Sukarsih, Ni Nyoman Tri, & Erfiani, Ni Made Diana (2017). Peranan Metabahasa Semantik Alami dalam pencarian makna verba Bahasa Bali “rasa pada anggota tubuh” [The role of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage in the search for the meaning of Balinese verbs for ‘feel in one’s limbs’]. Sphota: Jurnal Linguistik dan Sastra, 6(1), 59-70. PDF (open access)

Written in Indonesian. All NSM explications are formulated in the language of the paper.

In Balinese, there are several verbs meaning ‘to feel’, all referring to physical pain in the limbs. Using the Natural Semantic Metalanguage approach, it can be revealed that each word has a different meaning, even though they belong to the same lexical field. The semantic features of each of the words can be described through an in-depth study involving NSM, so that even subtle differences in meaning can be mapped. The NSM theory is able to discern subtle differences between meanings, thus supporting the ‘one form for one meaning and one meaning expressed by a single word’ postulate.


Sound application of NSM principles carried out without prior training by an experienced NSM practitioner