User:DCDuring/Defining nouns
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Things to think about for nouns:
- Focus on general, pan-English senses first (only?), but in all registers.
- Don't strain to include specialized senses (context-specific), especially outside an area of interest or knowledge.
- Get some etymology information.
- For thorny/puzzling cases where sense evolution info might help, delegate to or consult with someone with access to OED or use library's copy.
- Identify any odd grammar or complements.
- Identify any derived terms, especially (purported) idioms, for possibly "See" references or instances of specific grammar or meaning.
- Identify distinct senses
- Identify aspect dimensions
- Identify aspects
- Review usage at COCA first, then bgc, then news, then groups, then scholar.
- Compare against semantic roles: agent, benefactive, beneficiary, causer, experience, factitive, goal, instrument, location/locative, path, patient, recipient, source, stimulus, theme.
- Are there uncountable senses?
Nominals and noun phrases[edit]
- Are the elements separately coordinatable? London colleges=>1. London and Paris colleges; 2. London colleges and universities.
- Are the elements separately modifiable?
- Which is it?
- Fused-head NP
- Partitive fused-head NP
- Special "(adj) people" or "that which is (adj)"
If