---
title: murmuration — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «murmuration» in the school dictionary: A huge flock of starlings flying together and swirling in changing shapes in the sky, usually at dusk. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# murmuration

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** starlings, We, Thousands, bird, falcon · **What happens:** fly, swirl, change, watch, murmur, make · **To what, where:** shapes, sky, murmuration, pier, starlings, neighbours

<!-- .vabout -->
«murmuration» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 5 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: [murmuration in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/murmuration.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A huge flock of starlings flying together and swirling in changing shapes in the sky, usually at dusk.

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:murmuration:m1:1
# text = A huge flock of starlings flying together and swirling in changing shapes in the sky, usually at dusk.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	huge	huge	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	flock	flock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	starlings	starling	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nmod	_	_
6	flying	fly	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	acl	_	_
7	together	together	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	swirling	swirl	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	conj	_	_
10	in	in	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
11	changing	change	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	advcl	_	_
12	shapes	shape	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obj	_	_
13	in	in	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	sky	sky	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
17	usually	usually	ADV	RB	_	19	advmod	_	_
18	at	at	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
19	dusk	dusk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fly** | gerund | starlings *not said here* |  |  |  | dusk | together *property* | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **swirl** | gerund | starlings *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **change** | gerund | starlings *not said here* | shapes |  | the sky |  |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent shape=Patient |

<!-- .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}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A soft, low murmuring sound.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:murmuration:m2:1
# text = A soft, low murmuring sound.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
2	soft	soft	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
4	low	low	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
5	murmuring	murmuring	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	sound	sound	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

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

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We watched a murmuration of starlings over the pier.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:murmuration:x1:1
# text = We watched a murmuration of starlings over the pier.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	watched	watch	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	murmuration	murmuration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	starlings	starling	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	_
7	over	over	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	pier	pier	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **watch** | past | We | a murmuration of starlings |  | the pier |  |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent murmuration=Theme |
| 2 | **murmur** |  |  | starlings |  |  |  |  | nom murmuration «event transitive»: of=patient |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The murmuration swirled like a black cloud.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:murmuration:x2:1
# text = The murmuration swirled like a black cloud.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	murmuration	murmuration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	swirled	swirl	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl	_	_
4	like	like	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	black	black	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	cloud	cloud	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 | **swirl** | participle |  | the murmuration *not said here* |  |  |  | like a black cloud | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Thousands of starlings make a murmuration before they roost.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:murmuration:x3:1
# text = Thousands of starlings make a murmuration before they roost.
1	Thousands	thousand	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	starlings	starling	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	nmod	_	_
4	make	make	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	murmuration	murmuration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	before	before	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
8	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	roost	roost	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | present | Thousands of starlings | a murmuration |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset murmuration=Product |
| 2 | **roost** | present | Thousands *= thousand* |  |  |  |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Each bird watches its neighbours in a murmuration.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:murmuration:x4:1
# text = Each bird watches its neighbours in a murmuration.
1	Each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	det	_	_
2	bird	bird	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	watches	watch	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	neighbours	neighbour	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	murmuration	murmuration	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 | **watch** | present | each bird | bird's neighbours |  | a murmuration |  |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent neighbour=Theme |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A falcon dived into the murmuration but missed.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:murmuration:x5:1
# text = A falcon dived into the murmuration but missed.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	falcon	falcon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	dived	dive	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	into	into	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	murmuration	murmuration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	missed	miss	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **dive** | participle | a falcon |  |  | the murmuration |  |  | vn meander-47.7 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme into murmuration=Location |
| 2 | **miss** | past | a falcon *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V that S»: agent=Experiencer |

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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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