diff --git a/src/lib/ext/app/app.svelte.ts b/src/lib/ext/app/app.svelte.ts
index f9e38db9c..90c0f4df7 100644
--- a/src/lib/ext/app/app.svelte.ts
+++ b/src/lib/ext/app/app.svelte.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import { Context } from 'runed';
 import { createActiveDom } from '$uix/adom';
+import { SemanticEngine } from '$uix/sema';
 import type {
 	AppOptions,
 	AppDom,
+	AppSemantic,
 	AppLangs,
 	AppNums,
 	AppMoney,
@@ -14,7 +16,13 @@ import type {
 	DateOrder,
 	HourCycle
 } from './types';
-import { fallbackDom, fallbackLangs, fallbackPresentation, consoleLogger } from './defaults';
+import {
+	fallbackDom,
+	fallbackLangs,
+	fallbackPresentation,
+	fallbackSemantic,
+	consoleLogger
+} from './defaults';
 
 /**
  * App — root service compositor.
@@ -30,6 +38,7 @@ import { fallbackDom, fallbackLangs, fallbackPresentation, consoleLogger } from
 export class App {
 	// ── Services ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 	readonly dom: AppDom;
+	readonly semantic: AppSemantic;
 	readonly langs: AppLangs;
 	readonly nums: AppNums | undefined;
 	readonly money: AppMoney | undefined;
@@ -40,6 +49,7 @@ export class App {
 
 	constructor(opts: AppOptions) {
 		this.dom = opts.dom ?? createActiveDom();
+		this.semantic = opts.semantic ?? new SemanticEngine({ dom: this.dom });
 		this.langs = opts.langs;
 		this.nums = opts.nums;
 		this.money = opts.money;
@@ -127,6 +137,7 @@ const _ctx = new Context<App>('App');
  */
 const _fallback = new App({
 	dom: fallbackDom,
+	semantic: fallbackSemantic,
 	langs: fallbackLangs,
 	presentation: fallbackPresentation,
 	logger: consoleLogger
diff --git a/src/lib/ext/app/defaults.ts b/src/lib/ext/app/defaults.ts
index fe5aaeef3..9a74f608a 100644
--- a/src/lib/ext/app/defaults.ts
+++ b/src/lib/ext/app/defaults.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { createActiveDom } from '$uix/adom';
-import type { AppLangs, AppPresentation, AppLogger } from './types';
+import { SemanticEngine } from '$uix/sema';
+import type { AppLangs, AppPresentation, AppLogger, AppSemantic } from './types';
 
 /** No-op langs: returns path as-is, no locale switching */
 export const fallbackLangs: AppLangs = {
@@ -39,3 +40,6 @@ export const fallbackPresentation: AppPresentation = {
 
 /** Minimal dom runtime: default breakpoints + responsive helpers. */
 export const fallbackDom = createActiveDom({});
+
+/** Default semantic engine wired to the fallback dom. */
+export const fallbackSemantic: AppSemantic = new SemanticEngine({ dom: fallbackDom });
diff --git a/src/lib/ext/app/index.ts b/src/lib/ext/app/index.ts
index e99a78bea..b5b096328 100644
--- a/src/lib/ext/app/index.ts
+++ b/src/lib/ext/app/index.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,17 @@
 export { App } from './app.svelte';
-export { fallbackDom, fallbackLangs, fallbackPresentation, consoleLogger } from './defaults';
+export {
+	fallbackDom,
+	fallbackLangs,
+	fallbackPresentation,
+	fallbackSemantic,
+	consoleLogger
+} from './defaults';
 
 export type {
 	AppServices,
 	AppOptions,
 	AppDom,
+	AppSemantic,
 	AppLangs,
 	AppNums,
 	AppMoney,
diff --git a/src/lib/ext/app/types.ts b/src/lib/ext/app/types.ts
index 9bbbab31c..b5277da7c 100644
--- a/src/lib/ext/app/types.ts
+++ b/src/lib/ext/app/types.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import type { ActiveDom } from '$uix/adom';
+import type { SemanticSignal } from '$uix/sema';
 
 // ── Direction ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
@@ -166,6 +167,23 @@ export interface AppPresentation {
 /** DOM runtime contract. Implements viewport + breakpoints + responsive helpers. */
 export type AppDom = ActiveDom;
 
+// ── AppSemantic ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+/**
+ * Semantic engine contract. Responsible for orchestrating perceptual signals
+ * (`data-event*`) on a target with the agreed lifecycle: write the signal,
+ * await one rAF so CSS / Eidos can react, resolve the Promise, hold N frames,
+ * then clean up. The provider/Soma decides when to emit; the engine never
+ * decides what occurred.
+ *
+ * Implementations may also publish to other channels (sound, vibra) by
+ * subscribing to their own internal bus — that's an engine detail, not the
+ * contract.
+ */
+export interface AppSemantic {
+	emit(signal: SemanticSignal): Promise<void>;
+}
+
 // ── AppLogger ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 /** Logging contract. logr implements this directly. */
@@ -185,6 +203,8 @@ export interface AppLogger {
 export interface AppServices {
 	/** DOM runtime — viewport, breakpoints, responsive helpers */
 	readonly dom: AppDom;
+	/** Semantic engine — emits perceptual signals as `data-event*` on a target */
+	readonly semantic: AppSemantic;
 	/** i18n — locale, translation, interpolation, module extension */
 	readonly langs: AppLangs;
 	/** Numbers — formatting, parsing, separator preferences */
@@ -207,6 +227,7 @@ export interface AppServices {
 
 export interface AppOptions {
 	dom?: AppDom;
+	semantic?: AppSemantic;
 	langs: AppLangs;
 	nums?: AppNums;
 	money?: AppMoney;
diff --git a/src/uix/soma/core/soma.svelte.ts b/src/uix/soma/core/soma.svelte.ts
index 21cb6f519..587e3049d 100644
--- a/src/uix/soma/core/soma.svelte.ts
+++ b/src/uix/soma/core/soma.svelte.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { Context } from 'runed';
 import { App } from '$lib/ext/app';
 import type {
 	AppDom,
+	AppSemantic,
 	AppLangs,
 	AppNums,
 	AppMoney,
@@ -45,6 +46,9 @@ export class Soma {
 	get dom(): AppDom {
 		return this.app.dom;
 	}
+	get semantic(): AppSemantic {
+		return this.app.semantic;
+	}
 	get nums(): AppNums | undefined {
 		return this.app.nums;
 	}
diff --git a/src/uix/soma/morfo/runtime.svelte.test.ts b/src/uix/soma/morfo/runtime.svelte.test.ts
index 0e21258d7..34ecbe60c 100644
--- a/src/uix/soma/morfo/runtime.svelte.test.ts
+++ b/src/uix/soma/morfo/runtime.svelte.test.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 // @vitest-environment jsdom
 
-import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { flushSync } from 'svelte'
 
 import { createActiveDom } from '$uix/adom'
+import type { AppSemantic } from '$lib/ext/app'
+import type { SemanticSignal } from '$uix/sema'
 
 import { state } from '../reactive'
 import { toggleMorfo } from '../../morfo/components/toggle'
+import { toastMorfo } from '../../morfo/components/toast'
+import { dialogMorfo } from '../../morfo/components/dialog'
 import { createMorfoRuntime } from './runtime.svelte'
 
 /**
@@ -169,3 +173,202 @@ describe('createMorfoRuntime', () => {
 		cleanup()
 	})
 })
+
+// ── trigger(eventName) ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+function fakeSemantic(): { engine: AppSemantic; calls: SemanticSignal[]; resolve: () => void } {
+	const calls: SemanticSignal[] = []
+	let pendingResolve: (() => void) | null = null
+
+	const engine: AppSemantic = {
+		emit(signal: SemanticSignal) {
+			calls.push(signal)
+			return new Promise<void>((res) => {
+				pendingResolve = res
+			})
+		}
+	}
+
+	return {
+		engine,
+		calls,
+		resolve() {
+			pendingResolve?.()
+			pendingResolve = null
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+describe('runtime.trigger', () => {
+	let dom: ReturnType<typeof createActiveDom>
+	let item: HTMLElement
+	let content: HTMLElement
+
+	beforeEach(() => {
+		document.body.innerHTML = ''
+		item = document.createElement('div')
+		document.body.appendChild(item)
+		content = document.createElement('div')
+		document.body.appendChild(content)
+		dom = createActiveDom()
+	})
+
+	afterEach(() => {
+		document.body.innerHTML = ''
+	})
+
+	it('throws when the event is not declared in the morfo', async () => {
+		const { cleanup } = withEffectRoot(() => {
+			const r = createMorfoRuntime(toastMorfo, { dom })
+			expect(r.trigger('nonexistent')).rejects.toThrow(/not declared/)
+		})
+		cleanup()
+	})
+
+	it('throws when the target part has no DOM element registered', async () => {
+		const { cleanup } = withEffectRoot(() => {
+			const r = createMorfoRuntime(toastMorfo, { dom })
+			// item part declared in toastMorfo as the target of `present`, but not registered here
+			expect(r.trigger('present')).rejects.toThrow(/has no DOM element/)
+		})
+		cleanup()
+	})
+
+	it('emits the perceptual signal to the resolved target with intent from prop', async () => {
+		const sem = fakeSemantic()
+		const itemRef = state<HTMLElement | null>(null)
+		const { cleanup } = withEffectRoot(() => {
+			const r = createMorfoRuntime(toastMorfo, {
+				dom,
+				semantic: sem.engine,
+				props: {
+					intent: () => 'risk'
+				}
+			})
+			r.registerPart('item', { id: state('toast-1'), ref: itemRef })
+			itemRef.current = item
+			void r.trigger('announce')
+		})
+
+		expect(sem.calls).toHaveLength(1)
+		expect(sem.calls[0]).toMatchObject({
+			target: item,
+			name: 'announce',
+			family: 'alert',
+			intent: 'risk'
+		})
+
+		sem.resolve()
+		await Promise.resolve()
+		cleanup()
+	})
+
+	it('falls back to the declared default intent when the prop is missing', async () => {
+		const sem = fakeSemantic()
+		const itemRef = state<HTMLElement | null>(null)
+		const { cleanup } = withEffectRoot(() => {
+			const r = createMorfoRuntime(toastMorfo, {
+				dom,
+				semantic: sem.engine,
+				props: {}
+			})
+			r.registerPart('item', { id: state('toast-1'), ref: itemRef })
+			itemRef.current = item
+			void r.trigger('announce')
+		})
+
+		expect(sem.calls[0]).toMatchObject({ family: 'alert', intent: 'neutral' })
+		sem.resolve()
+		await Promise.resolve()
+		cleanup()
+	})
+
+	it('omits intent for transitional families', async () => {
+		const sem = fakeSemantic()
+		const itemRef = state<HTMLElement | null>(null)
+		const { cleanup } = withEffectRoot(() => {
+			const r = createMorfoRuntime(toastMorfo, {
+				dom,
+				semantic: sem.engine
+			})
+			r.registerPart('item', { id: state('toast-1'), ref: itemRef })
+			itemRef.current = item
+			void r.trigger('present')
+		})
+
+		expect(sem.calls[0]).toMatchObject({ name: 'present', family: 'emerge' })
+		expect(sem.calls[0].intent).toBeUndefined()
+		sem.resolve()
+		await Promise.resolve()
+		cleanup()
+	})
+
+	it('applies prewrite imperatively before semantic.emit', async () => {
+		const sem = fakeSemantic()
+		const contentRef = state<HTMLElement | null>(null)
+		const { cleanup } = withEffectRoot(() => {
+			const r = createMorfoRuntime(dialogMorfo, {
+				dom,
+				semantic: sem.engine,
+				states: { open: () => true },
+				props: { disabled: () => false, modal: () => false }
+			})
+			r.registerPart('content', { id: state('dlg-1'), ref: contentRef })
+			contentRef.current = content
+			void r.trigger('close-cancel')
+		})
+
+		// prewrite ran before semantic.emit (which is still pending — we never resolved it)
+		expect(content.getAttribute('data-last-action')).toBe('cancelled')
+		expect(sem.calls).toHaveLength(1)
+
+		sem.resolve()
+		await Promise.resolve()
+		cleanup()
+	})
+
+	it('invokes the provider handler after semantic.emit resolves', async () => {
+		const sem = fakeSemantic()
+		const itemRef = state<HTMLElement | null>(null)
+		const handler = vi.fn()
+		const { cleanup } = withEffectRoot(() => {
+			const r = createMorfoRuntime(toastMorfo, {
+				dom,
+				semantic: sem.engine,
+				events: { dismiss: handler }
+			})
+			r.registerPart('item', { id: state('toast-1'), ref: itemRef })
+			itemRef.current = item
+			void r.trigger('dismiss')
+		})
+
+		// semantic still pending → handler not called yet
+		expect(handler).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+
+		sem.resolve()
+		await Promise.resolve()
+		await Promise.resolve()
+		expect(handler).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+		cleanup()
+	})
+
+	it('skips semantic.emit when no semantic source is provided', async () => {
+		const itemRef = state<HTMLElement | null>(null)
+		const handler = vi.fn()
+		const { cleanup } = withEffectRoot(() => {
+			const r = createMorfoRuntime(toastMorfo, {
+				dom,
+				events: { dismiss: handler }
+			})
+			r.registerPart('item', { id: state('toast-1'), ref: itemRef })
+			itemRef.current = item
+			void r.trigger('dismiss')
+		})
+
+		await Promise.resolve()
+		await Promise.resolve()
+		// Without semantic, the runtime jumps straight to the handler.
+		expect(handler).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+		cleanup()
+	})
+})
diff --git a/src/uix/soma/morfo/runtime.svelte.ts b/src/uix/soma/morfo/runtime.svelte.ts
index f7168b4d3..f1fbe4d22 100644
--- a/src/uix/soma/morfo/runtime.svelte.ts
+++ b/src/uix/soma/morfo/runtime.svelte.ts
@@ -28,8 +28,10 @@
 
 import { untrack } from 'svelte';
 import type { ActiveDom, DomAttrValue } from '$uix/adom';
+import type { AppSemantic } from '$lib/ext/app';
+import { resolveSemaIntent } from '$uix/sema';
 
-import type { Morfo, MorfoPart } from '../../morfo/types';
+import type { Morfo, MorfoEvent, MorfoPart } from '../../morfo/types';
 import { createAttrs } from '../attrs';
 import { attachRef, type RefAttachment } from '../provider/provider.svelte';
 import type { Active, State } from '../reactive';
@@ -42,15 +44,34 @@ import {
 
 export type SourceMap = Record<string, () => unknown>;
 
+/**
+ * Provider-supplied event handler. Synchronous by V1 contract — async work
+ * happens in the call-site before invoking `runtime.trigger(eventName)`.
+ * Returning a value is allowed; it is ignored by the runtime.
+ */
+export type EventHandler = () => unknown;
+
 export interface MorfoRuntimeSources {
 	/** DOM service. Required — the runtime applies attrs through it. */
 	dom: ActiveDom;
+	/**
+	 * Semantic engine. Required to use `runtime.trigger()` against any morfo
+	 * event whose declaration carries `semantic`. Without it, `trigger` works
+	 * for events that have only `prewrite` + handler but skips the perceptual
+	 * signal step.
+	 */
+	semantic?: AppSemantic;
 	/** Component-wide state sources. Read by `stateRef` declarations. */
 	states?: SourceMap;
 	/** Component-wide prop sources. Read by `propRef` declarations. */
 	props?: SourceMap;
 	/** Component-wide part-id sources. Read by `partRef` declarations. */
 	parts?: SourceMap;
+	/**
+	 * Provider's per-event handlers. Each is called by `runtime.trigger` after
+	 * `semantic.emit` resolves and is responsible for mutating internal state.
+	 */
+	events?: Record<string, EventHandler>;
 	/** Translation lookup. Read by `translationRef` declarations. */
 	translate?: (key: string) => string | undefined;
 }
@@ -71,6 +92,24 @@ export interface RegisterPartOpts {
 export interface MorfoRuntime {
 	registerPart(part: string, opts: RegisterPartOpts): void;
 	partProps(part: string): Record<string, unknown>;
+	/**
+	 * Trigger a morfo-declared event by name.
+	 *
+	 * Sequence:
+	 *   1. apply `prewrite` attrs imperatively (transient markers like
+	 *      `data-last-action`)
+	 *   2. await `semantic.emit({ target, name, family, intent? })`
+	 *   3. invoke the provider's handler from `sources.events[name]`
+	 *   4. effects on the affected parts re-derive structural attrs from the
+	 *      new state and write them via `dom.apply` (automatic)
+	 *
+	 * Step 2 is skipped when `sources.semantic` is absent or when the morfo
+	 * event has no semantic. Step 3 is skipped when no handler is registered.
+	 *
+	 * Resolves only after `semantic.emit` has had its rAF and the handler has
+	 * returned. Effects run on the next reactive tick, not awaited here.
+	 */
+	trigger(eventName: string): Promise<void>;
 }
 
 interface PartRegistration {
@@ -167,5 +206,76 @@ export function createMorfoRuntime(
 		return props;
 	}
 
-	return { registerPart, partProps };
+	function findEvent(name: string): MorfoEvent | undefined {
+		return morfo.events?.find((event) => event.name === name);
+	}
+
+	function snapshotRootProps(): Record<string, unknown> {
+		const props: Record<string, unknown> = {};
+		if (sources.props) {
+			for (const key in sources.props) props[key] = sources.props[key]();
+		}
+		return props;
+	}
+
+	async function trigger(eventName: string): Promise<void> {
+		const event = findEvent(eventName);
+		if (!event) {
+			throw new Error(
+				`[morfo-runtime] Event "${eventName}" not declared in "${morfo.kebab}".`
+			);
+		}
+
+		// Resolve target part — must be a registered part with a mounted DOM ref.
+		const targetReg = registrations.get(event.target.target);
+		const target = targetReg?.ref?.current ?? null;
+		if (!target) {
+			throw new Error(
+				`[morfo-runtime] Trigger "${eventName}" target part "${event.target.target}" has no DOM element registered.`
+			);
+		}
+
+		// 1. prewrite — transient markers applied before the perceptual signal.
+		// Each prewrite entry already carries a literal value; no source resolution.
+		if (event.prewrite) {
+			for (const write of event.prewrite) {
+				const writeReg = registrations.get(write.part.target);
+				const writeTarget = writeReg?.ref?.current ?? null;
+				if (writeTarget) {
+					sources.dom.apply({ target: writeTarget, attrs: { [write.attr]: write.value } });
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		// 2. semantic.emit — perceptual signal. Resolves after one rAF; CSS gets
+		// a frame to observe the data-event* before the structural change lands.
+		if (sources.semantic) {
+			const props = snapshotRootProps();
+			const family = event.semantic.family;
+			const intent =
+				'intent' in event.semantic
+					? resolveSemaIntent(event.semantic.intent, props)
+					: undefined;
+
+			await sources.semantic.emit({
+				target,
+				name: event.name,
+				family,
+				...(intent ? { intent } : {})
+			});
+		}
+
+		// 3. handler — provider mutates internal state. Synchronous by V1
+		// contract; any returned value is ignored.
+		const handler = sources.events?.[eventName];
+		if (handler) {
+			await handler();
+		}
+
+		// 4. Effects on the affected parts re-derive structural attrs from the
+		// new state and write them via `dom.apply` automatically — no explicit
+		// step here. State is the source of truth; the DOM is its derivation.
+	}
+
+	return { registerPart, partProps, trigger };
 }