---
title: betoken — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «betoken» in the school dictionary: To be a sign of something; to show that something is true or is going to happen. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# betoken

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** something, Dark clouds, silence, His, gift, empty streets · **What happens:** be, show, go, happen, betoken, silence · **To what, where:** sign, storm, anger, her, Red sky, fine weather · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«betoken» in the school dictionary: its meaning for a pupil and its 6 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: [betoken in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/betoken.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To be a sign of something; to show that something is true or is going to happen.

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:betoken:m1:1
# text = To be a sign of something; to show that something is true or is going to happen.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
2	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	sign	sign	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	9	punct	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	show	show	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
10	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
11	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	13	nsubj	_	_
12	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
13	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	ccomp	_	_
14	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
15	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	aux	_	_
16	going	go	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	13	conj	_	_
17	to	to	PART	TO	_	18	mark	_	_
18	happen	happen	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	16	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | to-infinitive |  | a sign |  |  |  | of something | tree rules |
| 2 | **show** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is** | present | something |  |  |  |  | true *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **go** | present · progressive | something *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7 «NP V S-Quote»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 5 | **happen** | to-infinitive | something *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=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.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Dark clouds betokened a storm.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:betoken:x1:1
# text = Dark clouds betokened a storm.
1	Dark	dark	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	clouds	cloud	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	betokened	betoken	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	storm	storm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **betoken** | past | Dark clouds | a storm |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His silence betokened anger.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:betoken:x2:1
# text = His silence betokened anger.
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	silence	silence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	betokened	betoken	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	anger	anger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **betoken** | past | His silence | anger |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **silence** |  | His *= he* |  |  |  |  |  | nom silence «state transitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The gift betokened her thanks.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:betoken:x3:1
# text = The gift betokened her thanks.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	gift	gift	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	betokened	betoken	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	obj	_	_
5	thanks	thanks	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **betoken** | past | the gift | her *= she* |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Red sky at night is said to betoken fine weather.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:betoken:x4:1
# text = Red sky at night is said to betoken fine weather.
1	Red	red	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	sky	sky	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	at	at	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux:pass	_	_
6	said	say	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	betoken	betoken	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	xcomp	_	_
9	fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	weather	weather	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present · passive |  | Red sky at night |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **betoken** | to-infinitive |  | fine weather |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The empty streets betokened that something was wrong.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:betoken:x5:1
# text = The empty streets betokened that something was wrong.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	empty	empty	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	streets	street	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	betokened	betoken	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
6	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	8	nsubj	_	_
7	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
8	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **betoken** | past | the empty streets |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | past | something |  |  |  |  | wrong *property* | tree rules |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
From the mountain-path came a joyous sound of some person whistling, and it betokened good humor and undaunted courage.

<!-- fold The tree, 20 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:betoken:x6:1
# text = From the mountain-path came a joyous sound of some person whistling, and it betokened good humor and undaunted courage.
1	From	from	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
3	mountain	mountain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	path	path	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
6	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	joyous	joyous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	sound	sound	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	12	det	_	_
12	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
13	whistling	whistle	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	12	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
16	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	nsubj	_	_
17	betokened	betoken	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
18	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	19	amod	_	_
19	humor	humor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	obj	_	_
20	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	22	cc	_	_
21	undaunted	undaunted	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	22	amod	_	_
22	courage	courage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **come** | past |  | a joyous sound of some person |  | the mountain path |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location sound=Theme |
| 2 | **whistle** | gerund | some person *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **betoken** | past | sound | good humor and undaunted courage |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

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**Text:** the school 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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