# KEHOME/knowledge/theory/NaturalSemanticMetalanguage/happen.html
# Oct/29/2003
NSM HAPPEN

NSM HAPPEN

From my perspective, HAPPEN [1] is the most unusual semantic prime, and the most difficult to map into MKR [2]. HAPPEN deliberately suppresses the agent/actor information which MKR strives to preserve.

To represent NSM HAPPEN, I have chosen to use the MKR command syntax with "do" replaced by "happens".

Basic Ideas

Actions

In the MKR language, entity actions/events are characterized by propositions of the form

at space=s, time=t, view=v {
    entity do action = event
	with action characteristics
	out action products
	od action direct objects
	from action initial characteristics
	to action final characteristics
	done;
};
Event is the occurrence/instance of an action. If "= event" is omitted, a unique event name is automatically generated.

The NSM concept HAPPEN corresponds to
at space=s, time=t, view=v {
    entity do action = event od direct object done;
};
with entity omitted. The new MKR syntax is
at space=s, time=t, view=v {
    happens action = event od direct object done;
};

Interactions

Although Wierzbicka describes HAPPEN in terms of a single action/event, I think that the concept is intended to apply to interactions. In other words, HAPPEN applies to a sequence of related actions/events. In MKR, interactions are characterized by a "script" of actions/events. The script does not have a single entity as subject.

The only interaction which is explicitly represented in the current version of MKR/MKE is causality.

    event:1 causes event:2;
or
    event:2 because event:1;
An event may be expressed as an action proposition.

For general interactions, the new syntax is the same as for actions.

    happens interaction ... done;

Examples

In NSM In MKR

References

  1. Anna Wierzbicka, "Semantics: Primes and Universals", Oxford University Press, 1996.
  2. Richard H. McCullough, "MKR/MKE Tutorial", http://rhm.cdepot.net/doc/MKEtutorial.html.
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