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The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel
The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel is here in full — 92 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By L. (Luise) Mühlbach • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel
Context Illustration Reading 1/18 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MR.
KRETSCHMER, OF THE VOSSIAN GAZETTE.
The editor of the _Vossian Gazette_, Mr. Kretschmer, sat at his desk, busily writing.
That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.
Besides which, Mr. Kretschmer wore a dressing-gown, thickly sprinkled with ink-spots, the official robe of his literary dignity.
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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 Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel is here in full — 92 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/18 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MR.
/ˈmɪstər/
Line 2
KRETSCHMER, OF THE VOSSIAN GAZETTE.
Line 3
The editor of the _Vossian Gazette_, Mr. Kretschmer, sat at his desk, busily writing.
Line 4
That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.
Line 5
Besides which, Mr. Kretschmer wore a dressing-gown, thickly sprinkled with ink-spots, the official robe of his literary dignity.

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.

busily adverb US /ˈbɪzəli/

in a busy manner

From this reading “The editor of the _Vossian Gazette_, Mr. Kretschmer, sat at his desk, busily writing.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
disorder noun US /dɪˈsɔːrdər/

a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning

From this reading “That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gazette noun US /ɡəˈzet/

a newspaper or official journal

From this reading “KRETSCHMER, OF THE VOSSIAN GAZETTE.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reigned verb US /reɪnd/

past form of “reign” — have sovereign power

From this reading “That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
robe noun US /roʊb/

any loose flowing garment

From this reading “Besides which, Mr. Kretschmer wore a dressing-gown, thickly sprinkled with ink-spots, the official robe of his literary dignity.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sprinkled verb US /ˈsprɪŋkəld/

past form of “sprinkle” — distribute loosely

From this reading “Besides which, Mr. Kretschmer wore a dressing-gown, thickly sprinkled with ink-spots, the official robe of his literary dignity.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thickly adverb US /ˈθɪkli/

spoken with poor articulation as if with a thick tongue

From this reading “Besides which, Mr. Kretschmer wore a dressing-gown, thickly sprinkled with ink-spots, the official robe of his literary dignity.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wig noun US /wɪɡ/

hairpiece covering the head and made of real or synthetic hair

From this reading “That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 48

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 That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The editor of the _Vossian Gazette_, Mr. Kretschmer, sat at his desk, busily writing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BesidesprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪdz/

in addition to; as well as

From this reading Besides which, Mr. Kretschmer wore a dressing-gown, thickly sprinkled with ink-spots, the official robe of his literary dignity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
busilyadverbUS /ˈbɪzəli/

in a busy manner

From this reading The editor of the _Vossian Gazette_, Mr. Kretschmer, sat at his desk, busily writing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
care-worn

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

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

Pending verification
confusionnounUS /kənˈfjuːʒən/

disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desknounUS /desk/

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading The editor of the _Vossian Gazette_, Mr. Kretschmer, sat at his desk, busily writing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dignitynounUS /ˈdɪɡnəti/

the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect

From this reading Besides which, Mr. Kretschmer wore a dressing-gown, thickly sprinkled with ink-spots, the official robe of his literary dignity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
disordernounUS /dɪˈsɔːrdər/

a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dressing-gown

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

From this reading Besides which, Mr. Kretschmer wore a dressing-gown, thickly sprinkled with ink-spots, the official robe of his literary dignity.

Pending verification
earnestadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrnɪst/

characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
editornounUS /ˈedətər/

a person responsible for the editorial aspects of publication; the person who determines the final content of a text (especially of a newspaper or magazine)

From this reading The editor of the _Vossian Gazette_, Mr. Kretschmer, sat at his desk, busily writing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
foreheadnounUS /ˈfɔːrhed/

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GAZETTEnounUS /ɡəˈzet/

a newspaper or official journal

From this reading KRETSCHMER, OF THE VOSSIAN GAZETTE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The editor of the _Vossian Gazette_, Mr. Kretschmer, sat at his desk, busily writing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ink-spots

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

From this reading Besides which, Mr. Kretschmer wore a dressing-gown, thickly sprinkled with ink-spots, the official robe of his literary dignity.

Pending verification
KRETSCHMER

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

From this reading KRETSCHMER, OF THE VOSSIAN GAZETTE.

Pending verification
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
learnedadjectiveUS /lɜːrnd/

having or showing profound knowledge

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
literaryadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəreri/

of or relating to or characteristic of literature

From this reading Besides which, Mr. Kretschmer wore a dressing-gown, thickly sprinkled with ink-spots, the official robe of his literary dignity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MRnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading MR.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading KRETSCHMER, OF THE VOSSIAN GAZETTE.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
officialadjectiveUS /əˈfɪʃəl/

having official authority or sanction

From this reading Besides which, Mr. Kretschmer wore a dressing-gown, thickly sprinkled with ink-spots, the official robe of his literary dignity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reignedverbUS /reɪnd/

past form of “reign” — have sovereign power

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
robenounUS /roʊb/

any loose flowing garment

From this reading Besides which, Mr. Kretschmer wore a dressing-gown, thickly sprinkled with ink-spots, the official robe of his literary dignity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading The editor of the _Vossian Gazette_, Mr. Kretschmer, sat at his desk, busily writing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sprinkledverbUS /ˈsprɪŋkəld/

past form of “sprinkle” — distribute loosely

From this reading Besides which, Mr. Kretschmer wore a dressing-gown, thickly sprinkled with ink-spots, the official robe of his literary dignity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading KRETSCHMER, OF THE VOSSIAN GAZETTE.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thicklyadverbUS /ˈθɪkli/

spoken with poor articulation as if with a thick tongue

From this reading Besides which, Mr. Kretschmer wore a dressing-gown, thickly sprinkled with ink-spots, the official robe of his literary dignity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
VOSSIAN

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

From this reading KRETSCHMER, OF THE VOSSIAN GAZETTE.

Pending verification
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
well-powdered

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

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

Pending verification
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wignounUS /wɪɡ/

hairpiece covering the head and made of real or synthetic hair

From this reading That he was a learned man was seen by his earnest, care-worn forehead, his large, well-powdered wig, and above all by the disorder and confusion which reigned in the whole room.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Besides which, Mr. Kretschmer wore a dressing-gown, thickly sprinkled with ink-spots, the official robe of his literary dignity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
woreverbUS /wɔːr/

inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in

From this reading Besides which, Mr. Kretschmer wore a dressing-gown, thickly sprinkled with ink-spots, the official robe of his literary dignity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
writingnounUS /ˈraɪtɪŋ/

the act of creating written works

From this reading The editor of the _Vossian Gazette_, Mr. Kretschmer, sat at his desk, busily writing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 4 of The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel by L. (Luise) Mühlbach holds 92 sentences, grouped into 19 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 4 of The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel contain?

Chapter 4 holds 92 sentences of The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel by L. (Luise) Mühlbach exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 92 sentences, grouped into 19 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 4 of The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel?

Work through the 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 19 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel

Common questions about reading The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel by L. (Luise) Mühlbach on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 6512 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12016 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #12016, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel take to read?

About 542 minutes of reading across 1303 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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Vocabulary met early in The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Frederick
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Meissen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Love--new
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Merchant of Berlin: An Historical Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.