---
title: Suddenly the dense masses of fog were rent aside by the wind, and ri… — Maori folk-tales of the Port Hills, Canterbury,… · tree and pragmatics
description: Suddenly the dense masses of fog were rent aside by the wind, and right above us, with a fore-ground of blackened tree-stumps, remnant of the ruined forest, we caught a glimpse of the black, jagged tor which the Maori called Te Puha, thrust up like a great spearhead by Ruaimoko, the Fire-God; in the
---

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# Maori folk-tales of the Port Hills, Canterbury, New Zealand, The Little People of the Mist., sentence 32

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Suddenly the dense masses of fog were rent aside by the wind, and right above us, with a fore-ground of blackened tree-stumps, remnant of the ruined forest, we caught a glimpse of the black, jagged tor which the Maori called Te Puha, thrust up like a great spearhead by Ruaimoko, the Fire-God; in the light of the \_Kaumatua’s\_ stories it was easy to imagine it a sentry-tower of the fairies, or of such a place of witchery as the Ben Bulben of which we read in W. B. Yeats’s “Celtic Twilight.”

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**Who acts:** wind, we, Maori · **What happens:** rend, blacken, ruin, catch, call, thrust up · **To what, where:** dense masses, glimpse, black jagged tor, Maori, W., stories · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is a sentence of «Maori folk-tales of the Port Hills, Canterbury, New Zealand» by James Cowan, The Little People of the Mist.. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (wind, we, Maori), what happens, when and where, as Mova's frames read it from the tree.

<!-- .note-en -->
**Mova's own parse.** This tree may be wrong.

## The tree {#tree}

```conllu
# sent_id = book:pg73766:14:32
# text = Suddenly the dense masses of fog were rent aside by the wind, and right above us, with a fore-ground of blackened tree-stumps, remnant of the ruined forest, we caught a glimpse of the black, jagged tor which the Maori called Te Puha, thrust up like a great spearhead by Ruaimoko, the Fire-God; in the light of the _Kaumatua’s_ stories it was easy to imagine it a sentry-tower of the fairies, or of such a place of witchery as the Ben Bulben of which we read in W. B. Yeats’s “Celtic Twilight.”
1	Suddenly	suddenly	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	dense	dense	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	masses	mass	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj:pass	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	fog	fog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
7	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	rent	rend	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
9	aside	aside	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
10	by	by	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	wind	wind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
15	right	right	ADV	RB	_	17	advmod	_	_
16	above	above	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	us	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	23	punct	_	_
19	with	with	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
20	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
21	fore	fore	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	21	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	ground	ground	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
24	of	of	ADP	IN	_	28	case	_	_
25	blackened	blacken	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	28	amod	_	_
26	tree	tree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	28	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
27	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	26	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
28	stumps	stump	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	23	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
29	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	30	punct	_	_
30	remnant	remnant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	28	conj	_	_
31	of	of	ADP	IN	_	34	case	_	_
32	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	34	det	_	_
33	ruined	ruin	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	34	amod	_	_
34	forest	forest	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	30	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
35	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	37	punct	_	_
36	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	37	nsubj	_	_
37	caught	catch	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	parataxis	_	_
38	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	39	det	_	_
39	glimpse	glimpse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	37	obj	_	_
40	of	of	ADP	IN	_	45	case	_	_
41	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	45	det	_	_
42	black	black	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	45	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
43	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	42	punct	_	_
44	jagged	jagged	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	45	amod	_	_
45	tor	tor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	39	nmod	_	_
46	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	49	obj	_	_
47	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	48	det	_	_
48	Maori	Maori	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	49	nsubj	_	_
49	called	call	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	45	acl:relcl	_	_
50	Te	Te	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	49	obj	_	_
51	Puha	Puha	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	50	flat	_	SpaceAfter=No
52	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	53	punct	_	_
53	thrust	thrust	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	37	conj	_	_
54	up	up	ADP	RP	_	53	compound:prt	_	_
55	like	like	ADP	IN	_	58	case	_	_
56	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	58	det	_	_
57	great	great	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	58	amod	_	_
58	spearhead	spearhead	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	53	obl	_	_
59	by	by	ADP	IN	_	60	case	_	_
60	Ruaimoko	Ruaimoko	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	58	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
61	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	65	punct	_	_
62	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	65	det	_	_
63	Fire	Fire	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	65	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
64	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	63	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
65	God	God	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	60	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
66	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	69	punct	_	_
67	in	in	ADP	IN	_	69	case	_	_
68	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	69	det	_	_
69	light	light	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	conj	_	_
70	of	of	ADP	IN	_	76	case	_	_
71	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	73	det	_	_
72	_	_	PUNCT	NFP	_	73	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
73	Kaumatua	Kaumatua	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	76	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
74	’s	's	PART	POS	_	73	case	_	SpaceAfter=No
75	_	_	PUNCT	NFP	_	76	punct	_	_
76	stories	story	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	69	nmod	_	_
77	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	79	expl	_	_
78	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	79	cop	_	_
79	easy	easy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	76	amod	_	_
80	to	to	PART	TO	_	81	mark	_	_
81	imagine	imagine	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	79	csubj	_	_
82	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	81	obj	_	_
83	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	86	det	_	_
84	sentry	sentry	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	86	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
85	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	84	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
86	tower	tower	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	81	obj	_	_
87	of	of	ADP	IN	_	89	case	_	_
88	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	89	det	_	_
89	fairies	fairy	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	86	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
90	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	95	punct	_	_
91	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	95	cc	_	_
92	of	of	ADP	IN	_	95	case	_	_
93	such	such	DET	PDT	PronType=Ind	95	det:predet	_	_
94	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	95	det	_	_
95	place	place	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	86	conj	_	_
96	of	of	ADP	IN	_	97	case	_	_
97	witchery	witchery	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	95	nmod	_	_
98	as	as	ADP	IN	_	101	case	_	_
99	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	101	det	_	_
100	Ben	Ben	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	101	flat	_	_
101	Bulben	Bulben	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	95	nmod	_	_
102	of	of	ADP	IN	_	103	case	_	_
103	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	105	obl	_	_
104	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	105	nsubj	_	_
105	read	read	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	101	acl:relcl	_	_
106	in	in	ADP	IN	_	107	case	_	_
107	W.	W.	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	105	obl	_	_
108	B.	B.	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	107	flat	_	_
109	Yeats	Yeats	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	107	flat	_	SpaceAfter=No
110	’s	's	PART	POS	_	107	case	_	_
111	“	"	PUNCT	``	_	113	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
112	Celtic	celtic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	113	amod	_	_
113	Twilight	Twilight	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	107	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
114	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
115	”	"	PUNCT	''	_	8	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **rend** | past · passive | the wind | the dense masses of fog |  |  |  | above us; with a fore ground of blackened tree stumps and remnant of the ruined forest; the light of the Kaumatua's stories *conj*; aside, suddenly *property* | vn break-45.1 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent subject=Patient with ground=Instrument |
| 2 | **blacken** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **ruin** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn destroy-44 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **catch** | past | we | a glimpse of the black jagged tor |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent glimpse=Theme |
| 5 | **call** | past | the Maori | the black jagged tor |  |  |  | Te *obj* | vn dub-29.3.2 «NP V NP NP»: agent=Agent which=Theme te=Result |
| 6 | **thrust up** | infinitive | we *not said here* |  |  |  |  | like a great spearhead by Ruaimoko and the Fire God | vn push-12-1-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent |
| 7 | **is** | past |  |  |  |  |  | easy *property* | tree rules |
| 8 | **imagine** | to-infinitive |  | Maori |  |  |  | a sentry tower of the fairies or such place of witchery as the Ben Bulben *obj* | tree rules |
| 9 | **read** | past | we |  |  | W. and Celtic Twilight |  | of the Ben Bulben | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V PP.topic»: agent=Agent of which=Topic |
| 10 | **glimpse** |  |  | the black jagged tor |  |  |  |  | nom glimpse «act transitive»: of=patient |
| 11 | **light** |  |  | the Kaumatua's stories |  |  |  |  | nom light «phenomenon transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .note -->
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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