Ketut Alit Suputra, Gusti; Budirasa, Made; Dhanawaty Ni Made; & Putu Putra, A. A. (2016). The meanings of the Balinese ‘to eat’: A study of Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM). e-Journal of Linguistics, 10(2), 153–167. PDF (open access)

This study discusses the meaning of a number of verbs referring to the act of eating in Balinese, showing each has its own distinctive features. The verbs are ngrayunang, ngajeng, daar, nunas, nede, ngamah, nidik, nyaplok, caklok, ngleklek, and nyanggol. The study relies on oral (primary) and written (secondary) data. The method used in data collection was observation and conversation. Results of the data analysis are presented by using formal and informal methods.


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