Learning Exercise 1¶
Assigning SAL Codes to Nouns¶
This learning exercise assumes that you as yet know very little about SAL noun coding. It’s designed to let you learn SAL coding inductively. If you complete this exercise and the ones that follow successfully, you will be ready to proceed to the section called “Test Your Knowledge.” If you do well on those tests, you may consider yourself a qualified SAL coder!
This exercise introduces you to each of the SAL Noun Supersets, one by one, via a series of tables. Each table presents a group of nouns all belonging to the same Superset. However, the SAL set and subset codes for these nouns, and the mnemonic which expresses them, are not shown. These are for you to supply. But your task is made easy for you. To discover how each noun is coded, click on the noun and you will be taken to a description and explanation of the SAL set and subset code (and the corresponding mnemonic) which applies.
By the time you have gone through these exercises, you will have covered the entire SAL taxonomy for nouns.
Note, however, that these exercises do not cover so-called “process nouns” (noun deverbals). Process nouns, e.g, words like removal, consolidation, altercation, specialization, are derived from verbs and are convertible to verbs, and for this reason are automatically assigned the codes of their corresponding verbs. Process nouns then are not part of the open class.
If you’re just starting and are as yet unfamiliar with the basic Superset/set/subset structure of the SAL taxonomy for nouns, or with the SAL taxonomy in general, see Basic Concepts Regarding SAL.
Exercise A - Concrete Noun Superset¶
To do this exercise, in the white box enter the mnemonic code for each of the nouns. Those mnemonic codes can be found by clicking on the noun. You will be taken to the section in the tutorial describing the noun in question and its correct SAL mnemonic code.
Click here for Answer Key to Exercise A - Concrete Noun Superset.
| pencil | |
| ambulance | |
| pulmonary artery | |
| flashlight | |
| sedative | |
| candy bar | |
| quark | |
| cellular phone | |
| sound baffle | |
| orange | |
| pacemaker | |
| screen door | |
| hip bone | |
| digital watch | |
| dead-bolt lock | |
| redwood | |
| laser beam | |
| stratus cloud | |
| shelf | |
| software application |
Exercise B - Information Noun Superset¶
Click here for Answer Key to Exercise B - Information Noun Superset.
| drama | |
| dictionary | |
| microfiche | |
| syndrome | |
| users' manual | |
| operetta | |
| linguistics | |
| circumflex accent | |
| best seller | |
| work order | |
| URL | |
| additional information | |
| video cassette | |
| lecture | |
| CD ROM | |
| non-disclosure agreement | |
| chess | |
| newspaper | |
| by-laws | |
| photo album |
Exercise C - Place Noun Superset¶
Click here for Answer Key to Exercise C - Place Noun Superset.
| trajectory | post office |
| airport | |
| Mt. Fuji | |
| Quebec | |
| village | |
| township | |
| drugstore | |
| museum | |
| pantry | |
| locale | |
| South America | |
| Tokyo | |
| neighborhood | |
| Suez Canal | |
| corridor |
Exercise D - Abstract Noun Superset¶
Click here for Answer Key to Exercise D - Abstract Noun Superset.
| profile | basis |
| vintage | |
| objective | |
| technique | |
| danger | |
| catastrophe | |
| double click | |
| category | |
| idea | |
| poverty | |
| persistence | |
| holiday | |
| snow removal | |
| efficiency | |
| tenacity |
Exercise E - Mass Noun Superset¶
Click here for Answer Key to Exercise E - Mass Noun Superset.
| grass | glass |
| meat | |
| electricity | |
| water | |
| glassware | |
| electronic equipment | |
| chlorophyll | |
| petty cash | |
| fog | |
| sand | |
| hair | |
| iodine | |
| rust | |
| ceramic tile | |
| lambswool |
Exercise F - Animate Noun Superset¶
Click here for Answer Key to Exercise F - Animate Noun Superset.
| physician | Dubliner |
| menagerie | |
| lamb | |
| committee | |
| Spanish | |
| robin | |
| labor union | |
| Supreme Court | |
| Socrates | |
| chicken | |
| IBM | |
| germ | |
| President Lincoln | |
| angel | |
| salmon |
Exercise G - Measure Noun Superset¶
Click here for Answer Key to Exercise G - Measure Noun Superset.
| hour | ohm |
| horsepower | |
| degree | |
| liter | |
| temperature | |
| mile | |
| multiple | |
| Eurodollar | |
| BTU | |
| gold standard | |
| velocity | |
| ton | |
| quorum | |
| mph | |
| acre |
Exercise H - Time Noun Superset¶
Click here for Answer Key to Exercise G - Measure Noun Superset.
| twilight | |
| rush hour | |
| Mardi Gras | |
| summer solstice | |
| autumn | |
| tonight's | |
| (the) day after tomorrow | |
| Jurassic Period | |
| Sunday | |
| epoch | |
| (the) Nineties | |
| today's | |
| March | |
| fiscal year | |
| closing time | |
| lunchbreak |
Exercise I - Aspective Noun Superset¶
Click here for Answer Key to Exercise I - Aspective Noun Superset.
| row | |
| slot | |
| flap | |
| millions | |
| set | |
| section | |
| seat | |
| brim | |
| facet | |
| tab | |
| fleet | |
| series | |
| version | |
| interface | |
| slice | |
| edge |
Exercise J - Verbal and Process Nouns¶
Click here for Answer Key to Exercise J - Verbal and Process Nouns.
| retrofit | |
| persistence | |
| transformation | |
| distribution | |
| military buildup | |
| interpretation | |
| exile | |
| food distribution | |
| separation | |
| change | |
| service | |
| distribution process | |
| data display | |
| merger | |
| water storage | |
| flair |
Answer Keys¶
Answer Key to Exercise A - Concrete Noun Superset¶
Back to Exercise A - Concrete Noun Superset.
Word |
Mnemonic |
Superset |
Set |
Subset |
Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
pencil |
COtool |
3 |
34 |
720 |
instrument (functional) |
sedative |
COchem |
3 |
35 |
702 |
chemical agent (non-mass) |
sound baffle |
CObarr |
3 |
34 |
525 |
barrier (functional) |
hip bone |
COstruc |
3 |
34 |
612 |
structural thing (parts of the body are coded acc. to function) |
laser beam |
COlight |
3 |
37 |
37 |
impulses/lights |
ambulance |
COvehic |
3 |
35 |
611 |
vehicle (agentive) |
candy bar |
COednm |
3 |
18 |
18 |
edible food (non-mass) |
orange |
COedcol |
3 |
18 |
855 |
edible food + color (remote agentive) |
digital watch |
COmeter |
3 |
35 |
716 |
meter (agentive) |
stratus cloud |
COamor |
3 |
33 |
33 |
amorphous thing |
pulmonary artery |
COcond |
3 |
34 |
745 |
conduit (parts of the body are coded acc. to function) |
quark |
COatom |
3 |
19 |
19 |
atomistic |
pacemaker |
COmach |
3 |
35 |
750 |
machine/system (agentive) |
dead-bolt lock |
COfast |
3 |
34 |
721 |
fastener (functional) |
shelf |
COsurf |
3 |
34 |
722 |
bearing surface (functional) |
flashlight |
COlight |
3 |
37 |
37 |
lights/impulses |
cellular phone |
COcomm |
3 |
35 |
708 |
communication agent |
screen door |
CObarr |
3 |
34 |
525 |
threshhold/barrier (functional) |
redwood |
COtrwd |
3 |
32 |
855 |
concrete (tree) + mass (wood) remote agentive |
software application |
COsoft |
3 |
35 |
300 |
software (agentive) |
Answer Key to Exercise B - Information Noun Superset¶
Back to Exercise B - Information Noun Superset.
Word |
Mnemonic |
Superset |
Set |
Subset |
Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
drama |
INarts |
12 |
78 |
225 |
the arts |
users’ manual |
INinst |
12 |
74 |
74 |
instructional data |
best seller |
INdata |
12 |
76 |
76 |
recorded data |
video cassette |
INstor |
12 |
77 |
77 |
medium for storing data |
chess |
INgame |
12 |
74 |
224 |
games played acc. to rules (subset of instructional/legal) |
dictionary |
INdata |
12 |
76 |
76 |
recorded data |
operetta |
INevent |
12 |
76 |
223 |
scripted event |
work order |
INinst |
12 |
74 |
74 |
instructional data |
lecture |
INevent |
12 |
76 |
223 |
scripted event |
newspaper |
INdata |
12 |
76 |
76 |
recorded data |
microfiche |
INstor |
12 |
77 |
77 |
medium for storing data |
linguistics |
INknow |
12 |
78 |
78 |
field of knowledge |
URL |
INsymb |
12 |
75 |
75 |
symbolic data |
CD-rom |
INstor |
12 |
77 |
77 |
medium for storing data |
by-laws |
INinst |
12 |
74 |
74 |
instructional/legal |
syndrome |
INevid |
12 |
96 |
96 |
evidence/symptoms |
circumflex accent |
INsymb |
12 |
75 |
75 |
symbolic data |
additional information |
INundif |
12 |
79 |
79 |
undifferentiated information |
non-disclosure agreement |
INinst |
12 |
74 |
74 |
instructional/legal |
photo album |
INdata |
12 |
76 |
76 |
photos/pictures = recorded data |
Answer Key to Exercise C - Place Noun Superset¶
Back to Exercise C - Place Noun Superset.
Word |
Mnemonic |
Superset |
Set |
Subset |
Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
trajectory |
PLpath |
9 |
55 |
55 |
path-type place |
Quebec |
PLcoun |
9 |
94 |
230 |
proper names of countries/states/provinces (agentive) |
museum |
PLagfunc |
9 |
26 |
228 |
functional location (agentive) |
Tokyo |
PLcity |
9 |
94 |
226 |
proper names of cities (agentive) |
post office |
PLagfunc |
9 |
26 |
228 |
functional location (agentive) |
village |
PLagcom |
9 |
94 |
236 |
common-noun geographical entity (agentive) |
pantry |
PLencl |
9 |
27 |
27 |
enclosed space |
neighborhood |
PLnagcom |
9 |
29 |
29 |
common-noun geographical location (non-agentive) |
airport |
PLagfunc |
9 |
26 |
228 |
functional location (agentive) |
township |
PLagcom |
9 |
94 |
236 |
common-noun geog. entities (agentive) |
locale |
PLundif |
9 |
57 |
57 |
undifferentiated place |
Suez Canal |
PLwater |
9 |
56 |
229 |
proper names of bodies of water (non-agentive) |
Mt. Fuji |
PLothprop |
9 |
56 |
238 |
proper names of other geog. entities (non-agentive) |
drugstore |
PLfunc |
9 |
26 |
26 |
functional location (non-agentive) |
South America |
PLcont |
9 |
56 |
227 |
proper names of the continents (non-agentive) |
corridor |
PLpath |
9 |
55 |
55 |
path-type place |
* The bold facing in the comment column above is designed to call attention to the two critical aspects of Place Noun coding, namely, Proper versus Common nouns, and Agentive versus non-Agentive Place Nouns.
Answer Key to Exercise D - Abstract Noun Superset¶
Back to Exercise D - Abstract Noun Superset.
Word |
Mnemonic |
Superset |
Set |
Subset |
Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
profile |
ABprop |
6 |
40 |
609 |
intrinsic properties/qualities/nature of a person or thing |
technique |
ABmeth |
6 |
41 |
733 |
method/process/procedure (“of v’ing”) |
category |
ABclass |
6 |
40 |
731 |
classification |
holiday |
ABtime |
6 |
41 |
732 |
time event |
basis |
ABcause |
6 |
41 |
602 |
cause/potential/disposition (“for v’ing”) |
danger |
ABnegc |
6 |
41 |
764 |
negative cause |
idea |
ABgen |
6 |
42 |
42 |
general abstract concept |
snow removal |
ABstrvb |
6 |
41 |
749 |
strong verbal |
vintage |
ABclass |
6 |
40 |
731 |
classification |
catastrophe |
ABcont |
6 |
41 |
765 |
contrary event (“make provision for” = “take precaution against”) |
poverty |
ABstate |
6 |
40 |
736 |
states/conditions/relationships |
efficiency |
ABqual |
6 |
41 |
655 |
quality of action/agent (“in v’ing”) |
objective |
ABpur |
6 |
40 |
748 |
purpose (“in v’ing/for v’ing/to verb”) |
double click |
ABstrvb |
6 |
41 |
749 |
strong verbal |
persistence |
ABcause |
6 |
41 |
602 |
cause/potential/disposition |
tenacity |
ABqual |
6 |
41 |
655 |
quality of action/agent (“in v’ing”) |
Answer Key to Exercise E - Mass Noun Superset¶
Back to Exercise E - Mass Noun Superset.
Word |
Mnemonic |
Superset |
Set |
Subset |
Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
grass |
MAvege |
11 |
60 |
60 |
vegetative mass |
water |
MAliqu |
11 |
45 |
45 |
liquid mass |
petty cash |
MAfina |
11 |
97 |
97 |
financial mass |
iodine |
MAchem |
11 |
83 |
83 |
chemical agent (mass) |
glass |
MAraw |
11 |
38 |
38 |
raw materials/metals |
glassware |
MAfunc |
11 |
49 |
49 |
functional mass |
fog |
MAgas |
11 |
50 |
50 |
gases |
rust |
MAwaste |
11 |
98 |
98 |
wastes |
meat |
MAedib |
11 |
43 |
43 |
edible mass |
electronic equipment |
MAgear |
11 |
49 |
324 |
mass nouns ending in -gear/equipment |
sand |
MAmine |
11 |
84 |
84 |
minerals/solids |
ceramic tile |
MAfunc |
11 |
49 |
49 |
functional mass |
electricity |
MAener |
11 |
23 |
23 |
energy-type mass noun |
chlorophyll |
MAcomp |
11 |
52 |
52 |
chemical compounds |
hair |
MAanim |
11 |
82 |
82 |
animate mass |
lambswool |
MAraw |
11 |
38 |
38 |
raw materials/metals |
Answer Key to Exercise F - Animate Noun Superset¶
Back to Exercise F - Animate Noun Superset.
Word |
Mnemonic |
Superset |
Set |
Subset |
Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
physician |
ANdes |
5 |
91 |
91 |
human profession/designation |
committee |
ANcoll |
5 |
94 |
94 |
human collective |
Supreme Court |
ANorg |
5 |
94 |
193 |
organization (proper name) |
germ |
ANmicro |
5 |
51 |
121 |
micro-organisms |
Dubliner |
ANplace |
5 |
91 |
205 |
people described in terms of place |
Spanish |
ANlang |
5 |
91 |
206 |
people described in terms of language |
Socrates |
ANname |
5 |
91 |
207 |
human proper names |
President Lincoln |
ANtitle |
5 |
91 |
807 |
proper titles of human beings |
menagerie |
ANaggr |
5 |
51 |
208 |
non-human aggregate |
robin |
ANfowl |
5 |
51 |
125 |
fowl |
chicken |
ANfowlfd |
5 |
51 |
855 |
fowl/food = animate + mass (remote mass) |
angel |
ANother |
5 |
51 |
213 |
other animate designations |
lamb |
ANmammfd |
5 |
51 |
855 |
mammal/ food = animate + mass (remote mass) |
labor union |
ANcoll |
5 |
94 |
94 |
human collective |
IBM |
ANorg |
5 |
94 |
193 |
organization (proper name) |
salmon |
ANfish |
5 |
51 |
124 |
fish |
Answer Key to Exercise G - Measure Noun Superset¶
Back to Exercise G - Measure Noun Superset.
Word |
Mnemonic |
Superset |
Set |
Subset |
Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
hour |
MEdur |
8 |
61 |
166 |
unit of duration |
liter |
MEvol |
8 |
61 |
163 |
unit of volume measure |
Eurodollar |
MEvalue |
8 |
61 |
168 |
unit of money/value |
ton |
MEwt |
8 |
61 |
161 |
unit of weight |
ohm |
MEspec |
8 |
61 |
167 |
specialized units of measure |
temperature |
MEabs |
8 |
46 |
46 |
abstract concepts measured by unit |
BTU |
MEtemp |
8 |
61 |
164 |
unit of temperature |
quorum |
MEdis |
8 |
95 |
95 |
discrete measurable concepts |
horsepower |
MEener |
8 |
61 |
165 |
unit of energy/force |
mile |
MElin |
8 |
61 |
170 |
unit of linear/area measure |
gold standard |
MEsys |
8 |
61 |
234 |
measurement systems |
MPH |
MEvel |
8 |
61 |
162 |
unit of velocity |
degree |
MEundif |
8 |
61 |
169 |
undifferentiated measure |
multiple |
MEdis |
8 |
95 |
95 |
discrete measurable concepts |
velocity |
MEabs |
8 |
46 |
46 |
abstract concepts measured by unit |
acre |
MElin |
8 |
61 |
170 |
unit of linear/area measure |
Answer Key to Exercise H - Time Noun Superset¶
Back to Exercise H - Time Noun Superset.
Word |
Mnemonic |
Superset |
Set |
Subset |
Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
twilight |
TIper |
10 |
10 |
174 |
periods of the day |
autumn |
TIsea |
10 |
10 |
173 |
seasons of the year |
Sunday |
TIday |
10 |
10 |
171 |
days of the week |
March |
TImon |
10 |
10 |
172 |
months of the year |
rush hour |
TIper |
10 |
10 |
174 |
periods of the day |
tonight’s |
TIadv |
10 |
10 |
176 |
adverbs that become nouns when used possessively |
epoch |
TIundif |
10 |
30 |
30 |
undifferentiated time |
fiscal year |
TIundif |
10 |
30 |
30 |
undifferentiated time |
Mardi Gras |
TIsea |
10 |
10 |
173 |
seasons of the year |
(the) day after tomorrow |
TIday |
10 |
10 |
171 |
days of the week |
(the) Nineties |
TIundif |
10 |
30 |
30 |
undifferentiated time |
closing time |
TIper |
10 |
10 |
174 |
periods of the day |
summer solstice |
TIsea |
10 |
10 |
173 |
seasons of the year |
Jurassic Period |
TIundif |
10 |
30 |
30 |
undifferentiated time |
today’s |
TIadv |
10 |
10 |
176 |
adverbs that become nouns when used possessively |
lunchbreak |
TIper |
10 |
10 |
174 |
periods of the day |
Answer Key to Exercise I - Aspective Noun Superset¶
Back to Exercise I - Aspective Noun Superset.
Word |
Mnemonic |
Superset |
Set |
Subset |
Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
row |
ASconf |
2 |
28 |
28 |
configurations/order |
set |
ASaggr |
2 |
92 |
92 |
aggregates |
facet |
ASsurf |
2 |
21 |
21 |
aspective bearing surfaces |
version |
AScopy |
2 |
31 |
31 |
model/copy |
slot |
ASrecp |
2 |
36 |
36 |
aspective receptacles (in + NP) |
section |
ASpart |
2 |
24 |
24 |
members/portions/parts |
tab |
ASfunc |
2 |
58 |
58 |
aspective functionals |
interface |
AScond |
2 |
22 |
22 |
aspective conduits |
flap |
ASfunc |
2 |
58 |
58 |
aspective functionals |
seat |
ASsurf |
2 |
21 |
21 |
aspective bearing surfaces |
fleet |
ASaggr |
2 |
92 |
92 |
aggregates |
slice |
ASpart |
2 |
24 |
24 |
members/portions/parts |
millions |
ASnum |
2 |
92 |
101 |
numeric groupings |
brim |
ASbarr |
2 |
25 |
25 |
aspective thresholds/focal points/ barriers/limits |
series |
ASconf |
2 |
28 |
28 |
configurations/order |
edge |
ASbarr |
2 |
25 |
25 |
aspective thresholds/focal points/ barriers/limits |
Answer Key to Exercise J - Verbal and Process Nouns¶
Back to Exercise J - Verbal and Process Nouns.
Word |
Mnemonic |
Superset |
Set |
Subset |
Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
retrofit |
ABstrvb |
6 |
41 |
749 |
strong verbal |
military buildup |
ABstrvb |
6 |
41 |
749 |
strong verbal |
separation |
PNtr |
7 |
xx |
xxx |
upon separation of X = upon separating X |
data display |
ABstrvb |
6 |
41 |
749 |
strong verbal |
persistence |
ABcause |
6 |
41 |
602 |
cause/potential/disposition |
interpretation |
PNtr |
7 |
xx |
xxx |
give an interpretation = to interpret |
change |
PNtr |
7 |
x |
xx |
to make a change = to change |
merger |
ABwith |
6 |
59 |
749 |
strong verbal w/ prep governance: “with” |
transformation |
PNtr |
7 |
xx |
xxx |
for transformation of x into y = to transform x into y / upon transformation of x into y = on transforming x into y |
exile |
ABfrom |
6 |
26 |
749 |
strong verbal w/ prep governance: “from” |
service |
ABto |
6 |
46 |
749 |
strong verbal w/ prep governance: “to” |
water storage |
ABstrvb |
6 |
41 |
749 |
strong verbal |
distribution |
PNtr |
7 |
xx |
xx |
upon distribution of goods = upon distributing goods |
food distribution |
ABto |
6 |
57 |
749 |
strong verbal w/ prep governance: “to” |
distribution process |
ABverb |
6 |
41 |
41 |
undifferentiated verbal abstract: re processes, behavior, etc. |
flair |
ABfor |
6 |
46 |
749 |
strong verbal w/ prep governance: “for” |