diff --git a/js/compiler/compiler.js b/js/compiler/compiler.js
index 5eaa12f..01ec599 100644
--- a/js/compiler/compiler.js
+++ b/js/compiler/compiler.js
@@ -86,10 +86,10 @@ function buildCaseEvent(eventPattern, body) {
 }
 
 var modifiedSourceActions = {
-  ActorStatement_noReact: function(_actorStar, _namedOpt, nameExpOpt, block) {
+  ActorStatement_noReact: function(_spawnStar, _namedOpt, nameExpOpt, block) {
     return buildActor(nameExpOpt, block, false);
   },
-  ActorStatement_withReact: function(_actor, _namedOpt, nameExpOpt, block) {
+  ActorStatement_withReact: function(_spawn, _namedOpt, nameExpOpt, block) {
     return buildActor(nameExpOpt, block, true);
   },
 
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ var modifiedSourceActions = {
                                                [],
                                                '{}')) + '}');
   },
-  ActorEndpointStatement_duringActor: function(_during, pattern, _actor, _named, nameExpOpt, block)
+  ActorEndpointStatement_duringSpawn: function(_during, pattern, _spawn, _named, nameExpOpt, block)
   {
     var cachedAssertionVar = gensym('cachedAssertion');
     var actorBlock = {
diff --git a/js/compiler/demo-bad-this.js b/js/compiler/demo-bad-this.js
index 8a5990c..a83d6a8 100644
--- a/js/compiler/demo-bad-this.js
+++ b/js/compiler/demo-bad-this.js
@@ -25,17 +25,17 @@ assertion type present(who);
 assertion type rendered(who, isPresent);
 
 ground dataspace {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     assert user('one');
     assert present('one');
   }
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     assert user('two');
     // assert present('two');
   }
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     during user($who) {
       field this.isPresent = false;
       on asserted present(who) {
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ ground dataspace {
     }
   }
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     during rendered($who, $isPresent) {
       on start { console.log('+ render', who, isPresent); }
       on stop { console.log('- render', who, isPresent); }
diff --git a/js/compiler/demo-bankaccount.js b/js/compiler/demo-bankaccount.js
index 3e71079..c803ca1 100644
--- a/js/compiler/demo-bankaccount.js
+++ b/js/compiler/demo-bankaccount.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ assertion type account(balance);
 message type deposit(amount);
 
 ground dataspace {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     field this.balance = 0;
     assert account(this.balance);
     dataflow {
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@ ground dataspace {
     }
   }
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     on asserted account($balance) {
       console.log("Balance is now", balance);
     }
   }
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     on start {
       console.log("Waiting for account.");
     }
diff --git a/js/compiler/demo-during-criterion-snapshotting.js b/js/compiler/demo-during-criterion-snapshotting.js
index 39cae50..3f98697 100644
--- a/js/compiler/demo-during-criterion-snapshotting.js
+++ b/js/compiler/demo-during-criterion-snapshotting.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ var Dataspace = Syndicate.Dataspace;
 assertion type foo(x, y);
 
 ground dataspace {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     field this.x = 123;
 
     assert foo(this.x, 999);
diff --git a/js/compiler/demo-filesystem.js b/js/compiler/demo-filesystem.js
index 94103f0..e1627de 100644
--- a/js/compiler/demo-filesystem.js
+++ b/js/compiler/demo-filesystem.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ ground dataspace {
   ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
   // The file system actor
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     this.files = {};
     during Syndicate.observe(file($name, _)) {
       on start {
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ ground dataspace {
   ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
   // A simple demo client of the file system
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     on asserted file("hello.txt", $content) {
       console.log("hello.txt has content", JSON.stringify(content));
     }
@@ -54,14 +54,14 @@ ground dataspace {
     }
   }
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     stop on asserted Syndicate.observe(saveFile(_, _)) {
       :: saveFile("hello.txt", "a");
       :: deleteFile("hello.txt");
       :: saveFile("hello.txt", "c");
       :: saveFile("hello.txt", "quit demo");
       :: saveFile("hello.txt", "final contents");
-      actor {
+      spawn {
         stop on asserted file("hello.txt", $content) {
           console.log("second observer sees that hello.txt content is",
                       JSON.stringify(content));
diff --git a/js/compiler/demo-nested-during.js b/js/compiler/demo-nested-during.js
index 55e4799..ccbe5ee 100644
--- a/js/compiler/demo-nested-during.js
+++ b/js/compiler/demo-nested-during.js
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ assertion type show();
 assertion type view(str);
 
 ground dataspace {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     field this.title = "first";
     assert todo(this.title);
     on message 3 {
@@ -67,11 +67,11 @@ ground dataspace {
     }
   }
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     assert show();
   }
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     field this.editing = false;
 
     during todo($title) {
@@ -95,14 +95,14 @@ ground dataspace {
     }
   }
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     on start { :: 0; }
     stop on message 0 {
       :: 1;
     }
   }
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     field this.count = 0;
     on retracted view($x) { console.log('VIEW--', x); }
     on asserted view($x) {
diff --git a/js/compiler/demo-proper-interest-tracking.js b/js/compiler/demo-proper-interest-tracking.js
index 03fb922..a44dd98 100644
--- a/js/compiler/demo-proper-interest-tracking.js
+++ b/js/compiler/demo-proper-interest-tracking.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ assertion type ready(what);
 assertion type entry(key, val);
 
 ground dataspace {
-  actor named 'listener' {
+  spawn named 'listener' {
     assert ready('listener');
     on asserted entry($key, _) {
       console.log('key asserted', key);
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ ground dataspace {
     }
   }
 
-  actor named 'other-listener' {
+  spawn named 'other-listener' {
     assert ready('other-listener');
     during entry($key, _) {
       on start { console.log('(other-listener) key asserted', key); }
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ ground dataspace {
     }
   }
 
-  actor named 'driver' {
+  spawn named 'driver' {
     stop on asserted ready('listener') {
       react {
         stop on asserted ready('other-listener') {
diff --git a/js/compiler/syndicate.ohm b/js/compiler/syndicate.ohm
index be3320d..6c3e569 100644
--- a/js/compiler/syndicate.ohm
+++ b/js/compiler/syndicate.ohm
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ Syndicate <: ES5 {
   FunctionBodyBlock = "{" FunctionBody "}"   // odd that this isn't in es5.ohm somewhere
 
   ActorStatement
-    = actorStar (named Expression<withIn>)? FunctionBodyBlock -- noReact
-    | actor (named Expression<withIn>)? FunctionBodyBlock     -- withReact
+    = spawnStar (named Expression<withIn>)? FunctionBodyBlock -- noReact
+    | spawn (named Expression<withIn>)? FunctionBodyBlock     -- withReact
 
   DataspaceStatement
     = ground dataspace identifier? FunctionBodyBlock -- ground
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ Syndicate <: ES5 {
     | stop on FacetTransitionEventPattern #(sc)                               -- stopOnNoCont
     | dataflow FunctionBodyBlock                                              -- dataflow
     | during FacetPattern FunctionBodyBlock                                   -- during
-    | during FacetPattern actor (named Expression<withIn>)? FunctionBodyBlock -- duringActor
+    | during FacetPattern spawn (named Expression<withIn>)? FunctionBodyBlock -- duringSpawn
 
   AssertWhenClause = when "(" Expression<withIn> ")"
 
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ Syndicate <: ES5 {
   // we don't want to make them unavailable to programs as
   // identifiers.
 
-  actorStar = "actor*" ~identifierPart
-  actor = "actor" ~("*" | identifierPart)
+  spawnStar = "spawn*" ~identifierPart
+  spawn = "spawn" ~("*" | identifierPart)
   assert = "assert" ~identifierPart
   asserted = "asserted" ~identifierPart
   assertion = "assertion" ~identifierPart
diff --git a/js/examples/button/index.js b/js/examples/button/index.js
index 5e90a6d..362d101 100644
--- a/js/examples/button/index.js
+++ b/js/examples/button/index.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ground dataspace {
   Syndicate.UI.spawnUIDriver();
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     var ui = new Syndicate.UI.Anchor();
     field this.counter = 0;
     assert ui.html('#button-label', '' + this.counter);
diff --git a/js/examples/chat/index.js b/js/examples/chat/index.js
index 8546d36..d470d2b 100644
--- a/js/examples/chat/index.js
+++ b/js/examples/chat/index.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ function spawnChatApp() {
   $("#nym_form").submit(function (e) { e.preventDefault(); return false; });
   if (!($("#nym").val())) { $("#nym").val("nym" + Math.floor(Math.random() * 65536)); }
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     var ui = new Syndicate.UI.Anchor();
     field this.nym;
     field this.status;
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ function outputUtterance(who, what) {
 assertion type inputValue(selector, value);
 
 function spawnInputChangeMonitor() {
-  actor {
-    during Syndicate.observe(inputValue($selector, _)) actor {
+  spawn {
+    during Syndicate.observe(inputValue($selector, _)) spawn {
       field this.value = $(selector).val();
       assert inputValue(selector, this.value);
       on message Syndicate.UI.globalEvent(selector, 'change', $e) {
diff --git a/js/examples/iot/index.js b/js/examples/iot/index.js
index 1ba5d79..27f8620 100644
--- a/js/examples/iot/index.js
+++ b/js/examples/iot/index.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ assertion type componentPresent(name);
 // TV
 
 function spawnTV() {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     var ui = new Syndicate.UI.Anchor();
     during tvAlert($text) {
       assert ui.context(text).html('#tv', Mustache.render($('#alert_template').html(), { text: text }));
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ function spawnTV() {
 // Remote control and listener
 
 function spawnRemoteControl() {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     assert componentPresent('remote control');
     on message Syndicate.UI.globalEvent('#remote-control', 'click', _) {
       :: remoteClick();
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ function spawnRemoteControl() {
 }
 
 function spawnRemoteListener() {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     this.stoveIsOn = false;
     // In principle, we should start up in "power undefined" state and
     // count clicks we get in that state; when we then learn the real
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ function spawnRemoteListener() {
 // Stove switch and power draw monitor
 
 function spawnStoveSwitch() {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     field this.powerOn = false;
     this.ui = new Syndicate.UI.Anchor();
 
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ function spawnStoveSwitch() {
 }
 
 function spawnPowerDrawMonitor() {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     field this.watts = 0;
     this.ui = new Syndicate.UI.Anchor();
 
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ function spawnPowerDrawMonitor() {
 // Timeout listener
 
 function spawnTimeoutListener() {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     during powerDraw($watts) {
       on start {
         if (watts > 0) {
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ function spawnTimeoutListener() {
 }
 
 // function spawnTimeoutListener() {
-//   actor {
+//   spawn {
 //     on asserted powerDraw($watts) {
 //       if (watts > 0) {
 //         var powerOnTime = Date.now();
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ function spawnTimeoutListener() {
 // }
 
 // function spawnTimeoutListener() {
-//   actor {
+//   spawn {
 //     this.mostRecentTime = 0;
 //     this.powerOnTime = null;
 //     on asserted powerDraw($watts) {
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ function spawnTimeoutListener() {
 // Failure monitor
 
 function spawnFailureMonitor() {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     on retracted componentPresent($who) {
       react {
         assert tvAlert('FAILURE: ' + who);
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ function spawnFailureMonitor() {
 // Chaos Monkey
 
 function spawnChaosMonkey() {
-  actor* {
+  spawn* {
     monitorComponent('power draw monitor',
                      '#spawn-power-draw-monitor',
                      '#kill-power-draw-monitor',
diff --git a/js/examples/location/index.js b/js/examples/location/index.js
index ec9b60e..76fd28c 100644
--- a/js/examples/location/index.js
+++ b/js/examples/location/index.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ ground dataspace G {
   Syndicate.Timer.spawnTimerDriver();
   Syndicate.Broker.spawnBrokerClientDriver();
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     var id = Syndicate.RandomID.randomId(4, true);
 
     var email_element = document.getElementById('my_email');
diff --git a/js/examples/motion/index.js b/js/examples/motion/index.js
index 1b488d9..598a8f8 100644
--- a/js/examples/motion/index.js
+++ b/js/examples/motion/index.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ ground dataspace G {
   Syndicate.Timer.spawnTimerDriver();
   Syndicate.Broker.spawnBrokerClientDriver();
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     var ui = new Syndicate.UI.Anchor();
     var color = tinycolor('hsl ' + (Math.random() * 360 | 0) + ' 100% 50%').toHexString();
     var x = 0;
diff --git a/js/examples/smoketest-dsl/index.js b/js/examples/smoketest-dsl/index.js
index ad74a34..13178dd 100644
--- a/js/examples/smoketest-dsl/index.js
+++ b/js/examples/smoketest-dsl/index.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ assertion type beep(counter);
 ground dataspace {
   console.log('starting ground boot');
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     stop on asserted Syndicate.observe(beep(_)) {
       field this.counter = 0;
       react {
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ ground dataspace {
     }
   }
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     on message beep($counter) {
       console.log("beep!", counter);
     }
diff --git a/js/examples/svg/index.js b/js/examples/svg/index.js
index d50c738..527367c 100644
--- a/js/examples/svg/index.js
+++ b/js/examples/svg/index.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ ground dataspace G {
   Syndicate.UI.spawnUIDriver();
   Syndicate.Timer.spawnTimerDriver();
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     var ui = new Syndicate.UI.Anchor();
     field this.angle;
     field this.handX;
diff --git a/js/examples/table/index.js b/js/examples/table/index.js
index 124f7fe..b3cece2 100644
--- a/js/examples/table/index.js
+++ b/js/examples/table/index.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ assertion type person(id, firstName, lastName, address, age);
 message type setSortColumn(number);
 
 function newRow(id, firstName, lastName, address, age) {
-  actor named ('model' + id) {
+  spawn named ('model' + id) {
     assert person(id, firstName, lastName, address, age);
   }
 }
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ function spawnModel() {
 }
 
 function spawnView() {
-  actor named 'view' {
+  spawn named 'view' {
     var ui = new Syndicate.UI.Anchor();
     field this.orderColumn = 2;
 
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ function spawnView() {
 }
 
 function spawnController() {
-  actor named 'controller' {
+  spawn named 'controller' {
     on message Syndicate.UI.globalEvent('table#the-table th', 'click', $e) {
       :: setSortColumn(JSON.parse(e.target.dataset.column));
     }
diff --git a/js/examples/textfield-dsl/index.js b/js/examples/textfield-dsl/index.js
index 18d3d2b..b24980e 100644
--- a/js/examples/textfield-dsl/index.js
+++ b/js/examples/textfield-dsl/index.js
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ function piece(text, pos, lo, hi, cls) {
 }
 
 function spawnGui() {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     field this.text = '';
     field this.pos = 0;
     field this.highlightState = false;
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ function spawnGui() {
 // Textfield Model
 
 function spawnModel() {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     field this.fieldValue = "initial";
     field this.cursorPos = this.fieldValue.length; /* positions address gaps between characters */
 
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ function spawnModel() {
 // Search engine
 
 function spawnSearch() {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     field this.searchtext = document.getElementById("searchBox").value;
     field this.fieldValue = "";
     field this.highlight = false;
diff --git a/js/examples/todo/index.js b/js/examples/todo/index.js
index 1b1e354..2940ce8 100644
--- a/js/examples/todo/index.js
+++ b/js/examples/todo/index.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ assertion type show(completed);
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 function todoListItemModel(initialId, initialTitle, initialCompleted) {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     field this.id = initialId;
     field this.title = initialTitle;
     field this.completed = initialCompleted;
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ function getTemplate(id) {
 }
 
 function todoListItemView(id) {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     stop on retracted todo(id, _, _);
 
     this.ui = new Syndicate.UI.Anchor();
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ function todoListItemView(id) {
 ground dataspace G {
   Syndicate.UI.spawnUIDriver();
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     on message Syndicate.UI.globalEvent('.new-todo', 'change', $e) {
       var newTitle = e.target.value.trim();
       if (newTitle) :: createTodo(newTitle);
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ ground dataspace G {
     }
   }
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     this.ui = new Syndicate.UI.Anchor();
 
     during activeTodoCount($count) {
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ ground dataspace G {
     }
   }
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     field this.completedCount = 0;
     field this.activeCount = 0;
     on asserted  todo($id, _, $c) { if (c) this.completedCount++; else this.activeCount++; }
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ ground dataspace G {
     assert allCompleted() when (this.completedCount > 0 && this.activeCount === 0);
   }
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     during Syndicate.UI.locationHash($hash) {
       assert Syndicate.UI.uiAttribute('ul.filters > li > a[href="#'+hash+'"]',
                                       'class', 'selected');
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ ground dataspace G {
     }
   }
 
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     var db;
 
     if ('todos-syndicate' in localStorage) {
diff --git a/js/examples/two-buyer-protocol/index.js b/js/examples/two-buyer-protocol/index.js
index 8505604..b101563 100644
--- a/js/examples/two-buyer-protocol/index.js
+++ b/js/examples/two-buyer-protocol/index.js
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ assertion type splitProposal(title, price, contribution, accepted);
 /// core library.
 ///
 function whileRelevantAssert(P) {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
     assert P;
     stop on retracted Syndicate.observe(P);
   }
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ function whileRelevantAssert(P) {
 /// ### Implementation: SELLER
 
 function seller() {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
 
 /// We give our actor two state variables: a dictionary recording our
 /// inventory of books (mapping title to price), and a counter
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ function seller() {
 /// ### Implementation: SPLIT-PROPOSER and book-quote-requestor
 
 function buyerA() {
-  actor* {
+  spawn* {
     var self = this;
 
 /// Our actor remembers which books remain on its shopping list, and
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ function buyerA() {
 /// ### Implementation: SPLIT-DISPOSER and BUYER
 
 function buyerB() {
-  actor {
+  spawn {
 
 /// This actor maintains a record of the amount of money it has left
 /// to spend.
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ function buyerB() {
                     remainingFunds+" remaining funds");
         this.funds = remainingFunds;
 
-        actor {
+        spawn {
 
 /// While waiting for order confirmation, take the opportunity to
 /// signal to our SPLIT-PROPOSER that we accepted their proposal.