The Linguist's Shoebox

Lexical function Gen

Generic (hyperonym). A term that is semantically broader than and subsumes headword. The generic term should always be able to substitute for the specific. A generic-specific relationship should follow native speaker intuitions about what term the headword clusters under. For more information about folk taxonomies, read section 8.1 in Making Dictionaries.

One can often elicit or check generic terms by exploring natural kinds or classes with frames such as

x is a kind of (generic)
x is a type of (generic)
x belongs to the (generic) class
x is a member of the (generic) class

\lx	feten
\ps	n
\ge	millet
\de	foxtail millet
\lf	Gen
\lv	agat
\le	grain

feten n. foxtail millet. Gen: agat 'grain'.

\lx	sgege
\ps	vt
\ge	carry
\de	carry under-arm
\lf	Gen
\lv	ego
\le	get, take, carry

sgege vt. carry under-arm. Gen: ego 'get, take, carry'.

Lexical functions in alphabetical order
Related lexical function: Spec
Lexical function in other systems: Gener