diff --git a/scopes/core/core.py b/scopes/core/core.py
index 628657f..9b754d0 100644
--- a/scopes/core/core.py
+++ b/scopes/core/core.py
@@ -13,14 +13,12 @@ from scopes.core.message import Message
 from scopes import util
 from scopes.util import keywords as k, Symbol, Symbols
 
-# keywords (domains, actions, categories, stages):
-k('csys', 'env',
-  'connect', 'create', 'created', 'data', 'default', 'value',
-  'c00', 'e00', 's00',
-  'initial', 'active', 'retired')
-
-dom = util.Symbols('dom')('csys', 'env')
-cat = util.Symbols('cat')('c00', 'e00', 's00')
+# keywords (domains, actions, categories, stages, data keys):
+k('csys env',
+  'connect create created data default value',
+  'c00 e00 s00',
+  'initial active retired',
+  'address pred succ')
 
 type Mailbox = asyncio.Queue
 type Categ = tuple[Symbol, Symbol]
@@ -61,7 +59,7 @@ def notify() -> Handler:
 def gen_proc(actions: Actions, default: Handlers = notify(),
              prepare: Handlers = None, finalize: Handlers = None) -> Proc:
     async def proc(msg: Message, scope: Scope) -> Scope:
-        acts = actions.get(msg.head.action, actions.get(k.default, default))
+        acts = actions.get(msg.action, actions.get(k.default, default))
         acts = util.flatten(prepare, acts, finalize, ignore_none=True)
         for act in acts:
             msg = await act(msg, scope)
@@ -87,7 +85,7 @@ def gen_program(spec: ProgramSpec, default: Proc = gen_proc({})) -> Program:
 class Scope:
 
     value: Any = 0
-    categ: Categ = (k.csys, cat.c00)
+    categ: Categ = (k.csys, k.c00)
     stage: Symbol = k.initial
     proc: Proc = field(init=False)
     program: Program = gen_program({})
@@ -101,7 +99,7 @@ class Scope:
         self.proc = self.program(self)
         return self
 
-def create_scope(env: Mailbox, cat: Categ = (k.csys, cat.c00), **kw) -> Scope:
+def create_scope(env: Mailbox, cat: Categ = (k.csys, k.c00), **kw) -> Scope:
     return Scope(environ=env, categ=cat, **kw)
 
 def clone_scope(scope: Scope, **kw) -> Scope:
@@ -109,7 +107,7 @@ def clone_scope(scope: Scope, **kw) -> Scope:
     categ = kw.get('categ', scope.categ)
     stage = kw.get('stage', k.initial)
     return Scope(environ=scope.environ, value=value, categ=categ, stage=stage, 
-                 program=scope.program, syns=[], **kw)
+                 program=scope.program, syns=[])
 
 async def create_zero(env: Mailbox) -> Mailbox:
     scope = create_scope(env, program=gen_program({}, default=std_proc()))
@@ -155,6 +153,6 @@ def std_proc(actions: Actions | None = None, finalize: Handler = forward(),
 # helpers
 
 async def notify_created(msg: Message, new: Mailbox, scope: Scope) -> None:
-    msg = Message(msg.head.domain, k.created, data=msg.data | {k.new: new})
+    msg = Message(msg.domain, k.created, data=msg.data | {k.new: new})
     await scope.environ.put(msg)
 
diff --git a/scopes/util.py b/scopes/util.py
index b8b1a59..d9809f7 100644
--- a/scopes/util.py
+++ b/scopes/util.py
@@ -15,14 +15,14 @@ class Symbol(str):
 
 class Symbols:
 
-    def __init__(self, prefix=None):
-        self.__prefix = prefix
+    def __init__(self, ns=None):
+        self.__prefix = ns + '.' if ns else ''
 
-    def __call__(self, *ks):
-        prefix = self.__prefix + '.' if self.__prefix else ''
-        for k in ks:
-            if not hasattr(self, k):
-                setattr(self, k, Symbol(prefix + k))
+    def __call__(self, *keys):
+        for segment in keys:
+            for key in segment.split():
+                if not hasattr(self, key):
+                    setattr(self, key, Symbol(self.__prefix + key))
         return self
 
     def __getattr__(self, k):
diff --git a/tests/test_core.py b/tests/test_core.py
index b0f3c52..53a0f15 100644
--- a/tests/test_core.py
+++ b/tests/test_core.py
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ async def test_core(meta_env, collector):
     zero = await core.create_zero(env)
     await env.put(Message(k.env, k.hello))
     await zero.put(Message(k.csys, k.hello))
-    await zero.put(Message(k.csys, k.create))
-                           #data={k.connect: k.pred, k.address: (1, 1)}))
+    await zero.put(Message(k.csys, k.create,
+                           data={k.connect: k.pred, k.address: (1, 1)}))
     await asyncio.sleep(0.01)
     assert len(collector) == 4
     assert collector[0].action is k.created
diff --git a/tests/test_util.py b/tests/test_util.py
index fc9e6fa..b1806c4 100644
--- a/tests/test_util.py
+++ b/tests/test_util.py
@@ -4,8 +4,11 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-from scopes.util import keywords as k, flatten
-k('dummy', 'other', 'cd', 'new')
+from scopes.util import keywords as k, flatten, Symbols
+
+k('dummy other', 'cd', 'new', 'erp')
+
+dom = Symbols('dom')('crm erp sys')
 
 def test_keywords():
     assert k.dummy is k.dummy
@@ -13,6 +16,8 @@ def test_keywords():
     assert getattr(k, "abcd"[-2:]) is k.cd
     assert k['dummy'] is k.dummy
     assert k['new'] is k['new']
+    assert repr(dom.erp) == '<dom.erp>'
+    assert dom.erp != k.erp
 
 def test_flatten():
     lst = (1, (None, 2), (3, (4, 5)))