9.1 General words

Use the following section for words that don't belong in any other domain because they are so general in meaning that you can use them to talk about any topic. Use this domain for general and indefinite words that can be used in the place of any word. Some languages have a general word that can replace a noun or a verb. For instance some Philippine languages use the word 'kwan' in this way. Colloquial German can use the word 'dings' as a noun or verb. Often these words are used when you can't remember the particular word you are trying to think of. In English we use the word 'blank' when we don't want to say a word, for instance when we are testing someone and want them to say the word.

Louw Nida Codes: 
13 Be, Become, Exist, Happen
  • What words can be used in the place of any word?
    blank, ... (ellipsis), you know what I mean
  • 9.1.1 Be

    Many languages have general words that indicate some kind of state. These general words may be used with a wide variety of specific meanings. For instance in English the word 'be' may be used to identify something, describe something, and many other ideas.

    Louw Nida Codes: 
    13A State
  • What words refer to something being something?
    be, represent, amount to, form, make, constitute
  • What words indicate that something is being identified?
    is
  • What words indicate that a group of things is something?
    make up, form, constitute, add up to,
  • 9.1.1.1 Exist

    Use this domain for words indicating that something exists.

    Louw Nida Codes: 
    13C Exist
  • What words are used to indicate that something exists?
    exist, existence, there is, there exists, there lives, be, be found, occur, be in existence, be in operation, real,
  • What words refer to something starting to exist?
    appear, arise, coalesce, come into being, come into existence, come to be, develop, emerge, form, materialize, spring up, take shape
  • What words refer to continuing to exist?
    remain, persist, persistence, survive, survival, survivor,
  • What words refer to something ceasing to exist?
    become extinct, extinction, die out, disappear, vanish, cease to exist, disappearance, disintegrate, disintegration, fade, loss,
  • What words refer to not existing?
    non-existent, extinct, there's no, there's no such thing,
  • 9.1.1.2 Become, change state

    Many languages have general words that indicate some kind of change of state. These general words may be used with a wide variety of specific meanings. For instance in English the word 'become' may be used to a change in identity, a change in characteristic, a change in nature, and many other ideas.

    Louw Nida Codes: 
    13B Change of State
  • What words are used to indicate a change of state?
    become (characteristic), change, come to be, turn, get, develop, grow into, turn into, change into, become different, evolve
  • What words are used of causing or producing a state?
    produce, cause to be, make to be, make, make into, result in, bring upon, bring about
  • What words are used of attaining a state?
    come to be, attain, achieve, reach
  • 9.1.1.3 Have, of

    Many languages have several general words that are used to indicate a variety of relationships between two things. There are three such words in English:
    "have," "of," and the possessive suffix "-'s." The basic meaning of these words in English is 'to own', but they can mean many other things too. For instance they can mean that I am related to someone (I have a brother), something has a part (birds have wings), and many other ideas. There is also a set of pronouns in English that are like nouns ending in -'s (my/mine, your/yours, his, her/hers, its, our/ours, their/theirs, whose). Use this domain for these general words.

  • What general words relate two nouns?
    have, of, -'s
  • 9.1.1.4 Attribution

    Attributes often belong to a class of attributes (shape = straight, curved) or to a scale (length = long, short). The class or scale can sometimes be included in the expression, but does not mark the proposition itself. (The towel <feels> damp. The box <weighs> five kilos.)

  • What words are used to indicate an attribute of something?
    found to be, discover to be, turn out to be, be in many ways
  • What words indicate a point on a scale?
  • What words indicate an evaluation of something?
  • 9.1.2 Do

    Use this domain for general verbs with a volitional subject (agent).

    Louw Nida Codes: 
    42 Perform, Do
    42A Function
    42B Do, Perform
  • What general words refer to someone doing something?
    do, act, actuate, behave, accomplish, achieve, attain, conduct, effectuate, engage in, execute, exercise, exert, function, give, go about, dabble in, implement, manage, perform, practice, progress, undertake, up to, use, utilize, work, operate, be involved in
  • What words refer to the thing that is done?
    deed, thing to do, something to do, what you do, act (n), action, activity, event, behavior, accomplishment, achievement, attainment, execution, exercise, function (n), job, implementation, measure, performance, practice (n), task, undertaking, work (n), workmanship, feat, exploits, operation
  • What words refer to the person doing something?
    achiever, actor, doer, performer, agent
  • What words describe someone who is doing something?
    active, in action
  • How do you ask someone what he is doing?
    What are you doing? What are you up to? What do you think you are doing?
  • 9.1.2.1 Happen

    Use this domain for non-volitional pro-verbs.

    Louw Nida Codes: 
    13D Happen
  • What words refer to something happening?
    happen, occur, take place, chance, befall, betide, supervene,
  • What words refer to something that has happened?
    event, experience, affair, occurrence, phenomenon, occasion,
  • 9.1.2.2 React, respond

    Use this domain for words referring to reacting or responding to something.

  • What words refer to reacting or responding?
    react, respond,
  • What words refer to reacting to someone in the same way they treat you?
    reciprocate, give back,
  • What words refer to reacting too strongly?
    overreact,
  • What words refer to how someone reacts?
    reaction, response, feedback, backlash,
  • What words refer to the ability to react quickly to something?
    reactions, reflexes,
  • What words refer to reacting in a good way?
    responsive
  • 9.1.2.3 Create

    Use this domain for words referring to creating something--causing something to be that did not exist before.

    Louw Nida Codes: 
    42C Make, Create
  • What words refer to inventing something?
    create, dream up, imagine, compose, contrive, design, devise, invent, conceive of, think up, make up
  • What words refer to something that has been invented?
    design, invention, conception, dream
  • What words refer to something that has been created?
    creation, creature,
  • What words refer to a person who creates?
    creator, inventor,
  • What words describe something that was created?
    created,
  • 9.1.2.4 Design

    Use this domain for words referring to designing something--to decide and plan how something new will look and work.

  • What words refer to designing something?
    design, plan,
  • What words refer to the way something is designed?
    design,
  • What words refer to someone who designs things?
    designer, architect, planners
  • 9.1.2.5 Make

    Use this domain for words referring to making something--joining things together to create something to be that did not exist before.

    Louw Nida Codes: 
    42C Make, Create
  • What words refer to making something?
    make, build, construct, create, fabricate, fashion, form, generate, manufacture, prepare, produce, shape, bring into being,
  • What words refer to something that has been made?
    artifact, building, construction, manufactured goods, product, production
  • What words refer to a person who makes something?
    builder, maker, producer, manufacturer
  • What words describe something that was made?
    man-made, hand-made, manufactured, artificial, synthetic
  • 9.1.2.6 Change something

    Use this domain for words referring to someone changing something.

  • What words are used to refer to changing something?
    change (v), change (n), revise, revision, revolutionize, revolution, reform, reformation, modify, modification, develop, development, make different, impact, process, transform,
  • What words refer to a person who changes something?
    revolutionary, reformer, radical
  • What words describe something that can be changed?
    changeable
  • What words describe a big change?
    big, major, sweeping, radical, fundamental, revolutionary, monumental,
  • What words describe a small change?
    small, slight, tiny, minute,
  • What words describe a quick change?
    quick, fast, rapid,
  • What words describe a slow change?
    slow, gradual,
  • 9.1.2.7 Event propositions

    Use this domain for words that indicate event propositions. Event propositions are similar in that they are normally expressed by a subject and a verb, possibly including an object, indirect object, or complement clause. However there are multiple ways in which a language can express an event, such as a passive construction, noun phrase, or subordinate clause. In addition each event type is different in its primary cases, and in the ways those cases are marked. Each event type has subtypes, such as intransitive, transitive, and bitransitive verbs. A great deal of research is needed in order to identify all the variations. Ultimately every verb must be investigated to determine how it behaves in each syntactic construction and how its case relations are marked. No two verbs are entirely alike.

  • What words indicate an event?
    -ing, -'s...-ing, -ing...of, to,
  • 9.1.3 Thing

    Use this domain for general words referring to things.

  • What general words refer to a thing?
    thing, something, article, artifact, entity, item, object, wares,
  • What words refer to a group of things of different types?
    things, oddments, paraphernalia, stuff, odds and ends, bits and pieces, knick-knacks,
  • What words are used to refer to something when you can't remember what it is called?
    what's its name, thingy, thingamajig, whatchamacallit, whatsit, such and such
  • What words are used to end a list of things to indicate that there are more things in the list?
    et cetera, etc., and what not, and so forth, and the like, and on and on, ... [ellipsis]
  • 9.1.3.1 Physical, non-physical

    Use this domain for words describing something that is physical--that you can touch and see, and for words describing something that is non-physical--that you cannot touch or see.

    Louw Nida Codes: 
    79A Physical, Spiritual
    79B Natural, Spiritual
  • What words describe something that is physical?
    animal nature, biological, bodily, concrete, corporal, corporeal, earthly, earthy, fleshly, incarnate, inferior, matter, material, materialistic, mundane, natural, objective, physical, seen, sensible, sensual, tangible, temporal, unspiritual, worldly
  • What words refer to something that is physical?
    substance, stuff, matter, material
  • What words describe something that is non-physical?
    disembodied, extramundane, extrasensory, immaterial, impalpable, incorporeal, instinctive, intangible, intellectual, libidinal, life, mental, metaphysical, nonphysical, nonmaterial, numinous, otherworldly, preternatural, psychic, psychological, rational, reasoning, spiritual, spiritualist, subjective, supernatural, transcendent, transcendental, unbodied, unearthly, unseen, unworldly,
  • What words refer to something that is non-physical?
    spirit
  • 9.1.3.2 Situation

    Use this domain for words referring to a situation--a particular time and place, and the things that are true about it.

  • What words refer to the general situation that exists in a place?
    situation, things, conditions, state of affairs, set-up, context,
  • What words refer to a situation that affects what can happen or what people can do?
    situation, circumstances, environment, climate, conditions, the lay of the land, which way the wind blows, scenario,
  • What words refer to a situation that exists at some time during a larger event or process?
    situation, position, state of play,
  • What words refer to the true situation rather than the situation that people think exists?
    the picture, the score, what's going on,
  • What words refer to the situation a person is in?
    situation, circumstances, position, case, plight,
  • What words indicate that something must happen or cannot happen because of the situation?
    under the circumstances, in the circumstances, given the circumstances, given the situation, as it is, as things stand, force of circumstances, the way things are,
  • 9.1.4 General adjectives

    Use this domain for general adjectives that can replace or stand for a specific adjective.

  • What general words can replace an adjective?
    such, that kind of, that sort of,
  • What question words ask for an adjective in the answer?
    what kind of, what sort of,
  • What question words ask for an ad-adjective in the answer?
    how,
  • 9.1.5 General adverbs

    Use this domain for general adverbs that can replace or stand for other adverbs.

  • What general words can replace an adverb?
    thus, thusly, so, how, like this, this way, in that way, in this manner