Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Great Taboo
The Great Taboo

Chapter XIX · Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of The Great Taboo is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Great Taboo
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
DOMESTIC BLISS.
Tu-Kila-Kila went home that day in a very bad humor.
The portent of the bitten finger had seriously disturbed him.
For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.
Besides, what would his people think of it if they found it out?
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Great Taboo

Chapter XIX · Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of The Great Taboo is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
DOMESTIC BLISS.
/dəˈmestɪk blɪs/
Line 2
Tu-Kila-Kila went home that day in a very bad humor.
Line 3
The portent of the bitten finger had seriously disturbed him.
/ðə ˈpɔːrtent ʌv ðə ˈbɪtən ˈfɪŋɡər hæd ˈsɪriəsli dɪˈstɜːrbd hɪm/
Line 4
For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.
/fɔːr streɪndʒ æz ɪt saʊndz tuː ʌs hiː ˈrɪli bɪˈliːvd hɪmˈself ɪn hɪz oʊn dɪˈvɪnəti ənd ðə ber θɔːt ðæt ðə ˈhoʊli sɔɪl ʌv ɜːrθ ʃʊd biː ˈdæbəld ənd wet wɪð ðə blʌd ʌv ə ɡɑːd ɡeɪv hɪm noʊ ˈlɪtəl ˌʌˈniːzinəs ɪn hɪz oʊn maɪnd ɑːn hɪz weɪ ˈhoʊmwərd/
Line 5
Besides, what would his people think of it if they found it out?
/bɪˈsaɪdz wʌt wʊd hɪz ˈpiːpəl θɪŋk ʌv ɪt ɪf ðeɪ faʊnd ɪt aʊt/

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.

bitten verb US /ˈbɪtən/

inflected form of “bite” — to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws

From this reading “The portent of the bitten finger had seriously disturbed him.”

bliss noun US /blɪs/

a state of extreme happiness

From this reading “DOMESTIC BLISS.”

dabbled adjective US /ˈdæbəld/

covered with bright patches (often used in combination)

From this reading “For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.”

divinity noun US /dɪˈvɪnəti/

any supernatural being worshipped as controlling some part of the world or some aspect of life or who is the personification of a force

From this reading “For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.”

homeward adverb US /ˈhoʊmwərd/

toward home

From this reading “For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.”

humor noun US /ˈhjuːmər/

a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter

From this reading “Tu-Kila-Kila went home that day in a very bad humor.”

portent noun US /ˈpɔːrtent/

a sign of something about to happen

From this reading “The portent of the bitten finger had seriously disturbed him.”

uneasiness noun US /ˌʌˈniːzinəs/

feelings of anxiety that make you tense and irritable

From this reading “For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.”

All words in this reading · 65

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 Tu-Kila-Kila went home that day in a very bad humor.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading Tu-Kila-Kila went home that day in a very bad humor.

bareadjectiveUS /ber/

completely unclothed

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

believedverbUS /bɪˈliːvd/

past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

BesidesprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪdz/

in addition to; as well as

From this reading Besides, what would his people think of it if they found it out?

bittenverbUS /ˈbɪtən/

inflected form of “bite” — to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws

From this reading The portent of the bitten finger had seriously disturbed him.

BLISSnounUS /blɪs/

a state of extreme happiness

From this reading DOMESTIC BLISS.

bloodnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

dabbledadjectiveUS /ˈdæbəld/

covered with bright patches (often used in combination)

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Tu-Kila-Kila went home that day in a very bad humor.

disturbedadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɜːrbd/

having the place or position changed

From this reading The portent of the bitten finger had seriously disturbed him.

divinitynounUS /dɪˈvɪnəti/

any supernatural being worshipped as controlling some part of the world or some aspect of life or who is the personification of a force

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

DOMESTICadjectiveUS /dəˈmestɪk/

of concern to or concerning the internal affairs of a nation

From this reading DOMESTIC BLISS.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

fingerverbUS /ˈfɪŋɡər/

feel or handle with the fingers

From this reading The portent of the bitten finger had seriously disturbed him.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading Besides, what would his people think of it if they found it out?

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

godnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The portent of the bitten finger had seriously disturbed him.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The portent of the bitten finger had seriously disturbed him.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

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

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

holynounUS /ˈhoʊli/

a sacred place of pilgrimage

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Tu-Kila-Kila went home that day in a very bad humor.

homewardadverbUS /ˈhoʊmwərd/

toward home

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

humornounUS /ˈhjuːmər/

a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter

From this reading Tu-Kila-Kila went home that day in a very bad humor.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Besides, what would his people think of it if they found it out?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Tu-Kila-Kila went home that day in a very bad humor.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The portent of the bitten finger had seriously disturbed him.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Besides, what would his people think of it if they found it out?

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Besides, what would his people think of it if they found it out?

portentnounUS /ˈpɔːrtent/

a sign of something about to happen

From this reading The portent of the bitten finger had seriously disturbed him.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

seriouslyadverbUS /ˈsɪriəsli/

in a serious manner

From this reading The portent of the bitten finger had seriously disturbed him.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

soilnounUS /sɔɪl/

the state of being covered with unclean things

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

soundsnounUS /saʊndz/

plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Tu-Kila-Kila went home that day in a very bad humor.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The portent of the bitten finger had seriously disturbed him.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Besides, what would his people think of it if they found it out?

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading Besides, what would his people think of it if they found it out?

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

Tu-Kila-Kila

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

From this reading Tu-Kila-Kila went home that day in a very bad humor.

uneasinessnounUS /ˌʌˈniːzinəs/

feelings of anxiety that make you tense and irritable

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Tu-Kila-Kila went home that day in a very bad humor.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Tu-Kila-Kila went home that day in a very bad humor.

wetadjectiveUS /wet/

covered or soaked with a liquid such as water

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Besides, what would his people think of it if they found it out?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading For, strange as it sounds to us, he really believed himself in his own divinity; and the bare thought that the holy soil of earth should be dabbled and wet with the blood of a god gave him no little uneasiness in his own mind on his way homeward.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Besides, what would his people think of it if they found it out?

Chapter 19 of The Great Taboo by Grant Allen holds 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 19 of The Great Taboo contain?

Chapter 19 holds 199 sentences of The Great Taboo, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 of The Great Taboo by Grant Allen exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 19 of The Great Taboo?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 19 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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 Great Taboo

Common questions about reading The Great Taboo by Grant Allen on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Great Taboo?

Yes. All 4610 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13876 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Great Taboo is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #13876, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Great Taboo take to read?

About 384 minutes of reading across 922 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Great Taboo section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 32 chapters of The Great Taboo 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 Great Taboo

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

Pacific
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great Taboo; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Overboard
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great Taboo; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Felix
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great Taboo; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thurstan's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great Taboo; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.