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The story of Burnt Njal
The story of Burnt Njal

Chapter XLVIII · Chapter 48

Chapter 48 of The story of Burnt Njal is here in full — 39 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By George Webbe, Sir [Translator] Dasent • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The story of Burnt Njal
Context Illustration Reading 1/7 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
OF OTKELL IN KIRKBY.
There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.
Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.
Otkell was wealthy in goods.
His son's name was Thorgeir; he was young in years, and a bold dashing man.
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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 story of Burnt Njal

Chapter XLVIII · Chapter 48

Chapter 48 of The story of Burnt Njal is here in full — 39 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/7 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
OF OTKELL IN KIRKBY.
Line 2
There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.
Line 3
Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.
Line 4
Otkell was wealthy in goods.
Line 5
His son's name was Thorgeir; he was young in years, and a bold dashing man.

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.

dashing adjective US /ˈdæʃɪŋ/

lively and spirited

From this reading “His son's name was Thorgeir; he was young in years, and a bold dashing man.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
felled verb US /feld/

past form of “fell” — cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading “There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goods noun US /ɡʊdz/

plural of “good” — benefit

From this reading “Otkell was wealthy in goods.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isles noun US /aɪlz/

plural of “isle” — a small island

From this reading “Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mar verb US /mɑːr/

make imperfect

From this reading “Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
son's noun US /sʌnz/

possessive form of “son” — a male human offspring

From this reading “His son's name was Thorgeir; he was young in years, and a bold dashing man.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wealthy adjective US /ˈwelθi/

having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value

From this reading “Otkell was wealthy in goods.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wife's noun US /waɪfs/

possessive form of “wife” — a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading “Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 52

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.

22

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

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

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 There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
boldadjectiveUS /boʊld/

fearless and daring

From this reading His son's name was Thorgeir; he was young in years, and a bold dashing man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
brothersnounUS /ˈbrʌðərz/

plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dashingadjectiveUS /ˈdæʃɪŋ/

lively and spirited

From this reading His son's name was Thorgeir; he was young in years, and a bold dashing man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daughternounUS /ˈdɔːtər/

a female human offspring

From this reading Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Faroe

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

From this reading Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.

Pending verification
felledverbUS /feld/

past form of “fell” — cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
foughtverbUS /fɔːt/

inflected form of “fight” — be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goodsnounUS /ɡʊdz/

plural of “good” — benefit

From this reading Otkell was wealthy in goods.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Gorm

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

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

Pending verification
Gormness

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

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

Pending verification
Hallkell

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

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

Pending verification
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
holm

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

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

Pending verification
housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading OF OTKELL IN KIRKBY.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
islesnounUS /aɪlz/

plural of “isle” — a small island

From this reading Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Kettlebjorn

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

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

Pending verification
KIRKBY

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

From this reading OF OTKELL IN KIRKBY.

Pending verification
mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MarverbUS /mɑːr/

make imperfect

From this reading Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Naddad

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

From this reading Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.

Pending verification
nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
namedverbUS /neɪmd/

past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading OF OTKELL IN KIRKBY.

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 There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OTKELL

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

From this reading OF OTKELL IN KIRKBY.

Pending verification
Runolf

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

From this reading Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.

Pending verification
shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Skarf

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

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

Pending verification
sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
son'snounUS /sʌnz/

possessive form of “son” — a male human offspring

From this reading His son's name was Thorgeir; he was young in years, and a bold dashing man.

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 There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Thorgeir

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

From this reading His son's name was Thorgeir; he was young in years, and a bold dashing man.

Pending verification
Thorgerda

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

From this reading Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.

Pending verification
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wealthyadjectiveUS /ˈwelθi/

having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value

From this reading Otkell was wealthy in goods.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wife'snounUS /waɪfs/

possessive form of “wife” — a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading Otkell kept house at Kirkby; his wife's name was Thorgerda; she was a daughter of Mar, the son of Runolf, the son of Naddad of the Faroe isles.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading There was a man named Otkell; he was the son of Skarf, the son of Hallkell, who fought with Gorm of Gormness, and felled him on the holm.[22] This Hallkell and Kettlebjorn the Old were brothers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading His son's name was Thorgeir; he was young in years, and a bold dashing man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading His son's name was Thorgeir; he was young in years, and a bold dashing man.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 48 of The story of Burnt Njal by George Webbe, Sir [Translator] Dasent holds 39 sentences, grouped into 8 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 48 of The story of Burnt Njal contain?

Chapter 48 holds 39 sentences of The story of Burnt Njal, unabridged, divided into 8 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 48 of The story of Burnt Njal by George Webbe, Sir [Translator] Dasent exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 39 sentences, grouped into 8 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 48 of The story of Burnt Njal?

Work through the 8 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 8 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 48 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 48 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.

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Vocabulary met early in The story of Burnt Njal

Words and structures a reader meets early in The story of Burnt Njal, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The story of Burnt Njal, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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