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The Elixir
The Elixir

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Elixir is here in full — 546 sentences across 110 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Elixir
Context Illustration Reading 1/109 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.
D.W.]
THE ELIXIR.
Every Leipziger knows well the tall gabled house in the Katherinenstrasse which I have in mind.
It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.
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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.

The Elixir

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Elixir is here in full — 546 sentences across 110 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/109 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.
/noʊt ðer ɪz ə ʃɔːrt lɪst ʌv ˈbʊkmɑːrks ɔːr ˈpɔɪntərz æt ðə end ʌv ðə faɪl fɔːr ðoʊz huː meɪ wɪʃ tuː ˈsæmpəl ðə ˈɔːθərz aɪˈdiːəz bɪˈfɔːr ˈmeɪkɪŋ æn ɪnˈtaɪər miːl ʌv ðem/
Line 2
D.W.]
Line 3
THE ELIXIR.
/ðə ɪˈlɪksər/
Line 4
Every Leipziger knows well the tall gabled house in the Katherinenstrasse which I have in mind.
Line 5
It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.
/ɪt stændz nɑːt fɑːr frʌm ðə ˈmɑːrkət pleɪs ənd ɪz ˌpɑːrˈtɪkjələrli dɪr tuː ðə ˈraɪtər ʌv ðɪs truː ˈstɔːri bɪˈkɔːz ɪt hæz bɪn ɪn ðə pəˈzeʃən ʌv hɪz ˈfæməli fɔːr ə lɔːŋ taɪm/

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.

author's noun US /ˈɔːθərz/

possessive form of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading “[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.”

bookmarks noun US /ˈbʊkmɑːrks/

plural of “bookmark” — a marker (a piece of paper or ribbon) placed between the pages of a book to mark the reader's place

From this reading “[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.”

elixir noun US /ɪˈlɪksər/

a sweet flavored liquid (usually containing a small amount of alcohol) used in compounding medicines to be taken by mouth in order to mask an unpleasant taste

From this reading “THE ELIXIR.”

file verb US /faɪl/

record in a public office or in a court of law

From this reading “[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.”

gabled adjective US /ˈɡeɪbəld/

(of a roof) constructed with a single slope on each side of the ridge supported at the end by a gable or vertical triangular portion of an end wall

From this reading “Every Leipziger knows well the tall gabled house in the Katherinenstrasse which I have in mind.”

Market noun US /ˈmɑːrkət/

the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold

From this reading “It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.”

pointers noun US /ˈpɔɪntərz/

plural of “pointer” — a mark to indicate a direction or relation

From this reading “[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.”

sample noun US /ˈsæmpəl/

a small part of something intended as representative of the whole

From this reading “[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.”

All words in this reading · 67

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 [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

author'snounUS /ˈɔːθərz/

possessive form of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

bookmarksnounUS /ˈbʊkmɑːrks/

plural of “bookmark” — a marker (a piece of paper or ribbon) placed between the pages of a book to mark the reader's place

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

DnounUS /diː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading D.W.]

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

ELIXIRnounUS /ɪˈlɪksər/

a sweet flavored liquid (usually containing a small amount of alcohol) used in compounding medicines to be taken by mouth in order to mask an unpleasant taste

From this reading THE ELIXIR.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

entireadjectiveUS /ɪnˈtaɪər/

constituting the full quantity or extent; complete

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Every Leipziger knows well the tall gabled house in the Katherinenstrasse which I have in mind.

familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

fileverbUS /faɪl/

record in a public office or in a court of law

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

gabledadjectiveUS /ˈɡeɪbəld/

(of a roof) constructed with a single slope on each side of the ridge supported at the end by a gable or vertical triangular portion of an end wall

From this reading Every Leipziger knows well the tall gabled house in the Katherinenstrasse which I have in mind.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Every Leipziger knows well the tall gabled house in the Katherinenstrasse which I have in mind.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Every Leipziger knows well the tall gabled house in the Katherinenstrasse which I have in mind.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Every Leipziger knows well the tall gabled house in the Katherinenstrasse which I have in mind.

ideasnounUS /aɪˈdiːəz/

plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Every Leipziger knows well the tall gabled house in the Katherinenstrasse which I have in mind.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

Katherinenstrasse

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

From this reading Every Leipziger knows well the tall gabled house in the Katherinenstrasse which I have in mind.

knowsnounUS /noʊz/

plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people

From this reading Every Leipziger knows well the tall gabled house in the Katherinenstrasse which I have in mind.

Leipziger

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

From this reading Every Leipziger knows well the tall gabled house in the Katherinenstrasse which I have in mind.

listverbUS /lɪst/

give or make a list of; name individually; give the names of

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

makingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

MarketnounUS /ˈmɑːrkət/

the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

mealnounUS /miːl/

the food served and eaten at one time

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading Every Leipziger knows well the tall gabled house in the Katherinenstrasse which I have in mind.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

NOTEnounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

particularlyadverbUS /ˌpɑːrˈtɪkjələrli/

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

PlacenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

pointersnounUS /ˈpɔɪntərz/

plural of “pointer” — a mark to indicate a direction or relation

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

possessionnounUS /pəˈzeʃən/

the act of having and controlling property

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

samplenounUS /ˈsæmpəl/

a small part of something intended as representative of the whole

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

standsnounUS /stændz/

plural of “stand” — a support or foundation

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading Every Leipziger knows well the tall gabled house in the Katherinenstrasse which I have in mind.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

WnounUS /ˈdʌbəljuː/

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 D.W.]

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading Every Leipziger knows well the tall gabled house in the Katherinenstrasse which I have in mind.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Every Leipziger knows well the tall gabled house in the Katherinenstrasse which I have in mind.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading [NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them.

writernounUS /ˈraɪtər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading It stands not far from the Market Place, and is particularly dear to the writer of this true story because it has been in the possession of his family for a long time.

Chapter 1 of The Elixir by Georg Ebers holds 546 sentences, grouped into 110 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.

What does chapter 1 of The Elixir contain?

Chapter 1 holds 546 sentences of The Elixir, unabridged, divided into 110 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Elixir by Georg Ebers exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 546 sentences, grouped into 110 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 The Elixir?

Work through the 110 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 110 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 The Elixir

Common questions about reading The Elixir by Georg Ebers on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Elixir?

Yes. All 546 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5589 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Elixir is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5589, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Elixir take to read?

About 45 minutes of reading across 110 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Elixir section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Elixir 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 The Elixir

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Elixir, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Short
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Elixir; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bookmarks
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Elixir; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pointers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Elixir; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Those
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Elixir; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.