Soto, GloriaTonsing, Kerstin Monika2023-11-222024Gloria Soto & Kerstin Tönsing (2024): Is there a ‘universal’ core? Using semantic primes to select vocabulary across languages in AAC, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 1-11, DOI: 10.1080/07434618.2023.2243322.0743-4618 (print)1477-3848 (online)10.1080/07434618.2023.2243322http://hdl.handle.net/2263/93384Core vocabulary lists and vocabulary inventories vary according to language. Lists from one language cannot and should not be assumed to be translatable, as words represent language-specific concepts and grammar. In this manuscript, we (a) present the results of a vocabulary overlap analysis between different published core vocabulary lists in English, Korean, Spanish, and Sepedi; (b) discuss the concept of universal semantic primes as a set of universal concepts that are posited to be language-independent; and (c) provide a list of common words shared across all four languages as exemplars of their semantic primes. The resulting common core words and their corresponding semantic primes can assist families and professionals in thinking about the initial steps in the development of AAC systems for their bilingual/multilingual clients.en© 2023 International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. This is an electronic version of an article published in Augmentative and Alternative Communication, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 1-11, 2024. doi : 10.1080/07434618.2023.2243322. Augmentative and Alternative Communication is available online at : http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/iaac20.Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)Bilingual AACCore vocabularySemantic primesVocabulary selectionSDG-04: Quality educationPostprint Article