---
title: blacken — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «blacken» in the school dictionary: To make something black or very dark, such as with soot, smoke or charcoal. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# blacken

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** others, someone, smoke, He, Spilled ink, Lies · **What happens:** make, blacken, be, think, name, spill · **To what, where:** something, name, less, kitchen ceiling, moustache, tablecloth

<!-- .vabout -->
«blacken» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 4 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: [blacken in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/blacken.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To make something black or very dark, such as with soot, smoke or charcoal.

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:blacken:m1:1
# text = To make something black or very dark, such as with soot, smoke or charcoal.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	make	make	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	2	obj	_	_
4	black	black	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
5	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
6	very	very	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	dark	dark	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
9	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|ExtPos=ADP	12	case	_	_
10	as	as	ADP	IN	_	9	fixed	_	_
11	with	with	ADP	IN	_	9	fixed	_	_
12	soot	soot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
14	smoke	smoke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	conj	_	_
15	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
16	charcoal	charcoal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | to-infinitive |  | something |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset something=Product |

<!-- .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}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To blacken someone's name is to say bad things about them so others think less of them.

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:blacken:m2:1
# text = To blacken someone's name is to say bad things about them so others think less of them.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	blacken	blacken	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	advcl	_	_
3	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	5	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	's	PART	POS	_	3	case	_	_
5	name	name	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	say	say	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	bad	bad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	_
11	about	about	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nmod	_	_
13	so	so	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
14	others	other	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	nsubj	_	_
15	think	think	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	advcl	_	_
16	less	less	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	15	obj	_	_
17	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **blacken** | to-infinitive |  | someone's name |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent name=Patient |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | say *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **think** *speech: other* | present | others | less |  |  |  |  | vn wish-62 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot less=Theme |
| 4 | **name** |  | someone |  |  |  |  |  | nom name «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The smoke blackened the kitchen ceiling.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:blacken:x1:1
# text = The smoke blackened the kitchen ceiling.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	smoke	smoke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	blackened	blacken	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	kitchen	kitchen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	ceiling	ceiling	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 | **blacken** | past | the smoke | the kitchen ceiling |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent ceiling=Patient |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He blackened his moustache with burnt cork.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:blacken:x2:1
# text = He blackened his moustache with burnt cork.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	blackened	blacken	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
4	moustache	moustache	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	burnt	burnt	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	cork	cork	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **blacken** | past | He | his moustache |  |  |  | with burnt cork | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent moustache=Patient with cork=Instrument |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Spilled ink blackened the tablecloth.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:blacken:x3:1
# text = Spilled ink blackened the tablecloth.
1	Spilled	spill	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	amod	_	_
2	ink	ink	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	blackened	blacken	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	tablecloth	tablecloth	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 | **spill** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **blacken** | past | Spilled ink | the tablecloth |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent tablecloth=Patient |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Lies can blacken a person's good name.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:blacken:x4:1
# text = Lies can blacken a person's good name.
1	Lies	lie	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	blacken	blacken	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	's	's	PART	POS	_	5	case	_	_
7	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	name	name	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **blacken** | can | Lies | a person's good name |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent name=Patient |
| 2 | **name** |  | a person |  |  |  |  |  | nom name «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

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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.

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