---
title: lest — Early Modern English dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «lest» in the Early Modern English dictionary: In case; to avoid the risk that something will happen. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# lest

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** something, you, Benjamin, Jacob · **What happens:** avoid, happen, eat, have, build, dwell · **To what, where:** risk, case, thou, goodly houses, Jacob · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In case; to avoid the risk that something will happen.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:lest:m1:1
# text = In case; to avoid the risk that something will happen.
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	case	case	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	avoid	avoid	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	risk	risk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
9	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	11	nsubj	_	_
10	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
11	happen	happen	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **avoid** | to-infinitive |  | the risk |  | case |  |  | vn avoid-52 «NP V NP.location»: agent=Agent risk=Location |
| 2 | **happen** | future | something | the risk *not said here* |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- .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 -->
lest when thou hast eaten and art satisfied, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;

<!-- .note -->
From Torah DEU.8.12, JPS 1917.

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:lest:x1:1
# text = lest when thou hast eaten and art satisfied, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
1	lest	lest	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
2	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	5	mark	_	_
3	thou	thou	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=2|PronType=Prs|Style=Arch	5	nsubj	_	_
4	hast	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Style=Arch|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	eaten	eat	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
7	art	art	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl:unmarked	_	_
8	satisfied	satisfied	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	hast	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Style=Arch|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
12	built	build	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	11	advcl	_	_
13	goodly	goodly	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	houses	house	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
16	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
17	dwelt	dwell	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
18	therein	therein	ADV	RB	_	17	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **eat** | present · passive |  | thou |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |
| 2 | **have** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **build** | participle |  | goodly houses |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset house=Product |
| 4 | **dwell** | past |  |  |  |  |  | therein *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Hasten, lest you should be too late!'

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

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:lest:x2:1
# text = Hasten, lest you should be too late!'
1	Hasten	hasten	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
3	lest	lest	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
4	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
5	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
6	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	cop	_	_
7	too	too	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	late	late	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	1	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hasten** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **is** | should | you |  |  |  |  | late *property* | tree rules |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said: 'Lest peradventure harm befall him.'

<!-- .note -->
From Torah GEN.42.4, JPS 1917.

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:lest:x3:1
# text = But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said: 'Lest peradventure harm befall him.'
1	But	but	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
2	Benjamin	Benjamin	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
4	Joseph	Joseph	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	's	's	PART	POS	_	4	case	_	_
6	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	Jacob	Jacob	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	conj	_	_
9	sent	send	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	9	advmod	_	_
11	with	with	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	brethren	brethren	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	17	punct	_	_
15	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	17	mark	_	_
16	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	nsubj	_	_
17	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	23	punct	_	_
19	'	'	PUNCT	``	_	23	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	Lest	lest	SCONJ	IN	_	22	case	_	_
21	peradventure	peradventure	ADV	RB	_	22	advmod	_	_
22	harm	harm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	obl	_	_
23	befall	befall	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	17	ccomp	_	_
24	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	23	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	23	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	'	'	PUNCT	''	_	23	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **send** | past | Benjamin and Jacob |  |  |  |  | with Jacob's brethren | vn confine-92-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | Jacob |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **befall** | infinitive |  | Jacob |  |  |  | lest harm | tree rules |

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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.

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