---
title: ptarmigan — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «ptarmigan» in the school dictionary: A ptarmigan is a plump bird of the grouse family that lives in cold mountains and the Arctic; its feathers turn white in winter for camouflage and brown in summer. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# ptarmigan

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** ptarmigan, grouse family, feathers, We, feathery feet · **What happens:** be, live, turn, spot, work, hide · **To what, where:** plump bird, cold mountains, ptarmigan, brown speckled feathers

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

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A ptarmigan is a plump bird of the grouse family that lives in cold mountains and the Arctic; its feathers turn white in winter for camouflage and brown in summer.

<!-- fold The tree, 30 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ptarmigan:m1:1
# text = A ptarmigan is a plump bird of the grouse family that lives in cold mountains and the Arctic; its feathers turn white in winter for camouflage and brown in summer.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	ptarmigan	ptarmigan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	plump	plump	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	bird	bird	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	grouse	grouse	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	family	family	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
11	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	12	nsubj	_	_
12	lives	live	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	acl:relcl	_	_
13	in	in	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	cold	cold	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	mountains	mountain	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obl	_	_
16	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	Arctic	Arctic	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	15	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	22	punct	_	_
20	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	21	nmod:poss	_	_
21	feathers	feather	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	22	nsubj	_	_
22	turn	turn	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
23	white	white	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	22	xcomp	_	_
24	in	in	ADP	IN	_	25	case	_	_
25	winter	winter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	22	obl	_	_
26	for	for	ADP	IN	_	27	case	_	_
27	camouflage	camouflage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	22	obl	_	_
28	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	29	cc	_	_
29	brown	brown	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	27	conj	_	_
30	in	in	ADP	IN	_	31	case	_	_
31	summer	summer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	29	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
32	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a ptarmigan | a plump bird |  |  |  | of the grouse family | tree rules |
| 2 | **live** | present | the grouse family |  |  | cold mountains and the Arctic |  |  | vn lodge-46 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in mountain=Location |
| 3 | **turn** | present | ptarmigan's feathers |  |  |  | winter | for camouflage; white *property* | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP.theme 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 -->
The ptarmigan turns white in winter.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ptarmigan:x1:1
# text = The ptarmigan turns white in winter.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	ptarmigan	ptarmigan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	turns	turn	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	white	white	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	xcomp	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	winter	winter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **turn** | present | the ptarmigan |  |  |  | winter | white *property* | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP.theme V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We spotted a ptarmigan in the Scottish mountains.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ptarmigan:x2:1
# text = We spotted a ptarmigan in the Scottish mountains.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	spotted	spot	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	ptarmigan	ptarmigan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	Scottish	Scottish	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	mountains	mountain	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **spot** | past | We | a ptarmigan |  |  |  | in the Scottish mountains | vn fill-9.8-1 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Agent ptarmigan=Destination in mountain=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A ptarmigan's feathery feet work like snowshoes.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ptarmigan:x3:1
# text = A ptarmigan's feathery feet work like snowshoes.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	ptarmigan	ptarmigan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	's	PART	POS	_	2	case	_	_
4	feathery	feathery	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	feet	foot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
6	work	work	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	like	like	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	snowshoes	snowshoe	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **work** | present | a ptarmigan's feathery feet |  |  |  |  | like snowshoes | vn employment-95.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ptarmigan hide from foxes by staying very still.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ptarmigan:x4:1
# text = Ptarmigan hide from foxes by staying very still.
1	Ptarmigan	ptarmigan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	hide	hide	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	from	from	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	foxes	fox	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
5	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
6	staying	stay	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
7	very	very	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	still	still	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hide** | present | Ptarmigan |  |  |  |  | from foxes | vn concealment-16-1 «NP V PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent from fox=Beneficiary |
| 2 | **stay** | gerund | Ptarmigan *not said here* |  |  |  | still |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In summer the ptarmigan has brown speckled feathers.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ptarmigan:x5:1
# text = In summer the ptarmigan has brown speckled feathers.
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	summer	summer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	ptarmigan	ptarmigan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	brown	brown	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
7	speckled	speckle	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	amod	_	_
8	feathers	feather	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | the ptarmigan | brown speckled feathers |  |  | summer |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent feather=Patient |
| 2 | **speckle** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn fill-9.8-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The ptarmigan nests on the ground.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ptarmigan:x6:1
# text = The ptarmigan nests on the ground.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	ptarmigan	ptarmigan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	nests	nest	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
4	on	on	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	ground	ground	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

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

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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.

<!-- /div -->

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