There is a set of difficult Spanish grammar questions (ser-estar, preterite-imperfect, subjunctive-indicative, word order, and prepositions) in which the description of the semantic component is essential. Even though generative formulations treat them in differing ways, these questions possess the common characteristic of associating a form difference (of lexical form, syntactic configuration, or both) with a language-significant difference in meaning. This paper summarizes the semantic structuring of these questions as presently found in the literature. A relation is hypothesized between that semantic structuring and enduring principal features of Spanish culture, evidenced by values encountered as major themes in Hispanic literature and customs and the Hispanic historical experience. Finally, a model is hypothesized which admits the influence of cultural structure via the structuring of "lexical" form-meaning correspondences, but which also admits the parallel and coordinate influence of universal structure (perhaps partially from innate ideas) in culture and the lexicon, and via grammatical formators. (Author/CFM)