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The Pioneers
The Pioneers

Chapter XXXIX · Chapter 39

Chapter 39 of The Pioneers is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I am dumb.
Were you the doctor, and I knew you not?”
--Shakespeare.
During the five or six minutes that elapsed before the youth and Major reappeared.
Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Pioneers

Chapter XXXIX · Chapter 39

Chapter 39 of The Pioneers is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I am dumb.
/aɪ æm dʌm/
Line 2
Were you the doctor, and I knew you not?”
/wɜːr juː ðə ˈdɑːktər ənd aɪ nuː juː nɑːt/
Line 3
--Shakespeare.
/ˈʃeɪkspiːr/
Line 4
During the five or six minutes that elapsed before the youth and Major reappeared.
/ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə faɪv ɔːr sɪks ˈmɪnəts ðæt ɪˈlæpst bɪˈfɔːr ðə juːθ ənd ˈmeɪdʒər ˌriːəˈpɪrd/
Line 5
Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.
/dʒʌdʒ ˈtempəl ənd ðə ˈʃerəf təˈɡeðər wɪð moʊst ʌv ðə ˌvɑːlənˈtɪrz əˈsendɪd tuː ðə ˈterəs wer ðə ˈlætər bɪˈɡæn tuː ɪkˈspres ðer kənˈdʒektʃərz ʌv ðə rɪˈzʌlt ənd tuː rɪˈkaʊnt ðer ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəl ˈsɜːrvəsəz ɪn ðə ˈkɑːnflɪkt/

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.

ascended verb US /əˈsendɪd/

past form of “ascend” — travel up

From this reading “Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.”

conflict noun US /ˈkɑːnflɪkt/

an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals)

From this reading “Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.”

conjectures noun US /kənˈdʒektʃərz/

plural of “conjecture” — a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence)

From this reading “Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.”

elapsed adjective US /ɪˈlæpst/

(of time) having passed or slipped by

From this reading “During the five or six minutes that elapsed before the youth and Major reappeared.”

reappeared verb US /ˌriːəˈpɪrd/

past form of “reappear” — appear again

From this reading “During the five or six minutes that elapsed before the youth and Major reappeared.”

recount verb US /rɪˈkaʊnt/

narrate or give a detailed account of

From this reading “Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.”

sheriff noun US /ˈʃerəf/

the principal law-enforcement officer in a county

From this reading “Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.”

volunteers noun US /ˌvɑːlənˈtɪrz/

plural of “volunteer” — (military) a person who freely enlists for service

From this reading “Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.”

All words in this reading · 45

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.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading “I am dumb.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Were you the doctor, and I knew you not?”

ascendedverbUS /əˈsendɪd/

past form of “ascend” — travel up

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading During the five or six minutes that elapsed before the youth and Major reappeared.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

conflictnounUS /ˈkɑːnflɪkt/

an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals)

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

conjecturesnounUS /kənˈdʒektʃərz/

plural of “conjecture” — a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence)

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

doctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading Were you the doctor, and I knew you not?”

dumbadjectiveUS /dʌm/

slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity

From this reading “I am dumb.

DuringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading During the five or six minutes that elapsed before the youth and Major reappeared.

elapsedadjectiveUS /ɪˈlæpst/

(of time) having passed or slipped by

From this reading During the five or six minutes that elapsed before the youth and Major reappeared.

expressverbUS /ɪkˈspres/

give expression to

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading During the five or six minutes that elapsed before the youth and Major reappeared.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “I am dumb.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

individualadjectiveUS /ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəl/

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

JudgeverbUS /dʒʌdʒ/

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Were you the doctor, and I knew you not?”

latteradjectiveUS /ˈlætər/

referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

MajoradjectiveUS /ˈmeɪdʒər/

of greater importance or stature or rank

From this reading During the five or six minutes that elapsed before the youth and Major reappeared.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading During the five or six minutes that elapsed before the youth and Major reappeared.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Were you the doctor, and I knew you not?”

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading During the five or six minutes that elapsed before the youth and Major reappeared.

reappearedverbUS /ˌriːəˈpɪrd/

past form of “reappear” — appear again

From this reading During the five or six minutes that elapsed before the youth and Major reappeared.

recountverbUS /rɪˈkaʊnt/

narrate or give a detailed account of

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

resultnounUS /rɪˈzʌlt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

servicesnounUS /ˈsɜːrvəsəz/

performance of duties or provision of space and equipment helpful to others

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

ShakespearenounUS /ˈʃeɪkspiːr/

English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)

From this reading --Shakespeare.

sheriffnounUS /ˈʃerəf/

the principal law-enforcement officer in a county

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading During the five or six minutes that elapsed before the youth and Major reappeared.

TemplenounUS /ˈtempəl/

place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

terracenounUS /ˈterəs/

usually paved outdoor area adjoining a residence

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading During the five or six minutes that elapsed before the youth and Major reappeared.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Were you the doctor, and I knew you not?”

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

volunteersnounUS /ˌvɑːlənˈtɪrz/

plural of “volunteer” — (military) a person who freely enlists for service

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

Wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Were you the doctor, and I knew you not?”

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Judge Temple and the sheriff together with most of the volunteers, ascended to the terrace, where the latter began to express their conjectures of the result, and to recount their individual services in the conflict.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Were you the doctor, and I knew you not?”

youthnounUS /juːθ/

a young person (especially a young man or boy)

From this reading During the five or six minutes that elapsed before the youth and Major reappeared.

Chapter 39 of The Pioneers by James Fenimore Cooper holds 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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 39 of The Pioneers contain?

Chapter 39 holds 150 sentences of The Pioneers, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 39 of The Pioneers by James Fenimore Cooper exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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 39 of The Pioneers?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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 39 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 39 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 Pioneers

Common questions about reading The Pioneers by James Fenimore Cooper on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Pioneers?

Yes. All 6089 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2275 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Pioneers is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2275, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Pioneers take to read?

About 507 minutes of reading across 1218 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Pioneers section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Pioneers 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 Pioneers

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Pioneers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Winter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Pioneers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Comes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Pioneers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Varied
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Pioneers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Years
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Pioneers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.