Chapter 4 of The Decameron, Volume I is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Decameron, Volume I is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
(1) The largest, now inhabited, of a group of islets in the Gulf of Gaeta. (2) I.e. she-goat. (3) Between Liguria and Tuscany. (4) The Sicilian Vespers, Easter, 1282. NOVEL VII.
Chapter 4 of The Decameron, Volume I is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
a Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Christ; celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox
From this reading “(4) The Sicilian Vespers, Easter, 1282.”
an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land; larger than a bay
From this reading “(1) The largest, now inhabited, of a group of islets in the Gulf of Gaeta.”
having inhabitants; lived in
From this reading “(1) The largest, now inhabited, of a group of islets in the Gulf of Gaeta.”
plural of “islet” — a small island
From this reading “(1) The largest, now inhabited, of a group of islets in the Gulf of Gaeta.”
superlative of “large” — above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “(1) The largest, now inhabited, of a group of islets in the Gulf of Gaeta.”
an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading “NOVEL VII.”
a resident of Sicily
From this reading “(4) The Sicilian Vespers, Easter, 1282.”
a region in central Italy
From this reading “(3) Between Liguria and Tuscany.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading (1) The largest, now inhabited, of a group of islets in the Gulf of Gaeta.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading (4) The Sicilian Vespers, Easter, 1282.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading (2) I.e. she-goat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading (3) Between Liguria and Tuscany.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading (4) The Sicilian Vespers, Easter, 1282.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading (1) The largest, now inhabited, of a group of islets in the Gulf of Gaeta.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading (3) Between Liguria and Tuscany.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading (3) Between Liguria and Tuscany.
a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body
From this reading (2) I.e. she-goat.
a Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Christ; celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox
From this reading (4) The Sicilian Vespers, Easter, 1282.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading (1) The largest, now inhabited, of a group of islets in the Gulf of Gaeta.
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading (1) The largest, now inhabited, of a group of islets in the Gulf of Gaeta.
an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land; larger than a bay
From this reading (1) The largest, now inhabited, of a group of islets in the Gulf of Gaeta.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading (2) I.e. she-goat.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading (1) The largest, now inhabited, of a group of islets in the Gulf of Gaeta.
having inhabitants; lived in
From this reading (1) The largest, now inhabited, of a group of islets in the Gulf of Gaeta.
plural of “islet” — a small island
From this reading (1) The largest, now inhabited, of a group of islets in the Gulf of Gaeta.
superlative of “large” — above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading (1) The largest, now inhabited, of a group of islets in the Gulf of Gaeta.
region of northwestern Italy on the Ligurian Sea
From this reading (3) Between Liguria and Tuscany.
an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading NOVEL VII.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading (1) The largest, now inhabited, of a group of islets in the Gulf of Gaeta.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading (1) The largest, now inhabited, of a group of islets in the Gulf of Gaeta.
female goat
From this reading (2) I.e. she-goat.
a resident of Sicily
From this reading (4) The Sicilian Vespers, Easter, 1282.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading (1) The largest, now inhabited, of a group of islets in the Gulf of Gaeta.
a region in central Italy
From this reading (3) Between Liguria and Tuscany.
the sixth of the seven canonical hours of the divine office; early evening; now often made a public service on Sundays
From this reading (4) The Sicilian Vespers, Easter, 1282.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading NOVEL VII.
Chapter 4 of The Decameron, Volume I by Giovanni Boccaccio holds 427 sentences, grouped into 86 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 4 holds 427 sentences of The Decameron, Volume I, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Decameron, Volume I by Giovanni Boccaccio exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 4 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 The Decameron, Volume I by Giovanni Boccaccio on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3360 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3726 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3726, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 280 minutes of reading across 672 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Decameron, Volume I section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of The Decameron, Volume I 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 The Decameron, Volume I, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
