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What's Mine's Mine — Complete
What's Mine's Mine — Complete

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of What's Mine's Mine — Complete is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
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THE FIR-GROVE.
As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.
The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.
Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.
He rose, uncovered, and sat down again.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

What's Mine's Mine — Complete

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of What's Mine's Mine — Complete is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE FIR-GROVE.
Line 2
As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.
Line 3
The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.
Line 4
Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.
Line 5
He rose, uncovered, and sat down again.
/hiː roʊz ənˈkʌvərd ənd sæt daʊn əˈɡen/

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.

birch noun US /bɜːrtʃ/

hard close-grained wood of any of various birch trees; used especially in furniture and interior finishes and plywood

From this reading “The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.”

chief's noun US /tʃiːfs/

possessive form of “chief” — a person who is in charge

From this reading “As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.”

fir noun US /fɜːr/

nonresinous wood of a fir tree

From this reading “THE FIR-GROVE.”

firs noun US /fɜːrz/

plural of “fir” — nonresinous wood of a fir tree

From this reading “Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.”

grove noun US /ɡroʊv/

a small growth of trees without underbrush

From this reading “THE FIR-GROVE.”

irregularly adverb US /ˌɪˈreɡjələrli/

at an uneven rate

From this reading “The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.”

ridge noun US /rɪdʒ/

a long narrow natural elevation or striation

From this reading “As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.”

uncovered adjective US /ənˈkʌvərd/

not covered with clothing

From this reading “He rose, uncovered, and sat down again.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading He rose, uncovered, and sat down again.

AgainstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

benchnounUS /bentʃ/

a long seat for more than one person

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

birchnounUS /bɜːrtʃ/

hard close-grained wood of any of various birch trees; used especially in furniture and interior finishes and plywood

From this reading The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

chiefnounUS /tʃiːf/

a person who is in charge

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

chief'snounUS /tʃiːfs/

possessive form of “chief” — a person who is in charge

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

cottagenounUS /ˈkɑːtədʒ/

a small house with a single story

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

defiledadjective

morally blemished; stained or impure

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

descendedverbUS /dɪˈsendəd/

past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/

apart from; not including

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

firnounUS /fɜːr/

nonresinous wood of a fir tree

From this reading The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

FIR-GROVE

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

From this reading THE FIR-GROVE.

firsnounUS /fɜːrz/

plural of “fir” — nonresinous wood of a fir tree

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

foot-path

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

From this reading The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

formlessadjective

having no definite form or distinct shape

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

grovenounUS /ɡroʊv/

a small growth of trees without underbrush

From this reading The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He rose, uncovered, and sat down again.

Ian

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

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

irregularlyadverbUS /ˌɪˈreɡjələrli/

at an uneven rate

From this reading The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

ladiesnounUS /ˈleɪdiz/

plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

lowerverbUS /ˈloʊər/

move something or somebody to a lower position

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

massnounUS /mæs/

the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

meer-schaum

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

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

mountain-ash

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

From this reading The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

mountedadjectiveUS /ˈmaʊntəd/

assembled for use; especially by being attached to a support

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

neighbourhoodnounUS /ˈneɪbərhʊd/

a surrounding or nearby region

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

nobodypronounUS /ˈnoʊbɑːdiː/

no person; not anyone

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

otherwiseadverbUS /ˈʌðərwaɪz/

in other respects or ways

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

passverbUS /pæs/

go across or through

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

plantedadjectiveUS /ˈplæntɪd/

(used especially of ideas or principles) deeply rooted; firmly fixed or held

From this reading The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

pleasure-ground

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

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

regardedverbUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪd/

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

ridgenounUS /rɪdʒ/

a long narrow natural elevation or striation

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

rosenounUS /roʊz/

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading He rose, uncovered, and sat down again.

roughadjectiveUS /rʌf/

having or caused by an irregular surface

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

satnounUS /sæt/

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

From this reading He rose, uncovered, and sat down again.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

sea-foam

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

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

seatedadjectiveUS /ˈsiːtɪd/

(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

smokingnounUS /ˈsmoʊkɪŋ/

the act of smoking tobacco or other substances

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

surroundedadjectiveUS /sərˈaʊndɪd/

confined on all sides

From this reading The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE FIR-GROVE.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

uncoveredadjectiveUS /ənˈkʌvərd/

not covered with clothing

From this reading He rose, uncovered, and sat down again.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

westnounUS /west/

the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America

From this reading Against one of the firs was a rough bench turned to the west, and seated upon it they saw Ian, smoking a formless mass of much defiled sea-foam, otherwise meer-schaum.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading As the ladies went up the ridge, regarded in the neighbourhood as the chief's pleasure-ground where nobody went except to call upon the chief, they must, having mounted it lower down than where they descended, pass the cottage.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

windingadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪndɪŋ/

marked by repeated turns and bends

From this reading The grove of birch, mountain-ash, and fir which surrounded it, was planted quite irregularly, and a narrow foot-path went winding through it to the door.

Chapter 8 of What's Mine's Mine — Complete by George MacDonald holds 176 sentences, grouped into 36 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 8 of What's Mine's Mine — Complete contain?

Chapter 8 holds 176 sentences of What's Mine's Mine — Complete, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of What's Mine's Mine — Complete by George MacDonald exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 176 sentences, grouped into 36 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 8 of What's Mine's Mine — Complete?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 What's Mine's Mine — Complete

Common questions about reading What's Mine's Mine — Complete by George MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of What's Mine's Mine — Complete?

Yes. All 8397 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5969 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of What's Mine's Mine — Complete is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5969, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 600 minutes of reading across 1680 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in What's Mine's Mine — Complete

Words and structures a reader meets early in What's Mine's Mine — Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Handsomely
A word that appears in the opening chapter of What's Mine's Mine — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Furnished
A word that appears in the opening chapter of What's Mine's Mine — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Quarrel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of What's Mine's Mine — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Calling
A word that appears in the opening chapter of What's Mine's Mine — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.