--- title: Francis Moore, keeper of the stores, describing them in 1736, says:… — Negro myths from the Georgia coast, told in the… · tree and pragmatics description: Francis Moore, keeper of the stores, describing them in 1736, says: “They are terrible to look at, stretching open an horrible large mouth big enough to swallow a Man, with Rows of dreadful large sharp Teeth, and Feet like Draggons, armed with great Claws, and a long Tail which they throw about with --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76586/13/21/) [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/) / [Negro myths from the Georgia coast, to…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76586/) / [Opening, part 13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76586/13/) / 21 # Negro myths from the Georgia coast, told in the vernacular, Opening, part 13, sentence 21 Francis Moore, keeper of the stores, describing them in 1736, says: “They are terrible to look at, stretching open an horrible large mouth big enough to swallow a Man, with Rows of dreadful large sharp Teeth, and Feet like Draggons, armed with great Claws, and a long Tail which they throw about with great Strength, and which seems their best Weapon, for their Claws are feebly set on, and the Stiffness of their Necks hinders them from turning nimbly to bite.” **Who acts:** Francis, stores, Stiffness · **What happens:** describe, say, be, look, stretch, swallow · **To what, where:** stores, 1736, horrible large mouth, Man, long Tail, best Weapon · **Speech:** someone speaks here This is a sentence of «Negro myths from the Georgia coast, told in the vernacular» by Charles C., Jr. Jones, Opening, part 13. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (Francis, stores, Stiffness), 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:pg76586:13:21 # text = Francis Moore, keeper of the stores, describing them in 1736, says: “They are terrible to look at, stretching open an horrible large mouth big enough to swallow a Man, with Rows of dreadful large sharp Teeth, and Feet like Draggons, armed with great Claws, and a long Tail which they throw about with great Strength, and which seems their best Weapon, for their Claws are feebly set on, and the Stiffness of their Necks hinders them from turning nimbly to bite.” 1 Francis Francis PROPN NNP Number=Sing 14 nsubj _ _ 2 Moore Moore PROPN NNP Number=Sing 1 flat _ SpaceAfter=No 3 , , PUNCT , _ 4 punct _ _ 4 keeper keeper NOUN NN Number=Sing 1 appos _ _ 5 of of ADP IN _ 7 case _ _ 6 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 7 det _ _ 7 stores store NOUN NNS Number=Plur 4 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 8 , , PUNCT , _ 9 punct _ _ 9 describing describe VERB VBG VerbForm=Ger 1 acl _ _ 10 them they PRON PRP Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs 9 obj _ _ 11 in in ADP IN _ 12 case _ _ 12 1736 1736 NUM CD NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card 9 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 13 , , PUNCT , _ 1 punct _ _ 14 says say VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ SpaceAfter=No 15 : : PUNCT : _ 19 punct _ _ 16 “ " PUNCT `` _ 19 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 17 They they PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs 19 nsubj _ _ 18 are be AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 19 cop _ _ 19 terrible terrible ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 14 ccomp _ _ 20 to to PART TO _ 21 mark _ _ 21 look look VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 19 advcl _ _ 22 at at ADP IN _ 21 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 23 , , PUNCT , _ 24 punct _ _ 24 stretching stretch VERB VBG Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part 14 advcl _ _ 25 open open ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 24 xcomp _ _ 26 an a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 29 det _ _ 27 horrible horrible ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 29 amod _ _ 28 large large ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 29 amod _ _ 29 mouth mouth NOUN NN Number=Sing 24 obj _ _ 30 big big ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 29 amod _ _ 31 enough enough ADV RB _ 30 advmod _ _ 32 to to PART TO _ 33 mark _ _ 33 swallow swallow VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 30 advcl _ _ 34 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 35 det _ _ 35 Man man NOUN NN Number=Sing 33 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 36 , , PUNCT , _ 38 punct _ _ 37 with with ADP IN _ 38 case _ _ 38 Rows row NOUN NNS Number=Plur 33 obl _ _ 39 of of ADP IN _ 43 case _ _ 40 dreadful dreadful ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 43 amod _ _ 41 large large ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 43 amod _ _ 42 sharp sharp ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 43 amod _ _ 43 Teeth Teeth PROPN NNP Number=Sing 38 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 44 , , PUNCT , _ 46 punct _ _ 45 and and CCONJ CC _ 46 cc _ _ 46 Feet foot NOUN NNS Number=Plur 38 conj _ _ 47 like like ADP IN _ 48 case _ _ 48 Draggons Draggons PROPN NNP Number=Sing 46 nmod _ SpaceAfter=No 49 , , PUNCT , _ 50 punct _ _ 50 armed armed ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 38 amod _ _ 51 with with ADP IN _ 53 case _ _ 52 great great ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 53 amod _ _ 53 Claws claw NOUN NNS Number=Plur 50 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 54 , , PUNCT , _ 58 punct _ _ 55 and and CCONJ CC _ 58 cc _ _ 56 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 58 det _ _ 57 long long ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 58 amod _ _ 58 Tail tail NOUN NN Number=Sing 24 obl _ _ 59 which which PRON WDT PronType=Rel 61 obj _ _ 60 they they PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs 61 nsubj _ _ 61 throw throw VERB VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 58 acl:relcl _ _ 62 about about ADV RB _ 61 advmod _ _ 63 with with ADP IN _ 65 case _ _ 64 great great ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 65 amod _ _ 65 Strength strength NOUN NN Number=Sing 61 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 66 , , PUNCT , _ 69 punct _ _ 67 and and CCONJ CC _ 69 cc _ _ 68 which which PRON WDT PronType=Rel 69 nsubj _ _ 69 seems seem VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 14 parataxis _ _ 70 their their PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 72 nmod:poss _ _ 71 best good ADJ JJS Degree=Sup 72 amod _ _ 72 Weapon weapon NOUN NN Number=Sing 69 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 73 , , PUNCT , _ 79 punct _ _ 74 for for SCONJ IN _ 79 mark _ _ 75 their their PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 76 nmod:poss _ _ 76 Claws claw NOUN NNS Number=Plur 79 nsubj:pass _ _ 77 are be AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 79 aux:pass _ _ 78 feebly feebly ADV RB _ 79 advmod _ _ 79 set set VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 69 conj _ _ 80 on on ADP RP _ 79 compound:prt _ SpaceAfter=No 81 , , PUNCT , _ 88 punct _ _ 82 and and CCONJ CC _ 88 cc _ _ 83 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 84 det _ _ 84 Stiffness stiffness NOUN NN Number=Sing 88 nsubj _ _ 85 of of ADP IN _ 87 case _ _ 86 their their PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 87 nmod:poss _ _ 87 Necks neck NOUN NNS Number=Plur 84 nmod _ _ 88 hinders hinder VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 14 conj _ _ 89 them they PRON PRP Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs 88 obj _ _ 90 from from SCONJ IN _ 91 mark _ _ 91 turning turn VERB VBG Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part 88 advcl _ _ 92 nimbly nimbly ADV RB _ 94 advmod _ _ 93 to to PART TO _ 94 mark _ _ 94 bite bite VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 91 xcomp _ SpaceAfter=No 95 . . PUNCT . _ 94 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 96 ” " PUNCT '' _ 94 punct _ _ ``` ## Pragmatics {#pragmatics} | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **describe** | gerund | Francis *not said here* | stores *= store* | | 1736 | | | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent they=Theme | | 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | Francis | | | | | | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic | | 3 | **is** *in a quote* | present | stores *= store* | | | | | terrible *property* | tree rules | | 4 | **look** *in a quote* | to-infinitive | stores *= store* *not said here* | | | | | | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Stimulus | | 5 | **stretch** *in a quote* | gerund | Francis *not said here* | a horrible large mouth | | | | a long Tail *obl*; open *property* | vn bend-45.2 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent mouth=Patient | | 6 | **swallow** *in a quote* | to-infinitive | Francis *not said here* | a Man | | | | with Rows of dreadful large sharp Teeth and Feet like Draggons | vn gobble-39.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent man=Patient | | 7 | **throw about** *in a quote* | present | stores *= store* | a long Tail | | | | with great Strength; about *property* | vn throw-17.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent which=Theme | | 8 | **seem** *in a quote* | present | | stores's best Weapon | | | | which *nsubj* | vn seem-109-1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme weapon=Attribute | | 9 | **set on** *in a quote* | present · passive | | stores's Claws | | | | feebly *property* | vn other\_cos-45.4-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: subject=Result | | 10 | **hinder** *in a quote* | present | the Stiffness of stores's Necks | stores *= store* | | | | | vn discourage-64.5-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Causer they=Eventuality | | 11 | **turn** *in a quote* | gerund | the Stiffness of stores's Necks *not said here* | | | | | | tree rules | | 12 | **bite** *in a quote* | to-infinitive | the Stiffness of stores's Necks *not said here* | | | | | nimbly *property* | vn swat-18.2 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent | 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:** «Negro myths from the Georgia coast, told in the vernacular» by Charles C., Jr. Jones, Project Gutenberg book 76586 (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 20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76586/13/20/) - next →: [sentence 22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76586/13/22/) - ↑ back to [Opening, part 13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg76586/13/)