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The Guide of the Desert
The Guide of the Desert

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The Guide of the Desert is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
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LA MONTONERA.
Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.
It signifies, literally, a heap, a mass, a collection.
Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.
But this is not the meaning which was at first given to the word.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Guide of the Desert

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The Guide of the Desert is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LA MONTONERA.
Line 2
Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.
Line 3
It signifies, literally, a heap, a mass, a collection.
/ɪt ˈsɪɡnəfaɪz ˈlɪtərəli ə hiːp ə mæs ə kəˈlekʃən/
Line 4
Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.
Line 5
But this is not the meaning which was at first given to the word.
/bʌt ðɪs ɪz nɑːt ðə ˈmiːnɪŋ wɪtʃ wɑːz æt fɜːrst ˈɡɪvən tuː ðə wɜːrd/

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.

bandits noun US /ˈbændəts/

plural of “bandit” — an armed thief who is (usually) a member of a band

From this reading “Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.”

cord noun US /kɔːrd/

a line made of twisted fibers or threads

From this reading “Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.”

essentially adverb US /eˈsenʃəli/

in essence; at bottom or by one's (or its) very nature

From this reading “Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.”

highway noun US /ˈhaɪweɪ/

a major road for any form of motor transport

From this reading “Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.”

literally adverb US /ˈlɪtərəli/

in a literal sense

From this reading “It signifies, literally, a heap, a mass, a collection.”

robbers noun US /ˈrɒb.ərz/

Persons who steal from a person or place, especially using violence or threats.

From this reading “Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.”

sack noun US /sæk/

a bag made of paper or plastic for holding customer's purchases

From this reading “Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.”

signifies verb US /ˈsɪɡnəfaɪz/

third-person singular of “signify” — denote or connote

From this reading “It signifies, literally, a heap, a mass, a collection.”

All words in this reading · 50

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 It signifies, literally, a heap, a mass, a collection.

acceptationnoun

acceptance as true or valid

From this reading Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.

althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.

AmericannounUS /əˈmerəkən/

a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading But this is not the meaning which was at first given to the word.

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.

banditsnounUS /ˈbændəts/

plural of “bandit” — an armed thief who is (usually) a member of a band

From this reading Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But this is not the meaning which was at first given to the word.

collectionnounUS /kəˈlekʃən/

several things grouped together or considered as a whole

From this reading It signifies, literally, a heap, a mass, a collection.

cordnounUS /kɔːrd/

a line made of twisted fibers or threads

From this reading Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.

essentiallyadverbUS /eˈsenʃəli/

in essence; at bottom or by one's (or its) very nature

From this reading Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.

faithnounUS /feɪθ/

a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny

From this reading Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.

feminineadjectiveUS /ˈfemənən/

associated with women and not with men

From this reading Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading But this is not the meaning which was at first given to the word.

gatheringnounUS /ˈɡæðərɪŋ/

a group of persons together in one place

From this reading Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading But this is not the meaning which was at first given to the word.

heapnounUS /hiːp/

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading It signifies, literally, a heap, a mass, a collection.

highwaynounUS /ˈhaɪweɪ/

a major road for any form of motor transport

From this reading Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It signifies, literally, a heap, a mass, a collection.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.

LAnounUS /lɑː/

a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth

From this reading LA MONTONERA.

lawnounUS /lɔː/

the collection of rules imposed by authority

From this reading Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.

literallyadverbUS /ˈlɪtərəli/

in a literal sense

From this reading It signifies, literally, a heap, a mass, a collection.

massnounUS /mæs/

the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field

From this reading It signifies, literally, a heap, a mass, a collection.

meaningnounUS /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading But this is not the meaning which was at first given to the word.

meansnounUS /miːnz/

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.

MONTONERA

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

From this reading LA MONTONERA.

Montonero

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

From this reading Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But this is not the meaning which was at first given to the word.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.

robbersnounUS /ˈrɒb.ərz/

Persons who steal from a person or place, especially using violence or threats.

From this reading Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.

rootnounUS /ruːt/

(botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground

From this reading Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.

sacknounUS /sæk/

a bag made of paper or plastic for holding customer's purchases

From this reading Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.

signifiesverbUS /ˈsɪɡnəfaɪz/

third-person singular of “signify” — denote or connote

From this reading It signifies, literally, a heap, a mass, a collection.

SpanishnounUS /ˈspænɪʃ/

the Romance language spoken in most of Spain and the countries colonized by Spain

From this reading Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.

TakenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading But this is not the meaning which was at first given to the word.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But this is not the meaning which was at first given to the word.

undoubtedlyadverbUS /ənˈdaʊtɪdli/

without doubt; certainly

From this reading Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading But this is not the meaning which was at first given to the word.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Taken in the bad acceptation of the word, a montonera means a gathering of men of the sack and cord--of bandits without faith or law--of highway robbers.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading Montonero, the feminine of which is montonera, is essentially an American word, although its root is undoubtedly Spanish.

Chapter 20 of The Guide of the Desert by Gustave Aimard holds 178 sentences, grouped into 36 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 20 of The Guide of the Desert contain?

Chapter 20 holds 178 sentences of The Guide of the Desert, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The Guide of the Desert by Gustave Aimard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 178 sentences, grouped into 36 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 20 of The Guide of the Desert?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 Guide of the Desert

Common questions about reading The Guide of the Desert by Gustave Aimard on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Guide of the Desert?

Yes. All 3215 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45401 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Guide of the Desert is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #45401, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Guide of the Desert take to read?

About 267 minutes of reading across 643 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Guide of the Desert section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of The Guide of the Desert 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 Guide of the Desert

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Guide of the Desert, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Babel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Guide of the Desert; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hathitrust
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Guide of the Desert; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edited
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Guide of the Desert; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Percy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Guide of the Desert; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.