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The waning of a world
The waning of a world

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The waning of a world is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The waning of a world
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.
“And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”
“That is how you knew I would come to you?
How well do I remember!
But then, as before, you slipped away from me.
0:00 / 0:00
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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 waning of a world

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of The waning of a world is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.
/ðə sʌnz ˈdæzəlɪŋ edʒ pɪrd ˈoʊvər ðə rɪm ʌv ðə hərˈaɪzən ɪts wɔːrm reɪz ˈnestlɪŋ ɪn hɜːr peɪl ɡoʊld her/
Line 2
“And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”
Line 3
“That is how you knew I would come to you?
Line 4
How well do I remember!
Line 5
But then, as before, you slipped away from me.
/bʌt ðen æz bɪˈfɔːr juː slɪpt əˈweɪ frʌm miː/

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.

dazzling adjective US /ˈdæzəlɪŋ/

amazingly impressive; suggestive of the flashing of lightning

From this reading “The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.”

journeyed verb US /ˈdʒɜːrnid/

past form of “journey” — undertake a journey or trip

From this reading ““And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?””

nestling noun US /ˈnestlɪŋ/

young bird not yet fledged

From this reading “The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.”

peered verb US /pɪrd/

past form of “peer” — look searchingly

From this reading “The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.”

rays noun US /reɪz/

plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)

From this reading “The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.”

rim noun US /rɪm/

the shape of a raised edge of a more or less circular object

From this reading “The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.”

Sphere noun US /sfɪr/

a particular environment or walk of life

sun's noun US /sʌnz/

possessive form of “sun” — the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

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.

slipped away verb + particle counted as “slip away”

leave furtively and stealthily

In this reading “But then, as before, you slipped away from me.”

warm rays adjective + noun counted as “warm ray”

In this reading “The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.”

over the rim preposition + article + noun counted as “over … rim”

In this reading “The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.”

pale gold adjective + noun

In this reading “The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

absurdadjectiveUS /əbˈsɜːrd/

inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading But then, as before, you slipped away from me.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading But then, as before, you slipped away from me.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading “That is how you knew I would come to you?

dazzlingadjectiveUS /ˈdæzəlɪŋ/

amazingly impressive; suggestive of the flashing of lightning

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading How well do I remember!

edgenounUS /edʒ/

the boundary of a surface

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading But then, as before, you slipped away from me.

goldnounUS /ɡoʊld/

coins made of gold

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

hairnounUS /her/

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

horizonnounUS /hərˈaɪzən/

the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

how

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

From this reading “That is how you knew I would come to you?

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “That is how you knew I would come to you?

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

journeyedverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrnid/

past form of “journey” — undertake a journey or trip

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

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 “That is how you knew I would come to you?

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

nestlingnounUS /ˈnestlɪŋ/

young bird not yet fledged

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

ohnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

paleadjectiveUS /peɪl/

very light colored; highly diluted with white

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

peeredverbUS /pɪrd/

past form of “peer” — look searchingly

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

raysnounUS /reɪz/

plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading How well do I remember!

rimnounUS /rɪm/

the shape of a raised edge of a more or less circular object

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

slippedverbUS /slɪpt/

inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily

From this reading But then, as before, you slipped away from me.

soundsnounUS /saʊndz/

plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

spacenounUS /speɪs/

the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

SpherenounUS /sfɪr/

a particular environment or walk of life

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

sun'snounUS /sʌnz/

possessive form of “sun” — the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “That is how you knew I would come to you?

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading But then, as before, you slipped away from me.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

warmadjectiveUS /wɔːrm/

having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat

From this reading The sun’s dazzling edge peered over the rim of the horizon, its warm rays nestling in her pale gold hair.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading How well do I remember!

wonderfuladjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərfəl/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “That is how you knew I would come to you?

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “And did--did you--oh, I know it sounds absurd--but did you not see me one night off in space as you journeyed to me in your wonderful _Sphere_?”

Chapter 6 of The waning of a world by W. Elwyn (Waldo Elwyn) Backus holds 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 6 of The waning of a world contain?

Chapter 6 holds 408 sentences of The waning of a world, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of The waning of a world by W. Elwyn (Waldo Elwyn) Backus exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 6 of The waning of a world?

Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 82 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 waning of a world

Common questions about reading The waning of a world by W. Elwyn (Waldo Elwyn) Backus on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The waning of a world?

Yes. All 3692 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #73270 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The waning of a world is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #73270, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The waning of a world take to read?

About 307 minutes of reading across 739 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The waning of a world section by section

How to work through The waning of a world section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of The waning of a world 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 waning of a world

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

Started
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The waning of a world; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Professor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The waning of a world; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Palmer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The waning of a world; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Universe
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The waning of a world; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.