Chapter 11 of The Land of Desolation is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XI
Chapter 11 of The Land of Desolation is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE LAST MAN. The final destruction of the Northmen in Greenland is a matter of melancholy interest. Exactly when it came about we can not know. We have seen that the bishop’s see was abandoned in 1409. Prior to that time, however, we have accounts of the desperate straits to which the people were reduced.
Chapter 11 of The Land of Desolation is here in full — 101 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/20 · 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.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading “We have seen that the bishop’s see was abandoned in 1409.”
plural of “account” — a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading “Prior to that time, however, we have accounts of the desperate straits to which the people were reduced.”
possessive form of “bishop” — a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve Apostles of Christ
the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists
From this reading “The final destruction of the Northmen in Greenland is a matter of melancholy interest.”
the largest island in the world; lies between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean; a self-governing province of Denmark
From this reading “The final destruction of the Northmen in Greenland is a matter of melancholy interest.”
earlier in time
From this reading “Prior to that time, however, we have accounts of the desperate straits to which the people were reduced.”
made less in size or amount or degree
From this reading “Prior to that time, however, we have accounts of the desperate straits to which the people were reduced.”
a bad or difficult situation or state of affairs
From this reading “Prior to that time, however, we have accounts of the desperate straits to which the people were reduced.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
a state of extreme distress
In this reading “Prior to that time, however, we have accounts of the desperate straits to which the people were reduced.”
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 We have seen that the bishop’s see was abandoned in 1409.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The final destruction of the Northmen in Greenland is a matter of melancholy interest.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading We have seen that the bishop’s see was abandoned in 1409.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Exactly when it came about we can not know.
plural of “account” — a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading Prior to that time, however, we have accounts of the desperate straits to which the people were reduced.
possessive form of “bishop” — a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve Apostles of Christ
From this reading We have seen that the bishop’s see was abandoned in 1409.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Exactly when it came about we can not know.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Exactly when it came about we can not know.
arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope
From this reading Prior to that time, however, we have accounts of the desperate straits to which the people were reduced.
the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists
From this reading The final destruction of the Northmen in Greenland is a matter of melancholy interest.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading Exactly when it came about we can not know.
occurring at or forming an end or termination
From this reading The final destruction of the Northmen in Greenland is a matter of melancholy interest.
the largest island in the world; lies between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean; a self-governing province of Denmark
From this reading The final destruction of the Northmen in Greenland is a matter of melancholy interest.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading We have seen that the bishop’s see was abandoned in 1409.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Prior to that time, however, we have accounts of the desperate straits to which the people were reduced.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The final destruction of the Northmen in Greenland is a matter of melancholy interest.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading The final destruction of the Northmen in Greenland is a matter of melancholy interest.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The final destruction of the Northmen in Greenland is a matter of melancholy interest.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Exactly when it came about we can not know.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Exactly when it came about we can not know.
immediately past
From this reading THE LAST MAN.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading THE LAST MAN.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading The final destruction of the Northmen in Greenland is a matter of melancholy interest.
a feeling of thoughtful sadness
From this reading The final destruction of the Northmen in Greenland is a matter of melancholy interest.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The final destruction of the Northmen in Greenland is a matter of melancholy interest.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Exactly when it came about we can not know.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The final destruction of the Northmen in Greenland is a matter of melancholy interest.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading Prior to that time, however, we have accounts of the desperate straits to which the people were reduced.
earlier in time
From this reading Prior to that time, however, we have accounts of the desperate straits to which the people were reduced.
made less in size or amount or degree
From this reading Prior to that time, however, we have accounts of the desperate straits to which the people were reduced.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading We have seen that the bishop’s see was abandoned in 1409.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading We have seen that the bishop’s see was abandoned in 1409.
a bad or difficult situation or state of affairs
From this reading Prior to that time, however, we have accounts of the desperate straits to which the people were reduced.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading We have seen that the bishop’s see was abandoned in 1409.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE LAST MAN.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Prior to that time, however, we have accounts of the desperate straits to which the people were reduced.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Prior to that time, however, we have accounts of the desperate straits to which the people were reduced.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading We have seen that the bishop’s see was abandoned in 1409.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Exactly when it came about we can not know.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Prior to that time, however, we have accounts of the desperate straits to which the people were reduced.
at the time that
From this reading Exactly when it came about we can not know.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Prior to that time, however, we have accounts of the desperate straits to which the people were reduced.
Chapter 11 of The Land of Desolation by I. I. (Isaac Israel) Hayes holds 101 sentences, grouped into 21 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.
Chapter 11 holds 101 sentences of The Land of Desolation, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 11 of The Land of Desolation by I. I. (Isaac Israel) Hayes exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 101 sentences, grouped into 21 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 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 21 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 11 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 Land of Desolation by I. I. (Isaac Israel) Hayes on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3145 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59217 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #59217, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 262 minutes of reading across 629 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Land of Desolation section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Land of Desolation 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 Land of Desolation, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
