---
title: humus — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «humus» in the school dictionary: The dark, rich part of soil made from dead and rotting leaves, plants and animals; it feeds plants. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# humus

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** dark, Worms, Humus, Plants, Compost, top layer · **What happens:** make, rot, feed, help, turn, grow · **To what, where:** soil, dead, plants, dead leaves, humus, water

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

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The dark, rich part of soil made from dead and rotting leaves, plants and animals; it feeds plants.

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:humus:m1:1
# text = The dark, rich part of soil made from dead and rotting leaves, plants and animals; it feeds plants.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	dark	dark	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
4	rich	rich	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	part	part	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	appos	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	soil	soil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
8	made	make	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	acl	_	_
9	from	from	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	dead	dead	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	obl	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
12	rotting	rot	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	13	amod	_	_
13	leaves	leaf	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
15	plants	plant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	conj	_	_
16	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
17	animals	animal	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	20	punct	_	_
19	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	20	nsubj	_	_
20	feeds	feed	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
21	plants	plant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	20	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	20	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | participle |  | soil *not said here* |  | dead |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V PP»: agent=Asset from dead=Material |
| 2 | **rot** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn entity\_specific\_cos-45.5 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **feed** | present | the dark | plants |  |  |  |  | vn feeding-39.7 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent plant=Recipient |

<!-- .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 -->
Worms help turn dead leaves into humus.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:humus:x1:1
# text = Worms help turn dead leaves into humus.
1	Worms	worm	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	help	help	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	turn	turn	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
4	dead	dead	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	leaves	leaf	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	into	into	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	humus	humus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **help** | present | Worms |  |  |  |  |  | vn help-72.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **turn** | infinitive | Worms *not said here* | dead leaves |  | humus |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V NP PP.trajectory»: agent=Agent leaf=Theme into humus=Trajectory |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Humus makes the soil dark and rich.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:humus:x2:1
# text = Humus makes the soil dark and rich.
1	Humus	humus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	makes	make	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	soil	soil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	dark	dark	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	xcomp	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	rich	rich	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

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

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Plants grow well in soil full of humus.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:humus:x3:1
# text = Plants grow well in soil full of humus.
1	Plants	plant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	grow	grow	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	well	well	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	2	advmod	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	soil	soil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	full	full	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	humus	humus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **grow** | present | Plants |  |  | soil |  | well *property* | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in soil=Location |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Compost becomes humus over time.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:humus:x4:1
# text = Compost becomes humus over time.
1	Compost	compost	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	becomes	become	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	humus	humus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	xcomp	_	_
4	over	over	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **become** | present | Compost | humus |  |  | time |  | vn become-109.1-1-1 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Patient |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The top layer of the forest floor is rich in humus.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:humus:x5:1
# text = The top layer of the forest floor is rich in humus.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	top	top	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	layer	layer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	forest	forest	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	floor	floor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
9	rich	rich	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
10	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	humus	humus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the top layer of the forest floor |  |  | humus |  | rich *property* | tree rules |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Humus holds water like a sponge.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:humus:x6:1
# text = Humus holds water like a sponge.
1	Humus	humus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	holds	hold	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
4	like	like	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	sponge	sponge	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 | **hold** | present | Humus | water |  |  |  | like a sponge | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent water=Theme |

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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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