---
title: hunchback — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «hunchback» in the school dictionary: A back with a big hump or curve, from a medical condition (kyphosis). Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# hunchback

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** person, Hunchback, Quasimodo, Sitting, doctor, you · **What happens:** be, say, curve, ring, sit, give · **To what, where:** person, famous novel, cathedral bells, you, hunchback, spine · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«hunchback» in the school dictionary: its 3 meanings for a pupil and its 7 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: [hunchback in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/hunchback.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A back with a big hump or curve, from a medical condition (kyphosis).

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hunchback:m1:1
# text = A back with a big hump or curve, from a medical condition (kyphosis).
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	back	back	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	with	with	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	big	big	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	hump	hump	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
7	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	curve	curve	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
10	from	from	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	medical	medical	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	condition	condition	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	conj	_	_
14	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	kyphosis	kyphosis	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: old-fashioned, often hurtful — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A person with such a back; today it is kinder to say a person with a curved spine.

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hunchback:m2:1
# text = A person with such a back; today it is kinder to say a person with a curved spine.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
3	with	with	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	such	such	DET	PDT	PronType=Ind	6	det:predet	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	back	back	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	11	punct	_	_
8	today	today	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl:unmarked	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	expl	_	_
10	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
11	kinder	kind	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	0	root	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	csubj	_	_
14	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obj	_	_
16	with	with	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
17	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
18	curved	curve	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	19	amod	_	_
19	spine	spine	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | a person with such back |  |  |  | today | kind *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | to-infinitive |  | a person |  |  |  | with a curved spine | vn pronounce-29.3.1 «NP V NP PP.manner»: agent=Agent person=Theme with spine=Manner |
| 3 | **curve** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn knead-26.5 «NP.material V PP.product»: agent=Material |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is a famous novel by Victor Hugo about Quasimodo.

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hunchback:m3:1
# text = The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is a famous novel by Victor Hugo about Quasimodo.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Hunchback	hunchback	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	Notre	Notre	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	Dame	Dame	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	conj	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	famous	famous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	novel	novel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
11	by	by	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	Victor	Victor	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
13	Hugo	Hugo	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	12	flat	_	_
14	about	about	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	Quasimodo	Quasimodo	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	12	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	10	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the Hunchback of Notre and Dame | a famous novel |  |  |  | by Victor about Quasimodo | tree rules |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre-Dame, rang the cathedral bells.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hunchback:x1:1
# text = Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre-Dame, rang the cathedral bells.
1	Quasimodo	Quasimodo	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	hunchback	hunchback	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	appos	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	Notre	Notre	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	Dame	Dame	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
10	rang	ring	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	cathedral	cathedral	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	compound	_	_
13	bells	bell	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	10	punct	_	_
```

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

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Sitting badly for years can give you a slightly hunched back.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hunchback:x2:1
# text = Sitting badly for years can give you a slightly hunched back.
1	Sitting	sit	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	csubj	_	_
2	badly	badly	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	1	advmod	_	_
3	for	for	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obl	_	_
5	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	give	give	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs	6	iobj	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	slightly	slightly	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	hunched	hunch	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	advcl	_	_
11	back	back	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sit** | gerund |  |  |  |  | year | badly *property* | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **give** | can | Sitting |  | you |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent you=Theme |
| 3 | **hunch back** | participle | Sitting *not said here* |  |  |  |  | slightly *property* | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In old stories, a hunchback was often wrongly shown as wicked.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hunchback:x3:1
# text = In old stories, a hunchback was often wrongly shown as wicked.
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	stories	story	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	hunchback	hunchback	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj:pass	_	_
7	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux:pass	_	_
8	often	often	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
9	wrongly	wrongly	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	shown	show	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
11	as	as	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	wicked	wicked	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	10	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **show** | past · passive |  | a hunchback |  |  |  | as wicked; in old stories; often, wrongly *property* | vn crane-40.3.2 «NP V NP PP.recipient PP.theme»: subject=Patient in story=Topic |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The doctor checked his spine for a hunchback.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hunchback:x4:1
# text = The doctor checked his spine for a hunchback.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	doctor	doctor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	checked	check	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	spine	spine	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	hunchback	hunchback	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **check** | past | the doctor | doctor's spine |  |  |  | for a hunchback | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Agent spine=Theme for hunchback=Attribute |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Don't call people names about their bodies.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hunchback:x5:1
# text = Don't call people names about their bodies.
1	Do	do	AUX	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	3	advmod	_	_
3	call	call	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
5	names	name	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	about	about	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	bodies	body	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **call** | imperative · do-support | you *not said here* | people |  |  |  |  | vn dub-29.3.2 «NP V NP NP»: agent=Agent people=Theme name=Result |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame was written by Victor Hugo.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hunchback:x6:1
# text = The novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame was written by Victor Hugo.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	novel	novel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	Hunchback	Hunchback	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	appos	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	Notre	Notre	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	Dame	Dame	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	conj	_	_
9	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux:pass	_	_
10	written	write	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
11	by	by	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	Victor	Victor	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	10	obl:agent	_	_
13	Hugo	Hugo	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	12	flat	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	10	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **write** | past · passive | Victor | the novel |  |  |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Theme |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The hunchback having agreed to his proposal, the tailor closed his shop and they set off together.

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:hunchback:x7:1
# text = The hunchback having agreed to his proposal, the tailor closed his shop and they set off together.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	hunchback	hunchback	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
3	having	have	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	acl	_	_
4	agreed	agree	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	xcomp	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	proposal	proposal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	tailor	tailor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
11	closed	close	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
12	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	shop	shop	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
15	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	_
16	set	set	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	11	conj	_	_
17	off	off	ADP	RP	_	16	compound:prt	_	_
18	together	together	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | gerund | the hunchback *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **agree** *speech: agree* | participle | the hunchback *not said here* |  |  |  |  | to hunchback's proposal | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **close** | past | the hunchback | hunchback's shop |  |  |  |  | vn crane-40.3.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent shop=Patient |
| 4 | **set off** | past | they |  |  |  |  | together *property* | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 5 | **propose** |  | hunchback |  |  |  |  |  | nom proposal «communication intransitive»: poss=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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