Meaning: see

Illustrative Context

I see him every day on the road.

Target Sense

• The most generic transitive verb for see, in the literal, prototypical sense of perceiving with the eyes, passively and without needing deliberate intention.
• Avoid other verbs that add the narrower meaning of specifically active, intentional or purposeful observing. That is, the target sense is that of English see, and explicitly not that of English look (at) or watch. Compare with the analogous contrasts under the separate IE-CoR meaning hear, i.e. not purposeful listen.
• As in the illustrative context, the lexeme entered must be applicable at least to seeing a human, although as a generic, default verb it will in most languages be applicable very widely, usually to anything that can be seen.
• In many languages the literal see verb can naturally extend to mean also understand, realise, as in English I don’t see why or Ah, I see. This is not in itself an issue, but do not enter additional lexemes that necessarily entail this extension. Enter only the most basic, default lexeme for the target literal sense of simply observing, i.e. what the eyes do, not any thought process about what one may then be able to infer from that observation.
• Avoid any terms that are narrower in stressing the ability to see things that are decidedly small or hard to distinguish, e.g. make out, discern, spot, etc..
• Avoid terms that are more specific in any other sense, too: e.g. witness, notice, etc..
• The target register is the default, neutral one of basic vocabulary. Avoid lexemes limited to other registers, e.g. formal perceive, observe, note, or any slang terms.