---
title: But whether it be considered in one of its phases as a distorted "na… — Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Musc… · tree and pragmatics
description: But whether it be considered in one of its phases as a distorted "nature-myth," or in another as a demoralized apologue or parable--whether it be regarded at one time as a relic of primeval wisdom, or at another as a blurred transcript of a page of mediaeval history--its critics agree in declaring i
---

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# Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore, Chapter I. INTRODUCTORY, part 1, sentence 8

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But whether it be considered in one of its phases as a distorted "nature-myth," or in another as a demoralized apologue or parable--whether it be regarded at one time as a relic of primeval wisdom, or at another as a blurred transcript of a page of mediaeval history--its critics agree in declaring it to be no mere creation of the popular fancy, no chance expression of the uncultured thought of the rude tiller of this or that soil.

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**Who acts:** critics · **What happens:** consider, distort, demoralize, regard, blur, agree · **To what, where:** origin, mere creation, mediaeval history, rude tiller

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This is a sentence of «Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore», Chapter I. INTRODUCTORY, part 1. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (critics), what happens, when and where, as Mova's frames read it from the tree.

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**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:pg22373:11:8
# text = But whether it be considered in one of its phases as a distorted "nature-myth," or in another as a demoralized apologue or parable--whether it be regarded at one time as a relic of primeval wisdom, or at another as a blurred transcript of a page of mediaeval history--its critics agree in declaring it to be no mere creation of the popular fancy, no chance expression of the uncultured thought of the rude tiller of this or that soil.
1	But	but	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
2	whether	whether	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	considered	consider	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	5	xcomp	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	phases	phase	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nmod	_	_
11	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	17	mark	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
13	distorted	distort	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	17	amod	_	_
14	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	17	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	nature	nature	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	myth	myth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	17	punct	_	_
20	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	26	cc	_	_
21	in	in	ADP	IN	_	22	case	_	_
22	another	another	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	20	obl	_	_
23	as	as	ADP	IN	_	26	case	_	_
24	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	26	det	_	_
25	demoralized	demoralize	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	26	amod	_	_
26	apologue	apologue	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	conj	_	_
27	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	28	cc	_	_
28	parable	parable	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	26	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
29	--	--	PUNCT	,	_	33	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
30	whether	whether	SCONJ	IN	_	33	mark	_	_
31	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	33	nsubj:pass	_	_
32	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	33	aux:pass	_	_
33	regarded	regard	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	conj	_	_
34	at	at	ADP	IN	_	36	case	_	_
35	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	36	nummod	_	_
36	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	33	obl	_	_
37	as	as	ADP	IN	_	39	case	_	_
38	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	39	det	_	_
39	relic	relic	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	33	obl	_	_
40	of	of	ADP	IN	_	42	case	_	_
41	primeval	primeval	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	42	compound	_	_
42	wisdom	wisdom	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	39	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
43	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	46	punct	_	_
44	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	46	cc	_	_
45	at	at	ADP	IN	_	46	case	_	_
46	another	another	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	39	conj	_	_
47	as	as	ADP	IN	_	50	case	_	_
48	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	50	det	_	_
49	blurred	blur	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	50	amod	_	_
50	transcript	transcript	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	46	nmod	_	_
51	of	of	ADP	IN	_	53	case	_	_
52	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	53	det	_	_
53	page	page	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	50	nmod	_	_
54	of	of	ADP	IN	_	56	case	_	_
55	mediaeval	mediaeval	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	56	compound	_	_
56	history	history	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	53	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
57	--	--	PUNCT	,	_	60	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
58	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	59	nmod:poss	_	_
59	critics	critic	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	60	nsubj	_	_
60	agree	agree	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	50	parataxis	_	_
61	in	in	SCONJ	IN	_	62	mark	_	_
62	declaring	declare	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	60	advcl	_	_
63	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	62	obj	_	_
64	to	to	PART	TO	_	68	mark	_	_
65	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	68	cop	_	_
66	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	68	det	_	_
67	mere	mere	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	68	amod	_	_
68	creation	creation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	62	xcomp	_	_
69	of	of	ADP	IN	_	72	case	_	_
70	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	72	det	_	_
71	popular	popular	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	72	amod	_	_
72	fancy	fancy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	68	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
73	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	76	punct	_	_
74	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	76	det	_	_
75	chance	chance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	76	compound	_	_
76	expression	expression	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	68	conj	_	_
77	of	of	ADP	IN	_	80	case	_	_
78	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	80	det	_	_
79	uncultured	uncultured	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	80	amod	_	_
80	thought	thought	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	76	nmod	_	_
81	of	of	ADP	IN	_	84	case	_	_
82	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	84	det	_	_
83	rude	rude	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	84	amod	_	_
84	tiller	tiller	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	80	nmod	_	_
85	of	of	ADP	IN	_	86	case	_	_
86	this	this	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	84	nmod	_	_
87	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	89	cc	_	_
88	that	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	89	det	_	_
89	soil	soil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	84	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
90	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

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| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **consider** | infinitive · passive |  | origin |  |  |  |  | vn consider-29.9-1-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: subject=Attribute |
| 2 | **distort** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn knead-26.5 «NP.material V PP.product»: agent=Material |
| 3 | **demoralize** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |
| 4 | **regard** | infinitive · passive |  | origin |  |  | time | as a relic of primeval wisdom | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP PP.value»: subject=Theme as relic=Value |
| 5 | **blur** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 6 | **agree** *speech: agree* | present | origin's critics |  |  |  |  |  | vn correspond-36.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 7 | **declare** *speech: other* | gerund | origin's critics *not said here* | origin |  |  |  |  | vn declare-29.4-1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Attribute |
| 8 | **is a** | to-infinitive | origin's critics *not said here* | no mere creation and no chance expression of the uncultured thought of the rude tiller of this or that soil |  |  |  | of the popular fancy | tree rules |
| 9 | **page** |  |  | mediaeval history |  |  |  |  | nom page «communication transitive»: of=patient |
| 10 | **think** |  |  | the rude tiller of this or that soil |  |  |  |  | nom thought «cognition transitive»: of=patient |

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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.

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**Text:** «Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore», Project Gutenberg book 22373 (public domain in the USA). **Tree:** Mova's own parse, Elamur Cosmic License. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), the chapter read in order.

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