Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Songs of the West is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
S. BARING-GOULD, M.A. H. FLEETWOOD SHEPPARD, M.A. F.W. BUSSELL, MUS. DOC. D.D.
Songs of the West
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Songs of the West is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
S.
BARING-GOULD,
M.A.
H.
FLEETWOOD
SHEPPARD,
M.A.
F.W.
BUSSELL,
MUS.
DOC.
D.D.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Songs of the West
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Songs of the West is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
S.
BARING-GOULD,
M.A.
Line 2
H.
FLEETWOOD
SHEPPARD,
M.A.
Line 3
F.W.
BUSSELL,
MUS.
Line 4
DOC.
/dɑːk/
Line 5
D.D.
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.
doc
noun
US /dɑːk/
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading “DOC.”
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.
All words in this reading · 13
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 S. BARING-GOULD, M.A.
BARING-GOULD
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading S. BARING-GOULD, M.A.
BUSSELL
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading F.W. BUSSELL, MUS.
a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets
From this reading D.D.
DOCnounUS /dɑːk/
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading DOC.
a degree on the Fahrenheit scale of temperature
From this reading F.W. BUSSELL, MUS.
FLEETWOOD
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading H. FLEETWOOD SHEPPARD, M.A.
a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe
From this reading H. FLEETWOOD SHEPPARD, M.A.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading S. BARING-GOULD, M.A.
MUSnoun
type genus of the Muridae: common house mice; the tips of the upper incisors have a square notch
From this reading F.W. BUSSELL, MUS.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading S. BARING-GOULD, M.A.
SHEPPARD
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading H. FLEETWOOD SHEPPARD, M.A.
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 F.W. BUSSELL, MUS.
Chapter 1 of Songs of the West by S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould holds 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 Songs of the West contain?
Chapter 1 holds 398 sentences of Songs of the West, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Songs of the West by S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 Songs of the West?
Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 Songs of the West
Common questions about reading Songs of the West by S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Songs of the West?
Yes. All 3914 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56625 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Songs of the West is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #56625, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Songs of the West take to read?
About 326 minutes of reading across 783 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Songs of the West section by section
How to work through Songs of the West section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Songs of the West to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in Songs of the West
Words and structures a reader meets early in Songs of the West, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Baring-gould
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Songs of the West; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Fleetwood
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Songs of the West; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Sheppard
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Songs of the West; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Bussell
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Songs of the West; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.