---
title: palaeontologist — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «palaeontologist» in the school dictionary: A scientist who studies fossils to learn about plants and animals that lived long ago, like dinosaurs. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# palaeontologist

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** scientist, plants, palaeontologist, I, Palaeontologists, tooth · **What happens:** study, learn, live, find, want, be · **To what, where:** fossils, dinosaur bone, cliff, palaeontologist, brushes, famous fossil hunter · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A scientist who studies fossils to learn about plants and animals that lived long ago, like dinosaurs.

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:palaeontologist:m1:1
# text = A scientist who studies fossils to learn about plants and animals that lived long ago, like dinosaurs.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	scientist	scientist	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	4	nsubj	_	_
4	studies	study	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	acl:relcl	_	_
5	fossils	fossil	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	learn	learn	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
8	about	about	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	plants	plant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	animals	animal	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	conj	_	_
12	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	13	nsubj	_	_
13	lived	live	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	acl:relcl	_	_
14	long	long	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	15	advmod	_	_
15	ago	ago	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
17	like	like	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	dinosaurs	dinosaur	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **study** | present | a scientist | fossils |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **learn** | to-infinitive | a scientist *not said here* |  |  |  |  | about plants and animals; like dinosaurs; ago *property* | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V PP.topic»: agent=Agent about plant=Topic |
| 3 | **live** | past | plants and animals |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- .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 -->
A palaeontologist found a dinosaur bone near the cliff.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:palaeontologist:x1:1
# text = A palaeontologist found a dinosaur bone near the cliff.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	palaeontologist	palaeontologist	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	found	find	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	dinosaur	dinosaur	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	bone	bone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	near	near	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	cliff	cliff	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **find** | past | a palaeontologist | a dinosaur bone |  | the cliff |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent bone=Topic |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I want to be a palaeontologist when I grow up.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:palaeontologist:x2:1
# text = I want to be a palaeontologist when I grow up.
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	want	want	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
4	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	cop	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	palaeontologist	palaeontologist	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	xcomp	_	_
7	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	9	advmod	_	_
8	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	grow	grow	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	advcl	_	_
10	up	up	ADP	RP	_	9	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **want** | present | I |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot |
| 2 | **is a** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | I *not said here* | a palaeontologist |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **grow up** | present | I |  |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Palaeontologists use brushes to clean fossils gently.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:palaeontologist:x3:1
# text = Palaeontologists use brushes to clean fossils gently.
1	Palaeontologists	palaeontologist	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	use	use	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	brushes	brush	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	clean	clean	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
6	fossils	fossil	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
7	gently	gently	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | present | Palaeontologists | brushes |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent brush=Patient |
| 2 | **clean** | to-infinitive | Palaeontologists *not said here* | fossils |  |  |  | gently *property* | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent fossil=Patient |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The palaeontologist said the tooth belonged to a T. rex.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:palaeontologist:x4:1
# text = The palaeontologist said the tooth belonged to a T. rex.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	palaeontologist	palaeontologist	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	tooth	tooth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	belonged	belong	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	T.	T.	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	rex	rex	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | the palaeontologist |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **belong** | past | the tooth |  |  |  |  | to a T. rex | vn attend-107.4-2 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Mary Anning was a famous fossil hunter and early palaeontologist.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:palaeontologist:x5:1
# text = Mary Anning was a famous fossil hunter and early palaeontologist.
1	Mary	Mary	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
2	Anning	Anning	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	1	flat	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
5	famous	famous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
6	fossil	fossil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	hunter	hunter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
9	early	early	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	palaeontologist	palaeontologist	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | Mary | a famous fossil hunter and early palaeontologist |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Palaeontologists study ancient plants too.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:palaeontologist:x6:1
# text = Palaeontologists study ancient plants too.
1	Palaeontologists	palaeontologist	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	study	study	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	ancient	ancient	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	plants	plant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	too	too	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **study** | present | Palaeontologists | ancient plants |  |  |  |  | vn learn-14-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent plant=Topic |

<!-- 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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