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The Mother's Nursery Songs
The Mother's Nursery Songs

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Mother's Nursery Songs is here in full — 65 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/13 · 5 lines
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THE MOTHER'S NURSERY SONGS.
AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.
&c.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.
PREFACE.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Mother's Nursery Songs

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Mother's Nursery Songs is here in full — 65 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE MOTHER'S NURSERY SONGS.
/ðə ˈmʌðərz ˈnɜːrsəri sɔːŋz/
Line 2
AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.
Line 3
&c.
/siː/
Line 4
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.
Line 5
PREFACE.
/ˈprefəs/

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.

Clerk's noun US /klɜːrks/

possessive form of “clerk” — an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)

From this reading “Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.”

compilers noun US /kəmˈpaɪlərz/

plural of “compiler” — a person who compiles information (as for reference purposes)

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.”

Congress noun US /ˈkɑːŋɡrəs/

the legislature of the United States government

From this reading “Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.”

dissertation noun US /ˌdɪsərˈteɪʃən/

a treatise advancing a new point of view resulting from research; usually a requirement for an advanced academic degree

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.”

havens noun US /ˈheɪvənz/

plural of “haven” — a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary

From this reading “Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.”

minstrel noun US /ˈmɪnstrəl/

a singer of folk songs

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.”

preface noun US /ˈprefəs/

a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book

From this reading “PREFACE.”

sacra noun US /ˈsækrə/

plural of “sacrum” — wedge-shaped bone consisting of five fused vertebrae forming the posterior part of the pelvis; its base connects with the lowest lumbar vertebra and its tip with the coccyx

From this reading “AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

Act of verb + particle

In this reading “Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.”

All words in this reading · 41

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.

1834

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

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

accordingadjectiveUS /əˈkɔːrdɪŋ/

(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

ActverbUS /ækt/

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

AUTHORnounUS /ˈɔːθər/

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

cnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.

Clerk'snounUS /klɜːrks/

possessive form of “clerk” — an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

COMPILERSnounUS /kəmˈpaɪlərz/

plural of “compiler” — a person who compiles information (as for reference purposes)

From this reading AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.

CongressnounUS /ˈkɑːŋɡrəs/

the legislature of the United States government

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

CourtnounUS /kɔːrt/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

DISSERTATIONnounUS /ˌdɪsərˈteɪʃən/

a treatise advancing a new point of view resulting from research; usually a requirement for an advanced academic degree

From this reading AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.

DistrictnounUS /ˈdɪstrɪkt/

a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

EnteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

HAVENSnounUS /ˈheɪvənz/

plural of “haven” — a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

INFANTnounUS /ˈɪnfənt/

a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.

JOHNnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

MINSTRELnounUS /ˈmɪnstrəl/

a singer of folk songs

From this reading AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.

MOTHER'SnounUS /ˈmʌðərz/

possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading THE MOTHER'S NURSERY SONGS.

MUSICA

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.

MUSICALadjectiveUS /ˈmjuːzɪkəl/

characterized by or capable of producing music

From this reading AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

NURSERYnounUS /ˈnɜːrsəri/

a child's room for a baby

From this reading THE MOTHER'S NURSERY SONGS.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.

OfficenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.

ONEpronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.

PnounUS /piː/

a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

PREFACEnounUS /ˈprefəs/

a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book

From this reading PREFACE.

SACRAnounUS /ˈsækrə/

plural of “sacrum” — wedge-shaped bone consisting of five fused vertebrae forming the posterior part of the pelvis; its base connects with the lowest lumbar vertebra and its tip with the coccyx

From this reading AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.

SONGSnounUS /sɔːŋz/

plural of “song” — a short musical composition with words

From this reading THE MOTHER'S NURSERY SONGS.

SouthernadjectiveUS /ˈsʌðərn/

in or characteristic of a region of the United States south of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

SPIRITUALadjectiveUS /ˈspɪrɪtʃuːəl/

concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church

From this reading AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.

StatesnounUS /steɪts/

plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

TASTEverbUS /teɪst/

To perceive flavor through the mouth.

From this reading AUTHOR OF "DISSERTATION ON MUSICAL TASTE"--ONE OF THE COMPILERS OF "MUSICA SACRA"--"SPIRITUAL SONGS"--"INFANT MINSTREL," &c.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE MOTHER'S NURSERY SONGS.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

UnitedadjectiveUS /juːˈnaɪtɪd/

characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by JOHN P. HAVENS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

Chapter 1 of The Mother's Nursery Songs by Thomas Hastings holds 65 sentences, grouped into 13 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 1 of The Mother's Nursery Songs contain?

Chapter 1 holds 65 sentences of The Mother's Nursery Songs, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Mother's Nursery Songs by Thomas Hastings exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 65 sentences, grouped into 13 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 Mother's Nursery Songs?

Work through the 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 13 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 Mother's Nursery Songs

Common questions about reading The Mother's Nursery Songs by Thomas Hastings on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Mother's Nursery Songs?

Yes. All 554 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #42612 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Mother's Nursery Songs is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #42612, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Mother's Nursery Songs take to read?

About 46 minutes of reading across 111 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Mother's Nursery Songs section by section

How to work through The Mother's Nursery Songs section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 5 chapters of The Mother's Nursery Songs 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 Mother's Nursery Songs

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Mother's Nursery Songs, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Mother's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mother's Nursery Songs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nursery
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mother's Nursery Songs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Songs
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mother's Nursery Songs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mother's Nursery Songs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.