---
title: Your mate says "English is pure, mate, no foreign words." What's the… — Borrowed words: French, Norse and Latin · tree and pragmatics
description: Your mate says "English is pure, mate, no foreign words." What's the best way to describe English? Test 11 · ★ of lesson 23 «Borrowed words: French, Norse and Latin» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's ch
---

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# Test 11 · ★ · Borrowed words: French, Norse and Latin

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your mate says "English is pure, mate, no foreign words." What's the best way to describe English?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** mate, English, best way · **What happens:** say, be, describe · **To what, where:** English · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 11 · ★ of lesson 23 «Borrowed words: French, Norse and Latin» of the language course of Mova's primary school. The page gives the question's syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause, then the 4 options as the student saw them, each with its tree and pragmatics. Every text is parsed by Mova itself. How the student answered it, with the score of every option and why: [the test at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/language/23-borrowed-words-french-norse-and-latin/#t11).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your mate says "English is pure, mate, no foreign words."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:23-borrowed-words-french-norse-and-latin:t11:1
# text = Your mate says "English is pure, mate, no foreign words."
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	mate	mate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	English	English	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	pure	pure	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
9	mate	mate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	vocative	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
11	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	13	det	_	_
12	foreign	foreign	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	13	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Your mate |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **is** *in a quote* | present | English |  |  |  |  | mate *vocative*; pure *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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What's the best way to describe English?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:23-borrowed-words-french-norse-and-latin:t11:2
# text = What's the best way to describe English?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	best	good	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	5	amod	_	_
5	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	describe	describe	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	acl	_	_
8	English	English	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the best way |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **describe** | to-infinitive | the best way *not said here* | English |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent english=Theme |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A dialect of Latin

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:23-borrowed-words-french-norse-and-latin:t11:o1:1
# text = A dialect of Latin
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	dialect	dialect	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	Latin	Latin	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
```

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

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A mixing bowl: an Old English core with lots of borrowed words

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:23-borrowed-words-french-norse-and-latin:t11:o2:1
# text = A mixing bowl: an Old English core with lots of borrowed words
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	mixing	mixing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	bowl	bowl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	8	punct	_	_
5	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
6	Old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
7	English	English	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	core	core	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
9	with	with	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	lots	lot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nmod	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	borrowed	borrow	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	13	amod	_	_
13	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **borrow** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A dialect of French that lost its spelling rules after the year 1066

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:23-borrowed-words-french-norse-and-latin:t11:o3:1
# text = A dialect of French that lost its spelling rules after the year 1066
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	dialect	dialect	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	French	French	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
6	lost	lose	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
8	spelling	spelling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	rules	rule	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	_
10	after	after	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	year	year	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
13	1066	1066	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	12	flat	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lose** | past | a dialect of French | dialect's spelling rules |  |  | year |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent rule=Eventuality |
| 2 | **rule** |  | dialect |  |  |  |  |  | nom rule «cognition intransitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A pure language with no borrowings at all, just as it was 1,500 years ago

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:23-borrowed-words-french-norse-and-latin:t11:o4:1
# text = A pure language with no borrowings at all, just as it was 1,500 years ago
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	pure	pure	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	language	language	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	with	with	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	6	det	_	_
6	borrowings	borrowing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nmod	_	_
7	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
10	just	just	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
11	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
12	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	_
13	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	15	cop	_	_
14	1,500	1,500	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	15	nummod	_	_
15	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	parataxis	_	_
16	ago	ago	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | language | 1,500 years |  |  |  | ago *property* | tree rules |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the tests of Mova's primary school, written for Mova (`world/data/school/`), as the course runner gave them to the student. **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 text read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Borrowed words: French, Norse and Latin, test 10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/23-borrowed-words-french-norse-and-latin/t10/)
- next →: [Borrowed words: French, Norse and Latin, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/23-borrowed-words-french-norse-and-latin/e1/)
- ↑ back to [Borrowed words: French, Norse and Latin](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/23-borrowed-words-french-norse-and-latin/)