Pattern
Which verb makes a machine start working?
A lamp, an air conditioner, a tap, recorded music, an alarm clock, a vacuum cleaner and a washing machine each need a verb. Some languages reach for fire, some for opening or rotation, some for the plain act of putting a thing down. The choice also shifts from one thing to the next within a single language: Japanese attaches a light and hangs music, where Korean kindles the light and rotates the washing machine.
Device operationColexificationMetaphorMetonymy
Switching a Device On →