--- title: He then went into his back room to consult his ju-ju, and, being ver… — Ikom folk stories from Southern Nigeria · tree and pragmatics description: He then went into his back room to consult his ju-ju, and, being very clever, it did not take him long to find out what had happened to the boy, so he soon returned to Omegha, and told her that her son had been thrown into the river by his companions, and that the water ju-ju had taken him to his ho --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg70959/7/128/) [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/) / [Ix.--the Story of the War Between Inku…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg70959/7/) / 128 # Ikom folk stories from Southern Nigeria, Ix.--the Story of the War Between Inkum and Enfitop., sentence 128 He then went into his back room to consult his ju-ju, and, being very clever, it did not take him long to find out what had happened to the boy, so he soon returned to Omegha, and told her that her son had been thrown into the river by his companions, and that the water ju-ju had taken him to his house at the bottom of the deep pool in the river. **Who acts:** porcupine, it, companions · **What happens:** go, consult, be, not take, find out, happen · **To what, where:** back room, ju ju, porcupine, Omegha, son, river · **Speech:** someone speaks here This is a sentence of «Ikom folk stories from Southern Nigeria» by Elphinstone Dayrell, Ix.--the Story of the War Between Inkum and Enfitop.. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (porcupine, it, companions), 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:pg70959:7:128 # text = He then went into his back room to consult his ju-ju, and, being very clever, it did not take him long to find out what had happened to the boy, so he soon returned to Omegha, and told her that her son had been thrown into the river by his companions, and that the water ju-ju had taken him to his house at the bottom of the deep pool in the river. 1 He he PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 3 nsubj _ _ 2 then then ADV RB PronType=Dem 3 advmod _ _ 3 went go VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 4 into into ADP IN _ 7 case _ _ 5 his his PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 7 nmod:poss _ _ 6 back back NOUN NN Number=Sing 7 compound _ _ 7 room room NOUN NN Number=Sing 3 obl _ _ 8 to to PART TO _ 9 mark _ _ 9 consult consult VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 3 advcl _ _ 10 his his PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 13 nmod:poss _ _ 11 ju ju NOUN NN Number=Sing 13 compound _ SpaceAfter=No 12 - - PUNCT HYPH _ 11 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 13 ju ju NOUN NN Number=Sing 9 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 14 , , PUNCT , _ 19 punct _ _ 15 and and CCONJ CC _ 19 cc _ SpaceAfter=No 16 , , PUNCT , _ 15 punct _ _ 17 being be AUX VBG Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part 19 cop _ _ 18 very very ADV RB _ 19 advmod _ _ 19 clever clever ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 3 parataxis _ SpaceAfter=No 20 , , PUNCT , _ 24 punct _ _ 21 it it PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 24 nsubj _ _ 22 did do AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 24 aux _ _ 23 not not PART RB Polarity=Neg 24 advmod _ _ 24 take take VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 19 parataxis _ _ 25 him he PRON PRP Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 24 obj _ _ 26 long long ADV RB Degree=Pos 24 advmod _ _ 27 to to PART TO _ 28 mark _ _ 28 find find VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 24 advcl _ _ 29 out out ADP RP _ 28 compound:prt _ _ 30 what what PRON WP PronType=Int 32 nsubj _ _ 31 had have AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 32 aux _ _ 32 happened happen VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part 28 ccomp _ _ 33 to to ADP IN _ 35 case _ _ 34 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 35 det _ _ 35 boy boy NOUN NN Number=Sing 32 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 36 , , PUNCT , _ 40 punct _ _ 37 so so ADV RB _ 40 advmod _ _ 38 he he PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 40 nsubj _ _ 39 soon soon ADV RB Degree=Pos 40 advmod _ _ 40 returned return VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 3 conj _ _ 41 to to ADP IN _ 42 case _ _ 42 Omegha Omegha PROPN NNP Number=Sing 40 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 43 , , PUNCT , _ 45 punct _ _ 44 and and CCONJ CC _ 45 cc _ _ 45 told tell VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 3 conj _ _ 46 her she PRON PRP Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 45 iobj _ _ 47 that that SCONJ IN _ 52 mark _ _ 48 her her PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 49 nmod:poss _ _ 49 son son NOUN NN Number=Sing 52 nsubj:pass _ _ 50 had have AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 52 aux _ _ 51 been be AUX VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part 52 aux:pass _ _ 52 thrown throw VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 45 ccomp _ _ 53 into into ADP IN _ 55 case _ _ 54 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 55 det _ _ 55 river river NOUN NN Number=Sing 52 obl _ _ 56 by by ADP IN _ 58 case _ _ 57 his his PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 58 nmod:poss _ _ 58 companions companion NOUN NNS Number=Plur 52 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 59 , , PUNCT , _ 68 punct _ _ 60 and and CCONJ CC _ 68 cc _ _ 61 that that SCONJ IN _ 68 mark _ _ 62 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 63 det _ _ 63 water water NOUN NN Number=Sing 68 nsubj:pass _ _ 64 ju ju PROPN NNP Number=Sing 63 appos _ SpaceAfter=No 65 - - PUNCT HYPH _ 66 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 66 ju ju PROPN NNP Number=Sing 64 flat _ _ 67 had have AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 68 aux _ _ 68 taken take VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 3 conj _ _ 69 him he PRON PRP Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 68 obj _ _ 70 to to ADP IN _ 72 case _ _ 71 his his PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 72 nmod:poss _ _ 72 house house NOUN NN Number=Sing 68 obl _ _ 73 at at ADP IN _ 75 case _ _ 74 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 75 det _ _ 75 bottom bottom NOUN NN Number=Sing 68 obl _ _ 76 of of ADP IN _ 79 case _ _ 77 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 79 det _ _ 78 deep deep ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 79 amod _ _ 79 pool pool NOUN NN Number=Sing 75 nmod _ _ 80 in in ADP IN _ 82 case _ _ 81 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 82 det _ _ 82 river river NOUN NN Number=Sing 79 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 83 . . PUNCT . _ 3 punct _ _ ``` ## Pragmatics {#pragmatics} | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **go** | past | porcupine | | | porcupine's back room | then | | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme into room=Initial\_Location | | 2 | **consult** | to-infinitive | porcupine *not said here* | porcupine's ju ju | | | | | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent ju=Theme | | 3 | **is** | gerund | | | | | | clever *property* | tree rules | | 4 | **not** **take** | past · do-support | it | | porcupine | | | long *property* | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP ADVP»: agent=Instrument he=Destination | | 5 | **find out** | to-infinitive | | | | | | | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V what S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic | | 6 | **happen** | past · perfect | | | | | | to the boy; what *nsubj* | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme | | 7 | **return** | past | porcupine | | Omegha | | | soon *property* | vn convert-26.6.2-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Patient to omegha=Result | | 8 | **tell** *speech: assert* | past | porcupine *not said here* | | Omegha | | | | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent she=Recipient clause=Topic | | 9 | **throw** | past · perfect · passive | porcupine's companions | Omegha's son | | | | into the river *result* | vn throw-17.1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.result»: agent=Causer subject=Theme into river=Result | | 10 | **take** | past · perfect · passive | | the water | | the bottom of the deep pool in the river | | to porcupine's house; porcupine *obj* | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP ADVP»: subject=Theme he=Destination | 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 127](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg70959/7/127/) - next →: [sentence 129](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg70959/7/129/) - ↑ back to [Ix.--the Story of the War Between Inkum and Enfitop.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg70959/7/)