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(2010) Chinese (Mandarin), Polish – Emotion words

Kornacki, Paweł (2010). Studies in emotions: Ethnolinguistic perspectives. Warszawa: Wydział Neofilologii UW.

Based on the methodology of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage, the work analyses selected aspects of conceptualization and verbal expressions of emotions in contemporary Chinese (pŭtōnghuà) and Polish. Referring to intercultural anthropological and psychological research on emotions, its chapters discuss the importance of the Chinese cultural key word “heart/mind”, the semantics of words for bad feelings in Chinese, colloquial Polish speech practice, and the main conceptual elements of Early-Chinese and Indian cultural emotion models.

(2017) What Christians believe [BOOK]

Wierzbicka, Anna (2017). W co wierzą chrześcijanie? Opowieść o Bogu i o ludziac [What Christians believe: The story of God and people]. Kraków: Znak.

Abstract:

What do Christians believe?

Does anyone who thinks of themselves as Christian know what they actually believe? – asks the author provocatively, and in an innovative way she presents the reader the most important truths of faith, as transmitted by the Holy Scriptures and the Apostolic writings.

Anna Wierzbicka’s book is a tale of Christian faith based on the results of extensive research on the languages of the world. In the forty chapters of The story of God and people, the author retells and re-thinks the basics of Christian faith using so-called minimal language, that is, using words and sentences understandable to everyone, having equivalents in all languages of the world. The book is a semantic and theological experiment, and at the same time, it is an experiment in cross-cultural communication: Minimal Polish and Minimal English match, word for word and phrase by phrase.

Preceded by an extensive introduction, The story of God and people does not use traditional religious or scientific language, and allows both Christians and non-Christians to look at faith in a fresh way.

More information:

Written in Polish. A more recent publication building on this one is:

Wierzbicka, Anna (2019). What Christians believe: The story of God and people in minimal English. New York: Oxford University Press.

Rating:

Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners

(2017) Italian – Emotions

Hanczakowski, Allira (2017). Translating emotion: A lexical-semantic analysis of translating emotion words from Italian to English in Marco Braico’s novel La festa dei limoni (2011). Master of Translation thesis, University of Western Australia.

Open access

Abstract:

Cross-linguistic and cross-cultural differences are particularly evident within expressions of emotion, creating a challenging task for translators who are required to find the closest possible equivalent term in the target language. The context in which emotion words are used plays a crucial role in determining the most accurate translatant. This study explores how context influences and governs the selection of translatant within the novel La festa dei limoni by Marco Braico. Based on a select list of Italian emotion words, the author demonstrates that while Italian can employ the same emotion word in a variety of contexts, English requires different terms depending on textual context, linguistic context and the sociolinguistic identity of the person employing the term.

The NSM approach is adopted in Chapter Three of the thesis to create a systematic method for the translation of emotion words. Employing NSM facilitates a cross-linguistic analysis to be carried out from a language independent stance. Semantic primes are used to create semantic explications of five Italian emotion terms identified in Chapter Two as problematic from a translational point of view: affetto, rabbia, ansia, fastidio and meraviglia. The explications achieve the aim of demonstrating how to select the most accurate English translatant of Italian emotion terms, depending on the specific context within the novel.

Rating:

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

(2018) English – Conversational humour, keywords

Goddard, Cliff (2018). “Joking, kidding, teasing”: Slippery categories for cross-cultural comparison but key words for understanding Anglo conversational humor. Intercultural Pragmatics, 15(4), 487-514. DOI: 10.1515/ip-2018-0017

Terms like to joke (and joking) and to tease (and teasing) have a curious double life in contrastive and interactional pragmatics and related fields. Occasionally they are studied as metapragmatic terms of ordinary English, along with related expressions such as kidding. More commonly they are used as scientific or technical categories, both for research into English and for cross-linguistic and cross-cultural comparison. Related English adjectives such as jocular and mock are also much used in a growing lexicon of compound terms, such as jocular abuse, mock abuse, jocular mockery, and the like.

Against this background, the present paper has three main aims.

In the first part, it is argued that the meanings of the verbs to joke and to tease (and related nouns) are much more English-specific than is commonly recognized. They are not precisely cross-translatable even into European languages such as French and German. Adopting such terms as baseline categories for cross-cultural comparison therefore risks introducing an Anglocentric bias into our theoretical vocabulary. Nor can the problem be easily solved by attributing technical meanings to the terms.

Detailed analysis of the everyday meanings of words like joking and teasing, on the other hand, can yield insights into the ethnopragmatics of Anglo conversational humour. This task is undertaken in the second part of the paper. The important English verb to kid and the common conversational formulas just kidding and only joking are also examined. The semantic methodology used is the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) approach.

Building on the NSM analyses, the third part of the paper considers whether it is possible to construct a typological framework for conversational humour based on cross-translatable terminology.

Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners

(2012) English (Australia) – Negative personal descriptors, jocular speech act verbs

Rowen, Roslyn (2012). “Shit bloke! You’re always geeing me up like that”: A lexical semantic analysis of negative personal descriptors and “jocular” speech-act verbs in informal Australian English. BA (Hons) thesis, Griffith University.

This thesis explores the meaning and social functions of eight negative personal descriptors (asshole, crumb, shit bloke, wanker, wuss, nark, shit-stirrer, bogan) and four “jocular” speech act verbs (joke, tease, stir (up), gee up) in the colloquial Australian English spoken in Brisbane and surrounding areas. Data on usage comes from a corpus of recordings of informal interaction in natural settings. The method of semantic analysis is reductive paraphrase, using the semantic primes of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage approach.

There has been little lexical-semantic research on colloquial “social” terms in contemporary Australian English and this study contributes to filling this gap. In addition, there is a cultural angle. It is widely held that culture fosters new schools of thought and as such that language can be seen as a vessel for conveying the social realities and beliefs of a particular culture, including the mainstream “Anglo Australian” culture. Not all linguists agree, however, arguing, for example, that Australian English does not have a unique or distinct culture. Examining specifically Australian English words, especially colloquial ones, and how they are used in social interaction, can shed light on this issue. The thesis argues that the meanings and uses of these words correlate with cultural values and attitudes that are specific to Australian English.

Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners

(2003) English (Australia) – Speech act verbs (teasing)

Olivieri, Kate (2003). A semantic analysis of teasing-related speech act verbs in Australian English. BA (Hons) thesis, University of New England.

Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners

(2018) Danish – Conversational humour

Levisen, Carsten (2018). Dark, but Danish: Ethnopragmatic perspectives on black humor. Intercultural Pragmatics, 15(4), 515-531. DOI: 10.1515/ip-2018-0018

This paper explores sort humor ‘black humour’, a key concept in Danish conversational humour. Sort forms part of a larger class of Danish
synesthetic humour metaphors that also includes other categories such as tør ‘dry’, syg ‘sick’, and fed ‘fat’. Taking an ethnopragmatic perspective on humour discourse, it is argued that such constructs function as a local catalogue for socially recognized laughing practices.

The aim of the paper is to provide a semantic explication for sort humor and explore the discursive practices associated with the concept. From a comparative perspective, it is demonstrated that the Danish conceptualization of ‘blackness’ differs from that of l’humour noir, a category of French surrealism, and English black humour with its off-limit topics such as death and handicap. In Danish discourse, sort humor has come to stand for a practice of collaborative jocular non-sense making. It is further argued that the main function of sort humor is to establish or enhance a feeling of ‘groupy togetherness’.

Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners

(2018) English, Italian – The cultural semantics of address practices [BOOK]

Farese, Gian Marco (2018). The cultural semantics of address practices: A contrastive study between English and Italian. Lanham: Lexington.

Abstract:

This book presents a contrastive analysis of various forms of address used in English and Italian from the perspective of cultural semantics, the branch of linguistics that investigates the relationship between meaning and culture in discourse. The objects of the analysis are the interactional meanings expressed by different forms of address in these two languages, which are compared adopting the methodology of the NSM approach. The forms analysed include greetings, titles and opening and closing salutations used in letters and e-mails in the two languages. Noticeably, the book presents the first complete categorization of Italian titles used as forms of address ever made on the basis of precise semantic criteria.

The analysis also investigates the different cultural values and assumptions underlying address practices in English and Italian, and emphasizes the risks of miscommunication caused by different address practices in intercultural interactions. Every chapter presents numerous examples taken from language corpora, contemporary English and Italian literature and personal e-mails and letters.

The book encourages a new, innovative approach to the analysis of forms of address: it proposes a new analytical method for the analysis of forms of address which can be applied to the study of other languages systematically. In addition, the book emphasizes the role of culture in address practices and takes meaning as the basis for understanding the differences in use across languages and the difficulties in translating forms of address of different languages. Combining semantics, ethnopragmatics, intercultural communication and translation theory, this book takes an interdisciplinary approach and brings together various fields in the social sciences: linguistics, anthropology, cross-cultural studies and sociology.

Table of contents:

Analyzing address practices from a cultural semantic point of view
“Sorry boss”: an unrecognized category of English address nouns
“Prego, signore”: the semantics of Italian “titles” used to address people
“Hi, how are you?”
“Ciao!” or “ciao ciao”?
“Dear customers, …”
“Caro Mario,” “Gentile cliente,” “Egregio dottore”
“Best wishes,” “kind regards,” “yours sincerely”
“Distinti,” “cordiali,” “affettuosi saluti”
Italian cultural scripts for address practices
Australian cultural scripts for address practices
Address practices in intercultural communication
Concluding remarks

More information:

Revised version of the author’s PhD thesis, Australian National University (2017).

Rating:

Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners

(2015) English (Australia), German – ‘Laid-back’, ‘serious’

Cramer, Rahel K. (2015). Why Australians seem “laid-back” and Germans rather “serious”: A contrastive semantic and ethnopragmatic analysis of Australian English and German, with implications for second language pedagogy. MA thesis, Hamburg University. PDF (open access)

This study aims to explore manifestations of cultural characteristics in spoken conversational Australian English and German to reveal the relation between cultural values and ways of speaking and to facilitate their understanding, in particular for second language learners. It is a two-part contrastive analysis. Part One gives a cultural overview by identifying macro-concepts of the two speech communities (‘Ordnung’ and ‘Angst’ for the German culture; the ‘no worries’ attitude, ‘friendliness’ and ‘good humour’ for the Australian culture). Part Two provides a detailed semantic and pragmatic analysis of micro-concepts, which includes a section on social descriptor terms (laid back, relaxed and easy going in Australian English; locker and sympathisch in German) and a section on conversational ideals (anregend and ernsthaft in German; friendly and not too serious in Australian English). The methodological approach is a combination of corpus linguistics and the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM). The findings from this analysis are considered in relation to their applicability to and usefulness for second language pedagogy.

Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners

(2020) Persian – Ethnopragmatics

Arab, Reza (2020). Ethnopragmatics of hāzer javābi, a valued speech practice in Persian. In Kerry Mullan, Bert Peeters, & Lauren Sadow (Eds.), Studies in ethnopragmatics, cultural semantics, and intercultural communication: Vol. 1. Ethnopragmatics and semantic analysis (pp. 75-94). Singapore: Springer.

DOI: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-32-9983-2_5

Abstract:

This study, the fifth chapter in the volume in which it is published, examines the speech practice designated as hāzer javābi (literally, ‘ready response’ in Persian (Farsi)) using an ethnopragmatic approach; that is, it attempts to capture the ‘insider’ understandings of the practice by making use of semantic explications and cultural scripts. It is one of only a few papers about the Persian language that employ the ethnopragmatic approach. Section 5.1 introduces the practice, offers some classical and contemporary examples, and draws attention to differences in similar-but-different speech practices in English and some other languages. Section 5.2 describes the analytical framework, i.e. ethnopragmatics. Section 5.3 provides historical and cultural contextualization, aiming both to scaffold a more precise understanding of the concept and to explain its cultural prominence. Section 5.4 presents a script for hāzer javābi. Section 5.5 discusses broader issues and provides concluding remarks.

Rating:

Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners

(2014) English – Multi-layer dictionary for second-language learners

Bullock, David (2014). Learn these words first: Multi-layer dictionary for second-language learners of English. http://LearnTheseWordsFirst.com

In this dictionary, the semantic primes of Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) are used to build definitions for 300 semantic molecules. These primes and molecules are then used to define each of the 2000 words in the controlled defining vocabulary of the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (LDOCE).

(2015) Tagalog – Cultural key words

Lorenzana, Angela E. (2015). A semantic analysis of “pakikisama”, a key Filipino cultural relationship concept: The NSM approach. Iamure International Journal of Literature, Philosophy and Religion, 7(1), 15-31.

DOI: 10.7718/iamure.ijlpr.v7i1.874

Abstract:

The study of a language, especially of its vocabulary, can reveal one’s way of thinking, show the essential features of a particular culture and offer important clues for its distinction from others. This paper uses NSM to investigate the Filipino notion of pakikisama ‘getting along with others’. The semantic explication reveals the Filipinos’ unique way of looking at things by demonstrating their dominantly inherent ‘group’ cognitive structures. The paper recommends that the concept be compared with those from other ethnolinguistic groups in order to promote goodwill and understanding among people of diverse cultural backgrounds.

Rating:

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

(2006) Tagalog – ‘Anger’

Lorenzana, Angela E. (2006). Galit: The Filipino emotion word for ‘anger’. In Tenth international conference on Austronesian linguistics (10-ICAL). http://www-01.sil.org/asia/philippines/ical/index.html. PDF (open access)

Noteworthy semantic studies have been conducted to explicate anger concepts in different languages. One tool for such cross-cultural comparisons is the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM), a set of 56 indefinable words or semantic primes developed by Anna Wierzbicka over a period of 35 years. Using this tool in analysing emotion concepts through linguistic evidence such as literary excerpts, dialogs and interviews reveals the fact that while emotional universals allegedly exist, emotions are experienced and expressed differently. The use of the semantic primes allows the formulation of a detailed statement (otherwise known as explication) of the elements that compose the meaning or definition of a complex word. Semantic explications for anger words in different languages reveal marked differences in their causes, management and expression. For instance, emotion words for anger such as the Anglo-Saxon anger, the Ifaluk song, the Chinese nu or the Polish gniew were found to be different from the Filipino word galit. Using NSM as a common measure or tertium comparationis, one can correctly and meaningfully compare as many different languages as possible.

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

(2015) English, Japanese – Proverbs

Neale, Miles (2015). A comparison of English and Japanese proverbs using Natural Semantic Metalanguage. New Voices in Japanese Studies, 7, 85-101.

DOI: 10.21159/nvjs.07.05 / Open access

Abstract:

This study examines the meaning of semantically similar English and Japanese proverbs. It uses textual data sourced from online corpora to highlight and compare the different cultural and conceptual elements embedded within these proverbs. The findings demonstrate that matching proverbs from different languages is a potentially problematic exercise, both in dictionaries and in the second-language classroom.

The proverbs that are being explicated in NSM are (English) Look before you leap and (Japanese) Nen ni wa nen o ireyo (lit., ‘put care into care’), followed by (English) The proof of the pudding is in the eating and Japanese Ron yori shoko (lit., ‘argument less than proof/demonstration’).

Rating:

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

(2013) Tagalog – Emotions

Petras, Jayson D. (2013). Ang Pagsasakatutubo mula sa Loob/Kultural na Pagpapatibay ng mga Salitang Pandamdaming Tumutukoy sa “Sayá”: Isang Semantikal na Elaborasyon ng Wikang Filipino sa Larangan ng Sikolohiya. Humanities Diliman, 10(2), 56-84.

Open access

Abstract:

The Philippines has often been recognized as one of the most emotional countries in the world. Despite this, there is a scarcity of research pertaining to emotions in the context of Filipinos’ own language and culture; instead, the convenient practice of explaining phenomena based on studies published abroad continues. This is the reason why even local scholarship remains ethnocentric, particularly Anglocentric, in nature.

The author answers the need to culturally revalidate or indigenize emotion studies through the examination of the semantic elaboration of the happiness domain in Tagalog. To analyse the scope and depth of Tagalog happiness-related words, as well as their similarities and differences, it calls upon NSM. Highlighting the uniqueness of the words alíw, galák, ligáya, lugód, luwalhatì, sayá, siyá, tuwâ, and wíli thus becomes a possibility.

The paper concludes with a call for ongoing examination of the language of emotions as a means toward gaining a better understanding of Filipino personality.

More information:

Written in Tagalog. A noteworthy feature is the inclusion of a very useful tabular comparison of prime lists over time. The key dates retained are 1972, 1980, 1989, 1994, 1996 and 2002.

Rating:

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

(2010) Thai – Apologies

เมฆถาวรวัฒนา, ทัศนีย์ [Mekthawornwathana, Thasanee] (2010). บทวัฒนธรรมของการขอโทษในภาษาไทย [The cultural script of apologizing in Thai]. มนุษยศาสตร์สังคมศาสตร์ (มหาวิทยาลัยขอนแก่น) [Humanities and social sciences (Khon Kaen University)], 27(2), 28-50. PDF (open access)

Written in Thai.

This paper develops a Thai version of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage and proposes a cultural script for apologies in Thai using NSM and the Cultural Script model.

It was found that Thai people “apologize” in 8 situations: after doing bad things to others, when bothering someone, asking for permission, giving an idea, satirizing, blaming, refusing and ordering. It was also found that the closest Thai equivalent to the English word apologize was more associated with ‘face’ and ‘politeness’ than ‘causing offense’. This leads Thai people to apologize in various situations even though there is no offense. This use of apologizing reflects the fact that Thai society cares for participants’ ‘face’ and feelings more than Japanese and Western cultures.

(2010) Thai – Cultural key words: MAIPENRAI, KRENGCHAI, KHOTOT

เมฆถาวรวัฒนา, ทัศนีย์ [Mekthawornwathana, Thasanee] (2010). การวิเคราะห์ความหมายแบบครอบคลุมของคำสำคัญทางวัฒนธรรม “ไม่เป็นไร” “เกรงใจ” และ “ขอโทษ” ในภาษาไทยตามแนวทฤษฎีอภิภาษาเชิงอรรถศาสตร์ธรรมชาติ [A Natural Semantic Metalanguage approach to the study of the comprehensive meanings of the cultural key words maipenrai, krengchai, and khotot in Thai]. PhD thesis, Chulalongkorn University.

Written in Thai.

This study aims to investigate the denotative, pragmatic, and social meanings of three key words in Thai: ไม่เป็นไร maipenrai, เกรงใจ krengchai andขอโทษ khotot; to formulate these meanings in terms of cultural scripts, to compare and contrast the cultural scripts of the three key words, and to show the characteristics of Thai culture reflected in the cultural scripts.

The results reveal that ไม่เป็นไร maipenrai has three denotative meanings, viz. ‘not affected’, ‘acceptable’ and ‘do not worry’. It has four pragmatic meanings, ‘consoling’, ‘refusing’, ‘forgiving’ and ‘responding to thank you’. It has two social meanings, ‘varying according to the relationship between speakers and participants’ and ‘varying according to the formality of the situation’. The results show that speakers use ไม่เป็นไร maipenrai more when talking to participants who are close to them than when talking to participants whom they are not familiar with, and when talking in informal rather than formal situations.

เกรงใจ krengchai has three denotative meanings, ‘respect’, ‘afraid that other people would feel unsatisfied’ and ‘afraid that what happened might bother others’. The word เกรงใจ krengchai has three pragmatic meanings, ‘accepting’, ‘refusing’ and ‘thanking’. It has two social meanings, ‘varying according to the relationship between speakers and participants’ and ‘varying according to the formality of the situation’. The results show that speakers use เกรงใจ krengchai more when talking to participants whom they are not familiar with than when talking to participants who are close to them, and when talking in formal rather than informal situations.

ขอโทษ khotot has two denotative meanings, ‘I’m sorry for what I have done’ and ‘excuse me’. It has four pragmatic meanings, ‘apologizing, ‘introductory device’, ‘attention-getter’, and ‘leave-taking device’. It has two social meanings, ‘varying according to the relationship between speakers and participants’ and ‘varying according to the formality of the situation’. The results show that speakers use ขอโทษ khotot when talking to participants whom they are not familiar with or who are close to them, and when talking in formal and informal situations, but with different variants.

(2013) Persian, English – Ethnopragmatics

Hashemi, Seyede Zahra (2013). Analysis of cultural scripts of objections and responses to objections in Persian and English within Natural Semantic Metalanguage framework. Modern Journal of Language Teaching Methods, 3(1), 17-25.

Open access

Abstract:

Language is the main medium for expressing other phenomena. It expresses the beliefs, values, and meanings shared by members of a society, so it is more than a system of sounds, meaning units, and syntax. Social rules and cultural values are embedded in language and since they are not the same in different cultures they must be learnt by second and foreign language learners.

In this study, a number of social functions in Persian are analysed using the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) framework. The results are then compared and contrasted with those obtained for English. The functions in focus are objections, and response to objections. The results of this study indicates that: the NSM is applicable to the communicative interaction routines in Persian, the cultural scripts can be used to develop an awareness of cultural differences in the learners, and the model in question is suitable for cross-cultural contrastive analysis.

More information:

This is a study in ethnopragmatics, even though the term as such is not used.

Rating:

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

(2014) Malay – PANTUN

Spangenberg, Sigrid (2014). The function of pantun in Malay speech. MA thesis, Leiden University. PDF (open access)

A pantun is a poem of four very short lines, consisting of four word clusters that have only two or three syllables. Most pantun have ABAB as their rhyme scheme. Research on pantun has traditionally focused on the structure and meaning of these poems. However, there has not been a lot of research on how the pantun is used in everyday language. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the function of pantun in Malay speech. For this study, I have used a pantun-database called ‘Melayu Online’ to collect pantun. From this database, I have selected two pantun for analysis. For the analysis the following methods were used:

– ethnopragmatics: based on the assumption that there are cultural key words, these are explained using Wierzbicka’s Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM); ethnopragmatics is focused on the cultural part

– meaning space theory: models of mental space by Turner and Brandt & Brandt are used in a cognitive-semiotic framework to reconstruct meaning from a phenomenological perspective; meaning space theory focuses on the utterance and what this means

This thesis is a first step to further research into the function of pantun in Malay speech and how the pantun is used in everyday language. On the basis of this pilot study, it can be assumed that Malay people express themselves with a pantun in a way that is respectful of their cultural values and avoids any kind of friction. This assumption can be confirmed by extensive research through fieldwork. That is why I recommend participant observation in Malaysia in order to properly analyse the function of the pantun.

	Crude application of NSM principles carried out without prior training by an experienced NSM practitioner
	Approximate application of NSM principles carried out without prior training by an experienced NSM practitioner
	Sound application of NSM principles carried out without prior training by an experienced NSM practitioner
	Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
	Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners