diff --git a/fcore/cursor-dfa/make-dfa-loop.sml b/fcore/cursor-dfa/make-dfa-loop.sml
index 1d0cb37..2493804 100644
--- a/fcore/cursor-dfa/make-dfa-loop.sml
+++ b/fcore/cursor-dfa/make-dfa-loop.sml
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 signature MAKE_DFA_LOOP =
 sig
-  val fNext: int * int * string * string list * Word8.word * int -> int
-  val fPrev: int * int * string * string list * Word8.word * int -> int
+  val fStart: int * int * string * string list * Word8.word * int -> int
   val startState: Word8.word
 end
 
-functor MakeDfaLoop(M: MAKE_DFA_LOOP) =
+functor MakeNextDfaLoop(M: MAKE_DFA_LOOP) =
 struct
   fun next (lineGap: LineGap.t, cursorIdx) =
     let
@@ -19,17 +18,20 @@ struct
           in
             if strIdx < String.size shd then
               (* strIdx is in this string *)
-              M.fNext (strIdx, cursorIdx, shd, stl, M.startState, 1)
+              M.fStart (strIdx, cursorIdx, shd, stl, M.startState, 1)
             else
               (* strIdx is in tl *)
               case stl of
                 stlhd :: stltl =>
-                  M.fNext (strIdx, cursorIdx, stlhd, stltl, M.startState, 1)
+                  M.fStart (strIdx, cursorIdx, stlhd, stltl, M.startState, 1)
               | _ => cursorIdx
           end
       | [] => cursorIdx
     end
+end
 
+functor MakePrevDfaLoop(M: MAKE_DFA_LOOP) =
+struct
   fun prev (lineGap: LineGap.t, cursorIdx) =
     let
       val {rightStrings, leftStrings, idx = bufferIdx, ...} = lineGap
@@ -42,7 +44,7 @@ struct
           in
             if strIdx < String.size shd then
               (* strIdx is in this string *)
-              M.fPrev (strIdx, cursorIdx, shd, leftStrings, M.startState, 1)
+              M.fStart (strIdx, cursorIdx, shd, leftStrings, M.startState, 1)
             else
               (* strIdx is in tl *)
               (case stl of
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ struct
                      val strIdx = strIdx - String.size shd
                      val leftStrings = shd :: leftStrings
                    in
-                     M.fPrev
+                     M.fStart
                        (strIdx, cursorIdx, stlhd, leftStrings, M.startState, 1)
                    end
                | [] => cursorIdx)
diff --git a/fcore/cursor-dfa/vi-WORD-dfa.sml b/fcore/cursor-dfa/vi-WORD-dfa.sml
index 104e1ca..5e3c21b 100644
--- a/fcore/cursor-dfa/vi-WORD-dfa.sml
+++ b/fcore/cursor-dfa/vi-WORD-dfa.sml
@@ -35,15 +35,15 @@ struct
       Vector.sub (currentTable, charIdx)
     end
 
-  structure TraverseWORD =
-    MakeDfaLoop
+  structure StartOfNextWORD =
+    MakeNextDfaLoop
       (struct
          val startState = startState
 
-         fun fNext (idx, absIdx, str, tl, currentState, counter) =
+         fun fStart (idx, absIdx, str, tl, currentState, counter) =
            if idx = String.size str then
              case tl of
-               str :: tl => fNext (0, absIdx, str, tl, currentState, counter)
+               str :: tl => fStart (0, absIdx, str, tl, currentState, counter)
              | [] => Int.max (absIdx - 2, 0)
            else
              let
@@ -55,16 +55,23 @@ struct
                    absIdx
                  else
                    (* new loop, so reset to start state and proceed *)
-                   fNext (idx + 1, absIdx + 1, str, tl, startState, counter - 1)
+                   fStart
+                     (idx + 1, absIdx + 1, str, tl, startState, counter - 1)
                else
-                 fNext (idx + 1, absIdx + 1, str, tl, newState, counter)
+                 fStart (idx + 1, absIdx + 1, str, tl, newState, counter)
              end
+       end)
 
-         fun fPrev (idx, absIdx, str, tl, currentState, counter) =
+  structure EndOfPrevWORD =
+    MakePrevDfaLoop
+      (struct
+         val startState = startState
+
+         fun fStart (idx, absIdx, str, tl, currentState, counter) =
            if idx < 0 then
              case tl of
                str :: tl =>
-                 fPrev
+                 fStart
                    (String.size str - 1, absIdx, str, tl, currentState, counter)
              | [] => 0
            else
@@ -77,12 +84,13 @@ struct
                    absIdx
                  else
                    (* reset to start state and proceed *)
-                   fPrev (idx - 1, absIdx - 1, str, tl, startState, counter - 1)
+                   fStart
+                     (idx - 1, absIdx - 1, str, tl, startState, counter - 1)
                else
-                 fPrev (idx - 1, absIdx - 1, str, tl, newState, counter)
+                 fStart (idx - 1, absIdx - 1, str, tl, newState, counter)
              end
        end)
 
-  val next = TraverseWORD.next
-  val prev = TraverseWORD.prev
+  val startOfNextWORD = StartOfNextWORD.next
+  val endOfPrevWORD = EndOfPrevWORD.prev
 end
diff --git a/fcore/cursor.sml b/fcore/cursor.sml
index cd8f05b..db5b282 100644
--- a/fcore/cursor.sml
+++ b/fcore/cursor.sml
@@ -886,7 +886,7 @@ struct
     toNextWord (lineGap, cursorIdx, helpNextWord)
 
   (* equivalent of vi's 'W' command *)
-  val nextWORD = ViWORDDfa.next
+  val nextWORD = ViWORDDfa.startOfNextWORD
 
   fun helpPrevWord (strPos, str, absIdx, strTl, lineTl) =
     if strPos < 0 then
@@ -1077,8 +1077,7 @@ struct
     toEndOfPrevWord (lineGap, cursorIdx, helpEndOfPrevWord)
 
   (* equivalent of vi's 'gE' command *)
-  fun endOfPrevWORD (lineGap, cursorIdx) =
-    toEndOfPrevWord (lineGap, cursorIdx, helpEndOfPrevWORD)
+  val endOfPrevWORD = ViWORDDfa.endOfPrevWORD
 
   fun helpEndOfWord (strPos, str, absIdx, stl, ltl) =
     if strPos = String.size str then