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Silanus the Christian
Silanus the Christian

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of Silanus the Christian is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Edwin Abbott Abbott • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Silanus the Christian
Context Illustration Reading 1/17 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.
Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?
And who can call himself deserted?”
The subject suited my mood, and I began to read it, as follows: “Desolation is the condition of a man unhelped.
To be alone is not necessarily to be deserted.
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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.

Silanus the Christian

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of Silanus the Christian is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.
/ˌepɪkˈtiːtəs ɑːn deθ rɪˈtɜːrnɪŋ tuː maɪ ruːmz aɪ sæt daʊn tuː θɪŋk aʊt maɪ ˈprɑːbləmz əˈloʊn/
Line 2
Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?
Line 3
And who can call himself deserted?”
/ənd huː kæn kɔːl hɪmˈself dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/
Line 4
The subject suited my mood, and I began to read it, as follows: “Desolation is the condition of a man unhelped.
Line 5
To be alone is not necessarily to be deserted.
/tuː biː əˈloʊn ɪz nɑːt ˌnesəˈserəli tuː biː dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/

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.

deserted adjective US /dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/

forsaken by owner or inhabitants

From this reading “Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desolation noun US /ˌdesəˈleɪʃən/

the state of being decayed or destroyed

From this reading “Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
epictetus noun US /ˌepɪkˈtiːtəs/

Greek philosopher who was a Stoic (circa 50-130)

From this reading “EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
follows verb US /ˈfɑːloʊz/

third-person singular of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading “The subject suited my mood, and I began to read it, as follows: “Desolation is the condition of a man unhelped.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
necessarily adverb US /ˌnesəˈserəli/

in an essential manner

From this reading “To be alone is not necessarily to be deserted.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
problems noun US /ˈprɑːbləmz/

plural of “problem” — a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved

From this reading “EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suited adjective US /ˈsuːtɪd/

meant or adapted for an occasion or use

From this reading “The subject suited my mood, and I began to read it, as follows: “Desolation is the condition of a man unhelped.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
title noun US /ˈtaɪtəl/

a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with

From this reading “Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

meant by verb + particle counted as “mean by”

In this reading “Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?”

15,793 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 58

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 The subject suited my mood, and I began to read it, as follows: “Desolation is the condition of a man unhelped.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.

Velmora curated lexicon
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And who can call himself deserted?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Arrian

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

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

Pending verification
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The subject suited my mood, and I began to read it, as follows: “Desolation is the condition of a man unhelped.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading To be alone is not necessarily to be deserted.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading The subject suited my mood, and I began to read it, as follows: “Desolation is the condition of a man unhelped.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading And who can call himself deserted?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading And who can call himself deserted?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
conditionnounUS /kənˈdɪʃən/

a state at a particular time

From this reading The subject suited my mood, and I began to read it, as follows: “Desolation is the condition of a man unhelped.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DEATHnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desertedadjectiveUS /dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/

forsaken by owner or inhabitants

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desolationnounUS /ˌdesəˈleɪʃən/

the state of being decayed or destroyed

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EPICTETUSnounUS /ˌepɪkˈtiːtəs/

Greek philosopher who was a Stoic (circa 50-130)

From this reading EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
followsverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊz/

third-person singular of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading The subject suited my mood, and I began to read it, as follows: “Desolation is the condition of a man unhelped.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading And who can call himself deserted?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The subject suited my mood, and I began to read it, as follows: “Desolation is the condition of a man unhelped.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lecture-notes

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

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

Pending verification
mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The subject suited my mood, and I began to read it, as follows: “Desolation is the condition of a man unhelped.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
meantverbUS /ment/

inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moodnounUS /muːd/

a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling

From this reading The subject suited my mood, and I began to read it, as follows: “Desolation is the condition of a man unhelped.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
necessarilyadverbUS /ˌnesəˈserəli/

in an essential manner

From this reading To be alone is not necessarily to be deserted.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading To be alone is not necessarily to be deserted.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PresentlyadverbUS /ˈprezəntli/

in the near future

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
problemsnounUS /ˈprɑːbləmz/

plural of “problem” — a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved

From this reading EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading The subject suited my mood, and I began to read it, as follows: “Desolation is the condition of a man unhelped.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ReturningadjectiveUS /rɪˈtɜːrnɪŋ/

tending to return to an earlier state

From this reading EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roomsnounUS /ruːmz/

apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)

From this reading EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
subjectnounUS /səbˈdʒekt/

the subject matter of a conversation or discussion

From this reading The subject suited my mood, and I began to read it, as follows: “Desolation is the condition of a man unhelped.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
suitedadjectiveUS /ˈsuːtɪd/

meant or adapted for an occasion or use

From this reading The subject suited my mood, and I began to read it, as follows: “Desolation is the condition of a man unhelped.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
titlenounUS /ˈtaɪtəl/

a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading EPICTETUS ON DEATH Returning to my rooms, I sat down to think out my problems alone.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
unhelped

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

From this reading The subject suited my mood, and I began to read it, as follows: “Desolation is the condition of a man unhelped.

Pending verification
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Presently, on taking up the lecture-notes Arrian had given me, I found that the title of the first was, “What is meant by being in desolation or deserted?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading And who can call himself deserted?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 11 of Silanus the Christian by Edwin Abbott Abbott holds 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 11 of Silanus the Christian contain?

Chapter 11 holds 88 sentences of Silanus the Christian, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of Silanus the Christian by Edwin Abbott Abbott exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 11 of Silanus the Christian?

Work through the 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 18 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 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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 Silanus the Christian

Common questions about reading Silanus the Christian by Edwin Abbott Abbott on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Silanus the Christian?

Yes. All 6584 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56843 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Silanus the Christian is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #56843, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Silanus the Christian take to read?

About 548 minutes of reading across 1317 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Silanus the Christian

Words and structures a reader meets early in Silanus the Christian, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Guide
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Silanus the Christian; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Through
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Silanus the Christian; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Greek
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Silanus the Christian; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hebrew
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Silanus the Christian; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.