---
title: ere — Early Modern English dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «ere» in the Early Modern English dictionary: before; earlier than a certain time. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# ere

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** midwives, Hebrew women, dwarfs, flesh, teeth, LORD · **What happens:** say, not be, be, deliver, come, troop out · **To what, where:** all, flesh, anger, people · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«ere» 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: [ere in the Early Modern English dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/emode/w/ere.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
before; earlier than a certain time.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:ere:m1:1
# text = before; earlier than a certain time.
1	before	before	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	earlier	early	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	0	root	_	_
4	than	than	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	certain	certain	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
And the midwives said unto Pharaoh: 'Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwife come unto them.'

<!-- .note -->
From Torah EXO.1.19, JPS 1917.

<!-- fold The tree, 29 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:ere:x1:1
# text = And the midwives said unto Pharaoh: 'Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwife come unto them.'
1	And	and	CCONJ	CC	_	4	cc	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	midwives	midwife	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	unto	unto	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	Pharaoh	Pharaoh	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	18	punct	_	_
8	'	'	PUNCT	``	_	18	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	Because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	18	mark	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	Hebrew	hebrew	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	women	woman	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	18	nsubj	_	_
13	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	18	cop	_	_
14	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	18	advmod	_	_
15	as	as	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
17	Egyptian	Egyptian	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	18	amod	_	_
18	women	woman	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	23	punct	_	_
20	for	for	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
21	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	23	nsubj	_	_
22	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	23	cop	_	_
23	lively	lively	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	27	punct	_	_
25	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	27	cc	_	_
26	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	27	aux:pass	_	_
27	delivered	deliver	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	parataxis	_	_
28	ere	ere	ADP	IN	_	30	case	_	_
29	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	30	det	_	_
30	midwife	midwife	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	27	obl	_	_
31	come	come	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	27	conj	_	_
32	unto	unto	ADP	IN	_	33	case	_	_
33	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	31	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
34	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
35	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | the midwives |  |  |  |  | unto Pharaoh | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **not** **is** | present | the Hebrew women |  |  |  |  | as the Egyptian women | tree rules |
| 3 | **is** | present | midwives *= midwife* |  |  |  |  | lively *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **deliver** | present · passive |  |  |  |  | ere the midwife |  | vn birth-28.2-1-1 «NP V NP» |
| 5 | **come** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | unto midwives *= midwife* | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ere long the dwarfs came trooping out till all were assembled.

<!-- .note -->
From The Green Fairy Book.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:ere:x2:1
# text = Ere long the dwarfs came trooping out till all were assembled.
1	Ere	ere	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
2	long	long	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	5	advmod	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	dwarfs	dwarf	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
5	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	trooping	troop	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	xcomp	_	_
7	out	out	ADP	RP	_	6	compound:prt	_	_
8	till	till	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
9	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	11	nsubj:pass	_	_
10	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	11	aux:pass	_	_
11	assembled	assemble	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **come** | past | the dwarfs |  |  |  |  | long *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **troop out** | gerund | the dwarfs *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **assemble** | past · passive |  | all |  |  |  |  | vn herd-47.5.2 «NP V NP.theme»: subject=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
While the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.

<!-- .note -->
From Torah NUM.11.33, JPS 1917.

<!-- fold The tree, 33 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:ere:x3:1
# text = While the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.
1	While	while	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	flesh	flesh	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
5	yet	yet	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
6	between	between	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	teeth	tooth	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
10	ere	ere	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj:pass	_	_
12	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	13	aux:pass	_	_
13	chewed	chew	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	21	punct	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	anger	anger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	nsubj:pass	_	_
17	of	of	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	LORD	LORD	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	16	nmod	_	_
20	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	21	aux:pass	_	_
21	kindled	kindle	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	13	conj	_	_
22	against	against	ADP	IN	_	24	case	_	_
23	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	24	det	_	_
24	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	21	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	29	punct	_	_
26	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	29	cc	_	_
27	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	28	det	_	_
28	LORD	LORD	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	29	nsubj	_	_
29	smote	smite	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	conj	_	_
30	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	31	det	_	_
31	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	29	obj	_	_
32	with	with	ADP	IN	_	36	case	_	_
33	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	36	det	_	_
34	very	very	ADV	RB	_	35	advmod	_	_
35	great	great	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	36	amod	_	_
36	plague	plague	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	29	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
37	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	10	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the flesh |  |  |  | yet | between their teeth | tree rules |
| 2 | **ere** | past | their teeth |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **chew** | past · passive |  | flesh |  |  |  |  | vn chew-39.2 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |
| 4 | **kindle** | past · passive |  | the anger of the LORD |  |  |  | against the people | vn engender-27.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |
| 5 | **smite** | past | the LORD | the people |  |  |  | with a great plague | vn hit-18.1 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent people=Patient with plague=Instrument |
| 6 | **anger** |  | the LORD |  |  |  |  |  | nom anger «feeling intransitive»: of=agent |

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**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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