# KEHOME/knowledge/theory/NaturalSemanticMetalanguage/definition.html
# Oct/18/2003
NSM definitions

NSM definitions

This note summarizes the basic ideas of Natural Semantic Metalanguage, as described by Wierzbicka [1] and Goddard [2].

Basic Ideas

Examples

NSM definition of loves [2]
Person-X loves Person-Y =
X often thinks about Y
X thinks good things about Y
X wants to do good things for Y
X wants good things to happen to Y
when X thinks about Y, X often wants to be with Y
when X thinks about Y, X often feels something good
genus-differentia definition of love [3]
Love is an emotion proceeding from the evaluation of an existent as a positive value and as a source of pleasure.

References

  1. Anna Wierzbicka, "Semantics: Primes and Universals", Oxford University Press, 1996.
  2. Cliff Goddard, "Polysemy: A Problem of Definition", pp. 129 - 151 in Yael Ravin and Claudia Leacock, "Polysemy: Theoretical and Computational Approaches", Oxford University Press, 2000.
  3. Ayn Rand, "Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology", Expanded Second Edition, Meridian, 1990.
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