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