---
title: carboniferous — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «carboniferous» in the school dictionary: The Carboniferous was a time in Earth's history, about 359 to 299 million years ago, when huge swamp forests grew and later turned into coal. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# carboniferous

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**Who acts:** Carboniferous, huge swamp forests, Coal, Giant dragonflies, carboniferous rocks, Forests · **What happens:** be, grow, turn, contain, produce, form · **To what, where:** time, history, coal, plants, Carboniferous period, Carboniferous

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

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Carboniferous was a time in Earth's history, about 359 to 299 million years ago, when huge swamp forests grew and later turned into coal.

<!-- fold The tree, 26 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:carboniferous:m1:1
# text = The Carboniferous was a time in Earth's history, about 359 to 299 million years ago, when huge swamp forests grew and later turned into coal.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Carboniferous	Carboniferous	PROPN	NNP	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	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	Earth	Earth	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	's	's	PART	POS	_	7	case	_	_
9	history	history	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
11	about	about	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
12	359	359	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	5	acl:relcl	_	_
13	to	to	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	299	299	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	12	nmod	_	_
15	million	million	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	16	nummod	_	_
16	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	17	obl:unmarked	_	_
17	ago	ago	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	23	punct	_	_
19	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	23	advmod	_	_
20	huge	huge	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	22	amod	_	_
21	swamp	swamp	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	22	compound	_	_
22	forests	forest	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	23	nsubj	_	_
23	grew	grow	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	parataxis	_	_
24	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	26	cc	_	_
25	later	late	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	26	advmod	_	_
26	turned	turn	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	23	conj	_	_
27	into	into	ADP	IN	_	28	case	_	_
28	coal	coal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	26	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
29	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | the Carboniferous | a time |  | Earth's history |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **grow** | past | huge swamp forests |  |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **turn** | past | huge swamp forests *not said here* |  |  | coal |  | late *property* | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V PP.trajectory»: agent=Theme into coal=Trajectory |

<!-- .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 -->
Containing or producing coal.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:carboniferous:m2:1
# text = Containing or producing coal.
1	Containing	contain	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	3	cc	_	_
3	producing	produce	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	1	conj	_	_
4	coal	coal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **contain** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot |
| 2 | **produce** | gerund |  | coal |  |  |  |  | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent coal=Result |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Coal formed from plants in the Carboniferous.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:carboniferous:x1:1
# text = Coal formed from plants in the Carboniferous.
1	Coal	coal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	formed	form	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	from	from	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	plants	plant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	Carboniferous	Carboniferous	PROPN	NNP	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 | **form** | past | Coal |  |  | plants |  | in the Carboniferous | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in carboniferous=Location |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Giant dragonflies lived in the Carboniferous period.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:carboniferous:x2:1
# text = Giant dragonflies lived in the Carboniferous period.
1	Giant	giant	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	dragonflies	dragonfly	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	lived	live	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	Carboniferous	Carboniferous	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	period	period	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **live** | past | Giant dragonflies |  |  | the Carboniferous period |  |  | vn lodge-46 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in period=Location |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Carboniferous was before the dinosaurs.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:carboniferous:x3:1
# text = The Carboniferous was before the dinosaurs.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Carboniferous	Carboniferous	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	before	before	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	dinosaurs	dinosaur	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the Carboniferous |  |  |  | before the dinosaurs |  | tree rules |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
These carboniferous rocks contain coal.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:carboniferous:x4:1
# text = These carboniferous rocks contain coal.
1	These	this	DET	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	3	det	_	_
2	carboniferous	carboniferous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	rocks	rock	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	contain	contain	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	coal	coal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **contain** | present | this carboniferous rocks | coal |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot coal=Theme |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Forests of tree ferns grew in the Carboniferous.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:carboniferous:x5:1
# text = Forests of tree ferns grew in the Carboniferous.
1	Forests	forest	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	tree	tree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	ferns	fern	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	nmod	_	_
5	grew	grow	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	Carboniferous	Carboniferous	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **grow** | past | Forests of tree ferns |  |  | the Carboniferous |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in carboniferous=Location |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Amphibians were common in the Carboniferous.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:carboniferous:x6:1
# text = Amphibians were common in the Carboniferous.
1	Amphibians	amphibian	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	common	common	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	Carboniferous	Carboniferous	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | Amphibians |  |  | the Carboniferous |  | common *property* | 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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