NSM Chart 2014

CHART OF NSM SEMANTIC PRIMES
[14
August
2014]
Semantic primes are the vocabulary of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage. The chart displays the English words for the primes and some of their combinatorial possibilities, according to NSM grammar.
More complex combinations are also possible. In some languages, two primes e.g. FEEL and HEAR, SOMETHING and PART, may be expressed by the same word. In some languages a prime can have two
or more exponents (allolexes), e.g. English other and else. Sometimes a combination of two or more primes, e.g. LIKE THIS, can be expressed by a portmanteau.
I~ME
I want to do/know/say something
I want this, I dont want this
I dont know
something bad can happen to me
someone like me
SOMETHING
~THING
this thing, the same thing, something
else, this other something
something of one kind
KIND
this kind, the same kind, another
kind, this other kind
something/someone of one kind
people of one/two/many kinds
THIS
this someone (something), these
people, this kind, this part
at this time, in this place
because of this
it is like this:
ONE
one someone, one thing, one part,
one kind
in one place, at one time
one of these things/people
something of one kind
one more thing
ALL
all people, all things, all parts, all
kinds
at all times, in all places
all of this something (e.g. water)
WHEN~TIME
~AT SOME TIME
(at) this time, (at) the same time, at
another time, at this other time, at
some times, at many times
at the time when
(FOR) SOME TIME

some time before, some time after
it happens like this for some time
someone does this for some time
during this time (= at this time, for
some time)
BEFORE
before this, some time before, a short
time before, a long time before
YOU
I want you to do/know/say something
something bad can happen to you
you are someone like me
BODY
someones body, peoples bodies
part of someones body
a body of one kind, bodies of two
kinds
something bad happens inside
someones body
someone feels something in the body
PART
part of someones body
this part, the same part, another part
this other part
something of this kind has two/many
parts
THE SAME
the same someone, the same thing,
the same part, the same kind
at the same time, in the same place
someone says/does/thinks/knows/
wants/feels the same
TWO
two things, two parts, two kinds
two of these things/people
two more things
SOME
some people, some things, some
parts, some kinds
at some times, in some places
some of these things/people
some of this something (e.g. water)
NOW
something is happening here now
when I say this now, ...
SOMEONE
this someone, the same someone,
someone else, this other someone
PEOPLE
many people, some people,
these people
people think like this
people can say ...
people of one kind
not many people can do something
like this
OTHER~ELSE
someone else, something else, at
another time, somewhere else
other parts, other kinds
this other part, this other kind, this
other someone, this other thing
MUCH~MANY
many people, many things, many
parts, many kinds
at many times, in many places
much of this something (e.g. water)
much/many more
LITTLE~FEW
few people, few things
a little of this something (e.g. water)
MOMENT
it happens in one moment
at this moment [?]
A LONG TIME
A SHORT TIME
a short time before, a short time after
a very short time
for a short time (= for some time, a
short time)
after this, some time after, a short time

after, a long time after
DO
someone does something (to someone

else)
someone does something with
something else/part of the body
someone does something with
someone else
someone does something good (for
someone else)/bad (to someone else)
WORDS
many words, other words, one word
words of one kind
say something with (not with) words,
say something in other words
say these words
these words say something
a long time before, a long time after

a very long time
for a long time (= for some time, a long
time)
AFTER
WANT
I want this
someone wants something
someone wants to do/know/say
something
someone wants someone else to do/
know/say something
someone wants something to happen
I want it very much
SEE
someone sees someone/something (in
a place)
people can/cant see well in this place
someone/people can/cant see this
something
HAPPEN
something happens
something happens to someone
something happens to something
something happens somewhere (in a
place)
THERE IS
there is something in this place
there is someone in this place
there are two/many kinds of
MOVE
someone moves (in this place)
something moves in this place
parts of this someones body move
as this someone wants
WHERE~PLACE
~SOMEWHERE
DONT WANT
I dont want this
someone doesnt want this
someone doesnt want to do something
this someone doesnt want something
to happen
SAY
I say: ...
someone says something (good/bad)
(to someone)
someone says something (good/bad)
(about someone/something)
someone says something like this: - -
someone says something with words
someone says a word to someone
HEAR
someone hears something
people can feel something bad when
they hear this word
BE (SOMEWHERE)
someone is somewhere (in a place)
something is somewhere (in a place)
someone is with someone else
BE
(SOMEONE/SOMETHING)
this someone is someone like me
this is something of one kind
this is something big/small
I know who this someone is
TOUCH
something touches something else
(somewhere)
something touches part of someones
body
someone/people can/cant touch this
something
FEEL
ABOVE
NEAR
near this place
near someone
not good, not bad

not like this
I dont know
someone cant do this
KNOW
IF
someone knows something (many

things) about someone/something
people can know this
I know that ...
if it happens like this for some time,

...,
if you do this, ...
if someone does something like this,
...
THINK
LIVE
someone lives for a long time
someone lives in this place
many people live in this place
this someone lives with someone
else
it is good if someone lives like this
CAN
someone can (cant) do something
someone cant not do something
something (good/bad) can happen
it can be like this:
MAYBE
maybe it is like this, maybe it is not
like this
maybe someone else can do it
VERY
someone thinks about someone else/

something
someone thinks something good/bad
(about someone else/something)
someone thinks like this: - -
many people think like this: - -
very big, very small, very good, very

bad, very far, very near, a very short
time, a very long time
DIE
someone dies at this time
all people die at some time
BE (SOMEONES)
something bad, someone bad

something bad
something bad happens
do something bad (to someone)
feel something bad
this is bad
it is bad if ...
INSIDE
BECAUSE
because of this
it happened because this someone
did something before
not because of anything else
LIKE~AS~WAY
it happens like this:
it is like this:
someone thinks like this: - -
does it in this way, not in another
way
this someone does it like this
it happens as this someone wants
someone like me
MORE~ANYMORE
someone wants more, someone
does more
someone wants to know/say/think
more about it
one more, two more, many more
not living anymore
not like this anymore
SMALL
something small
a small place
a small part
BAD
this thing (knife, shirt, etc.) is mine

this thing is someone elses
whose (knife, shirt, etc.) is this?
BIG
something big
a big place
a big part
GOOD
something good, someone good
something good
something good happens
do something good (for someone)
feel something good
this is good
it is good if ...
TRUE
inside this something

inside this someone
inside part of this someones body
this is true, this is not true
HERE
something is happening here now
Using NSM in explications
(in) this place, (in) the same place,

somewhere else, (in) this other place
in some places, in many places
in the place where
above this place

far above this place
someone above other people
NOT~DONT
someone feels something (good/bad)

someone feels something (good/bad)
in part of the body
someone feels like this
someone feels something good/bad
towards someone else/ something
Dont include any complex English-specific words, no matter how common and
seemingly basic; e.g. and, or, make. Ensure that you use semantic primes only in
allowable syntactic frames. Dont resort to non-NSM syntax even if English grammar
allows it. For example, avoid do something about it and feel good/bad about
something; semantic primes DO and FEEL do not have any about valency. Avoid
the following non-universal constructions: relative clauses (e.g. someone who did this),
comparative (e.g. better than, more than), indirect speech (e.g. this someone said that
). Whenever possible, explications should be composed entirely in semantic
primes; but some explications require use of semantic molecules in addition to primes.
Semantic molecules are a well-defined set of non-primitive meanings that function as
units in the meanings of more complex concepts.
BELOW
below this place
far below this place
FAR
far from this place
ON ONE SIDE
on this side, on the same side,
on one side, on two sides,
on all sides
Key references
Goddard, C. & Wierzbicka, A. Eds. 2002. Meaning and Universal Grammar.
Benjamins. Peeters, B. Ed. 2006. Semantic Primes and Universal Grammar.
Benjamins. Wierzbicka, A. 2006. English: Meaning and Culture. OUP. Goddard,
C. 2011. Semantic Analysis [2nd ed.]. OUP. Goddard, C. & Wierzbicka, A. 2014.
Words and Meanings. OUP. Goddard, C. & Wierzbicka, A. 2014. Semantic
fieldwork and lexical universals. Studies in Language 38(1), 80127.
NSM
Homepage.
www.griffith.edu.au/humanities-languages/school-languageslinguistics/research/natural-semantic-metalanguage-homepage

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CHART OF NSM SEMANTIC PRIMES

(FOR) SOME TIME

after this, some time after, a short time

someone does something (to someone

a long time before, a long time after

not good, not bad

someone knows something (many

if it happens like this for some time,

someone thinks about someone else/

very big, very small, very good, very

something bad, someone bad

this thing (knife, shirt, etc.) is mine

inside this something

this is true, this is not true

Using NSM in explications

(in) this place, (in) the same place,

above this place

someone feels something (good/bad)

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