---
title: pagan — Judaism dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «pagan» in the Judaism dictionary: A pagan was a person who followed an old religion with many gods and goddesses, before Christianity or Islam spread, such as the old religions of the Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# pagan

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** pagan, person, Christianity, Christians, Anglo Saxons, Saxons · **What happens:** be, follow, spread, base, use, not be · **To what, where:** person, old religion, follower, pagans, Thursday, Stonehenge

<!-- .vabout -->
«pagan» in the Judaism dictionary: its 3 meanings for a pupil and its 7 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: [pagan in the Judaism dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/pagan.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: history — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A pagan was a person who followed an old religion with many gods and goddesses, before Christianity or Islam spread, such as the old religions of the Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings.

<!-- fold The tree, 32 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:judaism:pagan:m1:1
# text = A pagan was a person who followed an old religion with many gods and goddesses, before Christianity or Islam spread, such as the old religions of the Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	pagan	pagan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	7	nsubj	_	_
7	followed	follow	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	acl:relcl	_	_
8	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	religion	religion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
11	with	with	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	gods	god	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
15	goddesses	goddess	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	21	punct	_	_
17	before	before	SCONJ	IN	_	21	mark	_	_
18	Christianity	Christianity	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	21	nsubj	_	_
19	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	20	cc	_	_
20	Islam	Islam	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	18	conj	_	_
21	spread	spread	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	27	punct	_	_
23	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|ExtPos=ADP	27	case	_	_
24	as	as	ADP	IN	_	23	fixed	_	_
25	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	27	det	_	_
26	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	27	amod	_	_
27	religions	religion	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	conj	_	_
28	of	of	ADP	IN	_	30	case	_	_
29	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	30	det	_	_
30	Romans	Roman	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	27	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
31	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	34	punct	_	_
32	Anglo	Anglo	X	AFX	_	34	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
33	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	32	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
34	Saxons	Saxon	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	30	conj	_	_
35	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	36	cc	_	_
36	Vikings	Viking	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	34	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
37	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | a pagan | a person and the old religions of the Romans and Anglo Saxons and Vikings |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **follow** | past | a person and the old religions of the Romans and Anglo Saxons and Vikings | a old religion |  |  |  | with many gods and goddesses | vn chase-51.6 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent religion=Theme |
| 3 | **spread** | past | Christianity or Islam | a person and the old religions of the Romans and Anglo Saxons and Vikings *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location person=Theme |

<!-- .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.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: today — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A Pagan is a follower of a modern nature-based religion, such as Wicca or Druidry.

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:judaism:pagan:m2:1
# text = A Pagan is a follower of a modern nature-based religion, such as Wicca or Druidry.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Pagan	pagan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	follower	follower	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
8	modern	modern	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
9	nature	nature	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	based	base	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	12	amod	_	_
12	religion	religion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
14	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|ExtPos=ADP	16	case	_	_
15	as	as	ADP	IN	_	14	fixed	_	_
16	Wicca	Wicca	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	12	appos	_	_
17	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
18	Druidry	Druidry	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	16	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a Pagan | a follower |  |  |  | of a modern based religion | tree rules |
| 2 | **base** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn base-97.1 «NP V NP PP.source»: agent=Agent |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: old, often unkind — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Christians in the past used «pagan» for anyone who was not Christian, Jewish or Muslim.

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:judaism:pagan:m3:1
# text = Christians in the past used «pagan» for anyone who was not Christian, Jewish or Muslim.
1	Christians	Christian	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
2	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	past	past	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
5	used	use	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	pagan	pagan	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	7	punct	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	anyone	anyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	5	obl	_	_
11	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	14	nsubj	_	_
12	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	14	cop	_	_
13	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	14	advmod	_	_
14	Christian	Christian	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
16	Jewish	Jewish	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	conj	_	_
17	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
18	Muslim	Muslim	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | past | Christians in the past |  |  |  |  | for anyone; pagan *property* | vn eat-39.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **not** **is** | past |  |  |  |  |  | christian *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **be** |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **be** |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Anglo-Saxons were pagans before they became Christian.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:judaism:pagan:x1:1
# text = The Anglo-Saxons were pagans before they became Christian.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	Anglo	Anglo	X	AFX	_	4	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	Saxons	Saxon	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
5	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	pagans	pagan	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
7	before	before	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
8	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	became	become	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	advcl	_	_
10	Christian	Christian	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | the Anglo Saxons | pagans |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **become** | past | Saxons *= saxon* |  |  |  |  |  | vn become-109.1-1-1 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Patient |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Thursday is named after the pagan god Thor.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:judaism:pagan:x2:1
# text = Thursday is named after the pagan god Thor.
1	Thursday	Thursday	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	named	name	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	after	after	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	pagan	pagan	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	god	god	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
8	Thor	Thor	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **name** | present · passive |  | Thursday |  |  | after the pagan god |  | vn appoint-29.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Stonehenge was built long before Christianity, in pagan times.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:judaism:pagan:x3:1
# text = Stonehenge was built long before Christianity, in pagan times.
1	Stonehenge	Stonehenge	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	built	build	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	long	long	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	3	advmod	_	_
5	before	before	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	Christianity	Christianity	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	pagan	pagan	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	times	time	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **build** | past · passive |  | Stonehenge |  |  | before Christianity; time | long *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: subject=Product |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Some Christmas customs, like holly and the Yule log, have pagan roots.

<!-- fold The tree, 12 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:judaism:pagan:x4:1
# text = Some Christmas customs, like holly and the Yule log, have pagan roots.
1	Some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	3	det	_	_
2	Christmas	Christmas	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	customs	custom	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	like	like	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	holly	holly	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	Yule	Yule	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	log	log	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
12	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
13	pagan	pagan	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	roots	root	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	12	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | some Christmas customs | pagan roots |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent root=Patient |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Modern Pagans celebrate the summer solstice.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:judaism:pagan:x5:1
# text = Modern Pagans celebrate the summer solstice.
1	Modern	modern	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	Pagans	Pagan	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	celebrate	celebrate	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	summer	summer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	solstice	solstice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **celebrate** | present | Modern Pagans | the summer solstice |  |  |  |  | vn judgment-33.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent solstice=Theme |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The missionaries tried to turn the pagans to Christianity.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:judaism:pagan:x6:1
# text = The missionaries tried to turn the pagans to Christianity.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	missionaries	missionary	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	tried	try	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	turn	turn	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	pagans	pagan	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	Christianity	Christianity	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **try** | past | the missionaries |  |  |  |  |  | vn try-61.1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **turn** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | the missionaries *not said here* | the pagans | Christianity |  |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V NP PP.result»: agent=Agent pagan=Theme to christianity=Result |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The pagan wielder of the thunderbolt is represented in modern traditions by more than one Christian saint.

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:judaism:pagan:x7:1
# text = The pagan wielder of the thunderbolt is represented in modern traditions by more than one Christian saint.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	pagan	pagan	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	wielder	wielder	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	thunderbolt	thunderbolt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	represented	represent	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	modern	modern	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	traditions	tradition	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	_
12	by	by	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
13	more	more	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp|ExtPos=ADV	15	advmod	_	_
14	than	than	ADP	IN	_	13	fixed	_	_
15	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	17	nummod	_	_
16	Christian	Christian	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
17	saint	saint	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **represent** | present · passive | one Christian saint | the pagan wielder of the thunderbolt |  |  |  | in modern traditions | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Pivot subject=Theme in tradition=Attribute |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the Judaism dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **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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