--- title: Your mate goes "words never change, bruv, a word means what it means… — Words that changed their meaning · tree and pragmatics description: Your mate goes "words never change, bruv, a word means what it means, forever." What's true? Test 1 of lesson 38 «Words that changed their meaning» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was wrong. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/38-words-that-changed-their-meaning/t1/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Language](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/) / [Words that changed their meaning](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/38-words-that-changed-their-meaning/) / t1 # Test 1 · Words that changed their meaning Your mate goes "words never change, bruv, a word means what it means, forever." What's true? **Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** mate, words, word · **What happens:** go, not change, mean, be · **Speech:** someone speaks here This is test 1 of lesson 38 «Words that changed their meaning» 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/38-words-that-changed-their-meaning/#t1). ## The question {#question} *Sentence 1:* Your mate goes "words never change, bruv, a word means what it means, forever." ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:38-words-that-changed-their-meaning:t1:1 # text = Your mate goes "words never change, bruv, a word means what it means, forever." 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 goes go VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 4 " " PUNCT `` _ 7 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 5 words word NOUN NNS Number=Plur 7 nsubj _ _ 6 never never ADV RB PronType=Neg 7 advmod _ _ 7 change change VERB VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 3 ccomp _ SpaceAfter=No 8 , , PUNCT , _ 9 punct _ _ 9 bruv bruv NOUN NN Number=Sing 7 vocative _ SpaceAfter=No 10 , , PUNCT , _ 13 punct _ _ 11 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 12 det _ _ 12 word word NOUN NN Number=Sing 13 nsubj _ _ 13 means mean VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 3 parataxis _ _ 14 what what PRON WP PronType=Int 16 obj _ _ 15 it it PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 16 nsubj _ _ 16 means mean VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 13 ccomp _ SpaceAfter=No 17 , , PUNCT , _ 18 punct _ _ 18 forever forever ADV RB _ 16 advmod _ SpaceAfter=No 19 . . PUNCT . _ 3 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 20 " " PUNCT '' _ 3 punct _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **go** | present | Your mate | | | | | | vn say-37.7 «NP V S-Quote»: agent=Agent clause=Topic | | 2 | **not** **change** *in a quote* | present | words | | | | | bruv *vocative* | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent | | 3 | **mean** *in a quote* | present | a word | | | | | | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic | | 4 | **mean** *in a quote* | present | mate | | | | | forever *property* | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Topic | 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. *Sentence 2:* What's true? ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:38-words-that-changed-their-meaning:t1:2 # text = What's true? 1 What what PRON WP PronType=Int 3 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No 2 's be AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 3 cop _ _ 3 true true ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 0 root _ SpaceAfter=No 4 ? ? PUNCT . _ 3 punct _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **is** | present | | | | | | true *property* | tree rules | ## The options {#options} ### Option 1 {#o1} Only slang words ever change, never proper ones ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:38-words-that-changed-their-meaning:t1:o1:1 # text = Only slang words ever change, never proper ones 1 Only only ADV RB _ 2 advmod _ _ 2 slang slang NOUN NN Number=Sing 0 root _ _ 3 words word NOUN NNS Number=Plur 5 nsubj _ _ 4 ever ever ADV RB PronType=Ind 5 advmod _ _ 5 change change VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 2 acl:relcl _ SpaceAfter=No 6 , , PUNCT , _ 9 punct _ _ 7 never never ADV RB PronType=Neg 9 advmod _ _ 8 proper proper ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 9 amod _ _ 9 ones one NOUN NNS Number=Plur 2 conj _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **change** | infinitive | words | slang and proper ones *not said here* | | | ever | | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent slang=Patient | ### Option 2 {#o2} Words change only when the government says so ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:38-words-that-changed-their-meaning:t1:o2:1 # text = Words change only when the government says so 1 Words word NOUN NNS Number=Plur 2 nsubj _ _ 2 change change VERB VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 3 only only ADV RB _ 2 advmod _ _ 4 when when SCONJ WRB _ 7 mark _ _ 5 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 6 det _ _ 6 government government NOUN NN Number=Sing 7 nsubj _ _ 7 says say VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 2 advcl _ _ 8 so so ADV RB _ 7 advmod _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **change** | present | Words | | | | | | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent | | 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | the government | | | | | | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent | ### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3} He's right, words are fixed when they're first used ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:38-words-that-changed-their-meaning:t1:o3:1 # text = He's right, words are fixed when they're first used 1 He he PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 3 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No 2 's be AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 3 cop _ _ 3 right right ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 0 root _ SpaceAfter=No 4 , , PUNCT , _ 7 punct _ _ 5 words word NOUN NNS Number=Plur 7 nsubj:pass _ _ 6 are be AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 7 aux:pass _ _ 7 fixed fix VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 3 parataxis _ _ 8 when when SCONJ WRB _ 12 mark _ _ 9 they they PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs 12 nsubj:pass _ SpaceAfter=No 10 're be AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 12 aux:pass _ _ 11 first first ADV RB NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord 12 advmod _ _ 12 used use VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 7 advcl _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **is** | present | He | | | | | right *property* | tree rules | | 2 | **fix** | present · passive | | words | | | | | vn shake-22.3-2 «NP V NP together»: subject=Patient | | 3 | **use** | present · passive | | words *= word* | | | | first *property* | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient | ### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4} Many words drift in meaning over hundreds of years ```conllu # sent_id = question:language:38-words-that-changed-their-meaning:t1:o4:1 # text = Many words drift in meaning over hundreds of years 1 Many many ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 2 amod _ _ 2 words word NOUN NNS Number=Plur 3 nsubj _ _ 3 drift drift VERB VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 4 in in ADP IN _ 5 case _ _ 5 meaning meaning NOUN NN Number=Sing 3 obl _ _ 6 over over ADP IN _ 7 case _ _ 7 hundreds hundred NOUN NNS Number=Plur 3 obl _ _ 8 of of ADP IN _ 9 case _ _ 9 years year NOUN NNS Number=Plur 7 nmod _ _ ``` | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **drift** | present | Many words | | | meaning | | over hundreds of years | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP.theme V PP.source PP.trajectory PP.destination»: agent=Theme in meaning=Source over hundred=Trajectory | **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. - ← previous: [Building words: prefixes, suffixes and…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/37-building-words-prefixes-suffixes-and-compounds/e4/) - next →: [Words that changed their meaning, test 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/38-words-that-changed-their-meaning/t2/) - ↑ back to [Words that changed their meaning](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/38-words-that-changed-their-meaning/)