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(2007) English, Thai – Terms of address

Moonan, Robert John (2007). A cultural script analysis of an English-Thai bilingual speaker’s nominative usage of mommy in English yes/no question formation. PhD thesis, University of South Carolina.

Each culture has its own specific linguistic norms, values, and practices. To avoid any ethnocentric bias in the attempt to capture these linguistic norms, values, practices, Cultural Script Theory proposes the use of Natural Semantic Metalanguage in describing the linguistic practices of a specific culture. Natural Semantic Metalanguage consists of semantic primitives, words whose meaning cannot be reduced any further. These semantic primitives, of which there are currently over sixty, provide the tools to illustrate the grammatical structures and to capture the pragmatic meaning within the world’s languages.

This dissertation uses the theoretical and methodological frameworks of Cultural Script Theory to analyse the speech practices of a Thai-American woman, whom I refer to as Lucy, who is English-Thai bilingual and bicultural. Specifically, I examine Lucy’s choice of referring expressions in her construction of yes/no questions in two sets of data. The first set of data is a conversation between Lucy and her mother, a native speaker of Thai. The second set of data is a conversation between Lucy and her mother-in-law, a native speaker of English. The analysis consists of three steps. First, I provide semantic explications of the Thai terms of address แม่ mâe ‘mother’ and แม่ mâe ‘an older woman’. Additionally, I provide semantic explications of the English terms of address mother, ma’am, mrs. last name, miss first name, and first name and the English speech act verbs ask and inquire. Second, I construct Thai cultural scripts for แม่ mâe ‘mother’ and แม่ mâe ‘an older woman’ and Anglo-American cultural scripts for the use of the aforementioned English terms of address. Lastly, I use those explications and cultural scripts to help provide a discourse analysis of the two sets of data.

In this dissertation I hypothesize that the distinctive linguistic behavior of Lucy is explained by her use of two different cultural scripts, one based on Anglo-American cultural speaking practices and the other based on Thai cultural speaking practices.


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

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(2017) Chinese (Mandarin) – NSM primes, NSM syntax

Shen, Rae (2017). Semantic primes and their universal syntax in Mandarin Chinese: An update. MA thesis, Australian National University.

Building on the ground-breaking work on Chinese Mandarin primes undertaken by Hilary Chappell, the current study aims to review and update the propositions on the semantic universals and their syntactic properties in Mandarin in the light of the development of the NSM framework during the past decade. It is hoped that the findings as well as the problems raised in this thesis will contribute to some newer and fuller understanding on the primes not only in the context of Mandarin but also for the NSM program.


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

(2016) English, Indonesian – Translation of phrasal verbs

Krisna Adi Candra, I Made (2016). Translation method of phrasal verb in novel Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Linguistika, 23(2), 139-147. PDF (open access)

The aim of this research is to investigate the translation of phrasal verbs through the prism of Newmark’s translation theory. The data are phrasal verbs in the source language (English) and their translation in the target language (Indonesian) and are taken from the novel Eat Pray Love (Elizabeth Gilbert) and its Indonesian translation Makan Doa Cinta. The study reveals that no phrasal verb in the source language was translated into a phrasal verb in the target language. A few translations are studied more closely, and NSM is used to explicate the differences that are found to exist between the original verb and its translation.


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

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(2007) NSM vs. Jackendoff’s Conceptual Semantics

Wierzbicka, Anna (2007). NSM Semantics versus Conceptual Semantics: Goals and standards (A response to Jackendoff). Intercultural Pragmatics, 4(4), 521-529. DOI: 10.1515/IP.2007.026

No abstract available.

(1998) NSM primes: place

Goddard, Cliff (1998). Universal semantic primes of space – A lost cause? LAUD Working Papers, Series A, General and Theoretical Papers, 434. PDF (open access)

Reissued in 2007 with divergent page numbering.

In recent years, a new wave of research on language and space has uncovered surprising variation in the linguistic coding of spatial relationships. It is now known that some languages, e.g. Tzeltal, exhibit remarkable lexico-grammatical elaboration of spatial relationships; that in many languages of Africa and Oceania apparently simple spatial relationships such as INSIDE and ABOVE are encoded by means of noun-like words, or by a combination of a preposition and a postposition, each of which may be independently meaningful. It has also been shown that children’s early acquisition of spatial terminology differs markedly between typologically different languages.

In almost all this recent work, the emphasis has been on cross-linguistic variation in spatial semantics. The question then arises whether there any semantic universals of space that are still viable in the light of the attested variation in formal realization and lexico-grammatical elaboration. In particular, what of the semantic primes of space proposed within the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) framework, namely: WHERE/PLACE, HERE, ABOVE, BELOW, INSIDE, ON (ONE) SIDE, NEAR, FAR?

After an introduction, the body of the paper has three sections. The first argues that three languages that exhibit markedly different spatial characteristics to English (Tzeltal, Longgu, Ewe) nevertheless still contain exponents of the NSM spatial primes. The second takes a fresh look at some of the new results on cross-linguistic variation in the acquisition of spatial semantics, with particular reference to Korean. The third surveys the grammaticalization of spatial meaning in a typological perspective, concluding that the items on the NSM inventory of spatial primes are all found as recurrent dimensions of grammaticalized meaning in a range of languages.

The overall conclusion is that NSM’s spatial primes are both viable and necessary for the description of spatial meanings within and across languages.

Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners

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(2006) Meaning and universal grammar

Wierzbicka, Anna (2006). Sens et grammaire universelle: théorie et constats empiriques [Meaning and universal grammar: Theory and empirical findings]. Linx, 54, 181-207. DOI: 10.4000/linx.520. PDF (open access)

A slightly different version has also been published as:

Wierzbicka, Anna (2006). Sens et grammaire universelle: théorie et constats empiriques [Meaning and universal grammar: Theory and empirical findings]. Cahiers Ferdinand de Saussure, 59, 151-172.

Written in French; no English abstract available.

Le titre – « Sens et grammaire universelle : Théorie et constats empiriques » – rappelle celui d’un ouvrage publié il y a deux ans par la maison John Benjamins, dans la Studies in Language Companion Series. Il s’agit d’un ouvrage coordonné par mon collègue Cliff Goddard et moi-même, et qui inclut, hormis nos propres chapitres, qui servent de toile de fond, des études détaillées – des portraits en
quelque sorte, réalisés par des auteurs différents – de six langues géographiquement dispersées, de nature très divergente, et appartenant à des familles linguistiques tout à fait distinctes. L’objectif de l’ouvrage était d’établir le noyau linguistique que partagent toutes les langues, et ce par des moyens empiriques, c’est-à-dire en étudiant un certain nombre de langues dissemblables et en identifiant ce qu’elles partagent – du point de vue lexical aussi bien que grammatical. Au bout des dix ans ou presque que mon corédacteur et moi avons consacrés au projet qu’il couronne, nous croyons largement avoir réalisé notre but. Ce que je vous propose aujourd’hui, c’est un résumé des constats les plus importants, classés dans trois rubriques : d’abord, le lexique universel ; ensuite, la grammaire universelle ; et enfin, la « métalangue sémantique naturelle ».

(2016) English – STRANGER, ACQUAINTANCE

Ye, Zhengdao (2016). Stranger and acquaintance in English: Meaning and cultural scripts. In Agnieszka Uberman, & Teodor Hrehovčík (Eds.), Text – sentence – word: Studies in English linguistics: Vol. 2 (pp. 119-130). Rzeszów: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Rzeszowskiego.

In English, stranger, acquaintance and friend are perhaps the most common and salient terms for describing social relations that are not place or kinship based. What makes these social categories so special and distinctive in English? The question becomes even more intriguing if we consider that in many languages and cultures, human relations in the social sphere revolve around different social categories.

It is the purpose of this paper to seek an answer to the above question. It aims to shed light on the role and function of the English social category words in question from the standpoint of meaning and culture. Given that Anna Wierzbicka has discussed the meaning of the English term friend at great length, this paper will focus on the less analysed stranger and acquaintance. It seeks to articulate the meanings of both, and spell out some of the assumptions underlying the associated interactional values and norms widely shared by Anglophone speakers.

The two social category words analysed in this paper can be considered as co-occurring concepts of politeness in English. This paper shows how the study of the semantics of words of this nature contributes to a better understanding of the “politeness phenomenon” characteristic of Anglophone society.


Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners

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(2005) Social interaction

Ye, Zhengdao (2005). Reflections on the new Introduction of Anna Wierzbicka’s Cross-Cultural Pragmatics: The Semantics of Human Interaction (2nd edn, Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter). RASK, 22, 111-122.


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

(2012) Romanian – Emotions

Hărăbor, Alina (2012). An inquiry into Romanian anger-like and happiness-like emotions. Master’s thesis, Australian National University.

Open access

Abstract:

This thesis seeks to shed light on the inner lives of Romanian people via the language they use to communicate about their emotions. It is the first detailed study analysing these emotions by examining vocabulary, in particular the anger-related emotion words mânie and supărare and the happiness-related words fericire and veselie, as well as the syntactic constructions in which they occur. The thesis also highlights beliefs and cultural values that influence emotional experience.

By using NSM and drawing on instances of natural language (mainly extracted from the Romanian Corpus Linguistic), as well as proverbs, sayings, poems and songs, this study shows that Romanian emotions are very intense and that Romanians have a highly responsive behaviour: they feel and think socially rather than individually. For example, people’s ability to feel something good is intensified when they share a good feeling with someone else. Furthermore, the thesis shows that labels such as anger or happiness cannot be applied to Romanian because the emotional reality expressed in Romanian does not match the Anglo concepts described by these English labels.

Rating:


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

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(2010) Thought without language

Besemeres, Mary, & Wierzbicka, Anna (2010). Is there thought without language? In Marek Kuczyński (Ed.), Language, thought and consciousness: Vol. 2 (pp. 11-21). Zielona Góra: Uniwersytetu Zielonogórskiego.

We argue that the concept ‘think’ is universal, and that it has four universal frames: 1) we can say, someone thinks’, but not ‘something thinks’; 2) we can combine ‘think’ with a direct quote: ‘she thinks: “I’ll do it”‘; 3) we can say ‘someone thinks about someone or something’; 4) we can say ‘someone thinks that…’. It is not possible to use the word ‘think’ meaningfully without respecting the assumptions underlying these four frames. In ordinary speech, we are able to refer to someone thinking in images rather than words – as when someone is described as thinking ‘about’ another person. We also sometimes impute thought to animals which we perceive as in some ways similar to human beings, but only when their thinking doesn’t involve words (it is normally not possible to say: *The dog thinks: there is meat in the bag). However, apart from cases such as the above, much of our use of the term ‘think’ effectively refers to thinking with words.

On the basis of prior empirical research, our paper assumes that there exists in fact a whole set of universal human concepts, including words like ‘someone’, ‘think’, ‘feel’, ‘want’, which need no further explanation, and in terms of which more complex (often culture-specific) concepts can be explained. These universally shared concepts allow us to translate between different languages. At the same time, autobiographical writings by bilinguals affirm the presence of significant differences between languages, and suggest how individual languages help to create a distinct conceptual world. These autobiographical narratives argue, in other words, that language is closely connected with thought, and that we think in ways that are language- and culture-specific.

(2017) English – TORTURE

Mooney, Annabelle (2017). Torture laid bare. Journal of Language and Politics, 16(3), 434-452. DOI: 10.1075/jlp.15040.moo

Torture, while internationally sanctioned, is not well-defined. This paper sets out a Minimal English definition of the crime of ‘torture’ in international law. The four elements of torture are: (1) infliction of severe pain and suffering (2) acting with intent (3) for a purpose (4) by the state. The connection between intention and outcome is considered in the light of presumptions. I then briefly consider the concept of ‘lawful sanctions’ and the UN Standard Minimum Rules that apply to the treatment of prisoners to establish a baseline against which allegations of torture can be measured. Finally, I argue that current regimes of British benefit sanctions, whereby social welfare payments are stopped, may in some cases constitute torture. This argument considers the effects of sanctions and the discourses and ideologies attached to social welfare claimants.

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(2004) Malay – Speech act verbs (PUJUK)

Goddard, Cliff (2004). Speech-acts, values and cultural scripts: A study in Malay ethnopragmatics. In Robert Cribb (Ed.), Asia examined: Proceedings of the 15th biennial conference of the ASAA. PDF (open access)

The speech act lexicon of any language provides its speakers with a readymade “catalogue” of culture-specific categories of verbal interaction: a catalogue that makes sense within, and is attuned to, a particular portfolio of cultural values, assumptions, and attitudes. So it is that a microscopic examination of the semantics of speech act verbs can shed a great deal of light on broader cultural themes, but equally the significance of any particular speech act category can only be fully understood in broader cultural context.

This study illustrates these contentions with the Malay speech act verb pujuk, which can variously translated as ‘coax’, ‘flatter’, ‘persuade’, or ‘comfort’, but which really has no precise equivalent in English. Naturally occurring examples are given from Bahasa Melayu, the national language of Malaysia. The methods employed are the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) approach, and its companion, the theory of cultural scripts. I propose a single semantic explication for pujuk which accounts for its diverse range with much greater precision than any normal dictionary definition; but the explication must be read against the background of several Malay cultural scripts reflecting the important role of feelings and “feelings management” in the Malay tradition, as reflected in expressions like timbang rasa ‘lit. weigh feelings’, jaga hati orang ‘minding people’s feelings/hearts’, ambil hati ‘lit. get heart, be charming’, among others.

Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners

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(2004) – NSM primes

Goddard, Cliff (2004). The atoms of meaning. IIAS Newsletter, 33, 17. PDF (open access)

Most linguists do not regard semantics (the systematic study of meaning) as a central part of their discipline. This is both strange and sad, because meaning is the link between language and communication, between language and culture, and between language and cognition. Lately, however, meaning-based approaches have been making a comeback within the broad movements known as cognitive linguistics and functional linguistics. This article concentrates on the leading meaning-based theory of language, the Natural Semantic Metalanguage or NSM theory originated by Anna Wierzbicka.

(1997) Malay – Cultural values

Goddard, Cliff (1997). Cultural values and ‘cultural scripts’ of Malay (Bahasa Melayu). Journal of Pragmatics, 27(2), 183-201. DOI: 10.1016/S0378-2166(96)00032-X

This paper documents some Malay ‘rules of speaking’ and articulates their connections with Malay cultural values, using the new theory of ‘cultural scripts’ developed by Anna Wierzbicka. Aspects of the preferred Malay discourse style, which is normally described as refined, restrained, and charming, are shown to be linked with the Malay social emotion of malu ‘shame, propriety’, with the personal qualities of maruah ‘dignity, self-respect, pride’ and harga diri ‘self-esteem’, and with the ideal of senang hati ‘a heart at ease; (lit.) easy heart’. It is argued that the cultural scripts approach enhances descriptive accuracy, helps reduce ethnocentricm, and facilitates the integration of pragmatics and cultural semantics.


Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners

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