Lesson 14
pavomoi seltadni
Making Modification Pairs
tanru nunzmadu
Lojban tanru are not quite the same as metaphors in English and other
languages. The difference was not brought out well in the class. In
most languages, the use of metaphor involves the broadening of word
meanings to reflect concepts which are similar in the speaker's or
listener's mind. The stuff of poetry in these languages is to use
words to create images, then apply those images to something else.
Lojban tanru are NOT supposed to be poetic images.
The key concept regarding Lojban tanru which differs from traditional
metaphor is that:
IN LOJBAN tanru, EACH COMPONENT brivla RETAINS ITS SINGLE SPECIFIC
MEANING
The place structures of the component brivla remain accessible; you
can fill each place of each component with a sumti value, although the
sentence place structure is that of the final term. We will learn how
to specify the 'internal' places of a tanru, those of non-final
components, in Lesson 6. The tanru is forming a gestalt concept
joining these specific component meanings. tanru are semantically
vague when internal places are not specified. tanru are semantically
ambiguous only in the way the components interrelate.
Examples are plentiful, but we will concentrate on some areas which
cause problems for new Lojbanists. Because making tanru involves
treating the whole gismu list as a set, we are not limiting the
discussion and examples just to gismu presented so far in vocabulary
sections.
1. Do not use English (or other cultural) connotations of keywords for
component brivla. Restrict usage to the single denotation of each
brivla.
If you see the tanru "blanu zdani", you know that you have something
that is first and foremost a nest or house; the place structure is
that of the brivla "zdani". Something about this zdani pertains to
the color blue, because blanu denotes that color as a bridi
relationship. In joining the two words, the speaker might be implying
that the outside walls are partially or completely blue (probably the
most plausible interpretation in our culture), or that it is a
nest/house for blue people/creatures. You can probably think of other
possibilities.
What you cannot do is choose a metaphorical meanings of "blue" -
emotional connotations of sadness are the most common of these in
English. LOJBAN "blanu" DOES NOT MEAN THESE THINGS. You are limited
to the explicit Lojban denotation as the basis for meaning.
2. Do not use physical property terms for non-physical concepts.
Adjectival relationship words such as "condi" (deep), "galtu" (high),
"gapru" (above), "dizlo" (low), "clani" (long), "tordu" (short),
"tsali" (strong), "ruble" (weak) refer to physical concepts.
"barda" (big), "cmalu" (small), "tilju" (heavy), "linto"
(lightweight), etc. will be dealt with in a moment.
These words are often adjectives in English and other languages. As
such, they are used metaphorically in English and other natural
languages in all kinds of ways. Many of these are culturally
dependent; some of them we don't consciously realize are metaphors.
In Lojban, all brivla can be 'adjectives', but all can be 'nouns' and
'verbs' as well. We have to avoid assigning particular metaphorical
value to those concepts that we are used to thinking of as adjectives
or this essential feature of Lojban will be lost. In building the
Lojban gismu list, we tried to filter these metaphorical meanings out.
The adjectival words mentioned each refer to the measurement of some
physical property or dimension. Use them only in reference to that
property. You should avoid using the words for other purposes,
because you weaken the Lojban concept of one meaning for each word.
We have put in some gismu specifically to aid in avoiding misuse. The
word "nobli" (noble) was added to avoid an unacceptable tanru based on
"high born" (galtu jbena), which should suggest birth in an airplane,
in space, or perhaps on a mountain to a Lojbanist. "galtu" (and
"gapru") should be used only to refer to a physical direction.
"High" and "low" are used in many, and perhaps most, cultures to refer
to relative amounts in non-physical contexts; this does not make such
usages correct for Lojban.
3. Some normally physical words have been given broader denotations,
giving more flexibility in tanru. This was usually because we could
not find an effective way to convey a corresponding equivalent for
non-physical properties. As such, we added a 'property' place to the
structure. This makes the denotation broad, as opposed to erroneously
metaphorizing outside of a restricted denotation.
"barda" and "cmalu" can be used to deal with various concepts of
relative quantity. They both deal with sizes, as do the comparative
words "zmadu" (more) and "ckamu" (less). "barda" and "cmalu" are more
or less arbitrary positions on the scale where "zmadu" and "ckamu" are
directions.
The terms "milxe" (mild, gentle, unextreme), "mutce" (much, very,
towards the extreme), and "traji" (superlative, at the extreme) are
used for relative properties. With no context, you can probably
assume that the extreme is a "zmadu" one rather than a "ckamu" one,
but this is not necessarily the case. An extra place or a tanru
component must be added to specify which extreme if there is
uncertainty. This is an example of elliptical vagueness in tanru as
opposed to relationship ambiguity between the terms.
"dunli" (equal in measured property), "mintu" (identical), and "simsa"
(similar) are also not restricted to physical properties.
"tilju" and "linto" are not currently defined so as to be restricted
to physical properties, although that is the usual elliptical usage
when the property sumti is left out. There is some question whether
non-physical usages of these concepts are useful or redundant; see the
next section.
4. Look at the place structures of the component brivla to determine
the exact denotation which will be used to infer the meaning.
An excellent example here is the distinctions between the various
words of motion: "klama", "litru", "cliva", "muvdu", and "bevri",
among others.
5. Choose the right word based on Lojban meaning, not necessarily
based on English keywords, which can be misleading.
Wherever possible, you should think about Lojban words 'in Lojban',
based on their Lojban meanings, rather then based on their English
keyword or on the metaphorical usages of other languages.
It is vital in Lojban to choose the right pieces to build your tanru
from. This is why you need to know the whole gismu list well.
Thus in Lesson 1, we indicated that "manku" (dark) referred to being
without illumination, but NOT to the concepts of dimness/dullness
("kandi") or blackness ("xekri").
Another example is the use of "canlu" (space/volume) to convey
concepts of three- dimensionality, as opposed to "rotsu" (thick) or
"condi" (deep). The latter have their uses, but refer to specific
directions as well as dimensions. (They also should not used for
non-physical metaphors, and "rotsu" should not be confused with
"viknu".)
Many other groups of brivla have been presented in the vocabulary
lists as related concepts. For each group, compare their meanings
relative to each other; build tanru based on the contrasts between
them. We will try to point out the tanru implications of words when
they are known, as the remaining vocabulary is presented.
6. Do not presume insulting or complimentary interpretations for your
tanru. You must generally be explicit to get these, since Lojban
avoids connotation, as opposed to denotation. Also, what is
complimentary or insulting in one culture is not in others. Do not
assume any universals.
Use "mabla" (derogative) and "zabna" (favorable) to indicate that your
tanru is intended to insult or compliment. Without these, a listener
is free to assume an intent other than the insulting or complimentary
one.
7. When in doubt, add an extra element to your tanru.
Longer tanru are more specific; they restrict the semantic domain of
the much broader field covered by the gismu by constraining the
plausibility tests. This is in spite of the fact that each joint in a
tanru has its own ambiguities. When you add a term, you add new
ambiguities. However, the new term may limit the plausibility of
other terms.
For example, if you are unhappy about the blending of "house" and
"nest" and "lair" into "zdani", you can add terms: "remna zdani",
"cipni zdani", "danlu zdani" to indicate what type of creature is
inhabiting. If you want to then further distinguish "home" from
"house", you could expand "remna zdani" to "cinmo ke remna zdani
[ke'e]" or "remna zdani dinju"/"dinju ke remna zdani [ke'e]".
There is no limit to the length of your tanru when you want to be
extremely refined.
8. The final place determines the overall place structure. This is
the most significant determining factor in tanru order. Which places
are you going to want to fill in for your usage of the tanru? The
answer won't always be the same. This demonstrates a key point about
tanru:
THE RIGHT tanru IS CONTEXT DEPENDENT
This leads to:
8. Explore orderings of tanru that are not 'normal' by English
standards - you will often come closer to your desired meaning.
For example, given the nature of brivla that are adjectivally defined
in English, they are often more clearly expressed with the "adjective"
in the final position. You could thus refer to a "zdani blanu", a
nest/house type of blue-thing; unlike its reversal, this does not
promote the possibility of the nest/house being "for blue
inhabitants". If you are not concerned with expressing the x2 place
of "zdani" relating to who lives in the nest/house, this tanru is
preferred, even though it has a very un-English translation.
Another example are the paired tanru "barda danlu" and "danlu barda",
each of which may be used in some (but not all) cases for the English
concept "monster" or "monstrous". The former is an animal of some
type, and is specifically large for an animal. The latter is
something large which is animalistic in nature or form (probably the
more common usage of the two). Neither of these covers the entire
English concept of "monster". You may want to bring in "cizra"
(strange/bizarre) or "se terpa" (feared), and you may not want to
limit monstrousness to animals (e.g. "Little Shop of Horrors").
One way to tell when you should explore various orderings is to note
when each of the components of the tanru is independently true;
something might be either a "zdani blanu" or a "blanu zdani" if it is
both "blanu" and "zdani" in some sense. You then choose the order
which gives the place structure you want or alternatively put the more
significant term LAST.
Far more than with English metaphors, there are many possible tanru to
express an idea. None of them is right for all contextual situations,
though some may be wrong because they can mislead. As you gain in
experience using tanru, you will choose better. Then you will be a
Lojban 'poet'.
For now, while you learn, you must rely on your fellow students and
instructor(s) to point out possible flaws in your tanru selection.
Especially while in this class, you should be willing to try varying
orders, using words in new ways. Your fellow Lojbanists should be
understanding and supportive, but they should not hesitate to correct
you if your tanru suggests something other than what you mean. Above
all, never take someones offering a correction to your tanru choice
personally. We are trying to learn to communicate better - to tear
down walls rather than to build them up.
Exercise 14-1
larnuntoi pavopi'epamoi
Part 1 - A Class Activity
Following are a hundred randomly generated tanru. If you are
self-teaching, take no more than ten of them. In a class, the
instructor may copy them on to a sheet and then cut the sheet up into
individual tanru. Then put the tanru into a box and let students draw
them.
Your object is to come up with a plausible interpretation for the
tanru, which may or may not be easy. You may express your
interpretation in English, using whatever means are necessary to
uniquely convey your intent. Other members of the class are welcome
to suggest alternative interpretations, subject to time limitations.
Each student should do a tanru in turn, then go around the class a
second or possibly a third time. It is recommended that each student
draw his/her tanru first. After the first couple of students, they
will then have had time to think and look up the gismu before their
turn comes.
The instructor may combine the words from Parts 1 (2-part tanru) and 2
(3-part tanru) into the box to save time. It is also permissible to
add other tanru with more than 3 places, or which use conversions and
abstractions. We have separated a few tanru which seemed particularly
difficult. You may use them, or you may exclude others.
As a further recommended option, with 2-place tanru, you may explore
the possible meanings of the tanru when the two units are reversed.
(With 3-place tanru, you can explore the alternate groupings with or
without ke/ke'e). The instructor in a class activity may allow the
student to choose either order or grouping, read their chosen tanru,
then give their interpretation. Using these alternatives may make
some of the difficult random combinations easier.
No, there are no answers given in the back of the book. There aren't
any 'correct' answers, and some of these would be exceptionally
challenging to the authors as well.
ragve mrilu facki culno kafke citno spita tcadu merko lebna
dukti glico ckire jbera tcita binxo sanli kancu morsi pastu
cpedu sorcu cortu lindi sisti zvati dunja verba trixe xagji
cifnu ranti smoka lamji frumu ninmu cisma spita palku xebni
ciska degji xrani gerna cerni zutse ckini casnu mupli spuda
pinsi kunti pritu bartu facki bratu ganlo rinju bratu junla
tavla catlu merko dasni narju cpana danfu pixra cakla jibni
citno xusra spuda farlu birje porpi derxi sanli dizlo cisma
trixe jibri darxi lojbo lifri taxfu stali sruma prenu kerfa
tixnu fatci xadni cadzu bilma dunda tcika dunra xatra jenca
critu pinxe djuno cerni dirgo barda banzu nazbi nenri smoka
xadni tadni xekri minde bridi casnu mamta fatne culno tcidu
bilma lanzu krixa citsi danfu betri jamfu fatne zunle nicte
zarci cabna dunja kansa ranti cmene manri galtu bukpu stali
gapru casnu kanro cladu rapli sumti nuzba mentu troci snuti
ralte nanmu snime galfi carna sanli nazbi dunja tcima cpedu
desku spuda moklu midju fasnu nicte fonxa loldi cerni jufra
farlu cmalu rapli temci darxi verba morji bilma
The following 11 are especially challenging, unless you are allowed to choose the order:
klani mlana lerfu djedi tanru frati cmavo cadzu
gismu moklu lerfu tamji kancu ganlo gerna nixli
sumti creka lerfu menli zukte mlana
Part 2
The same procedure may be used with the following, all 3-part tanru.
Some have ke/ke'e. We have not generated any that use more than 3
brivla, or using conversion or abstraction.
sutra daspo jursa midju spita blabi ckini renvi ranti
darno trixe jbini vitke crisa xunre dinju stizu srera
derxi ke tcika namcu taske casnu cifnu glico ciksi cmavo
jibni ke narju ciska cmene ke karce xadni tcima farlu claxu
glico namcu selci clira ke tunba detri dasri cnita zarci
glare xenru sisti zukte notci lerfu mintu canko pinxe
bajra betri jinvi mlana nakni krici jadni cmoni gismu
nakni virnu ckafi notci sruma stizu dizlo darxi nanmu
zvati jdice cpedu glare bevri birti penmi ke tcita birje
cmila janli lamji tagji cortu zunle dunku tcika dasri
xatra ke glico djedi lebna ninmu frati dicra ke banzu tunba
manku zasti trixe remna cumki dirgo morsi bukpu jdice
sorcu pensi glico fatci canko manri snime dukse bajra
srera kajde smuni carmi ke bruna tixnu nenri xagji badri
The following are 8 that are especially difficult without changing
either grouping or order of the units:
rafsi ke klama pendo snime frili frili vitke cabna xance
vitke frumu galtu pajni tcika tuple jdice dinju glare
xusra bartu funca patfu gadri jitfa
Part 3
The following is practice in grouping with ke/ke'e parentheses. All
combinations of 5-term groupings are given. Insert "ke" and "ke'e"
where needed to obtain each desired grouping. Attempt to interpret
each.
<{(cmalu nixli) ckule} dinju> kumfa
kumfa
{(cmalu nixli) (ckule dinju)} kumfa
kumfa
<{cmalu (nixli ckule)} dinju> kumfa
cmalu ({ dinju} kumfa)
cmalu ({nixli } kumfa)
cmalu ({nixli ckule} {dinju kumfa})
cmalu (nixli { kumfa})
cmalu (nixli {ckule })
(cmalu nixli) ({ckule dinju} kumfa)
(cmalu nixli) (ckule {dinju kumfa})
({cmalu nixli} ckule) (dinju kumfa)
(cmalu {nixli ckule}) (dinju kumfa)
Exercise 14-2
larnuntoi pavopi'eremoi
To continue learning how to use tanru effectively, you need to start
trying to describe things, actions, qualities, and behaviors in terms
of tanru. When you know all the gismu, you will have the full power
of Lojban at your disposal, but you can start now. If you have
someone to share with, tell them your tanru, and see if they figure
out what you intended. You will learn as much by their wrong answers
as by their correct ones. (If you don't have a Lojbanist to try this
with, use an English speaker, and the English keyword equivalents,
asking 'What does this phrase suggest to you?'
Each student should make several tanru, including:
1. one simple two-part tanru
2. one simple three-part tanru with left-grouping
3. one three-or-more tanru with non-left grouping
4. one tanru with a conversion
5. one tanru with an abstraction
If at all possible, these tanru should be meaningful in the real
world; preferably expressible as English words or very short phrases.
You are trying to communicate an idea to a classmate, and your success
is measured by whether the classmate can figure out the concept that
you have in mind.
If this lesson is being taught in a single class session, use this
activity as homework leading to conducting the activity at the review
session at the start of Lesson 5.
At the class activity time, go around the room with each student in
turn. Student A will read his/her tanru. All students should write
the tanru down, though student B will be the interpreter. Student B
should then read her/his tanru, then student C until all have read one
tanru. (If only going around the room once, the instructor should
specify for each student one of the above categories of tanru so that
each type is represented.
Give the students a few minutes to look up unfamiliar words and devise
the most plausible real- world interpretation. Then go around the
room, with Student A reading his/her tanru and Student B reading
her/his interpretation. After the interpretation is given, ask if any
other student has a different interpretation. Then ask student A to
indicate if the interpretation is the intended one, or if several have
been proposed, which one. Allow discussion of better tanru for the
concept; the instructor should feel free to add her/his own ideas.
Watch out especially for reversed tanru and for grouping errors.
There are many ways to phrase some of the English interpretations.
You are correct if your interpretation matches the grouping given and
no other grouping. This can sometimes be difficult.
Answers to Exercise 14-1, part 3
cmalu nixli ckule dinju kumfa
<{(cmalu nixli) ckule} dinju> kumfa
room in a building at a small-girls' school
cmalu ke nixli ckule dinju ke'e kumfa
kumfa
room at a small building at a girl's school
cmalu nixli ke ckule dinju ke'e kumfa
{(cmalu nixli) (ke ckule dinju ke'e)} kumfa
room in a school building which is for small girls
cmalu ke nixli ke ckule dinju ke'e ke'e kumfa
kumfa
room of a small school building for girls
cmalu ke nixli ckule ke'e dinju kumfa
<{cmalu (ke nixli ckule ke'e)} dinju> kumfa
room of a building at a small kind of girls' school
cmalu ke nixli ckule dinju kumfa ke'e
cmalu (ke { dinju} kumfa ke'e)
small room of a building at a girls' school
cmalu ke nixli ke ckule dinju ke'e kumfa ke'e
cmalu (ke {nixli } kumfa ke'e)
small room of a school building for girls
cmalu ke nixli ckule ke dinju kumfa ke'e ke'e
cmalu (ke {nixli ckule} {ke dinju kumfa ke'e} ke'e)
small room in a building at a girls-school
cmalu ke nixli ke ckule dinju kumfa ke'e ke'e
cmalu (ke nixli {ke kumfa ke'e} ke'e)
small room for girls, in a school building
cmalu ke nixli ke ckule ke dinju kumfa ke'e ke'e ke'e
cmalu (ke nixli {ke ckule ke'e} ke'e)
small room for girls, in a building, of a school
cmalu nixli ke ckule dinju kumfa ke'e
(cmalu nixli) (ke {ckule dinju} kumfa ke'e)
room for small girls, in a school building
cmalu nixli ke ckule ke dinju kumfa ke'e ke'e
(cmalu nixli) (ke ckule {ke dinju kumfa ke'e} ke'e)
room in a building for small girls, at a school
cmalu nixli ckule ke dinju kumfa ke'e
({cmalu nixli} ckule) (ke dinju kumfa ke'e)
room in a building, at a school for small girls
cmalu ke nixli ckule ke'e ke dinju kumfa ke'e
(cmalu {ke nixli ckule ke'e}) (ke dinju kumfa ke'e)
room in a building, at a girls' school which is small