On Defining Parts of Speech with Generative Grammar and NSM

The paper uses NSM explications of meanings to define the 'semantic core' for nouns and verbs, where a semantic core for a Part of Speech is a kind of meaning such that almost all words that have meanings of that kind will belong to that Part of Speech. Nouns are found to be relatively straightforward, along lines developed previously by John Lyons and Paul Schachter, while verbs are more complex, in somewhat surprising ways, and both appear to be found universally. Adjectives on the other appear to not be adequately demonstrated as universal.