---
title: chatter — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «chatter» in the school dictionary: To chatter is to talk quickly and a lot about small, unimportant things. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# chatter

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** teeth, you, Birds, Chatter, people, girls · **What happens:** chatter, be, knock together, make, repeat, stop · **To what, where:** quick repeated high sounds, sound, way, freezing sea, trees, garden

<!-- .vabout -->
«chatter» in the school dictionary: its 4 meanings for a pupil and its 8 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: [chatter in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/chatter.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To chatter is to talk quickly and a lot about small, unimportant things.

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:chatter:m1:1
# text = To chatter is to talk quickly and a lot about small, unimportant things.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	chatter	chatter	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	csubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	talk	talk	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	quickly	quickly	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	lot	lot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	_
10	about	about	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
11	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
13	unimportant	unimportant	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **chatter** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn animal\_sounds-38 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | quickly, talk *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .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 -->
When your teeth chatter, they knock together because you are very cold or scared.

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:chatter:m2:1
# text = When your teeth chatter, they knock together because you are very cold or scared.
1	When	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	4	mark	_	_
2	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
3	teeth	tooth	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	chatter	chatter	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
6	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
7	knock	knock	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	together	together	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
9	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
10	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
11	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
12	very	very	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
13	cold	cold	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	advcl	_	_
14	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
15	scared	scared	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **chatter** | present | your teeth |  |  |  |  |  | vn animal\_sounds-38 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **knock together** | present | teeth *= tooth* |  |  |  |  | together *property* | vn split-23.2 «NP V apart»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **is** | present | you |  |  |  |  | cold *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **be** |  | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Birds and monkeys chatter when they make quick, repeated high sounds.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:chatter:m3:1
# text = Birds and monkeys chatter when they make quick, repeated high sounds.
1	Birds	bird	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	3	cc	_	_
3	monkeys	monkey	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	conj	_	_
4	chatter	chatter	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	7	advmod	_	_
6	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
7	make	make	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
8	quick	quick	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
10	repeated	repeat	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	12	amod	_	_
11	high	high	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	sounds	sound	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **chatter** | present | Birds and monkeys |  |  |  |  |  | vn animal\_sounds-38 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **make** | present | Birds *= bird* | quick repeated high sounds |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset sound=Product |
| 3 | **repeat** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |

## Meaning 4 {#m4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Chatter is the sound of people or animals chattering.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:chatter:m4:1
# text = Chatter is the sound of people or animals chattering.
1	Chatter	chatter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	sound	sound	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	_
7	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	animals	animal	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	conj	_	_
9	chattering	chatter	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Chatter | the sound |  |  |  | of people or animals | tree rules |
| 2 | **chatter** | gerund | people or animals *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn animal\_sounds-38 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The girls chattered all the way home.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:chatter:x1:1
# text = The girls chattered all the way home.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	girls	girl	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	chattered	chatter	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	all	all	DET	PDT	PronType=Tot	6	det:predet	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	home	home	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **chatter** | past | the girls | all way |  |  |  |  | vn animal\_sounds-38 «NP V NP.theme»: agent=Agent way=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Stop chattering and listen, please.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:chatter:x2:1
# text = Stop chattering and listen, please.
1	Stop	stop	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	chattering	chatter	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	1	xcomp	_	_
3	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	4	cc	_	_
4	listen	listen	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	1	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
6	please	please	INTJ	UH	_	1	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stop** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Affector clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **chatter** | gerund | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn animal\_sounds-38 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **listen** | infinitive | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn peer-30.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
My teeth were chattering in the freezing sea.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:chatter:x3:1
# text = My teeth were chattering in the freezing sea.
1	My	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	teeth	tooth	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
3	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	chattering	chatter	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	freezing	freeze	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	8	amod	_	_
8	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **chatter** | past · progressive | My teeth |  |  | the freezing sea |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in sea=Location |
| 2 | **freeze** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4-1 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Monkeys chattered in the trees.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:chatter:x4:1
# text = Monkeys chattered in the trees.
1	Monkeys	monkey	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	chattered	chatter	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	trees	tree	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **chatter** | past | Monkeys |  |  | the trees |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in tree=Location |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The classroom was full of happy chatter.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:chatter:x5:1
# text = The classroom was full of happy chatter.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	classroom	classroom	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	full	full	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	happy	happy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	chatter	chatter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the classroom |  |  |  |  | of happy chatter; full *property* | tree rules |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Magpies chatter loudly in the garden.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:chatter:x6:1
# text = Magpies chatter loudly in the garden.
1	Magpies	magpie	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	chatter	chatter	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	loudly	loudly	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	garden	garden	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **chatter** | present | Magpies |  |  | the garden |  | loudly *property* | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in garden=Location |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
There was lots of chatter about the new teacher.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:chatter:x7:1
# text = There was lots of chatter about the new teacher.
1	There	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	2	expl	_	_
2	was	be	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	lots	lot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	chatter	chatter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
6	about	about	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	teacher	teacher	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **be** | past | lots of chatter about the new teacher |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 8 {#x8}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The nobleman was wet to the skin, and his teeth chattered.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:chatter:x8:1
# text = The nobleman was wet to the skin, and his teeth chattered.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	nobleman	nobleman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	wet	wet	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	skin	skin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
10	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	teeth	tooth	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	_	_
12	chattered	chatter	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the nobleman |  |  |  |  | to the skin; wet *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **chatter** | past | his teeth |  |  |  |  |  | vn animal\_sounds-38 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

<!-- div src -->

**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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