Re: [lojban] Am I completely wrong about tanru?

[Pierre Abbat <phma@phma.optus.nu>]

On Tuesday 08 February 2011 19:43:31 MorphemeAddict wrote:
> Is a hippopotamus even a {rirxe xirma}? I know the etymology of the English
> (et al.) suggests 'river horse', but is that carried over to Lojban? I
> would expect a more literal interpretation of the tanru, namely 'a river
> type of horse'. Since hippopotamuses aren't horses (or xirma), they aren't
> rirxe xirma either.

I wouldn't call a hippopotamus {rirxe xirma}, but I would call it {ri'erxi'a}. 
Similarly, lo xajyfi'e na xarju finpe (although by cladistics lo xajyfi'e .e 
lo xarju are both artiodactyls). As to whether lo tirxyxi'a cu tirxu xirma, 
that depends on the precise definition of {xirma} (they're in the same genus, 
but so is lo xasli).

Pierre
-- 
The Black Garden on the Mountain is not on the Black Mountain.

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