---
title: durst — Early Modern English dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «durst» in the Early Modern English dictionary: Had the courage to do something. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# durst

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** thou, Tsar, priest, everybody, woman, cow · **What happens:** have, do, read, say, write, reply · **To what, where:** courage, something, such passages, Tsar, passages, great fear · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«durst» in the Early Modern English dictionary: its meaning for a pupil and its 3 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [durst in the Early Modern English dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/emode/w/durst.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Had the courage to do something.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:durst:m1:1
# text = Had the courage to do something.
1	Had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	courage	courage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	acl	_	_
6	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | past |  | the courage |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent courage=Patient |
| 2 | **do** | to-infinitive |  | something |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent something=Eventuality |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"How durst thou read such and such passages to me?" said the Tsar.--"They were written to be read," replied the priest.--"Written, indeed!

<!-- .note -->
From Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales.

<!-- fold The tree, 24 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:durst:x1:1
# text = "How durst thou read such and such passages to me?" said the Tsar.--"They were written to be read," replied the priest.--"Written, indeed!
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	How	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	3	advmod	_	_
3	durst	durst	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
4	thou	thou	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=2|PronType=Prs|Style=Arch	5	nsubj	_	_
5	read	read	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	14	advcl	_	_
6	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	conj	_	_
9	passages	passage	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
10	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	me	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
14	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	Tsar	Tsar	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	--	--	PUNCT	,	_	22	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	22	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	22	nsubj:pass	_	_
21	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	22	aux:pass	_	_
22	written	write	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	14	ccomp	_	_
23	to	to	PART	TO	_	25	mark	_	_
24	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	25	aux:pass	_	_
25	read	read	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	28	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	25	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
27	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	28	punct	_	_
28	replied	reply	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	22	parataxis	_	_
29	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	30	det	_	_
30	priest	priest	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	28	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
31	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	22	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
32	--	--	PUNCT	,	_	34	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
33	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	34	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
34	Written	write	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	14	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
35	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	36	punct	_	_
36	indeed	indeed	ADV	RB	_	34	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
37	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	14	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **read** *in a quote* | past | thou | such passages | the Tsar *= tsar* |  |  | durst *property* | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent passage=Topic to i=Recipient |
| 2 | **say** *speech: ask* | past | the Tsar |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **write** *in a quote* | past · passive |  | passages *= passage* |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP S»: subject=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 4 | **read** *in a quote* | to-infinitive · passive | the priest *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V» |
| 5 | **reply** *speech: assert* | past | the priest |  |  |  |  |  | vn respond-113 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 6 | **write** *in a quote* | participle | the Tsar *not said here* |  |  |  |  | indeed *property* | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Now everybody in the town and neighborhood was in great fear, and no one durst venture out after sunset near the Gate of Rashomon.

<!-- .note -->
From Japanese Fairy Tales.

<!-- fold The tree, 24 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:durst:x2:1
# text = Now everybody in the town and neighborhood was in great fear, and no one durst venture out after sunset near the Gate of Rashomon.
1	Now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	2	advmod	_	_
2	everybody	everybody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	11	nsubj	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	town	town	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	neighborhood	neighborhood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	_
8	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	great	great	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	fear	fear	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
14	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	17	det	_	_
15	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	compound	_	_
16	durst	durst	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	compound	_	_
17	venture	venture	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	conj	_	_
18	out	out	ADV	RB	_	17	advmod	_	_
19	after	after	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
20	sunset	sunset	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nmod	_	_
21	near	near	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
22	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
23	Gate	Gate	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	20	nmod	_	_
24	of	of	ADP	IN	_	25	case	_	_
25	Rashomon	Rashomon	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	23	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | everybody |  |  | great fear and no durst venture after sunset near the Gate of Rashomon |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
And the woman was trying to get her cow to go up a ladder to the grass, and the poor thing durst not go.

<!-- .note -->
From English Fairy Tales.

<!-- fold The tree, 24 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:durst:x3:1
# text = And the woman was trying to get her cow to go up a ladder to the grass, and the poor thing durst not go.
1	And	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	woman	woman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	trying	try	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	get	get	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	xcomp	_	_
8	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	cow	cow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	go	go	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	xcomp	_	_
12	up	up	ADP	RP	_	11	compound:prt	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	ladder	ladder	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
15	to	to	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	grass	grass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	25	punct	_	_
19	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	25	cc	_	_
20	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	22	det	_	_
21	poor	poor	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	22	amod	_	_
22	thing	thing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	25	nsubj	_	_
23	durst	durst	ADV	RB	_	25	advmod	_	_
24	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	25	advmod	_	_
25	go	go	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **try** | past · progressive | the woman |  |  |  |  |  | vn try-61.1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **get** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | the woman *not said here* | woman's cow |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **go up** | to-infinitive | woman's cow *not said here* | a ladder |  |  |  | to the grass | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1-1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute |
| 4 | **not** **go** | infinitive | the poor thing |  |  |  |  | durst *property* | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the Early Modern English dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova; its examples quote public-domain texts. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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