---
title: The nature of Olympian ambrosia would have been told in language as… — Early Bardic Literature, Ireland. · tree and pragmatics
description: The nature of Olympian ambrosia would have been told in language as clear as that in which Homer describes the preparation of that Pramnian bowl for which Nestor and Machaon waited while Hecamede was grating over it the goat's milk cheese, or that in which the Irish bards described the ambrosia of t
---

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# Early Bardic Literature, Ireland., Early Bardic Literature, Ireland., part 6, sentence 19

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The nature of Olympian ambrosia would have been told in language as clear as that in which Homer describes the preparation of that Pramnian bowl for which Nestor and Machaon waited while Hecamede was grating over it the goat's milk cheese, or that in which the Irish bards described the ambrosia of the Tuatha De Danan, which, indeed, was no more poetic and awe-inspiring than plain bacon prepared by Mananan from his herd of enchanted pigs, living invisible like himself in the plains of Tir-na-n-Og, the land of the ever-young.

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**Who acts:** Homer, Nestor, Hecamede, Irish bards, Tuatha Danan · **What happens:** tell, describe, wait, grate, not be, be · **To what, where:** nature, language, preparation, milk cheese, ambrosia, plain bacon · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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This is a sentence of «Early Bardic Literature, Ireland.» by Standish O'Grady, Early Bardic Literature, Ireland., part 6. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (Homer, Nestor, Hecamede, Irish bards), 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:pg8109:6:19
# text = The nature of Olympian ambrosia would have been told in language as clear as that in which Homer describes the preparation of that Pramnian bowl for which Nestor and Machaon waited while Hecamede was grating over it the goat's milk cheese, or that in which the Irish bards described the ambrosia of the Tuatha De Danan, which, indeed, was no more poetic and awe-inspiring than plain bacon prepared by Mananan from his herd of enchanted pigs, living invisible like himself in the plains of Tir-na-n-Og, the land of the ever-young.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	nature	nature	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	Olympian	olympian	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	ambrosia	ambrosia	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
7	have	have	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	aux	_	_
8	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	told	tell	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
10	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	language	language	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
12	as	as	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
13	clear	clear	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
14	as	as	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	13	obl	_	_
16	in	in	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	19	obl	_	_
18	Homer	Homer	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	19	nsubj	_	_
19	describes	describe	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	acl:relcl	_	_
20	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	preparation	preparation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	obj	_	_
22	of	of	ADP	IN	_	25	case	_	_
23	that	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	25	det	_	_
24	Pramnian	Pramnian	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	25	compound	_	_
25	bowl	bowl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	nmod	_	_
26	for	for	ADP	IN	_	27	case	_	_
27	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	31	obl	_	_
28	Nestor	Nestor	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	31	nsubj	_	_
29	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	30	cc	_	_
30	Machaon	Machaon	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	28	conj	_	_
31	waited	wait	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	25	acl:relcl	_	_
32	while	while	SCONJ	IN	_	35	mark	_	_
33	Hecamede	Hecamede	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	35	nsubj	_	_
34	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	35	aux	_	_
35	grating	grate	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	31	advcl	_	_
36	over	over	ADP	IN	_	37	case	_	_
37	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	35	obl	_	_
38	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	39	det	_	_
39	goat	goat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	42	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
40	's	's	PART	POS	_	39	case	_	_
41	milk	milk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	42	compound	_	_
42	cheese	cheese	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	35	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
43	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	51	punct	_	_
44	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	51	cc	_	_
45	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	51	mark	_	_
46	in	in	ADP	IN	_	47	case	_	_
47	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	51	obl	_	_
48	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	50	det	_	_
49	Irish	Irish	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	50	amod	_	_
50	bards	bard	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	51	nsubj	_	_
51	described	describe	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	31	conj	_	_
52	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	53	det	_	_
53	ambrosia	ambrosia	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	51	obj	_	_
54	of	of	ADP	IN	_	58	case	_	_
55	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	58	det	_	_
56	Tuatha	Tuatha	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	58	compound	_	_
57	De	De	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	56	flat	_	_
58	Danan	Danan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	53	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
59	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	67	punct	_	_
60	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	67	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
61	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	60	punct	_	_
62	indeed	indeed	ADV	RB	_	67	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
63	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	62	punct	_	_
64	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	67	cop	_	_
65	no	no	ADV	RB	_	67	advmod	_	_
66	more	more	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	67	advmod	_	_
67	poetic	poetic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	58	parataxis	_	_
68	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	71	cc	_	_
69	awe	awe	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	71	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
70	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	69	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
71	inspiring	inspiring	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	67	conj	_	_
72	than	than	ADP	IN	_	74	case	_	_
73	plain	plain	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	74	amod	_	_
74	bacon	bacon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	71	obl	_	_
75	prepared	prepare	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	74	acl	_	_
76	by	by	ADP	IN	_	77	case	_	_
77	Mananan	Mananan	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	75	obl	_	_
78	from	from	ADP	IN	_	80	case	_	_
79	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	80	nmod:poss	_	_
80	herd	herd	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	75	obl	_	_
81	of	of	ADP	IN	_	83	case	_	_
82	enchanted	enchant	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	83	amod	_	_
83	pigs	pig	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	80	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
84	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	85	punct	_	_
85	living	live	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	51	advcl	_	_
86	invisible	invisible	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	85	xcomp	_	_
87	like	like	ADP	IN	_	88	case	_	_
88	himself	himself	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	86	obl	_	_
89	in	in	ADP	IN	_	91	case	_	_
90	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	91	det	_	_
91	plains	plain	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	85	obl	_	_
92	of	of	ADP	IN	_	97	case	_	_
93	Tir	Tir	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	97	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
94	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	93	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
95	na	na	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	97	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
96	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	95	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
97	n	n	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	91	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
98	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	99	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
99	Og	Og	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	97	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
100	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	102	punct	_	_
101	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	102	det	_	_
102	land	land	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	99	appos	_	_
103	of	of	ADP	IN	_	107	case	_	_
104	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	107	det	_	_
105	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	107	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
106	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	105	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
107	young	young	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	102	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
108	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | would · perfect · passive |  | the nature of Olympian ambrosia |  | language |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: subject=Recipient |
| 2 | **describe** | present | Homer | the preparation of that Pramnian bowl |  | language |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent preparation=Theme |
| 3 | **wait** | past | Nestor and Machaon |  |  |  |  | for that Pramnian bowl | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **grate** | past · progressive | Hecamede | the goat's milk cheese |  | nature |  |  | vn appeal-31.4-1 «NP V NP.experiencer»: agent=Stimulus cheese=Experiencer |
| 5 | **describe** | past | the Irish bards | the ambrosia of the Tuatha Danan |  |  |  | which *obl* | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent ambrosia=Theme |
| 6 | **not** **is** | past | the Tuatha Danan |  |  |  |  | indeed, poetic *property* | tree rules |
| 7 | **be** |  | the Tuatha Danan *not said here* |  |  |  |  | than plain bacon | tree rules |
| 8 | **prepare** | participle |  | plain bacon *not said here* |  | Homer's herd of enchanted pigs |  | by Mananan | vn preparing-26.3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent from herd=Material |
| 9 | **enchant** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Experiencer |
| 10 | **live** | gerund | the Irish bards *not said here* |  |  | the plains of Tir na n |  | invisible *property* | vn lodge-46 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in plain=Location |
| 11 | **prepare** |  |  | that Pramnian bowl |  |  |  |  | nom preparation «act 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:** «Early Bardic Literature, Ireland.» by Standish O'Grady, Project Gutenberg book 8109 (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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