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A Cumberland Vendetta
A Cumberland Vendetta

Chapter III

Cover illustration for A Cumberland Vendetta
Context Illustration Reading 1/42 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It was like the breaking of peace in feudal days.
The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.
Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.
There was no grudge but served a pretext for partisanship in the coming war.
Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.
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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.

A Cumberland Vendetta

Chapter III

Reading 1/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
It was like the breaking of peace in feudal days.
Line 2
The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.
Line 3
Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.
Line 4
There was no grudge but served a pretext for partisanship in the coming war.
Line 5
Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.”

Already noun US /already/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.”

Boundary noun US /ˈbaʊn.də.ri/

A line that marks the limits of an area.

From this reading “Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.”

These determiner US /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading “Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.”

Took noun US /took/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.”

All words in this reading · 69

Every word is available to listen to. 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 There was no grudge but served a pretext for partisanship in the coming war.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.

aid

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

From this reading Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.

alreadynounUS /already/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.

apart

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

befriended

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

From this reading Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.

bitterness

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

boundarynounUS /ˈbaʊn.də.ri/

A line that marks the limits of an area.

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

Braytons

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

breaking

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

From this reading It was like the breaking of peace in feudal days.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading There was no grudge but served a pretext for partisanship in the coming war.

chain

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

close

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

From this reading The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.

coming

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

From this reading There was no grudge but served a pretext for partisanship in the coming war.

country

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

court

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

days

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

From this reading It was like the breaking of peace in feudal days.

debtors

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

From this reading Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.

dispute

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.

families

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

feudal

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

From this reading It was like the breaking of peace in feudal days.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading There was no grudge but served a pretext for partisanship in the coming war.

friends

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

From this reading The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.

grudge

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

From this reading There was no grudge but served a pretext for partisanship in the coming war.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.

hatred

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

Hazlan

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

From this reading Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was like the breaking of peace in feudal days.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was like the breaking of peace in feudal days.

kin

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

From this reading The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.

leader

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

From this reading The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.

like

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

From this reading It was like the breaking of peace in feudal days.

line

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

man

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

From this reading Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.

Marcums

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

mountains

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

From this reading Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There was no grudge but served a pretext for partisanship in the coming war.

now

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

From this reading The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was like the breaking of peace in feudal days.

partisanship

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

From this reading There was no grudge but served a pretext for partisanship in the coming war.

peace

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

From this reading It was like the breaking of peace in feudal days.

Political

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

pretext

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

From this reading There was no grudge but served a pretext for partisanship in the coming war.

rallied

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

From this reading Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.

rivalry

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

scattered

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

From this reading Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.

seeds

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

served

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

From this reading There was no grudge but served a pretext for partisanship in the coming war.

sides

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

From this reading The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.

sown

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

strong

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

suit

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It was like the breaking of peace in feudal days.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.

There

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

From this reading There was no grudge but served a pretext for partisanship in the coming war.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.

throughnounUS /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.

tooknounUS /took/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.

trading

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

From this reading Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.

two

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

war

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

From this reading There was no grudge but served a pretext for partisanship in the coming war.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was like the breaking of peace in feudal days.

wedged

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

From this reading Political rivalry had wedged apart two strong families, the Marcums and Braytons; a boundary line in dispute was a chain of bitterness; a suit in a country court had sown seeds of hatred.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The close kin of each leader were already about him, and now the close friends of each took sides.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Each leader trading in Hazlan had debtors scattered through the mountains, and these rallied to aid the man who had befriended them.