---
title: subtle — Early Modern English dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «subtle» in the Early Modern English dictionary: Clever in a sly, tricky way, able to fool others without them noticing. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# subtle

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** others, serpent, subtle characterisation, it · **What happens:** fool, notice, be, make, reach, characterise · **To what, where:** others, LORD God, high level, various occupations, jealousy

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«subtle» 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: [subtle in the Early Modern English dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/emode/w/subtle.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Clever in a sly, tricky way, able to fool others without them noticing.

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:subtle:m1:1
# text = Clever in a sly, tricky way, able to fool others without them noticing.
1	Clever	Clever	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
2	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
4	sly	sly	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
6	tricky	tricky	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
9	able	able	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	fool	fool	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	xcomp	_	_
12	others	other	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obj	_	_
13	without	without	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
14	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	_
15	noticing	notice	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	11	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fool** | to-infinitive |  | others |  |  |  |  | vn trick-59.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent other=Patient |
| 2 | **notice** | gerund | others *= other* |  |  |  |  |  | vn see-30.1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Experiencer |

<!-- .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 -->
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.

<!-- .note -->
From Torah GEN.3.1, JPS 1917.

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:subtle:x1:1
# text = Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.
1	Now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	6	advmod	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	serpent	serpent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	more	more	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	6	advmod	_	_
6	subtle	subtle	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
7	than	than	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	9	det	_	_
9	beast	beast	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	field	field	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
13	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	18	obj	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
15	LORD	LORD	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	16	compound	_	_
16	God	God	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	18	nsubj:pass	_	_
17	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	18	aux	_	_
18	made	make	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	12	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the serpent |  |  |  | now | than any beast of the field; subtle *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **make** | past · perfect · passive |  | the LORD God |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP NP»: subject=Beneficiary which=Product |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The subtle characterisation of the various occupations reaches a high level of artistic merit.

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

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:subtle:x2:1
# text = The subtle characterisation of the various occupations reaches a high level of artistic merit.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	subtle	subtle	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	characterisation	characterisation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	various	various	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	occupations	occupation	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nmod	_	_
8	reaches	reach	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	high	high	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	level	level	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	artistic	artistic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	merit	merit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **reach** | present | the subtle characterisation of the various occupations | a high level of artistic merit |  |  |  |  | vn body\_motion-49.2-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Agent level=Theme |
| 2 | **characterise** |  |  | the various occupations |  |  |  |  | nom characterisation «communication transitive»: of=patient |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Was it not rather that he should not henceforth see Burd Janet?--a subtle touch of jealousy.

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

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:emode:subtle:x3:1
# text = Was it not rather that he should not henceforth see Burd Janet?--a subtle touch of jealousy.
1	Was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
2	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	10	advmod	_	_
4	rather	rather	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
5	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
6	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
7	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
8	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	10	advmod	_	_
9	henceforth	henceforth	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	see	see	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
11	Burd	Burd	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
12	Janet	Janet	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	11	flat	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	--	--	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
16	subtle	subtle	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
17	touch	touch	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	appos	_	_
18	of	of	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
19	jealousy	jealousy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	10	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **is** | should · past | it |  |  |  |  | henceforth, see *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **touch** |  |  | jealousy |  |  |  |  | nom touch «event transitive»: of=patient |

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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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