alluring her upward and onward.”

angel's noun US /ˈeɪndʒəlz/

possessive form of “angel” — spiritual being attendant upon God

From this reading “It seemed like an angel's, alluring her upward and onward.”

arrogance noun US /ˈerəɡəns/

overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors

From this reading “The world seemed full of hateful deceivers and crushing arrogance.”

charmer noun US /ˈtʃɑːrmər/

someone with an assured and ingratiating manner

From this reading “She knew the voice of her charmer, so ravishing, sounded far above her.”

garnered verb US /ˈɡɑːrnərd/

past form of “garner” — acquire or deserve by one's efforts or actions

From this reading “She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.”

gem noun US /dʒem/

art highly prized for its beauty or perfection

From this reading “She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.”

ravishing adjective US /ˈrævɪʃɪŋ/

stunningly beautiful

From this reading “She knew the voice of her charmer, so ravishing, sounded far above her.”

trophy noun US /ˈtroʊfi/

an award for success in war or hunting

From this reading “She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.”

All words in this reading · 50

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading She knew the voice of her charmer, so ravishing, sounded far above her.

alluringadjectiveUS /əˈlʊrɪŋ/

highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire

From this reading It seemed like an angel's, alluring her upward and onward.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading It seemed like an angel's, alluring her upward and onward.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It seemed like an angel's, alluring her upward and onward.

angel'snounUS /ˈeɪndʒəlz/

possessive form of “angel” — spiritual being attendant upon God

From this reading It seemed like an angel's, alluring her upward and onward.

arrogancenounUS /ˈerəɡəns/

overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors

From this reading The world seemed full of hateful deceivers and crushing arrogance.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.

ascendverbUS /əˈsend/

travel up

From this reading She thought she could ascend to him and become an equal.

becomeverbUS /bɪˈkʌm/

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading She thought she could ascend to him and become an equal.

charmernounUS /ˈtʃɑːrmər/

someone with an assured and ingratiating manner

From this reading She knew the voice of her charmer, so ravishing, sounded far above her.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading She thought she could ascend to him and become an equal.

crushingadjectiveUS /ˈkrʌʃɪŋ/

physically or spiritually devastating; often used in combination

From this reading The world seemed full of hateful deceivers and crushing arrogance.

deceivers

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

From this reading The world seemed full of hateful deceivers and crushing arrogance.

equalverbUS /ˈiːkwəl/

be identical or equivalent to

From this reading She thought she could ascend to him and become an equal.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading She knew the voice of her charmer, so ravishing, sounded far above her.

fatenounUS /feɪt/

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading The world seemed full of hateful deceivers and crushing arrogance.

garneredverbUS /ˈɡɑːrnərd/

past form of “garner” — acquire or deserve by one's efforts or actions

From this reading She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.

gemnounUS /dʒem/

art highly prized for its beauty or perfection

From this reading She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.

hatefuladjectiveUS /ˈheɪtfəl/

evoking or deserving hatred

From this reading The world seemed full of hateful deceivers and crushing arrogance.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading She knew the voice of her charmer, so ravishing, sounded far above her.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading She thought she could ascend to him and become an equal.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It seemed like an angel's, alluring her upward and onward.

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 knew the voice of her charmer, so ravishing, sounded far above her.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading It seemed like an angel's, alluring her upward and onward.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading She knew the voice of her charmer, so ravishing, sounded far above her.

onwardadverbUS /ˈɔːnwərd/

forward in time or order or degree

From this reading It seemed like an angel's, alluring her upward and onward.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.

pricelessadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪsləs/

having incalculable monetary, intellectual, or spiritual worth

From this reading She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.

proudlyadverbUS /ˈpraʊdli/

with pride; in a proud manner

From this reading She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.

ravishingadjectiveUS /ˈrævɪʃɪŋ/

stunningly beautiful

From this reading She knew the voice of her charmer, so ravishing, sounded far above her.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading It seemed like an angel's, alluring her upward and onward.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She knew the voice of her charmer, so ravishing, sounded far above her.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading She knew the voice of her charmer, so ravishing, sounded far above her.

soundedverbUS /ˈsaʊndɪd/

past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way

From this reading She knew the voice of her charmer, so ravishing, sounded far above her.

surrenderedverbUS /sərˈendərd/

past form of “surrender” — give up or agree to forgo to the power or possession of another

From this reading She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading She knew the voice of her charmer, so ravishing, sounded far above her.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading She thought she could ascend to him and become an equal.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She thought she could ascend to him and become an equal.

trophynounUS /ˈtroʊfi/

an award for success in war or hunting

From this reading She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.

upwardadjectiveUS /ˈʌpwərd/

directed up

From this reading It seemed like an angel's, alluring her upward and onward.

victimsnounUS /ˈvɪktəmz/

plural of “victim” — an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance

From this reading She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading She knew the voice of her charmer, so ravishing, sounded far above her.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading She surrendered to him a priceless gem, which he proudly garnered as a trophy, with those of other victims, and left her to her fate.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading The world seemed full of hateful deceivers and crushing arrogance.

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.

What does chapter 1 of Our Nig contain?

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.

How do I study chapter 1 of Our Nig?

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.

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 Our Nig

Common questions about reading Our Nig by Harriet E. Wilson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Our Nig?

Yes. All 1477 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #584 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Our Nig is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #584, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Our Nig take to read?

About 123 minutes of reading across 296 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Our Nig section by section

How to work through Our Nig section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of Our Nig to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Our Nig

Words and structures a reader meets early in Our Nig, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Smith
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Our Nig; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mother
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Our Nig; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Grief
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Our Nig; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Beyond
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Our Nig; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.