adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
Aegeon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Aegeon, an old merchant of Syracuse, was discovered in the streets of Ephesus, and brought before the duke, either to pay this heavy fine, or to receive sentence of death.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Aegeon, an old merchant of Syracuse, was discovered in the streets of Ephesus, and brought before the duke, either to pay this heavy fine, or to receive sentence of death.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Aegeon said, that he did not fear to die, for sorrow had made him weary of his life, but that a heavier task could not have been imposed upon him than to relate the events of his unfortunate life.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Aegeon, an old merchant of Syracuse, was discovered in the streets of Ephesus, and brought before the duke, either to pay this heavy fine, or to receive sentence of death.
beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading He then began his own history, in the following words:
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
broughtverbUS /brɔːt/
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Aegeon, an old merchant of Syracuse, was discovered in the streets of Ephesus, and brought before the duke, either to pay this heavy fine, or to receive sentence of death.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Aegeon said, that he did not fear to die, for sorrow had made him weary of his life, but that a heavier task could not have been imposed upon him than to relate the events of his unfortunate life.
causenounUS /kɑːz/
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
citynounUS /ˈsɪti/
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
comeverbUS /kʌm/
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
COMEDYnounUS /ˈkɑːmədi/
light and humorous drama with a happy ending
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
crueladjectiveUS /ˈkruːəl/
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
deathnounUS /deθ/
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
desiredadjectiveUS /dɪˈzaɪərd/
wanted intensely
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Aegeon said, that he did not fear to die, for sorrow had made him weary of his life, but that a heavier task could not have been imposed upon him than to relate the events of his unfortunate life.
dieverbUS /daɪ/
pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading Aegeon said, that he did not fear to die, for sorrow had made him weary of his life, but that a heavier task could not have been imposed upon him than to relate the events of his unfortunate life.
discoveredadjectiveUS /dɪˈskʌvərd/
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading Aegeon, an old merchant of Syracuse, was discovered in the streets of Ephesus, and brought before the duke, either to pay this heavy fine, or to receive sentence of death.
dukenounUS /duːk/
a British peer of the highest rank
From this reading Aegeon, an old merchant of Syracuse, was discovered in the streets of Ephesus, and brought before the duke, either to pay this heavy fine, or to receive sentence of death.
eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/
one or the other of two
From this reading Aegeon, an old merchant of Syracuse, was discovered in the streets of Ephesus, and brought before the duke, either to pay this heavy fine, or to receive sentence of death.
enterverbUS /ˈentər/
to come or go into
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
EphesusnounUS /ˈefʊsəs/
an ancient Greek city on the western shore of Asia Minor in what is now Turkey; site of the Temple of Artemis; was a major trading center and played an important role in early Christianity
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
ERRORSnounUS /ˈerərz/
plural of “error” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
eventsnounUS /ɪˈvents/
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading Aegeon said, that he did not fear to die, for sorrow had made him weary of his life, but that a heavier task could not have been imposed upon him than to relate the events of his unfortunate life.
fearverbUS /fɪr/
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading Aegeon said, that he did not fear to die, for sorrow had made him weary of his life, but that a heavier task could not have been imposed upon him than to relate the events of his unfortunate life.
fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading Aegeon, an old merchant of Syracuse, was discovered in the streets of Ephesus, and brought before the duke, either to pay this heavy fine, or to receive sentence of death.
followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading He then began his own history, in the following words:
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Aegeon said, that he did not fear to die, for sorrow had made him weary of his life, but that a heavier task could not have been imposed upon him than to relate the events of his unfortunate life.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
heavieradjectiveUS /ˈheviər/
comparative of “heavy” — of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading Aegeon said, that he did not fear to die, for sorrow had made him weary of his life, but that a heavier task could not have been imposed upon him than to relate the events of his unfortunate life.
heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading Aegeon, an old merchant of Syracuse, was discovered in the streets of Ephesus, and brought before the duke, either to pay this heavy fine, or to receive sentence of death.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
historynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/
the aggregate of past events
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
imposedadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpoʊzd/
set forth authoritatively as obligatory
From this reading Aegeon said, that he did not fear to die, for sorrow had made him weary of his life, but that a heavier task could not have been imposed upon him than to relate the events of his unfortunate life.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
lawnounUS /lɔː/
the collection of rules imposed by authority
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
lifenounUS /laɪf/
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
marksnounUS /mɑːrks/
English businessman who created a retail chain (1888-1964)
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
merchantnounUS /ˈmɜːr.tʃənt/
A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Aegeon said, that he did not fear to die, for sorrow had made him weary of his life, but that a heavier task could not have been imposed upon him than to relate the events of his unfortunate life.
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Aegeon, an old merchant of Syracuse, was discovered in the streets of Ephesus, and brought before the duke, either to pay this heavy fine, or to receive sentence of death.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Aegeon, an old merchant of Syracuse, was discovered in the streets of Ephesus, and brought before the duke, either to pay this heavy fine, or to receive sentence of death.
ordainingverbUS /ɔːrˈdeɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “ordain” — order by virtue of superior authority; decree
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
ownverbUS /oʊn/
have ownership or possession of
From this reading He then began his own history, in the following words:
payverbUS /peɪ/
give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
pronouncedadjectiveUS /prəˈnaʊnst/
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
putverbUS /pʊt/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
ransomnounUS /ˈrænsəm/
money demanded for the return of a captured person
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
receiveverbUS /rəˈsiːv/
get something; come into possession of
From this reading Aegeon, an old merchant of Syracuse, was discovered in the streets of Ephesus, and brought before the duke, either to pay this heavy fine, or to receive sentence of death.
relateverbUS /rɪˈleɪt/
make a logical or causal connection
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Aegeon said, that he did not fear to die, for sorrow had made him weary of his life, but that a heavier task could not have been imposed upon him than to relate the events of his unfortunate life.
seenverbUS /siːn/
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
sentencenounUS /ˈsentəns/
a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language
From this reading Aegeon, an old merchant of Syracuse, was discovered in the streets of Ephesus, and brought before the duke, either to pay this heavy fine, or to receive sentence of death.
sorrownounUS /ˈsɑːroʊ/
an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement
From this reading Aegeon said, that he did not fear to die, for sorrow had made him weary of his life, but that a heavier task could not have been imposed upon him than to relate the events of his unfortunate life.
statesnounUS /steɪts/
plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
streetsnounUS /striːts/
plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading Aegeon, an old merchant of Syracuse, was discovered in the streets of Ephesus, and brought before the duke, either to pay this heavy fine, or to receive sentence of death.
Syracusan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
SyracusenounUS /ˈsɪrəkjuːz/
a city in central New York
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
tasknounUS /tæsk/
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading Aegeon said, that he did not fear to die, for sorrow had made him weary of his life, but that a heavier task could not have been imposed upon him than to relate the events of his unfortunate life.
tellverbUS /tel/
express in words
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Aegeon said, that he did not fear to die, for sorrow had made him weary of his life, but that a heavier task could not have been imposed upon him than to relate the events of his unfortunate life.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He then began his own history, in the following words:
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Aegeon, an old merchant of Syracuse, was discovered in the streets of Ephesus, and brought before the duke, either to pay this heavy fine, or to receive sentence of death.
thousandnounUS /ˈθaʊzənd/
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
unfortunateadjectiveUS /ənˈfɔːrtʃənət/
not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune
From this reading Aegeon said, that he did not fear to die, for sorrow had made him weary of his life, but that a heavier task could not have been imposed upon him than to relate the events of his unfortunate life.
unlessconjunctionUS /ənˈles/
except if; if not
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
variancenounUS /ˈveriəns/
an event that departs from expectations
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
venturedverbUS /ˈventʃərd/
past form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE COMEDY OF ERRORS The states of Syracuse and Ephesus being at variance, there was a cruel law made at Ephesus, ordaining that if any merchant of Syracuse was seen in the city of Ephesus, he was to be put to death, unless he could pay a thousand marks for the ransom of his life.
wearyverbUS /ˈwɪri/
exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress
From this reading Aegeon said, that he did not fear to die, for sorrow had made him weary of his life, but that a heavier task could not have been imposed upon him than to relate the events of his unfortunate life.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Aegeon had no money to pay the fine, and the duke, before he pronounced the sentence of death upon him, desired him to relate the history of his life, and to tell for what cause he had ventured to come to the city of Ephesus, which it was death for any Syracusan merchant to enter.
wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/
the words that are spoken
From this reading He then began his own history, in the following words:
