--- title: The hare then said, “What is the matter?” and she replied, “My husba… — Ikom folk stories from Southern Nigeria · tree and pragmatics description: The hare then said, “What is the matter?” and she replied, “My husband has lost his tail, and told me that it had been cut on account of the war ju-ju, and that all the other men-hares have also had their tails cut, so as I do not like to live with a hare who has no tail, I have come to see if he to --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg70959/19/68/) [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/) / [Ikom folk stories from Southern Nigeria](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg70959/) / [Xxv.--how Two Bendega Young Men Change…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg70959/19/) / 68 # Ikom folk stories from Southern Nigeria, Xxv.--how Two Bendega Young Men Changed Their Skins., part 2, sentence 68 The hare then said, “What is the matter?” and she replied, “My husband has lost his tail, and told me that it had been cut on account of the war ju-ju, and that all the other men-hares have also had their tails cut, so as I do not like to live with a hare who has no tail, I have come to see if he told the truth.” **Who acts:** hare, wife, other men · **What happens:** say, be, reply, lose, tell, cut · **To what, where:** matter, husband, hare, tail, account, tails · **Speech:** someone speaks here This is a sentence of «Ikom folk stories from Southern Nigeria» by Elphinstone Dayrell, Xxv.--how Two Bendega Young Men Changed Their Skins., part 2. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (hare, wife, other men), what happens, when and where, as Mova's frames read it from the tree. **Mova's own parse.** This tree may be wrong. ## The tree {#tree} ```conllu # sent_id = book:pg70959:19:68 # text = The hare then said, “What is the matter?” and she replied, “My husband has lost his tail, and told me that it had been cut on account of the war ju-ju, and that all the other men-hares have also had their tails cut, so as I do not like to live with a hare who has no tail, I have come to see if he told the truth.” 1 The the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 2 det _ _ 2 hare hare NOUN NN Number=Sing 4 nsubj _ _ 3 then then ADV RB PronType=Dem 4 advmod _ _ 4 said say VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ SpaceAfter=No 5 , , PUNCT , _ 10 punct _ _ 6 “ " PUNCT `` _ 10 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 7 What what PRON WP PronType=Int 10 nsubj _ _ 8 is be AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 10 cop _ _ 9 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 10 det _ _ 10 matter matter NOUN NN Number=Sing 4 ccomp _ SpaceAfter=No 11 ? ? PUNCT . _ 10 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 12 ” " PUNCT '' _ 10 punct _ _ 13 and and CCONJ CC _ 15 cc _ _ 14 she she PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 15 nsubj _ _ 15 replied reply VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 4 conj _ SpaceAfter=No 16 , , PUNCT , _ 21 punct _ _ 17 “ " PUNCT `` _ 21 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 18 My my PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 19 nmod:poss _ _ 19 husband husband NOUN NN Number=Sing 21 nsubj:pass _ _ 20 has have AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 21 aux _ _ 21 lost lose VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 15 ccomp _ _ 22 his his PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 23 nmod:poss _ _ 23 tail tail NOUN NN Number=Sing 21 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 24 , , PUNCT , _ 26 punct _ _ 25 and and CCONJ CC _ 26 cc _ _ 26 told tell VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 4 conj _ _ 27 me I PRON PRP Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 26 iobj _ _ 28 that that SCONJ IN _ 32 mark _ _ 29 it it PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 32 nsubj:pass _ _ 30 had have AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 32 aux _ _ 31 been be AUX VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part 32 aux:pass _ _ 32 cut cut VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 26 ccomp _ _ 33 on on ADP IN _ 34 case _ _ 34 account account NOUN NN Number=Sing 32 obl _ _ 35 of of ADP IN _ 40 case _ _ 36 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 40 det _ _ 37 war war NOUN NN Number=Sing 40 compound _ _ 38 ju ju NOUN NN Number=Sing 40 compound _ SpaceAfter=No 39 - - PUNCT HYPH _ 38 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 40 ju ju NOUN NN Number=Sing 34 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 41 , , PUNCT , _ 52 punct _ _ 42 and and CCONJ CC _ 52 cc _ _ 43 that that SCONJ IN _ 52 mark _ _ 44 all all DET PDT PronType=Tot 47 det:predet _ _ 45 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 47 det _ _ 46 other other ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 47 amod _ _ 47 men man NOUN NNS Number=Plur 52 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No 48 - - PUNCT , _ 47 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 49 hares hare NOUN NNS Number=Plur 47 conj _ _ 50 have have AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 52 aux _ _ 51 also also ADV RB _ 52 advmod _ _ 52 had have VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part 26 parataxis _ _ 53 their their PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 54 nmod:poss _ _ 54 tails tail NOUN NNS Number=Plur 52 obj _ _ 55 cut cut VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 54 acl _ SpaceAfter=No 56 , , PUNCT , _ 62 punct _ _ 57 so so ADV RB _ 62 advmod _ _ 58 as as SCONJ IN _ 62 mark _ _ 59 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 62 nsubj _ _ 60 do do AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 62 aux _ _ 61 not not PART RB Polarity=Neg 62 advmod _ _ 62 like like VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 4 conj _ _ 63 to to PART TO _ 64 mark _ _ 64 live live VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 62 xcomp _ _ 65 with with ADP IN _ 67 case _ _ 66 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 67 det _ _ 67 hare hare NOUN NN Number=Sing 64 obl _ _ 68 who who PRON WP PronType=Rel 69 nsubj _ _ 69 has have VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 67 acl:relcl _ _ 70 no no DET DT PronType=Neg 71 det _ _ 71 tail tail NOUN NN Number=Sing 69 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 72 , , PUNCT , _ 75 punct _ _ 73 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 75 nsubj _ _ 74 have have AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 75 aux _ _ 75 come come VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part 4 conj _ _ 76 to to PART TO _ 77 mark _ _ 77 see see VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 75 advcl _ _ 78 if if SCONJ IN _ 80 mark _ _ 79 he he PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 80 nsubj _ _ 80 told tell VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 77 ccomp _ _ 81 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 82 det _ _ 82 truth truth NOUN NN Number=Sing 80 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 83 . . PUNCT . _ 4 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 84 ” " PUNCT '' _ 4 punct _ _ ``` ## Pragmatics {#pragmatics} | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **say** *speech: ask* | past | the hare | | | | then | | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent | | 2 | **is a** *in a quote* | present | | the matter | | | | What *nsubj* | tree rules | | 3 | **reply** *speech: assert* | past | wife | | | | | | vn say-37.7-1 «NP V S-Quote»: agent=Agent clause=Topic | | 4 | **lose** *in a quote* | present · perfect · passive | | My husband | | | | hare's tail *obj* | tree rules | | 5 | **tell** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | past | the hare *not said here* | | the hare *= hare* | | | | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent i=Recipient clause=Topic | | 6 | **cut** *in a quote* | past · perfect · passive | | tail | | account of the war ju ju | | | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: subject=Product | | 7 | **have** *in a quote* | present · perfect | all other men and hares | men's tails | | | | | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent tail=Patient | | 8 | **cut** *in a quote* | participle | | men's tails *not said here* | | | | | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer | | 9 | **not** **like** *in a quote* | present · do-support | the hare *= hare* | | | | | | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme | | 10 | **live** *not said to happen, in a quote* | to-infinitive | the hare *= hare* *not said here* | | | | | with a hare | vn lodge-46 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme with hare=Location | | 11 | **have** *in a quote* | present | a hare | no tail | | | | | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent tail=Patient | | 12 | **come** *in a quote* | present · perfect | the hare *= hare* | | | | | | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme | | 13 | **see** *in a quote* | to-infinitive | the hare *= hare* *not said here* | | | | | | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V how S\_INF»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus | | 14 | **tell** *speech: assert* *a condition, not said to happen, in a quote* | past | hare | the truth | | | | | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent truth=Recipient | | 15 | **account** *in a quote* | | | the war ju ju | | | | | nom account «communication transitive»: of=patient | 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:** «Ikom folk stories from Southern Nigeria» by Elphinstone Dayrell, Project Gutenberg book 70959 (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 67](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg70959/19/67/) - next →: [sentence 69](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg70959/19/69/) - ↑ back to [Xxv.--how Two Bendega Young Men Changed Their Skins., part 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg70959/19/)