defining meanings of gismu

["Steven D. Arnold" <yami@dementian.com>]

Are there any principles used in the defining of gismu?

I was looking at "bajra," which means:

    x1 runs on surface x2 using limbs x3 with gait x4.

It seems to me the gismu would be a lot more useful if it meant something
like:

    x1 runs for reason x2 at speed x3 using limbs x4 with gait x5.

In fact, if "gait" could make the distinction between shuffling quickly,
jogging, running or sprinting, then maybe it should be x2.  But the reason
for the running seems important; is it for exercize, training, a race?  And
the speed parameter might also help us see if it's jogging, sprinting, etc.

The limbs part seems less important, usually obvious from context -- if it's
a dog, it's on all four limbs, etc.

The surface seems very unimportant to me.  I don't know how others feel
about it, but it seems to me when you run, you often do so on many different
surfaces.

So in the original gismu, it seems x2 and x3 are nearly or wholly
unimportant, and x4 could be better replaced with a speed parameter which is
both more specific and which conveys more meaning.

To repeat, then, what are the principles that are used to define gismu?  Why
form a gismu one way and not another?

Curious,


steve