---
title: nil — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «nil» in the school dictionary: Nil means nothing or zero. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# nil

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**Who acts:** Nil, We, game, chance, snow, patient · **What happens:** mean, use, win, end, be, chance · **To what, where:** nothing, Nil, match scores, match, bike, Mr Lee

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«nil» 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: [nil in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/nil.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nil means nothing or zero.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:nil:m1:1
# text = Nil means nothing or zero.
1	Nil	nil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	2	obj	_	_
4	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	zero	zero	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	3	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | Nil | nothing |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent nothing=Topic |

<!-- .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: UK, sport — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nil is used for zero in match scores: "two–nil".

<!-- fold The tree, 10 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:nil:m2:1
# text = Nil is used for zero in match scores: "two–nil".
1	Nil	nil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	used	use	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	zero	zero	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	3	obl	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	match	match	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	scores	score	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	13	punct	_	_
10	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	13	nummod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	–	–	PUNCT	HYPH	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	nil	nil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | present · passive |  | Nil |  | match scores |  | for zero | tree rules |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We won the match three–nil.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:nil:x1:1
# text = We won the match three–nil.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	won	win	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	match	match	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	three	three	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	7	nummod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	–	-	PUNCT	:	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	nil	nil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **win** | past | We | the match |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP.beneficiary NP»: agent=Agent match=Beneficiary nil=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The game ended nil–nil.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:nil:x2:1
# text = The game ended nil–nil.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	game	game	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	ended	end	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	nil	nil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	–	-	PUNCT	:	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	nil	nil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **end** | past | the game | nil and nil |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V NP.eventuality»: agent=Subeventuality nil=Eventuality |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The chance of snow in summer here is nil.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:nil:x3:1
# text = The chance of snow in summer here is nil.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	chance	chance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	snow	snow	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	summer	summer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
7	here	here	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	6	advmod	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
9	nil	nil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the chance of snow in summer | nil |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **chance** |  | snow |  |  |  |  | in summer | nom chance «state intransitive»: of=agent in=obl |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The patient is nil by mouth before the operation.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:nil:x4:1
# text = The patient is nil by mouth before the operation.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	patient	patient	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	nil	nil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	by	by	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	mouth	mouth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
7	before	before	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	operation	operation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the patient | nil |  |  | before the operation | by mouth | tree rules |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Our savings were nil after buying the bike.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:nil:x5:1
# text = Our savings were nil after buying the bike.
1	Our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	savings	savings	NOUN	NNS	Number=Ptan	4	nsubj	_	_
3	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	nil	nil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	after	after	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
6	buying	buy	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	acl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	bike	bike	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | Our savings | nil |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **buy** | gerund | nil *not said here* | the bike |  |  |  |  | vn accept-77.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent bike=Theme |
| 3 | **save** |  | Our |  |  |  |  |  | nom savings «possession transitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His interest in maths was nil until he met Mr Lee.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:nil:x6:1
# text = His interest in maths was nil until he met Mr Lee.
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	interest	interest	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	maths	math	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nmod	_	_
5	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	nil	nil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	until	until	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
8	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	met	meet	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	acl:relcl	_	_
10	Mr	Mr	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	Lee	Lee	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | His interest in maths | nil |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **meet** | past | he | Mr Lee |  |  |  |  | vn meet-36.3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent lee=Co-Agent |
| 3 | **interest** |  | His *= he* |  |  | maths |  |  | nom interest «cognition transitive»: poss=agent in=place |

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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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