---
title: Here and there a Maori tree, like our ribbonwood yonder, and a tatte… — Maori folk-tales of the Port Hills, Canterbury,… · tree and pragmatics
description: Here and there a Maori tree, like our ribbonwood yonder, and a tattered clump of light bush in the gullies or on a rocky cliff-top, to remind us of the different setting when Rapaki was tumultuous with wild Maori life; when tattooed Ngai-Tahu were in fighting flower, and when dense and beautiful for
---

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# Maori folk-tales of the Port Hills, Canterbury, New Zealand, Rapaki: a Village By the Sea., sentence 9

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Here and there a Maori tree, like our ribbonwood yonder, and a tattered clump of light bush in the gullies or on a rocky cliff-top, to remind us of the different setting when Rapaki was tumultuous with wild Maori life; when tattooed Ngai-Tahu were in fighting flower, and when dense and beautiful forest covered the feet and shoulders of all those dark volcanic crags and tors lifting above us there like so many ruined castles battered by the artillery fire of the gods.

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**Who acts:** tattered clump, Rapaki, Ngai, dark volcanic crags · **What happens:** tatter, remind, be, tattoo, cover, lift · **To what, where:** us, fighting flower, feet, many ruined castles, gods

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This is a sentence of «Maori folk-tales of the Port Hills, Canterbury, New Zealand» by James Cowan, Rapaki: a Village By the Sea.. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (tattered clump, Rapaki, Ngai, dark volcanic crags), what happens, when and where, as Mova's frames read it from the tree.

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**Mova's own parse.** This tree may be wrong.

## The tree {#tree}

```conllu
# sent_id = book:pg73766:12:9
# text = Here and there a Maori tree, like our ribbonwood yonder, and a tattered clump of light bush in the gullies or on a rocky cliff-top, to remind us of the different setting when Rapaki was tumultuous with wild Maori life; when tattooed Ngai-Tahu were in fighting flower, and when dense and beautiful forest covered the feet and shoulders of all those dark volcanic crags and tors lifting above us there like so many ruined castles battered by the artillery fire of the gods.
1	Here	here	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	0	root	_	_
2	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	1	cc	_	_
3	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	1	expl	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	Maori	Maori	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	tree	tree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	like	like	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	ribbonwood	ribbonwood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	appos	_	_
11	yonder	yonder	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	32	punct	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	32	cc	_	_
14	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
15	tattered	tatter	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	16	amod	_	_
16	clump	clump	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	32	nsubj	_	_
17	of	of	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	light	light	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	compound	_	_
19	bush	bush	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nmod	_	_
20	in	in	ADP	IN	_	22	case	_	_
21	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	22	det	_	_
22	gullies	gully	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	19	nmod	_	_
23	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	29	cc	_	_
24	on	on	ADP	IN	_	29	case	_	_
25	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	29	det	_	_
26	rocky	rocky	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	29	amod	_	_
27	cliff	cliff	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	29	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
28	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	27	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
29	top	top	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	22	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
30	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	32	punct	_	_
31	to	to	PART	TO	_	32	mark	_	_
32	remind	remind	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	parataxis	_	_
33	us	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	32	iobj	_	_
34	of	of	ADP	IN	_	37	case	_	_
35	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	37	det	_	_
36	different	different	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	37	amod	_	_
37	setting	setting	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	32	obl	_	_
38	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	41	advmod	_	_
39	Rapaki	Rapaki	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	41	nsubj	_	_
40	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	41	cop	_	_
41	tumultuous	tumultuous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	37	amod	_	_
42	with	with	ADP	IN	_	45	case	_	_
43	wild	wild	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	45	amod	_	_
44	Maori	Maori	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	45	compound	_	_
45	life	life	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	41	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
46	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	48	punct	_	_
47	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	48	advmod	_	_
48	tattooed	tattoo	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	32	conj	_	_
49	Ngai	Ngai	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	55	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
50	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	51	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
51	Tahu	Tahu	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	49	flat	_	_
52	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	55	cop	_	_
53	in	in	ADP	IN	_	55	case	_	_
54	fighting	fighting	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	55	amod	_	_
55	flower	flower	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	48	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
56	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	59	punct	_	_
57	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	59	cc	_	_
58	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	59	advmod	_	_
59	dense	dense	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	63	parataxis	_	_
60	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	62	cc	_	_
61	beautiful	beautiful	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	62	amod	_	_
62	forest	forest	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	59	conj	_	_
63	covered	cover	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	48	advcl	_	_
64	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	65	det	_	_
65	feet	foot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	63	obj	_	_
66	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	67	cc	_	_
67	shoulders	shoulder	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	65	conj	_	_
68	of	of	ADP	IN	_	73	case	_	_
69	all	all	DET	PDT	PronType=Tot	73	det:predet	_	_
70	those	that	DET	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	73	det	_	_
71	dark	dark	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	73	amod	_	_
72	volcanic	volcanic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	73	amod	_	_
73	crags	crag	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	67	nmod	_	_
74	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	75	cc	_	_
75	tors	tor	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	73	conj	_	_
76	lifting	lift	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	73	acl	_	_
77	above	above	ADP	IN	_	78	case	_	_
78	us	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	76	obl	_	_
79	there	there	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	76	advmod	_	_
80	like	like	ADP	IN	_	84	case	_	_
81	so	so	ADV	RB	_	82	advmod	_	_
82	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	84	amod	_	_
83	ruined	ruin	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	84	amod	_	_
84	castles	castle	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	76	obl	_	_
85	battered	batter	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	84	acl	_	_
86	by	by	ADP	IN	_	89	case	_	_
87	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	89	det	_	_
88	artillery	artillery	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	89	compound	_	_
89	fire	fire	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	85	obl	_	_
90	of	of	ADP	IN	_	92	case	_	_
91	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	92	det	_	_
92	gods	god	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	89	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
93	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tatter** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn break-45.1 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **remind** *speech: other* | to-infinitive | a tattered clump of light bush in the gullies or a rocky cliff top |  | us |  |  | of the different setting | vn tell-37.2 «NP V NP.recipient PP.topic»: agent=Agent we=Recipient of setting=Topic |
| 3 | **is** | past | Rapaki |  |  |  |  | with wild Maori life; tumultuous *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **tattoo** | participle | a tattered clump of light bush in the gullies or a rocky cliff top *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn image\_impression-25.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **is** | past | Ngai |  |  | fighting flower |  |  | tree rules |
| 6 | **cover** | past | a tattered clump of light bush in the gullies or a rocky cliff top *not said here* | the feet and shoulders of all dark volcanic crags and tors |  |  |  |  | vn fill-9.8-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme foot=Destination |
| 7 | **lift** | gerund | all dark volcanic crags and tors *not said here* |  |  | there |  | above us; like many ruined castles | vn put\_direction-9.4 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent above we=Destination |
| 8 | **ruin** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn destroy-44 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 9 | **batter** | participle |  | many ruined castles *not said here* |  |  |  | by the artillery fire of the gods | vn hit-18.1-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent |
| 11 | **fire** |  |  | the gods |  |  |  |  | nom fire «event 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:** «Maori folk-tales of the Port Hills, Canterbury, New Zealand» by James Cowan, Project Gutenberg book 73766 (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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