---
title: travail — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «travail» in the school dictionary: Travail is very hard, tiring work or effort. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# travail

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** Travail, Travails, someone, pain, they, book · **What happens:** be, go through, mean, give, move, finish · **To what, where:** difficulties, pain, birth, house, cathedral, travails

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

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Travail is very hard, tiring work or effort.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:travail:m1:1
# text = Travail is very hard, tiring work or effort.
1	Travail	travail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	very	very	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	hard	hard	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
6	tiring	tiring	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	work	work	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	effort	effort	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Travail |  |  |  |  | tiring work or effort *obl*; hard *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .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}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Travails (plural) are difficulties and troubles someone goes through.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:travail:m2:1
# text = Travails (plural) are difficulties and troubles someone goes through.
1	Travails	travail	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
2	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	plural	plural	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	1	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	3	punct	_	_
5	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	difficulties	difficulty	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	troubles	trouble	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	conj	_	_
9	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	10	nsubj	_	_
10	goes	go	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	acl:relcl	_	_
11	through	through	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 | **is a** | present | Travails | difficulties and troubles |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **go through** | present | someone | difficulties and troubles *not said here* |  |  |  | through *property* | vn meander-47.7 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location difficulty=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
The example in this meaning, parsed on its own:

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"the travails of moving house".

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:travail:m2e:1
# text = "the travails of moving house".
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	travails	travail	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
4	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
5	moving	move	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
6	house	house	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **move** *in a quote* | gerund | the travails | house |  |  |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V NP.theme»: agent=Agent house=Theme |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Travail can mean the pain and effort of giving birth.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:travail:m3:1
# text = Travail can mean the pain and effort of giving birth.
1	Travail	travail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	mean	mean	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	pain	pain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	effort	effort	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	_
8	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
9	giving	give	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	acl	_	_
10	birth	birth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | can | Travail | the pain and effort |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent pain=Topic |
| 2 | **give** | gerund | the pain and effort *not said here* | birth |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent birth=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
The example in this meaning, parsed on its own:

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"a woman in travail".

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:travail:m3e:1
# text = "a woman in travail".
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	woman	woman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	travail	travail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

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

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
After years of travail, they finished the cathedral.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:travail:x1:1
# text = After years of travail, they finished the cathedral.
1	After	after	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	travail	travail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
6	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
7	finished	finish	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	cathedral	cathedral	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

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

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The book describes the travails of a family crossing the ocean.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:travail:x2:1
# text = The book describes the travails of a family crossing the ocean.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	book	book	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	describes	describe	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	travails	travail	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	family	family	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
9	crossing	cross	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	acl	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	ocean	ocean	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **describe** | present | the book | the travails of a family |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent travail=Theme |
| 2 | **cross** | gerund | a family *not said here* | the ocean |  |  |  |  | vn crane-40.3.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent ocean=Patient |
| 3 | **travail** |  | a family |  |  |  |  |  | nom travail «state intransitive»: of=agent |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The team's travails continued with another defeat.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:travail:x3:1
# text = The team's travails continued with another defeat.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	team	team	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	's	PART	POS	_	2	case	_	_
4	travails	travail	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
5	continued	continue	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	another	another	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	8	det	_	_
8	defeat	defeat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **continue** | participle |  | the team's travails *not said here* |  |  |  | with another defeat | vn continue-55.3 «NP.eventuality V PP.subeventuality»: agent=Eventuality with defeat=Subeventuality |
| 2 | **travail** |  | the team |  |  |  |  |  | nom travail «state intransitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In the Bible, the woman was in travail before her child was born.

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:travail:x4:1
# text = In the Bible, the woman was in travail before her child was born.
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	Bible	Bible	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	woman	woman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
7	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	travail	travail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
10	before	before	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
11	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	12	nmod:poss	_	_
12	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj:pass	_	_
13	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	14	aux:pass	_	_
14	born	bear	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the woman |  |  | travail |  | in the Bible | tree rules |
| 2 | **bear** | past · passive |  | woman's child |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The farmers travailed in the fields from dawn to dusk. (old)

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* The farmers travailed in the fields from dawn to dusk.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:travail:x5:1
# text = The farmers travailed in the fields from dawn to dusk.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	farmers	farmer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	travailed	travail	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	fields	field	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
7	from	from	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	dawn	dawn	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
9	to	to	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	dusk	dusk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **travail** | past | the farmers |  |  | the fields | dawn |  | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* (old)

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:travail:x5:2
# text = (old)
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	2	punct	_	_
```

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

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We laughed about the travails of our camping trip.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:travail:x6:1
# text = We laughed about the travails of our camping trip.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	laughed	laugh	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	about	about	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	travails	travail	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
8	camping	camping	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	trip	trip	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **laugh** | past | We |  |  |  |  | about the travails of our camping trip | vn nonverbal\_expression-40.2 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **travail** |  | our camping trip |  |  |  |  |  | nom travail «state intransitive»: of=agent |
| 3 | **trip** |  | our |  |  |  |  |  | nom trip «act transitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The travails of the journey made them tired but proud.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:travail:x7:1
# text = The travails of the journey made them tired but proud.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	travails	travail	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	journey	journey	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	made	make	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	obj	_	_
8	tired	tired	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	xcomp	_	_
9	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	proud	proud	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | past | the travails of the journey | them *= they* |  |  |  | tired *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset they=Product |
| 2 | **travail** |  | the journey |  |  |  |  |  | nom travail «state intransitive»: of=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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