--- title: It struck me as a very strange thing that a river of clear fresh wat… — The Arabian Nights Entertainments · tree and pragmatics description: It struck me as a very strange thing that a river of clear fresh water, which gushed out from the mountain not far from where we stood, instead of flowing into the sea as rivers generally do, turned off sharply, and flowed out of sight under a natural archway of rock, and when I went to examine it m --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg128/17/46/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [The Arabian Nights Entertainments](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg128/) / [Opening, part 17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg128/17/) / 46 # The Arabian Nights Entertainments, Opening, part 17, sentence 46 It struck me as a very strange thing that a river of clear fresh water, which gushed out from the mountain not far from where we stood, instead of flowing into the sea as rivers generally do, turned off sharply, and flowed out of sight under a natural archway of rock, and when I went to examine it more closely I found that inside the cave the walls were thick with diamonds, and rubies, and masses of crystal, and the floor was strewn with ambergris. **Who acts:** strip, strange thing, we, rivers, I, walls · **What happens:** strike, gush out, stand, flow, do, turn off · **To what, where:** me, mountain, sea, sight, natural archway, rubies · **Speech:** someone speaks here This is a sentence of «The Arabian Nights Entertainments» by Andrew Lang, Opening, part 17. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (strip, strange thing, we, rivers), what happens, when and where, as Mova's frames read it from the tree. **Parsed by Mova, not checked by a teacher.** This tree is Mova's own parse (the `en` model, on the CPU, when the site is built); it may be wrong. ## The tree {#tree} ```conllu # sent_id = book:pg128:17:46 # text = It struck me as a very strange thing that a river of clear fresh water, which gushed out from the mountain not far from where we stood, instead of flowing into the sea as rivers generally do, turned off sharply, and flowed out of sight under a natural archway of rock, and when I went to examine it more closely I found that inside the cave the walls were thick with diamonds, and rubies, and masses of crystal, and the floor was strewn with ambergris. 1 It it PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 2 nsubj _ _ 2 struck strike VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 3 me I PRON PRP Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 2 obj _ _ 4 as as ADP IN _ 8 case _ _ 5 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 8 det _ _ 6 very very ADV RB _ 7 advmod _ _ 7 strange strange ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 8 amod _ _ 8 thing thing NOUN NN Number=Sing 2 obl _ _ 9 that that PRON WDT PronType=Rel 18 nsubj _ _ 10 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 11 det _ _ 11 river river NOUN NN Number=Sing 18 nsubj _ _ 12 of of ADP IN _ 15 case _ _ 13 clear clear ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 15 amod _ _ 14 fresh fresh ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 15 amod _ _ 15 water water NOUN NN Number=Sing 11 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 16 , , PUNCT , _ 18 punct _ _ 17 which which PRON WDT PronType=Rel 18 nsubj _ _ 18 gushed gush VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 8 acl:relcl _ _ 19 out out ADP RP _ 18 compound:prt _ _ 20 from from ADP IN _ 22 case _ _ 21 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 22 det _ _ 22 mountain mountain NOUN NN Number=Sing 18 obl _ _ 23 not not PART RB Polarity=Neg 24 advmod _ _ 24 far far ADV RB Degree=Pos 28 advmod _ _ 25 from from ADP IN _ 26 case _ _ 26 where where ADV WRB PronType=Rel 28 advmod _ _ 27 we we PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs 28 nsubj _ _ 28 stood stand VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 18 advcl _ SpaceAfter=No 29 , , PUNCT , _ 32 punct _ _ 30 instead instead ADV RB ExtPos=SCONJ 32 mark _ _ 31 of of ADP IN _ 30 fixed _ _ 32 flowing flow VERB VBG Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part 28 advcl _ _ 33 into into ADP IN _ 35 case _ _ 34 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 35 det _ _ 35 sea sea NOUN NN Number=Sing 32 obl _ _ 36 as as SCONJ IN _ 39 mark _ _ 37 rivers river NOUN NNS Number=Plur 39 nsubj _ _ 38 generally generally ADV RB _ 39 advmod _ _ 39 do do VERB VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 32 advcl _ SpaceAfter=No 40 , , PUNCT , _ 41 punct _ _ 41 turned turn VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 28 conj _ _ 42 off off ADP RP _ 41 compound:prt _ _ 43 sharply sharply ADV RB _ 41 advmod _ SpaceAfter=No 44 , , PUNCT , _ 46 punct _ _ 45 and and CCONJ CC _ 46 cc _ _ 46 flowed flow VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 2 conj _ _ 47 out out ADP IN _ 49 case _ _ 48 of of ADP IN _ 49 case _ _ 49 sight sight NOUN NN Number=Sing 46 obl _ _ 50 under under ADP IN _ 53 case _ _ 51 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 53 det _ _ 52 natural natural ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 53 amod _ _ 53 archway archway NOUN NN Number=Sing 46 obl _ _ 54 of of ADP IN _ 55 case _ _ 55 rock rock NOUN NN Number=Sing 53 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 56 , , PUNCT , _ 60 punct _ _ 57 and and CCONJ CC _ 60 cc _ _ 58 when when ADV WRB PronType=Int 60 advmod _ _ 59 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 60 nsubj _ _ 60 went go VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 2 conj _ _ 61 to to PART TO _ 62 mark _ _ 62 examine examine VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 60 xcomp _ _ 63 it it PRON PRP Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 62 obj _ _ 64 more more ADV RBR Degree=Cmp 65 advmod _ _ 65 closely closely ADV RB _ 67 advmod _ _ 66 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 67 nsubj _ _ 67 found find VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 62 advcl _ _ 68 that that SCONJ IN _ 75 mark _ _ 69 inside inside ADP IN _ 71 case _ _ 70 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 71 det _ _ 71 cave cave NOUN NN Number=Sing 75 obl _ _ 72 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 73 det _ _ 73 walls wall NOUN NNS Number=Plur 75 nsubj _ _ 74 were be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 75 cop _ _ 75 thick thick ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 67 ccomp _ _ 76 with with ADP IN _ 77 case _ _ 77 diamonds diamond NOUN NNS Number=Plur 75 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 78 , , PUNCT , _ 80 punct _ _ 79 and and CCONJ CC _ 80 cc _ _ 80 rubies ruby NOUN NNS Number=Plur 60 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 81 , , PUNCT , _ 83 punct _ _ 82 and and CCONJ CC _ 83 cc _ _ 83 masses mass NOUN NNS Number=Plur 2 parataxis _ _ 84 of of ADP IN _ 85 case _ _ 85 crystal crystal NOUN NN Number=Sing 83 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 86 , , PUNCT , _ 91 punct _ _ 87 and and CCONJ CC _ 91 cc _ _ 88 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 89 det _ _ 89 floor floor NOUN NN Number=Sing 91 nsubj _ _ 90 was be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 91 cop _ _ 91 strewn strewn ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 2 conj _ _ 92 with with ADP IN _ 93 case _ _ 93 ambergris ambergris NOUN NN Number=Sing 91 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 94 . . PUNCT . _ 2 punct _ _ ``` ## Pragmatics {#pragmatics} | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **strike** | past | strip | me | | | | as a strange thing | vn hit-18.1-1 «NP V NP PP»: agent=Agent i=Instrument | | 2 | **gush out** | past | a strange thing | | | the mountain | | | vn substance\_emission-43.4-1 «NP.theme V PP.source»: agent=Theme from mountain=Source | | 3 | **stand** | past | we | | | | | far *property* | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent | | 4 | **flow** | gerund | we *not said here* | | | the sea | | | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme | | 5 | **do** | present | rivers | | | | | generally *property* | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent | | 6 | **turn off** | past | we *not said here* | | | | | sharply *property* | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient | | 7 | **flow out** | past | strip *not said here* | sight | | a natural archway of rock | | | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location sight=Theme | | 8 | **go** | past | I | rubies | | | | | vn say-37.7 «NP V S-Quote»: agent=Agent clause=Topic | | 9 | **examine** | to-infinitive | I *not said here* | strip | | | | | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme | | 10 | **find** | past | I | | | | | closely *property* | vn declare-29.4-1-1 «NP V what S\_INF»: agent=Agent | | 11 | **is** | past | the walls | | | the cave | | with diamonds; thick *property* | tree rules | | 12 | **is** | past | the floor | | | | | with ambergris; strewn *property* | tree rules | 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. **Text:** «The Arabian Nights Entertainments» by Andrew Lang, Project Gutenberg book 128 (public domain in the USA). **Tree:** Mova's own parse, Elamur Cosmic License. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), the chapter read in order. - ← previous: [sentence 45](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg128/17/45/) - next →: [sentence 47](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg128/17/47/) - ↑ back to [Opening, part 17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg128/17/)