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The High History of the Holy Graal
The High History of the Holy Graal

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The High History of the Holy Graal is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Sebastian [Translator] Evans • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The High History of the Holy Graal
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".
Author unknown.
Translation by Sebastian Evans, 1898.
The High History of the Holy Graal Potvin, Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal", Vol. I (Soc.
Bibl.
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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 High History of the Holy Graal

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The High History of the Holy Graal is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".
Line 2
Author unknown.
/ˈɔːθər ənˈnoʊn/
Line 3
Translation by Sebastian Evans, 1898.
Line 4
The High History of the Holy Graal Potvin, Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal", Vol. I (Soc.
Line 5
Bibl.

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.

Century noun US /ˈsentʃəri/

a period of 100 years

From this reading “Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
continuation noun US /kənˌtɪnjuːˈeɪʃən/

the act of continuing an activity without interruption

From this reading “Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Evans noun US /ˈevənz/

United States anatomist who identified four pituitary hormones and discovered vitamin E (1882-1971)

From this reading “Translation by Sebastian Evans, 1898.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Grail noun US /ɡreɪl/

the object of any prolonged endeavor

From this reading “Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Originally adverb US /ərˈɪdʒənəli/

in an original manner

From this reading “Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sometime adverb US /ˈsʌmtaɪm/

at some indefinite or unstated time

From this reading “Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Translation noun US /trænzˈleɪʃən/

a written communication in a second language having the same meaning as the written communication in a first language

From this reading “Translation by Sebastian Evans, 1898.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
unfinished adjective US /ənˈfɪnɪʃt/

not brought to the desired final state

From this reading “Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 47

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.

13th

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

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

Pending verification
1898

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

From this reading Translation by Sebastian Evans, 1898.

Pending verification
AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

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

From this reading Author unknown.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Bibl

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

From this reading Bibl.

Pending verification
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Translation by Sebastian Evans, 1898.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
CenturynounUS /ˈsentʃəri/

a period of 100 years

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Ch

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

From this reading The High History of the Holy Graal Potvin, Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal", Vol. I (Soc.

Pending verification
Chretien

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

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

Pending verification
conte

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

From this reading The High History of the Holy Graal Potvin, Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal", Vol. I (Soc.

Pending verification
continuationnounUS /kənˌtɪnjuːˈeɪʃən/

the act of continuing an activity without interruption

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DnounUS /diː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DeTroyes

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

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

Pending verification
du

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

From this reading The High History of the Holy Graal Potvin, Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal", Vol. I (Soc.

Pending verification
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EdnounUS /ed/

impotence resulting from a man's inability to have or maintain an erection of his penis

From this reading The High History of the Holy Graal Potvin, Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal", Vol. I (Soc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EvansnounUS /ˈevənz/

United States anatomist who identified four pituitary hormones and discovered vitamin E (1882-1971)

From this reading Translation by Sebastian Evans, 1898.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FrenchnounUS /frentʃ/

the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Gallois

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

From this reading The High History of the Holy Graal Potvin, Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal", Vol. I (Soc.

Pending verification
Graal

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

From this reading The High History of the Holy Graal Potvin, Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal", Vol. I (Soc.

Pending verification
GrailnounUS /ɡreɪl/

the object of any prolonged endeavor

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HighadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading The High History of the Holy Graal Potvin, Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal", Vol. I (Soc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HistorynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/

the aggregate of past events

From this reading The High History of the Holy Graal Potvin, Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal", Vol. I (Soc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HolynounUS /ˈhoʊli/

a sacred place of pilgrimage

From this reading The High History of the Holy Graal Potvin, Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal", Vol. I (Soc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading The High History of the Holy Graal Potvin, Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal", Vol. I (Soc.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
KnightnounUS /naɪt/

originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lenounUS /lə/

a chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints)

From this reading The High History of the Holy Graal Potvin, Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal", Vol. I (Soc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OriginallyadverbUS /ərˈɪdʒənəli/

in an original manner

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ou

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

From this reading The High History of the Holy Graal Potvin, Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal", Vol. I (Soc.

Pending verification
Perceval

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

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

Pending verification
Potvin

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

From this reading The High History of the Holy Graal Potvin, Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal", Vol. I (Soc.

Pending verification
Sebastian

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

From this reading Translation by Sebastian Evans, 1898.

Pending verification
Soc

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

From this reading The High History of the Holy Graal Potvin, Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal", Vol. I (Soc.

Pending verification
sometimeadverbUS /ˈsʌmtaɪm/

at some indefinite or unstated time

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TranslationnounUS /trænzˈleɪʃən/

a written communication in a second language having the same meaning as the written communication in a first language

From this reading Translation by Sebastian Evans, 1898.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
unfinishedadjectiveUS /ənˈfɪnɪʃt/

not brought to the desired final state

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
unknownadjectiveUS /ənˈnoʊn/

not known

From this reading Author unknown.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Vol

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

From this reading The High History of the Holy Graal Potvin, Ch. (Ed.): "Perceval le Gallois ou le conte du Graal", Vol. I (Soc.

Pending verification
workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading Originally written in Old French, sometime in the early half of the 13th Century A.D., as a continuation of Chretien DeTroyes' unfinished work "Perceval, or the Knight of the Grail".

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of The High History of the Holy Graal by Sebastian [Translator] Evans holds 140 sentences, grouped into 28 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 High History of the Holy Graal contain?

Chapter 1 holds 140 sentences of The High History of the Holy Graal, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The High History of the Holy Graal by Sebastian [Translator] Evans exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 140 sentences, grouped into 28 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 High History of the Holy Graal?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 High History of the Holy Graal

Common questions about reading The High History of the Holy Graal by Sebastian [Translator] Evans on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The High History of the Holy Graal?

Yes. All 6730 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #750 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The High History of the Holy Graal is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #750, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The High History of the Holy Graal take to read?

About 560 minutes of reading across 1346 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The High History of the Holy Graal section by section

How to work through The High History of the Holy Graal section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The High History of the Holy Graal 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 High History of the Holy Graal

Words and structures a reader meets early in The High History of the Holy Graal, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Originally
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The High History of the Holy Graal; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Written
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The High History of the Holy Graal; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
French
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The High History of the Holy Graal; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sometime
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The High History of the Holy Graal; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.